his will; and though I should irritate or enrage the whole world, the devil, and all the gates of hell, I will look on and wait what the LORD intendeth with it. 18. For I am much too weak to know his purpose; and though the spirit affordeth in the light to be known some things which are to come, yet according to the outward man I am too weak to comprehend the same. 19. But the animated or soulish spirit, which qualifieth or uniteth with God, that comprehends it well; but the bestial body attains only a glimpse thereof, just as if it lightened: For thus presenteth itself the innermost birth or geniture of the soul, when it teareth through the outermost birth or geniture in the elevation of the Holy Ghost, and so breaketh through the gates of hell; but the outermost birth presently shuts again; for the wrath of God bolteth up the firmament, and holds it captive in its power. 20. Then the knowledge of the outward man is gone, and he walketh up and down in an afflicted and anxious birth or geniture, as a woman with child, who is in her travail, and would always fain bring forth her child, but cannot, and is full of throes. 21. Thus it goeth also with the bestial body, when it hath once tasted of the sweetness of God, then it continually hungereth and thirsteth after this sweetness: But the devil in the power of God's wrath opposeth exceedingly, and so a man in such a course must continually stand in an anxious birth or geniture; and so there is nothing but fighting and warring in his births or genitures. 22. I write this not for mine own glory, but for a comfort to the Reader, so that if perhaps he be minded to walk with me upon my narrow bridge, he should not suddenly be discouraged, dismayed and distrustful, when the gates of hell and God's wrath meet him, and present themselves before him. 23. When we shall come together over this narrow bridge of the fleshly birth or geniture, to be in yonder green meadow, to which the wrath of God doth not reach or come, then we shall greatly rejoice at all our damages and hurts which we have sustained; though indeed at present the world doth account us for fools, and we must suffer the devil in the power of God's wrath to domineer, and to rush and roar over us: It should not trouble us, for it will be a more excellent reputation to us in the other life, than if in this life we had worn a royal crown; and there is so very short a time to get thither, that it is not worth the being called a time. Now observe: 24. If thou fixest thy thoughts concerning heaven, and wouldst fain conceive in the mind what it is, and where it is, and how it is, thou needest not to swing or cast thy thoughts many thousand miles off, for that place, or that heaven, is not thy heaven. 25. And though indeed that is united with thy heaven as one body, and so together is but the one body of God, yet thou art not in that very place which is become a creature, aloft, many hundred thousand miles off; but thou art in the heaven of this world, which containeth also in it a deep, such as is not of any human number (or is not circumscriptive). 26. For the true heaven is everywhere, even in that very place where thou standest and goest, and so when thy spirit apprehendeth the innermost birth or geniture of God, and presseth in through the astral and fleshly geniture, then it is clearly in heaven. 27. But that there is assuredly a pure glorious heaven in all the three births or genitures aloft above the deep of this world, in which God's being, together with that of the holy angels, riseth or springeth up very purely, brightly, beauteously and joyfully, is undeniable, and he is not born of God that denieth it. But thou must know, 28. That the place of this world with its innermost birth and geniture uniteth or qualifieth with the heaven aloft above us, and so there is one heart, one being, one will, one God, all in all. 29. But that the place of this world is not called heaven, and that there is a firmament or fast enclosure between the upper heaven above us, hath this understanding or meaning, as followeth. 30. The upper heaven compriseth the two kingdoms, that of Michael, and that of Uriel, with all the holy angels that are not fallen with Lucifer, and that heaven continueth as it was from eternity, before the angels were created. 31. The other heaven is this world, in which Lucifer was a king, who kindled the outermost birth or geniture in nature; and that now is the wrath of God, and cannot be called God or heaven, but perdition. 32. Therefore the upper heaven closeth itself so far in its outermost birth or geniture, and reacheth so far as the wrath of God reacheth, and so far as the government or dominion of Lucifer hath reached, for the corrupted or perished birth or geniture cannot comprehend the pure.
his will; and though I should irritate or enrage the whole world, the devil, and all the gates of hell, I will look on and wait what the LORD intends with it. 18. For I am much too weak to know his purpose; and though the spirit affords in the light to be known some things which are to come, yet according to the outward man I am too weak to comprehend the same. 19. But the animated or soulish spirit, which qualifies or unites with God, that comprehends it well; but the bestial body attains only a glimpse thereof, just as if it lightened: For thus presents itself the innermost birth or geniture of the soul, when it tears through the outermost birth or geniture in the elevation of the Holy Ghost, and so breaks through the gates of hell; but the outermost birth presently shuts again; for the wrath of God bolts up the firmament, and holds it captive in its power. 20. Then the knowledge of the outward man is gone, and he walks up and down in an afflicted and anxious birth or geniture, as a woman with child, who is in her travail, and would always fain bring forth her child, but cannot, and is full of throes. 21. Thus it goes also with the bestial body, when it has once tasted of the sweetness of God, then it continually hungers and thirsts after this sweetness: But the devil in the power of God's wrath opposes exceedingly, and so a man in such a course must continually stand in an anxious birth or geniture; and so there is nothing but fighting and warring in his births or genitures. 22. I write this not for mine own glory, but for a comfort to the Reader, so that if perhaps he be minded to walk with me upon my narrow bridge, he should not suddenly be discouraged, dismayed and distrustful, when the gates of hell and God's wrath meet him, and present themselves before him. 23. When we shall come together over this narrow bridge of the fleshly birth or geniture, to be in yonder green meadow, to which the wrath of God does not reach or come, then we shall greatly rejoice at all our damages and hurts which we have sustained; though indeed at present the world does account us for fools, and we must suffer the devil in the power of God's wrath to domineer, and to rush and roar over us: It should not trouble us, for it will be a more excellent reputation to us in the other life, than if in this life we had worn a royal crown; and there is so very short a time to get thither, that it is not worth the being called a time. Now observe: 24. If you fixest your thoughts concerning heaven, and would fain conceive in the mind what it is, and where it is, and how it is, you needest not to swing or cast your thoughts many thousand miles off, for that place, or that heaven, is not your heaven. 25. And though indeed that is united with your heaven as one body, and so together is but the one body of God, yet you are not in that very place which is become a creature, aloft, many hundred thousand miles off; but you are in the heaven of this world, which contains also in it a deep, such as is not of any human number (or is not circumscriptive). 26. For the true heaven is everywhere, even in that very place where you stand and go, and so when your spirit apprehends the innermost birth or geniture of God, and presses in through the astral and fleshly geniture, then it is clearly in heaven. 27. But that there is assuredly a pure glorious heaven in all the three births or genitures aloft above the deep of this world, in which God's being, together with that of the holy angels, rises or springs up very purely, brightly, beauteously and joyfully, is undeniable, and he is not born of God that denies it. But you must know, 28. That the place of this world with its innermost birth and geniture unites or qualifies with the heaven aloft above us, and so there is one heart, one being, one will, one God, all in all. 29. But that the place of this world is not called heaven, and that there is a firmament or fast enclosure between the upper heaven above us, has this understanding or meaning, as follows. 30. The upper heaven comprises the two kingdoms, that of Michael, and that of Uriel, with all the holy angels that are not fallen with Lucifer, and that heaven continues as it was from eternity, before the angels were created. 31. The other heaven is this world, in which Lucifer was a king, who kindled the outermost birth or geniture in nature; and that now is the wrath of God, and cannot be called God or heaven, but perdition. 32. Therefore the upper heaven closes itself so far in its outermost birth or geniture, and reaches so far as the wrath of God reaches, and so far as the government or dominion of Lucifer has reached, for the corrupted or perished birth or geniture cannot comprehend the pure.
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