the angelical gates. 26. Thou must understand this properly, what the meaning of it is: For when I speak by way of similitude, and liken the Son of God to the sun, or to a round globe, it hath not that meaning as if he were a circumscriptive fountain, which can be measured, or whose depth, beginning or end could be fathomed. I write so by way of similitude only, till the Reader can come to the true understanding. 27. For the meaning here is not that the Son of God should be generated in the centre or midst of these angelical gates only, and nowhere else without, beyond or besides these angelical gates. 28. For the powers of the Father are everywhere, from and out of which the Son is generated, and from which the Holy Ghost goeth forth; how then should he be generated in the centre of these angelical gates only? 29. This therefore is the only ground and meaning, that the holy Father, who is ALL, would have in these angelical gates his most joyful and most richly loving qualities, out of which is generated the most joyful and most richly loving light, word, heart, or fountain of powers; and therefore hath he created his holy angels in this place for his joy, honour and glory. [" 30. In the abyssal or bottomless eternity " indeed, it is [the same] in one place as in another; " but where there are no creatures nothing can be " known, except by the spirit in its wonders."] 31. And this is the select place of the glory of God, which God the Father, in himself, hath made choice of, wherein his holy WORD or Heart is generated in highest glory, clarity or brightness, power and triumphing joy. 32. For observe this mystery: The light, which is generated out of the powers of the Father, who is the true fountain of the Son of God, is generated also in an angel, and in a holy man, so that in the same light and knowledge he [the Son of God] triumpheth in great joy. 33. How then is it that the light should not be generated everywhere, in the whole Father? For its power is ALL, and everywhere, even there, where our heart and senses or thoughts cannot reach. 34. So now, where the Father is, there also is the Son and the Holy Ghost; for the Father everywhere generateth the Son, his holy WORD, power, light and sound, and the Holy Ghost goeth everywhere forth from the Father and the Son, even within all the angelical gates, and also without, beside * or beyond the angelical gates. * "beside." See note to par. 46. 35. Now if a man likeneth the Son of God to the globe of the sun, as I have often done in the foregoing chapters, that is spoken in the way and manner of natural similitudes; and I was constrained to write so, because of the lack of understanding of the Reader, that so he might raise his sense or thoughts in these natural things, and climb from step to step, from one degree to another, till he might come into the high Mysteries. 36. But it hath not this meaning, that the Son of God is a circumscribed, compacted, figured image, like the sun. 37. For if it were so, then must the Son of God have a beginning, and the Father must have generated him in time, and then he could not be the eternal, almighty Son of the Father; but the Son would be like a king, who had yet a greater king above him, who had generated him in time, and in whose power it was to alter and change him. 38. This would be such a Son as had a beginning, and his power and splendour would be like the power of the sun which goeth forth from the sun, the body or globe of the sun standing still in its place: If this were so, then indeed one angelical gate [or port] would be nearer to the Son of God than another. 39. But here I will shew to thee the highest gate of the divine Mystery, and thou needest seek no higher; for there is no higher. Observe: 40. The Father's power is all, in and above all heavens, and the same power everywhere generateth the light. Now this UNIVERSAL POWER is, and is called, the universal power of the Father; and the light which is generated out of that universal power is, and is called, the Son. 41. But it is therefore called the Son, in that it is generated out of the Father, so that it is the Heart of the Father in his powers. 42. And being generated, it is another person than the Father is; for the Father is the power and the kingdom, and the Son is the light and the splendour in the Father, and the Holy Ghost is the moving or exit * out of the powers of the Father and of the Son, and formeth, figureth, frameth and imageth all. * "exit" (Ausgang), "effluence"; rendered by St M., " expansion."
the angelical gates. 26. You must understand this properly, what the meaning of it is: For when I speak by way of similitude, and liken the Son of God to the sun, or to a round globe, it has not that meaning as if he were a circumscriptive fountain, which can be measured, or whose depth, beginning or end could be fathomed. I write so by way of similitude only, till the Reader can come to the true understanding. 27. For the meaning here is not that the Son of God should be generated in the centre or midst of these angelical gates only, and nowhere else without, beyond or besides these angelical gates. 28. For the powers of the Father are everywhere, from and out of which the Son is generated, and from which the Holy Ghost goes forth; how then should he be generated in the centre of these angelical gates only? 29. This therefore is the only ground and meaning, that the holy Father, who is ALL, would have in these angelical gates his most joyful and most richly loving qualities, out of which is generated the most joyful and most richly loving light, word, heart, or fountain of powers; and therefore has he created his holy angels in this place for his joy, honour and glory. [" 30. In the abyssal or bottomless eternity " indeed, it is [the same] in one place as in another; " but where there are no creatures nothing can be " known, except by the spirit in its wonders."] 31. And this is the select place of the glory of God, which God the Father, in himself, has made choice of, wherein his holy WORD or Heart is generated in highest glory, clarity or brightness, power and triumphing joy. 32. For observe this mystery: The light, which is generated out of the powers of the Father, who is the true fountain of the Son of God, is generated also in an angel, and in a holy man, so that in the same light and knowledge he [the Son of God] triumphs in great joy. 33. How then is it that the light should not be generated everywhere, in the whole Father? For its power is ALL, and everywhere, even there, where our heart and senses or thoughts cannot reach. 34. So now, where the Father is, there also is the Son and the Holy Ghost; for the Father everywhere generats the Son, his holy WORD, power, light and sound, and the Holy Ghost goes everywhere forth from the Father and the Son, even within all the angelical gates, and also without, beside * or beyond the angelical gates. * "beside." See note to par. 46. 35. Now if a man likens the Son of God to the globe of the sun, as I have often done in the foregoing chapters, that is spoken in the way and manner of natural similitudes; and I was constrained to write so, because of the lack of understanding of the Reader, that so he might raise his sense or thoughts in these natural things, and climb from step to step, from one degree to another, till he might come into the high Mysteries. 36. But it has not this meaning, that the Son of God is a circumscribed, compacted, figured image, like the sun. 37. For if it were so, then must the Son of God have a beginning, and the Father must have generated him in time, and then he could not be the eternal, almighty Son of the Father; but the Son would be like a king, who had yet a greater king above him, who had generated him in time, and in whose power it was to alter and change him. 38. This would be such a Son as had a beginning, and his power and splendour would be like the power of the sun which goes forth from the sun, the body or globe of the sun standing still in its place: If this were so, then indeed one angelical gate [or port] would be nearer to the Son of God than another. 39. But here I will show to you the highest gate of the divine Mystery, and you needest seek no higher; for there is no higher. Observe: 40. The Father's power is all, in and above all heavens, and the same power everywhere generats the light. Now this UNIVERSAL POWER is, and is called, the universal power of the Father; and the light which is generated out of that universal power is, and is called, the Son. 41. But it is therefore called the Son, in that it is generated out of the Father, so that it is the Heart of the Father in his powers. 42. And being generated, it is another person than the Father is; for the Father is the power and the kingdom, and the Son is the light and the splendour in the Father, and the Holy Ghost is the moving or exit * out of the powers of the Father and of the Son, and forms, figures, frams and imags all. * "exit" (Ausgang), "effluence"; rendered by St M., " expansion."
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