Unitie thus were they the true Paradise for the Essential Spirit with the Unity of God was revealed in them who were to work through Gods love in all things But the Devill envied them and with his false Lust deceived the seven Properties of life and perswaded them it would be good for them and they should become wise if the Properties each one according to its kinde would introduce themselves into self-Acceptance then should the Spirit tast and know what was Good and Evill but then it could not subsist in Gods Unity of that he told them nothing But no sooner had they brought themselves in their own lusts than such a strife and contention awakned in them that all the Properties began to be formed in their self-hood Thus the Unity as the Element was broken or divided and the four Elements strove for predominance whereupon suddenly from without fell in the Inequality as Heat and Cold and the Astral division working in the Body and Gods wrath according to the Dark worlds propertie in the Soul which caused in them according to the Soul Horror Anguish Necessity and Eternal despair and in the Body arose Heat Cold Woes Sickness and a Mortal life Thus Gods Image the whole man fell from his Ordinance and became a disguised monster and the awakened Properties presently began to set up their Government with Envying Murthering Raging Tearing and Tormenting Love was changed into Pride and self-love Desire into Covetousness Sensibility into Envy and the lifes fire into wrath Thus was the Hellish foundation in the whole Man revealed and ruled both in Soul Body Now this Hellish Foundation is the Spirit of Errour for which man must have been damned had not the Divine mercy the Serpent-treader as the efflux of Gods love after the fall been presently (c) promised to the New birth in the Holy Name Jesus Which holy Name hath in meer mercy and great humility for mans soul body given it self forth assumed humanity broken the power of the diabolical Spirit of Error killed the lives self-will brought again the Properties into Gods Unity There the true Spirit as the human Idea and Gods Image is renewed again and filled with the Divine Love-Essence And thus the human Soul through Christs Soul and Spirit in that love and divine Essence hath again attain'd an open Gate unto God Thus in this Table is held forth or drawn to the life what Adam hath been what through the Fall he is become and how he is again Redeemed and what is his New-birth out of Christ Spirit And these are delineated in the seven Properties under the Word TINCTUR In which Properties the Soul hath its Center and in which the Spirit and in which the Body have their Centers also of which the Reader may further consider for under them stand the seven Dayes of the week intimating that Man is even the same This Table sheweth what Man is internally and externally first according to the good Adam and then according to the corrupted Adam and also what he is again in Christ Whereby we may understand how Evill and Good is man and whence exist the Propertie of good and evill both in the mind and senses By the word Sathan signifying the Spirit of Errour is not understood a Creaturely-Devill but the Spring or fountain of the Spirit of Error And by the word Christ is understood the New-Man according to the internal in the Spirit of Christ The other spaces are understood as in the other Tables wherein is understood the cause of mutation FINIS (a) Invenible Finditch (b) Good pleasure Beneplacitum (d) Three in one (e) Or sensibilitie Empâ—ndligkeit (f) Infassligkeit (g) Pricking (h) Essential (i) Cruciatus Qual (k) Faculties Kraffen (m) Infoldeth Wickeit (n) Nâ—yse Shaue Thus hath this place been before the fall of Lucifer and Adam namely in an equal temperature or Harmony of the 7. Planets and 4. Elements (p) Heaven is the parting-mark out of the spiritual fire and water between the Heavenly and Earthly (q) Or shine Glast Man having 2. Eternalls in him may be saved or damned (a) Or expansion (b) Egoitas Ickheit (a) Distinctness Vnterscheiedligkeit (b) Aliquid Etwas (c) Groundeth In the Eternal is an Eternal light but in the time heâ—e on Earth darknâ—ss â—s the grâ—und of Nâ—ture and light the ground of the Kingdom of joy the Revelation of God that we may behold his works and our selves (a) Own Eigen (b) Moderation or mean (c) Or a willing receiving Annehmligkeit * Fewrenden Lieve (d) Originalis is outspoken (e) Ein Shcios darier an diesem Orthe (f) Monas (g) Orig. Drawing in (h) Orig. to (k) Consumption Verterbnus (l) Lubet (m) Little (n) Highness Hochkeit (a) Gegenwurff The Pure Element is the equality in the Elements and is called the Quint-essence of the Elements as the Tincture of the equality of Nature both are the occult Arcanum so much sought for (b) Monas Einheit God made first the Angelical light world which in this place after the Devills Apostacie separated into this external visible essence What Man is in his Trinity as first according to Paradise Secondly according to he Spirit of Error Thirdly according to the New birth which Christ teacheth and will have John 3. N. B. The Difference between the Soul and the Spirit of the Soul which without God is but a dead Image (a) Evestrum is a continued Astral Influence in the 4. Elements and likewise an Astral Spirit in Man How the holy similitude of God in Man became quenched and a monstrous Image assumed (b) Acceptabilitie Annehmligkeit Thus was our nature first corrupted which ground was never before so plainly discovered (c) Origin is in-spoken Souls ground 1 2 3. first Princip. Souls Spirit out of God 4 5 6. second Princip. the Body 7. Heavenly now earthly
