not of this World it would begin to dye from without and from within from without from the vanity and evill deeds of the world it would be an utter enemie to all Pride and Insolence from within it would dye from all evill Lusts and Envy and would get a minde and will wholly new which would be continually directed to God and Goodness The Scholar 17. But the World would hate and despise it for doing so seeing it must contradict the World and lâ—ve and do otherwise then the World doth The Master It would not take that as any harm done to it but would rejoyce that it is become worthy to be like to the Image of our Lord Christ and be willing to bear that Crosse after our Lord meerely that the Lord might bestow the Influence of his sweete love upon it The Scholar 18. What would become of it when the anger of God from within and the wicked world from without should assault it as happened to our Lord Christ The Master Be that unto it as unto our Lord Christ when he was reproached reviled and crucified by the World and the Priests hee commended his soule into the hands of his Father and so departed from the anguish of this world into the Eternall joy So also it would get forth from the reproach and anguish of all the world and penetrate into it selfe into the great love of God and be sustained and refreshed by the most sweete Name JESUS and see and find in it selfe a new world springing forth through the anger of God then a man should wrap his soul up therein and account all things alike and whether the body be in Hell or on Earth yet his minde is in the greatest love of God The Scholar 19. But how would his body be maintained in the world and how would he maintaine those that are his if he should incur the displeasure of all the world The Master He getteth greater favour then the world is able to bestow for hee hath God and all his Angels for his friends they protect him in all dangers and necessities Also God is his blessing in every thing and though sometime it seem as if God would not bless him it is but for a Tryall to him and the drawing of Gods love that he might the more pray to God and commit all his wayes to him The Scholar 20. But he loseth all his good friends and there will be none to help him in his necessity The Master Yes he getteth the hearts of all his good friends into his possession and loseth none but his enemies who before loved his vanity and wickednesse The Scholar 21. How is it that hee getteth his good friends into his possession The Master He getteth the soules of all those that belong to our Lord Jesus to be his brethren and the members of his own life for the children of God are but one in Christ which one is Christ in all therefore hee getteth them all to be his fellow members in the body of Christ for they have the heavenly goods common and live in one and the same love of God as the branches of a Tree spring from one and the same sap Also he cannot want outward natural friends neither as our Lord Christ did not want such For though the high Priests and Potentates of the would would not love him which belonged not to him nor were his members and brethren yet those loved him that were capable of his words so likewise those that love truth and righteousnesse would love that man and associate themselves to him as Nicodemus did to Christ who came to him by night and in his heart loved Jesus for the truths sake yet outwardly feared the world and thus he shall have many friends that are not known to him The Scholar 22. But it is very grievous to be despised of all the world The Master That which now seemes hard and heavy to thee thou wilt afterwards love it most of all The Scholar 23. How can it be that I should love that which hateth me The Master Though thou lovest the earthly wisdome now yet when thou art over-cloathed with the heavenly wisdome thou wilt see that all the wisdome of the world is but folly and that the world hateth but thy enemy viz. the mortall life and when thou thy selfe comest to hate the will thereof then thou also wilt begin to love that despising of the mortall life The Scholar 24. But how may these two stand together viz. that a man should both love and hate himselfe The Master In loving thy self thou lovest not thy self as thy own but as given from the love of God thou lovest the Divine ground in thee by which thou lovest the Dîvine wisdom Gods works of wonder and thy brethren But in hating thy selfe thou hatest onely that which is thy own wherein evill sticketh close to thee and this thou doest that thou mayest wholly destroy in thee that which thou callest thine when thou sayest I or my selfe doe this or that this thou wouldest wholly destroy in thee that thou mayst become a ground wholly divine Love hareth Self or that which we call I because it is a deadly thing and they two cannot well stand together for love possesseth heaven â—c dwelleth in it self but that which I call I possesseth the world and worldly things and also dwelleth in it selfe and as heaven ruleth the world and as eternity ruleth time so love ruleth over the naturall life The Scholar 25. Loving Master pray tell me wherefore must love and trouble friend and foe be together would not love alone be better The Master If love dwelt not in trouble it could have nothing to love but its substance which it loveth viz. the poore soule being in trouble and pain it hath cause to loue its own substance and to deliver it from pain that it selfe