Book of the Threefold Life very largely how Man standeth in a Threefold Life Viz. 1. According to the Soul in the Eternal Fathers Nature and in the Root of the Dark World in the Center of the Eternal Original as in the Spirit of the Eternal Father 27. 2 dly How the right true Image and Similitude of God greeneth out of the Soul as out of the Death in the Souls Magical Spirits Fire in another Principium or in another World and becometh free as God himself from Nature as also from Death Qualm and Pain and that the true Image of God liveth not in the Regiment of the outward World nor useth for it self the outward food and drink but eateth of the Divine Substantiality as of the Bread of God Christs Flesh and Blood so that Christ liveth in it and it in Christ and that same Eating consisteth in a Spiritual Desire and also cometh to pass truly and substantially and that the Soul is therewith nourished in her hungers-fire and that a great Gulf happeneth between the Soul and the true Image in the Death of the Fire 28. As we see this in Fire and Light and have therein a true form pattern and similitude where a man by a comparison understandeth the Soul by the fire-glow for it is in it self what concerneth it alone without the noble Image a fire-eye consisting in God the Fathers Eternal Nature brought from the Spirit of God out of the Fathers Property into the outward Created Image which was Created both out of the Outward and Inward heavenly Divine Substantiality and we understand the Noble Image in or by the Light and in the Vertue of the meek Light that out-shineth from the Dying as from the Consuming Qualm of the Fire Where then we see how the Light dwelleth in the Fire without any feeling of the firequalm and how the Fire is a painly Essence to Nature and the Light is free from the Fires Nature and yet without the Fire it is a Nothing 29. Secondly I have shewed you in the fore-mentioned Books how the Fire is a Magick-desire of Meekness to cool it self and to fill its dry Hunger whereout it receiveth Life and Light and again how that the Light is also a great Desire of the Fire to awake its Life Vertue and Power through the Fire 30. Thirdly How that the Light in its Desire maketh a Substantiality and Being viz. Meekness which taketh its Original in the Dying in the Fire which Meekness is called the Water of Eternal Life for it is a sinking through the Death and it giveth Sensibility and and Substantiality and how the Fire doth again draw that same Substantiality into it self and satiate it self therewith and out of that same Indrawing it doth again beget a Spirit out of it self which continually goeth again into the Substantiality and at length bringeth the shining from the Fire and Light into the Substantiality Which Shining or Splendor in the Substantiality of the Meekness is called Tincture which bringeth the Substantiality into the highest Ornament and Colours and thus Reneweth the Essence viz. the forms of the Dark World to the Fire-life and high-graduates it and changeth it into another thing so that out of the unpleasant painly Qualm of the First Principle through Fire the highest Joyfulness ariseth in the precious Tincture And thus the worst is the cause of the best In which Type or Figure we understand in the Inward Birth the Birth and the Substance of the Holy Trinity 31. And then fourthly I have declared to you in the fore-mentioned Books how that the Whole Substance of all Substances is a Continual Desire to manifest it self in its Desire and that this Desire to Manifestation is the Fiat and the Power in the Light is the Word and how that the Word hath moored the Fiat in all the Forms of the Eternal Nature according to the Light and also according to to the Dark World through which the Desire according to both the Worlds Properties hath made Substance in it self whereout in the Substantiality Good and Evil is sprung according to the Property of each World out of which Substance this visible World is created with the Stars and Elements as an own and peculiar Life yet not separated from the Eternal And moreover it is declared how that the Inward Spiritual Substance hath in its Desire manifested it self with this outward visible World as with an Image 32. Now when God created Man as an Image after his Substance a Similitude after God he created him out of the Mother of all Substances and out of all the Three Worlds 33. For God would behold himself through Man in One Image he should be a Similitude after God His Body he created both out of the Outward and Inward Substantiality as out of the Earthly and Heavenly and breathed into it through his Spirit a living Breath that is himself according to the Divine World and also according to the Outward World 34. For the Spirit of God is the Spirit of every Life but distinguished into Three Principles of Three Worlds As 1. According to the Dark World after the First Principle according to which God calleth himself an angry zealous God and a Consuming Fire which is the Eternal Nature And 2 dly According to the Light-World as according to Gods Love and Meekness in regard of which he is called the Holy Spirit And 3 dly According to the Outward World the Ayr-Spirit