meere gift of God given not for my sake onely but for your sakes also and for all theirs that shall get to read it 16. Let none gaze any longer after the time it is alreadie borne or begun whomsoever it hitteth him it hitteth hee that watcheth seeth it and he that sleepeth seeth it not the time is alreadie appeared and shall suddenly appeare more hee that watcheth he shall see it many have already felt it but a very great tribulation and calamity must passe over before it be wholly manifested The cause of which misery and calamity is the contention of the Learned who tread the cup of Christ under their feet and contend about a child with a contention then which there was never worse since men were that must be manifested therefore let no honest man defile himselfe with such contentions there is a fire from the Lord therein that shall consume them and himselfe reveale the Truth 17. You shall receive of Mr. Walter what he hath more especially a Table with an Exposition of it wherein the whole ground of all Mysteries is plainly laid down And so I commend you sir to the love of JESUS CHRIST Dated the 20. of April Anno 1624. Your Servant in the love of CHRIST JACOB BEHMEN AN EXPLICATION OF Some words in the writings of JACOB BEHMEN Turba Magna 1. THE Turba Magna the great Turba is the stirred and awakened wrath of the inward ground when the foundation of Hell is made manifest in the Spirit of this world from whence great plagues and diseases arise And it is also the awakened wrath of the outward nature as may bee seen in great tempests of Thunder and lightning when the fire is manifested or generated in water In briefe it is the effusion of the Anger of God by which Nature is disturbed Ternarius 2. By the word Ternarius the Ternary or number three in the Language of Nature we understand the Divine Birth or Propagation in the six formes or properties of Nature which are the six Seales of God Ternarius Sanctus 3. The Ternarius Sanctus or holy Ternary is the Inward heavenly working power in that Substance wherein the Trinity of God worketh and so I understand thereby an Essentiall power and the Number Three or Trinity in the seven formes or Properties wherein also the Angelicall world is comprehended Tria Principia The three Principles Primum Principium The first Principle 4. By the first Principle is meant the Eternall Darknesse which consisteth in the receivingnesse of the Properties whence feelingnesse ariseth and its ground extendeth as farre as to Fire in order of the seven Properties fire being the fourth property into which its ground reacheth by which ground we meane the Eternall Nature and the wrath of God according to which God is said to be a zealous Angry Jealous God and a consuming fire Secundum Principium The second Principle 5. By the second Principle is meant the Light and the Angelicall powrefull World in which the effluence of the Divine Power and Will doth manifest it selfe by the Magicall Fire in the Light with the flaming fire of love by this is meant the Kingdome of God according to which God is said to be a loving mercifull God and the Eternall goodnesse and Light Tertium Principium The third Principle 6. By the third Principle is meant the visible produced and created world with all its hosts which is an effluence out of the first and second Principle caused by the motion and breathing forth of the Divine Power and will in which the spirituall world as to Light and Darknesse is represented and come to be a creature Tincture 7. By the Word Tincture is meant the power and vertue of Fire and Light and the stirring up or putting forth like a bud of this vertue is called the holy and pure Element the vertue of the Sunne is the Tincture of all things that grow and live in the visibility of the world so also the colour is the Tincture of the ground Christ â—s the Tincture of the soule in briefe the Tincture is the life and the perfluent and informing vertue by which any thing doth subsist for without the Tincture that proceedeth from the Sunne Gold were no Gold and so also the Image of God in the soule without the true Tincture the Eternall Sun of Righteousnesse were not the Image of God CHRISTUS Christ. 8. By the Word Christ is meant the inward new man in the Spirit of Christ understood inwardly Satan 9. By the word Satan is meant the Spirit of errour in us and not alwayes a creaturely Devill but the property of such an erroneous Spirit The end COncerning the Authors life the Reader may finde some information in the Preface to his 40. Questions of the Soul in English And at the end of that Book a Catalogue of his other Writings * * Or Worke. * * Or put a a Larva or monstrous shape b b Or by c c Or modell d d Or obtaine a drawing * * Or a way to conversion a a Or in b b As its nutriment c c Or represent or set before himself d d De caâ—ed e e Or blowne out * * Or beings f f Or Step-child g g Barren or unprofitable h h I that which is called I or my self k k Or dying sparke ready to goe out l l Or I or I-hood or Inesse that which wee meane when we say 't is I. m m Or Bowe a a Or processes b b Or dumb c c Vertuous pious or godly life * * Or the Divine wisedome * * Or way ††Iericho a a Or disappeared ‖ ‖ Or Regeneration * * Or Divine wisedome d d In Paradise e e Having it manife sted in them f f The vineger or dreggs g g Processe or journey h h Or Time i i Bound end or full filling k k Or victorize l l Fortresse Castle or den m m Or â—nsigne n n pearlâ—ree or tree of faith o o His conscience is a sleepe still p p Triall or temtation q q Or Dawning ‖ ‖ Or eternal wisedome s s Or selfehood * * The Image * * Or aâ— guide ‖ ‖ The inward starres costellations in our bodies a a Or evill desires b b Gole or marke * * In virginali sapientiâ ‖ ‖ Or in thy sight c c Or sinck * * For. e e Or Valley f f Or journey g g Or vilenesse h h My enemies i i Or shame k k My enemies l l Or Day-breake * * Shineth through or coâ—â—ureth ‖ ‖ Or the divine wisedome * * Sporteth o o Or into p p Division corruption or breaking asunder ‖ ‖ Or processe or course that he hath taken * * Or calling ††Sensing * * Or Vomb which bringeth forth fire * * Or false o o The
imagination and make it my own this it is to beleeve 90. The will must goe forth from the vanity of the flesh and willingly yeeld it selfe up to the suffering and death of Christ and to all the reproach of vanity which scorneth it because it goeth forth from its owne house wherein it was born and minds vanity no more but meerly desires love of God in Christ Jesus 91. In such a hunger and desire the will impresseth into it self the Spirit of Christ with his heavenly corporality that is its great hunger and desire taketh hold of and receiveth the body of Christ viz. the heavenly substantiality into its disappeared Image within which the word of the power of God is the working 92. The hunger of the soule bringeth its desire quite through the bruised property of its humanity in the heavenly part which disappeared in Adam which humanity the sweet fire of love in the death of Christ did bruise when the death of that heavenly humanity was destroyed 93. And so the hunger of the soule received into it into its disappeared corporality through the desire the holy heavenly substance viz. the heavenly corporality Christs heavenly corporality which filleth the Father all over and is high unto all and through all things And through that the disappeared heavenly body riseth in the power of God in the sweet name Jesus And this raised heavenly spirituall body is the member of Christ and the Temple of the holy Ghost a true mansion of the holy Trinity according to Christs promise saying we wil come to you and make our abode in you 95. That essence of that life eateth the flesh of Christ and drinketh his bloud For the Spirit of Christ viz. the Word which made it selfe visible with the humanity of Christ out of and in our disappeared humanity through the outward man of the substance of this world swalloweth its holy substance into its fiery every spirit eateth of its own body 96. Now if the soule eat of this sweet holy and heavenly food then it kindleth it selfe with the great love in the Name JESUS whence its fire of anguish becommeth a great triumph and glory and the true Sunne ariseth to it wherin it is born to another will 97. And here is the wedding of the Lamb which we heartily wish that the Titular and Lip-christians might once find by experience and so passe from the history into the substance 98. But the soule obtaineth not the pearle of the Divine power and vertue for its proper own during the time of this life because it hath the outward bestiall flesh sticking to its outward man 99. The power of which espouseth it selfe in the wedding of the Lamb sinketh it selfe down into the heavenly Image viz. into the substance of the heavenly Man who is the Temple of Christ and not into the fire-breath of the soul which is yet during this whole lifes time fast bond to the outward Kingdome to the bond of vanity with the breath of the aire and is in great danger 100. It darteth its beames of love indeed very often into the soul whereby the soule receiveth light but the Spirit of Christ yeeldeth not it self up to the fire-breath in this lifes time but to the breath of light onely which was extinguished in Adam in which the Temple of Christ is for it is the true and holy heaven 101. Understand aright now what the New-birth or Regeneration is and how it commeth to passe as followeth The outward earthly mortall man is not born anew in this lifes time nor the outward flesh nor the outward part of the soule they continue both of them in the vanity of their wills which awaked in Adam they love their mother in whose body they live viz. the Dominion of this outward world and therein the birth of sin is manifest 102. The outward man in soule flesh we mean the outward part of the soule hath no Divine will neither doth he understand any thing of God as the Scripture saith The naturall man perceiveth nothing of the Spirit of God c. 103. But the Fire-breath of the inward world if it be enlightned once understandeth it It hath a great longing sighing hunger and thirst after the sweet fountain of Christ it refresheth it selfe by hungring and desiring which is the true faith in the sweet Fountain of Christ from his new body from the heavenly substantiality as a hungry Branch in the Vine Christ. 