God that love hath powred forth it selfe into all things and is the most inward and most outward ground in all things Inwardly in the vertue and power and outwardly in the figure forme or shape of every thing And that I said Its height is as high as God thou mayest understand this in thy selfe in that it bringeth thee to be as high as God himselfe is as may be seen by our beloved Lord Christ in our humanity which humanity love hath brought into the highest throne into the power of the Deity But that I also said Its Greatnesse is greater then GOD that is also true for love entreth into that where God dwelleth not as when our beloved Lord Christ was in hell hell was not God but love was there and destroyed death Also when thou art in anguish or trouble God is not the anguish or trouble but his love is there and bringeth thee out of anguish into God when God hideth himselfe in thee love is there and maketh him manifest in thee Also that I sayd whosoever findeth it findeth nothing and all things that is also true for he findeth a supernaturall super-sensuall abysse having no ground where there is no place to dwel in he findeth also nothing that is like it and therefore it may be compared to nothing for it is deeper then any thing and is a as nothing to all things for it is not comprehensible and because it is nothing it is free from all things and it is that onely Good which a man cannot expresse or utter what it is But that I lastly sayd He that findeth it findeth all things is also true it hath been the beginning of all things and it ruleth all things If thou fiâ—dest it thou comest into that ground from whence all things are proceeded and wherein they subsist and thou art in it a King over all the workes of God The Scholar 28. Loving Master pray tell me where dwelleth it in man The Master Where man dwelleth not there it hath its seat in man The Scholar 29. Where is that in a mans selfe where man dwelleth not The Master It is in the soul that is resigned to the ground where the soule dyeth to its own will and willeth no more of it selfe but onely what God wil and there it dwelleth for so much of the soule as its own will is dead to it selfe in so much place love hath taken up therein for where it s own will sate before there now is nothing and where nothing is there the love of God is working alone The Scholar 30 But how may I comprehend it without the dying of my will The Master If thou wilt comprehend it it flyeth away from thee but if thou yeeldest thy self wholly up to it then thou art dead to thy selfe in thy will and love will then be the life of thy Nature it killeth thee not but quickneth thee according to its life then thou livest yet not to thy owne will but to its will for thy will becometh its will and then thou art dead to thy self but livest to God The Scholar 31. How is it that so few finde it when all would so faine have it The Master They all seeke it in something viz. in an Imaginary opinion in self-desire whereto almost all have a peculiar naturall Lust or Inclination though Love should proffer it selfe to them it would find no place in them because the Imaginarinesse that is in their own will hath set it selfe in the place thereof and so the Imaginarinesse of selfe-lust would have the love in it but love flyeth away for it dwelleth onely in Nothing and therefore they finde it not The Scholar 32. What is the Office of it in Nothing The Master It s office is to penetrate without intermission into something and if it finde a place in something which standeth still then its office is to take possession thereof and to rejoyce therein with its flaming fire of Love more then the Sun in this world and without intermission to kindle a fire in something and to consume the something and to over-enflame it selfe therewith The Scholer 33. O loving Master How shall I understand this The Master If it may but kindle a fire in thee thou shalt feele how it consumeth thy selfe which thou callest I and rejoyceth so exceedingly in thy fire that thou wouldst rather suffer thy selfe to be killed then to enter againe into thy something Its flame also is so great that it would not leave thee though it should cost thy Temporall Life it would goe with thee in its fire into Death and if thou wentest into Hell it would breake Hell in pieces for thy sake The Scholar 34 Loving Master I can no more endure any thing should divert mee how shall I finde the neerest way to it The Master Where the way is hardest there walke thou and take up what the world rejecteth and what the world doth that doe not thou walk contrary to the world in All things and then thou commest the neerest way to it The Scholar 35. If I should walke contrary to every thing I must needs be in meere misery and unquietnesse and I should also be accounted a foole The Master I doe not bid thee do harme to any but because the world loveth only deceit and vanity and walketh in false and wicked ways therefore if thou wilt act a cleane contrary part to the wayes thereof in all things walk only in the right way for the right way is contrary to all the wayes of the world But that thou â—aist thou shouldst be in meere anguish and trouble that indeed will be so according to the flesh