Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

23. Now consider what thou lettest into thy mind by thy senses, for thou hast in each kingdom a maker, which there 1 maketh [an image of] whatsoever thou layest into the scales, by the senses ; for all lieth in the making [or formation], and thou art (in this body) a field [ground or soil] ; thy mind is the sower, and the three Principles are the seed ; what thy mind soweth, the body of that groweth, and that thou shalt reap to thyself, and so when the earthly field or soil doth break, then the new-grown body standeth in [its] perfection, whether it be be 2 grown in the kingdom of heaven, or in the kingdom of hell.

24. By this now you might find and understand the ground, how the kingdom of this world is generated, and how one kingdom is in the other, and how one is the chest and receptacle of the other, where yet there is no captivating at all, but all is free in itself ; and man standeth manifested in all three [Principles], and yet knoweth none of them in the ground, except he be generated out of the darkness into the light, and then that

Ch. 21] THE CAINISH AND ABELLISH KINGDOMS 567

^source knoweth the fierce eternity, as also the > or property. 2 out-birth [or issue] of the eternity. But he is «ch. third not able to search out the light, for he is environed SJS±T therewith, and it is his dwelling-house; whereas w°rldt yet he is (with his body) in this world, and with the originality of the soul in the ground of the eternal source, and with the noble blossom of the soul in the kingdom of heaven with God, and is thus rightly a prince in the heaven, over hell and earth ; for the fierce source [or torment] toucheth it not ; but the blossom maketh out of the fierce source [or quality] paradise, [viz.] the high exulting joy in the springing up.

25. And thus thou earthly man mayest see, how thou livest here in three Principles, if thy mind inclineth itself to God ; but if it give up itself to the 3 source of this world, then thou standest 3 kingdom, or 4 before heaven, and thou sowest two Principles, J0"™6'. viz. the spirit of this world, and the fierce source' of eternity.

The Well-Spring [or Fountain'] of the
Antichristian Kingdom.

26. Man possesseth this world, and hath built him a glorious kingdom for his own glory, as is plain before our eyes; yet he is not to be condemned therein, (though indeed that is cause of sins), because God (of his grace) hath sent his beloved Heart into the flesh, that man might (thereby) go out from the flesh again, and enter into the

p. 568

THE THREE PRINCIPLES

[Ch. 21

1 Or permitted.

kingdom of heaven. But now his earthly body must have sustenance, that it may live and propagate ; and all the governments and arts of this world stand in this necessity, for the earthly body cannot want them ; and they are l borne withal (by divine patience) that the great wonders may thereby be manifested.

27. But this is man's condemnation, that he soweth only the earthly and the hellish seed, and letteth the heavenly stay in his barn ; he stayeth without, before heaven, and entereth not in for the noble seed; but he giveth God good words, that he may be gracious to him, and receive him into his kingdom, and soweth nothing but the devil's weeds in body and soul. And then what new body shall there grow ? Shall it stand in the heaven in the holy element, or in the abyss ? Or shall the Pearl be cast before swine ?

28. If thy maker in thee doth not make the image of God, but the image of the serpent, how wilt thou then bring thy beast into the kingdom of heaven ? Dost thou suppose that God hath adders and serpents in the broken gate of the regeneration in the pleasant habitation ? Or dost thou suppose that he looketh after thy hypocrisy,

2 colleges, that thou buildest great 2 houses of stone for him, churches, or .11 monasteries, and therein dost exercise thy hypocrisy and pomp ? What careth he for thy songs and roaring noise, if thy heart be a murderer and devourer ? He will have a new-born man, who yieldeth himself up to