104. And the cause why the fiery soule cannot attain to perfection during this lifes time is because it is fast bound with the outward bond of vanity through which the Devill continually casteth his venemous Rayes of influence upon it and so fifteth it that it often biteth at his bait and poysoneth it selfe from whence misery and anguish ariseth so that the Noble Sophia hideth her selfe in the Fountain of Christ in the heavenly humanity for she cannot draw neere to vanity 105. For she knew how it went with her in Adam when she lost her Pearle which is of grace freely bestowed again upon the inward humanity therefore she is called Sophia viz. the Bride of Christ. 106. Here she faithfully calleth to the fiery soule viz. to her Bridegroom and exhorteth him to repentance and to the unburthening of himselfe or going from the abomination of vanity 107. Here warre assaulteth the whole man wherein the outward fleshly man lusteth against the inward spirituall man and the Spirituall against the fleshly and so man is in continuall warfare and strife full of trouble misery anguish and care 108. The inward saith to the fiery soule O my soule O my love turne I beseech thee and goe forth from vanity or else thou losest my love and the noble Pearle 109. Then saith the outward Reason viz. the bestiall soule Thou art foolish wilt thou be a foole and the scorn of the world Thou needest the outward world to maintain this life beauty power and glory is thy chiefest Treasure wherein onely thou canst rejoyce and take delights Why wilt thou cast thy selfe into anguish misery and reproach Take thyâ— pleasure which will doe both thy flesh and thy â—mind good 110 With such filth the true man is often defiled viz. the outward man defileth himselfe as a Sow in the mire and obscureth his Noble Pearle For the more vain the outward man groweth the more dark the inward man cometh to be till at length it disappeareth together 111. And then the faire Paradificall Tree is gone and it will be very hard to recover it again for when the outward light viz. the outward soule is once enlightned so that the outward light of Reason is kindled by the inward light then the outward soule commonly useth to turn hypocrite and esteem it selfe divine and though the Pearle be gone which sticks hard to many a man 112. And so the tree of Pearle in the Garden of Christ is often spoyled concerning which the Scripture maketh a hard knot or conclusion
thereby but it is thus When Christ ariseth then Adam dyeth in the the essence of the Serpent when the Sunne riseth the night is swallowed up in the day and the night is no more so sins are forgiven 147. The Spirit of Christ eateth of his holy substance the inward man is the receiver of the holy substance he receiveth what the Spirit of Christ bringeth into him viz. the Temple of God Christs flesh and blood But what doth this concern a Beast Or what doth it concern the Devils Or the soul that is in the anger of God these eat of the heavenly body that is in the heaven they dwell in which is the Abysse or bottomlesse pit 148. And thus it is in the Office of Preaching the ungodly heareth what the outward soul of the outward world preacheth that he receiveth viz. the History and if there be straw or stubble in that which is taught he sucketh the vanity out of that and the soule sucketh the venemous poyson and the murthering cruelty of the Devill from it wherewith that soule tickleth it selfe in hearing how to judge and condemne others 149. And if the Preacher be one that is dead and hath no true life in him but soweth venome and reproach proceeding out of his affections then it is the Devill that teacheth and the Devill that heareth such teaching is received into a wicked heart and bringeth forth wicked fruits by which the world is become a Murthering Den of Devils so that if you look among the Teachers and Hearers there is nothing to be found but revilings slanderings and reproachings also contention about words and wrangling about the Hâ—sk 150. But the holy Ghost teacheth in the holy Teacher and the Spirit of Christ heareth through the soule and the Divine house of the Divine sound in the holy Hearer the holy man hath his Church in himselfe wherein he heareth and teacheth 151. But Babel hath a heap of stone into that she goeth with her seeming holinesse and hypocrisie there she loveth to be seen in fine cloathes and there maketh a very devout and godly shew the church of stone is her God in which she putteth her confidence 152. But the holy man hath his church about him every where and in himselfe for he alwayes standeth and walketh and sitteth and lyeth down in his church he is in the true Christian church in the Temple of Christ the Holy Ghost preacheth to him out of every creature whatsoever he looketh upon hee seeth a Preacher of God therein 153. Here now the scoffer will say I despise the Church of stone where the congregation meeteth but I say I doe not for I doe but discover the hypocriticall Whore of Babylon which committeth whore ome with the church of stone and termeth herselfe a Christian but is indeed a Strumpet 154. A true Christian brings his Holy Church within him into the congregation His Heart is the true Church where a man must practice the service of God If I did goe a thousand times to Church and to the Sacrament every week and heard absolution declared to me every day and have not Christ in me then all is false an unprofitable fiction and graven Image in Babell and no forgiving of sinnes 155. A Holy Man doth Holy works from the Holy strength of his mind the work is not the expiation or reconciliation but it is the building which the true Spirit buildeth in his substance it is his habitation but the fiction and fancie is the habitation of the false Christian into which his soule entreth with dissimulation The outward hearing reacheth but to the outward and worketh in the outward onely but the inward hearing goeth into the inward and worketh in the inward 156. Dissemble roare cry sing preach and teach as much as thou wilt if thy inward Teacher and Hearer be not open then all is nothing but Babel a fiction and a graven Image whereby the Spirit of the outward world doth modell and make a graven Image in resemblance to the inward 157. And maketh a Holy shew therewîth as if hee did performe some Divine or Holy service to GOD whereas many times in such service and worship the Devil worketh mightily in the imagination and very much tickleth the heart with those things which the flesh delighteth in which indeed not seldome happeneth to the children of GOD as to their outward man if they doe not take great heed to themselves the Devill doth so â—ift them CHAP. VII Of unprofitable opinions and strife about the Letter 158. A True Christian who is born anew in the Spirit of Christ is in the simplicity of Christ and hath no strife or contention with any man about Religion he hath strife enough in himselfe with his own beastiall evill flesh and blood he continually thinketh that he is a great sinner he is afraid of God but the love of Christ pierceth through and expelleth that feare as the day swalloweth up the night 159. But the sinnes of the ungodly man rest in the sleep of death and bud forth in the pit and bring forth fruit in hell 160. The Christendome that is in Babel striveth about knowledge how men ought to serve God and glorifie him also how to know God and what he is in his essence and will and they preach peremptorily that whosoever is not one and the same in every particular with them for knowledge and Opinions is no Christian but a Heretick 161. Now I would faine see how any can bring all their Sects so to agree in that one which might be called a true Christian Church when all of them are scorners every party of them reviling the other and proclaiming it to be false 162. But a Christian is of no Sect he can dwel in the midst of Sects and also appeare in their services and yet adhere and be addicted to no Sect He hath but one knowledge only that is Christ is him He seeketh but one way which is the Desire alwayes willingly to doe and teach that which is right and he putteth all his knowing and willing into the life of Christ. 163. He sigheth and wisheth continually that the will of God might be done in him and that his Kingdome might be manifested in him He daily and hourely killeth sinne in the flesh For the seede of the woman viz. the inward man in Christ continually breaketh the Head of the Serpent viz. of the Devill which is in vanity 164. His Faith is a Desire to God and goodnesse which he wrappeth up into a sure hope and therefore ventureth it upon the words of the promise and liveth and dyeth therein though as to the true man hee never dyeth 165. For Christ telleth us saying whosoever believeth in me shall never dye but hath pierced through from death to life and Rivers of living waters shall flow from him viz. good Doctrine and works 166. Therefore I say that whatsoever fighteth and contendeth about the Letter is all Babell The
