one Body 159. For I do very well know the Authors Spirit and I love to speak to him seeing he for Christs Name sake as you mention hath suffered much and willingly hath brought his Life into Christs footsteps therefore I acknowledg him for a right true Christian 160. But he need not to be ashamed to learn to know himself better and to learn more in the Spirit in the Spouse of Christ For Christ saith Seek and ye shall find The Wisdom hath neither number nor end 161. I say of my self nothing else but that I first am become an A. B. C. Scholer and will heartily seek in the Spouse of Christ of the Spirit of Christ in my Brethren and Members Me in them and them in Me. 162. I do not arrogate to me yet any perfect knowledg for that which is perfect is not of mine understanding but revealed in the Spirit of Christ in my Brethren I am in my self as a Nothing that I might be found and known to be somewhat in the knowledg of my Brother in his Spirit and that God in Christ may be All in us both the Understanding Willing and Doing 163. Therefore I exhort you not to take this otherwise then Christianly and Brotherly for I am not a Master of your Spirit and Knowledg but your help in the Lord that the Authors Course may not be in vain nor the Name of Christ blasphemed in his Members as Babel hath done I have written this short Declaration and Explanation to refresh us in our knowledg in the Lord What is more is to be found in the Book of the Threefold Life and in the three Books of the Incarnation of Christ and do commend you all to the Love of JESUS CHRIST Dated on the Sunday Quasi modo geniti Anno 1621. A Theosophick EPISTLE or LETTER WHEREIN The Life of a true Christian is Described What a Christian is and How he cometh to be a Christian Together with a Description What a Titular Christian is What the Faith and Life of both of them is Written to a good Friend of his in Christian Brotherlike and Memberlike Admonition and a good Intention BY JACOB BEHMEN LONDON Printed by John Macock 1653. The Fountain of the Heart of JESUS CHRIST be our Refreshing Renovation and Eternal Life 1. BEloved and much respected Friend in Christ I do wish to you out of a memberlike obligation as one branch on the Tree is bound to do to the other in a co-operating Desire the open Fountain of Grace which God hath revealed in Christ Jesus in our Humanity that the same may flow in you richly and the Divine Sun therethrough bring into the Soul his Love-beams and therewith awake and open the great Magnetick Hunger of the Soul as the true divine Mouth after Christs Flesh and Blood together with bodily Welfare 2. For as much as I have often perceived by your loving Friend D. K. and also in my presence marked that you in the Drawing of the Father have an extraordinary Thirst and great Longing after his Life which he hath manifested in Christ Jesus out of his highest Love therefore I would not omit out of a memberlike obligation to visit you with a short Epistle upon the desire of the D. and also of your self and to recreate and refresh my self somewhat in that same Fountain of the Life of Jesus Christ with you since it is meer Joy unto me that our Paradisical Pearl-tree greeneth and worketh fruit in our fellow-members to our Eternal Joy 3. And herewith I will shew unto you out of my small gifts and knowledg What a Christian is and Wherefore he is called a Christian namely that only He is a Christian who is become capable of this high Title In Himself who hath turned himself with his Inward Ground Mind and Will to the free-given Grace in Christ Jesus and is in his Souls-Will become as a young Child that only longeth after the Brests of the Mother and sucketh the Brests of the Mother whereof it liveth 4. So also this Man only is a Christian whose Soul and Mind entereth again into the First Mother whereout the Life of Man is sprung viz. into the Eternal Word which hath revealed it self with the true Milk of Salvation in our Humanity being blind in regard of God and drinketh this Mother-milk into his hungry Soul whence the New Spiritual Humanity springeth and the fiery Soul being out of the Fathers Propriety reacheth and obtaineth herewith the place of the Love of God in which place the Father begetteth his Beloved Son wherein alone the Temple of the Holy Ghost which dwelleth In Us is found and wherein also alone the Spiritual Mouth of the Soul which eateth Christs Flesh and drinketh his Blood is understood 5. For He alone is a Christian in whom Christ dwelleth liveth and Is in whom Christ after the Inward Ground of the Soul and the Heavenly Essence which disappeared in Adam is risen and become Living He that hath in his Inward Ground put on Christs Victory against Gods Wrath as also against Hell Devil Death and Sin I say Christs Humanity Passion Death and Resurrection the Seed of the Woman to wit Christ in his Victory also