THE FIRST CHAPTER Of Searching out the Divine Being in Nature: Of both the Qualities, the Good and the Evil. 1. THOUGH flesh and blood cannot conceive or apprehend the being of God, but the spirit only when enlightened and kindled from God: 2. Yet if a man will speak of God, and say what God is, then, I. A man must diligently consider the powers in nature. II. Also the whole creation, heaven and earth. III. The stars, the elements, and the creatures that are proceeded from them. As also the holy angels, devils, and men; moreover, heaven and hell. Of the Two Qualities in One. 3. In this consideration are found two qualities, a good one and an evil one, which are in each other as one thing in this world, in all powers, in the stars and the elements, as also in all the creatures; and no creature in the flesh, in the natural life, can subsist, unless it hath the two qualities. What a Quality* is. 4. Now here a man must consider what the word quality meaneth or is. A quality is the mobility, boiling, springing and driving of a thing. * The understanding of the thing here called quality is the foundation of that whole revelation of Jacob Behme's, and of all Mysteries of which his writings are only a description. For all along, the seven qualities are called sometimes seven sources, seven species, kinds, manners, circumstances, conditions, powers, operations or faculties of a thing. Also [the seven qualities are sometimes called] the qualifying or fountain spirits, which give, model, image or frame the power, virtue, colour, taste, figure, shape, constitution, substance, essence and distinct being of all things, whichever were, are, shall be or can be, in, from and to all eternity, in God and in all creatures, in heaven, in hell or in this world; also the forms or properties of nature, which is the Salitter or power of God. And so they are the seven spirits of God, as in the Revelation of John i. 4; iii. 1; iv. 5; v. 6. [J. Sparrow.] Of Heat. 5. As for example, heat, which burneth, consumeth and driveth forth all whatsoever that cometh into it which is not of the same property; and again, it enlighteneth and warmeth all cold, wet and dark things; it compacteth and hardeneth soft things. Of Light and Fierceness. 6. Heat containeth likewise two other kinds in it, namely, (l) Light, and (2) Fierceness; of which take notice in this manner. The light, or the heart of the heat, is in itself a pleasant, joyful glance or lustre,* a power of life, an enlightening and glance of a thing which is afar off, which light is a piece or source of the heavenly kingdom of joy. * " glance or lustre " (Anblick), " sight." 7. For it maketh living and moving all things in this world. All flesh, trees, leaves and grass grow in this world in the power of the light, and have their life therein, viz. in the good. 8. Again, heat containeth also a fierceness or wrath, which burneth, consumeth and spoileth;
this wrath or fierceness springeth, driveth and elevateth itself in the light, and maketh the light moveable. 9. Heat wrestleth and fighteth together in its twofold source as one thing: It is also one thing, but it hath a double source: the light subsisteth in God without heat, but it doth not subsist so in nature. 10. For all qualities in nature are one in another as one quality, in that manner as God is all, and as all things descend and come forth from him: For God is the heart or fountain of nature, + from him cometh all. + " God is the heart or fountain of nature," etc. Note by Saint Martin: " Here, by the word ' nature,' must be understood, not actual nature, but an anterior nature. The author holds as a fundamental principle that there is a perfectly harmonized and eternal nature, out of which has arisen, violently, the temporal, fugitive and disordered nature wherein we live. At times he uses a qualifying expression to indicate the distinction; but often, as in the present case, he suppresses the qualificative. Again, he refers in turns, but without warning, to eternal and then to actual nature, as can be seen in the next par., and the reader is left in uncertainty as to his meaning. A little attention, however, will prevent error. This work cannot be read lightly; it must be devotedly studied if it is to be understood." 11. Now the heat reigneth and predominateth in all powers in nature, and warmeth all, and is one source or spring in all; for if it were not so the water would be too cold, and the earth would be congealed, and there would be no air. 12. The heat is predominant in all, in trees, herbs and grass, and maketh the water moveable, so that through the springing of the waters, herbs