that I may die from my vanity and sinne in the death of my Redeemer Jesus Christ. O thou breath of the great love of God quicken I beseech thee my weake breath in me that it may begin to hunger and thirst after thee O Lord Jesus thou sweete strength I beseech thee give my soule to drinke of thy fountaine of Grace thy sweete water of eternall life that it may awake from death and thrist after thee O how extreame fainting I am for want of thy strength O mercifull God doe thou turne me I beseech thee I can not turn my selfe O thou vanquisher of death helpe me I pray thee to wrestle How fast doth the Enemy hold me with his three chaines and will not suffer the desire of my soule to come before thee I beseech thee come and take the desire of my soule into thy selfe be thou my drawing to the Father and deliver me from the devills Bonds looke not upon my deformity in standing naked before thee having lost thy garment I pray thee doe but thou cloath my breath which yet liveth in me and desireth thy grace and let me yet once see thy salvation O thou deepe love I pray thee take the desire of my soule into thee bring it forth out of the bonds of Death through thy Death in thy Resurrection in thee O quicken me in thy strength that my desire and will may begin to spring up and flourish anew O thou vanquisher of death and of the wrath of God doe thou overcome in me selfe breake its will and bruise my soule that it may feare before thee and be ashamed of its owne will before thy judgement that it may be obedient to thee as an instrument of thine subdue it in the bonds of death take away its power that it may Will nothing without thee O God the Holy Ghost in Christ my Saviour teach me I pray thee what I shall doe that I may turne to thee O draw me in Christ to the Father and helpe me that now and from hence forward I may goe forth from sinne and vanity and never any more enter into it againe Stirre up in me a true sorrow for the sinnes I have committed O keepe me in thy Bonds and let me not loose from thee lest the Devill sift me in my wicked flesh and bloud bring me again into the death of dea h O enlighten thou my spirit that I may see the divine path and walke in it continually O take that away from me which alwayes turneth me away from thee O give me that which alwayes turneth me to thee take me wholy from my selfe and give me wholy to thy owne selfe O let me beginne nothing let me will thinke and doe nothing without thee O Lord how long Indeed I am not worthy of that which I desire of thee I pray thee let the desire of my soule dwell but in the gates of thy Courts make it but a servant of thy servauts O deliver it out of that horrible pit wherein there is no comfort nor refreshment O God in Christ Jesus I am blinde in my selfe and know not my selfe for vanity thou art hidden from me in my blindenesse and yet thou art neere unto me but thy wrath which my desire hath awakened in me hath made me darke O take but the desire of my soule to thee prove it O Lord and bruise it that my soule may attaine a Ray of thy sweete Grace I lie before thee as a dying man whose life is passing from his lipps as a smale sparke going out kindle it O Lord and raise up the breath of my soule before thee Lord I waite for thy Promise which thou hast made saying As I live I will not the death of a sinner but that he should turne and live I sincke downe my selfe into the Death of my Redeemer Jesus Christ and waite for thee thy Word is Truth and Life Amen In this or the like manner every one may confesse his sinnes as he himselfe findeth in his conscience what finnes he hath brought his soule into Yet if his purpose be truely earnest to use a forme is needlesse for the Spirit of God which at that instant is in the will of the minde will it selfe make the prayer for him in his conscience for it is it the Spirit of God which in a true earnest desire worketh repentance and intercedeth for the soule before God through the death of Christ. But I will not hide from the beloved Reader who hath a Christian purpose but shew how it commonly useth to goe with those who are in such a firme purpose and resolution though it goeth otherwise with one then with another according as his purpose is more or lesse earnest and great for the Spirit of God is not bound but useth diverse wayes as he knoweth fittest for every one Yet he that hath beene in the warres can tell how to fight and informe another that may happen to be in the like case Now if it so come to passe that such a heart with a strong resolution and purpose doth thus come before God and enter into repentance it hapneth to it as with the Canaanitish woman as if God would not heare the heart remaineth without comfort its sins and unworthynesse do also present themselves as if it were unworthy of comfort the mind is as it were speechlesse the soule groaneth in the deepe the heart receiveth nothing nor can it so much as poure forth its confession before God as if the heart and soule were shut up the Soule would faine but the flesh keepeth it captive the Devill shutteth it up strongly and representeth to it the way of vanity againe and tickleth it with the lust of the flesh and saith in the minde stay a while doe this or that first gather money or goods aforehand that thou maist not stand in neede of the world and then afterwards enter into an honest life into repentance it will be time enough then O how many hundreds doe perish in such a beginning if they goe backe againe into vanity and are as a young graft broken off with the winde or weithered by the heate Beloved soule marke if thou wilt be a champion in thy Saviour Christ against death and hell and would'st have thy yong graft grow become a tree in the Kingdome of Christ thou must go on and stand fast in thy first earnest purpose it costeth thy first paternall inheritance and thy body and soule too to become either an Angell in God or a Devill in Hell If thou wilt be crowned thou must fight thou must overcome in Christ and not yeeld to the Devill thy purpose must stand firme thou must not preferre temporall honour and goods before it when the spirit of the flesh saith stay a while it is not convenient yet then the soule must say now is my time for me to goe backe againe into my fathers my native Countrey out of which my father
Adam hath brought me no creature shall keepe me backe and though thou earthly body shouldest thereby decay and perish yet I will now enter with my will and whole desire into the Garden of Roses of my Redeemer Iesus Christ through his suffering and death into him and in the death of Christ subdue thee thou earthly body which hath swallowed up my Pearle from me which God gave to my Father Adam in Paradise and I will breake the will of thy voluptuousnesse which is in vanity and binde thee as a mad-dogge with the chaine of my earnest purpose and though thereby thou should'st become a foole in the account of all men yet thou must and shalt obey the earnest purpose of my soule none shall unloose thee from this chaine but the temporall death Whereto God and his strength helpe me Amen A short Direction How the poore soule must come before God againe and how it must fight for the noble garland what kinde of weapons it must use if it will goe to warres against Gods Anger against the Devill the World and Sinne against flesh and bloud also against the influence of the stars and elements and all his other enemies BEloved Soule there is earnestnesse required to doe this it must not be a meere commemoration or repeating of words the earnest resolved will must drive this worke else nothing will be attained For if the soule will obtaine the triumphant Garland of Christ from the Noble Sophia it must wooe her for it in great desire of love to get it at her hands it must intreate her in her most holy Name for it and come before her in most modest humility and not like a lustfull Bull or a wanton Venus for so long as any are such they must not desire these things for they shall not obtaine them and though something should be obtained by such in that condition it would be but as a glimpse but a chast and modest minde may well obtaine so much as to have the soule in its noble Image which died in Acam quickened in the heavenly Corporality as to the inward ground and put on the Garland yet if this come to passe it is taken off againe from the soule and layed by as a Crowne useth to be after a King is crowned with it it is layed by and kept so it is also with the soule because it is yet encompassed with the house of sinne that if the soule should fall againe it Crowne might not be defiled This â— spoken plainely enough for the children that know and have tried these things None of the wicked are worthy to know any more of them The Processe A sober minde is there requisite which in an earnest purpose all deepests humility with sorrow for â— sinnes cometh before God in which there is such a resolution that a man will not enter any more into the old footsteps of vanity and though the whole world should account him a foole for it and he should loose both Honour and Goods nay and the temporall life also yet he would abide constant therein If ever he will obtaine the love and marriage of the noble Sophia he must make such a vow as this in his purpose and minde For Christ himselfe sayth He that forsaketh not wife and children brethren and sisters money and goods and all that even he hath and even his earthly life to follow me he is not worthy of me Here Christ meaneth the Mind of the soule so that if there were any thing that would keepe the mind backe from it though it have never so faire and glorious a pretence or shew in this world the minde must not regard it but rather part with it then with the love of the Noble Virgine Sophia in the bud and blossome of Christ in his tender Humanity in us as to the Heavenly Corporality For this is the Flower in Sharon the Rose in the Valley wherewith Solomon delighteth himselfe and termeth it his deare Love his chast Virgine which he loved so much as all other Saints before and after him did whosoever hath obtained her called her his pearle After what manner to pray for it you may â—ee by this short direction following the worke it selfe must be committed to the Holy Ghost in every heart wherein it is sought he â—ormeth and frameth the Prayer for him The Prayer I Poore unworthy person come before thee O Great and Holy God and I lift up mine eyes to thee though I be noâ— worthy yet thy great mercy viz. thy faithfull Promise in thy word hath now encoucouraged me to lift the eyes of the deâ—iâ—e of my soule up to thee for my soule hath now layd hold on the word of thy promise and received it into it and therewith it conâ—eth to thee and though â—t be but a sâ—â—ange childe before thee which was dâ—sâ—â—bedieâ—t unto thee yet now it desireth to be obedient and my soule doth now iâ—fold it selfe with its desire into that word which became man which became flesh and bloud which hath broken 〈◊〉 and death in my humanity which hath changed the Anger of God into love in the soule which hath deprived death of its power and hell of its victory in soule and body which hath opened a gate for my soule to the cleare face of thy strength and power O Great and Most Holy God I have brought the hunger and desire of my soule into this most holy Word and now I come before thee and in my hunger call into thee thou living fountain through thy word which became flesh and bloud thy word being become the life in our flesh therefore I receive it firmely into the desire of my soule as my owne life and I pâ—erce into thee with the desire of my soul through the word in the flesh of Christ viz. through his holy conception in the Virgine Mary his whole Incarnation his holy Nativity his Baptisme in Jordan his temptation in the wilâ—ernene where he overcame the Kingdome of the Devill and of this world in the Humanity through all his powerfull miracles which he did on earth through his reproach and ignominy his innocent death and passion the shedding of his bloud when Gods anger in soule and flesh was drowned through his rest in the Sepulcher when he awaked our father Adam ouâ— of his sleepe who was fallen into a dead sleepe as to the Kingdome of Heaven through his love which pierced through the Anger and destroyed Hell in the soule through his resurrection from the dead his ascention the sending of the holy Spirit into our soule and spirit and through all his words and promises one of which is that thou O God the Father wilt give the holy Spirit to them that aske it in the Name and through the Word which became man O thou life of my flesh and of my soule in Christ my Brother I beseech thee in the hunger of my soule and intreate thee with all my powers though they be
