devils into the nature of God, like a thief and a murderer that desired to rob, murder and spoil all, and bring all under its power, and so kindled all the seven spirits in nature. And then there was nothing else but an astringent, bitter, fiery and cracking burning, tearing and raging. 73. Thou must not think that the devil hath thus powerfully and mightily overcome the Deity. No; but he hath kindled the wrath of God, which, indeed, had otherwise rested eternally in secret, and so he hath made the Salitter of God to be a murderous den; for if fire be cast into a heap of straw, and the straw kindled, it will burn. God hath not, on that account become a devil. * * The last clause of this par. is absent from Sparrow's translation, and it does not appear in the German ed. of 1656, nor in Schiebler's ed. It is in the German eds. of 1682, 1715 and 1730. 74. Moreover, the wrathfire of God doth not reach in nature into the innermost kernel of the heart, which is the Son of God, much less into the secret glory or holiness of the spirit, but into the birth or geniture of the six qualifying or fountain spirits, in the place where the seventh is generated. 75. For in that place, or in this birth or geniture, is lord Lucifer become a creature, and his dominion did reach no farther or deeper than so; but if he had continued in the love, then his animated or soulish spirit had reached even to the centre of the heart of God, for love presseth or penetrateth through the whole Deity. 76. But when his love was extinguished, then the animated or soulish spirit could no more reach into the heart of God, and so his attempt was in vain; but he raved and raged in nature, that is, in the seventh qualifying or fountain spirit of God. 77. But seeing the power of all the seven spirits stood in this one, therefore also all the seven were kindled in the wrath, but yet only in the outward and comprehensible qualification or constitution. 78. For the devil could not touch the heart, neither could he touch the innermost birth or geniture of the qualifying or fountain spirits; for his glory of the seven spirits was already mortified in the first flash of kindling, and was presently held captive and imprisoned in the first exit of the animated or soulish spirit. 79. In this hour king Lucifer prepared for himself the hell and eternal perdition, which now standeth in the outermost qualifying or fountain spirit of the nature of God, or in the outermost birth or geniture of this world. 80. But when nature kindled itself thus horribly, then the house of joy came to be a house of trouble, affliction and misery. For the astringent quality became kindled in its own house, which is a very hard, cold and dark essence, like a cold, hard frosty winter, which only attracted the Salitter together, and dried it up, so that it became rugged, cold and sharp like stones, wherein the heat was captivated, imprisoned, and also attracted together, and so formed or framed into a hard, cold, dark essence. 81. When this was done the light in nature was extinguished in the outermost birth or geniture also, and all became very dark, perished and spoiled; the water became very cold and thick, and stayed here and there in the clefts.
This is the original of the elementary water on earth. 82. For before the times of the world the water was very thin or rarified, like air, and then the life was generated therein also, which water is now so mortal, corrupted, perished and spoiled, and so rolleth and runneth to and fro. 83. The gracious, amiable and blessed love which rose up in the flash of the life, became a fierce and bitter venom or poison, a very murderous den, a sting of death: The tone or tune became like the hard knocking or loud rumbling of stones, and a house of lamentation. 84. Briefly, all was a mere dark and miserable being in the whole circumference, extent or dominion, in the outermost birth or geniture of the kingdom of Lucifer. 85. But thou must not think that nature was thus corrupted and kindled even to the innermost ground, but only the outermost birth or geniture; but the innermost, in which the seven qualifying or fountain spirits generate themselves, retained its own right to itself, seeing the kindled devil could not reach into it. 86. But now the inner birth or geniture hath the fan or castingshovel in its hand, and will one day purge its floor, and give the chaff or husks to the kingdom of Lucifer for eternal food. 87. For if the devil could have reached into the innermost birth or geniture, then instantly the whole circumference, court or extent of his kingdom would have been the kindled burning hell. 88. But now he must lie captivated and imprisoned in the outermost birth or geniture, even
devils into the nature of God, like a thief and a murderer that desired to rob, murder and spoil all, and bring all under its power, and so kindled all the seven spirits in nature. And then there was nothing else but an astringent, bitter, fiery and cracking burning, tearing and raging. 73. You must not think that the devil has thus powerfully and mightily overcome the Deity. No; but he has kindled the wrath of God, which, indeed, had otherwise rested eternally in secret, and so he has made the Salitter of God to be a murderous den; for if fire be cast into a heap of straw, and the straw kindled, it will burn. God has not, on that account become a devil. * * The last clause of this par. is absent from Sparrow's translation, and it does not appear in the German ed. of 1656, nor in Schiebler's ed. It is in the German eds. of 1682, 1715 and 1730. 74. Moreover, the wrathfire of God does not reach in nature into the innermost kernel of the heart, which is the Son of God, much less into the secret glory or holiness of the spirit, but into the birth or geniture of the six qualifying or fountain spirits, in the place where the seventh is generated. 75. For in that place, or in this birth or geniture, is lord Lucifer become a creature, and his dominion did reach no farther or deeper than so; but if he had continued in the love, then his animated or soulish spirit had reached even to the centre of the heart of God, for love presses or penetrats through the whole Deity. 76. But when his love was extinguished, then the animated or soulish spirit could no more reach into the heart of God, and so his attempt was in vain; but he raved and raged in nature, that is, in the seventh qualifying or fountain spirit of God. 77. But seeing the power of all the seven spirits stood in this one, therefore also all the seven were kindled in the wrath, but yet only in the outward and comprehensible qualification or constitution. 78. For the devil could not touch the heart, neither could he touch the innermost birth or geniture of the qualifying or fountain spirits; for his glory of the seven spirits was already mortified in the first flash of kindling, and was presently held captive and imprisoned in the first exit of the animated or soulish spirit. 79. In this hour king Lucifer prepared for himself the hell and eternal perdition, which now stands in the outermost qualifying or fountain spirit of the nature of God, or in the outermost birth or geniture of this world. 80. But when nature kindled itself thus horribly, then the house of joy came to be a house of trouble, affliction and misery. For the astringent quality became kindled in its own house, which is a very hard, cold and dark essence, like a cold, hard frosty winter, which only attracted the Salitter together, and dried it up, so that it became rugged, cold and sharp like stones, wherein the heat was captivated, imprisoned, and also attracted together, and so formed or framed into a hard, cold, dark essence. 81. When this was done the light in nature was extinguished in the outermost birth or geniture also, and all became very dark, perished and spoiled; the water became very cold and thick, and stayed here and there in the clefts.
This is the original of the elementary water on earth. 82. For before the times of the world the water was very thin or rarified, like air, and then the life was generated therein also, which water is now so mortal, corrupted, perished and spoiled, and so rolls and runns to and fro. 83. The gracious, amiable and blessed love which rose up in the flash of the life, became a fierce and bitter venom or poison, a very murderous den, a sting of death: The tone or tune became like the hard knocking or loud rumbling of stones, and a house of lamentation. 84. Briefly, all was a mere dark and miserable being in the whole circumference, extent or dominion, in the outermost birth or geniture of the kingdom of Lucifer. 85. But you must not think that nature was thus corrupted and kindled even to the innermost ground, but only the outermost birth or geniture; but the innermost, in which the seven qualifying or fountain spirits generate themselves, retained its own right to itself, seeing the kindled devil could not reach into it. 86. But now the inner birth or geniture has the fan or castingshovel in its hand, and will one day purge its floor, and give the chaff or husks to the kingdom of Lucifer for eternal food. 87. For if the devil could have reached into the innermost birth or geniture, then instantly the whole circumference, court or extent of his kingdom would have been the kindled burning hell. 88. But now he must lie captivated and imprisoned in the outermost birth or geniture, even
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.