and it will give thee occasion of continuall Repentance and in such Anxiety the Love must willingly kindle its fire That thou sayest also thou shouldst be accounted a â—illy foole is true for the way to the love of God is solly to the world but wisedome to the children of God when the world perceiveth this fire of love in the Children of God it faith they are turned fooles but to the children of God it is the greatest Treasure so great that no Life can expresse it nor Tongue so much as name what the fire of the inflaming love of God is it is whiter then the Sunne and sweeter then any thing it is far more nourishing then any meate or drinke and more pleasant then all the joy of this world whosoever getteth this is richer then any King on Earth more noble then any Emperour can be and more potent and strong then all Authority and Power The Scholar 36. Then the Scholar asked his Master further saying whether goeth the soule when the body dyeth be it either saved or damned The Master His Master answered It needed no going forth only the outward mortall life with the body doe separate themselves from the soule the soule hath Heaven and Hell in it selfe before as it is written The Kingdome
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
it so that it entreth into Selfe it must therefore continue close to resigned humilith as a Well doth to its Fountain must suck and drink of Gods Fountain and not depart from the wayes of God at all 27. For as soon as the soule eateth of Selfe and of the light of outward Reason it goeth on in its own opinion and then its doings which it sets forth for Divine are but from the outward Constellation which presently then layeth hold on the soule and maketh it dry and then the soule goeth on in Errours till it yeeld it selfe up again into Resignation and acknowledging it selfe anew to be a defiled child resisteth reason and so getteth the love of God again which is harder to doe now then it was at first for the Devill brîngeth in strong doubts he will not easily leave his Fort of prey 28. This may be seen clearly in the Saints of GOD from the beginning of the world that many who have been driven by the Spirit of God have yet oftentimes departed from Resignation into Selfe viz. into their owne reason and will in which Satan hath cast them into sins and into the anger of God as appeareth by DAVID SOLOMON also by the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles who have oftentimes committed great errours when they have departed from Resignation into Selfe viz. into their own reason and lust 29. Therefore it is necessary for the children of God to know how to behave themselves when they will learn the way of God They must beat down cast away their very thoughts and desire nothing nor have the least will to learn any thing unlesse they find themselves to be in true Resignation so that Gods Spirit leadeth teacheth and guideth mans Spirit and that the humane will which is addicted to it self be wholly broken off from its own lust and resigned in God 30. All speculation in the wonders of God is very dangerous for the spirit of the will may soon be captivated therewith unlesse the spirit of the will goeth or walketh after the Spirit of God and then it hath power in the resigned humility to behold the wonders of God 31 I doe not say that a man should search and learn nothing in naturall Arts and Sciences no for it is profitable for him but a man must not begin with his own reason Man ought not onely to govern his life by the light of outward reason which is good in it selfe but he must sink with that light into the deepest humility before God and set the Spirit and will of God first in all his searching so that the light of reason may see through the light of God And though reason doe know much it must not arrogate to it selfe as if it were in its own possession but give glory to God to whom alone wisdome and knowledge doth belong 32. For the more Reason sinketh it selfe down into simple humility in the sight of God and the more unworthy it accounts it selfe in its sight the more it dieth from self-desire and the more the Spirit of God pierceth through it and bringeth it into the highest knowledge so that it may behold the great wonders of God For the Spirit of God worketh onely in resigned humility in that which neither seeketh nor desireth it selfe The Spirit of God taketh hold of whatsoever desireth to be simple and lowly before him and bringeth it forth in his wonders he hath pleasure onely in those that feare and bow themselves before him 33. For God hath not created us for our selves onely but to be instruments of his wonders by which he desireth to manifest his wonders The resigned will trusteth God and expecteth all good from him but self-will ruleth it selfe for it is broken off from God All that self-will doth is sinne and against God for it is gone out of that order wherein God created it into disobedience and desireth to be its own Lord and Master 34. When its own will dieth from it selfe then it is free from sinne for it desireth nothing but that which God desireth of his creature it desireth onely to doe that for which God hath created it and that which God will doe by it and though