my Saviour and Regenerator in my soul: He will give me a heavenly body, which will remain eternally.
9. Try this, and thou shalt find wonders, thou shalt soon get one in thee, who will help thee to wrestle, fight and pray: And though thou canst not use many words, it is no matter, though you can say no more than the publican: O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. When thy will and all thy reason is once placed upon God, with a resolution not to leave him, though body and soul should be broken asunder, then thou holdest God [fast], and breakest through death, hell, and heaven, and goest into the temple of JESUS CHRIST, in spite of all the opposition of the devil: The anger of God cannot withhold thee, how great and powerful soever it is in thee; and though body and soul did burn in the anger, and stood in the midst of hell with all the devils; yet thou wouldst break forth, and come into the temple of Christ; and there thou wouldst get the Garland of Pearl, adorned with the noble and highly Precious Stone, that Lapis Philo-Angularis, The Chief Corner Stone.
10. But you must know, that the kingdom of heaven is thus sown in thee, and is small as a grain of mustard- seed, yet thou hast great joy with this angelical garland; but look to it, and set it not upon the old Adam, else it will go with thee as it did with Adam; keep what thou hast; necessity or want is an evil guest.
11. At length a young plant groweth to be a tree, if it standeth in good ground; but many a rough and cold wind bloweth upon a young plant before it cometh to be a tree; it is unsteady:
Thou must be brought before the tree of temptation, and also into the wilderness of contempt and scorn in this world; if thou dost not hold out, thou hast nothing: If thou rootest up thy plant, thou dost as Adam did, thou wilt more hardly set it again than at first, and yet it groweth in the valley of roses [paradisical essence], hidden to the old Adam.
12. For it was a long time from Adam till the humanity of Christ, in which [time] the tree of pearl grew hidden under the veil of Moses, and yet in its time it came forth as a tree with fair fruits.
13. Therefore, if thou hast fallen, and hast lost the fair garland; do not despair, seek, knock, and come again, do as thou didst at first, and then thou wilt find by experience, from what spirit this pen and hand hath written: thou wilt afterwards get a tree instead of thy plant: And then thou wilt say, Is my plant, during my sleep, become a tree? Then you will begin to know the Philosopher's
Stone; observe it.
The Gates of the Firmamental Heaven, with the Stars and Elements. Also of the Threefold Life of Man. The Noble Stone rightly brought forth into the Light, Spiritually, for the Magi [or those that are wise].
14. If we will speak of the Noble Stone, and bring it forth into the light to be known, we must first shew the darkness and deformity of the stone, which hinder that it is not known. For, since we know that the noble stone lieth hidden in this world, and may be had everywhere, and yet is not known, we should therefore seek to know the cause why it is so hidden.
15. Reason saith, If this [outward] world be so dangerous for man, why hath God set him therein? Or, Why hath he created it? And thus he judgeth also concerning the devil; [saying], Why hath not God turned the devil into nothing again since his fall?
16. Yes, beloved reason, thou hast found the stone, and with it thou buildest a house of stone to dwell in. The noble stone lieth in the eternity: that which is eternal breaketh not, but that which hath a beginning breaketh. The devils are eternal, and therefore they break not; they were not in the form [or condition] of a spirit from eternity, but their essences are eternal.
17. And they have put their will into their essences, and their will is eternal: as the centre of nature [viz.] of the stern matrix, is eternal, into which their will is entered, so now they are eternal spirits therein, [viz. in the stern matrix] : Also they are as a looking-glass for the other angels, and for the souls of men.
18. But that God should cast away the Third Principle, [that is, the created world], for man's
my Saviour and Regenerator in my soul: He will give me a heavenly body, which will remain eternally.
9. Try this, and you shall find wonders, you shall soon get one in you, who will help you to wrestle, fight and pray: And though you can not use many words, it is no matter, though you can say no more than the publican: O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. When your will and all your reason is once placed upon God, with a resolution not to leave him, though body and soul should be broken asunder, then you hold God [fast], and breakest through death, hell, and heaven, and go into the temple of JESUS CHRIST, in spite of all the opposition of the devil: The anger of God cannot withhold you, how great and powerful soever it is in you; and though body and soul did burn in the anger, and stood in the midst of hell with all the devils; yet you would break forth, and come into the temple of Christ; and there you would get the Garland of Pearl, adorned with the noble and highly Precious Stone, that Lapis Philo-Angularis, The Chief Corner Stone.
10. But you must know, that the kingdom of heaven is thus sown in you, and is small as a grain of mustard- seed, yet you have great joy with this angelical garland; but look to it, and set it not upon the old Adam, else it will go with you as it did with Adam; keep what you have; necessity or want is an evil guest.
11. At length a young plant grows to be a tree, if it stands in good ground; but many a rough and cold wind blows upon a young plant before it comes to be a tree; it is unsteady:
You must be brought before the tree of temptation, and also into the wilderness of contempt and scorn in this world; if you do not hold out, you have nothing: If you rootest up your plant, you do as Adam did, you will more hardly set it again than at first, and yet it grows in the valley of roses [paradisical essence], hidden to the old Adam.
12. For it was a long time from Adam till the humanity of Christ, in which [time] the tree of pearl grew hidden under the veil of Moses, and yet in its time it came forth as a tree with fair fruits.
13. Therefore, if you have fallen, and have lost the fair garland; do not despair, seek, knock, and come again, do as you did at first, and then you will find by experience, from what spirit this pen and hand has written: you will afterwards get a tree instead of your plant: And then you will say, Is my plant, during my sleep, become a tree? Then you will begin to know the Philosopher's
Stone; observe it.
The Gates of the Firmamental Heaven, with the Stars and Elements. Also of the Threefold Life of Man. The Noble Stone rightly brought forth into the Light, Spiritually, for the Magi [or those that are wise].
14. If we will speak of the Noble Stone, and bring it forth into the light to be known, we must first show the darkness and deformity of the stone, which hinder that it is not known. For, since we know that the noble stone lies hidden in this world, and may be had everywhere, and yet is not known, we should therefore seek to know the cause why it is so hidden.
15. Reason says, If this [outward] world be so dangerous for man, why has God set him therein? Or, Why has he created it? And thus he judges also concerning the devil; [saying], Why has not God turned the devil into nothing again since his fall?
16. Yes, beloved reason, you have found the stone, and with it you buildest a house of stone to dwell in. The noble stone lies in the eternity: that which is eternal breaks not, but that which has a beginning breaks. The devils are eternal, and therefore they break not; they were not in the form [or condition] of a spirit from eternity, but their essences are eternal.
17. And they have put their will into their essences, and their will is eternal: as the centre of nature [viz.] of the stern matrix, is eternal, into which their will is entered, so now they are eternal spirits therein, [viz. in the stern matrix] : Also they are as a looking-glass for the other angels, and for the souls of men.
18. But that God should cast away the Third Principle, [that is, the created world], for man's
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