Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
p. 18
his suffering and dying for the poor soul of man, that it might be delivered from the eternal death, and be regenerated anew, in the Son of the virgin ; which was done after three thousand nine hundred 1 3970 years, and l seventy years ; and then the Word of the promise, which God promised to Adam and Eve in the paradise in the Garden of Eden, when they fell into sin, and which imaged [or imprinted] itself in the centre of the life, through which all men that come to God are justified, became man.
34. It continued a long time in the covenant of circumcision (in the life and light of the Father) with the shadows and types of the incarnation of
2 Or compre- the Son ; but these could not 2 reach the earnestrising again, ness of the coming again of the body out of the grave ; but the Word must become man, if man must rise again out of the grave. It [the covenant] ransomed the soul indeed, so that it could stand before the Father (in the gate of the corruptibility) in the fire of the sharpness, but not in the pleasant joy, before the light of the holy Trinity ; and besides, it could not bring the new body forth out of the element, for it was defiled too much with sin.
35. Thus in that fore-mentioned year, the angel Gabriel came, being sent of God the Father to Nazareth, to a poor (yet chaste and modest) virgin, called Mary, (her name signifieth plainly, in the language of nature, A redemption out of the valley of misery ; and though it be plain, thatCh. 18] PROMISED SEED OP THE WOMAN 439 we are not born of the high l schools, with 2 many » universities, languages, yet we have the language of nature in our school of wonders [or miracles], fixed [stedfast, i or perfect], which the 3 Master of Art, in his 3 Or learned
Pontificalibus, will not believe), and he greeted her * through God, and brought the eternal B com- 4 Or from.
tmand of the Father out of his will, and said to B Or messagem her, 6 Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, thou 6 Luke i.
'J8-35 38 blessed among women : And when she looked upon him, she was terrified at his saying, and [considered] in her thoughts what manner of salutation this was. And the angel said to her, Fear not,
Mary, thou hast found grace with God ; behold, thou shalt 7 conceive in the womb [or body] and ? be impregbear a Son, whose name thou shalt call Jesus; he n'
shall be great, and be called the Son of the Most
High, and God the LORD will give unto him the throne of his Father David, and he shall be king over the house of Jacob eternally, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Then said Mary to the angel, How shall that come to pass, since
I know not a manf And the angel answered her, and said, The Holy Ghost will come upon thee, and the virtue [or power] of the Most High will overshadow thee, therefore also that Holy One, that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God. Then said Mary, Behold! I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as thou hast said ; and the angel departed from her.
Now when this command [or message] from God
p. 440
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 18
1 the spirit, of the soul.
2 Or being.
the Father came, then the nature of the spirit of the soul in Mary was astonished, as the text saith ; for l it was stirred by a precious Guest, who went into a wonderful lodging [or inn].
36. But the Reader must not here understand it, as if the Word for this incarnation at this time did first come down, out of the highest heaven above the stars, hither beneath, and became man, as the world teacheth in blindness. No ; but the Word, which God spake in paradise to Adam and Eve, concerning the Treader upon the Serpent, (which imaged [or imprinted] itself in the door of the light of life, 2 standing in the centre of the gate of heaven, and waiting perceptibly in the minds of the holy men, even till this time) that same Word is become man ; and that same divine Word is again entered into the virgin of the divine Wisdom, 8 Or joined to. which was given to the soul of Adam 3 near the Word, to be a light, and a 4 handmaid as to the Word.
THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 18
his suffering and dying for the poor soul of man, that it might be delivered from the eternal death, and be regenerated anew, in the Son of the virgin ; which was done after three thousand nine hundred 1 3970 years, and l seventy years ; and then the Word of the promise, which God promised to Adam and Eve in the paradise in the Garden of Eden, when they fell into sin, and which imaged [or imprinted] itself in the centre of the life, through which all men that come to God are justified, became man.
34. It continued a long time in the covenant of circumcision (in the life and light of the Father) with the shadows and types of the incarnation of
2 Or compre- the Son ; but these could not 2 reach the earnestrising again, ness of the coming again of the body out of the grave ; but the Word must become man, if man must rise again out of the grave. It [the covenant] ransomed the soul indeed, so that it could stand before the Father (in the gate of the corruptibility) in the fire of the sharpness, but not in the pleasant joy, before the light of the holy Trinity ; and besides, it could not bring the new body forth out of the element, for it was defiled too much with sin.
35. Thus in that fore-mentioned year, the angel Gabriel came, being sent of God the Father to Nazareth, to a poor (yet chaste and modest) virgin, called Mary, (her name signifies plainly, in the language of nature, A redemption out of the valley of misery ; and though it be plain, that
Ch. 18] PROMISED SEED OP THE WOMAN 439 we are not born of the high l schools, with 2 many » universities, languages, yet we have the language of nature in our school of wonders [or miracles], fixed [stedfast, i or perfect], which the 3 Master of Art, in his 3 Or learned
Pontificalibus, will not believe), and he greeted her * through God, and brought the eternal B com- 4 Or from.
tmand of the Father out of his will, and said to B Or messagem her, 6 Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you, you 6 Luke i.
'J8-35 38 blessed among women : And when she looked upon him, she was terrified at his saying, and [considered] in her thoughts what manner of salutation this was. And the angel said to her, Fear not,
Mary, you have found grace with God ; behold, you shall 7 conceive in the womb [or body] and ? be impregbear a Son, whose name you shall call Jesus; he n'
shall be great, and be called the Son of the Most
High, and God the LORD will give unto him the throne of his Father David, and he shall be king over the house of Jacob eternally, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Then said Mary to the angel, How shall that come to pass, since
I know not a manf And the angel answered her, and said, The Holy Ghost will come upon you, and the virtue [or power] of the Most High will overshadow you, therefore also that Holy One, that shall be born of you, shall be called the Son of God. Then said Mary, Behold! I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said ; and the angel departed from her.
Now when this command [or message] from God
p. 440
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 18
1 the spirit, of the soul.
2 Or being.
the Father came, then the nature of the spirit of the soul in Mary was astonished, as the text says ; for l it was stirred by a precious Guest, who went into a wonderful lodging [or inn].
36. But the Reader must not here understand it, as if the Word for this incarnation at this time did first come down, out of the highest heaven above the stars, hither beneath, and became man, as the world teaches in blindness. No ; but the Word, which God spake in paradise to Adam and Eve, concerning the Treader upon the Serpent, (which imaged [or imprinted] itself in the door of the light of life, 2 standing in the centre of the gate of heaven, and waiting perceptibly in the minds of the holy men, even till this time) that same Word is become man ; and that same divine Word is again entered into the virgin of the divine Wisdom, 8 Or joined to. which was given to the soul of Adam 3 near the Word, to be a light, and a 4 handmaid as to the Word.