Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
93. Therefore it is not good to prattle with the devil, he is a liar and murderer from the beginning of his kingdom, and a thief also ; he cometh onlyp. 410 to murder and to steal, as here [with Eve]. And the devil is the highest cause of the fall ; for he
1 *ne sweet- strewed l sugar upon Adam, so that he imagined ness of sin. &
[or lusted] after the kingdom of this world ; though Adam indeed did not see him, yet he slipped into the essences of the [fierce, sour] sternness ; and did there strow hell's paradisical sugar before him, so that Adam lusted.
94. But because he beguiled Adam and Eve with his sugar, therefore God hath prepared such a dwelling-house for him, as Adam lets forth
2 from the (2 from the earthly sugar) at the nethermost earthly volup- V . , « , tuousness, and exit ; and that shall be left for him at the dainty deli- . .
cades, the corruption of the earth, when it goeth into its ether ; and then that pleasant smell of the stink of sin and abominations (in the kingdom of the fierce wrath) shall remain for him, and that sugar he shall eat eternally, and frame his will con8 Or oven. tinually therein to get other sugar in the 8 furnace of the fire, and then he may make that ready for him, as may best suit with his palate ; at which he quaketh and treinbleth, when he heareth the spirit declare such things. And hereby it is also signified to all the ungodly, that they shall also eat the same sugar eternally, which they have continually baked here, with their blaspheming, cursing, covetousness, scorn, backbiting [thorny-taunting], murdering, robbing, and taking the sweat of the needy and miserable to maintain their haughty stately pride.
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 411
95. And now when these two, thus captivated by the devil and this world, stood before God with fear and great horror, and felt the anger of God, and the severe judgment ; then the Heart of God, which had made them, pitied them, and it did 1 look whether there was any [remedy or] counsel 1 appear or r , . -, discover itself, that might help poor man, and redeem [or deliver] to see. him from the bands of the eternal [fierceness or] wrath, and from the mortal body of this world. But there was nothing found, neither in heaven, nor in this world, that could make them free ; there was no principality or throne-angel, which had the ability to do it ; all was lost, they were in the eternal judgment of the temporal and eternal death. For the first Principle had captivated them, in the spirit of the soul, and qualified [or mingled] with the soul ; the kingdom of heaven in the light was shut up, [and there was a firm enclosure] of a whole Principle between, and2 it could not reach 2 the soul, the kingdom of heaven again, except that it were born of God again ; otherwise there was no counsel, nor help, nor refuge in any thing at all.
96. Then the devil mocked the image, and hell opened its jaws wide, and had the bridle in their essences, and continually drew them therewith towards the hellish fire of the fierce wrath ; and then there was trembling and horror in the mind, and they could not reach the love of God. Heaven was their enemy, no angel came near them, but the horrible devils, they shewed themselves, and
p. 412
93. Therefore it is not good to prattle with the devil, he is a liar and murderer from the beginning of his kingdom, and a thief also ; he comes only
410 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 17 to murder and to steal, as here [with Eve]. And the devil is the highest cause of the fall ; for he
1 *ne sweet- strewed l sugar upon Adam, so that he imagined ness of sin. &
[or lusted] after the kingdom of this world ; though Adam indeed did not see him, yet he slipped into the essences of the [fierce, sour] sternness ; and did there strow hell's paradisical sugar before him, so that Adam lusted.
94. But because he beguiled Adam and Eve with his sugar, therefore God has prepared such a dwelling-house for him, as Adam lets forth
2 from the (2 from the earthly sugar) at the nethermost earthly volup- V . , « , tuousness, and exit ; and that shall be left for him at the dainty deli- . .
cades, the corruption of the earth, when it goes into its ether ; and then that pleasant smell of the stink of sin and abominations (in the kingdom of the fierce wrath) shall remain for him, and that sugar he shall eat eternally, and frame his will con8 Or oven. tinually therein to get other sugar in the 8 furnace of the fire, and then he may make that ready for him, as may best suit with his palate ; at which he quaks and treinbls, when he hears the spirit declare such things. And hereby it is also signified to all the ungodly, that they shall also eat the same sugar eternally, which they have continually baked here, with their blaspheming, cursing, covetousness, scorn, backbiting [thorny-taunting], murdering, robbing, and taking the sweat of the needy and miserable to maintain their haughty stately pride.
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 411
95. And now when these two, thus captivated by the devil and this world, stood before God with fear and great horror, and felt the anger of God, and the severe judgment ; then the Heart of God, which had made them, pitied them, and it did 1 look whether there was any [remedy or] counsel 1 appear or r , . -, discover itself, that might help poor man, and redeem [or deliver] to see. him from the bands of the eternal [fierceness or] wrath, and from the mortal body of this world. But there was nothing found, neither in heaven, nor in this world, that could make them free ; there was no principality or throne-angel, which had the ability to do it ; all was lost, they were in the eternal judgment of the temporal and eternal death. For the first Principle had captivated them, in the spirit of the soul, and qualified [or mingled] with the soul ; the kingdom of heaven in the light was shut up, [and there was a firm enclosure] of a whole Principle between, and2 it could not reach 2 the soul, the kingdom of heaven again, except that it were born of God again ; otherwise there was no counsel, nor help, nor refuge in any thing at all.
96. Then the devil mocked the image, and hell opened its jaws wide, and had the bridle in their essences, and continually drew them therewith towards the hellish fire of the fierce wrath ; and then there was trembling and horror in the mind, and they could not reach the love of God. Heaven was their enemy, no angel came near them, but the horrible devils, they showed themselves, and
412 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 17