16. And as God, in his heavenly Virgin (out of which the heavenly substantiality is espied, and attaineth substance in the tincture of the fire) is a substance; which substance, God (with the Word and Heart, with the receiving in of the tincture out of Mary's blood, in which the soul dwelt) did, with the word Fiat, as with the eternal astringent matrix, comprehend, and let them together become flesh and blood after a human way and manner; (understand, as the eternal substantiality, with the wisdom, viz. the eternal virginity, hath given itself into the perished tincture and matrix of Mary, wherein was the promised Word, which gave itself also in the eternal substantiality into the perished tincture [or life], and so became a New Man, being strange and unknown to the earthly man); so this
New Body of Christ, (understand the inward Christ, which the outward man which was mortal covered), gave itself under bread and wine, as an outward [thing] into the tincture of the souls of the Apostles, and became man in the Apostles, in the tincture of the soul; and that is the New Body which Christ hath brought us from heaven; [of which he said, None goeth to heaven, but he that is come from heaven]; so that when we wholly yield up ourselves to him in obedience, and with our old will go out from ourselves into his will, and so come into Christ's congregation, and desire his flesh and blood, with all his benefits, then he giveth us this body and blood to eat and to drink, which the inward man born of God receiveth: for the body of Christ is everywhere present in substance: it containeth the Second Principle: [that is, the angelical world, according to which God is called Merciful, and the eternal good] .
17. For, to say that Christ feedeth the soul with spirit without body, is not true; the Holy Ghost maketh not a Principle, but the eternal substantiality in which the Holy Ghost dwelleth, and goeth out from thence in a form of many thousand innumerable essences, even that which is so gone forth, is the virgin of chastity, viz. the eternal wisdom, in which all the wonders of this world were beheld from eternity.
18. Understand us rightly, according to its high and precious worth; that substantiality, wherein the virgin of God consisteth, Adam had on him: for the spirit of this world was given him, and breathed into him therein; but the essences were paradisical, and sprung up through the [one pure] element, which the substantiality containeth, and that substantiality the spirit of this world, in Adam, took into itself, into its power, [as the water taketh the light (in a flaming red hot iron) into it, and quencheth it] .
19. First the heavenly substantiality had the power [or predominancy], but afterwards, when Adam went back with his lust into the earthly [substantiality], then the earthly [substantiality] got the power and predominancy, and that is the cause that our perished heavenly substantiality is become earthly: and therefore must God, with the heavenly substantiality, in us become man, and in the heavenly virgin and in the earthly, God is become man, and hath put on upon our souls the heavenly substantiality again, viz. his heavenly body: yet our earthly must pass away, but the heavenly remaineth standing for ever.
20. And yet, nevertheless, we are captivated poor sinners with the old Adam, into which the devil hath an entrance, and we go many times out from the fair image, understand, the soul turneth its will often into the outward man; and therefore God hath, appointed this Testament [The Lord's Supper], so that when we turn again to him, he then giveth our soul the new garment again, viz. the New Body, and reneweth and feedeth it.
16. And as God, in his heavenly Virgin (out of which the heavenly substantiality is espied, and attains substance in the tincture of the fire) is a substance; which substance, God (with the Word and Heart, with the receiving in of the tincture out of Mary's blood, in which the soul dwelt) did, with the word Fiat, as with the eternal astringent matrix, comprehend, and let them together become flesh and blood after a human way and manner; (understand, as the eternal substantiality, with the wisdom, viz. the eternal virginity, has given itself into the perished tincture and matrix of Mary, wherein was the promised Word, which gave itself also in the eternal substantiality into the perished tincture [or life], and so became a New Man, being strange and unknown to the earthly man); so this
New Body of Christ, (understand the inward Christ, which the outward man which was mortal covered), gave itself under bread and wine, as an outward [thing] into the tincture of the souls of the Apostles, and became man in the Apostles, in the tincture of the soul; and that is the New Body which Christ has brought us from heaven; [of which he said, None goes to heaven, but he that is come from heaven]; so that when we wholly yield up ourselves to him in obedience, and with our old will go out from ourselves into his will, and so come into Christ's congregation, and desire his flesh and blood, with all his benefits, then he gives us this body and blood to eat and to drink, which the inward man born of God receives: for the body of Christ is everywhere present in substance: it contains the Second Principle: [that is, the angelical world, according to which God is called Merciful, and the eternal good] .
17. For, to say that Christ feeds the soul with spirit without body, is not true; the Holy Ghost makes not a Principle, but the eternal substantiality in which the Holy Ghost dwells, and goes out from thence in a form of many thousand innumerable essences, even that which is so gone forth, is the virgin of chastity, viz. the eternal wisdom, in which all the wonders of this world were beheld from eternity.
18. Understand us rightly, according to its high and precious worth; that substantiality, wherein the virgin of God consists, Adam had on him: for the spirit of this world was given him, and breathed into him therein; but the essences were paradisical, and sprung up through the [one pure] element, which the substantiality contains, and that substantiality the spirit of this world, in Adam, took into itself, into its power, [as the water takes the light (in a flaming red hot iron) into it, and quenches it] .
19. First the heavenly substantiality had the power [or predominancy], but afterwards, when Adam went back with his lust into the earthly [substantiality], then the earthly [substantiality] got the power and predominancy, and that is the cause that our perished heavenly substantiality is become earthly: and therefore must God, with the heavenly substantiality, in us become man, and in the heavenly virgin and in the earthly, God is become man, and has put on upon our souls the heavenly substantiality again, viz. his heavenly body: yet our earthly must pass away, but the heavenly remains standing for ever.
20. And yet, nevertheless, we are captivated poor sinners with the old Adam, into which the devil has an entrance, and we go many times out from the fair image, understand, the soul turns its will often into the outward man; and therefore God has, appointed this Testament [The Lord's Supper], so that when we turn again to him, he then gives our soul the new garment again, viz. the New Body, and renews and feeds it.
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