also might be beloved again neither could it be known what love is if it had not something which it might love The Scholar 26. What is the vertue power height and greatnesse of love The Master It s vertue is that nothing whence all things proceed and its power is in and through all things its height is as high as God and its greatnes is greater then God whosoever findeth it findeth nothing all things The Scholar 27. Loving Master pray tell me how I may understand this The Master That I said its vertue is that nothing thou mayst understand thus when thou art gone forth wholly from the creature and art become Nothing to all that is Nature and Creature then thou art in that eternall One which is God himselfe and then thou shalt perceive and feele the highest vertue of Love But that I said its power is in and through all things thou perceivest and findest that in thy own Soul Body when this great love is kindled in thee it will burn more then any fire can doe Thou seest also in all the works of
Christ calleth poore sinners so kindly and graciously to himselfe and will refresh them and that God hath sent his Sonne into the world to seeke and save that which is lost viz. the poore repentant and returning sinner and that for the poore sinners sake he hath given his Life into Death and died for him in our Humanity which he tooke upon him Furthermore he must firmely imagine to himselfe that God in Christ Jesus will much rather heare him and receive him to grace then he come and that God in the love of Christ in the most deare and precious Name JESUS cannot Will any evill that there is no angry countenance at all in this Name but that it is the highest and deepest love faithfulnesse the greatest sweetnesse of the Diety in the great Name JEHOVAH which he hath manifested in our Humanity corrupted and disappeared as to the heavenly part which in Paradise disappeared through sinne and therefore moved himselfe in his heart to flow into us with his sweet love that the anger of his Father which was kindled in us might be quenched and turned into love by it all which was done for the poor sinners sake that he might get an open gate of grace againe In this consideration he must firmely imagine to himselfe that this very houre and instant he standeth before the face of the holy Trinity and that God is really present within and without him as the holy Scripture witnesseth saying Am not I he that filleth all things and in another place it saith The word is neere thee in thy mouth and in thy heart also it saith We will come unto you and make our dwelling in you also Behold I am with you always even to the end of the world also The Kingdome of God is within you Thus he must firmely know and beleeve that with his soule he standeth really before the face of Jesus Christ even before the holy Deity and that his soule hath turned its backe to the face of God and must resolve that he will this very houre turne the eyes and desire of his soule towards God againe and with the poore lost and returning sonne come to the Father He must with the eyes of his soule and minde cast downe in feare and deepest humility beginne to confesse his sinnes and unworthinesse before the face of God as followeth A short forme of Confession before the eyes of God Every one as his case and necessitie requireth may order and enlarge this confession as the holy Ghost shall teach him I will but set downe a short direction O Thou great unsearchable God Lord of all things Thou who in Christ Jesus of great love towards us hast manifested thy selfe with thy holy substance in our Humanity I poore unworthy sinfull man come before thy Presence which thou hast manifested in the Humanity of Jesus Christ though I am not worthy to lift up mine eyes to thee acknowledging and confessing before thee that I am guilty of unfaithfulnesse and breaking off from thy great love and grace which thou hast freely bestowed upon us I have left the Covenant which of meere grace thou hast made with me in Baptisme in which thou hast received me to be a child and heire of eternall life and have brought my desire into the vanity of this world and defiled my soule therewith and made it altogether beastiall and earthly so that my soule knoweth not it selfe because of the mire of sinne but accounteth it selfe a strange child before thy face not worthy to desire thy grace I lie in the filth of sinne and the vanity of my corrupt flesh up to the very lipps of my soule and have but a small sparke of the living breath left in me which desireth thy grace I am so dead in vanity that in this vanity I dare not lift up mine eyes to thee O God in Christ Jesus Thou who for poore sinners sakes didst become Man to helpe them to thee I complaine to thee I have yet a sparke of refuge in my soule I have not regarded thy purchased inheritance which thou hast purchased for us poore men by thy bitter Death but made my self partaker of the heritage of vanity in the anger of thy Father in the curse of the earth and am ensnared in sinne and halfe dead as to thy Kingdome I lie in feeblenesse as to thy strength and the wrathfull death waiteth for mee the devill hath poisoned me so that I know not my Saviour I am become a wilde branch in thy tree and have consumed mine inheritance which is in thee with the devills Swine what shall I say before thee who am not worthy of thy grace I lie in the sleepe of death which hath captivated me and am fast bound with