Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
24. For this world is like a field, wherein good seed is sown, into which the enemy casteth weeds [or tares], and goeth his way, which grow together until the time of the harvest, when all [the fruit] shall be gathered, and brought into the barn ; of which Christ also saith, That the tares [or weeds] shall be tied up in bundles, and cast into the fire, and the wheat shall be brought into the barn.
Ch. 9] OF PARADISE, ETC. 139
The Holy Gate.
25. Reason (which is gone forth with Adam out of paradise) asketh, Where is paradise to be had [or found] ? Is it far off, or near ? Or, when the souls go into paradise, whither do they go ? Is it in this world, or without the place of this world above the stars ? Where is it that God dwelleth with the angels 1 And where is that desirable native country where there is no death ? Being there is no sun nor stars in it, therefore it cannot be in this world, or else it would have been found long ago.
26. Beloved reason, one cannot lend the key to another to [unlock] this [withal] ; and if any one have a key, he cannot open it to another, as Antichrist boasteth that he hath the keys of heaven and hell. It is true, he may have the keys of both in this [life] time ; but he cannot open with them for anybody else ; every one must unlock it with his own key, or else he cannot enter therein. For the Holy Ghost is the key ; when he hath that key, then he may go both in and out.
27. There is nothing that is nearer you than heaven, paradise, and hell, unto which of them you are inclined, and to which of them you tend [or walk], to that in this [life] time you are most near : You are between both. And there is a birth between each of them ; you stand in this world between both the gates, and you have both thep. 140 births in you : God beckoneth to you in the one gate, and calleth you ; and the devil beckoneth to you in the other gate, and calleth you ; with whom you go, with him you enter in. The devil hath in his hand power, honour, pleasure, and [worldly] joy, and the root of these is death and hell-fire. On the contrary, God hath in his hand, crosses, persecution, misery, poverty, ignominy, and sorrow ; and the root of these is a fire also, and in the fire [there is] a light, and in the light the virtue, and in the virtue [or power] the paradise, and in the paradise [are] the angels, and among the angels, joy. The l gross eyes cannot behold it, because they are from the third Principle, and see only by the splendour of the sun ; but when the Holy Ghost cometh into the soul, then he regenerateth it anew in God, and then it becometh a paradisical child, and getteth the key of paradise, and that soul seeth into the midst thereof.
28. But the gross body cannot see into it, because it belongeth not to [paradise], it belongeth to the earth, and must putrify, or rot, and rise in a new virtue [or power] (which is like paradise) in Christ, at the end of days ; and then it also may dwell in paradise, and not before : It must lay off the third Principle, [viz.'] this skin [fleece or covering], which father Adam and mother Eve are gotten into, in which they supposed they should be wise when they should wear all the three Principles manifested in them ; if they had rather worn two hiddenCh. 9] OF PARADISE, ETC. 141 in them, and had stayed in the l one, it had been » in the good for us ; of which further about the fall. Hght.lp
29. Thus now in the essence of all essences, there are three several distinct properties, which yet are not parted asunder, with one source [or property] far from the other ; but they are in one another as one only essence, and yet the one doth not comprehend the other. As these three elements, fire, air, water, are all three in one another, and neither of them comprehendeth the other ; and as one element generateth another, and yet is not of the essence nor source [or property] thereof ; so the three Principles are in one another, and one generateth the other, and yet no one of them all comprehendeth the other, and none of them is the essence [or substance] of the other.
The Depth in the Centre [or Ground],
24. For this world is like a field, wherein good seed is sown, into which the enemy casts weeds [or tares], and goes his way, which grow together until the time of the harvest, when all [the fruit] shall be gathered, and brought into the barn ; of which Christ also says, That the tares [or weeds] shall be tied up in bundles, and cast into the fire, and the wheat shall be brought into the barn.
Ch. 9] OF PARADISE, ETC. 139
The Holy Gate.
25. Reason (which is gone forth with Adam out of paradise) asks, Where is paradise to be had [or found] ? Is it far off, or near ? Or, when the souls go into paradise, whither do they go ? Is it in this world, or without the place of this world above the stars ? Where is it that God dwells with the angels 1 And where is that desirable native country where there is no death ? Being there is no sun nor stars in it, therefore it cannot be in this world, or else it would have been found long ago.
26. Beloved reason, one cannot lend the key to another to [unlock] this [withal] ; and if any one have a key, he cannot open it to another, as Antichrist boasts that he has the keys of heaven and hell. It is true, he may have the keys of both in this [life] time ; but he cannot open with them for anybody else ; every one must unlock it with his own key, or else he cannot enter therein. For the Holy Ghost is the key ; when he has that key, then he may go both in and out.
27. There is nothing that is nearer you than heaven, paradise, and hell, unto which of them you are inclined, and to which of them you tend [or walk], to that in this [life] time you are most near : You are between both. And there is a birth between each of them ; you stand in this world between both the gates, and you have both the
140 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 9 births in you : God beckons to you in the one gate, and calls you ; and the devil beckons to you in the other gate, and calls you ; with whom you go, with him you enter in. The devil has in his hand power, honour, pleasure, and [worldly] joy, and the root of these is death and hell-fire. On the contrary, God has in his hand, crosses, persecution, misery, poverty, ignominy, and sorrow ; and the root of these is a fire also, and in the fire [there is] a light, and in the light the virtue, and in the virtue [or power] the paradise, and in the paradise [are] the angels, and among the angels, joy. The l gross eyes cannot behold it, because they are from the third Principle, and see only by the splendour of the sun ; but when the Holy Ghost comes into the soul, then he regenerats it anew in God, and then it becomes a paradisical child, and getts the key of paradise, and that soul sees into the midst thereof.
28. But the gross body cannot see into it, because it belongs not to [paradise], it belongs to the earth, and must putrify, or rot, and rise in a new virtue [or power] (which is like paradise) in Christ, at the end of days ; and then it also may dwell in paradise, and not before : It must lay off the third Principle, [viz.'] this skin [fleece or covering], which father Adam and mother Eve are gotten into, in which they supposed they should be wise when they should wear all the three Principles manifested in them ; if they had rather worn two hidden
Ch. 9] OF PARADISE, ETC. 141
in them, and had stayed in the l one, it had been » in the good for us ; of which further about the fall. Hght.lp
29. Thus now in the essence of all essences, there are three several distinct properties, which yet are not parted asunder, with one source [or property] far from the other ; but they are in one another as one only essence, and yet the one does not comprehend the other. As these three elements, fire, air, water, are all three in one another, and neither of them comprehends the other ; and as one element generats another, and yet is not of the essence nor source [or property] thereof ; so the three Principles are in one another, and one generats the other, and yet no one of them all comprehends the other, and none of them is the essence [or substance] of the other.
The Depth in the Centre [or Ground],