Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
p. 12
then came the tempter, and would have brought him from obedience, and said, He should out of the stones make bread ; which was nothing else, but that he should leave the heavenly bread (which man receiveth in faith and in a strong confidence in God), and put his imagination into the spirit of this world, and live therein.
13. But when the child of the virgin laid the heavenly bread before him, and said, Man liveth
1 Or by, or of. not only * from this world, * from the earthly eating and drinking, then came the second way [or kind] of temptation forth, viz. the might [power, dominion, and authority] of this world ; the prince of the wrath [or strong fierceness] would give him all the power of the stars and elements, if he would put his imagination into him, and pray to [or worship] him. That was the right scourge [or whip] wherewith Adam was 2 scourged, [viz.'] with the might, riches, and beauty of this world, after which at last Adam lusted, and was taken ; but the child of the virgin laid before him that the kingdom was not his, [viz.'] belonging to the prince of the [fierce, strong] wrath, but [it belonged] to the Word and Heart of God ; he must worship God, and serve him only.
14. The third temptation was the same into which the devil also was fallen, 3with high-mindedness [or pride], when he [Christ] was tempted to have flien from above, from the pinnacle of the temple, and should have elevated himself above humility and
2 Or driven ou with.
3 Or out of.
Ch. 12] OPENING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE 203
meekness ; for the meekness maketh the angry Father, in the originalness, soft and joyful, so that the Deity [thus] becometh a soft and pleasant essence.
15. But lord Lucifer would (in the creation) have fain been above the meekness of the Heart of God, above the end of nature ; therefore he would fain also have persuaded the son of the virgin to fly without wings, above the end of nature, in pride ; of which shall be handled in its due place at large. I have brought this in thus, but in brief, that my writing may be the better understood, and how it stands with [or upon] the ground [or foundation] of the Scripture, and is not any new thing, neither shall there be any thing new [in them], but only the true knowledge, in the Holy Ghost, of the essence of all essences.
Of Adam's Sleep
16. Adam had not eaten of the fruit before his sleep, till his wife was created out of him ; only his essences and inclination had eaten of it in the spirit by the imagination, and not in the mouth ; and thereupon the spirit of the great world captivated him, and mightily * qualified in him [or infected him]. l Or wrought And then instantly the sun and stars wrestled with him, and all the four elements wrestled so mightily and powerfully, that they overcame him ; and [so] he sank down into a sleep.
17. Now to an understanding man it is very easy
p. 204
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 12
1 Or which will 1)6
20rpropagato be found and known, that there neither was, nor should be any sleep in Adam, when he was in the image of God. For Adam was such an image as we shall be at the resurrection of the dead, where we shall have no need of the elements, nor of the sun, nor stars, also [of] no sleep, but our eyes shall be always open eternally, beholding the glory of God, 1 from whence will be our meat and drink ; an^ tne centre iQ tne 2 multiplicity, or springing up of the birth, affordeth mere delight and joy ; for God will bring forth out of the earth into the kingdom of heaven no other [kind of] man, than [such a one] as the first [was] before the fall ; for he was created out of the eternal will of God ; that [will] is unchangeable, and must stand ; therefore consider these things deeply.
18. 0 thou dear soul, that swimmest in a dark 3 lake, incline thy mind to the gate of heaven, and behold what the fall of Adam hath been, which God did so greatly loathe, that [because of it] Adam could not continue in paradise : behold and consider the sleep, and so you shall find it all.
THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 12
then came the tempter, and would have brought him from obedience, and said, He should out of the stones make bread ; which was nothing else, but that he should leave the heavenly bread (which man receives in faith and in a strong confidence in God), and put his imagination into the spirit of this world, and live therein.
13. But when the child of the virgin laid the heavenly bread before him, and said, Man lives
1 Or by, or of. not only * from this world, * from the earthly eating and drinking, then came the second way [or kind] of temptation forth, viz. the might [power, dominion, and authority] of this world ; the prince of the wrath [or strong fierceness] would give him all the power of the stars and elements, if he would put his imagination into him, and pray to [or worship] him. That was the right scourge [or whip] wherewith Adam was 2 scourged, [viz.'] with the might, riches, and beauty of this world, after which at last Adam lusted, and was taken ; but the child of the virgin laid before him that the kingdom was not his, [viz.'] belonging to the prince of the [fierce, strong] wrath, but [it belonged] to the Word and Heart of God ; he must worship God, and serve him only.
14. The third temptation was the same into which the devil also was fallen, 3with high-mindedness [or pride], when he [Christ] was tempted to have flien from above, from the pinnacle of the temple, and should have elevated himself above humility and
2 Or driven ou with.
3 Or out of.
Ch. 12] OPENING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE 203 meekness ; for the meekness makes the angry Father, in the originalness, soft and joyful, so that the Deity [thus] becomes a soft and pleasant essence.
15. But lord Lucifer would (in the creation) have fain been above the meekness of the Heart of God, above the end of nature ; therefore he would fain also have persuaded the son of the virgin to fly without wings, above the end of nature, in pride ; of which shall be handled in its due place at large. I have brought this in thus, but in brief, that my writing may be the better understood, and how it stands with [or upon] the ground [or foundation] of the Scripture, and is not any new thing, neither shall there be any thing new [in them], but only the true knowledge, in the Holy Ghost, of the essence of all essences.
Of Adam's Sleep
16. Adam had not eaten of the fruit before his sleep, till his wife was created out of him ; only his essences and inclination had eaten of it in the spirit by the imagination, and not in the mouth ; and thereupon the spirit of the great world captivated him, and mightily * qualified in him [or infected him]. l Or wrought And then instantly the sun and stars wrestled with him, and all the four elements wrestled so mightily and powerfully, that they overcame him ; and [so] he sank down into a sleep.
17. Now to an understanding man it is very easy
p. 204
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 12
1 Or which will 1)6
20rpropagato be found and known, that there neither was, nor should be any sleep in Adam, when he was in the image of God. For Adam was such an image as we shall be at the resurrection of the dead, where we shall have no need of the elements, nor of the sun, nor stars, also [of] no sleep, but our eyes shall be always open eternally, beholding the glory of God, 1 from whence will be our meat and drink ; an^ tne centre iQ tne 2 multiplicity, or springing up of the birth, affords mere delight and joy ; for God will bring forth out of the earth into the kingdom of heaven no other [kind of] man, than [such a one] as the first [was] before the fall ; for he was created out of the eternal will of God ; that [will] is unchangeable, and must stand ; therefore consider these things deeply.
18. 0 you dear soul, that swimmest in a dark 3 lake, incline your mind to the gate of heaven, and behold what the fall of Adam has been, which God did so greatly loathe, that [because of it] Adam could not continue in paradise : behold and consider the sleep, and so you shall find it all.