overcoming in him and dayly triumphing upon the Serpents head in the Will of the Wicked Flesh and killing the sinful Lusts of the Flesh 6. For in Christ alone we are received to be Gods Children and heirs of Christ not through an outward strange shew of a special grace-receiving through a strange merit of a grace imputed from Without but through a Childlike Inhabiting Memberlike and Essential grace where the Conqueror of Death to wit Christ with his Life Substance and Power ariseth In Us from our Death and ruleth and worketh In Us as upon a Branch on his Vine as the Writings of the Apostles throughout do witness 7. He is not a Christian who only comforteth himself with the Passion Death and Satisfaction of Christ and imputeth the same unto himself as a grace-gift and yet remaineth an Unregenerated Wilde Beast such a Christian is every Ungodly Man for every one will fain be saved through a grace-gift The Devil also would very willingly be an Angel again through Grace received or applyed from Without 8. But that he should turn and become as a Child and be born a new out of Gods Grace-Water of Love and the Holy Ghost that pleaseth him not So also it pleaseth not the Titular-Christian who putteth about himself the Grace-mantle of Christ and yet will not enter into the Childship and the New Birth although Christ saith he cannot otherwise see the Kingdom of God 9. For what is born of the Flesh is Flesh and cannot inherit the Kingdom of God Joh. 6. To be fleshly minded is Enmity with God but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace and He alone heareth Gods Word that is born of God for alone the Spirit of Grace in Christ heareth Gods Word 10. For no man hath seen God the
or Entrance of the Love into the Anger a Breaking or Killing of the Grimness and a Perfect Transmutation with the forth-bringing of the Joy-kingdom Wherein we then understand that God himself hath resisted his Anger as the First Principle with the Second as with his Love and himself broken the grim Death the which the Souls-spirit alone Understandeth when it attaineth the Heavenly Mysterium 83. Therefore we ought to beware that we do not abuse the most precious Name of God but call him only a Christian who is a Christian viz. the Inward Man out of Christ The Outward sinful Man retaineth justly his own Name from or out of his Mother wherein he Liveth Seeing God hath given to Adam an Outward Name according to the Outward Man and the Inward also according to the Inward Man why would We then mount higher then we are in the Ground 84. Now when the Author saith of himself I the living Word of God in this my holy flesh and bones say this and do this then the Dear Name of God is thereby abused For when the Spirit of Man is chosen to be a Prophet and Mouth of God then saith he only Thus saith the LORD as all Prophets have so spoken He doth it not out of himself out of his flesh and bones but the LORD revealeth his Will through him He is only an Instrument thereto 85. He is not in flesh and bones the LORD but in the Life of Christ a fruitful humble Twig that neither will nor doth any thing it self and also desireth nothing but its Mothers Essence the Mother may do with it what she Will The Mother will only have humble Children to lie on her Brest and drink of her Vertue and live in her Will so that she may delight her self in them for her fruit groweth upon their twigs which is the praise of the Tongues in Gods Wonder-deed 86. It must not be taken so as if I would despise a Christian spirit but I teach in the Spirit of Christ in him seeing I must speak of the Root and this is the Office given me that we may edifie our selves in the knowledg in Christ in One Tree and I beseech you to understand it right For to speak with an Angels Tongue with the Mouth of the Holy Ghost is a great matter Let no man ride unarmed if Gods Spirit armeth not his Tongue Heart and Spirit and giveth assurance and Certainty then let him not say The LORD speaketh 87. For often when the Fire of the Holy Ghost shineth out of the Inward viz. out of Gods Substance through the Outward the Outward Mysterium is kindled and rejoyceth exceedingly and beginneth in the knowledg of the Light to speak with Tongues out of the Mysterium But the will-Will-spirit ought Well to look to it self that the Outward Spirit do not go too high and speak with Tongues out of it self in the LORDS Name For the Outward Spirit triumpheth when it getteth a Look as if it were in the Inward and mounteth often thus aloft with Joyfulness But the Outward Reasons-spirit from the Stars mingleth it self willingly therewith 88. Therefore it is a very subtil thing to speak with the Outward Mouth out of Divine Tongues the Holy Ghost must go upon the Wings of the Wind and direct the Understanding that the Mind may find it experimentally for the Certainty must be in the Mind 89. The