Jacob Boehme — the works in English

Mysterium Magnum, Part One

Open to allJacob Boehme (1575–1624)90 of 610 segments carry a modern register · 204 pp1 passage withheld
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the bestial soul was hereby brought to its predominant power and force. And this same is Ham's property, which God has ordained to be servant under the angelical kingdom, and cursed its jeering scorning power, in that it did mock at the heavenly matrix, and set forth its own figure and form.

20. The spirit says in Moses, Shem and Japheth took a garment upon their shoulders, and went backward to their father and covered him; so that their faces were turned backward, and they saw not his shame (Gen. ix. 23).

O you wonderful God! how very mystically and secretly dost you carry your works: who would know and understand your ways, if your spirit did not lead us, and open the understanding!

21. Both these brothers took a garment upon their shoulders and covered the father. Wherefore did not one do it alone? or wherefore did Noah drink himself drunk, and lay so naked with his shame? This, reason looks upon, as if there were nothing more in it [but only a history of such an act] . But seeing that Ham was thereby cursed, and made to be a servant of his brethren, and not only he, but also all his posterity out of him, we see thereby very clearly what the spirit doth hereby signify, viz. that it is a type, character and figure of that which should afterwards come to pass.

22. The earthly spirit, which the devil had made monstrous, was a scorner and jeerer of the heavenly birth; it indeed saw the shame which it must bear upon it as a monster; but he went away as a beast, and mocked the new regeneration of the heavenly matrix. But Japheth, viz. the poor soul, and Shem, that is, the disappeared heaven's image, which was moved, stirred or quickened again in the Covenant, they took a garment upon their shoulders. This garment was the new humanity, which should open itself out of the Covenant, out of the angelical world.

23. And they went backward, and covered the father's shame. This intimates and betokens that the free will of self must and shall wholly turn itself away from the bestial monster of self-fullness and ownhood, wherein the shame stands open, and enter again into the resigned filiation or child-ship; and go no more forwards, but retire again backwards; and must take the garment of the new humanity, viz. Christ's innocency, merit and satisfaction upon it, and therewith cover the shame which our father Adam has, with the monster, passed upon us by inheritance: This was the type which was here set forth.

24. And that Shem did not carry the garment alone, and cover the father, doth figure out unto us, that the soul, viz. Japheth, (that is, the inward kingdom) of the inward eternal nature, must help; for the soul is of the Father's property, and this, Japheth doth typify. And the soul's spirit, viz. the fair image of God in the light, which did vanish or disappear in Adam, and stood typically 1 in the Covenant, of which Shem was the figure, doth point out unto us the Son's property, who should open the Covenant. Thus also we are to understand that the Father in his will, who freely gave us the Son, took on one part the garment of our sins' covering, and this was typified by Japheth;

and the Son, on the other part, who covered our shame with the Father's will, of this Shem was a figure.

25. For if Christ shall lay the covering garment upon our shame, then the soul must help, that is, it must give up and resign its will wholly thereinto; and go backwards with its will towards the bosom of the Father; and not any longer parley with itself in its own will and knowledge, how it goes or will go; and so it must take the garment, in true repentance, upon its shoulders; and leave the other part upon the shoulders of Shem, viz. unto the true image of Christ, 2 which is the precious noble Sophia.

1 Or in the image. 2 Or God.

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the bestial soul was hereby brought to its predominant power and force. And this same is Ham's property, which God has ordained to be servant under the angelical kingdom, and cursed its jeering scorning power, in that it did mock at the heavenly matrix, and set forth its own figure and form.

20. The spirit says in Moses, Shem and Japheth took a garment upon their shoulders, and went backward to their father and covered him; so that their faces were turned backward, and they saw not his shame (Gen. ix. 23).

O you wonderful God! how very mystically and secretly do you carry your works: who would know and understand your ways, if your spirit did not lead us, and open the understanding!

21. Both these brothers took a garment upon their shoulders and covered the father. Wherefore did not one do it alone? or wherefore did Noah drink himself drunk, and lay so naked with his shame? This, reason looks upon, as if there were nothing more in it [but only a history of such an act] . But seeing that Ham was thereby cursed, and made to be a servant of his brethren, and not only he, but also all his posterity out of him, we see thereby very clearly what the spirit does hereby signify, viz. that it is a type, character and figure of that which should afterwards come to pass.

22. The earthly spirit, which the devil had made monstrous, was a scorner and jeerer of the heavenly birth; it indeed saw the shame which it must bear upon it as a monster; but he went away as a beast, and mocked the new regeneration of the heavenly matrix. But Japheth, viz. the poor soul, and Shem, that is, the disappeared heaven's image, which was moved, stirred or quickened again in the Covenant, they took a garment upon their shoulders. This garment was the new humanity, which should open itself out of the Covenant, out of the angelical world.

23. And they went backward, and covered the father's shame. This intimates and betokens that the free will of self must and shall wholly turn itself away from the bestial monster of self-fullness and ownhood, wherein the shame stands open, and enter again into the resigned filiation or child-ship; and go no more forwards, but retire again backwards; and must take the garment of the new humanity, viz. Christ's innocency, merit and satisfaction upon it, and therewith cover the shame which our father Adam has, with the monster, passed upon us by inheritance: This was the type which was here set forth.

24. And that Shem did not carry the garment alone, and cover the father, does figure out unto us, that the soul, viz. Japheth, (that is, the inward kingdom) of the inward eternal nature, must help; for the soul is of the Father's property, and this, Japheth does typify. And the soul's spirit, viz. the fair image of God in the light, which did vanish or disappear in Adam, and stood typically 1 in the Covenant, of which Shem was the figure, does point out unto us the Son's property, who should open the Covenant. Thus also we are to understand that the Father in his will, who freely gave us the Son, took on one part the garment of our sins' covering, and this was typified by Japheth;

and the Son, on the other part, who covered our shame with the Father's will, of this Shem was a figure.

25. For if Christ shall lay the covering garment upon our shame, then the soul must help, that is, it must give up and resign its will wholly thereinto; and go backwards with its will towards the bosom of the Father; and not any longer parley with itself in its own will and knowledge, how it goes or will go; and so it must take the garment, in true repentance, upon its shoulders; and leave the other part upon the shoulders of Shem, viz. unto the true image of Christ, 2 which is the precious noble Sophia.

1 Or in the image. 2 Or God.

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