how the Father of himself begetteth the Son and how the Holy Spirit proceedeth from both and yet they be but one Being which hath nothing before it For the Science in the drawing in is understood a Root of the Eternal knowledge or motion Numb. 5. Is God in Trinity signifying that the Tri-une Being may be known as a Similitude of the Will Mind and Senses wherein lyeth the eternal understanding Thus is the Ternarie the one Eternal understanding and cause of all things Numb. 6. Standeth WORD signifying distinction in the understanding as speaking the (e) Perception of it self which word abideth Eternally in God himself and God as the Power of Perception is the Eternal good Numb. 7. Standeth Wisdom signifying the outspoken Word as the power of the Divine Contemplation wherein God to himself is Intelligible Perceptible and Revealed And thus far is God to the Creature Invisible Incomprehensible not Natural nor Creatural Below the line standeth Beginning of the Great Mysterie or of the Eternal Nature As of the Separability Perceptibilitie and Sensibilitie of the Properties wherein is understood the Divine Extrication or Revelation how God introduceth himself in the eternal Nature in Love and Wrath and not in himself for himself is the one Eternal good but without Distinction were not perceptible or manifest Here is to be Noted that the 7. Capitall Forms of Nature are marked to distinguish them from the other Numbers with I. II. III. IV. V. VI VII Numb. 8. The second Principle standeth to the Right And Numb. 9. The first Principle to the left Thus Numb. 9. signifieth the Fathers Propertie through the speaking of the Word in Wrath And the second Numb. 8. signifieth the Sons propertie in Love where the Love of God by the expressed Word is revealed As that in Love Numb. 8. sheweth the Angelicall power-world and that in Wrath Numb. 9. signifieth the Dark power-world of Painfulness wherein God is an Angry God Numb. 10. Standeth Tinctur signifying the Temperature of all powers how there through speaking they go forth in Distinction and Formes as first in the 7. Capital Forms the Desire Science Anguish Fire Love-Fire Sound and Being And further there standeth by every Capital Form what Properties are born and proceed out of themselves For if there must be a speaking then the power must first contract it self that it may breath forth it self then it begetteth that Comprehensive or Magnetick Impression the something which is the Beginning wherein the Fiat which attracteth the powers is understood I. Is the first Capital Form of the spiritual Nature and standeth with Numb. I. Desire which Desire sharpneth it self from whence existeth Sour Hard and the cause of Cold and is the ground of all Saltish properties Spiritual in the Spiritual world and Essential in the External world So also the Desire of Impression is cause of its own overshadowing or Darkness in the Abyss as all these Forms belong to Numb. I. To the desire of (f) Comprehensibility II. By the second Capital Form standeth (g) Compunction or Science signifying the contraction of the Desire where the first enmitie or contrary will ariseth for hardness and motion are not alike Now in this form ariseth moving and feeling as the root of pain wherein is understood the Mercurial Poyson-life both spiritual and (h) corporall and in the Darkness the paine or Torment of the wicked life Neither was the good life without the root of the Evill manifest unto him and that is the root of Gods wrath according to the Perception sensibility of the eternall Nature III. The third Capitall Form is Anguish which ariseth from the desire of Impression and from the Enmitie of Compunction where the will standeth in (i) Torment and is there the cause of feeling and of the five Senses for in the Anguish all Formes grow Painfull and then are they sensible of one-another And here is the Word become distinct and is the root of Sulphur both Spirituall and Essentiall Corporall wherein is rightly understood the Hellish Fire in Darkness in painfull life as appears in the Table downward IV. The fourth Capitall Form is call'd Fire where is Understood the kindling of the Fire from the painfull Sulphurish root for the Will goeth out of Anguish again into Libertie And the Libertie goeth to its