Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
outwardly any more; but the mind (in the centre of the breaking-through of the life into the element, into the presence of the chaste and modest virgin, the wisdom of God) that understood it well : For * he lodged a precious and worthy guest ; for i man. the Word (which God the Father spake concerning the Treader upon the Serpent) went out of the Heart, and out of the mouth of God, and that was the spark of love [proceeding] out of the Heart of God, which was from eternity in the Heart of God, wherein God the Father had known and elected mankind (before the foundations of the world were laid) that they should live therein ; and that the same [spark or promise] should stand in the rising-up of the life ; and Adam also in his creation stood therein.
103. And this is that which Saint Paul said, That man is elected in Christ, before the foundation of the world ; and not those dregs of despair that are now taught about the Election of Grace ; they are not the right understanding. I will shew thee Paul's [meaning about] his Election of Grace in its due place, when I shall write of the 2 bestial, 2 This the wolfish, and doggish minds of men, that will not eth of in his 8 give way that the Treader upon the Serpent may J enter into them, so that the heavenly Father (in his Son Jesus Christ, through his incarnation, .
sufferings and death) might draw them to him ; 3 Or desire, they will not endure that drawing, for they have the essences of the serpent which draw into hell :
p. 416
But this is not from God, as if he did willingly leave them ; no, but from the doggish nature, engrafted from the stars and from the devil ; which God knoweth well, and will not cast the Pearl before swine. Whereas [nevertheless] it were possible, if they did but turn, and did step into the new birth, they would obtain the jewel, though indeed it seldom happeneth, therefore God knoweth [who are] his.
104. As is mentioned above, so hath that same Word out of the Heart of God (which God spake to Adam and Eve) imaged [or formed] itself in Adam and Eve, in the light of the life in its own centre, and espoused itself with the dear and worthy
1 the wisdom J virgin of the chastity, to continue eternally with Adam and Eve, and to defend them from the fiery essences and darts of the devil ; as also, if they would incline to that same Word, that then they should thereby receive the rays of the holy Trinity, and also the wisdom of the virgin.
105. And this Word should enlighten the soul, and at the departure of the body be the light of the soul, and bring the soul through the gate of the darkness into paradise, (before the bright countenance of God), into the second Principle, into the element, where there is no pain.
106. For [there] the Word clothed the soul, and shut up the kingdom of hell, and there it shall wait till the day of the restitution, and then it shall get a body again out of the element, out ofCh. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 417 the body that was here [in this life], when the
1 fierceness shall be washed and melted away in > wrath, corruption, sin, the fire at the last day ; and not a strange body, dross, or the r -i -i grimness.
but the same it did bear, m the [one] element hidden in the four elements, that same shall go forth and flourish as Adam [had done] in [his] creation.
The Gate of the Redemption.
107. And the same Word is propagated by the two first 2 persons [or people], from one to another, 2 Mensctum. [and that] in the birth of the life, and [in the] kindling of the soul, yet, in the centre ; and the kingdom of heaven is near in every one's mind, and they can attain it, if they will themselves; for God hath bestowed it to every one, out of grace.
108. Yet thou .must know that the Word sticketh not in thy [mortal] flesh and blood; as thy flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, so therefore it cannot stick in the flesh ; but [it sticketh] in the Principle, in the centre of the soul, and it is the bridegroom of the soul. If the soul be 3 faithful, then he resteth in its bosom ; 8 Or conf i r tinue in true but if it turn unfaithful, then it [the soul lorsaketn resignation. or] goeth away out of the Word.
outwardly any more; but the mind (in the centre of the breaking-through of the life into the element, into the presence of the chaste and modest virgin, the wisdom of God) that understood it well : For * he lodged a precious and worthy guest ; for i man. the Word (which God the Father spake concerning the Treader upon the Serpent) went out of the Heart, and out of the mouth of God, and that was the spark of love [proceeding] out of the Heart of God, which was from eternity in the Heart of God, wherein God the Father had known and elected mankind (before the foundations of the world were laid) that they should live therein ; and that the same [spark or promise] should stand in the rising-up of the life ; and Adam also in his creation stood therein.
103. And this is that which Saint Paul said, That man is elected in Christ, before the foundation of the world ; and not those dregs of despair that are now taught about the Election of Grace ; they are not the right understanding. I will show you Paul's [meaning about] his Election of Grace in its due place, when I shall write of the 2 bestial, 2 This the wolfish, and doggish minds of men, that will not eth of in his 8 give way that the Treader upon the Serpent may J enter into them, so that the heavenly Father (in his Son Jesus Christ, through his incarnation, .
sufferings and death) might draw them to him ; 3 Or desire, they will not endure that drawing, for they have the essences of the serpent which draw into hell :
416 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 17
But this is not from God, as if he did willingly leave them ; no, but from the doggish nature, engrafted from the stars and from the devil ; which God knows well, and will not cast the Pearl before swine. Whereas [nevertheless] it were possible, if they did but turn, and did step into the new birth, they would obtain the jewel, though indeed it seldom happens, therefore God knows [who are] his.
104. As is mentioned above, so has that same Word out of the Heart of God (which God spake to Adam and Eve) imaged [or formed] itself in Adam and Eve, in the light of the life in its own centre, and espoused itself with the dear and worthy
1 the wisdom J virgin of the chastity, to continue eternally with Adam and Eve, and to defend them from the fiery essences and darts of the devil ; as also, if they would incline to that same Word, that then they should thereby receive the rays of the holy Trinity, and also the wisdom of the virgin.
105. And this Word should enlighten the soul, and at the departure of the body be the light of the soul, and bring the soul through the gate of the darkness into paradise, (before the bright countenance of God), into the second Principle, into the element, where there is no pain.
106. For [there] the Word clothed the soul, and shut up the kingdom of hell, and there it shall wait till the day of the restitution, and then it shall get a body again out of the element, out of
Ch. 17] OF THE FALL OF ADAM AND EVE 417 the body that was here [in this life], when the
1 fierceness shall be washed and melted away in > wrath, corruption, sin, the fire at the last day ; and not a strange body, dross, or the r -i -i grimness.
but the same it did bear, m the [one] element hidden in the four elements, that same shall go forth and flourish as Adam [had done] in [his] creation.
The Gate of the Redemption.
107. And the same Word is propagated by the two first 2 persons [or people], from one to another, 2 Mensctum. [and that] in the birth of the life, and [in the] kindling of the soul, yet, in the centre ; and the kingdom of heaven is near in every one's mind, and they can attain it, if they will themselves; for God has bestowed it to every one, out of grace.
108. Yet you .must know that the Word sticks not in your [mortal] flesh and blood; as your flesh cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven, so therefore it cannot stick in the flesh ; but [it sticks] in the Principle, in the centre of the soul, and it is the bridegroom of the soul. If the soul be 3 faithful, then he rests in its bosom ; 8 Or conf i r tinue in true but if it turn unfaithful, then it [the soul lorsaketn resignation. or] goes away out of the Word.