Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
16. 0 that I had but the pen of man, and were able therewith to write down the spirit of knowledge. I can but stammer of the great mysteries like a child that is beginning to speak ; so very little can the earthly tongue express what the spirit comprehendeth and understandeth ; yet I will venture to try whether I may procure some to go about to seek the Pearl, whereby also I might
2 labour in the works of God, in my paradisical garden of roses ; for the longing of the eternal
3 matrix driveth me on to write and exercise myself in this my knowledge.
17. Now if we will lift up our minds, and seek after the heaven wherein God dwelleth, we cannot say that God dwelleth only above the stars, and hath inclosed himself with the firmament which is made out of the waters, in which none can enter except it be opened (like a window) for him ; with which thoughts men are altogether befooled [and bewildered]. Neither can we say (as some suppose) that God the Father and the Son are only with angels in the uppermost inclosed heaven, and rule only here in this world by the Holy Ghost, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son. All these thoughts are void of the very knowledge of God. For then God would be divided and circumscriptive, like the sun that moveth aloft above us, and sendeth its light and virtue to us,p. 97 whereby the whole deep becometh light and active all over.
18. Reason is much befooled with these thoughts ; and the kingdom of Antichrist is begotten in l these x which posthoughts, and Antichrist hath by these opinions of straying set himself in the place of God, and meaneth to be God upon earth, and ascribeth 2 divine power to 2 divine authohimself, and stoppeth the mouth of the spirit
God, and will not hear him speak ; and so strong delusions come upon them, that they believe the spirit of lies, which in hypocrisy speaketh strong delusions, and seduceth the children of hope, as St Paul witnesseth.
19. The true heaven, wherein God dwelleth, is all over, in all places [or corners], even in the midst [or centre] of the earth. He comprehendeth the hell where the devils dwell, and there is nothing without God. For wheresoever he was before the creation of the world, there he is still, viz. in himself ; and is himself the essence of all essences : All is generated from him, and is originally from him. And he is therefore called God, because he alone is the good, the heart, or [that which is] best ; understand, he is the light and virtue [or power], from whence nature hath its original.
(20. If you will 3 meditate on God, take before 3 think, or you the eternal darkness, which is without God ; anything of for God dwelleth in himself, and the darkness cannot in its own power comprehend him ; which darkness hath a great [desire of] longing after the
p. 98
speculating light, caused by the light's l beholding itself in the darkness, and shining in it. And in this longing
Or active or desiring, you find the 2 source, and the source taketh hold of the power or virtue of the light, and the longing maketh the virtue material, and the material virtue is the inclosure to God, or the heaven ; for in the virtue standeth 'the paradise, whereiu the spirit which proceedeth from the Father and the Son worketh. All this is incomcieature, or prehensible to the 3 creation, but not impossible to aturalman.
be found in the mind ; for paradise standeth open in the mind of a holy soul.
21. Thus you [may] see how God created all things out of nothing, but only out of himself;
that which an(i yet the * out-birth is not from his essence for i procreated, iz. the four substance], but it hath its original from the darklements. J &
Or springing ness- The 6 source of the darkness is the first principie) and the virtue [or power] of the light is the second Principle, and the out-birth, [generated] out of the darkness by the virtue of the light, is the third Principle ; and that is not called God : God is only the light, and the virtue of the light, and that which goeth forth out of the light is the Holy Ghost.
16. 0 that I had but the pen of man, and were able therewith to write down the spirit of knowledge. I can but stammer of the great mysteries like a child that is beginning to speak ; so very little can the earthly tongue express what the spirit comprehends and understands ; yet I will venture to try whether I may procure some to go about to seek the Pearl, whereby also I might
2 labour in the works of God, in my paradisical garden of roses ; for the longing of the eternal
3 matrix drivs me on to write and exercise myself in this my knowledge.
17. Now if we will lift up our minds, and seek after the heaven wherein God dwells, we cannot say that God dwells only above the stars, and has inclosed himself with the firmament which is made out of the waters, in which none can enter except it be opened (like a window) for him ; with which thoughts men are altogether befooled [and bewildered]. Neither can we say (as some suppose) that God the Father and the Son are only with angels in the uppermost inclosed heaven, and rule only here in this world by the Holy Ghost, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. All these thoughts are void of the very knowledge of God. For then God would be divided and circumscriptive, like the sun that moves aloft above us, and sends its light and virtue to us,
Cll. 7] THE FOUR ELEMENTS 97 whereby the whole deep becomes light and active all over.
18. Reason is much befooled with these thoughts ; and the kingdom of Antichrist is begotten in l these x which posthoughts, and Antichrist has by these opinions of straying set himself in the place of God, and means to be God upon earth, and ascribs 2 divine power to 2 divine authohimself, and stopps the mouth of the spirit
God, and will not hear him speak ; and so strong delusions come upon them, that they believe the spirit of lies, which in hypocrisy speaks strong delusions, and seducs the children of hope, as St Paul witnesses.
19. The true heaven, wherein God dwells, is all over, in all places [or corners], even in the midst [or centre] of the earth. He comprehends the hell where the devils dwell, and there is nothing without God. For wheresoever he was before the creation of the world, there he is still, viz. in himself ; and is himself the essence of all essences : All is generated from him, and is originally from him. And he is therefore called God, because he alone is the good, the heart, or [that which is] best ; understand, he is the light and virtue [or power], from whence nature has its original.
(20. If you will 3 meditate on God, take before 3 think, or you the eternal darkness, which is without God ; anything of for God dwells in himself, and the darkness cannot in its own power comprehend him ; which darkness has a great [desire of] longing after the
98 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 7 speculating light, caused by the light's l beholding itself in the darkness, and shining in it. And in this longing
Or active or desiring, you find the 2 source, and the source takes hold of the power or virtue of the light, and the longing makes the virtue material, and the material virtue is the inclosure to God, or the heaven ; for in the virtue stands 'the paradise, whereiu the spirit which proceeds from the Father and the Son works. All this is incomcieature, or prehensible to the 3 creation, but not impossible to aturalman.
be found in the mind ; for paradise stands open in the mind of a holy soul.
21. Thus you [may] see how God created all things out of nothing, but only out of himself;
that which an(i yet the * out-birth is not from his essence for i procreated, iz. the four substance], but it has its original from the darklements. J &
Or springing ness- The 6 source of the darkness is the first principie) and the virtue [or power] of the light is the second Principle, and the out-birth, [generated] out of the darkness by the virtue of the light, is the third Principle ; and that is not called God : God is only the light, and the virtue of the light, and that which goes forth out of the light is the Holy Ghost.