Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
38. But now, nothing corrupteth [or is transi- :! Or the toryl but only the spirit in the will, and 3 its body body that , «. T i „ subsisted in the Fiat ; and the figure reinameth eternally through the „
Word. m the shadow. And this ngure could not thus have been brought to light and to visibility, that it might subsist eternally, if it had not been in the
4 Or sub- 4 essence; but now it is also incorruptible, for in the figure there is no * essence : The centre in the
8 Or working B source is broken asunder, and gone into its ether property.
[receptacle, or air] ; and the figure doth neither good nor evil, but it continueth eternally to the [manifestation of the] deeds of wonder and the glory of God, and for the joy of the angels.
39. For the third Principle of the material world shall pass away, and go into its ether, and then the shadow of all creatures will remain, also of all growing things [vegetables or fruits], and of all that ever came to light ; as also the shadow and figure of all words and works, and that incomprehensibly ; also without understanding or knowledge, like a nothing, or shadow, in respect of the light.
40. This was the unsearchable purpose of GodCh. 9] OF PARADISE, ETC. 147 in his will ; and therefore he thus * created all > Brought things; and after this time there will be nothing in but only light and darkness ; where the source [or property] remaineth in each of them (as it hath 8D been from eternity), where the one shall not comprehend the other, as it hath also not been done from eternity.
41. Yet whether God will create anything more after this [world's] time, that my spirit doth not know ; for it apprehendeth no further than [what is] in its centre wherein it liveth, in which the paradise and the kingdom of heaven standeth ; as you may read [afterwards] about the creation of man.
42. And so now the angels and blessed men
[will] remain in the birth of the light ; and 2 the 2 the spirits
".. f i • /• T i i that were spirits oi alteration out ot light into the source turned out of
[or torment], together with the spirits of the darkness.
wicked men, [will remain] in the eternal darkness, where no recalling is to be found ; for the spirits cannot go into the corruptibility [or transitoriness]
again. They are created out of the slimbus of 8 divine power
God, out of the harsh matrix, out of which the light of God existeth from eternity ; and not like the beasts out of the 4 out-birth, which went forth 4 Or proout of the limbus of the conceived purpose of God, which is finite [or taketh an end], and hath been
[or appeared] here, only that it might be an eternal shadow and figure.
43. The eternal will is incorruptible [or intran148
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 9
1 Or the spirits of the working nature.
2 into resignation.
sitory] and unchangeable [or unalterable] ; for the Heart of God is generated out of it, which is the end of the nature and of the willing. If the Spirits of the source [or torment] had put their imagination and their desiring will 2 forward into *^e %nt °^ meekness, into the end of nature, they would have continued angels ; but- seeing they out of pride would fain be above the meekness, and above the end of nature, and awakened the centre, they found nothing more ; for from eternity there had been nothing more [than the end of nature] ; :! Or ground of and therefore they awakened the 'centre of the properties. source [or torment] in themselves. The same they now have, and they were thrust out of the light into the darkness.
44. If you be born of God, then you [may] thus understand God, paradise, the kingdom of heaven and hell, and the entrance in, and end of, the i creatures, [and] the creation of this world ; but if not, then the veil is as well before your eyes as it was upon Moses. Therefore saith Christ, Seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : No son asketh his father for an egg, that he should give him a scorpion : Also, My Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it.
45. Therefore, if you do not understand this writing, then do not, as Lucifer did in taking the spirit of pride, presently fall 4a-mocking and deriding, and ascribe it to the devil ; but seek of
4 mocking yo? understand not.
38. But now, nothing corrupts [or is transi- :! Or the toryl but only the spirit in the will, and 3 its body body that , «. T i „ subsisted in the Fiat ; and the figure reinams eternally through the „
Word. m the shadow. And this ngure could not thus have been brought to light and to visibility, that it might subsist eternally, if it had not been in the
4 Or sub- 4 essence; but now it is also incorruptible, for in the figure there is no * essence : The centre in the
8 Or working B source is broken asunder, and gone into its ether property.
[receptacle, or air] ; and the figure does neither good nor evil, but it continues eternally to the [manifestation of the] deeds of wonder and the glory of God, and for the joy of the angels.
39. For the third Principle of the material world shall pass away, and go into its ether, and then the shadow of all creatures will remain, also of all growing things [vegetables or fruits], and of all that ever came to light ; as also the shadow and figure of all words and works, and that incomprehensibly ; also without understanding or knowledge, like a nothing, or shadow, in respect of the light.
40. This was the unsearchable purpose of God
Ch. 9] OF PARADISE, ETC. 147
in his will ; and therefore he thus * created all > Brought things; and after this time there will be nothing in but only light and darkness ; where the source [or property] remains in each of them (as it has 8D been from eternity), where the one shall not comprehend the other, as it has also not been done from eternity.
41. Yet whether God will create anything more after this [world's] time, that my spirit does not know ; for it apprehends no further than [what is] in its centre wherein it lives, in which the paradise and the kingdom of heaven stands ; as you may read [afterwards] about the creation of man.
42. And so now the angels and blessed men
[will] remain in the birth of the light ; and 2 the 2 the spirits
".. f i • /• T i i that were spirits oi alteration out ot light into the source turned out of
[or torment], together with the spirits of the darkness.
wicked men, [will remain] in the eternal darkness, where no recalling is to be found ; for the spirits cannot go into the corruptibility [or transitoriness]
again. They are created out of the slimbus of 8 divine power
God, out of the harsh matrix, out of which the light of God exists from eternity ; and not like the beasts out of the 4 out-birth, which went forth 4 Or proout of the limbus of the conceived purpose of God, which is finite [or takes an end], and has been
[or appeared] here, only that it might be an eternal shadow and figure.
43. The eternal will is incorruptible [or intran148
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
[Ch. 9
1 Or the spirits of the working nature.
2 into resignation.
sitory] and unchangeable [or unalterable] ; for the Heart of God is generated out of it, which is the end of the nature and of the willing. If the Spirits of the source [or torment] had put their imagination and their desiring will 2 forward into *^e %nt °^ meekness, into the end of nature, they would have continued angels ; but- seeing they out of pride would fain be above the meekness, and above the end of nature, and awakened the centre, they found nothing more ; for from eternity there had been nothing more [than the end of nature] ; :! Or ground of and therefore they awakened the 'centre of the properties. source [or torment] in themselves. The same they now have, and they were thrust out of the light into the darkness.
44. If you be born of God, then you [may] thus understand God, paradise, the kingdom of heaven and hell, and the entrance in, and end of, the i creatures, [and] the creation of this world ; but if not, then the veil is as well before your eyes as it was upon Moses. Therefore says Christ, Seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : No son asks his father for an egg, that he should give him a scorpion : Also, My Father will give the Holy Spirit to them that ask it.
45. Therefore, if you do not understand this writing, then do not, as Lucifer did in taking the spirit of pride, presently fall 4a-mocking and deriding, and ascribe it to the devil ; but seek of
4 mocking yo? understand not.