with the Qualm of the Stars and Elements Thus Man hath received a Threefold Life the Spirit of all the Three Worlds 35. Now it is palpable and plain enough to understand that the Holy Ghost had not his Regiment in the outward earthly Flesh but in the Inward Heavenly For with his entering into the Humanity he also brought in with him the Heavenly Divine Substantiality 36. For Gods Spirit dwelleth from Eternity to Eternity only in Heaven that is only in his own Substance in the Power of the Majesty Now when he breathed himself into the Image of Man then the Heaven was in Man for God would manifest himself in Man as in an Image after himself and open the great Wonders of his Eternal Wisdom through Man 37. Therefore we must rightly consider Man what he is and not make an Earthly Beast of him neither an Angel of his earthly part but he is created into the Wonders in respect of the Earthly Kingdom viz. according to the Third Principle that he should manifest the Wonders in Figures For to that end he hath the Inward Spirit out of the first Principle but he should not domineer therewith neither with the Outward but yeeld himself over to the Holy Ghost in the Second Principle and in the outward Life be as a Child in the Mothers bosom 38. For the Spirit of God had in him the outward Kingdom as it were swallowed up like as the Light swalloweth up the dark Night that a Man seeth it not But through his Imagination into
not the Word of God but Babel a meer Confusion Misery Howling and Crying and no man heareth it but only the Spirit of the Outward World it is only an Antichristian Hypocrisie and a glittering Flattery 140. A Knave goeth into the Outward Church and a Knave sits therein and a Knave returneth thence and is an hypocrite who giveth good words before God and comforteth and tickleth himself from without with Christs Satisfaction yet still remaineth the old Man in himself 141. He supposeth God forgiveth sins as Life is of grace and favour given to a Murtherer although the Conscience doth continually accuse the Murtherer that he is guilty of the deed and of punishment O no it is not so Christ said Unless ye turn and become as Children ye shall not see the Kingdom of Heaven No Verbal Forgiving availeth before God but it is as Christ said to those that turned to him Thy Faith hath helped thee 142. For Christs Spirit went into the Faith of the Patient and the Faith of the sick went into Christs Spirit then the Cure was there otherwise there had been no healing 143. This a Man may see on the Day of Pentecost when those Men were attentive to S t Peter whose Will was bent into themselves and desired the Kingdom of God in them the Spirit of Christ sounded out of Peters Mouth But as for those whose Will was bent into this World the Spirit past by them who said These men are drunk because they speak thus 144. So it goeth also Now when the Spirit of Christ speaketh then saith the Outward Reason These men are mad and hereticks But as for those whose Will is turned into themselves in a desire after Gods Kingdom they hear the Spirit of Christ speak 145. Therefore all those into whose heart this throngeth are admonished to abide Constant and to meet the golden River that floweth out of Zion and they shall find the Pearl for it is born Let no man gaze on Time and Person it is the Spirit of Christ that speaketh 146. And the Author writeth out of the Bride of Christ very well and truly of the Spirit of Christ out of the New Man But he must learn to distinguish this Old Mortal being from the Spirit of this corrupted and cursed World from the New and not esteem the mortal corruptible flesh and bones for Christ his Flesh 147. Nor to seek Christs Flesh in the four Elements and in the Spirit of the Outward World but in the Root of it as in the Holy Element one Principle deeper then this World is yet not absent from the Outward Body 148. Nor must he think the Old is Transmuted into the New but as Gold groweth in the gross Stone out of the Stone the Sun being the Cause of the Tincture and the gross Stone the Cause of the Body and yet it must not be understood as if the New Body had any place or room in the Old in its Principle for it standeth a Birth deeper in it self 149. As we may know by this that God is in this World and yet the World neither knoweth nor seeth him He dwelleth a Birth deeper in the Center then this Outward World is He filleth all in this World and yet there is nothing that comprehendeth or seeth him for he dwelleth not in the World but in himself So also the New Man and yet there is no separation from one another 150. Like as there is a difference between Fire and Light the Fire not being able to comprehend the Light although the Light is born out of the Fire so also the New Man out of the Old through the Entering of the Spirit of Christ like as the Sun maketh a Tincture of Gold in the Stone 151. But when the Author writeth that the Old Man falleth wholly away in the Repentance and dyeth altogether in the Death of Christ he erreth For Christ is not come for the Old Mans sake nor is he become Man in the old defiled sinful flesh but in the Essence of the Image that a New Man may be born out of the Old and dwell in