42. Whereof you have an image in the Revelation of John, where he seeth seven golden candle sticks or lights before the Son of God, which signify the seven spirits of God, which shine in great clarity, brightness or lustre before the Son of God, out of which the Son of God is continually generated from eternity to eternity, and is the Heart of the seven spirits of God, and which I will here describe in order one after another. 43. You must here elevate your sense or mind in the spirit, if you intend to understand and apprehend it; or else in your own sense or mind you will be an astringent, hard, blind stock. III. Of the Third Circumstance or Species. 44. The Third quality, or the third spirit of God in the Father's power, is the bitter quality; which is a penetrating or forcing of the sweet and the astringent or harsh qualities, and which is trembling,* penetrating and rising up. * "trembling," rendered by St M., "vibrante," "vibrating" or " tense." Observe here: 45. The astringent or harsh quality is the kernel or stock, and is sour or attractive; and the sweet is the light, mollifying and softening; and the bitter is penetrating or triumphing, which riseth up and triumpheth in the astringent or harsh quality, and in the sweet. 46. This is the source of joy, or the cause of the laughing, elevating joy, whereby a thing trembleth and jubilateth for joy; whence the heavenly joy existeth.
47. Moreover, it is the imaging or forming of all sorts of red colours in its own quality; in the sweet it imageth or formeth all sorts of white and blue; in the astringent, or harsh and sour, it formeth all sorts of green, dusky and mixed colours, with all manner of forms or figures and smells. 48. The bitter quality is the first spirit from whence mobility taketh its original, whence the life becometh stirring, and is well called Cor or the heart, for it is the trembling, shivering, elevating, penetrating spirit, a triumphing or joy, an elevating source of laughing; in the sweet quality the bitter is mollified, so that it becometh very richly loving and joyful. 49. But if it be moved, elevated and kindled too much, then it kindleth the sweet and the astringent or harsh qualities, and is like a tearing, stinging and burning poison, as when a man is tormented with a raging plaguesore, which maketh him cry out for woe and misery. 50. In the divine power this quality, when it is kindled, is the spirit of the zealous or jealous and bitter wrath of God, which is unquenchable, as may be seen by the legions of Lucifer. 51. Yet further: this quality, when it is kindled, is the bitter hellish fire, which putteth out the light, turning the sweet quality into a stink, causing a sharpness and tearing, a hardness and coldness in the astringent or harsh quality. 52. In the sour quality it causeth a rankness and brittleness, a stink, a misery, a house of mourning, a house of darkness, of death and of hell; an end of joy, which therein can no more be thought upon: For it cannot be quieted or stilled by anything, nor can it be enlightened again by anything; but the dark, astringent or harsh, stinking, sour, torn, bitter, fierce quality riseth up to all eternity. Now observe: 53. In these three species or qualities standeth the corporeal being, or the creatural being of all creatures in heaven and in this world, whether it be angel or man, beast or fowl or vegetable, of a heavenly or of an earthly form, quality and kind, as also all colours and forms. 54. Briefly, whatsoever imageth itself, standeth in the power and authority of these three head qualities, and is formed by them, and also is formed out of their own power. 55. First, the astringent and sour quality is a body or source which attracteth the sweet power, and the cold in the astringent or harsh quality maketh it dry. 56. For the sweet quality is the heart of the water, for it is thin and light or bright, and is like heaven: and the bitter quality maketh it separable or distinct, so that the powers form themselves into members, and cause mobility in the body. 57. And when the sweet quality is dried, then it is a corpus or body, which is perfect, but wanting reason. 58. And the bitter quality penetrateth into the body, into the astringent or sour and into the sweet qualities, and frameth all sorts of colours according to that quality to which the body is most eagerly inclined, or according to that quality which is strongest in the body, according to that [strongest quality] the bitter quality frameth the
42. Whereof you have an image in the Revelation of John, where he sees seven golden candle sticks or lights before the Son of God, which signify the seven spirits of God, which shine in great clarity, brightness or lustre before the Son of God, out of which the Son of God is continually generated from eternity to eternity, and is the Heart of the seven spirits of God, and which I will here describe in order one after another. 43. You must here elevate your sense or mind in the spirit, if you intend to understand and apprehend it; or else in your own sense or mind you will be an astringent, hard, blind stock. III. Of the Third Circumstance or Species. 44. The Third quality, or the third spirit of God in the Father's power, is the bitter quality; which is a penetrating or forcing of the sweet and the astringent or harsh qualities, and which is trembling,* penetrating and rising up. * "trembling," rendered by St M., "vibrante," "vibrating" or " tense." Observe here: 45. The astringent or harsh quality is the kernel or stock, and is sour or attractive; and the sweet is the light, mollifying and softening; and the bitter is penetrating or triumphing, which rises up and triumphs in the astringent or harsh quality, and in the sweet. 46. This is the source of joy, or the cause of the laughing, elevating joy, whereby a thing trembls and jubilats for joy; whence the heavenly joy exists.
47. Moreover, it is the imaging or forming of all sorts of red colours in its own quality; in the sweet it imags or forms all sorts of white and blue; in the astringent, or harsh and sour, it forms all sorts of green, dusky and mixed colours, with all manner of forms or figures and smells. 48. The bitter quality is the first spirit from whence mobility takes its original, whence the life becomes stirring, and is well called Cor or the heart, for it is the trembling, shivering, elevating, penetrating spirit, a triumphing or joy, an elevating source of laughing; in the sweet quality the bitter is mollified, so that it becomes very richly loving and joyful. 49. But if it be moved, elevated and kindled too much, then it kindls the sweet and the astringent or harsh qualities, and is like a tearing, stinging and burning poison, as when a man is tormented with a raging plaguesore, which makes him cry out for woe and misery. 50. In the divine power this quality, when it is kindled, is the spirit of the zealous or jealous and bitter wrath of God, which is unquenchable, as may be seen by the legions of Lucifer. 51. Yet further: this quality, when it is kindled, is the bitter hellish fire, which putts out the light, turning the sweet quality into a stink, causing a sharpness and tearing, a hardness and coldness in the astringent or harsh quality. 52. In the sour quality it causes a rankness and brittleness, a stink, a misery, a house of mourning, a house of darkness, of death and of hell; an end of joy, which therein can no more be thought upon: For it cannot be quieted or stilled by anything, nor can it be enlightened again by anything; but the dark, astringent or harsh, stinking, sour, torn, bitter, fierce quality rises up to all eternity. Now observe: 53. In these three species or qualities stands the corporeal being, or the creatural being of all creatures in heaven and in this world, whether it be angel or man, beast or fowl or vegetable, of a heavenly or of an earthly form, quality and kind, as also all colours and forms. 54. Briefly, whatsoever imags itself, stands in the power and authority of these three head qualities, and is formed by them, and also is formed out of their own power. 55. First, the astringent and sour quality is a body or source which attracts the sweet power, and the cold in the astringent or harsh quality makes it dry. 56. For the sweet quality is the heart of the water, for it is thin and light or bright, and is like heaven: and the bitter quality makes it separable or distinct, so that the powers form themselves into members, and cause mobility in the body. 57. And when the sweet quality is dried, then it is a corpus or body, which is perfect, but wanting reason. 58. And the bitter quality penetrats into the body, into the astringent or sour and into the sweet qualities, and frams all sorts of colours according to that quality to which the body is most eagerly inclined, or according to that quality which is strongest in the body, according to that [strongest quality] the bitter quality frams the
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.