Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
from the fire [therewith] out ol the anger into the love, and so it should be generated [to be] another creature in the love? St Paul saith, Whom he hath foreseen, those he hath sanctified, that they may be like his image ; the foreseeing is in his election ; he always electeth [or chooseth] his sheep. Those who come to him, he assureth them the eternal life. But that he hardeneth those that desire
6 sincerely, or 6 earnestly to come to him, and will not foresee imfeignedly. .
[predestinate or elect them], that is not so. His will is to help all men. And Christ himself saith,
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVfi'S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 533
Come ye all to me that are weary and heavy laden, (here it is, those that are laden with sins) / will refresh you ; that is, certainly foresee [or elect] and draw [them] to me ; and there wanteth but to come.
67. What is it now that lieth in the way of the wicked, that he cannot come ? It is the angry sword of the angel (or Cherubim) which he will not break ; the fair, glistering, hypocritical, dainty world in his bosom, [malice or wickedness] in flesh and blood pleaseth him too well ; he will not break his mind, which yet he is able to do ; and if he doth break it, then he is drawn of God (by Christ) to the Father, and instantly is chosen to [be] a child of God ; and out of the image of the serpent there cometh [to be] the image of an angel.
68. For so long as the image standeth in the anger, it is the image of the serpent ; but if it goeth forth [from the lust of sin, or desire of evil] into the breaking [or destroying thereof], then a heavenly image is figured (by the Treader upon the Serpent), and * the serpent's head is broken ; the * the evil is two kingdoms fight [or wrestle] one with another, wlthgood. and that which overcometh, figureth the image.
69. Whereby it is seen, how great the anger was in Adam and Eve, in that the wrathful kingdom sooner overcame than the kingdom of heaven ; and the scorner is sooner generated than the 2 upright. But yet the fault of this was in 2 honest or the parents; had they not sinned, and let theiunocent<p. 534 anger into them, then it had not been so, as at this day.
70. Although indeed nature taketh hold of the child in the mother's body [or womb], and
1 Or dominion, [shapeth, figureth, or] image th it; yet the l region
2 Or the four of the stars hath no other than the 2 image in the elementary i-i-i-iiii images in the four elements, and not [that] in the holy element. And although indeed it image [or frame] a man in the outward bestial mind, with a little understanding many times, yet that is no matter; the outward man is the beast of the stars, but the inward in the [one] element is the image of God ; and the divine framing [figuring or imaging] is not
8foureie- performed in the 3 outward, but in the inward ments, but in the one holy element.
element. .
71. .bor a man is many times (in the outward) so very evil-natured [or malicious, froward condi4 Or angry or tioned], from the stars, that he becometh 4loathand abhorreth some to himself ; but when he considereth himself, then he entereth into himself, into the inward man, and reacheth after abstinence [or forbearance of evil], and yet cannot be quite loosed from [or rid of] the outward wicked malicious man, but must continually (with the inward) break the head of (the outward) the serpent.
72. For the serpent stingeth many in the out- » Or over- ward ; but if it 6 get the inward man, then the inward. image of God is gone. The evilness [or malice] of the stars driveth many [strongly] to murder, steal, • Or cheat, lie, and 6 deceive, till they come to the gallows,
20] ADAM
?
gmen s not Tin body; the gate °f • open towards him' while z:/tr 2:f cshT;tm the leatn Of Uhnst) b wluch thread he mus
. And it is all vain and idle fwhicli is aMl
p. 536
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 20 there], whether it be in the heaven or in the hell, out of that there is no redemption, for it is the 1 eternal life.
4 Or void of understanding.
6 Note what free-will is.
1 the eternal wholly in the l eternal life ; but if thou be once in heavenly life, the eternal life, then thou art perfect [or fully
75. But while we are thus speaking of the
2 innocent. 2 upright Abel, we cannot say, that the kingdom
from the fire [therewith] out ol the anger into the love, and so it should be generated [to be] another creature in the love? St Paul says, Whom he has foreseen, those he has sanctified, that they may be like his image ; the foreseeing is in his election ; he always elects [or chooses] his sheep. Those who come to him, he assurs them the eternal life. But that he hardens those that desire
6 sincerely, or 6 earnestly to come to him, and will not foresee imfeignedly. .
[predestinate or elect them], that is not so. His will is to help all men. And Christ himself says,
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVfi'S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 533
Come you all to me that are weary and heavy laden, (here it is, those that are laden with sins) / will refresh you ; that is, certainly foresee [or elect] and draw [them] to me ; and there wants but to come.
67. What is it now that lies in the way of the wicked, that he cannot come ? It is the angry sword of the angel (or Cherubim) which he will not break ; the fair, glistering, hypocritical, dainty world in his bosom, [malice or wickedness] in flesh and blood pleases him too well ; he will not break his mind, which yet he is able to do ; and if he does break it, then he is drawn of God (by Christ) to the Father, and instantly is chosen to [be] a child of God ; and out of the image of the serpent there comes [to be] the image of an angel.
68. For so long as the image stands in the anger, it is the image of the serpent ; but if it goes forth [from the lust of sin, or desire of evil] into the breaking [or destroying thereof], then a heavenly image is figured (by the Treader upon the Serpent), and * the serpent's head is broken ; the * the evil is two kingdoms fight [or wrestle] one with another, wlthgood. and that which overcoms, figures the image.
69. Whereby it is seen, how great the anger was in Adam and Eve, in that the wrathful kingdom sooner overcame than the kingdom of heaven ; and the scorner is sooner generated than the 2 upright. But yet the fault of this was in 2 honest or the parents; had they not sinned, and let theiunocent<
534 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 20 anger into them, then it had not been so, as at this day.
70. Although indeed nature takes hold of the child in the mother's body [or womb], and
1 Or dominion, [shaps, figures, or] image th it; yet the l region
2 Or the four of the stars has no other than the 2 image in the elementary i-i-i-iiii images in the four elements, and not [that] in the holy element. And although indeed it image [or frame] a man in the outward bestial mind, with a little understanding many times, yet that is no matter; the outward man is the beast of the stars, but the inward in the [one] element is the image of God ; and the divine framing [figuring or imaging] is not
8foureie- performed in the 3 outward, but in the inward ments, but in the one holy element.
element. .
71. .bor a man is many times (in the outward) so very evil-natured [or malicious, froward condi4 Or angry or tioned], from the stars, that he becomes 4loathand abhorrs some to himself ; but when he considers himself, then he enters into himself, into the inward man, and reaches after abstinence [or forbearance of evil], and yet cannot be quite loosed from [or rid of] the outward wicked malicious man, but must continually (with the inward) break the head of (the outward) the serpent.
72. For the serpent stings many in the out- » Or over- ward ; but if it 6 get the inward man, then the inward. image of God is gone. The evilness [or malice] of the stars drivs many [strongly] to murder, steal, • Or cheat, lie, and 6 deceive, till they come to the gallows,
20] ADAM
?
gmen s not Tin body; the gate °f • open towards him' while z:/tr 2:f cshT;tm the leatn Of Uhnst) b wluch thread he mus
. And it is all vain and idle fwhicli is aMl
p. 536
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 20 there], whether it be in the heaven or in the hell, out of that there is no redemption, for it is the 1 eternal life.
4 Or void of understanding.
6 Note what free-will is.
1 the eternal wholly in the l eternal life ; but if you be once in heavenly life, the eternal life, then you are perfect [or fully
75. But while we are thus speaking of the
2 innocent. 2 upright Abel, we cannot say, that the kingdom