The Confessions of Jacob Boehme

key of the prison ; yield thyself up to him in obedience, righteousness, humility, purity and truth. And seek not so eagerly after the kingdom of this world ; it will stick close enough to thee without that. Then the pure Virgin, the Wisdom of God, will meet thee in the height and depth of thy mind, and will lead thee to him who has the key to the gate of the deep. Thou must stand before him and he will give thee to eat of the heavenly manna which will quicken and refresh thee. Thou wilt be strong, and wilt break through the gate of the deep as the morning star, and though thou liest captive here in the night yet the rays of the dawn will appear to thee in paradise, where thy pure Virgin stands, waiting for thee with the joy of the angels, who will kindly receive thee in thy newborn mind and spirit. And though indeed here thou must walk, as to thy body, in the dark night, yet the noble Virgin will help thee still.

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Look well to it, close not thy mind and understanding ; when thy mind says, Turn, then know that so thou art called by the Wisdom of God ; turn instantly, and consider where thou art lodged, in how hard a house of bondage thy soul lies imprisoned ; seek thy native country from whence thy soul is wandered and whither it should return again.

Then if thou wilt follow the counsel of the Wisdom of God thou wilt find in thyself, not only after this life, but also in this life in thy regeneration, that Wisdom will very worthily meet thee. And thou wilt see out of what kind of spirit this author has wrote.

CHAPTER VIII

MY beloved Reader, I tell thee this, that everything has its impulse in its own form. It always makes that very thing with which the spirit is impregnated ; and the body must always labour in that wherein the spirit is kindled. When I consider and think why I thus write many wonders and leave them not for other sharper wits, I find that my spirit is kindled in this matter whereof I write ; for there is a living running fire of these things in my spirit, and thereupon (let me purpose what I will) yet they continually come uppermost, so that I am made captive thereby, and it is laid upon me as a work which I must do. Therefore, seeing it is my work wherein my spirit drives, I will 63p. 64 write it down for a memorial in such a manner as I know it in my spirit and as I attained to it ; I will set down no other thing than that I myself have tried and known, that I be not found a liar before God.

Now, then, if there be any that have a desire to follow me and would fain have the knowledge whereof I write, I advise him to accompany me in this way, not at present with the pen, but with the labour of his mind ; and then he shall find how I could come to write thus.

Seeing I have in hand the matter of repentance, therefore I certify the reader than in my earnestness this pen was given me, which the Oppressor would have broke. With him I began an earnest fight, insomuch that he would have cast me down to the ground under his feet had not the Spirit of God helped me, so that now I stand up.

Therefore, if we will speak of this most serious matter, we must go from JerusalemCONFESSIONS OF JACOB BOEHME 6$ to Jericho, and see how we lie among murderers who have so wounded and beaten us that we are half dead ; and must look about us for the Samaritan with his beast, that he may dress our wounds and bring us into his inn. O how lamentable and miserable it is, that although we are so beaten by the murderer that we are half dead, yet we feel our smart no more ! Oh, if the physician would come and dress our wounds, that our soul might revive and live, how we should rejoice ! Thus speaks desire, and has such longing heartfelt wishes ; yet although the physician is here, the mind can in no wise apprehend him, because it is so much wounded and lies half dead.