Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

23. Therefore the devil also, in regard of the might of the tart [strong fierce wrath], was called a prince of this world in the [angry strong] fierceness, of which you shall find [more] about the fall. And therefore God created but one man ; for God would that man should continue in paradise, and live eternally ; and on the contrary, the sternness [or strong fierce wrath] would tempt him, [to try] whether he would put his imagination and will wholly into the Heart of God, and into paradise, wherein he was.

24. And because Adam was drawn forth out of the strong [stern, sour] essences, therefore he must be tempted, [to try] whether his essences (out of which his imagination and lust proceeded) could stand in the heavenly quality, and whether he would eat of the Verbum Domini [the Word of the Lord] ; and [to try] which essence, whether the paradisical, or the strong [fierce, wrathful], would overcome in Adam.

25. And this was the purpose of God, therefore to create but one man, that the same might bep. 188 tempted [and tried] how he would stand, and that upon his fall he might the better be helped : And the Heart of God did before the foundation of the world in his love foreintend [or prepurpose] to come to help [him] ; and when no other remedy could do it, the Heart of God himself would become man, and regenerate man again. x

26. For man is not fallen out of strong [fierce, angry] pride, like the devil ; but his earthly essences have overcome his paradisical essences, and brought them into the earthly lust, and in that regard he hath grace again bestowed upon him.

The highest, strongest, and the mightiest Gate of the Temptation in Adam.

27. Here I will faithfully admonish the Reader, 1 not only in deeply to consider Moses, for l here, under the veil but in ail ' of Moses, he may look upon the face of Moses : ings. Also he may see the second Adam in the Move of or°iaWOmb' ^e yirgin : Also he may see him in ^s temptation, and upon the cross ; as also in death ; and lastly, in the virtue of the resurrection at the right hand of God : Also you may see Moses on mount Sinai ; and lastly, the clarification [or transfiguration] of Christ, Moses and Elias on mount Tabor : Also you may see herein the whole Scripture of the Old and New Testaments : Also you find herein all the Prophets from the beginning of the world hitherto, and all the might and power of all tyrants, wherefore things have gone so, and must still go [as they

Ch. 11] CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TEMPTATION 189

do] : Lastly, you find the golden gate of the omnipotence [or almightiness], and of the great power in the love and humility; and wherefore the children of God must still be tempted ; and wherefore the noble grain of mustard-seed must grow in storms, crosses, and misery, and wherefore it cannot be otherwise : Also herein you find the essence of all essences.

28. And it is the gate of the lily, concerning which the spirit witnesseth, that it will l hereafter 1 shortly. grow in the wrathful tree, and when it groweth, it will bring us true knowledge, by its pleasant and fragrant smell, in the Holy Trinity ; by which smell Antichrist 2 will be stifled, and the tree of a Note, we the stern anger be broken down, and the beast ceaithe erp enraged, which hath its might and strength the tree for a time, till it be dry and fiery, because it can get no more sap from the wrathful tree that is broken down ; and then it will smell [or lift up itself] in the [fierce, tart] 3 wrath against the tree 3 Or rage. and the lily, till the tree (of which the beast did eat and was strong) destroyeth the beast, and his power remaineth in the fire of the originalness. And then all doors [will] stand open in the great tree of nature, and the priest Aaron [will] give his garment and fair ornament to the Lamb, that was slain and is [alive] again.

29. Reader, who lovest God ; hereby it will be shewn thee, that the great Mysteries * meet us, 4 Or are im-

•_ . . parted to us.