weake to give me what thou hast promised me and freely bestow upon mee in my Saviour Jesus Christ viz. his flesh for food and his bloud for drinke to refresh my poore hungry soule that it may be quickened and strengthened in the Word which became man by which it may long and hunger after thee aright O thou deepest love in the most sweete Name JESUS give thy selfe into the desire of my soule for therefore thou hast moved thy selfe and according to thy great sweetnesse manifested thy selfe in the humane nature and called us to thee us that hunger and thirst after thee and hast promised us that thou wilt refâ—esh us I now open the lips of my soul to thee O thou sweet Truth and though I am not worthy to desire it of thy holines yet I come to thee through thy bitter passion death thou having sprinkled my uncleanesse with thy bloud and sanctified me in thy Humanity and made an open gatefor me through thy death to thy sweete love in thy bloud through thy five holy wounds from which thou did'st shed thy bloud I bring the desire of my soule into thy love O Jesus Christ thou Sonne of God and man I pray thee receive into thy selfe thy purchased inheritance which thy Father hath given thee I crie within me that I may enter thorough thy holy bloud and death into thee Open thy selfe in mee that the Spirit of my soule may reach thee and receive thee into it Lay hold on my thirst in me with thy thirst bring thy thirst after us men which thou haddest upon the Crosse into my thirst and give mee thy bloud to drinke in my thirst that my death in me which holdeth me captive may be drowned in the bloud of thy love and that my extinguished Image which as to the Kingdome of Heaven dis appeared in my father Adam through sinne may b made alive through thy powerfull bloud and cloath my soule with it âgaine as with the new body which dwelleth in heaven in which Image thy holy power and word which became man dwelleth which is the Temple of thy holy Spirit which dwelleth in us as thou hast promised us saying we will come to you and dwell in you O thou great Love of Jesus Christ I can doe no more but sinke my desire into thee thy word which became man is truth since thou hast bidden me come now I come Be it unto me according to thy Word and Will Amen A Warning to the Reader BEloved Reader of love to thee I will not conceale from thee what is here earnestly signified to me If thou lovest the vanity of the flesh still and arâ— not in an earnest purpose on the way to the new birth intending to become a new man then leave the above written words in these Prayers unnamed or else they will turne to a judgement of God in thee Thou must not take the holy names in vaine thou art faithfully warned they belong to the thristy soule if the soule be in earnest it shall finde by experience what words they are A Direction How the soule must meete its beloved when it s beloved knocketh in the Centre in the shut chamber of the soule BEloved soule thou must be earnest without intermission thou shalt certainely obtaine the love of a Kisse from the noble Sophia in the holy Name JESUS for shee standeth however before the doore of the soule knocking warning the sinner of his wicked way Now if he once thus desireth her love she is ready for him and kisseth him with the beames of her sweete love from whence the heart receiveth joy but she doth not presently lay her selfe into the Marriage bed with the soule that is shee doth not presently awaken the extinguished heavenly image in her selfe which disappeared in Adam there is danger to man in it for if Adam and Lucifer fell it may then easily so come to passe with man he being yet so strongly bound in vanity The bond of thy Promise must be faithfull before she will crowne thee thou must be tempted first and tried she taketh the beames of her love from thee againe to see whether thou wilt prove faithfull also she letteth thee stand and answereth thee not so much as with one looke of her love for before she will crowne thee thou must be judged that thou mightest tast the bitter potion which thou hast filled for thy selfe in thine abominations thou must come before the gates of hell first and there shew forth thy victory for her in her love in that strength wherewith she beheld thee in opposition to the devills aspect Christ was tempted in the wildernesse and if thou wilt put on him thou must go through his whole progresse from his Incarnation to his Assention and though thou art not able nor needest to doe that which he hath done yet thou must enter wholly into his processe and therein die continually from the vanity of the soule for the virgin Sophîa espouseth not her selfe to the soule except in this property which springeth up in the soule through the death of Christ as a new plant standing in heaven the earthly body cannot comprehend her in this life for it must first die from vanity but the heavenly Image which disappear'd in Adam viz. the true seede of the woman wherein God became man and into which he brought his living seede the heavenly substantiality is capable of the Pearle after the manner it came to passe in Mary in the limit of the Covenant Therefore take heede what thou dost when thou hast made thy promâ—se keepe it and then shee will crowne thee rather then thou wouldst be crowned but thou must be sure when the Tempter commeth to thee with the pleasure beauty and glory of the world that then thy minde reject it and say I must be a servant and not a master in the Vineyard of Christ I am but a servant of God in and over all that I have and I must doe with it as his Word teacheth me my heart must sit downe with the simple and lowly in the dust and be humble alwayes What state and condition soever thou art in humility must be in the front or else thou wilt not obtain her marriage the free will of thy soule must stand as a champion for it the devill cannot prevaile against the soule with vanity and if the soule will not bite at the baite then hee commeth with the soules nworthinesse and catalogue of sinnes and then thou must fight hard and here the merits of Christ must be set in the front or else the creature cannot prevaile against the devill for in this it goeth so terribly with many that the outward reason thinketh that person to be distracted and poâ—ened with the devill the devill defendeth himselfe so horribly in many especially if he have had a great Fort of prey in him that he must be stoutly assaulted before
is he that passeth through it be times in his young years before the Devill buildeth his fort of prey strong he may afterwards prove a Labourer in the Vineyard of Christ and sow his seede in the Garden of Christ he shall reape the fruit in due time This judgement continueth a long while upon many for severall yeares if he doe not earnestly put on the Armour of Christ but stay till the judgement of temptations first exhort him to Repentance But he that commeth of himselfe of his owne earnest purpose and endeavoureth to depart from his evill wayes the temptation will not be so hard for him neither will it continue so long yet hee must stand out valiantly till victory be gotten over the devill for he shall be mightily assisted all shall turne to the best for him so that afterwards when the day breaketh in the soule he turneth it to the great praise and glory of God that the driver is overcome Short Prayers When the noble Sophia kisseth the soule with her love and offereth her love to it O Most gracious and deepest love of God in Christ Jesus I beseech thee grant me thy Pearle impresse it into my soule and take my soule into thy Armes O thou sweete love I confesse I am uncleane before thee take away my uncleanenesie through thy death and carry through the hunger and thrist of my soule through thy Death in thy Resurrection in thy Triumph cast my whole selfe downe to the ground in thy death take it captive and carry my hunger through in thy hunger O highest love hast thou not appeared in me stay in me and inclose me in thee keepe me in thee so that I may not be able to depart from thee fill my hunger with thy love seede my soule with thy heavenly substance give it thy bloud to drinke and water it with thy Fountaine O great love awaken my disappeared Image in me which as to the Kingdome of heaven disappeared in my father Adam by that word which awakened it in the seede of the woman in Mary quicken it I beseech thee O thou Life and Power of the Deity which hast promised us saying wee will come to you and dwell in you O sweete love I bring my desire into this word of thy Promise thou hast promised that thy Father will give the holy Spirit to those that aske him for it therefore I now bring the desire of my soule into thy Promise and I receive thy Word into my hunger increase thou in me my hunger after thee strengthen me O sweete love in thy strength quicken me in thee that my spirit may taste thy sweetnesse O doe thou beleeve by thy power in me for without thee I can doe nothing O sweete Love I beseech thee through that Love wherewith thou didst overcome the Anger of God and didst change it into Love and divine Joy I pray thee also change the anger in my soule by the same great love that I may become obedient unthee and that my soule may love thee therein for ever O change my will into thy Will bring thy Obedience into my disobedience that I may become obedient to thee O great Love of Jesus Christ I humbly flie to thee bring the hunger of my soule into thy wounds from whence thou didst shed thy holy bloud and didst quench the Anger with Love I bring my hunger into open side from whence came forth both water and bloud and throw my selfe wholy into it he thou mine and quicken me in thy life and let me not depart from thee O my Noble Vine I beseech thee give sappe to me thy branch that I may