three strong chaines O thou breaker-through-death assist thou me I beseech thee I can not I am able to doe nothing I am dead in my selfe and have no strength before thee neither dare I for great shame lift up my eyes before thee for I am the defiled keeper of Swine and have spent my inheritance with the false adulterous whore of vanity in the lusts of the flesh I have sought my selfe in my owne lust and not thee Now in my selfe I am become a foole I am naked and bare my shame standeth before thy eyes I cannot hide it thy judgement waiteth for mee what shall I say before thee who art the Judge of all the world I have nothing else to bring before thee here I stand naked and bare before thee and I fall downe before thy face bewailing my misery and flie to thy great mercy though I am not worthy of it yet receive me but in thy Death and let me but die from my death in thy Death cast me down I pray thee to the groūd in my received self and kill this self of mine through thy death that I may live no more to my selfe seeing I in my self worke nothing but sin therefore I pray thee cast downe to the ground this wicked beast which is full of false deceit and selfe-desire and deliver this poore soule from itsheavie bonds O mercifull God it is thy love and longsuffering that I lie not already in hell I yeeld my selfe with my whole will sences and minde up into thy grace and flie to thy mercy I call upon thee through thy death from that small sparke of life in me encompassed with death and hell which open their throate against me and would wholly swallow me up in death upon thee I call who hast promised thou wilt not quench the smoaking flaxe I have no other way to thee but thy Death and Passion because thou hast made our death Life by thy Humanity and broken the chaines of Death and therefore I sinke the desire of my soule downe into thy Death into the gate of thy Death which thou hast broake open O thou great fountaine of the love of God I beseech thee helpe mee
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
are One in Christ as a Tree and its Branches are one The Scholar 55. How then will those subsist in the day of that judgement who torment and vex the poore and distressed and deprive him of his very sweat necessitating and constraining him by force to be subiect to their wills and account them their foot-stool onely that they may domineere and spend his sweat labour and pains in volupâ—uousnesse pride and vainglory The Master Those doe it to Christ himselfe and that which they doe belongeth to his severe sentence and judgement for in so doing they lay violent hands on Christ and persecute him in his members And besides they help the Devill to augment his kingdome and by such pressing and constraining them they draw the poore off from Christ and make him seek a lewd and unlawfull way to fill his belly Nay they doe the very same which the Devill himselfe doth who without intermission resisteth the Kingdome of Chrîst which consisteth in love All these if they doe not turn with their whole heart to Christ and minister to him must goe into Hell fire where there is nothing but such meere selfe as that which hee hath exercised over the poore The Scholar 56. But how will it fare with those and how will they subsist that in this time doe so contend about the Kingdome of Christ and persecute reproach slander and revile one another for it viz. for their Religion The Master All those that have not yet known Christ and are also but as a type or figure of Heaven and Hell striving with each other for the victory All rising swelling pride which maketh striving about opinions is an Image of Selfe and whosoever hath not Faith and Humility nor is in the Spirit of Christ viz. love is onely armed with the Anger of God and helpeth forward the victory of the Imaginary Selfe viz. the Kingdome of Darknesse and the anger of God For at the day of judgement all Selfe shall be given to the Darknesse and all their * unprofitable contentions in which they seek not after love but meerly after their Imaginary selfe that they may boast themselves in their opinions stirre up Princes to wars for such Imaginary and conceited opinions sake and so by those Images they lay wast desolate whole Countries of people All such things belong to the judgement which will seperate the false from the true and then all Images or opinions shall cease and all the children of God shall walk in the love of Christ and He in Us. All whosoever in this time of strife are not zealous in the Spirit of Christ and desirous to further love only but seek their own profit in strife are of the Devill and belong to the pit of Darknesse and shall be separated from Christ for in heaven all serve God their Creator in humble love The Scholar 57. Wherefore then doth God suffer such strife and contention to be in this time The Master The life it selfe standeth in strife that it may be made manifest sensible and palpable and that the wisdome may be made separable and known and it maketh the eternall joy of the victory to be For there will arise great praise in the Saints from hence that Christ in them hath overcome Darknesse and all selfe of Nature and that they are delivered from the strife at which they shall rejoyce eternally when they shall know how the wicked are recompenced And therefore God suffereth all things to stand in a free-will that the eternall Dominion both of Love and Anger of Light and of Darknesse