The Forty Questions of the Soul
"His acquaintance for the most part was with Godly, learned people, and such as were experienced in the knowledge of nature, with whom he conversed; and also with some of the noblemen of Lusatia and Silesia, in all fear of God; though some of the common preachers have not forborne, as their usual manner is, to cast forth their venom against his writings, and to stir up the rude and foolish people with all manner of reproach and scandal: yet the truth liveth still, and hath prevailed, and will at length triumph in secret.
"But he, the blessed Jacob Behme, the Teutonic, at Gerlitz, in his house near the water side of the river Neisse, Anno 1624, the 18. day of the month of November, new style, about the sixth hour in the morning, being the 24. Sunday after Trinity, after he had heard most exceeding lovely sweet music without his chamber, and being refreshed with the holy use of the Testament of Christ at his Supper, his sons and some good friends praying and weeping about him, with these his last and comfortable words, Now I go hence into paradise, meekly and gently sighing, blessedly departed, in the fiftieth year of his age.
"After the preaching of the funeral sermon, he was buried in the Church-yard at Gerlitz, and upon the grave a wooden cross was set, with this mystical threefold figure graven upon it, viz.
An Eagle with a Lilly-twig.
A Lion with a Sword.
A Lamb with a Mitre.
The superscription over the cross was this,
V.H.I. L.I. C.I. V.
That is,
Vnser Heil Im Leben Jesu Christi In Vns.
In English thus,
Our Salvation is in the Life of Jesus Christ in us, which was J. B.'s Motto, or usual speech, and superscription in his letters. Also these words were the inscription of the cross.*
Born of God.
Dead in Jesu.
Sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Resteth here Jacob Behrne of Old Seidenburg.
"Note. 1. The Southern Eagle stood upon a high rock, and with one foot trod on the head of a Serpent, and with the other held a Palm, and with its beak received a Lilly-twig, reached forth out of the Sun.
"2. The Northern Lion was crowned, and signed with a Cross, and held in the right foot before, a fire-flaming Sword, and in the left a fiery Heart, and rested with the hough or hinder part of the right foot behind upon a Cube, and with the left upon a Globe.
"3. The Lamb with a Mitre walked meekly and quietly between them both, in the meadows, and by the brooks and rivers of grace.
* For engravings of this Cross, see Life of Jacob Behmen, by Durand Hotham, London, 1654 (usually bound up with the Engbsh translation of the Mys. Mag., 1654, folio); Theosophische Wercken, 1682, i. Band; De Weg tot Christus, etc., 1685; Alle de Theosoophsche of Godwijze Werken, 1686, i. Deel; Theosophia Revelala, 1715, Tom. ii.; ditto, 1730, i. Band; Works ("Law's edition"), 1764-1781, vol. i.
"His Seal or Stamp was a Hand out of heaven with a Lilly-twig. In the
Memorial Books of good friends, he used to write these verses.
Text: Weme Zeit ist wie Ewigkeit,
Und Ewigkeit wie die Zeit,
Der ist befreyt von allem streit.
Englished: To whom time is as eternity,
And eternity as time,
He is freed from all strife.
"The outward form of his body was almost of no personage, he was lean, and little of stature, with a forehead very much inbowed, high temples, somewhat hawk-nosed, his eyes were grey, and very azure, otherwise as the windows of Solomon's temple, he had a short, thin beard, a small, shrill voice, an amiable, pleasing speech; he was modest in his behaviour, humble in his conversation, and meek in heart. His highly enlightened spirit is to be discerned by his writings in the divine light.
"The following Relation was taken out of a Memorial of Michael Curtz, concerning what happened at the Departure of the blessed Jacob Behme.
"On Sunday (November 18.) early in the morning, he called his son Tobias, and asked him, if he heard the excellent music. He said, No. Then he spake that the door should be opened, that the singing might be the better heard.
Afterwards he asked what the clock had struck, and was told it had struck Two, he said, It is not yet my time, three hours hence is my time. In the meanwhile he spake these words once.
O thou strong God of Hosts, deliver me according to thy Will.
O thou crucified Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me, and receive me into thy Kingdom.