budde and grow in thy strength and sappe in thy Essence beget in me true strength by thy strength O Sweete Love art not thou my Light enlighten thou my poore soule in its close prison in flesh and bloud bring it into the right way destroy the will of the Devill and bring my body through the whole course of this world through the chamber of death into thy death and rest that at the last day it may arise in thee from thy death and live in thee for ever O teach me what I must doe in thee I beseech thee be thou my willing knowing doing and let me goe no whether without thee I yeeld my selfe wholy up to thee Amen A Prayer For the obtaining the Divine Protection and Government shewing how he minde should worke with in God in Christ the Tree of Life O Thou living Fountaine in thee I lift up the desire of my soule and crie with my desire to enter through the life of my Saviour Jesus Christ into thee O thou Life and Power of God awaken thy selfe in the hunger of my soule with thy desire of love through the thirst which Jesus Christ had upon the crosse after us men and carry my weake strength through by thy mighty hand in thy Spirit be thou the working and will in me with thine own strength blossome in the strength of Iesus Christ in me that I may bring forth praise unto thee the true fruite in thy Kingdome O let my heart and desire never depart from thee But i swimme in vanity in this valley of misery in this outward earthly flesh and bloud and my soule and noble Image which is according to thy Similitude is encompassed with enemies on every side viz. with the desire of the Devill against me with the desire of vanity in flesh and bloud also with all the opposition of wicked men who know not thy Name and I swimme with my outward life in the properties of the starres and elements having my enemies lying in waite for me every where inwardly and outwardly together with death the destroyer of this vaine life and therefore I flie to thee O holy strength of God being thou hast manifested thy selfe with thy love in mercy in our humanity through thy holy Name Jesus and hast also given it to be a companion in us therefore I beseech thee let his Angels that minister to him attend upon our soules and encamp themselves about us and defend us from the fiery darts of the desire of that wicked one which shooteth into us dayly by the curse of the Anger of God which is awakened in our earthly flesh keepe backe by thy strength the infectious rayes of the influence of the stars in their opposition into which raves the wicked one mingleth himselfe with his desire to poison us in soule and flesh and to bring us into false desires and also into infirmity and misery Turne away these Rayes of Anger with the holy Name Jesus in our soule and spirit that they may not touch us and let thy good and holy Angel stand by us to turne away these Rayes of Poyson from our bodies O great Love and sweete strength IHSVH thou fountaine of divine sweetnesse flowing out of the great Eternall Name IEHOVAH I crie with the desire of my
whatsoever is done by the conclusions of humane Selfe in matters of the divine will and knowledge is a meere Fiction or Fable and it is Babel and is but a worke of the starres and of the outward world and not ackowledged by God to be his work but it is the play of the wrastling wheele of Nature wherein good and evill wrastle one with the other what the one buildeth the other destroyeth And this is the great misery of vain turmoylings all which belongeth to the judgement of God to decide the quarrell 40. Whosoever therefore worketh or laboureth much in such turmoylings he worketh but for the judgement of God for no whit of it is perfect and permanent ît must all be separated in the putrifaction For that which is wrought in the anger of God will be received thereby and shall be kept in the mystery of its desire to the day of Gods judgement where evill and good shall be severed 41. But if a man turn and go forth from himself and enter into the will of God then also that good which he hath wrought in himself shall be freed from the evill which he hath wrought For Isaiah saith Though your sins be as red as scarlet if yee turne and repent they shall become as wooll white as snow for the evill shall be swallowed up in the wrath of God into death and the good shal goe forth as a sprout out of the wild earth CHAP. II. 1. WHosoever intendeth to work any thing that is good and perfect wherein he hopeth eternally to rejoyce and enjoy it let him depart from himselfe viz. from his own desire and enter into Resignation into the will of God and work with God and though the earthly desire of Selfe in flesh and bloud cleaveth to him yet if the will of the soule doe not receive that desire into it Self cannot perform any work for the resigned will continually destroyeth the being of Selfe againe so that the anger of God cannot reach it but if it should happen to reach it sometime as it may so come to passe yet the resigned will prevaileth with its power and then it beareth the figure of a victorious work in the wonders and may inherit the filiation Therefore it is not good to speake or doe any thing when Reason is kindled in the desire of Selfe for then the desire worketh in the anger of God by which a man would suffer losse for his work is brought into the anger of God and kept there to the great day of Gods judgement 2. Every evill desire whereby a man thinketh craftily to gather to himselfe much of the world from his neighbour to the hurt of his neighbour is taken into the anger of God and belongeth to the judgement wherein all things shall be made manifest and every power and Essence both in good and evill shall be presented to every one in the mystery of the revelation 3. All evill workes done purposely belong to the judgement of God but he that turneth hee goeth out from them and those his works belong to the fire All things shall and must be made manifest in the end for therefore God brought his working power into essence that the love and anger of God might be made manifest and be a representation of Gods deeds of wonder to his glory 4. And every creature must know that it should continue in that condition wherein it was created or else it doth run on into a contrary will and into enmity to the will of God and bringeth it selfe into pain For a creature which is created of darknesse hath no pain in the darknesse As a venomous Worm hath no pain in its venome the venome is its life and if it should lose its venome and have some good thing in stead thereof brought into it and be made manifest in its essence this would bee pain and death to it and so also the evill is pain and death to the good 5. Man was created of for and in Paradise of for and in the love of God but if hee bring himselfe into anger which is as a poysonous pain and death then that contrary life is a pain and torment to him 6. If the Devill had been created of the wrathfull Matrix for and in Hell and had not had the divine Ens he could have no pain in Hell but he being created for and in Heaven and yet did stirre up the source or property of darknesse in himselfe and did bring himselfe totally into darknesse therefore the light is now a pain to him viz. an everlasting despairing of Gods grace and a continuall enmity being God cannot endure him in himselfe but hath spewed him out and therefore the Devill is angry and wrathfull against his own mother of whose Essence and Being he hath his originall viz. the eternall Nature which keepeth him prisoner in his own place as a revolter or fallen Spirit and sporteth it selfe in him with its property of anger and wrath And seeing he would not help forward the delight of the Divine joy therefore he must now doe the contrary and be an enemy against goodnesse For of God and in him are all things darknesse and light love and anger fire and light but hee calleth himselfe God onely as to the light of his love 7. There is an eternall contrariety between darknesse and light neither of them comprehendeth the other and neither of them is the other yet there is but one onely Essence Being or Substance wherein they subsist but there is a difference in quality and will and yet the Essence or Substance is not divided but a Principle maketh the division so that the one is a nothing in the other and yet it is there but not manifest in the property of that thing wherein it is 8. For the Divell continued in his own Dominion or Principality but not in that wherein God created him but in the aking painfull birth of eternity in the center of Nature and the property of wrath in the property which begetteth darknesse anguish and pain Indeed he is a Prince in the place of this world yet in the first Principle in the Kingdome of Darknesse in the Pit 9. But not in the Kingdome of the Sunne Starres and Elements he is no Lord or Prince therein but in the wrathfull part viz. in the root of the evill of every thing and yet he hath no power to doe what hee pleaseth with it 10. For there is some good in all things which holdeth the evill captive and shut up in the thing there he can walk and rule onely in the evill when it stirreth up an evill desire in it selfe and bringeth its desire into wickkednesse which the inanimate creatures cannot doe but man can doe it through the inanimate creature if he bring the center of his will with the desire out of the eternall center into it which is an Inchantment and false Magick The will of the Devill