THE FIRST CHAPTER Of Searching out the Divine Being in Nature: Of both the Qualities, the Good and the Evil. 1. THOUGH flesh and blood cannot conceive or apprehend the being of God, but the spirit only when enlightened and kindled from God: 2. Yet if a man will speak of God, and say what God is, then, I. A man must diligently consider the powers in nature. II. Also the whole creation, heaven and earth. III. The stars, the elements, and the creatures that are proceeded from them. As also the holy angels, devils, and men; moreover, heaven and hell. Of the Two Qualities in One. 3. In this consideration are found two qualities, a good one and an evil one, which are in each other as one thing in this world, in all powers, in the stars and the elements, as also in all the creatures; and no creature in the flesh, in the natural life, can subsist, unless it has the two qualities. What a Quality* is. 4. Now here a man must consider what the word quality means or is. A quality is the mobility, boiling, springing and driving of a thing. * The understanding of the thing here called quality is the foundation of that whole revelation of Jacob Behme's, and of all Mysteries of which his writings are only a description. For all along, the seven qualities are called sometimes seven sources, seven species, kinds, manners, circumstances, conditions, powers, operations or faculties of a thing. Also [the seven qualities are sometimes called] the qualifying or fountain spirits, which give, model, image or frame the power, virtue, colour, taste, figure, shape, constitution, substance, essence and distinct being of all things, whichever were, are, shall be or can be, in, from and to all eternity, in God and in all creatures, in heaven, in hell or in this world; also the forms or properties of nature, which is the Salitter or power of God. And so they are the seven spirits of God, as in the Revelation of John i. 4; iii. 1; iv. 5; v. 6. [J. Sparrow.] Of Heat. 5. As for example, heat, which burns, consums and drivs forth all whatsoever that comes into it which is not of the same property; and again, it enlightens and warms all cold, wet and dark things; it compacts and hardens soft things. Of Light and Fierceness. 6. Heat contains likewise two other kinds in it, namely, (l) Light, and (2) Fierceness; of which take notice in this manner. The light, or the heart of the heat, is in itself a pleasant, joyful glance or lustre,* a power of life, an enlightening and glance of a thing which is afar off, which light is a piece or source of the heavenly kingdom of joy. * " glance or lustre " (Anblick), " sight." 7. For it makes living and moving all things in this world. All flesh, trees, leaves and grass grow in this world in the power of the light, and have their life therein, viz. in the good. 8. Again, heat contains also a fierceness or wrath, which burns, consums and spoils;
this wrath or fierceness springs, drivs and elevats itself in the light, and makes the light moveable. 9. Heat wrestls and fights together in its twofold source as one thing: It is also one thing, but it has a double source: the light subsists in God without heat, but it does not subsist so in nature. 10. For all qualities in nature are one in another as one quality, in that manner as God is all, and as all things descend and come forth from him: For God is the heart or fountain of nature, + from him comes all. + " God is the heart or fountain of nature," etc. Note by Saint Martin: " Here, by the word ' nature,' must be understood, not actual nature, but an anterior nature. The author holds as a fundamental principle that there is a perfectly harmonized and eternal nature, out of which has arisen, violently, the temporal, fugitive and disordered nature wherein we live. At times he uses a qualifying expression to indicate the distinction; but often, as in the present case, he suppresses the qualificative. Again, he refers in turns, but without warning, to eternal and then to actual nature, as can be seen in the next par., and the reader is left in uncertainty as to his meaning. A little attention, however, will prevent error. This work cannot be read lightly; it must be devotedly studied if it is to be understood." 11. Now the heat reigns and predominats in all powers in nature, and warms all, and is one source or spring in all; for if it were not so the water would be too cold, and the earth would be congealed, and there would be no air. 12. The heat is predominant in all, in trees, herbs and grass, and makes the water moveable, so that through the springing of the waters, herbs
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