it is and must bee the doing yet it is but the instrument of the doing by which God doth what he will 35. For this is the true Faith in Man viz. to die from himselfe viz. from his own desire and in all his beginnings and designes to bring his desire into the will of God and arrogate the doing of nothing to himselfe but esteem himselfe in all his doings to be but a Servant or Minister of God and to think that all he doth or goeth about is for God for in such an intention the Spirit of God leadeth him into true uprightnesse and faithfulnes towards his neighbour for he thinketh thus with himselfe I doe my work not for my self but for God who hath called and ordained me to doe it as a servant in his Vineyard hee listeneth continually after the voyce of his Master who within him commandeth him what hee shall doe The Lord speaketh in him and biddeth him doe it 36. But Selfe doth what outward reason from the starres commandeth into which reason the Devill bringeth himselfe flying in with his desire All what ever Selfe doth îs without the will of God and it is done altogether in the phantasie that the anger of God may accomplish its pastime therewith 37. No work which is done without the will of God can reach the kingdome of God it is all but an unprofitable Imagery in this great turmoyling of mankind for nothing is pleasing to God but what he himselfe doth by the will as his instrument For there is but one onely God in the Essence of all Essences and all that which worketh with him in that Essence is one Spirit with him but that which worketh in it selfe in its own will is in it selfe without being under his dominion it is indeed under or in that Dominion wherewith he ruleth every life but not in or under that holy Divine Government in himselfe but in the dominion of Nature wherewith he governeth evill and good nothing is divine which walketh and worketh not in the will of God 38 Christ saith Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted out and burnt in the fire All the works of man which hee hath wrought without the will of God shall bee burnt up in the last fire of God and given to the wrath of God viz. to the pit of darknesse to recreate it selfe withall For Christ saith Hee that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth Whosoever worketh and doth it not in a resigned will with confidence in God he doth but make desolate and scatter it is not acceptable to God nothing is pleasing to him but that which himselfe willeth with his Spirit and doth himselfe by his own instrument 39. Therefore
according to his awakened properties for the great power of the soule and of the body caused it 50. And then man must be tried whether he would stand and subsist in his own powers before the Tempter the Devill and before the wrath of the eternall Nature and whether the soule would continue in the equall agreement of the properties in true Resignation under Gods Spirit as an instrument of Gods Harmony a tuned instrument of divine joyfulnesse for the Spirit of God to strike upon This was tried by this Tree here and this severe commandement was added Thou shalt not eat thereof For at that day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death 51. But it being known to God that Man would not stand and that he had already imagined and lusted after good evill God said It is not good for man to be alone Wee will make him an Help meet for him 52. For God saw that Adam could not generate Magically having entred with his lust into vanity Now therefore Moses saith God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him and he slept that is seeing man would not continue in obedience of the divine harmony in the properties submitting himselfe to stand still as an instrument of the Spirit of God therefore God suffered him to fall from the Divine Harmony into an harmony of his own viz. into the awakened properties in evill and good the spirit of his soule went into these 53. And there in this sleep he dyed from the Angelicall world and fell to be the share of the outward Fiat and then bad farewell to the eternall Image which was of Gods begetting Here his Angelicall form power lay on the ground and fell into a swound 54. And then by the Fiat God made the woman out of him ex matrice Veneris of the matrix of Venus viz. out of that property wherin Adam had the begettresse in himselfe and so out of one body he made two and divided the properties of the Tinctures viz. the watery and fiery Constellations in the Element yet not wholly in substance but in the Spirit viz. the properties of the Watery and Fîery Soule 35. And yet it is but one thing but the property of the Tincture was divided the desire of Self-love was taken out of Adam and formed into a woman according to his likenesse and therefore man now so eagerly desireth the Matrix of the woman and the woman desireth the Limbus of the man viz. the Fire-element the originall of the true soule by which is meant the Tincture of fire For these two were one in Adam and therein consisted the Magicall begetting 56. And as soon as Eve was made out of Adam in his sleep both Adam and Eve were at that instant ordained and constituted in the outward naturall life having the members given