34. The possibility lies in all men, but the making or forming of the child of God belongs now to the holy Fiat in the new introduced Word, for it lies not on any man's self-willing, contriving, running, and toiling, but on God's mercy. He has mercy upon whom he please, viz. upon those alone who with their free will die to their selfhood in his grace, and resign up their selves to him. And he hardens whom he please, viz. those alone who run with selfish Cain, and would themselves take the kingdom of God in their own evil will, and will not die to their own self-full will.
35. Now says the Scripture, has not a potter power to make of one lump of clay what he please; a vessel to honour; or a vessel to dishonour; that is, will the self-full will be angry, if it be evil, that the Fiat in the Word makes it to be a vessel of the anger; or will it therefore be angry, if the holy Fiat (in the holy Word) makes that will, which dives itself into the love and mercy of God, and dies to its selfhood, to be a vessel of honour, has not this Potter power to do with his clay, viz. (with the ens or seed) what he please. Whereunto every seed is good and profitable, thereunto he makes him a vessel, either to the use of his anger or to the use of his love.
36. The holy is unto God a sweet savour to life, and the wicked a sweet savour to the death in his anger; all must enter into his glory, and praise him; one in the property of his anger, who must call the evil good; the other in the property of his love, who must call the good, good. For so it must be, that the difference of the good and evil, of the light and darkness, of the life and death, may be known; for if there were no death, then the life were not manifest to itself; and if there were no darkness, the light were not manifest to itself.
37. And therefore the eternal free will has introduced itself into darkness, pain, and source; and so also through the darkness into the fire and light, even into a kingdom of joy; that so the Nothing might be known in the Something, and that it might have a sport in its contra- will, that the free will of the abyss might be manifest to itself in the byss, for without evil and good there could not be any byss [ground or foundation] .
38. For the evil makes pain and motion, and the good causes essence and power; and yet both essences are only one essence, as fire and light are only one essence, also darkness and light are only one; but it severs itself into two mighty distinctions, and yet there is no sundry separation, for one dwells in the other, and yet does not comprehend the other; the one does deny the other, for the one is not the other.
39. God dwells through all, and that all is not God, also it does not reach him; but whatsoever quits itself free of its free will, that falls into his possession: that he must have, for it is willless, and falls into the Nothing; and he is in the Nothing. Thus the resigned will may dwell in the Nothing, and there is God's mercy; for he will have Something out of the Nothing, that he may be manifest in the Something, and therefore he has mercy upon the Something which is fallen into his Nothing, and makes it in himself to be his Something; which he himself rules, drives and acts with his merciful spirit.
40. And herein lies the precious pearl, dear brethren who are driven too and fro with contention; if ye did but know it you would leave off from strife and call reason a fool. No searchings of self obtains it, but the will freely resigned into God's mercy, which enters in by the way of earnest repentance, and mortification of its own evil will: that [will] falls into God's mercy, and does apprehend [and obtain the right understanding] . And without this there is mere self -running, walking, and willing; and yet nothing can he obtained, save only in the will freely resigned into God's mercy.
34. The possibility lies in all men, but the making or forming of the child of God belongs now to the holy Fiat in the new introduced Word, for it lies not on any man's self-willing, contriving, running, and toiling, but on God's mercy. He has mercy upon whom he please, viz. upon those alone who with their free will die to their selfhood in his grace, and resign up their selves to him. And he hardens whom he please, viz. those alone who run with selfish Cain, and would themselves take the kingdom of God in their own evil will, and will not die to their own self-full will.
35. Now says the Scripture, has not a potter power to make of one lump of clay what he please; a vessel to honour; or a vessel to dishonour; that is, will the self-full will be angry, if it be evil, that the Fiat in the Word makes it to be a vessel of the anger; or will it therefore be angry, if the holy Fiat (in the holy Word) makes that will, which dives itself into the love and mercy of God, and dies to its selfhood, to be a vessel of honour, has not this Potter power to do with his clay, viz. (with the ens or seed) what he please. Whereunto every seed is good and profitable, thereunto he makes him a vessel, either to the use of his anger or to the use of his love.
36. The holy is unto God a sweet savour to life, and the wicked a sweet savour to the death in his anger; all must enter into his glory, and praise him; one in the property of his anger, who must call the evil good; the other in the property of his love, who must call the good, good. For so it must be, that the difference of the good and evil, of the light and darkness, of the life and death, may be known; for if there were no death, then the life were not manifest to itself; and if there were no darkness, the light were not manifest to itself.
37. And therefore the eternal free will has introduced itself into darkness, pain, and source; and so also through the darkness into the fire and light, even into a kingdom of joy; that so the Nothing might be known in the Something, and that it might have a sport in its contra- will, that the free will of the abyss might be manifest to itself in the byss, for without evil and good there could not be any byss [ground or foundation] .
38. For the evil makes pain and motion, and the good causes essence and power; and yet both essences are only one essence, as fire and light are only one essence, also darkness and light are only one; but it severs itself into two mighty distinctions, and yet there is no sundry separation, for one dwells in the other, and yet does not comprehend the other; the one does deny the other, for the one is not the other.
39. God dwells through all, and that all is not God, also it does not reach him; but whatsoever quits itself free of its free will, that falls into his possession: that he must have, for it is willless, and falls into the Nothing; and he is in the Nothing. Thus the resigned will may dwell in the Nothing, and there is God's mercy; for he will have Something out of the Nothing, that he may be manifest in the Something, and therefore he has mercy upon the Something which is fallen into his Nothing, and makes it in himself to be his Something; which he himself rules, drives and acts with his merciful spirit.
40. And herein lies the precious pearl, dear brethren who are driven too and fro with contention; if you did but know it you would leave off from strife and call reason a fool. No searchings of self obtains it, but the will freely resigned into God's mercy, which enters in by the way of earnest repentance, and mortification of its own evil will: that [will] falls into God's mercy, and does apprehend [and obtain the right understanding] . And without this there is mere self -running, walking, and willing; and yet nothing can he obtained, save only in the will freely resigned into God's mercy.
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