The Confessions of Jacob Boehme
God, for these are the food of its life ; and it sings the paradisical songs of praise concerning the pleasant fruit of paradise which grows in the divine virtue and is the food of the heavenly and eternal body. Can this be no joy and rejoicing ? Should not that be a pleasant thing, to eat heavenly bread with the many thousand sorts of angels, and to rejoice in their communion and fellowship ? What can possibly be named which can be more pleasant ? Where there is no fear, no anger, no death ; where every voice and speech is of the divine salvation, power, strength and might ; and this voice going forth into eternity. There is the place where Paul heard words unutterable that no man can express.
CHAPTER VII
THANKS be to God who has regenerated me, by water and the HolyGhost, to be a living creature, so that I can in his Light see my great inbred vices, which are in my flesh.
Thus now I live in the spirit of this world in my flesh, and my flesh serves the spirit of this world; but my mind serves God. My flesh is generated in this world and is ruled by the quintessence of the stars and elements, which dwells in it and is master of the body and the outward life ; but my mind is regenerated in God and loves God. And although I cannot now comprehend and hold fast the divine wisdom, because my mind falls into sins, yet the spirit of this worldp. 58p. 59 shall not always thus hold captive my mind.
For the Virgin, the divine Wisdom, has given me her promise not to leave me in any misery ; she will come to help me in the Son of Wisdom. I must hold fast to him, and he will bring me to her in paradise. I will make the venture, and go through the thistles and thorns as well as I can, till I find my native country where Wisdom dwells. I rely upon her faithful promise, when she appeared to me, that she would turn all my mourning into great joy. When I lay upon the mountain at midnight, so that all the trees fell upon me and all the storms and winds beat upon me, and Antichrist gaped at me with his open jaws to devour me, then she came and comforted me and took me for her own.
Therefore I am but the more cheerful, and care not for him ; he rules over me no further than over the transitory house of flesh, whose patron he is ; he may takep. 60 that quite away, but so I shall come into my native country. Yet he is not absolute lord over that house, he is but God's ape ; for as an ape plays all manner of tricks and pranks to make itself sport, and would fain seem to be the finest and the nimblest of beasts, so also does he. His power hangs on the great tree of this world, and a storm of wind can blow it away.
Thou wilt ask, What is the new regeneration ? or how is that done in man? Hear and see, close not thy mind, let it not be filled by the spirit of this world with its might and pomp. Lay hold upon thy mind and break through the spirit of this world entirely ; yield thy mind unto the kind love of God ; make thy purpose earnest and strong to overcome the pleasure of this world and not to regard it. Consider that thou art not at home in this world, but art a strange guest, made captive in a prison ; cry and call to him who has the
p. 61
God, for these are the food of its life ; and it sings the paradisical songs of praise concerning the pleasant fruit of paradise which grows in the divine virtue and is the food of the heavenly and eternal body. Can this be no joy and rejoicing ? Should not that be a pleasant thing, to eat heavenly bread with the many thousand sorts of angels, and to rejoice in their communion and fellowship ? What can possibly be named which can be more pleasant ? Where there is no fear, no anger, no death ; where every voice and speech is of the divine salvation, power, strength and might ; and this voice going forth into eternity. There is the place where Paul heard words unutterable that no man can express.
CHAPTER VII
THANKS be to God who has regenerated me, by water and the HolyGhost, to be a living creature, so that I can in his Light see my great inbred vices, which are in my flesh.
Thus now I live in the spirit of this world in my flesh, and my flesh serves the spirit of this world; but my mind serves God. My flesh is generated in this world and is ruled by the quintessence of the stars and elements, which dwells in it and is master of the body and the outward life ; but my mind is regenerated in God and loves God. And although I cannot now comprehend and hold fast the divine wisdom, because my mind falls into sins, yet the spirit of this worldp. 58p. 59 shall not always thus hold captive my mind.
For the Virgin, the divine Wisdom, has given me her promise not to leave me in any misery ; she will come to help me in the Son of Wisdom. I must hold fast to him, and he will bring me to her in paradise. I will make the venture, and go through the thistles and thorns as well as I can, till I find my native country where Wisdom dwells. I rely upon her faithful promise, when she appeared to me, that she would turn all my mourning into great joy. When I lay upon the mountain at midnight, so that all the trees fell upon me and all the storms and winds beat upon me, and Antichrist gaped at me with his open jaws to devour me, then she came and comforted me and took me for her own.
Therefore I am but the more cheerful, and care not for him ; he rules over me no further than over the transitory house of flesh, whose patron he is ; he may takep. 60 that quite away, but so I shall come into my native country. Yet he is not absolute lord over that house, he is but God's ape ; for as an ape plays all manner of tricks and pranks to make itself sport, and would fain seem to be the finest and the nimblest of beasts, so also does he. His power hangs on the great tree of this world, and a storm of wind can blow it away.
You will ask, What is the new regeneration ? or how is that done in man? Hear and see, close not your mind, let it not be filled by the spirit of this world with its might and pomp. Lay hold upon your mind and break through the spirit of this world entirely ; yield your mind unto the kind love of God ; make your purpose earnest and strong to overcome the pleasure of this world and not to regard it. Consider that you are not at home in this world, but art a strange guest, made captive in a prison ; cry and call to him who has the
p. 61
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