The Confessions of Jacob Boehme
Do but fix thy trust and confidence upon the promise of Christ, and let thy storming be grounded in the death of Christ, in his sufferings and wounds, and in his love. Dispute no further about thy sins, for the Devil involveth himself therein and upbraideth thee for them, that thou mightest despair. If thou doubtest of the grace of God thou dost sin greatly, for he is always merciful ; there is no other will in him at all but to be merciful. He cannot do otherwise ; his arms are spread abroad day and night towards the poor sinner.
Make trial in this manner, and thou wilt quickly see and feel another man, with another sense and thoughts and understanding. I speak as I know and havep. 93 found by experience ; a soldier knows how it is in the wars. This I write out of love, as one who telleth in the spirit how it hath gone with himself, for an example to others, to try if any would follow him and find out how true it is.
CHAPTER XI
GOD has set light and darkness before everyone ; thou mayest embrace which thou wilt, thou dost not thereby move God in his being. His Spirit goes forth from him and meets all those that seek him. Their seeking is his seeking, in which he desireth humanity ; for humanity is his image, which he has created according to his whole being, and wherein he will see and know himself. Yea, he dwells in man, why then are we men so long a-seeking? Let us but seek to know ourselves, and when we find ourselves we find all ; we need run nowhere to seek God, for we can thereby do him no service ; if we do but seek and love one another, then we love God ; what we dop. 95 to one another, that we do to God ; whosoever seeketh and findeth his brother and sister hath sought and found God. In him we are all one body of many members, everyone having its own office, government and work ; and that is the wonder of God.
Before the time of this world we were known in his wisdom, and he created us that there might be a sport in him. Children are our schoolmasters ; in all our wit and cunning we are but fools to them ; their first lesson is to learn to play with themselves, and when they grow bigger they play one with another. Thus hath God from eternity in his wisdom, in our hidden childhood, played with us : when he created us in knowledge and skill we should then have played one with another ; but the Devil grudged us that and made us fall out at our sport. Therefore it is that we are always at variance, in contention ; but we havep. 96 nothing to contend about but our sport ; when that is at an end we lie down to our rest and go to our own place. Then come others to play and strive and contend also till the evening, till they go to sleep and into their own country out of which they are come.
Dear children, what do we mean that we are so obedient to the Devil? Why do we so contend about a tabernacle which we have not made? Here we contend about a garment, because one brother has a fairer garment than another ; are we not all our Mother's children? Let us be obedient children, and then we shall rejoice.
Do but fix your trust and confidence upon the promise of Christ, and let your storming be grounded in the death of Christ, in his sufferings and wounds, and in his love. Dispute no further about your sins, for the Devil involvs himself therein and upbraids you for them, that you might despair. If you doubtest of the grace of God you do sin greatly, for he is always merciful ; there is no other will in him at all but to be merciful. He cannot do otherwise ; his arms are spread abroad day and night towards the poor sinner.
Make trial in this manner, and you will quickly see and feel another man, with another sense and thoughts and understanding. I speak as I know and havep. 93 found by experience ; a soldier knows how it is in the wars. This I write out of love, as one who tells in the spirit how it has gone with himself, for an example to others, to try if any would follow him and find out how true it is.
CHAPTER XI
GOD has set light and darkness before everyone ; you may embrace which you will, you do not thereby move God in his being. His Spirit goes forth from him and meets all those that seek him. Their seeking is his seeking, in which he desires humanity ; for humanity is his image, which he has created according to his whole being, and wherein he will see and know himself. Yea, he dwells in man, why then are we men so long a-seeking? Let us but seek to know ourselves, and when we find ourselves we find all ; we need run nowhere to seek God, for we can thereby do him no service ; if we do but seek and love one another, then we love God ; what we dop. 95 to one another, that we do to God ; whosoever seeks and finds his brother and sister has sought and found God. In him we are all one body of many members, everyone having its own office, government and work ; and that is the wonder of God.
Before the time of this world we were known in his wisdom, and he created us that there might be a sport in him. Children are our schoolmasters ; in all our wit and cunning we are but fools to them ; their first lesson is to learn to play with themselves, and when they grow bigger they play one with another. Thus has God from eternity in his wisdom, in our hidden childhood, played with us : when he created us in knowledge and skill we should then have played one with another ; but the Devil grudged us that and made us fall out at our sport. Therefore it is that we are always at variance, in contention ; but we havep. 96 nothing to contend about but our sport ; when that is at an end we lie down to our rest and go to our own place. Then come others to play and strive and contend also till the evening, till they go to sleep and into their own country out of which they are come.
Dear children, what do we mean that we are so obedient to the Devil? Why do we so contend about a tabernacle which we have not made? Here we contend about a garment, because one brother has a fairer garment than another ; are we not all our Mother's children? Let us be obedient children, and then we shall rejoice.
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