72. Now understand us concerning the crack of the fire, for it is horrible and consuming, and overcometh all the forms of all the essences: for as soon as the twinkling beginneth, all the forms of the darkness are consumed, and the dark sour astringency
(viz. the stern death) trembleth at the life, and falleth back as dead and overcome, and of hard becometh feeble and weak; and so becometh heavy, as being impotent and not fixed [not able to subsist] in itself; and thence cometh weight in nature. For the sour astringent matrix becometh thin and light, and a water-spirit, from whence the water is generated.
73. And now this crack of the sour astringency in the dark death is a crack of great joy, for of dark it becometh light: and now when the flash twinkleth in the sour astringency of the sting, the sting is terrified much more than its mother, the sour astringency; and yet it is no hostile crack or terrifying, but a very joyful crack or terror of exulting that its mother is so thin, pliant, and soft, whereby the sting loseth its fiery propriety, and in the liberty of the eternal will (in the centre) becometh white, clear, light, amiable, and joyful; and herewith springeth up the fifth form of nature, viz. the friendly love.
74. For there the flash desireth with great longing to have its mother for its food, and here is the true original of life; for it is the kindling of the light in the sour astringent matrix, where the severe tartness is turned into meekness: and you should rightly understand it here, that it is not so, wholly in the centre of its being; but (as I may say in a similitude) it is as if oil were generated in the meekness, out of which the light shineth constantly, and remaineth for ever, in which the flash loseth its propriety, and so out of its form a shining and light is produced, wherein there is a distinct centre, out of which the great joy springeth up; and yet the first four forms keep their own centre to themselves: for the darkness remaineth as an enclosed thing, and the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
75. Thus there are two Principles; which are therefore two, because the meekness existeth out of the first eternal will, which [will] is free from the matrix [or nature] and is as thin as if it were nothing, and is still and quiet. Now that which is still and without a being in itself, that hath no darkness in it, but is merely a still clear light joy, without essence; and that is the eternity which is without any thing, and is called God, above all other things, for there is nothing evil in it, and it is without a being.
76. Understand us thus; God the Father is so in himself, but without a name, for he is in himself the light clear bright eternity without a being, if we speak merely of the light of God.
77. But since he will not be without a being, therefore we consider his will, which he conceiveth in himself, out of nothing, but merely out of and in himself; and we understand the desire [is] in his will, and [that] in the desire [there is] the centre of the genetrix, wherein the being is generated.
78. Now the eternal genetrix desireth nothing but the Word, which doth create in the genetrix: for the eternal still and light joy createth nothing, but is merely still and light; for where there is no darkness, there is mere light without alteration; but the genetrix in the desire maketh the attraction, so that there is a darkness, which is eternal, wherein nature is generated; as is mentioned before.
79. And now the eternal genetrix, in the first longing, desireth the liberty (viz. God), and not the darkness, in itself: for he willeth not her, but the Word which createth in the longing of the genetrix
: and yet there can be no genetrix without the attracting, which impregnateth itself in the will; in which impregnation the centre of the nature doth consist: and there would be no Word, if there were no nature.
80. For the Word taketh its original in nature:
and we here give you highly and dearly to understand
72. Now understand us concerning the crack of the fire, for it is horrible and consuming, and overcoms all the forms of all the essences: for as soon as the twinkling beginns, all the forms of the darkness are consumed, and the dark sour astringency
(viz. the stern death) trembls at the life, and falls back as dead and overcome, and of hard becomes feeble and weak; and so becomes heavy, as being impotent and not fixed [not able to subsist] in itself; and thence comes weight in nature. For the sour astringent matrix becomes thin and light, and a water-spirit, from whence the water is generated.
73. And now this crack of the sour astringency in the dark death is a crack of great joy, for of dark it becomes light: and now when the flash twinkls in the sour astringency of the sting, the sting is terrified much more than its mother, the sour astringency; and yet it is no hostile crack or terrifying, but a very joyful crack or terror of exulting that its mother is so thin, pliant, and soft, whereby the sting loses its fiery propriety, and in the liberty of the eternal will (in the centre) becomes white, clear, light, amiable, and joyful; and herewith springs up the fifth form of nature, viz. the friendly love.
74. For there the flash desires with great longing to have its mother for its food, and here is the true original of life; for it is the kindling of the light in the sour astringent matrix, where the severe tartness is turned into meekness: and you should rightly understand it here, that it is not so, wholly in the centre of its being; but (as I may say in a similitude) it is as if oil were generated in the meekness, out of which the light shines constantly, and remains for ever, in which the flash loses its propriety, and so out of its form a shining and light is produced, wherein there is a distinct centre, out of which the great joy springs up; and yet the first four forms keep their own centre to themselves: for the darkness remains as an enclosed thing, and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness comprehends it not.
75. Thus there are two Principles; which are therefore two, because the meekness exists out of the first eternal will, which [will] is free from the matrix [or nature] and is as thin as if it were nothing, and is still and quiet. Now that which is still and without a being in itself, that has no darkness in it, but is merely a still clear light joy, without essence; and that is the eternity which is without any thing, and is called God, above all other things, for there is nothing evil in it, and it is without a being.
76. Understand us thus; God the Father is so in himself, but without a name, for he is in himself the light clear bright eternity without a being, if we speak merely of the light of God.
77. But since he will not be without a being, therefore we consider his will, which he conceives in himself, out of nothing, but merely out of and in himself; and we understand the desire [is] in his will, and [that] in the desire [there is] the centre of the genetrix, wherein the being is generated.
78. Now the eternal genetrix desires nothing but the Word, which does create in the genetrix: for the eternal still and light joy creates nothing, but is merely still and light; for where there is no darkness, there is mere light without alteration; but the genetrix in the desire makes the attraction, so that there is a darkness, which is eternal, wherein nature is generated; as is mentioned before.
79. And now the eternal genetrix, in the first longing, desires the liberty (viz. God), and not the darkness, in itself: for he wills not her, but the Word which creates in the longing of the genetrix
: and yet there can be no genetrix without the attracting, which impregnats itself in the will; in which impregnation the centre of the nature does consist: and there would be no Word, if there were no nature.
80. For the Word takes its original in nature:
and we here give you highly and dearly to understand
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