The Confessions of Jacob Boehme
For in the innermost the upper and nether Deity is one body and is an open gate. The holy angels converse and walk up and down in the innermost of this world by and with our King Jesus Christ ; as well as in the uppermost, aloft in their quarters, courts or region.
Where then would or should the soulp. 27 of man rather be than with its King and Redeemer Jesus Christ ? For near and afar off in God is one thing, one comprehensibility, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, everywhere.
The gate of God in the upper heaven is no other, also no brighter, than it is in this world. And where can there be greater joy than in that place where every hour and moment beautiful, loving, dear, newborn children and angels come to Christ, which are passed through death into life ? Where can there be greater joy than where in the midst of death life is generated continually ? Does not every soul bring along with it a new triumph ? and so there is nothing else but an exceedingly friendly welcoming and salutation there.
Dost thou think my writing is too earthly? If thou wert to come to this window of mine thou wouldst not then say that it is earthly. Though I must indeed use the earthly tongue, yet there is a truep. 28 heavenly understanding couched under it, which in my outermost moving I am not able to express.
I know very well that the word concerning the three movings cannot be comprehended or apprehended in every man's heart, especially where the heart is too much steeped, soaked, or drowned in the flesh. But I cannot render it otherwise than as it is, for it is just so ; and though I write mere spirit, as indeed and in truth it is no other, yet such a heart understands only flesh.
Thou shouldst not suppose that which I write here to be as a doubtful opinion, questionable whether it be so or no ; for the gate of heaven and hell stands open to the spirit, and in the Light it presses through them both and beholds them, also proves and examines them.
And though the Devil cannot take the
Light from me, yet he hides it often with
the outward and fleshly moving, so that
p. 29
the astral is in anxiety and in a strait, as if it were imprisoned.
But these are only his blows and strokes whereby the seed of paradise is covered and obscured. Concerning which also the holy apostle Paul saith that a great thorn was given him in his flesh and he besought the Lord earnestly to take it from him, whereupon the Lord answered, Let my grace be sufficient for thee.
For he also was come to this place and would fain have had the Light without obstruction or hindrance, as his own in the astral moving. But it could not be ; for wrath abides in the fleshly moving, and he must endure corruption there. If wrath should be wholly taken away from the astral, then in that he would be like God and know all things as God himself does.
Which now in this life that soul only knows which unfolds its powers in union with the Light of God, and even that soul cannot perfectly bring it back again into thep. 30 astral. Just as an apple on a tree cannot bring its smell and taste back again into the tree or into the earth, though it be indeed the son of the tree, so it is also in the nature of man.
The holy man Moses was so high and deep in this Light that it glorified, clarified, or brightened the astral also, whereby the outermost of the flesh in his face was clarified, brightened, or glorified.
He also desired to see the light of God perfectly in the astral ; but it could not be, for the bar of the wrath lies before it. Even the whole and universal nature of the astral in this world cannot comprehend the Light of God ; and therefore the Heart of God is hidden, though it dwells in all places and comprehends all.
Thou seest how the wrath of God in the outermost of nature lies hid and rests, and cannot be awakened unless men themselves awaken it, who with their fleshly moving
For in the innermost the upper and nether Deity is one body and is an open gate. The holy angels converse and walk up and down in the innermost of this world by and with our King Jesus Christ ; as well as in the uppermost, aloft in their quarters, courts or region.
Where then would or should the soulp. 27 of man rather be than with its King and Redeemer Jesus Christ ? For near and afar off in God is one thing, one comprehensibility, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, everywhere.
The gate of God in the upper heaven is no other, also no brighter, than it is in this world. And where can there be greater joy than in that place where every hour and moment beautiful, loving, dear, newborn children and angels come to Christ, which are passed through death into life ? Where can there be greater joy than where in the midst of death life is generated continually ? Does not every soul bring along with it a new triumph ? and so there is nothing else but an exceedingly friendly welcoming and salutation there.
Dost you think my writing is too earthly? If you were to come to this window of mine you would not then say that it is earthly. Though I must indeed use the earthly tongue, yet there is a truep. 28 heavenly understanding couched under it, which in my outermost moving I am not able to express.
I know very well that the word concerning the three movings cannot be comprehended or apprehended in every man's heart, especially where the heart is too much steeped, soaked, or drowned in the flesh. But I cannot render it otherwise than as it is, for it is just so ; and though I write mere spirit, as indeed and in truth it is no other, yet such a heart understands only flesh.
You should not suppose that which I write here to be as a doubtful opinion, questionable whether it be so or no ; for the gate of heaven and hell stands open to the spirit, and in the Light it presses through them both and beholds them, also proves and examines them.
And though the Devil cannot take the
Light from me, yet he hides it often with
the outward and fleshly moving, so that
p. 29
the astral is in anxiety and in a strait, as if it were imprisoned.
But these are only his blows and strokes whereby the seed of paradise is covered and obscured. Concerning which also the holy apostle Paul says that a great thorn was given him in his flesh and he besought the Lord earnestly to take it from him, whereupon the Lord answered, Let my grace be sufficient for you.
For he also was come to this place and would fain have had the Light without obstruction or hindrance, as his own in the astral moving. But it could not be ; for wrath abides in the fleshly moving, and he must endure corruption there. If wrath should be wholly taken away from the astral, then in that he would be like God and know all things as God himself does.
Which now in this life that soul only knows which unfolds its powers in union with the Light of God, and even that soul cannot perfectly bring it back again into thep. 30 astral. Just as an apple on a tree cannot bring its smell and taste back again into the tree or into the earth, though it be indeed the son of the tree, so it is also in the nature of man.
The holy man Moses was so high and deep in this Light that it glorified, clarified, or brightened the astral also, whereby the outermost of the flesh in his face was clarified, brightened, or glorified.
He also desired to see the light of God perfectly in the astral ; but it could not be, for the bar of the wrath lies before it. Even the whole and universal nature of the astral in this world cannot comprehend the Light of God ; and therefore the Heart of God is hidden, though it dwells in all places and comprehends all.
You seest how the wrath of God in the outermost of nature lies hid and rests, and cannot be awakened unless men themselves awaken it, who with their fleshly moving
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.