Letters of the word proceed from and stand all in one Root which is the spirit of God as the many flowers stand all in the earth and grow by one another None of them fight with the other about their colours smell and taste they suffer the Earth the Sun the Raine the Wind the heate cold to doe with them as they please and yet every one of them grow in their own Essence and property 167. And so it is with the children of God they have various gifts and knowledge yet all from one Spirit They all rejoyce at the great wonders of God and give thankes to the most High in his wisdome why should they long contend about him in whom they live and have their being and of whose substance they themselves are 168. It is the greatest folly that is in Babel for people to strive about Religion as the Devill hath made the World to doe so that they contend about Opinions of their owne forging viz. about the Letter though the Kingdome of God consisteth in no Opinion but in Power and Love 169. As Christ said to his Disciples and left it to them at the last saying Love one another as I have loved you For thereby men shall know that you are my Disciples If men would as fervently seeke after Love and righteousnesse as after Opinions there would be no strife on Earth and wee should live as children in our Father and should need no Law or Ordinance 170. For God is not served by any Law but only by Obedience Lawes are for the wicked which will not embrace Love and Righteousnesse they are compelled and forced by Laws 171. We all have but one only order which is to stand stil to the Lord of all Beings resign our wil up to him and suffer his Spirit to play what musick he will and work and make in us what he will and wee give to him againe as his own fruits that which he worketh and manifesteth in us 172. Now if we did not contend about the various fruits gifts and knowledge but did acknowledg them in one another like children of the Spirit of God what could judge us For the Kingdome of God consisteth not in our knowing and supposing but in power 173. If wee did not know halfe so much and were more like children and had but a Brotherly minde or good will towards one another and did live like children of one and the same mother and as branches of one tree taking our sap all from one root we should be far more holy then we are 174. Knowledge serves only to this end to learne to know wee having lost the Divine power in Adam and so now are inclined to evill that wee have evill properties in us and that doing of evill pleaseth not God so that with our knowledge wee might learne to do right Now if we have the power of God in us and desire with all our powers to doe and to live aright then our knowledge is but our sport wherein we rejoyce 175. For true knowledge is the Manifestation of the Spirit of God through the eternall wisedome Hee knoweth what he will in his children He powreth forth his wisedome and wonders by his children as the Earth produceth its various flowers 176. Now if we dwell one with another like humble children in the spirit of Christ one rejoycing at the Gifts and knowledge of another who would judge or condemne us who judgeth or condemneth the birds in the woods that praise the Lord of all Beings with various voyces every one in its owne Essence Doth the Spirit of God reprove them for not bringing their voyces into one harmonie doth not the sound of them all proceed from his power and they sport before him 177. Those men therefore that strive and wrangle about knowledge and the will of God and despise one another for that are more foolish then the birds in the woods and the wild beasts that have no true understanding they are more unprofitable in the sight of the Holy God then the flowers of the field which stand still quietly submitting to the Spirit of God and suffering him to manifest the Divine Wisedome and power through them yes those men are worse then Thistles and Thornes that grow among faire flowers for they stand still indeed those men are like the ravenous Beasts and Birds of prey which fright the other birds from singing and praising God 178. In summe they are the growth of the Devill in the anger of God which must by their paine yet serve the Lord for by their plaguing and persecuting they presse out the sappe through the Essence of the children of God so that they move and stir themselves in the Spirit of God with praying and continuall sighing in which the Spirit of God moveth himselfe in them 179. For thereby the Desire is exercised and so the Children of God grow greene flourish and bring forth fruit for the children of God are manifested in Tribulation as the Scripture saith when thou chastiâ—est them they cry fervently to Thee CHAP. VIII Wherein Christian Religion consisteth and how men should serve God and their Brethren 180. ALL Christian Religion wholly consisteth in this To learn to know our selves First what we are and whence we are come how we are gone forth from the Unity into dissention wickednesse and unrighteousnesse how we have awakened and stirred up these things in us 181. Secondly how we were in the Unity when we were the children of God in Adam before he fell Thirdly how we are now in dissention and disunion in strife contrariety Fourthly whither we goe when we passe out of this corruptible Being whither we goe with the immortall and whither with the mortall part 182. In these foure poynts our whole Religion consisteth viz. to learn to come forth from disunion vanity and to enter again into that one Tree Christ in us out of which we are all sprung in Adam 183. We need not strive about any thing we have no contention Let every one exercise himselfe in learning how he may enter again into the love of God and his Brother 184. The Testaments of Christ are nothing else but a loving Boâ—d or brotherly covenant wherewith God in Christ bindeth himselfe to us and * us to him All teaching willing living and doing must aim at that All teaching and doing otherwise whatsoever is Babel and a fiction also a meer graven Image of pride in unprofitable judgings a disturbing of the world and an hypocrifie of the Devil wherewith he blindeth simplicity 185. Every one whatsoever that teacheth without the Spirit of God and hath no divine knowledge and yet setteth himselfe up for a Teacher in the Kingdome of God and will serve God with teaching that teaching is false and doth but serve the belly his Idoll and his own proud and insolent mind in desiring to be honored and accounted holy he beareth an office to which he
is set apart and chosen by the children of men who doe but flatter him and for favour have ordained him thereunto 186. Christ sayd Whosoever etreth not by the doore into the Sheepfold that is through MEE but climbeth up some other way the same is a thiefe and a murtherer and the sheep follow him not 187. For they know not his voyce he hath not the voyce of the Spirit of God but the voyce of his own Art and learning onely himselfe teacheth and not the Spirit of God But Christ sayth Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shal be plucked up by the roots 188. How then will he that is ungodly plant heavenly plants that hath no seed alive in its power in himselfe Christ saith expresly the sheep heare not his voyce they follow him not 189. The written Word is but an Instrument whereby the Spirit leadeth us to it selfe within us That Word which will teach must be living in the literall Word The Spirit of God must be in the literall sound or else none is a Teacher of God but a meere Teacher of the Letter a knower of the History and not of the Spirit of God in Christ. 190. All that men will serve God with must be done in faith viz. in the Spirit the Spirit maketh the worke perfect and acceptable in the sight of God All that a man beginneth and doth in faith he doth that in the Spirit of God which Spirit of God doth co-operate in the work◠and that is acceptable to God for he hath done it himself and his power and vertue is in it it is holy 191. But whatsoever is done in Selfe without faith is but a figure and shell of a true Christian work 192. If thou servest thy brother and dost it but in hypocrisie and givest him unwillingly then thou servest not God for thy faith proceedeth not from love nor entreth into hope into thy gift Indeed thou servest thy brother and hee for his part thanketh God and he for his part also blesseth thee but thou blessest not him for thou givest him a grudging spirit in thy gift which entreth not into the Spirit of God into the hope of faith therefore thy gift is but halfe given and thou hast but halfe thy reward for it 193. The same is to be understood of receiving a gift if any giveth in faith in Divine hope he blesseth his gift in his faith but he that receiveth it unthankfully and murmureth in his Spirit he curseth it in the use or enjoyment of it Thus every one shall have his own whatsoever he soweth that he shall also reap 194. And so it is in the Office of teaching what ever a man soweth that also hee reapeth For if any man sow good seed from the Spirit of Christ it sticketh in the good heart and bringeth forth good fruit but in the wicked that are not capable of it the anger of God is stirred 195. If any sow contentions reproaches misconstructions all ungodly people receive it into them it sticketh in them also and bringeth forth fruit accordingly so that men despise revile slander and misconstrue one another out of which Root the great Babel is sprung and grown where men out of meere pride and strife contend about the History and the justification of a poore sinner in the sight of God and thereby make the simple erre and blaspheme insomuch that one brother despiseth and curseth the other and excommunicateth or casteth him to the Devill for the History and the Letters sake 196. Such Railers and Revilers fear not God but to raise the great building of dissention and seeing corrupt lust lyeth in all men in the earthly flesh still therefore they raise and awaken abominations even in the simple children of God and make the people of God as well as the children of Iniquity to blaspheme and so are master-builders of the great Babel of the world and are as usefull as a fift wheele in a Wagon and beside that they erect the hellish building 197. Therefore it is highly necessary for the children of God to pray earnestly that they may learn to know this false building and goe forth from it with their minds and not help to build it up and so themselves to persecute their fellow-children of God whereby they keep themselves back from the kingdome of God and are seduced 198. According to thē saying of Christ to the Pharisees Woe unto you Pharisees For you compasse Sea and Land to make one Proselite and when he is one you make him twofold more the child of Hell then your selves which truly commeth to passe after the same manner in these modern Factions and Sects among these Cryers and Teachers of strife 199. I desire therefore out of my gifts which are revealed to me from God that all the children of God that intend to be the members of Christ faithfully be warned to depart from such abominable contentions and bloudy fire-brands and to goe forth from all strife with their Brethren and to strive onely after love and righteousnesse towards all men 200. For he that is a good Tree must bring forth good fruits and must sometimes suffer Swine to devour his fruits and yet must continue a good tree still and be alwayes willing to work with God and not suffer any evill to master him And then he standeth and groweth in the Field of God and bringeth forth fruit to be set upon Gods Table which he shall enjoy for ever Amen All that hath breath praise the Name of the LORD Ha le lu JAH Finished by Jacob Behmen 24. Junii 1622. A Table of the Contents of the Chapters CHap. 1. How Man ought to consider himselfe from verse 1. to 29. Ch. 2. How man is created from 30. to 66. Ch. 3. Of the miserable fall of man how he is delivered again from 67. to 86. Ch. 4. How we are born anew and also how we fall into the wrath of God again from 87. to 113. Ch. 5. How a man may call himself a Christian how not from 114. to to 132. Ch. 6. Of right and wrong going to Church receiving of Sacraments Absolution from 133. to 157. Ch 7. Of unprofitable opinions and contention about the Letter from 158. to 179. Ch. 8. Wherein Christian Religion consists and how men must serve God their brethren from 180. to 200. THE Authors Letter to his faithfull Friend Dr Balthasar Walter 1. MY writing to you is to exhort you from a deep Christian consideration and good will not to commit my writings into the hands of every one for they belong not to every one 2. Also none should cast the Pearle into the way to bee troden under foot whereby the highly pretious Name of God might be blasphemed For I know very well what Satan intendeth to doe but it is signified to me that his purpose shall bee brought to nought 3. Yet there is a thicke darknes to be feared in the
