the eternal will must suffer [to be] in itself, and therefore it conceiveth or taketh to itself another will, to fly out from this wheel, and yet cannot do it, for it is its own substance; and seeing it cannot, and yet cannot leave its eternal desire and longing, it holdeth and attracteth to itself; so that the essences are continually generated, and yet (without the desiring) they are nothing; and thus the whole form standeth in the noise [or sound], and is called
MAR: and seeing the will cannot be free, it falleth into a great anguish, to speak according to man's understanding, that the Reader may comprehend the sense and depth of it.
32. For the will is the conception, and that which is conceived in the will is its darkness, and the desiring is the essence, and the contrary will is the wheel of the multiplicity of essences, so that they are numberless; but the multitude is according to the mobility. These two forms are the eternal essences, and the eternal band, which maketh itself, and cannot do otherwise.
33. For the vast infinite space desireth narrowness and inclosure [or comprehension] wherein it may manifest itself, for else in the wide stillness there would be no manifestation; therefore there must be an attraction and inclosing, out of which the manifestation appeareth; and therefore also there must be a contrary will; for a transparent and quiet will is as nothing, and generateth nothing: but if a will must generate, then it must be in somewhat wherein it may form and may generate in that thing; for Nothing is nothing but a stillness without any stirring, where there is neither darkness nor light, neither life nor death.
34. Now since we clearly perceive that there is both light and darkness, and moreover an eternal stirring and forming, which is not only in the place of this world as far as our senses reach, but without end and number, where the angelical world shineth clearly (and yet not in the inclosure of the darkness), therefore we should raise our thoughts [or senses]
towards the angelical world, which yet is not without this place [of this world], but it is in another property, and in the eternal light; and yet there could be no light except there were a genetrix [or matrix] to bring it forth.
35. Now if it shine out of the genetrix [or matrix], then it must come forth out of the genetrix. For the genetrix is a darkness, and yet that were nothing either if the eteimal word
(which maketh [attract, frame, or create] the eternal will) were not there.
And in the making or creating is the birth of the eternal Being; of which John saith, In the beginning was the Word, which was in the beginning with God, all things were made by it (and without it was nothing made that was made).
36. Consider here, my beloved mind, whence light and darkness come, also joy and heaviness, love and hate; as also the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of hell, good and evil, life, and the shutting up in death.
37. Thou sayest, God hath created it; very well: but? why art thou blind, and dost not acknowledge it, whereas thou art indeed the similitude of God? Why speakest thou more of
God than thou knowest, and is revealed or manifested to thee? Wherefore dost thou make laws [canons and ordinances] concerning the will of God, of which thou knowest nothing, seeing thou dost not know Him?
Or why dost thou shut up thy life in death, whereas thou mightest well live, and know God, who dwelleth in thee? For thou hearest it also from St. John, that all things are made by the
Word,
the eternal will must suffer [to be] in itself, and therefore it conceives or takes to itself another will, to fly out from this wheel, and yet cannot do it, for it is its own substance; and seeing it cannot, and yet cannot leave its eternal desire and longing, it holds and attracts to itself; so that the essences are continually generated, and yet (without the desiring) they are nothing; and thus the whole form stands in the noise [or sound], and is called
MAR: and seeing the will cannot be free, it falls into a great anguish, to speak according to man's understanding, that the Reader may comprehend the sense and depth of it.
32. For the will is the conception, and that which is conceived in the will is its darkness, and the desiring is the essence, and the contrary will is the wheel of the multiplicity of essences, so that they are numberless; but the multitude is according to the mobility. These two forms are the eternal essences, and the eternal band, which makes itself, and cannot do otherwise.
33. For the vast infinite space desires narrowness and inclosure [or comprehension] wherein it may manifest itself, for else in the wide stillness there would be no manifestation; therefore there must be an attraction and inclosing, out of which the manifestation appears; and therefore also there must be a contrary will; for a transparent and quiet will is as nothing, and generats nothing: but if a will must generate, then it must be in somewhat wherein it may form and may generate in that thing; for Nothing is nothing but a stillness without any stirring, where there is neither darkness nor light, neither life nor death.
34. Now since we clearly perceive that there is both light and darkness, and moreover an eternal stirring and forming, which is not only in the place of this world as far as our senses reach, but without end and number, where the angelical world shines clearly (and yet not in the inclosure of the darkness), therefore we should raise our thoughts [or senses]
towards the angelical world, which yet is not without this place [of this world], but it is in another property, and in the eternal light; and yet there could be no light except there were a genetrix [or matrix] to bring it forth.
35. Now if it shine out of the genetrix [or matrix], then it must come forth out of the genetrix. For the genetrix is a darkness, and yet that were nothing either if the eteimal word
(which makes [attract, frame, or create] the eternal will) were not there.
And in the making or creating is the birth of the eternal Being; of which John says, In the beginning was the Word, which was in the beginning with God, all things were made by it (and without it was nothing made that was made).
36. Consider here, my beloved mind, whence light and darkness come, also joy and heaviness, love and hate; as also the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of hell, good and evil, life, and the shutting up in death.
37. You say, God has created it; very well: but? why art you blind, and do not acknowledge it, whereas you are indeed the similitude of God? Why speak you more of
God than you know, and is revealed or manifested to you? Wherefore do you make laws [canons and ordinances] concerning the will of God, of which you know nothing, seeing you do not know Him?
Or why do you shut up your life in death, whereas you might well live, and know God, who dwells in you? For you hearest it also from St. John, that all things are made by the
Word,
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