Revelation in Anguish In which Conjunction cometh that terrible like a flash of lightning Coruscation where the Abyss as the Eternall good is revealed And is in the Forms of Nature the Understanding and Life in the dark Enmitie and in the Libertie is the root of Joy or rouzing up the (k) Powers and is the kindling of the Fire in which kindling the Abyss becomes a shining Light as Materiall V. The fift form is call'd the Love-Fire where is understood how the Eternall good through kindling the painfull Fire introduceth it self into an elevating burning Love-Fire which Love-Fire was first in God But thus only it (m) windeth up it self that it becomes sensible and moving where in the good Powers are operative VI Standeth Sound or Distinction as the sixt Capitall Form signifying that the Naturall manifested Life where the Eternall Divine Word through the Formes of Nature hath infolded it self and where all the Powers of Wisdom stand in (n) Sound therein standeth the Understanding Life which in Light is Angelicall and Divine but in Darkness it is Diabolicall As at the right Numb. 11. standeth Angell VII Standeth Essence or Essentiall Wisdom of the out-breathed word wherein all other Forms are revealed and is even the Essence of all Forms as good and Divine in the Light but in the Darkness Evill and Devillish And therein is chiefly understood Mysterium Magnum the great Mystery the Angelicall world is also therein understood and likewise the Internall spirituall body of Man which disappeared in Adam when the Souls will departed from Gods will but revived again in Christ that giveth to him for the Essence of this Power-World which is that heavenly flesh Joh. 6. And it is the dry Rod of Aaron which in the Spirit of Christ again springeth up in Man Numb. 12. Standeth Pure Element signifying Motion in the Angelicall world in Essence and is the One Holy Pure Element wherein the four Elements in the Temperature lay and is a root of the 4. Elements Numb. 13. Standeth Paradise signifying the Eternall springing or spiritual growing in the Spirituall world from which the externall visible world out of good and evill as out of both Eternall Principles is breathed forth In which Source and Regiment Adam in his Innocency stood when the four Elements harmoniously existed in him as in the holy pure Element Numb. 14. Standeth Beginning of the External World signifying how God by his Word hath breathed forth that spiritual Mysterium Magnum as the Eternall Nature of all Spirituall Properties into a visible externall formall Being and through the Fiat as the Divine Desire hath
fall in the deep towards the Earth and that is the reason that all Power of motion even to this day and to the end of Time continueth so The seven Dayes and seven Planets signify the seven Properties of the spiritual world The three Principle in Spiritu Mundi as Sal Sulphur and Mercurius signifie the Trinity of the divine Revelation as an everlasting Spring or Fountain whereout all external Creatures are flown do flow and will flow even to the end of this time and therein the Separator with the 7 Properties is understood In this Table we see what proceeded from the 7 Properties and how the Spiritual power hath brought it self into a Material one as in the seven spaces downwards appears whereby we may understand whence Good and Evill sprung up in this World IV TABLE MICROCOSMUS In this Table MAN is held forth What he hath been in Paradise as also how the Properties in him without assuming Self-desire equally stood in the Image of God and what he is become through Satan's Deceits what that Monster of the Serpent whereby he is become earthly and mortal is in him And then how Gods Word and LOVE came in to help him again new born in CHRIST daily destroying that Serpentine Image also in what danger misery he standeth in such an Image either on the ground of Hell or Heaven Also a similitude of Divine Revelation and Knowledg in the seven Properties according to Time and Eternity formed out of all the Three Principles for a further understanding how he is wisely to regulate his Life and unto what driving impulsion he should yield himself Humane Ground before and after the FALL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 T I N C T U R S OU L E S PIR IT BODY ♄ Saturday ☿ Wednsday ♂ Tuesday Sunday ♀ Friday ♃ Thursday ☽ Monday Adam in Paradise Desire Motion Sensibility Seeing Loving Rejoycing Heavenly flesh Erring sp. Sharpness Anger Pain Bitter woe Hating Despair Passion Christ Gods word Life Acceptance Sweet Glorie Power Divine Essence Adam in Paradise Similitude Out going Spirit Heating High Humble Will Praising Unity Sathan self-seeking Self-knowl Self-will Dominiering Pride Reproaching Folly Christ Gods unity Resignation Suffering Yielding Desire Equality of Power Wisdom Adam in Paradise Tasting Thinking Mind Understanding Spirit Speaking Evestrum of Nature Sathan Desire of division Lying Anguish Doubting Fall Stinck Extruding