Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
him, and I will grind him and break him to pieces, and his spirit must live in me ; and although thou world supposeth that he is thine, because he beareth thy image, yet his spirit is mine, generated out of my kingdom ; therefore take what is thine from him, I will keep that which is mine.
35. Now what did the virtue in Adam, in this strife ? It flattered with all the three [kingdoms]. It said to the Heart of God, I will stay in paradise, and thou shalt dwell in me : I will be thine, for thou art my Creator, and thou hast thus concreted [or extracted] me out of all the three Principles, and created me : Thy refreshment is pleasant, and thou art my bridegroom, I have received of thy fulness, and therefore I am impregnated [or with child], and I will bring forth a virgin, that myCh. 11] CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TEMPTATION 193 kingdom may be great, and that thou mayest have mere joy in me : I will eat of thy fruit, and my spirit shall eat of thy virtue [or power] ; and thy name in me shall be called 1MMANUEL, God with us.
36. And when the spirit of this world perceived that, then it said, Wherefore wilt thou only eat of that which thou comprehendest not, and drink of that which thou feelest not ? Thou art not yet merely a spirit, thou hast from me all the kinds of comprehensibility in thee ; behold, the comprehensible fruit is sweet and good, and the comprehensible drink is l mighty and strong, eat and l powerful, drink from me, and so thou shalt come to have virtue or all my virtue and beauty ; thou mayest in me be s mighty [and powerful] over all the creatures, for the kingdom of this world shall be thy own, and thou shalt be lord upon earth.
37. And the virtue in Adam said, I am upon earth, and dwell in this world, and the world is mine, I will use it according to my lust [will, and pleasure]. Then came the command of God (which was 2 received in the centre of God, out of the a enclosed, circle [or circumference] of the eternal life), and compresaid, In the day that thou eatest of the earthly fruit, thou shalt die the death : This command was comprehended or enclosed (and hath its original in the eternal Father) in the centre, where the eternal Father continually from eternity generateth his Heart or Son.
p. 13
p. 194
38. Now when the worm of darkness saw the command of God, it thought with itself, here thou
1 Or have wilt l not prevail, thou art spirit without body, nothing to . 7 111 do. and contrariwise, Adam is corporeal, thou hast but a third part in him, and besides, the command is in the way ; thou wilt even slip [or creep] into the essences, and flatter with the spirit of this world, and take a creaturely form upon thee, and send a legate [or ambassador] out of my kingdom, clothed in the form of a serpent, and wilt persuade him to eat of the earthly fruit, and then the command destroyeth his body, and the spirit remaineth [to be] mine. Here now the legate [or ambassador], the devil, was very willing [and ready] at this, especially because Adam in paradise was in his place, where he should have been ; and [he] thought [with himself], Now thou hast an opportunity to be revenged ; thou wilt mingle lies and truth so together, that Adam may not [observe or] understand it, [the treachery], and so thou wilt tempt him.
Of the Tree of Knowledge [of] Good and Evil.
2 might. 39. I have told you before, out of what 2 power the tree is grown ; viz. that it grew out of the earth, and hath wholly had the nature of the earth in it, as at this day all earthly trees are [so] (and no otherwise, neither better nor worse), wherein corruptibility standeth, as the earth is corruptible, and shall pass away in the end, when all shall
p. 195
him, and I will grind him and break him to pieces, and his spirit must live in me ; and although you world supposes that he is your, because he bears your image, yet his spirit is mine, generated out of my kingdom ; therefore take what is your from him, I will keep that which is mine.
35. Now what did the virtue in Adam, in this strife ? It flattered with all the three [kingdoms]. It said to the Heart of God, I will stay in paradise, and you shall dwell in me : I will be your, for you are my Creator, and you have thus concreted [or extracted] me out of all the three Principles, and created me : Your refreshment is pleasant, and you are my bridegroom, I have received of your fulness, and therefore I am impregnated [or with child], and I will bring forth a virgin, that my
Ch. 11] CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TEMPTATION 193 kingdom may be great, and that you may have mere joy in me : I will eat of your fruit, and my spirit shall eat of your virtue [or power] ; and your name in me shall be called 1MMANUEL, God with us.
36. And when the spirit of this world perceived that, then it said, Wherefore will you only eat of that which you comprehendest not, and drink of that which you feelest not ? You are not yet merely a spirit, you have from me all the kinds of comprehensibility in you ; behold, the comprehensible fruit is sweet and good, and the comprehensible drink is l mighty and strong, eat and l powerful, drink from me, and so you shall come to have virtue or all my virtue and beauty ; you may in me be s mighty [and powerful] over all the creatures, for the kingdom of this world shall be your own, and you shall be lord upon earth.
37. And the virtue in Adam said, I am upon earth, and dwell in this world, and the world is mine, I will use it according to my lust [will, and pleasure]. Then came the command of God (which was 2 received in the centre of God, out of the a enclosed, circle [or circumference] of the eternal life), and compresaid, In the day that you eatest of the earthly fruit, you shall die the death : This command was comprehended or enclosed (and has its original in the eternal Father) in the centre, where the eternal Father continually from eternity generats his Heart or Son.
p. 13
194 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 11
38. Now when the worm of darkness saw the command of God, it thought with itself, here you
1 Or have will l not prevail, you are spirit without body, nothing to . 7 111 do. and contrariwise, Adam is corporeal, you have but a third part in him, and besides, the command is in the way ; you will even slip [or creep] into the essences, and flatter with the spirit of this world, and take a creaturely form upon you, and send a legate [or ambassador] out of my kingdom, clothed in the form of a serpent, and will persuade him to eat of the earthly fruit, and then the command destroys his body, and the spirit remains [to be] mine. Here now the legate [or ambassador], the devil, was very willing [and ready] at this, especially because Adam in paradise was in his place, where he should have been ; and [he] thought [with himself], Now you have an opportunity to be revenged ; you will mingle lies and truth so together, that Adam may not [observe or] understand it, [the treachery], and so you will tempt him.
Of the Tree of Knowledge [of] Good and Evil.
2 might. 39. I have told you before, out of what 2 power the tree is grown ; viz. that it grew out of the earth, and has wholly had the nature of the earth in it, as at this day all earthly trees are [so] (and no otherwise, neither better nor worse), wherein corruptibility stands, as the earth is corruptible, and shall pass away in the end, when all shall
Cll. 11] CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE TEMPTATION 195