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A28529 Mysterium magnum, or An exposition of the first book of Moses called Genesis. Concerning the manifestation or revelation of the divine word through the three principles of the divine essence; also of the originall of the world and the creation. Wherein the kingdome of nature, & the kingdome of grace are expounded. For the better understanding of the Old and New Testament, and what Adam and Christ are. Also, how man should consider and may know himselfe in the light of nature, where he is, and where his temporall and eternall life, consist; also, where his eternall blessednesse, and damnation, consist. And is an exposition of the essence of all essences for the further consideration of the lovers, in the divine gift. Comprised in three parts: written anno 1623. By Jacob Behm. To which is added, The life of the author. And his Foure tables of divine revelation.; Mysterium magnum. English. Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Böhme, Jakob, 1575-1624.; Ellistone, John, d. 1652.; Sparrow, John, 1615-1665?; H. B. (Henry Blunden) 1656 (1656) Wing B3411A; ESTC R212985 753,539 662

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the Temptation did deny his wife and said that she was not his wife that so he might but preserve himselfe by the suttlety of Reason and we see here also how that that very thing by which he thought in Reason to keep himselfe from mischiefe must reprove and teach him as we see how Abimilech reproved him in that he had denied his wife with whom he had almost sinned if the Lord had not warned him and the exposition is this 4. If we see a man whom the Spirit of God driveth and by whom he oftentimes speaketh we must not so take it up and thinke that he is something more then other men as Abraham was no more then others in his own Reason the selfe-reason in them is as wavering dubious and imperfect as in other men and That what they know and teach of God is not their own propriety as we see here in Abraham how he out of fear did not spare his Sarah but denied her out of a timerous conjecture though Abimilech had taken her away from him to be his Concubine that so he might but live and it might be well with him for her sake 5. Thus God proveth his children that they might see that they in their own ability are no more then all other sinfull men and that men should not so set by them and hold them for a God thus oftentimes God permits them to go astray and erre and yet then he rebukes them also by those whom they ought to teach as we see here in Abimilech how he must reprove Abraham and make him ashamed that he would not spare his wife for a small fears sake but would deny her 6. And although it doth fall out that sometimes we see such a man whom God driveth to erre yet we ought not therefore presently wholly to reject him and set him at nought and think that he is wholly without God as the world doth but think that God doth thus set his children under the Cross to prove them that they should learn to know themselves and then the Sun ariseth again upon them as here it did upon Abraham when God had suffered him to go unto Gerar that is into his naturall rationall life wherein he committed a great offence before Abimilech A twofold Sun did afterwards arise and shine on him viz. one was that Abimilech did acknowledge him and learned to fear the Lord and gave the Land for a possession unto Abraham he gave him also Gifts for rebuke as the Reproof of the Saints is that men should fear at Gods reproof Thus the Sun of King Abimilechs favour arose upon him And then the other Sun which shoan on him was that Sarah conceived and a branch sprang forth unto him out of the line of the Covenant from the divine Suns Power and Isaac was born unto him 7. And that we may understand the very truth we see how allwaies the Crosse stands by the children of God and Adam and Christ are continually sett by each other as here Abimilech and Abraham and Ismael and Isaac and also the man of right reason and the corrupt nature against reason which uncessantly sifts and trys reason as we may see it here in Hagar and Sarah which also were set one against another that one did exercise the other as Hagar in the property of corrupt nature viz in Adams life and Sarah in Christs Person so that Hagar did exercise and prove the naturall Sarah that shee pressed forth out of the Reason or carnall * * * Or naturall carnall wisdome wisdome of the flesh into God 8. And we have here in Sarah and her Maid Hagar with her Son Ismael and with Isaac Sarahs Son how Sarah cast out the Bond-woman with her Son which seemed grievous to Abraham and yet was right in the sight of God such an excellent mirrour as we finde not the like again in the Bible shewing how Christ and the naturall man dwell * * * Sojourn together by one another and how the naturall man with Ismael and his mother must be wholly cast out from the right of Inheritance and selfe-will that the naturall own will is no heir of God 9. And when the resigned will hath wholly cast * * * Vnderstand the selfe-assuming will of nature which seekes to be master in man him out then the poor nature of man sitteth in its rejected will in fear and trembling and utterly despairs of life as here Hagar with her Son Ismael when shee was cast out from Abraham she wandered in the wildernesse of Beer-sheba that is in the brokenness of her heart and looked upon