Christ Baptism Law Breaking Hopeing Humility Believing Genius or Type Adam in Paradise Strength Pentrating Might Holy Modest Powerfull Throne Sathan Lord Potent Malice Thirsty Wanton Mad Self honor Christ Humility Obedience Mercy Forgiving Going Generating reverence Adam in Paradise Angel Officious Mild Friendly Beauty Vertue Diligent Sathan Devill Perverse Theevish mind Murther Belial's Whore Poyson Earthly flesh Christ Christ returning repentance New life Holy Restoring Sophia Adam in Paradise Heaven Child like Secret Manifest Singing Sounding Paradise Sathan Hell or Perdition Strife Torment Ever falling Fantasie Changing A Den of the Deep Christ Christs Calling Teaching Dissolving New mind Rejoicing Praying Springing An Explanation of the fourth Table MICROCOSMUS IN this Table Man is held forth as a similitude of the Three worlds according to the Soul Spirit and Body What he hath been in the beginning according to his Creation What he is become in the fall by the Spirit of Error and What he will be in the new birth through the Spirit of Christ which is a true Essential Image out of the three Principles of the Divine Revelation as from the outflown Word of the Divine will Man according to the Soul is an Eternal Nature of the firing quality as a spark out of the Center from whence the fire existeth If this ground cannot reach into the divine Light then is it a Darkness of the Magnetick attractive desiring power but if he reacheth out of the fire unto the light that his Magnetick desire feeds on the out flown Unity of Gods Love then ariseth from that fire the good true Spirit even as light shineth out of a Candle These are now two Principles the Soul in the fire of Eternal Nature and the Spirit in the light of Divine Power But the Body is the third Principle as an Essence of the visible world from the Starrs and Elements formed into an Image out of the seven Properties of Nature The Soul hath the seven Properties of the inward Spiritual world according to Nature But the Spirit of the Soul is without these Properties for it standeth out of Nature in Gods unity but through the Souls firie Nature is manifested in the Soul for it is the true Image of God as an Idea in which God himself worketh and dwelleth so far as the Soul brings her desire into God and submits unto Gods Will if that be not done then is this Idea or Spirit of the Soul dumb and actless not working standing like an Image in a Looking-Glass which soon vanisheth and hath no being as it befell Adam in the Fall But if the Soul submits to God and bringeth its Magnetick hunger into Gods Love the Soul then attracteth divine Essence namely the Essential Wisedom of God then her Idea or Spirit becometh Essential in the Lights power and obtaineth a pious life as being then the true Temple of God wherein Gods Unity is revealed and operative But if the Soul herself with her desire bring in self-love and with her desire turn herself into the seven Properties to try them and feedeth on the vain delights of the seven Properties then she extolls herself and maketh to herself an (a) Evestrum as an Astrall Object which Evestrum presently hungreth after the vanity of the false delight even as it befell Lucifer and Adam where the Evestrum of Lucifer imagined it self into a Phantasie and the Evestrum of Adams Soul into the Animalish Properties of the External world whereby the Soul was poysoned and the Body out of the Earth's Limus was suddenly infected that the Animalish properties awakened in him and longed after Earthly Beastly sustenance as Heat Cold Sharp Bitter Sweet and Sour and with these Properties introduced it self into a springing fountain of such delights and so with the desire Fed on Good and Evill whereby the Image of God as the Idea became obscure and unactive Thus the true Spirit as the active Idea became dumb and dead even as an Image in a Looking-glass and so was the Soul cut of from God and stood in a Naturall will but Gods will in the Spirit worked work'd no more and the will of the Evestrum as the Opposite Image of the dark eternal world began to work for the holy Genius was changed At the head of this Table standeth TINCTUR divided into the seven Properties which signifieth the Equalitie of the seven Properties according to the Soul Body that in the first man before the fall the propertie or inclination to separation (b) and Acceptation stood in a like will and all its desires were brought into Gods
