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
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
A CONSIDERATION Upon the Book of ESAIAS STIEFEL OF THE Threefold State of Man and his New Birth Written Anno Christi 1621. BY JACOB BEHMEN Otherwise called Teutonicus Philosophus LONDON Printed by John Macock 1653. The Open Fountain in the Heart of JESUS CHRIST be our Source and Constant Quickening 1. MOst Honored and much Esteemed Sirs in the Love of Jesus Christ and in the Union of his Humanity my Singular Friends and Brothers It is meer Joy unto me and the Recreation of my Soul that I do now perceive from divers places that the most precious Tree of Christ our Salvation hid through the fleshly Anti-christ beginneth again to green from the very Root through all the Gates of Darkness in the midst of the Captivity of Babylon Much more do I rejoyce in the Outgreening Plant of its Amiableness and Loveliness Power and and Vertue since I find my self also to be a little Twig on the same Tree and that it is so sweet and pleasant and I see this with great admiration that it as it were in the midst of the Night beginneth to green forth with fair Twigs yea that in the midst of the Winter Lillies and Flowers grow 2. Is not this contrary to all Outward Reason that an old desolate broken house that continually expecteth by the Tempest to be thrown into heaps beginneth to become New again and set forth its first youth as if it had never been old We see now the first shape of this Tree how it was in its youth and how in the age and youth of it there is one Shape Power and Vertue Is not this a great Wonder 3. We became in our First Mother that bare us all blind and are now in our old age in the end become seeing again in the Mothers bosom We became dumb and lost our Mother-Tongue and find it now in our old age again so that we know our Mother in and by the same and can speak with her out of her own Tongue Ought not we justly highly to admire that we were in our Mother and knew her not that we have been such a long time blind in her and now become seeing in the old age 4. But shall we speak of our Old age No We are a New Branch born of our first Mother We were a dryed Branch on the Tree but the Mother hath brought into us her Sap and Vertue and brought forth a young Twig out of her self wherein she will have Joy and through which she will bring forth her fruit yea she hath born a young Son out of the Old he shall not be blind neither go out from her but abide in her house for he is her only Heir in whom she hath Joy 5. Loving Brothers Let us rejoyce and be glad in the Lord that our City Jerusalem in Zion is now a building again in which our Mother dwelleth and shall also be our Everlasting Habitation 6. Sithence then Loving Sirs and Brothers as I perceive you stand also with us in the greening Essence and have received a seeing Eye therefore I desire to refresh my self heartily in my Members in the Essence of my Mother with you in our new Life and I beseech you that you would understand it no otherwise then in true Sincerity and Love as one Member is bound to the other 7. That I thus will speak with you is not done to ascend above your gifts nor to exalt my self above you because a sharper understanding is given me of the Divine Mystery but rather take it thus viz. that I am not become your Breaker but rather a Beam in our Building in the House of the Mother of us all not through Humane Reason or Art but he that hath Power hath so ordained it even He that doth what he will 8. Now a House must not only have spars and beams but also Stones for the Foundation and it must have divers Joynts Now if the Lord placeth one for the Foundation or Corner-stone and useth another about the Building then we ought to learn to acknowledg the one the other every one according to his gifts and not to despise or reject one another in regard of the unequal gifts as is practised hitherto for a long time in Babel But rather consider the good and benefit of the House and that the one Juncture must not be as the other although it is all one within another and is together but one House 9. To me it is given to understand and to speak of the Ground to another of the whole Building of God as in a sum Yet the Ground and the Whole House is but One it comes from One Spirit and all serveth for the Wonderful Manifestation of God 10. Therefore if I shall speak with you out of my gifts and shew you the House within I desire you to understand and take it Lovingly I do it not out of Levity and Presumption but in true Knowledg given to me of God for benefit and bettering that our Pearl might be found and the Enemy that hath so long detained us captive be choaked in his own Poyson that we may learn to know the Wonderful God in his bottomless Wisdom and delight our selves in him as Children like as a Branch on a Tree in his Essence and Power which Joy and delight is a greening in our Lives Essence Therefore you will not interpret it otherwise 11. You have sent me a Book to behold my self and also your Friends and request me to open my knowledg thereupon unto you which doubtless in my Writings which you have in your hands might be to you already sufficiently opened and understood what I would thereupon answer you Yet seeing it is for Gods Glory and the Benefit and Salvation of Man I wil give you a short and summary Answer unto it and further refer you to my other Writings 12. Of the Author himself who indeed according to mine outward Man is unknown to me yet in the Spirit is not a Stranger but born out of my Mothers Essence and Power I see say and know so much out of his Written Words which without doubt are also his Spirit and full Will that he indeed hath wholly given over himself as he also throughout mentioneth of himself into the Mothers bosom and desireth nothing else but the Mothers Life and Spirit 13. And that indeed the Mother-spirit is in him as in the old and yet now in a new greening Essence doth keep the old in the grim Qualm Prisoner and is so sunk down with the old Essence that he cannot know himself in that he supposeth he is wholly and totally and throughout new and without sin and spot This is truly and rightly said yet only according to the Inward new Man born out of Christ but not according to the Mortal Corruptible Man which the New holdeth captive in him as through-piercing and wholly overshadowing him 14. The Old Stock or Husk understand the Body which Adam by his Imagination into the