The Confessions of Jacob Boehme
Most deep Love of God in Christ Jesus, leave me not in this distress. I confess I am guilty of the sins which now rise up in my mind and conscience ; if thou forsake me I must perish. But hast thou not promised me in thy word, saying, If a mother could forget her child (which can hardly be), yet thou wilt not foi'get mel Thou hast set me as a sign in thy hands which were pierced through with sharp nails, and in thy open side whence blood and water gushed out. Poor wretch that
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I am ! I can in my own ability do nothing before thee ; I sink myself down into thy wounds and death ; into thee I sink down in the anguish of my conscience ; do with me what thou wilt.
Beloved Reader, this is no light matter ; he that accounteth it so hath not yet passed through the trial. His conscience is still asleep. Happy is he who passeth through this fire in the time of his youth, before the Devil buildeth up in him a stronghold ; he may prove a labourer in the heavenly vineyard, and sow his seed in the garden of Christ, where in due time he shall reap the fruit. This trial continueth a long while with many a poor soul, several years if he do not earnestly and early put on the armour of Christ. But to him who with a firm purpose striveth to depart from his evil ways the temptation will not be so hard, neither will it continue so long. Yet he must stand out valiantly till victory
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be gotten over the Devil. He shall be mightily assisted, and all shall end in the best for him ; so that afterwards, when the day breaketh in his soul, he turneth all to the great praise and glory of God.
CHAPTER XVI
ALL sorrow, anguish, and fear concerning spiritual things, whereby a man is dejected and terrified in himself, proceeded from the soul. The outward spirit, which is from the stars and elements, is not thus disturbed and perplexed ; because it liveth in its own matrix from which it had its birth. But the poor soul is entered into a strange lodging, into the spirit of this world, which is not its proper home. Whereby that fair creature is obscured and defaced, and is also held captive therein, as in a dark dungeon.
The soul is in its first being a magical fire-source from God's nature. It is an intense and incessant desire after the divine Light.
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So then, the soul, being of itself a hungry magical fire-spirit, desireth spiritual virtue in order to sustain and preserve thereby its fire-life and allay the hunger of its source.
But seeing that the hungry soul, from the mother's womb, is involved in the spirit of the great world and its own temperament ; therefore it feedeth, immediately from its birth, yea, even in the mother's womb, of the spirit of this world.
The soul eateth spiritual food according to its temperament ; it is the kindling of its fire. The fuel of its fire must be either its temperament or a divine sustenance from God.
Hence we may understand the cause of that infinite variety which there is in the wills and actions of men. Of whatever the soul eateth, wherewith its fire-life is fed, according to that the soul's life is led and governed.
If it goes out from its own temperamentp. 142 into God's love-fire, into the heavenly substantiality which is Christ's, then it eateth of Christ and of the meekness of the light of his majesty, wherein is the fountain of eternal life.
From thence the soul getteth a divine will, and bringeth the body to do that which, according to its natural inclination and the spirit of this world, it would not do. In such a soul the temperament ruleth not ; it bears sway only over the outward body. Such a man hath a continual longing after God.
Oftentimes when his soul eateth of the divine love-essence, it bringeth to him an exulting triumph, and a divine taste into the temperament itself. So that the whole body is thereby affected and even trembleth for joy, being lifted up to such a degree of divine sensation, as if it was on the very borders of paradise.
But this rapturous state rarely continueth long. The soul is soon clouded with someCONFESSIONS OF JACOB BOEHME 143
Most deep Love of God in Christ Jesus, leave me not in this distress. I confess I am guilty of the sins which now rise up in my mind and conscience ; if you forsake me I must perish. But have you not promised me in your word, saying, If a mother could forget her child (which can hardly be), yet you will not foi'get mel You have set me as a sign in your hands which were pierced through with sharp nails, and in your open side whence blood and water gushed out. Poor wretch that
p. 138
I am ! I can in my own ability do nothing before you ; I sink myself down into your wounds and death ; into you I sink down in the anguish of my conscience ; do with me what you will.
Beloved Reader, this is no light matter ; he that accounts it so has not yet passed through the trial. His conscience is still asleep. Happy is he who passes through this fire in the time of his youth, before the Devil builds up in him a stronghold ; he may prove a labourer in the heavenly vineyard, and sow his seed in the garden of Christ, where in due time he shall reap the fruit. This trial continues a long while with many a poor soul, several years if he do not earnestly and early put on the armour of Christ. But to him who with a firm purpose strives to depart from his evil ways the temptation will not be so hard, neither will it continue so long. Yet he must stand out valiantly till victory
p. 139
be gotten over the Devil. He shall be mightily assisted, and all shall end in the best for him ; so that afterwards, when the day breaks in his soul, he turns all to the great praise and glory of God.
CHAPTER XVI
ALL sorrow, anguish, and fear concerning spiritual things, whereby a man is dejected and terrified in himself, proceeded from the soul. The outward spirit, which is from the stars and elements, is not thus disturbed and perplexed ; because it lives in its own matrix from which it had its birth. But the poor soul is entered into a strange lodging, into the spirit of this world, which is not its proper home. Whereby that fair creature is obscured and defaced, and is also held captive therein, as in a dark dungeon.
The soul is in its first being a magical fire-source from God's nature. It is an intense and incessant desire after the divine Light.
p. 140
p. 141
So then, the soul, being of itself a hungry magical fire-spirit, desires spiritual virtue in order to sustain and preserve thereby its fire-life and allay the hunger of its source.
But seeing that the hungry soul, from the mother's womb, is involved in the spirit of the great world and its own temperament ; therefore it feeds, immediately from its birth, yea, even in the mother's womb, of the spirit of this world.
The soul eats spiritual food according to its temperament ; it is the kindling of its fire. The fuel of its fire must be either its temperament or a divine sustenance from God.
Hence we may understand the cause of that infinite variety which there is in the wills and actions of men. Of whatever the soul eats, wherewith its fire-life is fed, according to that the soul's life is led and governed.
If it goes out from its own temperamentp. 142 into God's love-fire, into the heavenly substantiality which is Christ's, then it eats of Christ and of the meekness of the light of his majesty, wherein is the fountain of eternal life.
From thence the soul getts a divine will, and brings the body to do that which, according to its natural inclination and the spirit of this world, it would not do. In such a soul the temperament ruls not ; it bears sway only over the outward body. Such a man has a continual longing after God.
Oftentimes when his soul eats of the divine love-essence, it brings to him an exulting triumph, and a divine taste into the temperament itself. So that the whole body is thereby affected and even trembls for joy, being lifted up to such a degree of divine sensation, as if it was on the very borders of paradise.
But this rapturous state rarely continues long. The soul is soon clouded with someCONFESSIONS OF JACOB BOEHME 143
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