Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
devil tickleth you, and stroweth sugar, that he may catch you and bind you fast ; and then he leadeth you 2 to Jericho, and scourgeth [woundeth], and 2 Or into the plagueth you sufficiently.
53. And then when the poor soul shall travel [home], there are great mountains in its way ; and then thy fair tincture will appear before the [holy] element like a defiled cloth ; and there standeth the devil and readeth the 3 law to you about it ; 3 Or the
, sentence of and then the poor soul quaketh, and begmneth to the law concerning it.
doubt ; and when it is to break through the bitter gate [of the Cherubim], then it continually feareth that the fierce anger of God shall seize upon it, [as upon hellish brimstone], and kindle it ; as it cometh to pass for certain, if it be not born anew in Christ, through earnest repentance.
54. Therefore, 0 man, consider what thou so west here, that thou shalt reap ; take an example in Cain. Or dost thou suppose, that it is an invented fable, [which I here write] ? Do but ask thy own mind, that will convince thee, except thou art too
p. 528
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 20
1 mother or root.
2 Or their burning unchastity.
8 Or in.
4 Or every way.
much captivated by the devil. Behold the horrible punishments from the anger of God, since the beginning of the world ; the Hood [or deluge] was a punishment for the unchastity [or uncleanness], whereby God would drown the Matrix of the burning lust of lechery ; and therefore he punished the world with water ; for the water is the l matrix of all things.
55. Therefore God established the state of wedlock with Adam and Eve, and bound it fast with a strong chain, in that he said, A man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. And God tolerateth their Must, because it is to be bound with faithful chaste love, as one body 3and its members, and must aim (in the fear of God) at the getting of children ; or else the wantonness [or lust] in itself (without that true love of the state of wedlock) is * continually a bestial lust [infection], and sin. And if you (in the state of wedlock) seek nothing but the lust and lechery, then in such a condition, thou art not a jot better than a beast. And do but consider it rightly, that without this, thou standest [already] in a bestial birth [or generation] (contrary to the first creation) like all beasts. For the holy man in Adam was not fore-appointed to have propagated so, but in great modest love out of himself.
56. Therefore, 0 man, look to it ! [have a care] how you use the bestial lust; it is (in itself) an
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVE'S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 529
abomination before God, whether it be in the state of wedlock, or out of it. But the right love and fidelity [or faithfulness] (in the fear of God) covereth it before the countenance of God ; and (through the Son of the virgin) it is regenerated to be a pure undefiled creature again, in the faith, if thy confidence be in God.
57. But for the whores and rogues (who run a-whoring without marrying in lustful lechery) we have no other language for 1 them ; neither can i Than that we find any otherwise in the light of nature, than mentioned a that it is an abomination [or loathing] in the anger l of God ; and if earnest repentance (with Mary Magdalene) be not there performed in the regeneration, then we find nothing else but the anger of God and hell-fire to be their wages. Amen.
Of the innocent and righteous Abel.
The Gate of the Christian Church.
58. Seeing then that Adam and Eve had yielded themselves to the spirit of this world, and did live in two [kingdoms], viz. in the holy element before God, and also in the out-birth, [yiz.~\ the four elements, which reacheth that which is most outward, [viz.'] the kingdom of the [sour, fierce] grimness, so there were also two sorts of children generated out of them, viz. one a mocker [or scorner], and another a plain honest man ; as is sufficiently to be seen by Isaac and Ishmael [the sons of] Abraham ; also by Jacob and Esau.
p. 34
p. 530
devil tickls you, and strows sugar, that he may catch you and bind you fast ; and then he leads you 2 to Jericho, and scourgs [wounds], and 2 Or into the plagus you sufficiently.
53. And then when the poor soul shall travel [home], there are great mountains in its way ; and then your fair tincture will appear before the [holy] element like a defiled cloth ; and there stands the devil and reads the 3 law to you about it ; 3 Or the
, sentence of and then the poor soul quaks, and begmns to the law concerning it.
doubt ; and when it is to break through the bitter gate [of the Cherubim], then it continually fears that the fierce anger of God shall seize upon it, [as upon hellish brimstone], and kindle it ; as it comes to pass for certain, if it be not born anew in Christ, through earnest repentance.
54. Therefore, 0 man, consider what you so west here, that you shall reap ; take an example in Cain. Or do you suppose, that it is an invented fable, [which I here write] ? Do but ask your own mind, that will convince you, except you are too
p. 528
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 20
1 mother or root.
2 Or their burning unchastity.
8 Or in.
4 Or every way.
much captivated by the devil. Behold the horrible punishments from the anger of God, since the beginning of the world ; the Hood [or deluge] was a punishment for the unchastity [or uncleanness], whereby God would drown the Matrix of the burning lust of lechery ; and therefore he punished the world with water ; for the water is the l matrix of all things.
55. Therefore God established the state of wedlock with Adam and Eve, and bound it fast with a strong chain, in that he said, A man shall leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. And God tolerats their Must, because it is to be bound with faithful chaste love, as one body 3and its members, and must aim (in the fear of God) at the getting of children ; or else the wantonness [or lust] in itself (without that true love of the state of wedlock) is * continually a bestial lust [infection], and sin. And if you (in the state of wedlock) seek nothing but the lust and lechery, then in such a condition, you are not a jot better than a beast. And do but consider it rightly, that without this, you stand [already] in a bestial birth [or generation] (contrary to the first creation) like all beasts. For the holy man in Adam was not fore-appointed to have propagated so, but in great modest love out of himself.
56. Therefore, 0 man, look to it ! [have a care] how you use the bestial lust; it is (in itself) an
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVE'S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 529 abomination before God, whether it be in the state of wedlock, or out of it. But the right love and fidelity [or faithfulness] (in the fear of God) covers it before the countenance of God ; and (through the Son of the virgin) it is regenerated to be a pure undefiled creature again, in the faith, if your confidence be in God.
57. But for the whores and rogues (who run a-whoring without marrying in lustful lechery) we have no other language for 1 them ; neither can i Than that we find any otherwise in the light of nature, than mentioned a that it is an abomination [or loathing] in the anger l of God ; and if earnest repentance (with Mary Magdalene) be not there performed in the regeneration, then we find nothing else but the anger of God and hell-fire to be their wages. Amen.
Of the innocent and righteous Abel.
The Gate of the Christian Church.
58. Seeing then that Adam and Eve had yielded themselves to the spirit of this world, and did live in two [kingdoms], viz. in the holy element before God, and also in the out-birth, [yiz.~\ the four elements, which reaches that which is most outward, [viz.'] the kingdom of the [sour, fierce] grimness, so there were also two sorts of children generated out of them, viz. one a mocker [or scorner], and another a plain honest man ; as is sufficiently to be seen by Isaac and Ishmael [the sons of] Abraham ; also by Jacob and Esau.
p. 34
530 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 20