Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

wise, neither can it be otherwise. working.

11. Now the Father is greater than all, and the Son in him is greater than all, and his 4 mercifulness 4Barmhertzigis also greater than all ; and the [one pure] element consists in his 4 mercifulness, and is as great as God ; only, it is generated of God, and is substantial, and it is under [or inferior to] God, and so therein is the Temarius Sanctus, with the wisdom of God in the wonders ; for all wonders are manifested therein, and that is the heavenly body of Christ, with our (here assumed) soul in it, and the whole fulness of the Deity is in the centre therein ; and thus the soul is environed with the Deity, and eats of God, for it is spirit. Thus, my beloved soul, if you are regenerated in Christ, then you puttest on the body of Christ, [which is] out of the holy element, and that gives your new

638 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 23 body food and drink ; and the spirit of this world in the four elements gives our old earthly [body earthly meat and drink that is earthly and elementary].

12. Thus understand and know this precious depth ; as Christ made a covenant with us, in the Garden of Eden, that he (as above mentioned) would thus become man, so also after he had laid off that which was earthly, he made a covenant with us, and has appointed his body for food, and his blood for drink ; and the water of the eternal life (in the originality of the Deity) for a holy baptism, and commanded that we should use it till he come again.

13. Now you will say, What did Christ give to his disciples in his Last Supper, when he sat with them at table ? Behold, the Deity is not comprehensible [or circumscriptive], and the holy body of Christ is also not measurable (it is creaturely indeed, but not measurable); he gave them his holy heavenly body, and his holy heavenly blood, for food and for drink, as his own words import. Dost you say, How can that be ? Then tell me, how it can be that the holy element has put on this world, and has another Principle in the body of this world1? That holy element is the heavenly body of Christ. Thus he gave them outward bread and outward wine in the kingdom of this world, and therewith his holy heavenly body in the second Principle, which comprises the outward, and likeCh. 23] THE PRECIOUS TESTAMENTS OF CHRIST 639 wise his heavenly blood, wherein the heavenly tincture and the holy life consists.

14. Now says. reason, That was another body, in another blood, and not his own creaturely body. Prithee, reason, tell me, how can it be another body ? Indeed it is in another Principle, but of no other creature. Did not Christ say, / am not of this world ? And yet he was really, according to the outward man, of this world. Or do you understand it only of his Deity ? What becomes then of his eternal humanity, according to which he was a king of the promise upon the throne of David "? If the promise had been able to ransom us, then the work need not have followed ; and Moses likewise had been able to have brought the people of Israel into the true promised land ; which verily Joshua (who was a type of this Christ) could not do, but he brought them only into the land of the heathen, where there was continually war and strife ; and it was only a valley of misery.

15. But xthis Christ sitts upon the throne of * Joshua and David, upon the throne of the promise ; like as mg* David was an outward king, and in his spirit a prophet before God, and so sat outwardly as a champion in the world, and inwardly as a 2 priest 2 One copy before God ; who prophesied of this Christ that he should come, and commanded all doors to be set open, and all gates to be lifted up on high, that this King of Glory might enter in. Thus he speaks

640 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 23