11. And the heart is not comprehensible by nature, but nature remaineth in the darkness in itself, and the heart remaineth in itself in the light: and neither would be manifest without the other; and yet there is a continual hunger in them both, for both have wrought from eternity, viz. light and darkness.
12. Now thus we see, in the angelical world, as also in this world, that the seventh form of nature is a substantial form, out of which is proceeded the being of corporeity, per verbum Fiat, by the word Fiat; and we have searched the ground, and find, that the same standeth also in two forms, one in the darkness, the other in the light; and yet they belong not to the birth of the darkness and of the light, but they are the body, or comprehensibility.
The most Mighty Gate in the Centre, highly to be considered.
13. This we demonstrate to you in light and darkness; for we cannot say that the darkness is the source [or property], but the darkness encompasseth the source [or property], and causeth that a source of anguish of the longing and desiring, is [generated] in it; for the darkness hath no desiring, but the desiring is generated in it; and the darkness causeth the desiring, viz. that there is conceived a desire to be free from the darkness; and therefore the desiring laboureth so eagerly after the liberty, till the anguish, in the sharp desiring, discovereth the liberty in itself; and yet there it is not [rightly called] the liberty, though] it be the liberty, but it standeth in the sharpness] of the anguish, and is called fire, where the desiring then can go no higher, but must be stifled in itself, and must sink down into the source.
14. And the sharpness of the flash of the fire, in the liberty of the sharpness, holdeth its right, like a still source [or property] standing in the sharpness of the liberty: and the sinking of the anguish is as it were a death, out of which the life is generated, which death affordeth weight: for it is (being compared with the fire of the liberty) like sinking down in itself, and in its sinking, the anguish becometh material, so that in that death the whole form of the source [or property] may found, as I may say, palpably, or sensibly; an the sensibility is the corporeity of the darkness) and the fire of the liberty in the fierce flash, is its spirit and life.
15. And hereby you are advised to enter into yourselves, and you may see, that the fire causet the feeling [or sensibility] in the sharpness of the dead corporeity: for without fire there is no body, that hath any sensibility [or feeling], as you may see by the earth and stones.
16. Now therefore it is here further declared to you, that the body, or substantiality, is not so dead a thing that it is altogether useless, and fit for nothing: for the stifling driveth its property or source downwards, and affordeth weight; and the fire driveth upwards, and giveth spirit, life, and mobility. And now between, these two, in the midst, is the centre of the desiring anguish, which is a cause of that which is uppermost, that is, the fire; and also of that which is nethermost, that is, the substantiality: and if the centre cannot get upwards nor downwards, and yet driveth with its desiring, then it driveth forth sideways, and the whole form or figure of it is as a growing tree; for it appeareth in the centre like a cross, out of which the essences of the desiring spring forth, like a tree or sprout (as I may so say) and yet is not a sprout, but like a driving forth in itself, like a kindling in the dead essentiality.
11. And the heart is not comprehensible by nature, but nature remains in the darkness in itself, and the heart remains in itself in the light: and neither would be manifest without the other; and yet there is a continual hunger in them both, for both have wrought from eternity, viz. light and darkness.
12. Now thus we see, in the angelical world, as also in this world, that the seventh form of nature is a substantial form, out of which is proceeded the being of corporeity, per verbum Fiat, by the word Fiat; and we have searched the ground, and find, that the same stands also in two forms, one in the darkness, the other in the light; and yet they belong not to the birth of the darkness and of the light, but they are the body, or comprehensibility.
The most Mighty Gate in the Centre, highly to be considered.
13. This we demonstrate to you in light and darkness; for we cannot say that the darkness is the source [or property], but the darkness encompasses the source [or property], and causes that a source of anguish of the longing and desiring, is [generated] in it; for the darkness has no desiring, but the desiring is generated in it; and the darkness causes the desiring, viz. that there is conceived a desire to be free from the darkness; and therefore the desiring labours so eagerly after the liberty, till the anguish, in the sharp desiring, discovers the liberty in itself; and yet there it is not [rightly called] the liberty, though] it be the liberty, but it stands in the sharpness] of the anguish, and is called fire, where the desiring then can go no higher, but must be stifled in itself, and must sink down into the source.
14. And the sharpness of the flash of the fire, in the liberty of the sharpness, holds its right, like a still source [or property] standing in the sharpness of the liberty: and the sinking of the anguish is as it were a death, out of which the life is generated, which death affords weight: for it is (being compared with the fire of the liberty) like sinking down in itself, and in its sinking, the anguish becomes material, so that in that death the whole form of the source [or property] may found, as I may say, palpably, or sensibly; an the sensibility is the corporeity of the darkness) and the fire of the liberty in the fierce flash, is its spirit and life.
15. And hereby you are advised to enter into yourselves, and you may see, that the fire causet the feeling [or sensibility] in the sharpness of the dead corporeity: for without fire there is no body, that has any sensibility [or feeling], as you may see by the earth and stones.
16. Now therefore it is here further declared to you, that the body, or substantiality, is not so dead a thing that it is altogether useless, and fit for nothing: for the stifling drivs its property or source downwards, and affords weight; and the fire drivs upwards, and gives spirit, life, and mobility. And now between, these two, in the midst, is the centre of the desiring anguish, which is a cause of that which is uppermost, that is, the fire; and also of that which is nethermost, that is, the substantiality: and if the centre cannot get upwards nor downwards, and yet drivs with its desiring, then it drivs forth sideways, and the whole form or figure of it is as a growing tree; for it appears in the centre like a cross, out of which the essences of the desiring spring forth, like a tree or sprout (as I may so say) and yet is not a sprout, but like a driving forth in itself, like a kindling in the dead essentiality.
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