Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
5. For the soul which is out of the first Principle (out of the band of the eternity) was breathed into the element of the body, to [be] the image of God, out of the strong might of God, and enlightened from the divine light, so that it hath received an angelical source [or quality] ; but when it went forth out of the light of God into the spirit of this world, then there sprang up in it the source of the first Principle ; and it neither saw nor felt the kingdom of God any more, till that the Heart of God set itself in the midst again ; into that the soul must enter again, and be born anew.
6. And that it might do this, therefore the Heart of God became a human l soul, and slew (by 1 One copy
,. . . i i \ i •• /• i • in hath human nis entering into death) the spirit ot this world, body.* and brought the fulness of the Deity again into his human soul, so that we also may altogether in his (as in our own) human soul, through him, press into the holy element before God. And now there
* We believe that John Sparrow translated from MS. copies of the author's work. In the German edition of 1682 Gichtel prints: "Und dass sie seiches konte thun, so ward das Hertze Gottes selber eine menschliche Seele "—without any reference to "body."— [C. J. B.]
p. 474
is nothing to hinder us but our own vile sluggish drowsiness, that we suffer ourselves to be so wholly and altogether led by the spirit of this world, with pride, exalting of ourselves to honour and esteem, and greedy filling of the belly [with plenty] ; and we look no further, [to consider] that we are but pilgrims, and that as soon as the spirit of this world hath laid hold of us in the mother's body [or womb], we are then pilgrims, and must travel with our souls into another country, where the earthly body is not at home.
7. For as this world breaketh and passeth away, so also all flesh (which is generated out of the spirit of this world) must break and pass away. Therefore now when the poor soul must depart out of this body, wherein yet it is generated, if then it hath not the new garment of the regeneration of the Holy Ghost in it, and is not clothed with the mantle of Christ, with his incarnation, suffering, death, and resurrection, in him, then there beginneth great sorrow and unquietness, [viz.~\ in those only which at the breaking of their bodies are but in the gate, and so swim between heaven
1 Or beginneth and hell ; and there then xis need of wrestling and the wrestling. , . . , , , struggling, as is to be seen by very many when they are dying.
8. There then the poor soul in the first Principle awing, or doth 2 move in the door of the deep, being clothed with the virtue [or power of the dominion, or region] of the stars, appearing in that [shape or]
swim.
Ch. 19] ENTERING OP THE SOULS TO GOD 475 form of the body, which it had here ; and many of them desire this or that, which was their last will, in hope thereby to attain abstinence, and [quietness or] rest ; also many by night (according to the sidereal spirit) shew themselves very disquiet with tumbling and tossing of the body ; which our learned men from the school of this world ascribe to the devil; but they have no knowledge [or understanding] in it.
9. Seeing therefore that this is the weightiest article, and cannot be apprehended in such a way, we will describe the dying of man, and the departure of the soul from the body, and try if it might so be brought to knowledge, that the Reader may comprehend the [true] l meaning of it. l or under-
.. . , . standing of it.
5. For the soul which is out of the first Principle (out of the band of the eternity) was breathed into the element of the body, to [be] the image of God, out of the strong might of God, and enlightened from the divine light, so that it has received an angelical source [or quality] ; but when it went forth out of the light of God into the spirit of this world, then there sprang up in it the source of the first Principle ; and it neither saw nor felt the kingdom of God any more, till that the Heart of God set itself in the midst again ; into that the soul must enter again, and be born anew.
6. And that it might do this, therefore the Heart of God became a human l soul, and slew (by 1 One copy
,. . . i i \ i •• /• i • in has human nis entering into death) the spirit ot this world, body.* and brought the fulness of the Deity again into his human soul, so that we also may altogether in his (as in our own) human soul, through him, press into the holy element before God. And now there
* We believe that John Sparrow translated from MS. copies of the author's work. In the German edition of 1682 Gichtel prints: "Und dass sie seiches konte thun, so ward das Hertze Gottes selber eine menschliche Seele "—without any reference to "body."— [C. J. B.]
474 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 19 is nothing to hinder us but our own vile sluggish drowsiness, that we suffer ourselves to be so wholly and altogether led by the spirit of this world, with pride, exalting of ourselves to honour and esteem, and greedy filling of the belly [with plenty] ; and we look no further, [to consider] that we are but pilgrims, and that as soon as the spirit of this world has laid hold of us in the mother's body [or womb], we are then pilgrims, and must travel with our souls into another country, where the earthly body is not at home.
7. For as this world breaks and passes away, so also all flesh (which is generated out of the spirit of this world) must break and pass away. Therefore now when the poor soul must depart out of this body, wherein yet it is generated, if then it has not the new garment of the regeneration of the Holy Ghost in it, and is not clothed with the mantle of Christ, with his incarnation, suffering, death, and resurrection, in him, then there beginns great sorrow and unquietness, [viz.~\ in those only which at the breaking of their bodies are but in the gate, and so swim between heaven
1 Or beginns and hell ; and there then xis need of wrestling and the wrestling. , . . , , , struggling, as is to be seen by very many when they are dying.
8. There then the poor soul in the first Principle awing, or does 2 move in the door of the deep, being clothed with the virtue [or power of the dominion, or region] of the stars, appearing in that [shape or]
swim.
Ch. 19] ENTERING OP THE SOULS TO GOD 475 form of the body, which it had here ; and many of them desire this or that, which was their last will, in hope thereby to attain abstinence, and [quietness or] rest ; also many by night (according to the sidereal spirit) show themselves very disquiet with tumbling and tossing of the body ; which our learned men from the school of this world ascribe to the devil; but they have no knowledge [or understanding] in it.
9. Seeing therefore that this is the weightiest article, and cannot be apprehended in such a way, we will describe the dying of man, and the departure of the soul from the body, and try if it might so be brought to knowledge, that the Reader may comprehend the [true] l meaning of it. l or under-
.. . , . standing of it.