her selfe as one wholly forsaken and as one quite spent and faint despaired of her own and her Sons life for shee had lost the Inheritance and the favour of her Mistress also and all her goods and there was neither water nor bread for to preserve life and they were as given up to death for shee went and sat a stones cast from the child because she would not see him dye and when she had even wholly given on her selfe to dye then the Angel came again unto her and called her and comforted her and shewed her also a fountaine and told her that she should not be so afraid of death her Son must yet become a great Nation The inward figure of this is thus 10. When Isaac that is Christ is born in the Convert then the spirituall new-born will rejecteth its own evill nature it contemneth it and condemneth it to death casteth it out also from it selfe with its Son the mocker viz the false interpreter and perverter of the truth as if it would even burst the same in the Minde so very an hatefull enemy the new-born spirituall will becomes to the naturall will in its Evill qualities viz. to Ismael the Son of the naturall will who is onely a mocker scoffer pharisaicall censurer lyar backbiter and unrighteous 11. And when the new-born will hath thus cast out the evill nature with its wicked children from it selfe then the poor forsaken nature stands in great distress trembling and desertion for the internall holy Soul doth forsake it and then it even gives up it selfe wholly to death and wandreth in it selfe in the wilderness and looketh upon it selfe as a foolish and simple one who is every ones by-word and laughing stocke 12. And then when the nature doth willingly give it selfe thereunto that it also will now dye wholly to its selfeness and dispaires wholly on it selfe as a poor forsaken woman that is deprived of all the worldly glory riches beauty and the pleasure of the outward life also being wholly cast out from its former desire and almost quite forlorn so that the own desire begins to faint and quail within it selfe then comes the Angel of God to the nature and comforts it and bids it not to despair and gives it also water to drink that is some faithfull upright man or some inward ray and beam of
carry the Signe in his hands yet he calls it onely his Loving Companion 71. But upon the Kingdome that is and is not and yet is shall the glorious Ornament of Gold be put for the Prince of the powers of the earth hath given it to them Amen CHAP. XLII Of the Three men which Appeared to Abraham in the Plain of Mamre who went towards Sodom and set the Cities of the Children of Ham on fire from the Lord. The meaning of this figure Gen. XVIII AT first while Abraham was called onely Abram God appeared to him in the Vision as One and when he had sealed the Covenant with the Circumcision he called him Abraham viz. a Company or multitude of Nations a forth-breathed manifest people of God in whom God had forth-breathed or manifested himselfe and he appeared to him also afterwards in the manifestation of the holy Trinity viz. in Three men which were onely One wherein the manifestation of the holy Trinity in the Deity was set forth and represented in mans Image how the whole Trinity of the Deity would now manifest it selfe in this Covenant in the humanity that the Trinity of the Deity should be seen in the flesh 2. And hereby is declared the great humility in the Deity viz. in Christ how Christ would visit man kinde and take care of man and also condescend to be entertained by man as he came in these three men to Abraham and suffered his feet to be washed and did eat and drink which betokens that men must cherish or lovingly entertain the poor Christ who is poor in this world in his members and children who also would be poore contemned and despised people and what men doe unto them that they have don unto these three men viz. to Christ the holy Deity in the humanity 3. The words of this figure run thus * * * Vers. 1. to the 16. And the Lord appeared unto him in the plain of Mamre as he sat in the door of his Tent in the heat of the day and he lift up his eyes and looked and lo three men stood by him and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the Tent-door and bowed himselfe ●owards the ground and said My Lord if I have found grace in thy sight passe not away I pray thee from thy Servant let a little water be fetched I pray to wash your feet and rest your selves under the tree and I will fetch a morsell of bread that you may refresh your hearts after that you shall go on for therefore are ye come to your Servant they said do as thou hast said and Abraham hastned into the Tent unto Sarah and said make ready quickly three measures of fine meal knead it and make cakes upon the hearth and Abraham ran unto the herd and fetcht a calf tender and good and gave it to a young man and he hasted to dresse it and he took butter and milk and of the calf which he had dressed and set it before them and he stood by them under the Tree and they did eat 4. And they said unto him where is Sarah thy wife and he said behold in the Tent and he said I will certainly return unto thee again * * * Or in that manner As Our translation Acc●●d●ng to the time of life as I live and lo Sarah thy wife shall have a Son and Sarah heard it as she stood behinde at the Tent-door Now Abraham and Sarah were both old and well stricken in Age and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women