Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
42. For the desiring is the attracting of whatsoever the will desireth ; and that will is first pure, neither darkness nor light, for it dwelleth in itself, and it is even the gate of the divine virtue that filleth all things. And thus the attracting filleth the will with the things which the will desireth ; and although it be pure, and desireth nothing but the light, yet there is no light in the dark anxiety that it can attract, but it draweth the spirit of the essences of the stars and elements into itself, and therewith the will of the divine virtue is filled, and the same is all rough and dark. And thus the willCh. 15] KNOWLEDGE OF THE ETERNITY 323 is set in the darkness, and this is done also in the heart.
43. The will now standing thus in the dark anxiety, it l getteth another will to fly out of the l Or conanxiety again, and to generate the light ; and this other will is the mind, out of which proceed the senses [or thoughts] not to continue in the anxiety : And the will [appeareth] discovereth itself in the essences of the sourness, as in the fierce hardness of death ; and the glimpse [or glance] breaketh through the essences of the sour hardness, as a swift [or sudden] flash, and sharpeneth itself in the sour hardness, that it becometh [pale, white, or] 2 glimmering, like a flash of fire, and in its sudden 2 Text, flight breaketh the sour darkness ; and there o standeth the hardness, and the harsh sourness of death like a broken turning wheel, which with the flash of the breaking flieth swiftly as a thought;
as also then the re-conceived will (which is the mind) appeareth so very suddenly. And seeing it cannot fly forward out of the essences, it must go into the turning wheel, (for it cannot get from that place), and so it breaketh the darkness. And when the darkness is thus 3 broken, [then] the ' or dispelled.
sharp glance discovereth itself in the pleasant joy without [or beyond] the darkness in the sharpness of the will, viz. in the mind, and findeth itself habitable therein, from whence the flash (or glance)
is terrified, and flieth up with strong might through the broken essences out of the heart, and would out
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at the mouth, and raiseth itself far from the heart, and yet is held by the sour [or harsh] Fiat, and it then maketh itself a several region (viz. the tongue) wherein then standeth the shriek [or the crack] of the broken essences. And seeing then it reflecteth [or recoileth] back again into the heart, as into its first dwelling-house, and findeth itself so very habitable and pleasant (because the gates of the darkness are broken), then it kindleth itself so highly in the loving will, by reason of the meekness, and goeth no more like a stern [or fierce] flash through all essences, but [it] goeth trembling with great joy ; and the might of the joy is now many hundred times stronger, than first the flash [or glance] was, which yielded [or discovered] itself through the sour harsh essences of the death, and goeth with strong might out of the heart into the head, in the will [or purpose] to possess the heavenly region.
1 the will. 44. For l it is paradisical, and it hath its most inward root therein. When Adam in sin died the first death, then said God, The seed of the woman shall
* break with 2 break the serpent's head. The same word 3 im-
^e* ing upon prm^e(j itself m Adam, in the centre of the spring3 imagined, ing-up of his life, and so in like manner with the figured, or
42. For the desiring is the attracting of whatsoever the will desires ; and that will is first pure, neither darkness nor light, for it dwells in itself, and it is even the gate of the divine virtue that fills all things. And thus the attracting fills the will with the things which the will desires ; and although it be pure, and desires nothing but the light, yet there is no light in the dark anxiety that it can attract, but it draws the spirit of the essences of the stars and elements into itself, and therewith the will of the divine virtue is filled, and the same is all rough and dark. And thus the will
Ch. 15] KNOWLEDGE OF THE ETERNITY 323 is set in the darkness, and this is done also in the heart.
43. The will now standing thus in the dark anxiety, it l getts another will to fly out of the l Or conanxiety again, and to generate the light ; and this other will is the mind, out of which proceed the senses [or thoughts] not to continue in the anxiety : And the will [appears] discovers itself in the essences of the sourness, as in the fierce hardness of death ; and the glimpse [or glance] breaks through the essences of the sour hardness, as a swift [or sudden] flash, and sharpens itself in the sour hardness, that it becomes [pale, white, or] 2 glimmering, like a flash of fire, and in its sudden 2 Text, flight breaks the sour darkness ; and there o stands the hardness, and the harsh sourness of death like a broken turning wheel, which with the flash of the breaking flies swiftly as a thought;
as also then the re-conceived will (which is the mind) appears so very suddenly. And seeing it cannot fly forward out of the essences, it must go into the turning wheel, (for it cannot get from that place), and so it breaks the darkness. And when the darkness is thus 3 broken, [then] the ' or dispelled.
sharp glance discovers itself in the pleasant joy without [or beyond] the darkness in the sharpness of the will, viz. in the mind, and finds itself habitable therein, from whence the flash (or glance)
is terrified, and flies up with strong might through the broken essences out of the heart, and would out
324 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 15 at the mouth, and raises itself far from the heart, and yet is held by the sour [or harsh] Fiat, and it then makes itself a several region (viz. the tongue) wherein then stands the shriek [or the crack] of the broken essences. And seeing then it reflects [or recoils] back again into the heart, as into its first dwelling-house, and finds itself so very habitable and pleasant (because the gates of the darkness are broken), then it kindls itself so highly in the loving will, by reason of the meekness, and goes no more like a stern [or fierce] flash through all essences, but [it] goes trembling with great joy ; and the might of the joy is now many hundred times stronger, than first the flash [or glance] was, which yielded [or discovered] itself through the sour harsh essences of the death, and goes with strong might out of the heart into the head, in the will [or purpose] to possess the heavenly region.
1 the will. 44. For l it is paradisical, and it has its most inward root therein. When Adam in sin died the first death, then said God, The seed of the woman shall
* break with 2 break the serpent's head. The same word 3 im-
^e* ing upon prm^e(j itself m Adam, in the centre of the spring3 imagined, ing-up of his life, and so in like manner with the figured, or