thē for Bestiall and animall multiplication and also the earthly Carkasse into which they might put their vanity and live like beasts 57. Which the poore soule that is captivated in vanity is at this day ashamed of that its body hath gotten a bestiall monstrous shape as is manifest And from hence came mankind to be ashamed of their members and nakednesse and to borrow their clothîng from the earthly creatures having lost the Angelicall form and is changed into a Beast 58. This clothing sheweth man sufficiently that having this awakened vanity and heat and cold seizing upon him he is not at home with his soule therein For the vanity together with this false clothing must perish and bee severed from the Soule again 59. Now when Adam awaked from sleep he beheld his wife and knew that she came out of him For he had not yet eaten of vanity with his outward mouth but with the imagination desire and lust onely 60. And it was the first desire of Eve that she might eat of the Tree of vanity of Evill and Good to which the Devill in the form of a Serpent perswaded her saying That her eyes should bee opened and she bee as GOD himself which was both a lye and truth 61. But he told her not that she should lose the divine light and power thereby he only said her eyes should be opened that she might taste prove and know evill and good as he had done he did not tell her neither that heat and cold would awake in her and that the property of the outward constellations would mightily domineere in the flesh and in the mind 62. His onely aim was that the Angelicall Image viz. the Substance which came from the inward spirituall world might disappeare in them for then they would be constrained to live in subjection to the grosse earthlinesse the Constellations and then he knew well enough that when the outward world perished the soule should then be with him in darknesse for he saw that the body should dye which he perceived by that which God had intimated and so he supposed yet to be Lord to all eternity in the place of this world in his false shape which he had gotten and therefore he seduced Man 63. For when Adam and Eve were eating of the fruit evill and good into the body then the imagination of the body received vanity in the fruit then vanity awaked in the flesh and the Dark-world got the upper hand dominion in the vanity of the earthlinesse upon which the faire Image of heaven that proceeded out of the Heavenly divine world instantly disappeared 64. Here Adam and Eve dyed to the Kingdome of heaven and awaked to the outward world and then the faire soule in the love of GOD disappeared as to the holy power vertue and property and in stead thereof the wrathfull anger viz. the Darkfire-world awaked in it and so the soule became in one part viz. in the inward Nature a halfe Devill and in the outward part of the outward world a beast 65. Here are the bounds of Death and the gates of Hell for which cause God became man that he might destroy death and change Hell into great love again and destroy the vanity of the Devill 66. Let this be told you yee children of men it is told you in the sound of the Trumpet that you should instantly goe forth from the abominable vanity for the fire therof burneth CHAP III. Of the lamentable fall of Man and of the meanes of his Deliverance 67 NOw when Adam and Eve fell into this vanity then the wrath of Nature awaked in each property and in the desire impressed the vanity of the Earthlinesse and wrath of GOD into it selfe 68. And then the flesh became grosse and rough as the flesh of another beast and the noble soule was captivated in the essence therewith and saw that its body was become a beast and it saw also the bestiall members for multiplication and the stinking Carkasse into which the desire would stuffe the loathsomnesse which it was ashamed of in the presence of GOD and therefore they hid
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
his crosse so that the Devill seeth it not Therefore bee alwayes sober and watchfull and resist the crafty and subtill Devill that yee may live for ever Amen A Letter or Epistle FROM IACOB BEHMEN to a good friend of his Our Salvation or Redemption consisteth in the working of the love of JESVS CHRIST that is in us 1. MY very loving and Christian Friend I wish you the highest peace with the hearty love of a fellow-member of CHRIST working in the desire that the true Sunne of the effectuall love of JESUS CHRIST may continually rise and shine in your Soule Spirit and Body 2 Your letter dated the 24 of January I received 14. dayes after Easter rejoycing to see in it that you are a thirsty fervent and desirous searcher and lover of the true ground of the knowledge of Divine mysteries which I perceive you have sought and searched for with diligence 3 But that my writings are come to your hands and please you is certainly caused by the appointment of GOD who bringeth lovers to that which they love and often useth strange meanes whereby he satisfieth the desire of them that love a thing and feedeth them with his gifts and graces and putteth an Ens or Substance of the true fire into their love that it may burn aright and you may rest assured if you continue your constancy in