Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
of heaven was not assisting in him, and that he merely out of his own might and power made
3 the heaven, himself such an upright [honest] man; for 3it was in the wrestling, and overcame the anger. For man is weak and 4 ignorant, and can do little by his own power [or ability], 6yet he hath the imagination, and the choosing, or the free yielding [to a thing], where then the maker is ready beforehand, which maketh him [to be] according as his lust [or desire] is ; as it is to be seen by Adam, for when he longed and lusted in the spirit of this world, there instantly the maker was present, and made (of an angelical image) a man.
76. The lust [or longing desire] is the introduc- « Or of. ing 6 into a thing, and out of the lust cometh the form [or image] of the lust, viz. a body, and the source [or active quality] of sins sticketh therein ; and you may more easily hinder the lust, than break the body, which is very hard ; therefore it is good to turn away the eyes, and then the 7 the kindling 7 tincture goeth not into the essences by which the into the issu- spirit is impregnated ; for the lust indeed is not en the mind wholly, but they are sisters ; for whenCh. 20] ADAM AND EVE*S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 537 the lust impregnateth the mind, then it is already a half l substance, and there must necessarily * Or body. follow a breaking, or there cometh to be a whole substance, and an essence of a thing.
77. Now Abel is the first Christian Church in patience, which God established, that the Cainish church should be converted by Abel ; he hath not therefore so rejected the Cainish church, that he would have no member out of it. Understand it thus : The true Christian Church standeth like a sheep among wolves ; though indeed we are men and not wolves, but in mind and in figure. 2 It teacheth the wicked ; and if he be converted, then it hath gained him, and he is figured into an image [of God] ; and thereby joy is caused among the angels of God, that the kingdom of heaven hath the victory.
78. Or dost thou suppose, that the word in Daniel is nothing, concerning the angel Gabriel, who said, s that the prince in Persia withstood him 3 Dan. x. one and twenty days, and that our prince Michael came to help him ? Thereby it may be seen how the princes and throne-angels strive against the kingdom of the fierce wrath, and assist men ; the cause whereof is this : The devil awakeneth the anger against men ; and the angels of God (viz. the throne-princes) keep it back, because God 4 yet 4 Notwith-
.,, ,, M standing the
Wllleth not evil. devil's atir79.' We are especially to observe in Cain and "™kemn°g of Abel, what their purpose was. Cain was a plough538 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 20 man [or tiller of the ground], and Abel was a shepherd [or keeper of sheep]. Abel relied upon the blessing of God towards his flock, to maintain himself by the blessing of God. Cain relred upon his own labour, to maintain himself by his own skill and industry. Eve took part with Cain, and Adam with Abel] for Eve counted him to be the prince on earth, to whom the kingdom did belong, and supposed that he (as a champion) would chase and hunt away the devil ; although she knew
1 the devil. l him not.
80. But if men search very deep, this [that followeth they will find] is the very ground. Eve was the child in the matrix of Adam, which Adam (if he had not been overcome) should have generated out of himself, in great modesty [purity] and holiness ; but because Adam's matrix was impregnated from the spirit of this world, therefore God must frame a fleshly woman out of it, which afterwards (in her first fruit) became lustful, and infected from the devil, as well as the limbus in Adam.
81. And therefore they also generated such a towardly child that looked only after covetousness ; as Eve also did, who would be like God ; and surely Adam had some mind that way, or else he would not have entered into the spirit of this world.
82. And such also now was their son Cain ; he supposed that he was lord on earth ; and therefore
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVfi's GOING OUT OF PARADISE 539
of heaven was not assisting in him, and that he merely out of his own might and power made
3 the heaven, himself such an upright [honest] man; for 3it was in the wrestling, and overcame the anger. For man is weak and 4 ignorant, and can do little by his own power [or ability], 6yet he has the imagination, and the choosing, or the free yielding [to a thing], where then the maker is ready beforehand, which makes him [to be] according as his lust [or desire] is ; as it is to be seen by Adam, for when he longed and lusted in the spirit of this world, there instantly the maker was present, and made (of an angelical image) a man.
76. The lust [or longing desire] is the introduc- « Or of. ing 6 into a thing, and out of the lust comes the form [or image] of the lust, viz. a body, and the source [or active quality] of sins sticks therein ; and you may more easily hinder the lust, than break the body, which is very hard ; therefore it is good to turn away the eyes, and then the 7 the kindling 7 tincture goes not into the essences by which the into the issu- spirit is impregnated ; for the lust indeed is not en the mind wholly, but they are sisters ; for when
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVE*S GOING OUT OF PARADISE 537 the lust impregnats the mind, then it is already a half l substance, and there must necessarily * Or body. follow a breaking, or there comes to be a whole substance, and an essence of a thing.
77. Now Abel is the first Christian Church in patience, which God established, that the Cainish church should be converted by Abel ; he has not therefore so rejected the Cainish church, that he would have no member out of it. Understand it thus : The true Christian Church stands like a sheep among wolves ; though indeed we are men and not wolves, but in mind and in figure. 2 It teaches the wicked ; and if he be converted, then it has gained him, and he is figured into an image [of God] ; and thereby joy is caused among the angels of God, that the kingdom of heaven has the victory.
78. Or do you suppose, that the word in Daniel is nothing, concerning the angel Gabriel, who said, s that the prince in Persia withstood him 3 Dan. x. one and twenty days, and that our prince Michael came to help him ? Thereby it may be seen how the princes and throne-angels strive against the kingdom of the fierce wrath, and assist men ; the cause whereof is this : The devil awakens the anger against men ; and the angels of God (viz. the throne-princes) keep it back, because God 4 yet 4 Notwith-
.,, ,, M standing the
Wllls not evil. devil's atir79.' We are especially to observe in Cain and "™kemn°g of Abel, what their purpose was. Cain was a plough538 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 20 man [or tiller of the ground], and Abel was a shepherd [or keeper of sheep]. Abel relied upon the blessing of God towards his flock, to maintain himself by the blessing of God. Cain relred upon his own labour, to maintain himself by his own skill and industry. Eve took part with Cain, and Adam with Abel] for Eve counted him to be the prince on earth, to whom the kingdom did belong, and supposed that he (as a champion) would chase and hunt away the devil ; although she knew
1 the devil. l him not.
80. But if men search very deep, this [that follows they will find] is the very ground. Eve was the child in the matrix of Adam, which Adam (if he had not been overcome) should have generated out of himself, in great modesty [purity] and holiness ; but because Adam's matrix was impregnated from the spirit of this world, therefore God must frame a fleshly woman out of it, which afterwards (in her first fruit) became lustful, and infected from the devil, as well as the limbus in Adam.
81. And therefore they also generated such a towardly child that looked only after covetousness ; as Eve also did, who would be like God ; and surely Adam had some mind that way, or else he would not have entered into the spirit of this world.
82. And such also now was their son Cain ; he supposed that he was lord on earth ; and therefore
Ch. 20] ADAM AND EVfi's GOING OUT OF PARADISE 539