Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

of God ; your wisdom will turn to your hurt punishment.

and scorn.

p. 46

p. 722

Of Christ's Ascension into Heaven.

98. We know, when A dam had lived forty days in the paradise, then he went into the spirit of this world, whereas he should have gone into the Trinity ; for he stood in the time of the temptation, and if he had held out these forty days, then he had been fully with his soul in the light of God, and his body in Ternario Sancto [in the Holy Ternary], like this Christ.

99. For when he had conversed forty days (after his resurrection) in the proba [or trial] in this world, then he went up into a mountain, whither he had appointed his disciples to come, and went up aloft visibly with his own body which he had offered up on the cross (till a cloud came and did hide him from their sight) for a sure sign that he was their brother, and that he (in his earthly form and body) would not forsake them ; as he also said to them, Behold, I am with you to the end of the world.

100. Now then saith reason, Whither is he gone ? is he gone out of this world, aloft above the stars into another heaven ? Hearken, my beloved reason, incline thy mind to Christ, and behold, I will tell it thee ; for we see it and know it ; not I ; for when I say we, you must not barely understand it of my earthly man, for the spirit that driveth this pen is spoken of also ; therefore I write and say we, when I speak of myself, as of

Ch. 25] CHRIST'S DEATH AND RESURRECTION 723

the author ; for I should know nothing, if the spirit of knowledge did not stir it up in me, and there could bs nothing found but in such a way ; the spirit would not be in any other way, but he did hide and withdraw himself, and then my soul was very much disquieted in me, with great longing -after the spirit, till I did learn how it was.

101. Behold, that which the ancients have invented and taught, is not the ground. They took upon them to measure how many hundred thousand miles it is to Hhe heaven whither Christ » coeium Em is gone. They did it to this end, that they might 25T'

be gods upon earth themselves, as their invented kingdom sheweth and declareth, which standeth merely in Babel. Behold, when we speak of the thrones, it is quite another thing than that they mean ; and their blindness and ignorance is found, though there is a spirit in their knowledge which is not so much rejected ; but that spirit is not [or cometh not] ex Ternario Sancto [out of the Holy Ternary], out of the body of Jesus Christ, but it is out of the high eternity, which flieth up above the thrones ; which may be mentioned in another place.

102. We must continue in this throne [which is ours} What are the other thrones to me, where the principalities of angels are ? They are indeed our friends, and faithful helpers in the service of God ; we must look upon our own throne wherein we were created and made creatures, and upon ourp. 724 prince in that throne, upon God. The first purpose of God when he created us, and beheld us in the eternal band, that must stand.

103. This was the throne of Lucifer with his legions, but when he fell, he was thrust out into the first Principle ; and then the throne in the second Principle was empty. In the same Principle God created man, who should continue therein, and he was tempted, [to try] whether that were possible ; and to that end it was that God created the third Principle, in the place of this world, that man also (in the fall) might notbecome a devil, but that he might be helped again. Therefore the enmity of the devil against Christ is because he sitteth upon his royal throne, and besides holdeth him captive with his Principle.

104. Thus the place of this world (according to the heavenly Principle) is the throne and body of our Christ ; and all (whatsoever is in this world in the third Principle) is his own also ; and the devil (who dwelleth in this place in the first Principle) is our Christ's captive [or prisoner].