made and if thou losest thy life and commest to have thy own power faint then thy life is in that for whose sake thou forsakest it viz. in God from whence it came into the body The Scholar 8. God hath created man in and for the naturall life to rule over all creatures on Earth and to be a Lord over all things in this world and therefore it is reason he should possesse it for his owne The Master If thou rulest over all creatures outwardly only then thy will and ruling is in a Beastiall kinde and is but * an imaginary transitory ruling and thou bringest also thy Desire into a Beastiall Essence whereby thou becommest infected and captivated and gettest also a Beastiall condition but if thou hast left the imaginary condition then thou art in the super-imaginarinesse and rulest over all Creatures in that ground out of which they are created and nothing on Earth can hurt thee for thou art like All-things and nothing is unlike to thee The Scholar 9. O loving Master pray teach me how I may come the shortest way to be like All-things The Master With all my heart doe but thinke on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ when he said unlesse ye turne and become as children ye shall not see the Kingdome of God now if thou wilt be like All-things thou must forsake All-things and turne thy Desire away from them and not desire them nor extend to possesse that for thy owne which is something For as soone as thou takest something into thy Desire and receivest it into thee for thy own then that something is the same with thy selfe and it worketh with thee in thy will and then thou art bound to protect it and to take care for it as for thy owne Being But if thou receive nothing into thy Desire then thou art free from All-things and rulest over All things at once for thou hast received Nothing for thy own and art Nothing to all things all things are also Nothing to thee thou art as a Child which understandest not what a thing is and though thou dost understand it yet thou understandest it without touching thy perception in that manner which God ruleth and seeth all things in and yet nothing comprehendeth Him Thou didst also desire that I would teach thee how thou mightst attaine it therefore consider the words of Christ who said without me you can do nothing In thy owne power thou canst not come to such rest that no creature should touch thee unlesse thou givest thy selfe wholly up to the Life of our Lord Jesus Christ and resignest thy will and desire wholly to him and willest nothing without him then with thy body thou art in the World in the properties and with thy Reason under the Crosse of our Lord CHRIST but with thy will thou walkest in Heaven and art at the End from whence all creatures are proceeded and to which they go againe and then thou maist behold all things outwardly with Reason and inwardly with the Minde and rule in all things and over all things with Christ to whom all power is given both in Heaven and on Earth The Scholar 10. O Master the creatures that live in me with-hold me that I cannot wholly yeeld and give up my selfe as I willingly would The Master If thy will goeth forth from the Creatures then the creatures are forsaken in thee they are in the world and thy body onely is with the creatures but spiritually thou walkest with God and if thy will leaveth the creatures then the creatures are dead in it and live only in the body in the world and if thy will doe not bring it selfe into them they cannot touch the soule for St. Paul saith Our conversation is in Heaven also you are the Temple of the holy Ghost who dwelleth in you so then the Holy Ghost dwelleth in the will and the creatures dwell in the body The Scholar 11. If the Holy Ghost dwell in the will of the mind how may I keepe my selfe so that hee do not depart from mee The Master Marke the words of our Lord Jesus Christ If you abide in my words then my words abide in you If thou dost abide with thy will in the words of Christ then his word and Spirit abideth in thee but if thy will goeth into the Creatures then thou hast broken off thy selfe from him and then thou canst not any other way keepe thy selfe but by abiding continually in resigned humility and entring into continuall Repentance so that thou art alwayes grieved that creatures live in thee if thou dost thus thou standest in a daily dying from the creatures and in a daily ascending into Heaven in thy will The Scholar 12. O loving Master pray teach mee how I may come into such a continuall Repentance The Master When thou leavest that which loveth thee and lovest that which hateth thee then thou maist abide continually in Repentance The Scholar 13. What is that which I must thus leave The Master Thy creatures in flesh and bloud and all other things that love thee love thee because thy will entertaineth them the will must leave them and account them enemies and the Crosse of our Lord Jesus Christ with the reproach of the world hateth thee which thou must learne to love and take for a daily exercîse of thy Repentance and then thou shalt have continuall cause to hate thy selfe in the creature and to seeke the eternall rest wherein thy will may rest as Christ said in me you have rest but in the world you have Anxiety The Scholar 14. How may I recover in such a Temptation as this The Master If every hour thou dost once throw thy self beyond all Creatures above all sensuall Reason into the meerest mercy of God into the sufferings of our Lord and yieldest thy selfe thereinto then thou shalt receive power to rule over Sinne Death and the Devill over Hell the World and then thou mayst subsist in all Temptations The Scholar 15. Poore man that I am what would become of me if I should attâ—ine with my minde to that where no Creature is The Master His Master said to him very kindly loving Scholar If it were that thy will could breake off it selfe for one houre from all creatures and throw it selfe into that where no creature is it would be over-cloathed with the highest splendor of Gods glory and would tast in it selfe the most sweete love of our Lord Jesus which no man can express and it would finde in it selfe the unspeakable words of our Lord concerning his great mercy It would feele in it selfe that the Crosse of our Lord CHRIST would be very pleasing to it and it would love that more then the Honour and goods of the world The Scholar 16. But what would become of the Body since it must live in the Creature The Master The body would be put into the imitation of our Lord Christ who said his Kingdome was
if it would wholly yeeld it selfe to death and cease to be a creature any more and so did yeeld it selfe to death and desired nothing else but to dye and perish in the death of its Redeemer Jesus Christ who had suffered such torments and death for its sāke and in this perishing it began to sigh and pray in it selfe very inwardly to the mercy of God and to sink down into the meerest mercy of God Upon this there appeared unto it the amiable countenance of the love of God and penetrated through it as a great light by which it grew exceeding joyfull and began to pray aright and to thank the most high for this grace and to rejoyce exceedingly that it was delivered from the death and anguish of Hell and there it tasted of the sweetnesse of God and of his promised truth And in that very instant all evill spirits which had afflicted it before and kept it back from the grace love and inward presence of God were forced to depart from it and the wedding of the Lamb was kept and solemnized with the espousing or contracting of the Noble Sophia with the Soule and the Seal-ring of Christs victory was impressed or printed or set upon its substance or into its essence and it was received to be a child and heire of God again When this was done the soule became very joyfull and began to work in this power and to celebrate with praise the wonders of God thought henceforth to walk continually in this power strength and joy but it was assaulted from without or outwardly by the shame and reproach of the world and within by great temptation so that it began to doubt whether its ground were from God or no and whether it had really and truly partaken of the grace of God or no for the Accuser or Satan went to it and would lead it out of this way and make it doubtfull of its way and sayd to it inwardly The Accuser or Satan spake to the Soule saying It is not of God it is but thy Imagination Also the Divine Light retired in the soule and shone but in the inward ground as light in Embers or fire raked up in ashes so that Reason was solly to it selfe and thought it selfe forsaken and the soule knew not what had happened to it selfe nor whether it were true that it had tasted the Divine Light of Grace or not and yet it could not leave off strugling for the burning fire of love was sowne in it by which there arose in it a great hunger and thirst after the Divine sweetnesse and now at length began to pray aright and to humble it self in the presence of God and to examine