The Confessions of Jacob Boehme
But if the Turks, as also the Jews, do the Father's will, who say to Christ, No, and discern him not ; who is now their judge to thrust them out from the will of the Father? Is not the Son the Heart of the Father? If they honour the Father they lay hold also on his Heart, for beyond his Heart there is no God.
Dost thou suppose that I encourage them in their blindness that they should go on as they do ? No : I show thee thy blindness, O thou that bearest the name of Christ ! Thou judgest others, and yet dost the same thing which thou judgest in others, and so thou wilfully bringest the judgement of God upon thyself.
He that saith : Love your enemies, dop. 84 well to them that persecute you, doth not teach you to condemn and despise, but he teacheth you the way of meekness ; you should be a light to the world, that heathens may see that you are the children of God.
If we consider ourselves according to the true man, who is a similitude and image of God, then we find God in us, yet ourselves without God. And the only remedy consisteth herein, that we enter again into ourselves and so enter into God in our hidden man. If we incline our wills in true earnest singleness of mind to God, then we go with Christ out from this world, out from the stars and elements, and enter into God ; for in the will of earthly reason we are children of the stars and elements, and the spirit of this world ruleth over us.
But if we go out from the will of this world and enter into God, then the spirit of God ruleth in us and establisheth us for his children. Then also the garland ofp. 85 paradise is set upon the soul, and it becometh a child without understanding after this world. It hath lost the ruler of this world, who once ruled it and led it in the earthly reason.
O man ! consider who leadeth and driveth thee, for eternally without end is very long. Temporal honour and goods are but dross in the sight of God ; it all falleth into the grave with thee and cometh to nothing : but to be in the will of God is eternal riches and honour ; there, there is no more care, but our Mother careth for us in whose bosom we live as children.
Thy temporal honour is thy snare and thy misery ; in divine hope and confidence is thy garden of roses.
Dost thou suppose again that I speak from hearsay ? No, I speak the very life in my own experience ; not in an opinion from the mouth of another, but from my own knowledge. I see with my own eyes ;
p. 86
which I boast not of, for the power is the Mother's. I exhort thee to enter into the bosom of the Mother, and learn also to see with thy own eyes : so long as thou dost suffer thyself to be rocked in a cradle and dost desire the eyes of others thou art blind. But if thou risest up from the cradle and dost go to the Mother, then thou shalt discern the Mother and her children.
O how good it is to see with one's own eyes ! We are all asleep in the outward man, we lie in the cradle and suffer ourselves to be rocked asleep by the outward reason ; we see with the eyes of the dissimulation of our play-actors, who hang bells and baubles about our ears and cradles, that we may be lulled asleep or at least play with baubles, and they may be lords and masters in the house.
Rise up from thy cradle : art thou not a child of the Mother, and moreover a child and lord of the house, and an heirp. 87 to its goods ? Why sufferest thou thy servants thus to use thee ? Christ saith : I am the Light of the World, he that followeth me shall have the light of the eternal life. He doth not direct us to the play-actors, but only to himself. With the inward eyes we must see in his light : so we shall see him, for he is the Light ; and when we see him then we walk in the light. He is the Morning Star and is generated in us and riseth in us, and shineth in our bodily darkness.
0 how great a triumph is there in the soul when he ariseth ! Then a man seeth with his own eyes, and knoweth that he is in a strange lodging, concerning which I here write what I see and know in the light.
1 declare unto you that the eternal
Being, and also this world, is like man.
Eternity bringeth to birth nothing but
that which is like itself ; as you find man
to be, just so is eternity. Consider man
p. 88
But if the Turks, as also the Jews, do the Father's will, who say to Christ, No, and discern him not ; who is now their judge to thrust them out from the will of the Father? Is not the Son the Heart of the Father? If they honour the Father they lay hold also on his Heart, for beyond his Heart there is no God.
Dost you suppose that I encourage them in their blindness that they should go on as they do ? No : I show you your blindness, O you that bearest the name of Christ ! You judgest others, and yet do the same thing which you judgest in others, and so you wilfully bring the judgement of God upon yourself.
He that says : Love your enemies, dop. 84 well to them that persecute you, does not teach you to condemn and despise, but he teaches you the way of meekness ; you should be a light to the world, that heathens may see that you are the children of God.
If we consider ourselves according to the true man, who is a similitude and image of God, then we find God in us, yet ourselves without God. And the only remedy consists herein, that we enter again into ourselves and so enter into God in our hidden man. If we incline our wills in true earnest singleness of mind to God, then we go with Christ out from this world, out from the stars and elements, and enter into God ; for in the will of earthly reason we are children of the stars and elements, and the spirit of this world ruls over us.
But if we go out from the will of this world and enter into God, then the spirit of God ruls in us and establishes us for his children. Then also the garland ofp. 85 paradise is set upon the soul, and it becomes a child without understanding after this world. It has lost the ruler of this world, who once ruled it and led it in the earthly reason.
O man ! consider who leads and drivs you, for eternally without end is very long. Temporal honour and goods are but dross in the sight of God ; it all falls into the grave with you and comes to nothing : but to be in the will of God is eternal riches and honour ; there, there is no more care, but our Mother cars for us in whose bosom we live as children.
Your temporal honour is your snare and your misery ; in divine hope and confidence is your garden of roses.
Dost you suppose again that I speak from hearsay ? No, I speak the very life in my own experience ; not in an opinion from the mouth of another, but from my own knowledge. I see with my own eyes ;
p. 86
which I boast not of, for the power is the Mother's. I exhort you to enter into the bosom of the Mother, and learn also to see with your own eyes : so long as you do suffer yourself to be rocked in a cradle and do desire the eyes of others you art blind. But if you risest up from the cradle and do go to the Mother, then you shall discern the Mother and her children.
O how good it is to see with one's own eyes ! We are all asleep in the outward man, we lie in the cradle and suffer ourselves to be rocked asleep by the outward reason ; we see with the eyes of the dissimulation of our play-actors, who hang bells and baubles about our ears and cradles, that we may be lulled asleep or at least play with baubles, and they may be lords and masters in the house.
Rise up from your cradle : art you not a child of the Mother, and moreover a child and lord of the house, and an heirp. 87 to its goods ? Why sufferest you your servants thus to use you ? Christ says : I am the Light of the World, he that follows me shall have the light of the eternal life. He does not direct us to the play-actors, but only to himself. With the inward eyes we must see in his light : so we shall see him, for he is the Light ; and when we see him then we walk in the light. He is the Morning Star and is generated in us and rises in us, and shines in our bodily darkness.
0 how great a triumph is there in the soul when he arises ! Then a man sees with his own eyes, and knows that he is in a strange lodging, concerning which I here write what I see and know in the light.
1 declare unto you that the eternal
Being, and also this world, is like man.
Eternity brings to birth nothing but
that which is like itself ; as you find man
to be, just so is eternity. Consider man
p. 88
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