may be made manifest and known and that every life might cause and raise its own sentence in it selfe For that which is now a strife and pain to the Saints in their misery shall be turned into great joy to them and that which hath been a joy and pleasure to ungodly persons in this world shall be turned into eternall pain and shame to them Therefore the joy of the Saints must arise to them out of Death as the light ariseth out of a Candle by the dying and consuming of it in its fire that so the life may be freed from the painfullnesse of Nature and possesse another world And as the light hath quite another property then the fire hath for it giveth and yeeldeth forth it self but the fire taketh in and consumeth it selfe so the holy life of meeknesse springeth forth through death when selfe-will dyeth and then Gods will of love onely ruleth and doth all in al. For thus the eternall One hath attained feeling and separability and brought it selfe forth again with the feeling through Death in great joyfulnesse that there might he an eternall delight in the infinite Unity and an eternall cause of joyfulnesse and therefore painfulnesse must now be the ground and cause of this motion or stirring to the manifestation of all things And herein lieth the mystery of the hidden wisdome of God Every one that asketh receiveth every one that seeketh findeth and to every one that knocketh it shall be oned The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with us all Amen HEB. 12. 22 23 24. Thank yee the Lord for ye are now come to Mount Zion to the Citie of God to the heavenly Jerusalem to the innumerable company of Angels and to the generall assembly and Church of the first born who are written in heaven And to God the Judge of all and and to the Spirits of just men made perfect and to Jesus the mediator of the new Testament or Covenant And to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel Amen Praise and glory and wisdome and thanksgiving and honour and power might be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne our GOD and the Lamb for ever and ever Amen The Contents of this Treatise in briefe divided into eight parts I. From the 1. to the 7. question How men may come to the super-sensuall life II. From the 8. to the 11. question How men must and may rule over all Creatures and can be like all things III. From the 12. to the 24. question How men may come to continual repentance and may subsist in temptation IV. From the 25. to the 35. question How love and sorrow stand together in one and what love is what its power and vertue height and greatnesse is and where it dwelleth in man Also the neerest way to attain it V. From the 36. to the 39 question Whither the blessed and the damned souls go when they depart and how heaven and hell is in man VI. From the 40. to the 43. question Where the Angels and Devils dwell in this worlds time How farre heaven and hell are asunder and what and whence the Angels and soules are VII The 44. question What the body of man is and why the soule is capable of receiving good and evill VIII From the 45. to
the 57. question Of the perishing of the world of mans body in and after the resurrection where heaven and hell shall be of the last judgement and wherfore the strife in the creature must be A DISCOURSE BETWEEN A Soule hungry and thirsty after the Fountain of Life the sweet love of Jesus Christ and a Soule enlightned Shewing which way one Soule should seek after and comfort another and bring it in îts knowledge into the Paths of Christs Pilgrimage and faithfully set before it as a looking-glasse the thorny way of the world in which the fallen Soule walketh which leadeth into the Abysse or pit of Hell Composed by a Soule which loveth all that are the Children of JESUS CHRIST under the Crosse. Written in the German Language Anno 1624 By JACOB BEHMEN Alias Teutonicus Philosophus LONDON Printed by M. S. 1648. The Way from Darknesse to true Illumination THere was a poore Soule wandred out of Paradise and came into the Kingdom of this World and there the Devill met with it and asked Whither dost thou goe thou Soule that art halfe blind The Soule sayd I would goe see and speculate the Creatures of the world which the Creator hath made The Devil sayd How wilt thou look upon them when thou canst not know their Essence and property thou wilt looke upō the outside only as upon a graven Image and canst not know them thoroughly The soule sayd How may I come to know their Essence and property The Devil sayd Thy eyes would be opened to see them throughly if thou didst but eat of that from whence the creatures are come to be good and evill and thou wouldst be as God himself is and know what the creature is The soule sayd I am now a noble and holy creature but if I should doe so I should dye as the Creator hath sayd The Devil sayd No thou shouldst not die at all but thy eyes would be opened and thou wouldst be as God himself and receive or possesse good and evill Also thou shalt be mighty powerfull and very great as I am all the subtilty that is in the creatures would be made known to thee The soule sayd If I had the knowledge of Nature and of the Creatures I would then rule the whole world as I listed The Devil sayd The whole ground of that knowledge lyeth in thee doe but turn thy wil and desires from God or goodnesse into Nature and the Creatures and then there will arise in thee a lust to taste and so thou mayst eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and evil and so come to know all things The soule sayd Well then I will eat of the Tree of knowledge of good and evill that I may rule all things by my own power and be a Lord of my self on earth and doe what I will as God himselfe doth The Devil sayd I am the Prince of this world and if thou wouldst rule on earth thou must turn thy lust towards my Image desire to be like me that thou mayst get the cunning wit reason and subtilty that my Image hath And thus the Devill did present to the soule the Mercury in Vulcan that is the fiery wheele of Essence or Substance in the form of a Serpent The soule sayd Behold this is the power which can do all things how may I do to have it The Devil sayd Thou thy selfe also art such a fiery Mercury if thou doest break thy will off from God and bring thy desire into this Art then thy hidden ground will be manifested in thee and then thou mayst work in the same manner also But thou must eat of that fruit wherein each of the foure elements in it self ruleth over the other and are in strife the heat striving against the cold and the cold against the heat and so all the properties of nature work feelingly and then thou wilt instantly be as the fiery wheele is and so bring all things into thy own power and possesse them as thy own The soul did so and what hapened upon it And when the soule broke its will thus off from God and brought its desire into the Vulcan of Mercury viz. the fiery wheele there presently arose a lust to eat of the knowledge of good and evill and the soule did eat thereof As soon as it had done so Vulcan did kindle the fiery wheele of its Substance and so all the properties of nature did awake in the soule and exercised their own lust and desire First then there arose the lust of pride to be great mighty and powerfull to bring all things under subjection at command and so be its own Lord without controule to despise humility and equality to esteeme it self onely prudent witty and cunning and account all folly that is not according to its way Secondly arose the lust of covetousnesse a desire of getting which would draw all things to it selfe into its possession for when the lust of pride had turned away its will from God then the life of the soule would not trust God any further but would take care for its selfe and therefore brought its desire into the creatures viz. into the earth metals trees and other creatures and so the kindled fiery life became hungry and covetous when it had broken it self off from the unity love and meeknesse of God and attracted to it selfe the foure Elements and their essence and brought it selfe into beastiality and so the life became obscure dark void and wrathfull and the heavenly vertues and colours went out Thirdly there awaked a stinging thorny lust in the fiery life viz. envie a hellish poyson and a property which all Devils have and a torment which makes the life an enemy to God and to all creatures Which envie did rage furiously in the desire of covetousnesse as a sting of poyson in the body Envie cannot endure but hateth and mischieveth that which covetousnesse could not draw to it selfe by which the noble love of the soule was smothered Fourthly there awaked in this fiery life a torment like fire viz. anger which would murther and destroy all that which would not be subject to this pride Thus the ground and foundation of hell which is called the anger of God was wholly manifested in this soule and thereby it lost the Paradise of God and the Kingdome of heauen and became such a worme as the fiery Serpent was which the Devil presented to the soule in his owne Image and likenesse And so the soule began to rule on earth in a beastiall manner and did all things according to the will of the Devill living in meere pride covetousnesse envy and anger and having no true love towards God any more but there did arise in the stead thereof an evill beastiall love of filthy Lechery wantonnesse and vanity and there was no purenesse more in the heart for the soule had left Paradise and taken the Earth into its possession the Minde thereof was onely bent upon
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
worthily to the marriage of the Lamb which wee our selves have found by experience in this our way and course and know for certain that we have a sure ground from which we write and we would from the bottome of our heart willingly communicate it to our brethren in the love of Christ and if it were possible that they would beleeve our faithfull childish Counsel they would find by experience in themselves from whence it is that this simple hand knoweth and understandeth these great Mysteries 18. But having heretofore written a Treatise at large of Repentance and Regeneration therefore here we forbeare to write more then this short direction and referre the Reader to those Treatises as also to the great worke upon Genesis and there he shall find the ground of whatsoever he will or can aske sufficiently laid downe and we christianly admonish him that he will follow our way and course and then he shall attaine the Divine vision in himselfe and heare what the LORD through Christ speaketh in him and hearewith wee commend him to the love of CHRIST Dated the 9. of February 1623. The XV. Chapter taken out Of the three-fold life of Man Concerning the mixt World and the wickednesse thereof what it now iâ— and how it ruleth which