FOUR TABLES OF Divine Revelation Signifying What GOD in himself is without Nature and how considered in Nature according to the THREE PRINCIPLES ALSO What HEAVEN HELL WORLD TIME and ETERNITIE are Together with all Creatures visible and invisible and out of what all things had their Original Written in the German language by JACOB BEHM and Englished by H. B. LONDON Printed for H. Blunden and sold at the Castle in Corn-Hill 1654. TO THE READER With an Account of the following Tractate IT 'S no less common with men would seem wise than inconsistent with those that are really so to find a facile Faith for what they like and a sturdy Diffidence for what they dislike Like the twins of a byass'd Judgment the one favouring of Affection the other of Prejudice and both of Partiality That some Passages in the precedent Life will meet with such I make no question and therefore thought it not unnecessary to acquaint them with this Truth that what therein is related concerning our Author by the learned Gentleman that penn'd the Narrative was receiv'd not form uncertain wandring Reports but Authentick Information from the Tongues and Penns of those that during his life upon Earth were his familiar Associates Men consciencious both in Words and Deeds well knowing what strict account must be rendred of both And how sad an Account have they then to make whose Throats like open Sepulchers blast with their breath as far as their venome reaches the most eminent Gifts of God in men that bear his Image whereof did they know the danger it could not but make them tremble to consider how their poysoned Arrows will return and stick in their own Souls Yet have some not feared malitiously to defame this deep illuminated man of God A man whose Writings though not to us made Canonical by Miracles manifestly appear to have been the Dictates of God's Spirit and the Will of God the Rule of his whole life alwaies resigning himself as his own Pen testifies to the Divine Will to will and work nothing but according to the will of God Yet against the spirit of this pious man as if they feared an Ecclips of their Evening splendor by the Day-light of his writings have some especially among the Lamps of our Tabernacles spit forth their Venom in Aspersions so injuriously false and palpably absurd that neither Reason nor Religion Prudence or Piety could yield any motive thereunto only the Monster of their own frailty Thus doth the Prince of the Air blind men with self-love that though in others they abhor unrighteousness yet themselves can rashly proceed to sentence before they understood him yea some of them before they had read one Leaf in his Writings VVhereas others that have seriously studied him and with divine assistance understood much of him can justly as clearly evidence the true concordance of his writings with the word of God in Holy VVrit and their inconsistence with conceited Sects corrupt Doctrine both of our own and former Ages and all Heterodox Opinions whatsoever Well may be said of him what an experienc'd Philosopher writeth of Paracelsus Cur praestantis viri famam omni laude dignissimi periclitari sinemus Scripta sua non nisi ad Dei Gloriam proximique emolumentum edentis lucrum utique ut calumniantur ex aliorum per scripta ipsius seductis incommodis nequaquam quaesitum ivit neque quod inimici ipsius factitare solent ideo Medicinae dedit operam ut ex aegris salutarem faceret sed quicquid fecit bono animo fecit absque mercede quam nec accepit nec opus habuit artibus suis ipsi absque aliorum detrimento abundè sufficientibus Omnes prudentes veritatis amatores neminem ei unquam parem fuisse etiamnum credunt Quod vero ignorantium quorundam invidia contemtim habetur ipsi nihil derogat ipse enim manebit Paracelsus hi imperiti convitiatores suam tantum impudentiam prodentes c. 'T is true in respect of the common stile of most Authors his language may to some seem somwhat monstrous So do the Characters of Letters to Children primo intuitu and many even Scripture expressions to the Ears of the Natural man Besides he proceeds much by affirmation not Disputing but Convincing Error having not received his Knowledge from men or from the imperfect fallible Principles of the Schools but from the true Fountain of Wisdom and Knowledg Nor did he write as most do by transcription out of other mens Books nor were his Dictates neither the Products of his own Fancy but by Divine influence and as is his own expression out of his Three-leav'd Book which the Hand of God had opened in him wherein he found the Knowledge not only of all that Moses the Prophets Christ and the Apostles taught in Sacred Scripture but of all Mysteries also in Heaven and Earth as himself affirms in his Epistles and many other of his writings But lest his own Testimonie should seem invalid I make bold to insert what a learned German writeth of him Now saith he when Reason supposeth that it is ascended up to the height with its Wisdom and Arts God hath stirr'd up this our dear Jacob Behmen a plain unlearned Tradesman and gifted him with such a noble endowment of the Universal Knowledge of God and Nature and shewn him the Centre of all Beings How all things arise from God Originally consist in God and again return and flow into him c. thereby to call man to the knowledge of God of himself and all things That he might turn from the corrupt Dark being of this World to Christ the only Light c. This high rare and pretious Gift which hath not been