and therefore she laughed within her selfe and said now I am old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also And the Lord said unto Abraham Wherefore did Sarah laugh and say Is it of a certain that I shall bear a child which am old is any thing too hard for the Lord At the appointed time I will come unto thee again as I live and Sarah shall have a Son then Sarah denied it saying I laughed not for she was afraid and he said nay but thou didst laugh 5. O thou great and wonderfull God how plainly and simply dost thou represent and pourtray the kingdome of thy Son in the humanity how lively and fully are the greatest Mysteries delineated herein and indeed they are so plainly Represented in such entire singlenesse and simplicity as Christ who notwithstanding was the King of Israel did ride into Jerusalem upon an Asse here the proud world may have a very true looking-glasse and see if they be the children of this Simplicity 6. The great Love and humility of God in Christs person is fully represented in this figure how God came in the deepest humility and simplicity into the humanity when the humanity was enflamed with highest heat of the wrathfull indignation of Gods Anger as the figure here denotes 7. The three men came before Abrahams Tent in the very heat of all the day This signifieth that God did first incorporate or betroth himselfe with his Love-Covenant and also with the fullness of time touching the Covenant when the humane day understand the six properties of the dayes were most of all inflamed and set on fire in the wrath of nature in man that is in the fall And afterward in the fulnesse of time when the humanity of these six dayes was in the very exceeding burning heat of vanity and the beastiall property he did manifest himselfe with his tender humanity out of the Ens of the holy Covenant and came in three persons of the Deity before the earthly mans essence or earthly Cottage viz. the Soules Tent and appeared to Abraham that is to Adam in his children viz. to the humane Essence 8. And here is fully set forth the Type and Image of Christ When Abraham espieth these men he goeth to meet them and boweth himselfe towards the earth and runneth away from the door of his Tent unto them and prayeth them to rest under the tree untill he should do that for which they came 9. We must look upon this figure thus when the divine voyce had represented it selfe in the Ens wherein it would become man in three persons to Abraham then Abrahams apprehended Ens of faith set it selfe forth also to this Image viz. to the triune humanity in the figure for the Ens in the Covenant in Abrahams faith was surrounded with the great heat of Gods anger when the humane day was grown hottest in the humane essence 10. But when he looked up and saw the Type of the Triume Deity standing before him this faiths Ens in deepest humility in Christs person being that which was to become Christ did bow it selfe before the Trinity of the Deity which was come unto him which would in the fulnesse of time give forth and manifest it selfe with the voyce which now spake in these three men with him in this Ens of faith being the humanity of Christ before his Father and said Lord if I have
to another * * * Mat. 24.14 For a Testimony unto all People And unto thee O * * * And to thee also O England Germany it is now shewen and also to those Nations of whom thou art born with the Name of Christ in that thou hast for a long time walked under the Mantle of Christ with an heathenish heart and boasted of the Adoption but lived onely in the iniquitie of the flesh That thy Judgement is nigh at hand 13. For the Angel of the judgement calleth aloud to the residue of Abrahams children in Christ Go out of Sodom Abraham in Christ is gon away from you yee have no more of Christ then an empty breath and a disputing verball lip-labour a mockery whereby one brother doth contemne scorn and mock another for Christs Knowledge sake and onely killeth Christ in his members The Citie Jerusalem and Babylon wherein thou hast gloried and proudly percked up thy selfe in thy devout hypocrisie shall go to ruin Amen 14. Lon Star shineth from the East and North which shall blindfold thee and break down thy walled Towers and Strong Holds in Jerusalem and Babylon for thou art called no longer Jerusalem but Babel and the children which sit in the shadow of the night and which lye imprisoned in Babel shall be delivered and come forth and enter into the Citie of God which he hath set open to all Nations and tongues of the earth that his glory may be known A light for All Nations or people 15. The figure of Abraham Sarah and Abimilech Gen. 20. is an emphaticall Type of Christendome how they should be weak in their own power and be delivered by God onely as Abraham was of a faint and timorus spirit when he was to go among these Nations and prayed his Sarah that she would say of him that he was her brother that so they might not slay him for her sake to signifie that a Christian in his own strength is not able to do any thing or to take unto himselfe therein the spirit of Christ who gives courage but he must go onely naked among his enemies and not at all rely on himselfe and his knowledge but meerly and onely upon Gods Grace 16. For he himselfe cannot stand onely Christ in him must be his sole courage and stedfast perseverance As Abraham here in his own abilities was full of doubt before Pharoah and