Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
8. But the time is coming, when the Aurora or Day- Spring will break forth, and then the beast, that evil child [or child of perdition] shall stand forth naked and in great shame ; for the judgment of the whore of the great beast goeth on. Therefore awake and fly away, ye children of God, that you bring not the mark of the great evil beast upon your forehead with you, before the clear light ; or else you will have great shame and confusion of face therewith. It is now high time to awake from sleep, for the bridegroom maketh himself ready to fetch home his bride, and he cometh with a clear shining light ; they that shall have oil inCh. 3] OF THE ETERNAL NATURE 23 their lamps, their lamps shall be kindled, and they shall be guests ; but those that shall have no oil, their lamps shall continue dark, and they shall sleep still, and retain the marks of the beast till the sun rise, and then they shall be horribly affrighted, and stand in eternal shame ; for the judgment shall be executed ; the children of God shall observe it, but those that sleep shall sleep till day.
Further of the Birth.
9. The birth of the eternal nature is like the [thoughts or] senses in man, as when a [thought or] sense is generated by somewhat, and afterwards propagateth itself into infinite many [thoughts], or as a root of a tree generateth a stock and many buds and branches, as also many roots, buds, and branches from one root, and all of them from that one first root. Therefore observe what is mentioned before, whereas nature consisteth of six forms [or properties] so every form generateth again a form out of itself of the same quality and condition of itself, and this form now hath the quality and condition of all the forms in itself.
10. But l observe it well: the first of the six'Orunderforms generateth but one 2 source like itself, after consider it the similitude of its own fountain-spirit, and not ^ budding like the first mother the harshness, but as one twig i)r°P«rty' or branch in a tree putteth forth another sprout out of itself. For in every fountain-spirit there is but one centre, wherein the fire-source or fountainp. 24 ariseth, and the light ariseth out of the flash of the 1 Or springing fire, and the first sixfold form is in the l source or property. .
fountain.
11. But mark the depth, in a similitude which I set down thus : The harsh spring in the original is the mother out of which the other ^five springs are generated, viz. Bitterness, Fire, Love, Sound, and Water. Now these are members of this birth [of their mother], and without them there would be nothing but an anguishing dark vale [or vacuum], where there could be no mobility, nor any light or life : But now the life is born in her by the kindling of the light, and then she rejoiceth in her own property, and laboureth in her own tart sour quality to generate again ; and in her own quality their riseth a life again, and a centre openeth itself again, and the life cometh to be generated again out of her in a sixfold form, yet not in any such anguish as at the beginning, but in great joy.
12. For the spring of the great anguish, which was in the beginning before the light, in the [tart] harshness, from which the bitter sting or prickle is generated, that is now in the sweet fountain of the love in the light changed from the water-spirit, and from bitterness or prickliness is now become the fountain or spring of the joy in the light. Thus now henceforth the fire-flash is the father of the light, and the light shineth in him, and is now the only cause of the moving birth, and of the birth of the love. That which in the beginningCh. 3] OF THE ETERNAL NATURE 25 was the l aching source, is now SUL, or the oil1 Or lake of torment
8. But the time is coming, when the Aurora or Day- Spring will break forth, and then the beast, that evil child [or child of perdition] shall stand forth naked and in great shame ; for the judgment of the whore of the great beast goes on. Therefore awake and fly away, you children of God, that you bring not the mark of the great evil beast upon your forehead with you, before the clear light ; or else you will have great shame and confusion of face therewith. It is now high time to awake from sleep, for the bridegroom makes himself ready to fetch home his bride, and he comes with a clear shining light ; they that shall have oil in
Ch. 3] OF THE ETERNAL NATURE 23 their lamps, their lamps shall be kindled, and they shall be guests ; but those that shall have no oil, their lamps shall continue dark, and they shall sleep still, and retain the marks of the beast till the sun rise, and then they shall be horribly affrighted, and stand in eternal shame ; for the judgment shall be executed ; the children of God shall observe it, but those that sleep shall sleep till day.
Further of the Birth.
9. The birth of the eternal nature is like the [thoughts or] senses in man, as when a [thought or] sense is generated by somewhat, and afterwards propagats itself into infinite many [thoughts], or as a root of a tree generats a stock and many buds and branches, as also many roots, buds, and branches from one root, and all of them from that one first root. Therefore observe what is mentioned before, whereas nature consists of six forms [or properties] so every form generats again a form out of itself of the same quality and condition of itself, and this form now has the quality and condition of all the forms in itself.
10. But l observe it well: the first of the six'Orunderforms generats but one 2 source like itself, after consider it the similitude of its own fountain-spirit, and not ^ budding like the first mother the harshness, but as one twig i)r°P«rty' or branch in a tree putts forth another sprout out of itself. For in every fountain-spirit there is but one centre, wherein the fire-source or fountain
24 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 3 arises, and the light arises out of the flash of the 1 Or springing fire, and the first sixfold form is in the l source or property. .
fountain.
11. But mark the depth, in a similitude which I set down thus : The harsh spring in the original is the mother out of which the other ^five springs are generated, viz. Bitterness, Fire, Love, Sound, and Water. Now these are members of this birth [of their mother], and without them there would be nothing but an anguishing dark vale [or vacuum], where there could be no mobility, nor any light or life : But now the life is born in her by the kindling of the light, and then she rejoics in her own property, and labours in her own tart sour quality to generate again ; and in her own quality their rises a life again, and a centre opens itself again, and the life comes to be generated again out of her in a sixfold form, yet not in any such anguish as at the beginning, but in great joy.
12. For the spring of the great anguish, which was in the beginning before the light, in the [tart] harshness, from which the bitter sting or prickle is generated, that is now in the sweet fountain of the love in the light changed from the water-spirit, and from bitterness or prickliness is now become the fountain or spring of the joy in the light. Thus now henceforth the fire-flash is the father of the light, and the light shines in him, and is now the only cause of the moving birth, and of the birth of the love. That which in the beginning
Ch. 3] OF THE ETERNAL NATURE 25 was the l aching source, is now SUL, or the oil1 Or lake of torment