Prophet that speaks is not the Assurance for the speaks out of two Tongues as out of the Turba of the Wickedness of Men which he reproveth and also out of the Love out of Christs Humanity and sheweth the right Way 90. Now the Certainty or Assurance consisteth in the Mind that must be kindled and filled with the Holy Ghost then the Mouth of the LORD speaketh through the Outward Mouth not as its Own Word but as the Word of God Only the noble Image in the Inward standeth as it were trembling before the Presence and great Power of the Lord. 91. It maketh no Words in the Name of the LORD unless the Spirit of God doth form them then it must do as a Child in Obedience and although the LORD commanded Fire to fall from Heaven as by Elia it cannot contain it self it shall and must perform the Work of the LORD in Zeal 92. Therefore I say in good truth out of my gifts that a man ought to have a great care of himself if he must or will speak with the Mouth of the LORD for if he will say I the Living Word of God say and do this then must the Will of the LORD be there and the Spirit of God must arm the Tongue Heart and Mind and even himself go with it otherwise it is not the Word of the LORD but of the Outward Man 93. What the Author saith further of the altogether fleshly Christendom which carrieth no more but only the Name in the Mouth when the heart and mind are known before God to be only a Mocker of the Name of Christ is so indeed and he hath after his knowledg written very truly of it 94. This Christendom hath now borrowed the Mantle of Christ with his Passion Death and Satisfaction and hath thereunder hidden the Antichristian Bastard and covereth that same Man of Pride and Falshood with the Purple-mantle of Christ and rideth therewith in Babel upon the horrible and abominable Beast spoken of in the Revelation of John 95. It tickleth it self with Christs Passion and Satisfaction and yet will not enter into Christs Passion Death and Resurrection and be born out of Christs Spirit the Bastard must only be comforted 96. O! to how many an one shall the Mantle of Christ be turned to hellish fire wherewith he covereth the man of falshood There is not spoken only of Comfort but ye must be born anew out of Water and the Holy Ghost otherwise ye shall not see the Kingdom of God saith the Mouth Christus 97. The Will must be turned from Deceit and Falshood into Righteousness and Truth if he will be called a Christian with the ground of Truth and not only in the Mouth but in the Deed be a Christian 98. But he that carrieth Christ only in the Mouth and is not born out of the Will and Spirit of Christ he is the Antichrist and boasteth himself unjustly a Christian if he striveth not against the Will of the Flesh and continually killeth it then the Life of Christ is not in him but the Outward Worlds and the Devils Will in the Anger of God is in him For Christ said Whosoever entereth not in by the Door into the Sheepfold but climbeth up some other way He is a Thief and a Robber and cometh but for to rob steal and the Sheep follow him not for they know not his Voyce He is but a Hireling and the Sheep are not his own he seeketh only the Wool 99. If any will be a Shepherd of Christ he must not be a Stranger but must be born out
after Gods Grace and entereth into a powerful Repentance or Penitency and bewaileth the Evil which she hath committed 37. And in this Hunger and Thirst she receiveth Christs Flesh and Blood for the New will-Will-spirit which in the Begining entered into the Grace of Christ which Christ also hath received into himself becometh now Substantial by the Magnetical Impressing Hungering and Desiring of the Soul 38. And this Substantiality is called Sophia as the Substantial Wisdom or the Body of Christ and in this the Faith in the Holy Spirit consisteth here Christ and the Soul beleeve in one ground 39. For the True Faith consisteth not in thoughts or in a meer assenting to the Histories viz. that a man impresseth into himself that Christ is dead for his sins but it is a Receiving of the promised Grace of Christ it receiveth Christ into it self it Impresseth him into his Hunger with his heavenly Flesh and Blood with the Grace which God offereth in Christ 40. Christ feedeth the Soul with the Substance of Sophia as with his Body and Blood according to his saying Whosoever eateth not the Flesh of the Son of Man he hath no Life in him but whosoever eateth the same he abideth in him 41. And herein also Christs Testaments and also the Christian Faith do consist For an Unsubstantial Faith is as a smoking Fire or mother of Fire in a moisture that would willingly burn and yet hath no right Ens thereto but when a right Ens is given to it then that little spark of fire encreaseth out of which a fair Light ariseth which shineth round about and then is revealed or manifested how in the Wood such a fire