taken captive and slain. 62. But how can he that swimmeth in a deep water defend himself? He hath enough to do to protect himself from the water; and yet nevertheless he is assaulted by the devils. 63. O danger upon danger! as our King Christ also saith; [Matth. xix. 24] It is very hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. A camel will easier go through the eye of a needle, than a rich man enter into the kingdom of heaven. 64. But if any will be new born again, he must not yield himself to be a servant to covetousness, pride, state and selfpower, to take delight in the will or desires of his flesh; but he must struggle and fight against himself, against the devil, and against all the lusts of the flesh; and he must think and consider that he is but a servant and pilgrim on earth, who must wander through many miserable seas of danger into another world; and there he will be a lord, and his dominion will consist in power, and in perfect delight, beauty and brightness; this I tell as the word of the spirit. Now observe: 65. The SUN hath its own royal place to itself, and doth not go away from that place where it came to be at the first. Some suppose that it runneth round about the globe of the earth in a day and a night; and some of the astrologers also write so; and some have undertaken to measure how far its orb and circumference of its supposed motion is. 66. This opinion or supposition is not right, but the earth rolleth itself about; and runneth with the other planets, as in a wheel, round about the sun. The earth doth not remain staying in one place, but in a year runneth round once about the sun, as the other planets next the sun, but Saturn and Jupiter, as also Mars, by reason of their great orb, circumference, and great height, cannot do it [in a year], because they stand so high above, and far distant from the SUN. Now it may be asked, What is the SUN, and what are the other PLANETS? Or how are they come to be? 67. Behold! the other planets are peculiar bodies of their own, which have a corporeal propriety of themselves, and are not bound to any settled or fixed place, but only to their circle, orb or sphere wherein they run their course. But the SUN is not such a body, but is only a place or locality kindled by the light of God. Understand it aright. 68. The place where the SUN is, is such a place as you may choose or suppose anywhere above the earth; and if God should kindle the light by the heat, then the whole world would be such a mere SUN; for that same power wherein the sun standeth is everywhere all over; and before the time of wrath it was everywhere all over in the place of this world as light as the sun now is, but not so intolerable. 69. For that heat was not so great as in the sun, and therefore the light was also very meek; and thus, in respect of the horrible fierceness of the sun, the sun is differenced or distinguished from the meekness of God. So that man should not dare to say that the sun is an open gate of the light of God; but it is as the light in a mans eye, whereas also the place of the eye belongeth to the body, but the light is different or distinct from the body.
70. Though indeed the light existeth by the heat in the water of the body, yet it is a peculiar, distinct thing, which the body cannot comprehend; and such a distinct difference there is also between God the Father and God the Son. 71. Thus on the fourth day, in the anxious birth or geniture of this world, in the middle point or centre of this world, the SUN is sprung up, and standeth still* in its eternal, corporeal place; for it cannot rise up in one place, and set in another. * "standeth still" (stehet . . . stille). St M. has, "reste fixe," "remaineth fixed." 72. For it is the only and sole natural light of this world, and besides it there is no more any true light in the house of death; and though it seemeth as if the other stars did shine bright and give light also, yet it is not so, but they take all their lustre and shining light from the sun; as hereafter presently followeth. The true Birth or Geniture and Descent of the Sun and Planets is just thus, as followeth. 73. Now when the heaven was made for a distinction or partition between the light of God and the kindled corruption of the body of this world, then was the body of this world a dark valley, and had no light besides the heaven that could have shone forth in the outward body; all powers stood as it were captivated in death, and were in great anguish, till they had heated themselves in the midst or centre of the body. 74. But when this was done, so that the anxious birth or geniture stood so severely in
taken captive and slain. 62. But how can he that swimms in a deep water defend himself? He has enough to do to protect himself from the water; and yet nevertheless he is assaulted by the devils. 63. O danger upon danger! as our King Christ also says; [Matth. xix. 24] It is very hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. A camel will easier go through the eye of a needle, than a rich man enter into the kingdom of heaven. 64. But if any will be new born again, he must not yield himself to be a servant to covetousness, pride, state and selfpower, to take delight in the will or desires of his flesh; but he must struggle and fight against himself, against the devil, and against all the lusts of the flesh; and he must think and consider that he is but a servant and pilgrim on earth, who must wander through many miserable seas of danger into another world; and there he will be a lord, and his dominion will consist in power, and in perfect delight, beauty and brightness; this I tell as the word of the spirit. Now observe: 65. The SUN has its own royal place to itself, and does not go away from that place where it came to be at the first. Some suppose that it runns round about the globe of the earth in a day and a night; and some of the astrologers also write so; and some have undertaken to measure how far its orb and circumference of its supposed motion is. 66. This opinion or supposition is not right, but the earth rolls itself about; and runns with the other planets, as in a wheel, round about the sun. The earth does not remain staying in one place, but in a year runns round once about the sun, as the other planets next the sun, but Saturn and Jupiter, as also Mars, by reason of their great orb, circumference, and great height, cannot do it [in a year], because they stand so high above, and far distant from the SUN. Now it may be asked, What is the SUN, and what are the other PLANETS? Or how are they come to be? 67. Behold! the other planets are peculiar bodies of their own, which have a corporeal propriety of themselves, and are not bound to any settled or fixed place, but only to their circle, orb or sphere wherein they run their course. But the SUN is not such a body, but is only a place or locality kindled by the light of God. Understand it aright. 68. The place where the SUN is, is such a place as you may choose or suppose anywhere above the earth; and if God should kindle the light by the heat, then the whole world would be such a mere SUN; for that same power wherein the sun stands is everywhere all over; and before the time of wrath it was everywhere all over in the place of this world as light as the sun now is, but not so intolerable. 69. For that heat was not so great as in the sun, and therefore the light was also very meek; and thus, in respect of the horrible fierceness of the sun, the sun is differenced or distinguished from the meekness of God. So that man should not dare to say that the sun is an open gate of the light of God; but it is as the light in a mans eye, whereas also the place of the eye belongs to the body, but the light is different or distinct from the body.
70. Though indeed the light exists by the heat in the water of the body, yet it is a peculiar, distinct thing, which the body cannot comprehend; and such a distinct difference there is also between God the Father and God the Son. 71. Thus on the fourth day, in the anxious birth or geniture of this world, in the middle point or centre of this world, the SUN is sprung up, and stands still* in its eternal, corporeal place; for it cannot rise up in one place, and set in another. * "stands still" (stehet . . . stille). St M. has, "reste fixe," "remains fixed." 72. For it is the only and sole natural light of this world, and besides it there is no more any true light in the house of death; and though it seems as if the other stars did shine bright and give light also, yet it is not so, but they take all their lustre and shining light from the sun; as hereafter presently follows. The true Birth or Geniture and Descent of the Sun and Planets is just thus, as follows. 73. Now when the heaven was made for a distinction or partition between the light of God and the kindled corruption of the body of this world, then was the body of this world a dark valley, and had no light besides the heaven that could have shone forth in the outward body; all powers stood as it were captivated in death, and were in great anguish, till they had heated themselves in the midst or centre of the body. 74. But when this was done, so that the anxious birth or geniture stood so severely in
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.