manifested in the like manner and Degree Height and Depth Breadth and Length before these times our Jacob Behmen learned in God hath employed in all faithfulness and simplicity and lay'd it forth as it was given and imparted to him And in all his writings hath lay'd his ground in God and hath reared up his whole Building very deeply founded from Him As Christ speaketh of the wise Master-Builder that he digged deep and layd his foundation on a Rock whereupon he built his Tom'r on High As it is clearly to be seen how he doth all along drive and press at God Christ and his Spirit at Faith and Love at the mortifying of the old and the renovation of the new-man And in brief at the Restauration in Christ of God's Image in us which did disappear in Adam Also he sheweth the Order Harmony and Birth of all things and how they subsist by the power of the yet uncessantly working word of Gods FIAT and hold their Analogy and orderly proportion in the wisdom of Gods wonders But he doth not set it forth with words of Scholastick knowledg and contrived Art of VVisdom in Babel and of her Builders but as it was given him according to the knowledge of Nature in his own Gift And
fashioned it into Creatures There standeth the third Principle where 3. Worlds in one another must be understood as the dark world of Gods wrath the Eternall light world of Divine Love and this visible fading world Numb. 15. Standeth Heaven signifying the (p) parting Mark between the internall and externall world as of the visible and invisible Essence which Heaven standeth in the Essence of the spirituall firie water Numb. 16. Stands Quintessence signifying the spirituall Powers as the Paradise-Ground in the four Elements as well the Astrall breathed forth by internall powers at the beginning of time â—â—d is that good in the four Elements wherein the light of Nature shineth as an outbreath'd (q) fulgor of the Eternall light Numb. 17. Standeth four Elements viz. Fire Air Water and Earth as the created world out of the dark and light world which is the framed word spoken out of the Eternall Natures Essentiall power therein did the Devill cast his poyson which after the fall of Man was accursed of God Numb. 18. Stands Earthly Creatures signifying that out of the Quintessence and the four Elements were all Creatures of this visible World created and only from them have their life But the animated Man hath also in him both inward spirituall worlds according to the internall soul of man therefore may Gods love and wrath be manifested in him for wherein the will impresseth and kindleth it self of that Essence it partaketh and the same is manifest in him as is seen in Lucifer Thus have you a brief Intimation of the first Table and consequently of all the Authors writings faithfully imparted out of a good Christian affection to his loving friends and is as an A B C. to beginners II. TABLE In this second Table God is considered according to his Essence in Unity what he is in Trinity without Nature and Creature whereby he filleth all things and yet needs no place AD Father Will IE O Son Delight HO N Spirit Science VA A Power Word Life I Colours Wisdom Vertue TETRAGRAMMATON In this Table is consider'd the efflux of the Eternal Divine WORD how the WORD through Wisedom brings it self from Unity into Separation and Multiplicity as well in the Eternal Nature and Creature according to which God calls himself angry jealous God and a consuming fire as well as a mercifull God wherein is understood the foundation of Angels Soules and how they may receive salvation or damnation Gods Wrath or Dark World Gods Love or Light World The first Prin ciple The Second Prin ciple Similitude 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 T I N C T V R E Desire or Comprehending Science or Drawing Anguish Fire Light Love-fire Sound Essence T Dark Feeling or Moving Willing Painful Life Love-Life Understanding Working ER Austere Hardnes Enmitie Minde Terror Joy Five Senses Form NAL Sharpness Elevating Wheel of Life Killing Power Love Sperm In the Septenary without by it self is understood the Mysterium Magnum as the 7. properties of the Eternal Nature In the Novenarie downwards are signifi'd the properties of Life In the fourth Form as in Fire 2. Principles separate themselves from each other as Darkness and Light N Furie Pride Despair Hell Glorie Giving Taking or CoÌ„prehending A Greater Death False will Lesser Death Souls ground Devill Souls Spirit Angell Praising Increasing T Standing still Breaking From Original separating Folly Wisdom Highnes Humility VR Impotent Self-will Robbing Fantasie Knowledge Strength Throne The second Table Expounded THe word ADONAI signifieth an (a) opening or free motion of the bottomless Eternal Unity how the Eternal generation expansion and effluence of the Trinity of God is in it self A is a triple I which comprehendeth it self Cross-wise as in a Beginning Entrance and Effluence D is the motion of the triple I as