Six Theosophic Points, and Other Writings
22. Now as God, by his breathing forth of his eternal wisdom and knowledge, has revealed himself by Nature and creation, both by the inward holy life, by the life of angels and men, and has introduced his will of his knowledge into form for reutterance through a formed divulged mode ; as also by Nature and its re-breathing forth of the creatm'es of the visible world, and has always made the external, uttered by Nature, subject to the inward principle, so that the inward should rule through the external corporeal, and be a spirit of the external :
23. Know, then, that in like manner, the introverted, new-born hfe of man, in divine power and might, can and should rule over the external Reason-life of stars and elements. And if this be not done — viz. that the inward eternal life in man, in divine power and light, rule over the external, earthly, astral life of the mortal desire, and break the will of the earthly desire (wherein lies the serpent's image) — then there is not yet any new birth or divine will manifest in such life and working, and such a man (as long as he stands in the earthly will alone) is no child of heaven. For the divine scientia is transformed into earthly, animal quality by the individual imagination of the false will ; and is as to the body an evil beast, and as to the soul an averse, false will, which wills not with God — after the manner of the devils, who likewise stand in their own imagination of sensual knowledge.
24. Therefore Christ said (Matt. xii. 30) : He that gather eth not with me scatter eth. That is,p. 199 whosoever works, wills and acts not with the embodied divine grace, which God through Christ has revealed and offers, but works by natural individual will, he disperses not only the divine order of the senses, but scatters also his works into false gi'ound.
25. Consider a parable of the sun. If a herb hath not sap, the sun's rays scorch it; but if it hath sap, the sun's rays warm it, whereby it grows. So also in the life of essence in man. Hath that life not ens from God's gentleness and love, viz. from the eternal One, then it impresseth itself into a fierce, fiery sharpness, so that the mind becomes wholly rough, hungry, covetous, envious and stinging. And such false sense and will proceeds then from the life into the body, and into all its ways and works. , , I n^^^^^ji^
26. Such a fiery, covetous, envious nature with the life's sharp sense scatters and destroys all that is good. There is danger in all it has to do with. For it carries its poisonous rays thereinto, and will draw all to itself, and bring its poison thereinto, viz. hungry covetousness. But if it be that the fiery life can eat of divine love, then it is a similitude how a light presses forth from fire: Thus the right life presses forth from the fiery nature with a new spirit and will of divine love from within ; and is no longer taking, as the fire's nature is, but giving. For the will of love gives itself, as light from fire, which gives itself to all things, and produces in all something that is good.
27. If the sun did shine no more in the deep of the world, then would the spiritus mundi in thep. 200 sharpness of the stars, in the sulphureous, mercurial nature in the four elements, be wholly stern, rough, di-y, harsh, thick, dark, and hard. Hence all life in the elements would perish, and it would soon be seen what hell and God's wrath are.
22. Now as God, by his breathing forth of his eternal wisdom and knowledge, has revealed himself by Nature and creation, both by the inward holy life, by the life of angels and men, and has introduced his will of his knowledge into form for reutterance through a formed divulged mode ; as also by Nature and its re-breathing forth of the creatm'es of the visible world, and has always made the external, uttered by Nature, subject to the inward principle, so that the inward should rule through the external corporeal, and be a spirit of the external :
23. Know, then, that in like manner, the introverted, new-born hfe of man, in divine power and might, can and should rule over the external Reason-life of stars and elements. And if this be not done — viz. that the inward eternal life in man, in divine power and light, rule over the external, earthly, astral life of the mortal desire, and break the will of the earthly desire (wherein lies the serpent's image) — then there is not yet any new birth or divine will manifest in such life and working, and such a man (as long as he stands in the earthly will alone) is no child of heaven. For the divine scientia is transformed into earthly, animal quality by the individual imagination of the false will ; and is as to the body an evil beast, and as to the soul an averse, false will, which wills not with God — after the manner of the devils, who likewise stand in their own imagination of sensual knowledge.
24. Therefore Christ said (Matt. xii. 30) : He that gather eth not with me scatter eth. That is,p. 199 whosoever works, wills and acts not with the embodied divine grace, which God through Christ has revealed and offers, but works by natural individual will, he disperses not only the divine order of the senses, but scatters also his works into false gi'ound.
25. Consider a parable of the sun. If a herb has not sap, the sun's rays scorch it; but if it has sap, the sun's rays warm it, whereby it grows. So also in the life of essence in man. Has that life not ens from God's gentleness and love, viz. from the eternal One, then it impresses itself into a fierce, fiery sharpness, so that the mind becomes wholly rough, hungry, covetous, envious and stinging. And such false sense and will proceeds then from the life into the body, and into all its ways and works. , , I n^^^^^ji^
26. Such a fiery, covetous, envious nature with the life's sharp sense scatters and destroys all that is good. There is danger in all it has to do with. For it carries its poisonous rays thereinto, and will draw all to itself, and bring its poison thereinto, viz. hungry covetousness. But if it be that the fiery life can eat of divine love, then it is a similitude how a light presses forth from fire: Thus the right life presses forth from the fiery nature with a new spirit and will of divine love from within ; and is no longer taking, as the fire's nature is, but giving. For the will of love gives itself, as light from fire, which gives itself to all things, and produces in all something that is good.
27. If the sun did shine no more in the deep of the world, then would the spiritus mundi in thep. 200 sharpness of the stars, in the sulphureous, mercurial nature in the four elements, be wholly stern, rough, di-y, harsh, thick, dark, and hard. Hence all life in the elements would perish, and it would soon be seen what hell and God's wrath are.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.