the Old yet not in the Third Principle in this outward World but in the Second in Heaven in God and God in him 152. Therefore he ought not to write I Christ the living Word in this my visible flesh and bones This none that is born out of Christ will grant him The Outward Man is conceived and born in Sin He is not Christ but the Inward Man is in Christ a Member of Christs Body in the Essence of Christ 153. And that he supposeth that Nature falls wholly and altogether away from Man when the New Birth ariseth that is not so and in that he understands as yet nothing of the Eternal Nature There falls no Nature away from him for the Life stands in the Nature viz. the Life of the Soul in the Eternal Nature and the outward Spirit in the Stars and Elements 154. The Eternal Nature holds in it self the seven Spirits or Forms of the Deity from whence the Holy Divine World is sprung and also this Outward World it parteth not to all Eternity from Man otherwise Man were a Nothing For out of Nature the Mystery of Eternity is revealed and also the Divine Being as is declared in my Book of the Six Points Nature came not into Man for Sins sake wherefore should it then for the Regenerations sake fall away 155. By Death the outward Nature falleth away from the Nature of the Soul but it goeth only into the outward Mysterium until the Day of Judgment then shall all its here-made Wonders and Works appear therein when the Spirit of God shall moor the Mysterium of this World then shall all be manifest and the Turba shall be separated from the good and given to the Dark World and the Mysterium unto the New Man yet only Holy and without spot 156. And this is the Resurrection of the Flesh it is not the Husk as the Bestial flesh which ariseth but the Life in the Outward Mysterium with the Wonders it shall be included in the Holy Element and united with the Body of Christ the New Man and in Eternity stand with its Wonders in it 157. But not in earthly Essence but as a shadow or figure For by reason of the Divine Life this same Life of ours is esteemed as dead for so was Adam also before his Heva before the Imagination but in the Imagination the Outward Life was made manifest and the Heavenly dyed 158. This I could not Loving Sirs and Brothers hide from you nor from the Author in an Answer of your Book sent to me for my Conscience requires it in the LORD not in any intention to reject or put down the Authors Book or high Spirit but in Love towards him I would communicate my gifts and understanding to him into his gifts as one member to the other that we might edifie and acknowledg one another in Christ as Members in
save only in the Blood and Death of Christ Him alone God hath made and fore-ordained to be unto him a Throne of Grace or Propitiation in his own Love which he hath brought into him in the sweet Name JESUS out of JEHOVAH He is that only Offering which God receiveth that can reconcile Gods Anger 22. Now if that same Offering shall do me good then must it also come to pass in me the Father must beget and give his Son into the Desire of my Faith so that the Hunger of my Faith may lay hold of him and if the Hunger of my Souls Faith comprehendeth him as in his promised Word then I put on him in his whole process of Justification in mine Inward Ground and immediately the killing of the Wrath Devil Death and Hell beginneth and goes on out of Christs Death in me 23. For I can do nothing I am dead to my self but Christ doth it in Me when He ariseth in Me then I am dead in my self in respect of the true Man and he is my Life and what I live I live to Him and not to Minehood For Grace killeth my Will and setteth it self for a Lord in the place of mine I-hood that I may be a Work of God who doth therewith what He Will. 24. And then I live in Two Kingdoms to wit with the Outward Mortal Man in the vanity of Time wherein the Yoke of Sin yet liveth it Christ taketh in the Inward Kingdom of the divine World upon Himself and helpeth my Soul to bear it 25. For the Yoke of this World is Christs Burden which he must bear until he shall again deliver up the Kingdom to his Father which He hath given him for He said All Power in Heaven and Earth is given to Me of my Father So is also this Burden given to him that He should bear Gods Anger Hell Death and all evil in us as Esaias saith He took on him our Diseases and carried our griefs but we did count him stricken smitten of God and afflicted 26. Whence it is that a Christian must be a Cross-bearer For so soon as Christ is born in him the assaulting of Hell and the Anger of God in the Eternal Nature goeth on then the Hell in Man is destroyed and the Serpent is trampled upon whence great Unquietness Persecution and Reproach from the Devil and the corrupt World ariseth over the outward sinful Man then the outward sinful Man must suffer himself to be condemned and judged to Damnation of Gods severe Justice in the Anger by the Children of the Anger seeing that another Man liveth in him which is not like to the Outward Mortal therefore Gods Justice executeth its Judgment in Anger upon the Sin-house as also all the Ministers of Gods Anger 27. Then Christ helpeth to bear the Yoke and Man is sacrificed in