is a Glasse wherein every one may behold himselfe and find what kind of Spirits Child he is from the Seale of the WONDERS 1 CHrist said O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her wings but ye would not Also Oh Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee Also We have piped unto you but you have not danced Also what should I doe more to this stubborne or perverse Generation which will not suffer my Spirit to reprove them any more Also their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse the poyson of Asps is under their lips and their hearts are never at unity O! how faine would I eat of the best grapes But I am as a Vine-dresser that gleaneth I am altogether a stranger to my Mothers children they that eat of my bread tread me under foot 2. Thus did the Mother then lament and complaine of the wicked children of men but what should she doe now in these times she is now in great sorrow and lamentation and hath turned her face away from these wicked children and will not endure them in the garment they are now cloathed with all any more she crieth and there is none that heareth her she is in great sorrow weeping and wailing over the wickednesse of these evill and unruly children yet every one runneth after that Whore Covetousnesse which is full of all vice wickednesse and abominations This doth the Shepherd and also the sheep It is a time of highest and greatest calamity which if it should not be shortned none could be saved Thirdly It is a time of which all the Prophets have prophesied and thou supposest it to be a golden time but consider thy selfe thou blind man whither thou art gone dost thou thinke that this wickednesse and falshood which thou practisest is the Ordinance of God waite but a while and thou shalt soone see that it is the time of the last Seale in which the Anger of God poureth forth its vialls so that the Wonders of Hell are come to light and knowne Let this be told you wee have knowne it in Ternario sancto or wee have understood it in the heavenly substantiality in the Angelicall world 4. For the Mother hath rejected the wicked child of this time and will endure the abominations thereof no more she is with child and bringeth forth a Sonue in her old age who shall shorten the dayes of iniquitie Let this be told you whosoever persevereth or goeth on in his iniquity shall have great shame thereof 5. Are not the little boyes and children that runne up and downe playing together now a dayes full of venome and devillish wickednesse and doe not all vices and abominations appeare in them doe they not mock and scorne blaspheme curse sweare cheat and lye and so are fully fitted to serve the Devill in all shamelesse vices lascivious impudence is Eloquence and fine Language with them they know readily how to jeere the simple with all manner of scornefull and scoffing Jests all theeving filtching and stealing is counted a great piece of Art and skill with them deceit and slie tricks are a credit to them they mock honest people without any regard One that feareth God they hout and wonder at as if it were an Owle and count him for a foole and this the old ones and their parents see and take delight and pleasure in it that their children are so expert in insolence and vanity and when their children readily scoffe and jeere at honest people their hearts are tickled at it what they dare not doe themselves they teach their children to doe it that they may have their owne hearts lust fulfill'd All this the Devill teacheth them and so rideth in their hearts domineering over soule and body 6. They that can cozen slander despise and betray their neighbour and overthrow his honour or good name blemish his reputation diminish or hinder his estate take great delight therein All impudent wanton laughter or unseemely words and gestures are counted wit dexterity and Art he that can out-jeere or laugh another to scorne is master of the game or place all these are the Devills tricks and feats and so he leadeth the poore soule in a string and man understandeth it not 7. Youths both male and female learne the Devills trade and handicraft before they learne any other thing Despitefull scornefull wicked disdaine pride and insolence is the first worke they learne and this their Elders help them forward in and count it civillity manners gallantry and Art 8. And if they grow to be a little elder then the desire of beastiall lust and lasciviousnesse is the next worke they learne to which one sex provoketh another Youths yeeld their heart for the Devill to dwell in in their first springing growth that the Devill may make his nest in it and so he ensnareth one by the abominations of the other the Male by the Female and the Female by the Male. 9. If a man send his sonne to the University to have him learne somewhat that is good that he may be serviceable to God and the Common-wealth there he learneth Pride bravery and cunning crafty subtiltie and how he may deprive the simple of his goods which hee hath gotten by his sweat and labour and cloake their doings with that which they call their Right they may doe it by Law but the cloake is the Devills and the false deceitfull heart is his servant if he can smatter a little of any strange language then no plaine man is good enough for him his pride and haughtinesse doth so overflow his
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
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