the opener O is the Circumference of the triple I as the birth of Gods place in it self N is the triple Spirit issuing forth of the Circumference out of it self as a triple I. A. This lower A is the object or operation of the threefold I or Spirit from whence eternally spring Motion Colours and Vertue I is the essential Effluence of the triple I where the Trinity floweth forth into Unitie And in this whole word ADONAI is understood the Eternal life of Gods unity The word FATHER is the Eternall beginning of operation and will in the threefold I of the Unitie The word SON is that Operation of Power as comprehension of the will into which the triple Spirit incloseth it self as a place of the divine (b) self-hood The word SPIRIT is the living issuing motion in the comprehended power as by comparition may be understood in a Flower where the opening or working of the growth is the beginning the power of the working is the circumference and corporal comprehension of the growth and the Scent or smell which proceedeth from the power is the motion or the growing issuing joy-life of the power whereout the flower springeth by which comparition may be seen how the birth of divine power is typified The word Power signifieth the breathing going forth understanding and sensible life as the foundation and fountain of the outflown knowledge of (a) distinction The word Colours signifieth the subject or object of Power where the distinction and Original of the sensitive life and knowledge is understood whence an Eternal contemplation existeth The word Will signifieth the ebullition or motion in the opened Unitie whereby the Unitie willeth it self into Trinitie as the Nothing into its proper something wherein it hath its Motion and Action The word Delight or Lubet signifieth the effectual sensibility of the Will as the highest ground of original love where 〈◊〉 will of the Abyss findeth its self in its (b) something where it yields it self to something as to its sensibilitie in which sensibility it worketh and willeth in its own Tast The word Science signifieth the effectuall sensible knowledge and understanding in the love-tast the root of the five Senses and the ground of Eternal life thence floweth the Understanding and therein the Eternal Unitie (c) planteth it self The word Word signifieth how the Eternal love of the sensible unitie with knowledge speaketh forth it self eternally into an object The Word is the speaking or breathing of the will out of the power by the understanding It is the driving and forming of the eternal power into an infinitness of Multiplicitie as the Creator of powers out of the sole power in vertue The word Wisedom is the outflown word as an object of the divine knowledge of divine will as essential power of the great love of God from whence all things have received their motion and possibilitie the ground of all the three Principles A Revelation of the Unity of God A passive essence of divine Operation the foundation of all humility the Genetrix of all knowledge of Creatures An Eternal domicil of the active love of God and a Ray and
Great Mystery of the change in which lyeth all Possibility Sidewayes after the seven figures the efflux from (f) one into seven is understood The first Principle is to be understood unto the Fire out of which the Light is manifested And from Fire to Essence the Second Principle And downward under every Propertie is understood what kind of Effluence out of every property in the cooperation of other properties doth proceed yet not so to be understood that One propertie alone gives the efflux but all seven afford it though the first Form is predominant therein and retains the higher Regiment As under the figure I. standeth Desire or Comprehending whereby is understood that the Desire is Magnetick and incloseth and darkneth it self which is also the ground of Temporal and Eternal darkness and from that (g) attraction cometh under it Sharpness Austereness and Hardness and is the Original of wrathfulness whence ariseth the Great Eternal Death For this Magnet draweth the Powers into it self and in it self incloseth them so that the working Standeth still and steps into Impotency as under the Number 1. appeareth Under number 2. standeth Science or Drawing which is the second Form to Nature as the motion of the Magnetick attraction from whence the sensibility of Nature existeth and is the ground of all Contraries for Hardness and Motion are Enemies Motion breaketh the hardness again and yet also begetteth Hardness by attraction Thus two Essences have their existence in the desirous out-flown-will of God as the drawing of the Magnetick power giveth Motion and Sensibilitie and the thing attracted affordeth Essence wherein is understood the cause (h) of Spirit and Body as in the attracting of Sensibilitie is caused the Spirit and in the extracted the body or cause to Corporietie Now if this attraction and Essence be not able to reach the