Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
Ch. 22] THE NEW REGENERATION IN CHRIST 611
but an anxious source [or property] ; and if anything else were to be in it, then the first will (in the eternal band) must conceive another will in itself, to go out of the dark source [or property] into a joyful habitation without a source.
57. If now the first eternal will doth thus •conceive another will, then it breaketh the source of darkness, and dwelleth (in itself) in the joyful habitation, and the darkness remaineth darkness still, and a source [or working property] in itself, but toucheth not the reconceived will, for that dwelleth not in the darkness, but in itself; thus we understand the soul's own power [to be], which God breathed into Adam, out of the gate, the breaking through, in himself into the light of the habitation of joy.
58. This soul (being clothed with the pure elementary and paradisical body) severed its will, [which came] out of the Father's will, which tendeth only to the conceiving of his l virtue [or1 Or Son power], from whence he is impregnated to beget his Heart, [and severed it] from the Father's will, and entered into the lust of this world ; where now (backward in the breaking [or destruction] of this world) there is no light ; and forward there is no comprehensibility of the Deity ; and there was no counsel [or remedy], except the pure will of the Father enter into it again, and bring it into his own will again, into its first seat, that
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so its will may be directed again into the Heart and light of God.
59. And now if it is to be helped again, then the Heart of God with its light (and not the Father) must come into it ; for it standeth in the Father, however, yet turned away from the entrance (to the birth of the Heart of God) backward into this world, where no light is to be comprehended, either behind or before it ; for the substance of the body breaketh, and then the poor soul standeth imprisoned in the dark dungeon ; and here the love of God towards the poor imprisoned soul is [made] known : Consider thyself here, 0 dear mind.
60. Here was no remedy now, neither in God,, nor in any creature ; only the mere Deity of the Heart of God must enter in Temarium Sanctum [into the holy Ternary], viz. into the BarmhertzigJceit [the mercifulness], which is from eternity generated out of his holiness, wherein the eternal wisdom, which [coming] out of the speaking of the Word, through the Holy Ghost, standeth as a virgin before the Deity, and is the great wonder, and a spirit in the Barmhertzigkeit [the mercifulness] ; and the mercifulness maketh the holy Ternary, (the holy earth), the essences of the Father, in the attracting to the Word, viz. the holy constellations, as may be said in a similitude.
61. And as we perceive that in this world there are fire, air, water, and earth, also the sun and thestars, and therein consist all the things of
Ch. 22] THE NEW REGENERATION IN CHRIST 613
world, so you may conceive, by way of similitude, that the Father is the fire of the whole [holy] constellations, and also in the [* holy] element ; » and that the Son (viz. his Heart) is the sun, which setteth all the constellations in a light pleasant habitation ; and that the Holy Ghost is the air of the life, without which neither sun nor constellation would subsist ; and then that the concreted spiritus majoris mundi [or spirit of the great world] is the chaste virgin before God ; which spirit of the great world, in this world, giveth to all creatures, mind, sense, and understanding, through the influence of the stars ; and so also [doth the chaste virgin] in the heaven.
62. The earthly earth is like the holy Ternary, wherein is the heavenly 2aquaster (viz. in the2 Or waterheavenly earth, which I call the [one holy] element) §E which is pure. Thus God is a spirit, and the pure element is heavenly earth, for it is substantial ;
and the essences in the heavenly earth are paradisical buds [or fruits] ; and the virgin of wisdom is the great spirit of the whole heavenly world, in a similitude, and that not only openeth the great wonders in the heavenly earth, but also in the whole deep of the Deity.
63. For the Deity is incomprehensible, and invisible, yet 3 perceptible ; but the virgin is visible 8 findabie, or like a pure spirit ; and the [one holy] element is
Ch. 22] THE NEW REGENERATION IN CHRIST 611 but an anxious source [or property] ; and if anything else were to be in it, then the first will (in the eternal band) must conceive another will in itself, to go out of the dark source [or property] into a joyful habitation without a source.
57. If now the first eternal will does thus •conceive another will, then it breaks the source of darkness, and dwells (in itself) in the joyful habitation, and the darkness remains darkness still, and a source [or working property] in itself, but touches not the reconceived will, for that dwells not in the darkness, but in itself; thus we understand the soul's own power [to be], which God breathed into Adam, out of the gate, the breaking through, in himself into the light of the habitation of joy.
58. This soul (being clothed with the pure elementary and paradisical body) severed its will, [which came] out of the Father's will, which tends only to the conceiving of his l virtue [or1 Or Son power], from whence he is impregnated to beget his Heart, [and severed it] from the Father's will, and entered into the lust of this world ; where now (backward in the breaking [or destruction] of this world) there is no light ; and forward there is no comprehensibility of the Deity ; and there was no counsel [or remedy], except the pure will of the Father enter into it again, and bring it into his own will again, into its first seat, that 612 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 22 so its will may be directed again into the Heart and light of God.
59. And now if it is to be helped again, then the Heart of God with its light (and not the Father) must come into it ; for it stands in the Father, however, yet turned away from the entrance (to the birth of the Heart of God) backward into this world, where no light is to be comprehended, either behind or before it ; for the substance of the body breaks, and then the poor soul stands imprisoned in the dark dungeon ; and here the love of God towards the poor imprisoned soul is [made] known : Consider yourself here, 0 dear mind.
60. Here was no remedy now, neither in God,, nor in any creature ; only the mere Deity of the Heart of God must enter in Temarium Sanctum [into the holy Ternary], viz. into the BarmhertzigJceit [the mercifulness], which is from eternity generated out of his holiness, wherein the eternal wisdom, which [coming] out of the speaking of the Word, through the Holy Ghost, stands as a virgin before the Deity, and is the great wonder, and a spirit in the Barmhertzigkeit [the mercifulness] ; and the mercifulness makes the holy Ternary, (the holy earth), the essences of the Father, in the attracting to the Word, viz. the holy constellations, as may be said in a similitude.
61. And as we perceive that in this world there are fire, air, water, and earth, also the sun and thestars, and therein consist all the things of Ch. 22] THE NEW REGENERATION IN CHRIST 613 world, so you may conceive, by way of similitude, that the Father is the fire of the whole [holy] constellations, and also in the [* holy] element ; » and that the Son (viz. his Heart) is the sun, which setts all the constellations in a light pleasant habitation ; and that the Holy Ghost is the air of the life, without which neither sun nor constellation would subsist ; and then that the concreted spiritus majoris mundi [or spirit of the great world] is the chaste virgin before God ; which spirit of the great world, in this world, gives to all creatures, mind, sense, and understanding, through the influence of the stars ; and so also [does the chaste virgin] in the heaven.
62. The earthly earth is like the holy Ternary, wherein is the heavenly 2aquaster (viz. in the2 Or waterheavenly earth, which I call the [one holy] element) §E which is pure. Thus God is a spirit, and the pure element is heavenly earth, for it is substantial ;
and the essences in the heavenly earth are paradisical buds [or fruits] ; and the virgin of wisdom is the great spirit of the whole heavenly world, in a similitude, and that not only opens the great wonders in the heavenly earth, but also in the whole deep of the Deity.
63. For the Deity is incomprehensible, and invisible, yet 3 perceptible ; but the virgin is visible 8 findabie, or like a pure spirit ; and the [one holy] element is