38. For in the eternity there was never any death at all, nor shall be ever; but that which is called the eternal death, is a shutting up of the tincture, where the tincture goeth away like a shadow [Or figure], and so the centre (viz. the source [or, fountain] of the fire) remaineth in the darkness, and floweth in mere wrath in itself; and would very fain reach the tincture again, and yet it hath no power to do so, for the tincture only is the power, which bloweth up the fire.
39. Consider here what hell and the eternal death is, for it is just so; and know, that the devils have lost the tincture of meekness, who now are a wrathful fire-source without substantiality, for they have no body.
40. Secondly, consider also the element of water, and as you know that it hath its original in the spirit of the creature; so also it hath its original in the deep of the world, which is also a spirit, and hath such a life as other creatures have.
41. And, thirdly, consider, that there are two sorts of fire, a hot and a cold: For, as the heat contracteth [or concreteth] together, so doth the cold, which turneth water into ice, and maketh a strange [heterogeeous] body out of the substantiality [or water] which is not its own.
42. By this we give you clearly to understand the Fall of Lucifer, who thus reached into the centre of nature, into the harsh matrix, and awakened it, so that it concreted the substantiality, and so earth and stones came to be.
43. You will say, Why did God suffer it? [The answer is] : Lucifer was a prince and throne-angel, and was created with the first creation: and therefore since he was a cause of the Third Principle, (understand, of the out-birth), therefore Christ called him also a prince of this world; for he had also a free will, like us men. We oftentimes do works which are contrary to God, only for our state and honour, as is seen in forts, castles, and sumptuous great houses.
44. So Lucifer also would be as a god and creator, all which might have been well enough, for that was not his fall, [no more than it was Adam's fall, that he imagined, whereupon God suffered the tree of temptation to grow], but it was his fall that he awakened the matrix of the fire, and would domineer over the meekness of the Heart of God.
45. That [awakened matrix of the fire] is now his hell: and God hath captivated that hell, with the heaven, viz. the matrix of the water. For [Lucifer would fain that] the place of this world should burn in the fire for him [to domineer in] ; and therefore God moved himself to the creation, and did create; and so there was water, which captivated his wrathful hell, [as the pleasant sun shutteth up the astringent cold, and turneth ice into water, whereby fishes and other creatures grow and live].
46. And the cause of the sea and of the great deep waters, whose bottom cannot be fathomed, is, that the matrix of nature was in those places so far enkindled in the fire.
47. And here we give you an example of this. Consider Sodom and Gomorrah, when their sins became great, and that the devil dwelt there, and would have a kingdom there for himself; God permitted that the prince of this world should burn those five kingdoms (wherein the devil intended to dwell) with fire and brimstone. But when the devil thought to be lord, and to have his habitation there, then God brake his pride and stoutness, and caused water to come upon that place, and allayed his pride.
48. And in this we have an excellent example of God's care for his children which depend on him:
for when he saw the wrath [the kindled anger], he brought forth Lot out of Sodom.
And further, you have herein a
full example, that when the wrath of God beginneth to be kindled, he maketh it known to his children before-hand, that they might flee from it;
as he told it to Abraham and Lot, and commanded him to flee from it; and so he hath done from the beginning of the world. For the prophets were for no other end but to declare the anger of God, and to command the children of God to flee from it;
as may be seen by what was done to Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, and hath been always done to all people, from the beginning of the world to this time. [For when no punishments or judgments
38. For in the eternity there was never any death at all, nor shall be ever; but that which is called the eternal death, is a shutting up of the tincture, where the tincture goes away like a shadow [Or figure], and so the centre (viz. the source [or, fountain] of the fire) remains in the darkness, and flows in mere wrath in itself; and would very fain reach the tincture again, and yet it has no power to do so, for the tincture only is the power, which blows up the fire.
39. Consider here what hell and the eternal death is, for it is just so; and know, that the devils have lost the tincture of meekness, who now are a wrathful fire-source without substantiality, for they have no body.
40. Secondly, consider also the element of water, and as you know that it has its original in the spirit of the creature; so also it has its original in the deep of the world, which is also a spirit, and has such a life as other creatures have.
41. And, thirdly, consider, that there are two sorts of fire, a hot and a cold: For, as the heat contracts [or concrets] together, so does the cold, which turns water into ice, and makes a strange [heterogeeous] body out of the substantiality [or water] which is not its own.
42. By this we give you clearly to understand the Fall of Lucifer, who thus reached into the centre of nature, into the harsh matrix, and awakened it, so that it concreted the substantiality, and so earth and stones came to be.
43. You will say, Why did God suffer it? [The answer is] : Lucifer was a prince and throne-angel, and was created with the first creation: and therefore since he was a cause of the Third Principle, (understand, of the out-birth), therefore Christ called him also a prince of this world; for he had also a free will, like us men. We oftentimes do works which are contrary to God, only for our state and honour, as is seen in forts, castles, and sumptuous great houses.
44. So Lucifer also would be as a god and creator, all which might have been well enough, for that was not his fall, [no more than it was Adam's fall, that he imagined, whereupon God suffered the tree of temptation to grow], but it was his fall that he awakened the matrix of the fire, and would domineer over the meekness of the Heart of God.
45. That [awakened matrix of the fire] is now his hell: and God has captivated that hell, with the heaven, viz. the matrix of the water. For [Lucifer would fain that] the place of this world should burn in the fire for him [to domineer in] ; and therefore God moved himself to the creation, and did create; and so there was water, which captivated his wrathful hell, [as the pleasant sun shutts up the astringent cold, and turns ice into water, whereby fishes and other creatures grow and live].
46. And the cause of the sea and of the great deep waters, whose bottom cannot be fathomed, is, that the matrix of nature was in those places so far enkindled in the fire.
47. And here we give you an example of this. Consider Sodom and Gomorrah, when their sins became great, and that the devil dwelt there, and would have a kingdom there for himself; God permitted that the prince of this world should burn those five kingdoms (wherein the devil intended to dwell) with fire and brimstone. But when the devil thought to be lord, and to have his habitation there, then God brake his pride and stoutness, and caused water to come upon that place, and allayed his pride.
48. And in this we have an excellent example of God's care for his children which depend on him:
for when he saw the wrath [the kindled anger], he brought forth Lot out of Sodom.
And further, you have herein a
full example, that when the wrath of God beginns to be kindled, he makes it known to his children before-hand, that they might flee from it;
as he told it to Abraham and Lot, and commanded him to flee from it; and so he has done from the beginning of the world. For the prophets were for no other end but to declare the anger of God, and to command the children of God to flee from it;
as may be seen by what was done to Jerusalem and the Jewish nation, and has been always done to all people, from the beginning of the world to this time. [For when no punishments or judgments
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