and trie its evill inclinations in its thoughts and to put them away by which the will of reason was broken and the evill inbred innate or native inclinations were killed and destroyed more and more And this was very wofull to the nature of the bodie for it made it faint feeble and weake as if it had been very sick and yet it was no naturall sicknesse that it had but it was the Melancholy of the eatthly Nature of the bodie because its evill lusts were destroyed And when the earthly Reason found it self thus forsaken the poore soule saw that it was derided outwardly and despised by the world because it would now walke no more in the way of the wicked and ungodly and that it was inwardly assaulted by the Accuser Satan who also mocked it and continually set before it the beautie Riches and glorie of the world and esteemed the soule foolish that embraced them not which made the soule thinke thus with it selfe O Eternall God! what shall I now doe to come to Rest The Enlightned soule met it again While it was in this consideration the enlightned soule met with it againe and said What ailest thou my brother that thou art so heavie and sad The distressed soule said I have followed thy counsell and thereby attained a ray looke or glimps of the Divine sweetnesse but it is gone from me againe and I am now forsaken and outwardly have very great tryalls and afflictions in the world for all my good friends forsake me and scorne me and also inwardly I am assaulted with Anguish and doubt and I know not what to doe The enlightned soul sayd Now I like thee very well for now our beloved Lord Jesus Christ walketh in his pilgrimage on earth with thee and in thee as he did himselfe when he was in this world being alwayes reviled slandered and evill spoken of and had nothing of his own and now thou bearest his mark or Ensigne but doe not wonder at it nor think it strange for it must be so that thou must be tried refined and purified In this anguish and distresse thou shalt have often cause to pray and hunger after deliverance and in thy hunger and thirst thou attractest grace to thee from within and from without For thou must grow from above and from beneath to be the image of God again And as a young plant is stirred by the wind and must stand in heat and cold drawing strength and vertue to it from above and from beneath by that stirring and must endure many a tempest and undergoe much danger before it can come to be a tree and bring forth fruit for in that stirring the vertue of the Sunne commeth to move in it whereby the wild properties of that plant come to be penetrated and tinctured or qualified with the vertue of the Sun and grow thereby And now is the time wherein thou must behave thy selfe as a valiant Souldier in the Spirit of Christ and cooperate with it thy selfe For now the eternall Father by his fiery power begetteth his Sonne in thee who changeth the fire of the Father or the wrath into the flame of love so that out of fire and light viz. wrath and love there commeth to be one Essence Being or Substance which is the true Temple of God and now thou shalt bud forth out of the vine Christ in the vineyard of Jesus Christ and bring forth fruit in thy life and teaching of others and shew forth thy love in abundance as a good Tree For paradise must thus spring up again in thee through the wrath of God and Hell be changed into Heaven in thee Therefore be not troubled at the temptations of the Devill for he striveth for the kingdome which he had in thee and having lost it once he must be confounded and depart from thee therfore he coveres◠thee outwardly with the shame and disgrace of the world that his own shame may not be known and that thou mayst be hidden to the world for with thy New-birth or regeneration thou art in the divine harmony in heaven therefore be patient and wait upon the Lord and whatsoever shall befall thee take it from the hands of the Lord as intended by him for thy best good And so the enlightned
graven Images keep him back and lead him astray from the Kingdome of God so that many times when he would fain repent and turn to God these pawes and Talons of the Devill keep him off and keep him back perswading the poore soule that this Monster is holy and so the soule entreth again into the lusts thereof and so sticketh fast in the anger of God and at length goeth into the Abysse or bottom lesse pit when the grace and drawing of the Father ceaseth 11. We tell this man our way that we have gone and which we have tried that as soon as he shall discover these beasts he should that very houre and moment take a resolution and bring himselfe into a will to depart from the bestiall will and by true repentance turn to God and goodnesse and being he cannot doe it by his own power let him take the promise of Christ into him selfe when he sayd seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you No sonne asketh bread of his father and he giveth him a stone or an egge and he giveth him a Scorpion And if you that are evill can give good gifts to your children how much more shall my heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that aske him for it 12. Let him imprint this promise in his heart for it is poyson and death to the Devill and all hereditary innate and imprinted beasts and let him immediatly that very hour come with these words of promise imprinted in his mind and prayers into the presence of God and let him first confider with himselfe all these abominable beasts which are in himselfe and let him think no otherwise of himselfe but that he is that silthy keeper of swine who hath spent all his Fathers portion of goods that he bestowed upon him and his Birth-right upon those Swine of the world viz. those evill beasts in himselfe and also that now he standeth in the presence of God as a miserable naked forlorne ragged Keeper of Swine that hath spent and cast away his Fathers Inheritance in whoredome with these worldly beasts or graven Images and hath no more right to the grace of God neither is in the least measure worthy of it much lesse â—o be called a Christian or the child of GOD. Let him also despaire of all the good workes that ever he did for they proceeded but from an hypocriticall seeming or out-side holinesse for which the Man that is inwardly a Devill would be accounted an Angell for without Faith it is impossible to please God as the Scripture saith 13 But let him not despaire of the Divine grace that is in him but of himselfe onely and of his own power and strength and let him with all the power and strength he hath bow down himselfe in his soule in the presence of God And though his own heart be utterly against it and say to him Doe it not stay a while it will not be convenient to day Or if it say Thy sinnes are too too great it cannot be that thou shouldest attain the grace of GOD and so he commeth into such anguish that hee cannot pray to God and receiveth no comfort nor strength in his heart but is as if his soule were quite blind and dead to God and goodnesse yet he must be resolnte considering the promise of GOD is a certain infallible truth and with a submissive heart sigh to the grace of God and in his great unworthinesse wholly resign himselfe thereto 14 And though he doe esteem himselfe unworthy as a stranger and alien to whom the inheritance of Christ doth not any more belong hee having lost his right yet he should stedfastly rest upon that which Christ sayd knowing that what hee saith is certainly true that hee came to seek and to save that which was lost viz. the poore sinner that is blind and dead to GOD He must firmly imprint this promise in himselfe and take to himselfe such a strong purpose and resolution that he will not goe forth from the promised grace of GOD in CHRIST though Body and Soule should bee broken to peeces and though hee should get no comfort in his heart all the dayes of his life or the least assurance of the remission of his sinnes considering that the promises of God are more sâ—re and firm then all comfort whatsoever 15. Also let him purpose to himselfe and shut up his will so firmely in this Resolution that he will no more enter into the former beastiall Images and vices againe though all his swine and beasts in him should lament to the death the losse of their food and pasture and hee himselfe should be a foole in the account of all the world for so doing yet hee would be constant in his purpose in cleaving to the promised Grace of God and if he must come to bee a child of Death he would desire to be so in the Death of Christ to die and live to him at his pleasure and let him order and direct his purpose in continually praying and fighing to God and commit all his endeavours and doings in the workes of his hands unto God and cease from the Imagination or thought of Pride covetousnesse or Envie let him but deliver up these three Beasts and the rest will soone become weake faint and readie to die for Christ will soone get a forme in the words of his Promise which that man imprinteth in himselfe and cloatheth himselfe withall and so come to life and begin to worke in him whereby his Prayers will bee more powerfull and he be more and more strengthned and confirmed in the Spirit of Grace 16. And as the seed in the Mothers wombe undergoeth the casualties of Nature and many outward accidents in growing to be a child till it getteth life in the Mothers wombe so here the more a man goeth forth from himselfe out of these Images through much opposition the more hee entreth into God till at length Christ cometh to be living in the incorporated Grace which comes to be so in the great earnestnesse of his purpose upon which there presently followeth the desponsation espousing or contract with Virgin Sophia viz the worthie humanity of Christ where the two Lovers viz the soule and the humanity of Christ embrace one another with joy and together with most inward desire penetrate into the most sweet love of God and presently the marriage of the Lamb is readie where Virgin Sophia viz the worthie humanity of Christ is espoused or united to the soul now what is done at it and what joy is celebrated Christ intimateth saying there is greater joy in the Heaven which is in man and in the Angels in the presence of God for one sinner that repenteth then for nintie nine righteous that need no Repentance 17. But we have no pen nor words that can write or expresse what that exceeding sweet Grace of God in the humanitie of Christ is and what they enjoy that come