The Confessions of Jacob Boehme
Indeed many a man is chosen to it in his mother's womb, chosen to open and disclose the wonders which God intends ; but not all are chosen thus. Many are accepted out of their zealous seeking ; for Christ saith, Seek and ye shall find, knock and so it will be opened unto you. Also, whosoever come to me, those I will not cast out.
Herein lies the seeing out of Christ's spirit, out of God's kingdom, in the power ii6 CONFESSIONS OF JACOB BOEHME of the Word, with the eyes of God and not with the eyes of this world and of the outward flesh.
Thus, thou blind world, know wherewith we see when we speak and write of God, and let thy false judging alone : see thou with thine eyes and let God's children see with their eyes ; see from out thy gifts, let another see from out his gifts.
As everyone is called, so let him see ; and so let him converse. We manage not all one and the same conversation, but everyone according to his gift, and his calling to serve God's honour and wonders.
The Spirit of God suffers not itself to be tied or bound up, as outward reason supposes, with decrees, canons and councils, whereby always one chain of Antichrist is linked to another so that men come to judge about God's Spirit, and to hold their own conceits or opinions to be God's covenant, as if God was not at home in this world, or as if they were Gods upon earth.
p. 117
I say that all such compacts and binding is Antichrist and unbelief, let it seem or flatter how it will. God's Spirit is unbound, he enters not into such compacts or obligations, but enters freely the seeking, humble, lowly mind, according to its gift and capacity.
He is also even subjected to it, if it does but earnestly desire him ; what then can institutions in human wit and prudence of this world do for that mind, since it belongs to the honour of God ?
Friendly conference and colloquy is very good and necessary, wherein one presents or imparts his gifts to another ; but compacts are a chain against God.
God has once made one covenant with us in Christ ; that is enough for eternity, he makes no more. He has once taken mankind into the covenant and sealed it by blood and death ; there is enough in that.
It is not so slight a thing to be a right n8 CONFESSIONS OF JACOB BOEHME true Christian, it is the very hardest thing of all ; the will must be a soldier, and fight against the corrupted will. It must sink itself down out of the earthly reason into the death of Christ, and break the power of the earthly will.
This must be with so hardy and bold a courage that it will hazard the earthly life upon it and not give over till it has broke the earthly will ; which indeed has been a strong battle with me.
It is no slight matter to fight for the garland of victory ; for no one wins that unless he overcomes ; which yet of his own might he cannot do.
He must make his will as it were dead, and so he lives to God and sinks into God's love ; though he lives now in the outward kingdom.
I speak of the garland of victory which he getteth in the paradise world if he once presses in ; for there the noble seed is sown, and he receives the highly precious pledgep. 119 and earnest of the Holy Spirit, which afterwards leads and directs him.
And though he must in this world wander through a dark valley, wherein the Devil and the world's wickedness continually rush and roar tumultuously upon him, and often cast the outward man into evils and so hide the noble seed, yet it will not suffer itself to be kept back.
Thence it sprouts forth, and a tree grows out of it in God's kingdom, despite all the raging and raving of the Devil and his followers and dependents.
And the more the noble tree is cherished, the more swiftly and strongly it grows ; it suffers not itself to be destroyed though it costs the outward life.
God is in Christ become man, and the faith-spirit is also in Christ born man. In that the will-spirit converses or walks in God, for it is one spirit with God, and works with God divine works.
And though it may be that the earthly
p. 120
Indeed many a man is chosen to it in his mother's womb, chosen to open and disclose the wonders which God intends ; but not all are chosen thus. Many are accepted out of their zealous seeking ; for Christ says, Seek and you shall find, knock and so it will be opened unto you. Also, whosoever come to me, those I will not cast out.
Herein lies the seeing out of Christ's spirit, out of God's kingdom, in the power ii6 CONFESSIONS OF JACOB BOEHME of the Word, with the eyes of God and not with the eyes of this world and of the outward flesh.
Thus, you blind world, know wherewith we see when we speak and write of God, and let your false judging alone : see you with your eyes and let God's children see with their eyes ; see from out your gifts, let another see from out his gifts.
As everyone is called, so let him see ; and so let him converse. We manage not all one and the same conversation, but everyone according to his gift, and his calling to serve God's honour and wonders.
The Spirit of God suffers not itself to be tied or bound up, as outward reason supposes, with decrees, canons and councils, whereby always one chain of Antichrist is linked to another so that men come to judge about God's Spirit, and to hold their own conceits or opinions to be God's covenant, as if God was not at home in this world, or as if they were Gods upon earth.
p. 117
I say that all such compacts and binding is Antichrist and unbelief, let it seem or flatter how it will. God's Spirit is unbound, he enters not into such compacts or obligations, but enters freely the seeking, humble, lowly mind, according to its gift and capacity.
He is also even subjected to it, if it does but earnestly desire him ; what then can institutions in human wit and prudence of this world do for that mind, since it belongs to the honour of God ?
Friendly conference and colloquy is very good and necessary, wherein one presents or imparts his gifts to another ; but compacts are a chain against God.
God has once made one covenant with us in Christ ; that is enough for eternity, he makes no more. He has once taken mankind into the covenant and sealed it by blood and death ; there is enough in that.
It is not so slight a thing to be a right n8 CONFESSIONS OF JACOB BOEHME true Christian, it is the very hardest thing of all ; the will must be a soldier, and fight against the corrupted will. It must sink itself down out of the earthly reason into the death of Christ, and break the power of the earthly will.
This must be with so hardy and bold a courage that it will hazard the earthly life upon it and not give over till it has broke the earthly will ; which indeed has been a strong battle with me.
It is no slight matter to fight for the garland of victory ; for no one wins that unless he overcomes ; which yet of his own might he cannot do.
He must make his will as it were dead, and so he lives to God and sinks into God's love ; though he lives now in the outward kingdom.
I speak of the garland of victory which he getts in the paradise world if he once presses in ; for there the noble seed is sown, and he receives the highly precious pledgep. 119 and earnest of the Holy Spirit, which afterwards leads and directs him.
And though he must in this world wander through a dark valley, wherein the Devil and the world's wickedness continually rush and roar tumultuously upon him, and often cast the outward man into evils and so hide the noble seed, yet it will not suffer itself to be kept back.
Thence it sprouts forth, and a tree grows out of it in God's kingdom, despite all the raging and raving of the Devil and his followers and dependents.
And the more the noble tree is cherished, the more swiftly and strongly it grows ; it suffers not itself to be destroyed though it costs the outward life.
God is in Christ become man, and the faith-spirit is also in Christ born man. In that the will-spirit converses or walks in God, for it is one spirit with God, and works with God divine works.
And though it may be that the earthly
p. 120
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