Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
87. And do not rely upon the hypocrisy of the Antichrist, he is a liar, and covetous, and a dissembler ; he mindeth only his idol the belly, and is a thief in the sight of God ; he devoureth the bread that belongeth to the needy ; he is the devil's hell-hound ; learn to know him.
88. Speaking then of the true resurrection of Christ, we will also shew [somewhat] concerning his conversation (those forty days) after his resurrection, before his ascension. Because we know that he is become a real Lord over heaven, earth, and hell, therefore we shew you how the kingdom of this world, with all the essences and qualities thereof, hath been subjected to him. And although he did not always converse visibly with his disciples, yet many times he shewed himself to them visibly, palpably, and staying with them, l according to the * according f . . .. ,. , to the ruling kingdom of this world, according to his body which property of he had here, which was swallowed up by the new elements. body, which he must present again, as God would have it to be presented ; for God is Lord of everything, and everything must be changed (as he pleaseth) that he might thus shew his disciples his real body, and the print of his nails, which stand in the Holy Christ, in his holy body in eternity, as a sign of his victory, and shine brighter than the morning star.
p. 718
89. He thereby confirmed his disciples' weak faith, and so shewed, that he is Lord also over the kingdom of this world, and that all whatsoever we o sow, build, plant, eat and drink, is fully in his almighty power, and that he can bless and increase it, and therefore he is not separated or parted from us ; but as a flower groweth out of the earth, so his word, spirit, and power [or virtue] groweth in everything ; and if our mind be sincerely inclined to him, then we are blessed of him, in body and soul ; but if not, then the curse and the anger of God is in all things, and we eat death in all fruits [or food]. And therefore it is that we pray, that God will bless our meat and drink, also our bodies and souls in Christ, and that is right.
90. Secondly, we intimate also how Christ conversed upon earth forty days after his resurrection, understand, in the kingdom of this world, whereas yet he was in heaven, yet he bore that image without any outward glory or clarity before the eyes of men, and he had the body wholly with every essence, as it hung on the cross, except the
1 Or working l source of the Principle, which he had not; but ° else he had all essences in flesh and blood, and yet the outward flesh stood in the might [and power] of the heavenly. This we see, by his going in to his disciples, the door being shut, and passed with his body through the wood of the door. Thus you may understand, that the world is as nothing to him, and that he hath power over all things.
Ch. 25] CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION 719
91. And further also we intimate to you, that these forty days are the forty days of Adam's being in paradise before his sleep, ere the woman was made out of him, where he stood in the paradisical temptation, where he was still pure and heavenly. And so this Christ must also stand forty days in the paradisical source [or condition], in the temptation, [to try] whether the body would continue paradisical before he was glorified ; and therefore he did eat and drink with his disciples in a paradisical manner (as Adam should have done) into the mouth, and not into the body ; for the consuming consisted in the virtue [or power].
92. Here it was rightly tempted, whether the body would live in divine virtue and power, as Adam also should have done, while he was in paradise in this world ; and though he was there, yet he was in this world, and yet he lived not in the source of this world, but in the paradisical property above the world, and also above the wrath of the anger in the hell ; he should have lived in
87. And do not rely upon the hypocrisy of the Antichrist, he is a liar, and covetous, and a dissembler ; he minds only his idol the belly, and is a thief in the sight of God ; he devours the bread that belongs to the needy ; he is the devil's hell-hound ; learn to know him.
88. Speaking then of the true resurrection of Christ, we will also show [somewhat] concerning his conversation (those forty days) after his resurrection, before his ascension. Because we know that he is become a real Lord over heaven, earth, and hell, therefore we show you how the kingdom of this world, with all the essences and qualities thereof, has been subjected to him. And although he did not always converse visibly with his disciples, yet many times he showed himself to them visibly, palpably, and staying with them, l according to the * according f . . .. ,. , to the ruling kingdom of this world, according to his body which property of he had here, which was swallowed up by the new elements. body, which he must present again, as God would have it to be presented ; for God is Lord of everything, and everything must be changed (as he pleases) that he might thus show his disciples his real body, and the print of his nails, which stand in the Holy Christ, in his holy body in eternity, as a sign of his victory, and shine brighter than the morning star.
718 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 25
89. He thereby confirmed his disciples' weak faith, and so showed, that he is Lord also over the kingdom of this world, and that all whatsoever we o sow, build, plant, eat and drink, is fully in his almighty power, and that he can bless and increase it, and therefore he is not separated or parted from us ; but as a flower grows out of the earth, so his word, spirit, and power [or virtue] grows in everything ; and if our mind be sincerely inclined to him, then we are blessed of him, in body and soul ; but if not, then the curse and the anger of God is in all things, and we eat death in all fruits [or food]. And therefore it is that we pray, that God will bless our meat and drink, also our bodies and souls in Christ, and that is right.
90. Secondly, we intimate also how Christ conversed upon earth forty days after his resurrection, understand, in the kingdom of this world, whereas yet he was in heaven, yet he bore that image without any outward glory or clarity before the eyes of men, and he had the body wholly with every essence, as it hung on the cross, except the
1 Or working l source of the Principle, which he had not; but ° else he had all essences in flesh and blood, and yet the outward flesh stood in the might [and power] of the heavenly. This we see, by his going in to his disciples, the door being shut, and passed with his body through the wood of the door. Thus you may understand, that the world is as nothing to him, and that he has power over all things.
Ch. 25] CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION 719
91. And further also we intimate to you, that these forty days are the forty days of Adam's being in paradise before his sleep, ere the woman was made out of him, where he stood in the paradisical temptation, where he was still pure and heavenly. And so this Christ must also stand forty days in the paradisical source [or condition], in the temptation, [to try] whether the body would continue paradisical before he was glorified ; and therefore he did eat and drink with his disciples in a paradisical manner (as Adam should have done) into the mouth, and not into the body ; for the consuming consisted in the virtue [or power].
92. Here it was rightly tempted, whether the body would live in divine virtue and power, as Adam also should have done, while he was in paradise in this world ; and though he was there, yet he was in this world, and yet he lived not in the source of this world, but in the paradisical property above the world, and also above the wrath of the anger in the hell ; he should have lived in