Abimilech and continually fearfull of his life and must see onely when and how God would shield him and his Sarah and this history is excellently elegantly and exactly written of * * * Note Esdras Esdras in the vision of the spirit of Christ concerning Christs Kingdome as if the spirit had on purpose figured this History concerning Christs Kingdome for it aymeth directly thereat 17. But the outward man understands nothing of the Kingdome of Christ as we may see in Sarah when she conceived and brought forth Isaac shee said the Lord hath made me to laugh the people will laugh at this that the very Aged Sarah should give a child suck she did not yet understand the * * * Image Type of Christ but the Spirit of Christ in her understood it and not the naturall man in Selfhood but the will which was resigned and given up to God the same onely did apprehend the Covenant and the Spirit of Christ. 18. But Reason viz. the selfefull will did not perceive any thing thereof it was onely matter of mirth and laughter to it for it looked onely upon it selfe what it was As Abrahams will of selfe-own hood looked onely on it selfe and was afraid and dismayed and yet in him there was the great might over all Powers and Principalities but it did not belong to the humane own-hood 19. For Christ in his children doth not belong to the humane own-hood viz. to the selfewill neither doth he appropriate or give in himselfe to it but unto the humble resigned will to that he doth incline and appropriate himselfe and sometimes he doth also defend the own will thereby 20. For the own selfe-will is of the nature of this world born of flesh and bloud but the Resigned will dyeth to the world and is brought forth to life in God Thus also we are to understand in Abraham and in all Christians a twofold will viz. one of this world which allwaies stands in fear and then according to the Second Principle viz. the Kingdome of Heaven the poore captive soules will which diveth and immerseth it selfe into Gods Mercy in * * * Note Hope Hope CHAP. XLVI Of Isaac's birth and the casting-out of Ishmael with his Mother Hagar What thereby is signified Gen. XXI THe Spirit in Moses setteth the figure of mans Regeneration in its process so exactly and orderly together in the history of Abraham that a man may even lay hold of it much more see it how he doth set the naturall man in selfe and Christ so punctually by each other and points even with the finger at the figure for when God had destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and that Plain over against which Abraham dwelt and brought forth Lot then Abraham journeyed from thence towards the South shewing that when the Kingdome of Christ should be * * * Corrupt despoyled in any place that then Christ would depart thence 2. And He lived under the King Abimilech and sojourned as a stranger at Gerar In these two Names viz. Abimilech and Gerar the figure stands plain in the generation or formation of the word without any interpretation or exposition wherefore the Spirit in Moses wrote down this History and from whence he looketh as through an exact Perspective for ABIMILECH denoteth the man of ingenious and discreet Reason viz. the true man but without Christ onely in the creature as he is created GERAR betokeneth the strong Austere life of nature wherein the understanding must dwell which nature is corrupted and from that corruption casteth or darteth Temptations and oppositions continually into the life's understanding or Reason-light so that the life stands in a constant contrariety and is uncessantly sifted winnowed and proved which is the * * * Note Cross of the children of God that they see that while they live in themselves in selfe-Reason they can doe nothing else but go astray slip and erre as may be seen here in Abraham When God lead him away from the borders of the Sodomites he went towards the South unto King Abimilech The inward figure of this stands thus 3. When God had manifested himselfe to Abraham and set forth the figure of Christ and his Kingdome and also the Power of Judgement upon the whole earth then God hid himselfe again from Abraham and then Abraham went towards the South Countrey that is into his Reason viz. into mans own understanding and dwelt at Gerar that is in the corrupt nature which manifests it selfe plainly in his carriage towards Abimilech where he in the fear of nature in
to make his Abode in us and thus one day upon another it is delayed and yet Christ goeth with his Bride into his native Countrey viz. into the Second Principle but the marriage is celebrated in all the three Principles 54. A very excellent figure we have in this also Gen. 24.61 to the 67. That when Rebecca went home with Abrahams servant and Isaac mett her in the field and shee asked him what man that was and Abrahams servant told her that it was his Master Isaac how shee lighted off the Camell and putt a vail before her eyes and was ashamed and how Isaac took her and carried her into his Mothers Tent. The inward figure is this 55. When the inward disappeared humanity doth again obtain the pretious Jewell and is quickned in the spirit of Christ and discovers its beloved Christ in it selfe then it falls down into the deepest humility before the holiness of God and is ashamed that it hath lyen so long captive in the beastiall man and that it was a Queen but hath lost its Kingdome in Adam then it vaileth its own face before Gods glorious