12. Therefore let every one look to it, and take
heed of the appearing holy hypocrites and flatterers,
for they are Antichrist's (and not Christ's) ministers
[or servants] ; for Antichrist hath set his foot upon
the breadth of the earth, and rideth upon the
abominable devouring beast, which is as great as
himself, and indeed greater. Therefore it is highly
necessary, that every one should feel [or grope] in
his own bosom, and consider his heart, how it is
inclined, that he do not deceive himself, and unknown to himself yield himself to be the [servant
or] minister of Antichrist, and fulfil that prophecy ;
for l he standeth now 2 in the light of the eyes ; the 1 Antichrist,
time of his visitation is at hand ; he shall be
manifested in the light of life. And beware of
covetousness, for thou shalt not enjoy it ; for the
wrath of the beast breaketh the mountains and
hills to pieces ; and thy covetousness will partake
of the 3 fierceness ; the time is near. * Or grimness,
and wrath or
23. Now when poor fallen man (viz. Adam and plagues.
Eve) stood thus in great fear, horror, and trembling,
being fast bound with the bands of the devil, and
of hell, in great scorn and shame before the heaven
and paradise, then God the Father appeared to
them with his angry mind of the abyss, into which
they were fallen ; and his most loving Heart went
(forth through the Word of the Father) in Adam
and Eve, and * placed itself before the wrath, highly 4 Or opposed.
in the gate of man's life, and enlightened the
poor soul again ; yet they could not comprehend it
424
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 18
1 Or were
comforted.
2 Or with
the eyes of
reason.
3 Or must.
in the essences of the soul ; but received the rays
of the almighty power, whereby Adam arid Eve
became l glad again ; and yet they stood trembling,
by reason of the wrath [or fierce horror or grimness] that was in them, and heard the sentence
which God pronounced ; for God said, Because
thou hast eaten of the tree whereof I told thee
that thou shouldst not eat, cursed be the ground
for thy sake ; with care thou shalt maintain thy
life thereon all thy life long ; thorns and thistles
shall it ~bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the
herb of the field, till thou become earth again, from
whence thou wast taken ; for thou art now earth,
and to earth thou shalt return again.
34. Here and now stand the great secrets (which
we cannot see with 2 our earthly eyes) wholly naked
and plain, and there is no veil before it, only we
are blind to the kingdom of God ; for God cursed
the earth, and said, it should now bear thorns and
thistles, and man 3 should eat the fruit of the
accursed earth. This indeed is a new thing. He
allowed them not in paradise to eat of the earthly
herbs, but of the pleasant fruit. And if he had
eaten of the herbs of the fields, yet that which
he had eaten, was heavenly ; and when the Lord
cursed the earth, then all became earthly ; and
the holy element was withdrawn, and the fruit did
grow in the issuing of the four elements, in the
kindling of the fierceness, out of which thorns and
thistles grew.
Eat 18] PROMISED SEED OP THE WOMAN 425
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.