art too hard bound and captivated in Saturnus, and art not a philosopher in this world. 6. Let thy judging alone, or else thou wilt receive thy evil wages for it; therefore I will have thee faithfully warned of it. Tarry till thou comest into the other life, for then the heavenly gate will be opened to thee, and then thou also wilt understand this. Now observe the Depth. 7. Here I must lay hold on the whole divine body in the midst or centre at the heart, and explain the whole body, how nature is or existeth, and there you will see the highest ground, how all the seven spirits of God continually generate one another, and how the Deity hath neither beginning nor end. 8. Therefore behold and see the longing, desired pleasure of thy spirit, the eternal divine joyfulness, and the heavenly delight and corporeal joy, which in all eternity hath no end. Now observe: 9. When the flash riseth up in the centre, then the divine birth standeth in its full operation: In God it is continually and eternally thus; but not so in us poor fleshly children. 10. In this life the triumphing divine birth lasteth in us men only so long as the flash lasteth, therefore our knowledge is but in part, whereas in God the flash standeth unchangeably, always eternally thus. 11. Behold, all the seven spirits of God are generated alike together at once; none of them is the first, and none of them is the last; but we must have an eye to the kernel, and consider how the divine birth or geniture riseth up, otherwise man understandeth it not. 12. For the creatures cannot comprehend at once all the seven spirits, one in another, but they look upon them; but when one spirit is touched or stirred, then that toucheth or stirreth all the others, and then the birth or geniture standeth in full power. 13. Therefore it hath a beginning in man, but none in God; and therefore I must also write in a creaturely manner, or else thou canst not understand it. 14. Behold, without the flash all the seven spirits were a dark valley, but when the flash riseth up between the astringent and bitter qualities, in the heat, then it becometh shining in the sweet water, and in the flames of the heat it becometh bitter, and triumphing and living, and in the astringent it becometh corporeal, dry and bright. 15. Now these four spirits move themselves in the flash, for all the four become living therein, and so now the power of these four riseth up in the flash, as if the life did rise up, and the power which is risen up in the flash is the love, which is the fifth spirit. 16. That power moveth so very pleasantly and amiably in the flash, as if a dead spirit did become living, and was suddenly in a moment set into great clarity or brightness. 17. Now in this moving one power toucheth or stirreth another: First the astringent beateth or striketh,* and the heat maketh in that beating or stroke a clear ringing sound, and the bitter power divideth the ringing, and the water maketh it mild and soft, and mitigateth it; and this is the sixth spirit.
* "beateth or striketh" (pochet), "beating or stroke" (Pochen). See Ch. 10, par. 119. 18. Now the tone in all the five spirits riseth up like a melodious pleasant music, and remaineth so standing; for the astringent quality exsiccateth it or drieth it up. 19. So now, in the same sound that is gone forth (which now subsisteth, being dried) is the power of all the six qualifying or fountain spirits, and it is as it were the seed of the other six spirits, which they have there compacted or incorporated together, and made one spirit thereof, and which hath the quality of all the spirits: and that is the seventh spirit of God in the divine power. 20. Now this spirit subsisteth in its colour like azure or heavenblue, for it is generated out of all the six spirits; and when the flash, which standeth in the midst or centre in the heat, shineth into the other spirits, so that they rise up in the flash and generate the seventh spirit, then the flash riseth up also in the birth of the six spirits together in the seventh. 21. But because the seventh hath no peculiar quality in itself, therefore the flash in the seventh cannot be brighter, but it receiveth from the seventh the corporeal being of all the seven spirits, and the flash standeth in the midst or centre of these seven spirits, and is generated from all the seven. 22. The seven spirits are the father of the light, and the light is their son, which they always continually generate thus from eternity to eternity, and the light enlighteneth and always eternally maketh the seven spirits living and
art too hard bound and captivated in Saturnus, and art not a philosopher in this world. 6. Let your judging alone, or else you will receive your evil wages for it; therefore I will have you faithfully warned of it. Tarry till you comest into the other life, for then the heavenly gate will be opened to you, and then you also will understand this. Now observe the Depth. 7. Here I must lay hold on the whole divine body in the midst or centre at the heart, and explain the whole body, how nature is or exists, and there you will see the highest ground, how all the seven spirits of God continually generate one another, and how the Deity has neither beginning nor end. 8. Therefore behold and see the longing, desired pleasure of your spirit, the eternal divine joyfulness, and the heavenly delight and corporeal joy, which in all eternity has no end. Now observe: 9. When the flash rises up in the centre, then the divine birth stands in its full operation: In God it is continually and eternally thus; but not so in us poor fleshly children. 10. In this life the triumphing divine birth lasts in us men only so long as the flash lasts, therefore our knowledge is but in part, whereas in God the flash stands unchangeably, always eternally thus. 11. Behold, all the seven spirits of God are generated alike together at once; none of them is the first, and none of them is the last; but we must have an eye to the kernel, and consider how the divine birth or geniture rises up, otherwise man understands it not. 12. For the creatures cannot comprehend at once all the seven spirits, one in another, but they look upon them; but when one spirit is touched or stirred, then that touches or stirrs all the others, and then the birth or geniture stands in full power. 13. Therefore it has a beginning in man, but none in God; and therefore I must also write in a creaturely manner, or else you can not understand it. 14. Behold, without the flash all the seven spirits were a dark valley, but when the flash rises up between the astringent and bitter qualities, in the heat, then it becomes shining in the sweet water, and in the flames of the heat it becomes bitter, and triumphing and living, and in the astringent it becomes corporeal, dry and bright. 15. Now these four spirits move themselves in the flash, for all the four become living therein, and so now the power of these four rises up in the flash, as if the life did rise up, and the power which is risen up in the flash is the love, which is the fifth spirit. 16. That power moves so very pleasantly and amiably in the flash, as if a dead spirit did become living, and was suddenly in a moment set into great clarity or brightness. 17. Now in this moving one power touches or stirrs another: First the astringent beats or striks,* and the heat makes in that beating or stroke a clear ringing sound, and the bitter power divids the ringing, and the water makes it mild and soft, and mitigats it; and this is the sixth spirit.
* "beats or striks" (pochet), "beating or stroke" (Pochen). See Ch. 10, par. 119. 18. Now the tone in all the five spirits rises up like a melodious pleasant music, and remains so standing; for the astringent quality exsiccats it or dries it up. 19. So now, in the same sound that is gone forth (which now subsists, being dried) is the power of all the six qualifying or fountain spirits, and it is as it were the seed of the other six spirits, which they have there compacted or incorporated together, and made one spirit thereof, and which has the quality of all the spirits: and that is the seventh spirit of God in the divine power. 20. Now this spirit subsists in its colour like azure or heavenblue, for it is generated out of all the six spirits; and when the flash, which stands in the midst or centre in the heat, shines into the other spirits, so that they rise up in the flash and generate the seventh spirit, then the flash rises up also in the birth of the six spirits together in the seventh. 21. But because the seventh has no peculiar quality in itself, therefore the flash in the seventh cannot be brighter, but it receives from the seventh the corporeal being of all the seven spirits, and the flash stands in the midst or centre of these seven spirits, and is generated from all the seven. 22. The seven spirits are the father of the light, and the light is their son, which they always continually generate thus from eternity to eternity, and the light enlightens and always eternally makes the seven spirits living and
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