vanish, and be no more; but they stand in the most anguishing birth or geniture, and there is nothing in them but mere fierceness, wrath and malice; the kindled firesource riseth from eternity to eternity, and they can never touch nor see nor apprehend the sweet and light birth or geniture of God any more. Of the kindled Nature. 106. Now God hath therefore kindled nature so much and so hard, and did so kindle the burning in his wrath therein, that he might thereby build a dwellinghouse for the devils, and keep them prisoners therein, in that they were the children of wrath, in whom he ruleth, with his fierce zeal or jealousy, and they rule in the wrath. THE TWENTYFOURTH CHAPTER Of the Incorporating or Compaction of the Stars. 1. NOW when the whole body of nature in the extent, space or circumference of this world was benumbed or deadened, as in the hard death, and yet that the life was hid therein, thereupon God moved the whole body of the nature of this world on the fourth day, and generated the stars from or out of nature, out of the risen light. For the wheel of God's birth or geniture moved itself again, as it had done from eternity. 2. Indeed it had moved on the first day, and had begun the birth or geniture in the body of the corrupt nature; for on the first day the life separated itself from the death, and on the second day a firmament was created between, and on the third day the life brake forth through death. For there the light brake forth through the darkness, and made the dead body of nature to spring, to flourish, and to be stirring and agile. 3. For on the third day the body of nature did travail so hard in anxiety till the lovefire had kindled itself in the death, and till the light of life was broken forth through the congealed body of death, and had sprung up out of death; but on the third day it stood only in the firecrack, from whence mobility existed. 4. On the fourth day the light rose up, and made its seat in the house of death, and yet death could not, and cannot, comprehend it. As little as the austere birth of God, (which standeth in the innermost kernel from whence life existeth), can apprehend the meekness, and the light of the meekness together with the spirit in the meekness, so little also can the dead darkness of this world comprehend the light of nature: no more can the devils either. 5. But the light shineth through death, and hath made its royal seat in the midst or centre in the house of death and of God's wrath, and generateth to itself a new [divine] body of God out of the house of wrath, which new body subsisteth eternally in the love of God, incomprehensibly to the old kindled body in the outmost birth or geniture. Now thou wilt ask, How shaU I understand this? Answer. 6. I cannot at all write it in thy heart, for it is not for every man's capacity, understanding and apprehension, especially where the spirit standeth in the house of wrath, and doth not qualify, operate or unite with the light of God. But I will shew it to thee in an earthly similitude, that thou mightest, if possible, get a little into the deep sense. 7. Behold and consider a tree: On the outside it hath a hard, gross rind or bark, which is dead, benumbed, and without vegetation—yet not quite dead, but in the impotence; and there is a great difference between the bark and the body that groweth next under the rind or bark. The body hath its living power, and breaketh forth through the withered rind, and generateth many fair young bodies or twigs, all which stand in the old body. 8. But the rind is as a death, and cannot comprehend the life of the tree, but only hangeth to it, and is a cover to the tree, in which worms do harbour, which in the end destroy the tree. 9. Thus also is the whole house of this world. The outward darkness is the house of God's wrath, wherein the devils dwell, and it is rightly the house of death, for the holy light of God hath therein died. [" Understand, the light stepped into its Princi " ple, and is the outward substantiality in God, " as it were dead in our esteem, whereas it liveth " in God, but in another source or quality."] 10. But the body of this great house, which lieth hid under the shell or rind of darkness, incomprehensibly to the darkness, that body is the house of life, wherein love and wrath wrestle the one with the other. 11. Now the love always breaketh through the house of death, and generateth holy, heavenly twigs in the great tree; which twigs stand in the light. For they spring up through the shell or skin of darkness, as the twigs do through the
vanish, and be no more; but they stand in the most anguishing birth or geniture, and there is nothing in them but mere fierceness, wrath and malice; the kindled firesource rises from eternity to eternity, and they can never touch nor see nor apprehend the sweet and light birth or geniture of God any more. Of the kindled Nature. 106. Now God has therefore kindled nature so much and so hard, and did so kindle the burning in his wrath therein, that he might thereby build a dwellinghouse for the devils, and keep them prisoners therein, in that they were the children of wrath, in whom he ruls, with his fierce zeal or jealousy, and they rule in the wrath. THE TWENTYFOURTH CHAPTER Of the Incorporating or Compaction of the Stars. 1. NOW when the whole body of nature in the extent, space or circumference of this world was benumbed or deadened, as in the hard death, and yet that the life was hid therein, thereupon God moved the whole body of the nature of this world on the fourth day, and generated the stars from or out of nature, out of the risen light. For the wheel of God's birth or geniture moved itself again, as it had done from eternity. 2. Indeed it had moved on the first day, and had begun the birth or geniture in the body of the corrupt nature; for on the first day the life separated itself from the death, and on the second day a firmament was created between, and on the third day the life brake forth through death. For there the light brake forth through the darkness, and made the dead body of nature to spring, to flourish, and to be stirring and agile. 3. For on the third day the body of nature did travail so hard in anxiety till the lovefire had kindled itself in the death, and till the light of life was broken forth through the congealed body of death, and had sprung up out of death; but on the third day it stood only in the firecrack, from whence mobility existed. 4. On the fourth day the light rose up, and made its seat in the house of death, and yet death could not, and cannot, comprehend it. As little as the austere birth of God, (which stands in the innermost kernel from whence life exists), can apprehend the meekness, and the light of the meekness together with the spirit in the meekness, so little also can the dead darkness of this world comprehend the light of nature: no more can the devils either. 5. But the light shines through death, and has made its royal seat in the midst or centre in the house of death and of God's wrath, and generats to itself a new [divine] body of God out of the house of wrath, which new body subsists eternally in the love of God, incomprehensibly to the old kindled body in the outmost birth or geniture. Now you will ask, How shaU I understand this? Answer. 6. I cannot at all write it in your heart, for it is not for every man's capacity, understanding and apprehension, especially where the spirit stands in the house of wrath, and does not qualify, operate or unite with the light of God. But I will show it to you in an earthly similitude, that you might, if possible, get a little into the deep sense. 7. Behold and consider a tree: On the outside it has a hard, gross rind or bark, which is dead, benumbed, and without vegetation—yet not quite dead, but in the impotence; and there is a great difference between the bark and the body that grows next under the rind or bark. The body has its living power, and breaks forth through the withered rind, and generats many fair young bodies or twigs, all which stand in the old body. 8. But the rind is as a death, and cannot comprehend the life of the tree, but only hangs to it, and is a cover to the tree, in which worms do harbour, which in the end destroy the tree. 9. Thus also is the whole house of this world. The outward darkness is the house of God's wrath, wherein the devils dwell, and it is rightly the house of death, for the holy light of God has therein died. [" Understand, the light stepped into its Princi " ple, and is the outward substantiality in God, " as it were dead in our esteem, whereas it lives " in God, but in another source or quality."] 10. But the body of this great house, which lies hid under the shell or rind of darkness, incomprehensibly to the darkness, that body is the house of life, wherein love and wrath wrestle the one with the other. 11. Now the love always breaks through the house of death, and generats holy, heavenly twigs in the great tree; which twigs stand in the light. For they spring up through the shell or skin of darkness, as the twigs do through the
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