"His acquaintance for the most part was with Godly, learned people, and such as were experienced in the knowledge of nature, with whom he conversed; and also with some of the noblemen of Lusatia and Silesia, in all fear of God; though some of the common preachers have not forborne, as their usual manner is, to cast forth their venom against his writings, and to stir up the rude and foolish people with all manner of reproach and scandal: yet the truth lives still, and has prevailed, and will at length triumph in secret.
"But he, the blessed Jacob Behme, the Teutonic, at Gerlitz, in his house near the water side of the river Neisse, Anno 1624, the 18. day of the month of November, new style, about the sixth hour in the morning, being the 24. Sunday after Trinity, after he had heard most exceeding lovely sweet music without his chamber, and being refreshed with the holy use of the Testament of Christ at his Supper, his sons and some good friends praying and weeping about him, with these his last and comfortable words, Now I go hence into paradise, meekly and gently sighing, blessedly departed, in the fifties year of his age.
"After the preaching of the funeral sermon, he was buried in the Church-yard at Gerlitz, and upon the grave a wooden cross was set, with this mystical threefold figure graven upon it, viz.
An Eagle with a Lilly-twig.
A Lion with a Sword.
A Lamb with a Mitre.
The superscription over the cross was this,
V.H.I. L.I. C.I. V.
That is,
Vnser Heil Im Leben Jesu Christi In Vns.
In English thus,
Our Salvation is in the Life of Jesus Christ in us, which was J. B.'s Motto, or usual speech, and superscription in his letters. Also these words were the inscription of the cross.*
Born of God.
Dead in Jesu.
Sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Rests here Jacob Behrne of Old Seidenburg.
"Note. 1. The Southern Eagle stood upon a high rock, and with one foot trod on the head of a Serpent, and with the other held a Palm, and with its beak received a Lilly-twig, reached forth out of the Sun.
"2. The Northern Lion was crowned, and signed with a Cross, and held in the right foot before, a fire-flaming Sword, and in the left a fiery Heart, and rested with the hough or hinder part of the right foot behind upon a Cube, and with the left upon a Globe.
"3. The Lamb with a Mitre walked meekly and quietly between them both, in the meadows, and by the brooks and rivers of grace.
* For engravings of this Cross, see Life of Jacob Behmen, by Durand Hotham, London, 1654 (usually bound up with the Engbsh translation of the Mys. Mag., 1654, folio); Theosophische Wercken, 1682, i. Band; De Weg tot Christus, etc., 1685; Alle de Theosoophsche of Godwijze Werken, 1686, i. Deel; Theosophia Revelala, 1715, Tom. ii.; ditto, 1730, i. Band; Works ("Law's edition"), 1764-1781, vol. i.
"His Seal or Stamp was a Hand out of heaven with a Lilly-twig. In the
Memorial Books of good friends, he used to write these verses.
Text: Weme Zeit ist wie Ewigkeit,
Und Ewigkeit wie die Zeit,
Der ist befreyt von allem streit.
Englished: To whom time is as eternity,
And eternity as time,
He is freed from all strife.
"The outward form of his body was almost of no personage, he was lean, and little of stature, with a forehead very much inbowed, high temples, somewhat hawk-nosed, his eyes were grey, and very azure, otherwise as the windows of Solomon's temple, he had a short, thin beard, a small, shrill voice, an amiable, pleasing speech; he was modest in his behaviour, humble in his conversation, and meek in heart. His highly enlightened spirit is to be discerned by his writings in the divine light.
"The following Relation was taken out of a Memorial of Michael Curtz, concerning what happened at the Departure of the blessed Jacob Behme.
"On Sunday (November 18.) early in the morning, he called his son Tobias, and asked him, if he heard the excellent music. He said, No. Then he spake that the door should be opened, that the singing might be the better heard.
Afterwards he asked what the clock had struck, and was told it had struck Two, he said, It is not yet my time, three hours hence is my time. In the meanwhile he spake these words once.
O you strong God of Hosts, deliver me according to your Will.
O you crucified Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me, and receive me into your Kingdom.
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