Clarity and humbleth it selfe but Christ taketh her into his Armes and leads her into his Mothers Tent viz. into the heavenly worlds Essence from whence he is come with his heavenly essence and there shee becomes his wife and thus Isaac is truely comforted for his Mother viz. for the disappeared Matrix in the Tincture of Venus which dyed in Adam and which he again doth now obtain in virgin-like chastity for his Spouse as here the history concerning Isaac soundeth 56. And we seriously admonish the Reader not to contem scorn or deride at our exposition it is the true ground for when Isaac mett his Bride Gen. 24.62 he came from the well Lahai-roi from the fountain of the living and Seing One as Moses saith if any desire to understand our meaning and knowledge he must then make towards this fountain that so he may be received with Rebecca and then he will see from what spirit this pen hath written and in what * * * Seal Viall or Trumpett Number and Voice it is arisen 57. If any here see nothing he may well blame himselfe for blinde and no man else the Jewes and Turckes and also Babel may here open their eyes wide and look upon the figures of the old Testament aright they will even finde them so CHAP. LI. How Abraham took another wife of whom he begat six Sons to which he gave gifts and unto his Son Isaac he gave all his goods but the other he sent away from his Son Isaac while he yet lived and also how he dyed and was buried by his Sons Ismael and Isaac what hereby is signified unto us Gen. XXV 1 2. MOses saith Abraham took a wife and her name was Keturah and shee bare unto him Zimran Jochshan Medan Midian Ishback Shuah from whom sprang forth six generations but of Sarah Abraham begat onely one Son at which the whole history pointeth but of Keturah he begatt six Sons concerning whom no peculiar or especiall thing is mentioned but onely their families or generations This is thus to be understood in the inward figure Abraham and his Sarah must be first old before he begatt Isaac to signifie that Christ should be manifested in the flesh in the Old Age of the world 2. Isaac was begotten and conceived of Abrahams nature and of the Ens of faith in an old and almost dead Matrix as to the humane nature that so the divine Ens might have the preheminence but when Sarah dyed Abraham took unto him Keturah and soon begatt of her Six Sons Kethurah doth in its Name expresse the Centre of nature when we form the SensVAl un-compacted spirits of the letters in this word Keturah then we understand that KETVRAH is a formed matrix of nature which signifieth to us that Abraham after he had begotten the Type of Christ in the Ens of faith should now begett his own likenesse as to Adams nature out of the Six properties of the naturall spirits life and also set forth and represent his own naturall likeness and therefore he must also have such a vessell thereunto 3. Sarah must bring forth but One Son to signifie that the kingdome of mankinde is given but to one and that they all do belong to this one and should in him become the same onely one as branches on one tree which one should be Christ in All. 4. But here Abraham did now with Keturah begett Six Sons according to the Six properties of the formed nature of the operation of the Six dayes workes and Isaac that is Christ is the Seventh viz. the day of rest or Sabbath wherein the Six Sons should enter into Rest even as the six dayes of the creation understand the six properties of the Centre of nature viz. the working Spirit-life do rest in the Seventh thus the Spirit of God doth represent the figure in Abraham 5. And we have here a very excellent figure against the Reason-wise who say that whosoever is not born by nature in the Ens of faith that is naturally as it were begotten of the Seed of the woman which workes onely by a particular election of God as they feign the same is hardned and cannot attain to the Adoption of God he is not drawn by God that he should come to the new-birth this figure quite strikes down their fiction and shewes the true ground and first it setts forth Isaac viz. Christ and declareth plainly that to him alone the kingdome of God is hereditary and peculiar and that no man can have it any more for or from the Right of nature and how we are altogether cast out from thence with Adam and have lost the same as the children of Keturah were all cast out from the inheritance of Abrahams goods and Isaac onely did inheritt them 6. And he setts down hereby how Adams children were also begotten of Abraham and how he gave them Gifts of his goods betokening how free gifts were given to Adams naturall children Gen. 25.6 out of God the Fathers and Christs Goods as Abrahams goods were given them of grace as a free gift 7. For Abraham did not cast out his naturall children from him without gifts so likewise God did not cast Adam out of Paradise without his * * * Note where the Free Grace of God was given to Mankinde free Gift he first gave him the bruiser of the Serpent in the word of the Covenant and afterwards he cast Adam from the childlike inheritance of the naturall Right and yet he received him again in the free Donation as Abraham also did not here reject his children and cast them out from the child-ship but from the naturall Right of his goods yet they were dear unto him in the child-ship therefore he freely gave them gifts of his goods and thereby he signifieth to us that the Kingdome of heaven