The Confessions of Jacob Boehme

in body and soul, in good and evil, in joy and sorrow, in light and darkness, in power and weakness, in life and death : all is in man, both heaven and the earth, stars, and elements ; also the threefold God.

O man ! seek thyself and thou shalt find thyself. Open the eyes of thy inward man and see rightly.

This is the noble precious stone, the philosopher's stone, which wise men find. O thou bright crown of pearl, art thou not brighter than the sun ? There is nothing like thee ; thou art so very manifest, and yet so very secret that among many thousand in this world thou art scarce rightly known of anyone. Yet thou art borne by many that know thee not.

Christ saith, Seek and thou shalt find. The noble stone must be sought for ; a lazy man findeth it not ; though he carrieth it about with him he knoweth it not. To whomsoever it revealeth itself, he hath all joy therein, for its virtue is endless. Hep. 89 that hath it doth not give it away ; if he doth impart it to any it is not profitable to him that is lazy, who diveth not into its virtue to learn that.

The seeker findeth the stone and its virtue and benefit together. When he findeth it and knows that he is certain of it, there is greater joy in him than the world is able to apprehend ; no pen can describe nor any tongue express it in the manner of the world.

It is accounted in the world's eyes the meanest of all stones and is trodden under foot. If a man light upon it he casteth it away as an unprofitable thing. None enquire after it, though there is none upon earth but desires it. All great ones and wise seek it. Indeed they find one and think it the true stone ; but they mistake it. They ascribe power and virtue to it and think they have it and will keep it. But the true stone is not thus : it needeth no virtue to be ascribed to it. all virtuep. 90 lies hid in it. He who has it, and has knowledge of it, if he seeks, may find all things whatsoever, in heaven and in earth. It is the stone which is rejected of the builders, the chief corner-stone.

0 you Sophisters ! that out of envy often revile honest hearts according to your own pleasure, how will you be able to stand with those lambs whom you should have led into the fresh green pastures of the way of Christ, into love, purity and humility ?

1 speak not this out of a desire to reproach any man ; I discover only the smoky pit of the Devil that it may be seen what is in man, as well in one as in another, unless he be born anew and resisteth the spirit of the Devil and thrusteth it away from him.

There is another Devil more crafty and cunning than this, a glistering angel with cloven feet. He, when he seeth a

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poor soul afraid, and desiring to repent and amend, saith, Pray, and be devout ; repent for once in a way. But when the poor soul goes about to pray, he slippeth into his heart and taketh away the understanding of the heart, and putteth it into mere doubting, as if God did not hear it.

So the heart standeth and repeateth over the words of a prayer, as if it were learning to say something without book ; and the soul cannot reach the centre of nature ; it hath only rehearsed words, not in the spirit of a soul in the centre where the fire is kindled, but only in the mouth, in the spirit of this world. Its words vanish in the air or as those wherein God's name is taken in vain.

There belongeth great earnestness to prayer ; for praying is calling upon God, entreating him and speaking with him, going out of the house of sin and entering the house of God. If the Devil offers to hinder it, then storm his hell Setp. 92 thyself against him as he setteth himself against thee, and then thou shalt find what is here told thee. If he opposes strongly, then oppose thou the more strongly ; thou hast, in Christ, greater power than he.