Light of Gods Unity whereby it may be mollified then in it self remaineth onely a Meer Enmitie and is the cause of the torment of Fury and ambition whence existeth self-pleasing and Pride for the will of self-pleasing is a false-will a continuall corruptor of it self and its Essence And in these two Forms Desire and In-drawing in their out-flown Properties is understood Gods Wrath and though they be the ground of the sensible life Yet if the light shineth therein then are they the ground of the Joy-Kingdom as an inward motion of Gods Unitie and a ground of the five Senses whence also the creatural life hath taken its beginning and therein standeth its (k) corruption so farr as it loseth the light for it is the Spring of Hellish Anguish as the cause of painfulness and is also the Root of Natural life In the third space standeth the third Form of Nature called Anguish as a spiritual Sulphur-source according to its propertie This taketh its Ground from the first and second Form as from the Magnetick Desire and from the Motion of Drawing where the out-flown Eternal will in that unquietness standeth in Anguish This Anguish is the cause of Natural Will Mind and the Senses and is the Wheel of Life as the cause of the Firing-life for when the out-flown will of Gods Unitie standeth in Anguish then it longeth again after Unity as after Rest and the Unity or Rest longeth after Motion and Revelation for in the Unity there can be no Revelation without Motion and therfore the Divine will freely floweth out of it self and the Divine (l) good pleasure in the out-flown-will bringeth it self into a Desire and Motion unto a sensibility that it may perceive it self and remain two in one Essence as the sensible Divine delight and the cause of sensibility wherein God calleth himself a Loving God according to the sensibilitie of Divine Love-delight and an Angry God according to the cause of sensibility as after the Eternal Nature And thus we understand by Anguish when the divine Light is not revealed therein the Hellish fire and an Eternal despair and Terrour where the Self-will of Nature continually standeth in a dying Torment ever desiring to be released from such a condition which I therefore call the (m) lesser Death it is the Eternal dying Death but in the Hardness it is the great still-standing Death This Form if it hath not Light is the head spring of the false minde but if it perceiveth Light in it self then is it the spring and ground of the sensible mind and the right root of fire as appeareth in number 3. downwards The fourth Form numb. 4. is the Fire of the Eternal Nature understand spiritual Life-fire and that existeth from a continual conjunction or conjoyning of Hardness and Motion Understand that thence ariseth the Painfulness but the Splendor existeth from the Delight of the Free-will where the Unity of the Delight good pleasure is acuated in the properties then like a flash of lightning it shineth through the continued Conjunction of the great meekness of the Unity and the Fierceness and Motion of the three first Properties for then it is in the Essence of the Conjunction as if Steel and Stone were rubb'd together whence the flash ariseth Such a Flash is the true Natural Life of the Eternal for it is the Revelation of Divine Motion and hath the properties of Nature and also the Revelation of the Unity of Gods effluence in it self Now which of these two getteth predominancy in that standeth the Life The splendor of the Fire is the Light from the effluence of Gods Unity and the Essence of the Fire is the out-flown will which hath brought it self with the desire into such Properties Thus in the out-flown firy will we understand Angels and Souls and in the sensible sharpned Lights power from the Unitie we understand the Spirit wherein God is revealed and understood in the spiritual essence and in the Fire two Kingdomes separate themselves as the Kingdom of Glory from the efflux of Gods Unity and the Kingdom of the properties of Nature and yet these two Kingdoms dwell in one another as one The Kingdom of Nature is in it self that great Eternal Darkness but the Light is the Kingdom of God of which S John saith The Light shineth in darkness but the darkness comprehendeth it not As day and night dwell in one another and yet the one is not the other Thus from the Fires own propertie comes the painful life if it break it self off from the Eternal Light and doth as in the propertie of selfhood enter the object then is it only fantastick and foolish even such as the Devills were and the Souls of the Damned are as appears Numb. 4. downwards In the fift Propertie of Nature is the second Principle with its foundation understood as the Essence of the Unity in the Light-power where in the out-flown Unity is a fire-flaming-love understood whence existeth the true understanding-Spirit with the five Senses The first three Forms are only the property to Life and the fourth is the Life it self but