love to truth that it will open reveale and manifest it self to you in its flaming love and make it self certainly known but the searching of it must be begnn aright for we attain not the true ground of divine knowledge by the sharp searthing of our reason froÌ„ without but the searching must begin from within in the Hunger of the soule for Reason peâ—etrateth no further then its own Aâ—rum or Constellation of the outâ—ard world from whence Reason haâ—h â—ts originall 4 But the soul searcheth in its own Astrum or Constellation viz. in the â—nward spirituall world from whence â—his visible world hath proceeded and â—own forth and was produced and wherein its ground or Root standeth 5. But then if the soule would search its own Astrum or Spirituall Constellation viz. the Mysterium Magnum or the eternall Divine Nature it must first wholly yeeld up all its power its wil to the divine love and grace within it and become a childe and turn it selfe to â—ts Center by Repentance and desire to doe nothing but that onely which the Spirit of God desireth to search by it 6 And when it hath yeelded and resigned it selfe thus seeking nothing but goodnesse and the glory of God and its own salvation and also how it may serve and love its neighbour and doth then find in it selfe a desire to have divine and also Naturall knowledge then it may know or be sure that it is drawn or inclined to it by GOD and then it may well search that deep ground which is mentioned in my Writings 7 For the Spirit of GOD searcheth by that soule and bringeth it at length into the deepes of the Deitie as Saint Paul faith The Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 8 Loving Sir it is a simple childish way that leadeth to the highest wisdome the world knoweth it not You need not travell into far Countries to seek for wisdome in remote places she standeth at the doore of your soule and knocketh and if shee shall find an empty resigned free place in the soule she will there reveale her selfe indeed and rejoyce therein more then the Sunne in the Elements If the soule yeeld it selfe up to wisdome for a full possession then she penetrateth through it with her flaming fire of love and unlocketh all mysteries to the soule 9 Sir you may perhaps wonder how a plain Lay-man could come to understand such high things having ever read them nor heard them â—om any man But loving Sir I tell â—ou that which you have seen in my â—ritings is but a glimpse of the myâ—eries for a man cannot write them God shall account you worthy to â—e the light kindled in your soule â—u would see taste smell feele and â—eare unspeakable words of GOD â—oncerning this knowledge And â—ere is the true Theosophicall Schoole â— Pentecost where the soule is taught of God 10 After this there is no more need â— searching and painfull toyling aâ—out it for all doores or gates and open a very simple silly man â—ay attaine it if he doe not hinder â—imselfe by his own willing and runâ—â—ng For it lieth in man beforeâ—nd and needeth onely to be awaâ—ned stirred up hatched or quickâ—d by the Spirit of GOD. 11 In my Talent or Writings â—s in my simplicity I was able to deâ—ribe it you shall easily â—ind the way â— it especially in this foregoing book which also is of my Talent and but for few weeks agoe published in print which Sir I present to you in love as to my Christian fellow-member and exhort you to read it over often for its vertue is the more the better liked In this Book you will see a true short ground and it is a sure ground For the Authour in his practice hath found it so by experience 12 But for the ground of the high Naturall Mysteries which you and Mr. Walter and Mr. Leonhart Elverne desire a further and a clearer explanation of be pleased to enquire of Mr. Walter for it for I have sent to you and him an explanation and other new writings if you shall like them you may cause them to be copied out you will find very great knowledge in them I ould that all of you might truly understand it I would fain have made it more plain but in respect of the great depth and also in regard of the unworthy it may not be done Christ sayth Matth. 7. 7. Seek and you shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you None can give it to another every one must get it himselfe of GOD One may well give a manuduction or direction to another but he cannot give him the understanding of it 13 Yet know this That a Lilly blossometh to you yee Northerne Countreys If you doe not destroy it with the Sectarian contention of your learned Men it will grow to be a very flourishing or great Tree among you But if you rather choose to contend dispute and wrangle then to know the true God the Ray or Influence will passe over you and touch but some few and then afterwards you will be forced to fetch water from strangers for the thirst of your soules 14 If you shall rightly observe it my writings will give you great furtherance in it and the Signat-Starre above your Pole will help you for its time born or begun 15 I will freely and readily give you what the Lord hath given me but look to it and bestow it aright it will be a witnesse for you against the Mockers Scorners or Despisers None ought to look upon my person it is the