and fair light lieth hidden which before was not known 42. So also in a Child of God While the poor Soul is wrapt up in the Anger of God she is as a glimmering Wiek that would willingly burn and yet cannot by reason of the Vanity of the Sins and the Anger of God But when the Soul as the little spark of the Divine Fire getteth into it self Gods Love Ens as Christs Flesh and Blood then that same little Spark beginneth to become a great Fire and Light which shineth and lighteth about it self with fair Vertues and good Works and liveth in great Patience under the Vanity of this World and yet groweth forth as a fair Flower out of the wilde Earth 43. Whereof we have a Similitude in the Sun and the Earth namely if the Sun should not shine upon the Earth no fruit could grow But when the Sun doth shine on the Earth and throngeth himself into the Ens of the Earth then the Ens of the Earth receiveth the Vertue of the Sun into it self whereupon a great Hunger ariseth in the Ens of the Earth after the Vertue of the Sun and this same Hunger impresseth the Vertue of the Sun and by this same Hunger of the Ens of the Earth which goeth after the Ens of the Sun in the height an Herb is drawn out of the Earth with a stalk wherein the Ens and Vertue of the Sun also goeth in the encrease or growth in the height and the Sun with his Light-beams becometh Substantial in the Ens of the Earth in the stalk and root and a man seeth how through the power of the Sun and Stars in the Spirit of the World another body cometh out of the stalk then the root in the Earth is also how the stalk doth bring it self into a button to a fair flower and afterwards to fruit a man may also see how the Sun afterwards from time to time ripeneth and sweeteneth the same fruit 44. So also it is with Man the Soulish ground is the Divine field when it getteth the Divine Sunshine into it self then a Divine Plant ariseth thereout This is the New Birth whereof Christ speaketh Now this Plant must be nourished and drawn up from above by the Divine Sun and by the Divine Water and the Divine Stars as the Divine Power until it cometh to be a Divine Body of a Divine and Angelical Figure as the body on the stalk 45. And as the body on the stalk must stand in rain wind and storm in heat and cold and suffer the Sun to ripen it so must a Christian stand in this thorny World in the awaked Anger of God in the Kingdom of the Devil amongst many wicked Men and suffer himself to be beaten with scorn and contempt and yet must turn his Hope from all Creatures alone into the Divine Sun and suffer him to ripen him and to beget him to an heavenly fruit 46. Not houses of stone nor humane Ordinances do beget him but the Divine Sun in the divine Stars of the powers of the Word of God in the Temple of Jesus Christ in himself doth beget him out of the Fountain of Life Jesus Christ so that he is a branch on the Vine of Christ and bringeth forth good grapes which the Divine Sun ripeneth that Gods children as his loving fellow-members may eat them whereby they also do out-green in and with him which grapes are good Doctrine Life and Works 47. A man must come to the practise working and fruitbringing otherwise the New Birth is not yet manifest in him nor the noble Branch yet born No tickling comforting and boasting of Faith availeth any thing if so be the Faith becometh not a Child conformable to God in Essence and Will which doth bring forth divine fruit 48. All that wherefore men now strive and contend also destroy Land and people is only a meer husk without fruit and belongeth to the fiery World for separation There is no true Understanding in any party they contend all only about the Name and the Will of God and no party will do it they mean and mind nothing but their own glory and the lust of the flesh Were they Christians they would have no strife 49. A good Tree beareth good fruits for every one and although it must suffer that the wind oft breaketh off its branches and fruit as also that the Sun dryeth them up and when they are ripe that swines devour them and that they be troden under feet yet it endeavoreth still to bring forth more good fruits 50. So also a true Christian in Christ can will nothing else but what Christ willeth in him although he must suffer that his good fruits which do out-green and grow forth out of the Inward Man be often trampled upon and spoiled by his Evil flesh and blood as also by the Devils Wind and the Wickedness of the World yet the Tree of the new Plant abideth standing in the Life of Christ and out-greeneth through the outward mortal Man against all hinderance and opposition like as Eternity greeneth through the Time and giveth to the Time Life and Power And as the Day out-greeneth through the Night and changeth the Night into Day whereas yet the Night remaineth in it self and is not discerned in the Day so also the Divine