Christs process contempt and scorn in his Suffering and Death unto the Justice of God in the Wrath and he becomes like unto Christs Image 28. The Holy Scripture witnesseth in all places that we are Justified from sins by Faith in Christ not by the Works of our Merit but by the Blood and Death of Christ which indeed is so taught of many but rightly understood of few that teach us 29. Men indeed teach us the Imputed grace but what Faith is how it is begotten what it is in its Essence and Substance and how it layeth hold on the Merit of Christ with the Grace in that the most part are dumb and blind and rest by an Historical Faith Jam. 2. which is but a bare knowledg the Man of Sin tickling and comforting himself therewith and through such Imagination flattering himself and naming himself a Christian though he is not become capable of this so high a Title but is only a Titular Christian covered from Without with Christs Purpur-mantle of whom the Prophet saith They draw neer unto me with their lips but their Heart is far from me And Christ said Not all that say Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but they that do the Will of my Father in Heaven 30. Now Christ alone is the Will of the Father wherein the Receiving of Grace and the Childship is and no man can do the Fathers Love-Will but only that only Grace-Throne Christ himself as the Scripture saith No man can call God LORD without the Holy Spirit In Him 31. For we know not what we pray before God as we ought but He even the Holy Spirit maketh Intercession for us with inexpressible Sighings before God in our selves as it pleaseth God We cannot attain unto any thing by our Willing and Knowing He is too deeply hidden to us For it lieth not in any Mans Knowing Willing or Running but in Gods Mercy 32. Now there is no Mercy but only in Christ and if I shall reach that Mercy I must reach Christ in Me If my sins shall be blotted in Me Christ must perform it in Me with his Blood and Death and with his Victory If I shall beleeve then must the Spirit the Desire and the Will of Christ beleeve in my Desire and Will for I cannot Beleeve 33. But he receiveth my Will being resigned to Him and encloseth it in his Will bringeth it through his Victory into God there He intercedeth for the Will of my Soul in his Will before God and thus I am received as a Grace-child in his Love-Will 34. For the Father hath manifested his Love in Christ and Christ manifesteth the same Love in my Will being resigned to him Christ draweth my Will into himself and cloateth it with his Blood and Death and tinctureth it with the highest Tincture of the Divine Power Thus it is changed into an Angelical Image and getteth a Divine Life 35. Whereupon that same Life beginneth to hunger after its Body which Body is the corrupt fiery Soul whereout the Will is entered into Christ thus the New Life in Christ doth now also tincture the Soul so that the Soul in this Will-spirit getteth a right divine Hunger and becometh desirous of the Divine Grace and begineth to behold her self in this Divine Will-spirit in Christ what she is how she in her Properties is separated from God and how she lieth captive in Gods Wrath and acknowledgeth her abominations as also her Deformity in the presence of Gods Angels there she hath nothing wherewith she may protect her self for she seeth that she standeth in the Jaws of Death and Hell environed with evil Spirits which bring their Desires always into her to destroy her 36. Then she sinketh down into that same New-born Spirit of the Will and ingulfeth her self into the meerest Humility then the Spirit of Christ taketh hold of her and bringeth her into this New-will-spirit that the Soul essentially feeleth it Whereupon the Divine Joyful Look ariseth in the Soul as a New Eye wherein the fiery Soul conceiveth the Ens and Substance of the Divine Light in her self whereupon she hungereth and thirsteth
Earthliness brought into us out of the Earthly and Diabolical Essence as a Contrary Qualm is not that which greeneth but the disappeared Image of God understand that which was given to Adam out of the Divine Substantiality as from the Second Principle out of the Kingdom of Heaven which by the bringing-in of the Earthly dyed or as I might express it was again enclosed or shut up into the Eternal Quietness as into that Nothing when it lost its right Divine Life and this is it in which the Eternal Word became Man and brought in again the living Substantiality with its Entering and Opening and out of Death brought forth Eternal Life This same Divine and also in Death enclosed humane Substantiality or Flesh became Man to which the Earthly Husk only did adhere and held the Earthly burning Death captive in it self Therefore we must observe a Difference when we will speak of our selves 15. The Holy Scripture also speaketh not of a wholly New Flesh viz. that the Old cometh to be conceived wholly New in Divine Essence and begotten in God otherwise it must follow that the Evil introduced bestial Flesh with the bestial Properties were become exalted in the Power of the Majesty 16. And if one would say that the Earthly Qualm is wholly killed in the New Birth out of Christ and that it