Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence
and became so very proud, that when this brimstonespirit in the will of the mind of God was created, then he would fain have flien out above the end of nature, and would drive the fire out above the meekness ; he would fain have had all burn in the fire ; he would have ruled [or domineered] : The sparks of fire in the brimstone-spirit did elevate themselves too high ; and these spirits pleased not the Creator, or the spirit in the Fiat, and [therefore] were not [established] angels, although in the first mind (when the centre was opened to the [creation of the] spirits) he came to help them,Ch. 10] THE CREATION OF MAN, AND HIS SOUL 175 and f1 beheld] them as well as the other angels : J Or reflected But they indeed generated a fiery will, when they should have opened their centre to the regeneration of their minds, and so should have generated an angelical will.
49. The first will, out of which they were created, that was God's, and that made them good ; and the second will, which they as obedient [children] should have generated out of their centre in meekness, that was evil : And therefore the 2 father, for 2 the gene-
, 1-11 i f i rator, for the generating such a child, was thrust out from the will which he virtue of God, and so he spoiled the angelical 8 kingdom, and remained in the source of the fire : And because the 3 evil child of their mind did turn 3 the win that away from the meekness, therefore they * attained of their mind, what they desired. For the mind is the god and J^r came to the creator of the will ; that is free from the eternal nature, and therefore what it generateth to itself, that it hath.
50. Now if you ask, Wherefore came not the love of God to help them again ? No, friend, their mind had elevated itself, even to the end of nature, and it would fain have gone out above the light of God ; their mind was become a kindled source of fire in the fierce wrath, the meekness of God cannot enter into it, the brimstone spirit burneth eternally : In this manner he is an enemy to God, he cannot be helped ; for the centre is burning in the flash : his will is still, that he would fain go out above the meekness of God ; neither can he get [frame, orp. 176 create] any other [will], for his source hath revealed the end of nature in the fire, and he remaineth an unquenchable source of fire ; the heart of God in the meekness, and the Principle of God, is close shut up from him, and that even to eternity.
51. To conclude, God will have no fiery spirit in paradise, they must remain in the first Principle, in the eternal darkness ; if they had continued as God had created them (when the meekness shone [or appeared] to them), and had put the centre of their minds into the meekness, then the light of
1 Or God should for ever have l shone through them, thoroughly 1111 <• -, TT i T\ • • enlightened and they should have eaten of the Verbum Domim [the Word of the Lord] ; and they should, with the root of their original, have stood in the first Principle, like God the Father himself ; and with the will in the mind [they should have stood] in the second Principle : Thus they should have had a paradisical source [quality or property], and an angelical will ; and they should have been friendly
2 Or heavenly in the 2 limbus of Heaven, and in the love of God.
earth.
THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER
Of all Circumstances of the Temptation.
and became so very proud, that when this brimstonespirit in the will of the mind of God was created, then he would fain have flien out above the end of nature, and would drive the fire out above the meekness ; he would fain have had all burn in the fire ; he would have ruled [or domineered] : The sparks of fire in the brimstone-spirit did elevate themselves too high ; and these spirits pleased not the Creator, or the spirit in the Fiat, and [therefore] were not [established] angels, although in the first mind (when the centre was opened to the [creation of the] spirits) he came to help them,
Ch. 10] THE CREATION OF MAN, AND HIS SOUL 175 and f1 beheld] them as well as the other angels : J Or reflected But they indeed generated a fiery will, when they should have opened their centre to the regeneration of their minds, and so should have generated an angelical will.
49. The first will, out of which they were created, that was God's, and that made them good ; and the second will, which they as obedient [children] should have generated out of their centre in meekness, that was evil : And therefore the 2 father, for 2 the gene-
, 1-11 i f i rator, for the generating such a child, was thrust out from the will which he virtue of God, and so he spoiled the angelical 8 kingdom, and remained in the source of the fire : And because the 3 evil child of their mind did turn 3 the win that away from the meekness, therefore they * attained of their mind, what they desired. For the mind is the god and J^r came to the creator of the will ; that is free from the eternal nature, and therefore what it generats to itself, that it has.
50. Now if you ask, Wherefore came not the love of God to help them again ? No, friend, their mind had elevated itself, even to the end of nature, and it would fain have gone out above the light of God ; their mind was become a kindled source of fire in the fierce wrath, the meekness of God cannot enter into it, the brimstone spirit burns eternally : In this manner he is an enemy to God, he cannot be helped ; for the centre is burning in the flash : his will is still, that he would fain go out above the meekness of God ; neither can he get [frame, or
176 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 10 create] any other [will], for his source has revealed the end of nature in the fire, and he remains an unquenchable source of fire ; the heart of God in the meekness, and the Principle of God, is close shut up from him, and that even to eternity.
51. To conclude, God will have no fiery spirit in paradise, they must remain in the first Principle, in the eternal darkness ; if they had continued as God had created them (when the meekness shone [or appeared] to them), and had put the centre of their minds into the meekness, then the light of
1 Or God should for ever have l shone through them, thoroughly 1111 <• -, TT i T\ • • enlightened and they should have eaten of the Verbum Domim [the Word of the Lord] ; and they should, with the root of their original, have stood in the first Principle, like God the Father himself ; and with the will in the mind [they should have stood] in the second Principle : Thus they should have had a paradisical source [quality or property], and an angelical will ; and they should have been friendly
2 Or heavenly in the 2 limbus of Heaven, and in the love of God.
earth.
THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER
Of all Circumstances of the Temptation.