doth wholly and totally dye in the Death of Christ as the Author of the Book saith That the old Man is altogether Dead and Nothing and Christ alone liveth and governeth in this outward visible Flesh and doth all then must and should Man also eat and drink after the Manner of Paradise and enjoy only an Heavenly Qualm For Christ eateth no more Earthly food but Divine The bestial Maggot-paunch doth neither suffer us to call the Whole Man out of all the Three Births Divine much less the Kingdom of this World of Stars and Elements which is the Qualm Life and Regiment of the outward Man 17. We cannot deny be a Man so holy as he will but that the Spirit of the Outward World is the Spirit Life and Guide of his Outward Flesh and we see clearly how the outward Man standeth in a Starry Constellation when it leaveth him he falleth away and putrifieth 18. Yet since it is given to me of Gods Grace to know what the Earthly and also what the Heavenly Man is in One Person therefore I will a little delineate and signifie how things stand with the Author of the Book sent to me and that out of the Ground although in a childlike simplicity for a Rule to the Author and those that read his Book 19. As for the Author himself I understand that he indeed may well be a godly Man born anew and holy in Christ with his New Birth in the New Man in regard of the Inhabitation of Christ For the Substantial Inhabitation is throughout agreeing with the holy Scripture as he also highly assevereth it and I have in that Point no Objection at all against him It is the true Ground that God hath begotten us for children out of his Heavenly Substance in himself through his Power in the Word in Christs Flesh and Blood out of his own Essence 20. I understand also Flesh and Spirit in one Substance and by no means Spirit without Flesh and Blood I understand also that it is come to pass in the Womans seed and cometh yet always to pass and I say upon sure ground that Christ in and out of mine own humane Essence is born a new Creature in my self as the Author also throughout saith 21. But the Author wanteth the Understanding of the Three Principles in one another viz. of the Threefold World one within another He distinguisheth not one from another He hath wrapt up himself wholly with all Reason and Senses and hath cast himself wholly into the Incarnation of Christ into his Suffering Death and Resurrection and hath denyed his own outward Life He desireth to live only in and of Christ He rejects all what is and liveth contrary to it He desireth nothing but what is of Christ that Christs Life Spirit and Will may be his Spirit Life and Will Thus he is as it were sunk down into the Life Will and Spirit of Christ so that his old man is as it were dead although according to the Kingdom and Qualm of this World in his own Principle in himself he liveth and is not dead for he cannot dye until the Spirit of the Outward World in his Constellation do leave him and yet he doth not dye then but goeth into the Mysterium of the Outward Principle with his Wonders and Works until the Judgment of God for the Restitution of all that which we have lost in Adam 22. This right Christian Entrance of the Author is very Right and without falshood it is also gone rightly with him in Christ if it be so indeed as I fully perceive as he writeth of himself But his knowledg of himself what and how he is were need better to be declared He hath cast himself into the middle of the Tree where he indeed is safe and stands very Well But the Root of the Tree is yet hidden to him he standeth therein as a Twig but in the middle 23. When a man will satisfie the humane Mind so that it may yeeld it self into Eternal Rest then a man must shew it the Root of the Tree whereout Spirit and Flesh have their Origiginal A man must shew and manifest unto him the Center both of the Eternal and also of the Original Nature so that he may comprehend the Earthly and also the Heavenly Mysterium Then is the Eternal Beginning and the Eternal End altogether One In this the Spirit of the Soul lieth down to rest for it seeth the Wheel wholly and perfectly 24. With this Description the weak corrupted Nature is very ill contented for a thing is requested of it that it cannot do The Author saith it ought altogether to dye that Christ alone might live in the Flesh This the Nature will not but hopeth for a Renovation the which it putteth on as a garment but not Essentially in Power But as fire doth through-glow a stone so the beams of the Holy Ghost go often out of the Second Principle of the New Man through the Old And as Iron in the glowing and without the glowing is still Iron at one time as at the other so is also the Earthly Man 25. He must be servant to the Inward Man when the New with his glowing Divine Fire goeth through him he also willingly doth it so long as the fire-glowing shineth through him but he cannot change himself into the Inward Kingdom For the outward Flesh and Blood saith Christ shall not inherit the Kingdom of Heaven it shall and must putrifie as an husk from the Essence of the Corn sown in the field 26. You have Beloved Sirs the Ground of this Mystery in my Book of the Incarnation of Christ and in a