itself in its own will: for it has no will of its own, but is given up to the total or universal.
23. As we see that the four elements stand in such a will; they are four, and yet but one. For the four stand in one ground, and the ground is neither hot nor cold, neither moist nor dry: it is that one element, an unperceptible life. But thus it would not be manifested to itself; therefore God has stirred it up, and exhaled and unfolded it out of himself that there might be opposition to itself, and might perpetually stand in strife, that the One might be manifested in multiplicity.
1 The love itself.
24. But herein neither of them destroys the other that it should cease to be, and be nothing; but that which is overpowered stands still to that which has overpowered it, the heat to the cold, or the cold to the heat; and there is no self possession or willing, but one element wills the other, that the other may be manifest; and when it is manifest, then it gives itself to the strongest in the stirring, and so there is a strife, and yet the greatest love between them: for in regard of the love struggling it is that the strife and willing or stirring arises.
25. Therefore man, in respect of his own willing, is an enemy to himself: if he did give his will to God, and did yield to him, then God would will through him, and with him, and his willing were God's willing. But seeing he loves his own willing, and not that which has given him the willing, it is a twofold injury.
26. One, in respect of the own willing, that he will not hold still to the original and ground of his willing, and be one and the same thing with it: as the four elements do all give up their willing into the ground out of which they proceed and move and will according to the same.
27. A second is, that he breaks off his love from the love of the abyss, and loves himself and forsakes the love that has given him his love; and himself wills, goes, runs, cares, and looks after many things, and breaks himself off from the Unity: therefore he runs on in his own will in the forms or qualities of nature and the four elements; as also in the multiplicity of the essences of the constellations 1 in mere unquietness.
28. And the unquietness brings into anxiety, and the anxiety stands in the desire of his will, and the desire includes and overshadows itself, so that it is dark in itself, and cannot see itself. Therefore the self-will runs on in mere dark anxiety, and vexes itself in the desire, and seeks the love in the desire, and yet finds nothing therein but the image 2 of the four elements which the desire itself makes. Thus the will serves its images, and loves the image in itself: and that is the greatest folly which nature has brought forth, and yet it is the instrument whereby the highest wisdom is made manifest.
1 form, quality or condition.
2 Or, postures of the stars.
29. O ye men, who count yourselves wise, and receive honour one from another in respect of your self-love and your own will, how mad are you in the sight of heaven! Your own honour which you yourselves seek is a stink in the presence of the only love of God. But he that seeks another and honours and loves him, he is one thing with the total: for when he seeks and loves his brother, then he introduces his love into the members of his body, and is loved, sought, and found of him who made the first man out of his Word, and is but one man with all men, viz. with the first Adam, but one in all his members; as also with the second Adam, Christ, [he is] but one.
30. For God gave man but one will, that he should will only what God would. God would have the world and the creatures to be, and that would he by and out of his Word. This should man also will through that same Word: as that Word would have it, so should man also will to have it be. God created all things in its own similitude or image, by the Word, and out of the Word, that one should love another; so should man also love his likeness and similitude.
itself in its own will: for it has no will of its own, but is given up to the total or universal.
23. As we see that the four elements stand in such a will; they are four, and yet but one. For the four stand in one ground, and the ground is neither hot nor cold, neither moist nor dry: it is that one element, an unperceptible life. But thus it would not be manifested to itself; therefore God has stirred it up, and exhaled and unfolded it out of himself that there might be opposition to itself, and might perpetually stand in strife, that the One might be manifested in multiplicity.
1 The love itself.
24. But herein neither of them destroys the other that it should cease to be, and be nothing; but that which is overpowered stands still to that which has overpowered it, the heat to the cold, or the cold to the heat; and there is no self possession or willing, but one element wills the other, that the other may be manifest; and when it is manifest, then it gives itself to the strongest in the stirring, and so there is a strife, and yet the greatest love between them: for in regard of the love struggling it is that the strife and willing or stirring arises.
25. Therefore man, in respect of his own willing, is an enemy to himself: if he did give his will to God, and did yield to him, then God would will through him, and with him, and his willing were God's willing. But seeing he loves his own willing, and not that which has given him the willing, it is a twofold injury.
26. One, in respect of the own willing, that he will not hold still to the original and ground of his willing, and be one and the same thing with it: as the four elements do all give up their willing into the ground out of which they proceed and move and will according to the same.
27. A second is, that he breaks off his love from the love of the abyss, and loves himself and forsakes the love that has given him his love; and himself wills, goes, runs, cares, and looks after many things, and breaks himself off from the Unity: therefore he runs on in his own will in the forms or qualities of nature and the four elements; as also in the multiplicity of the essences of the constellations 1 in mere unquietness.
28. And the unquietness brings into anxiety, and the anxiety stands in the desire of his will, and the desire includes and overshadows itself, so that it is dark in itself, and cannot see itself. Therefore the self-will runs on in mere dark anxiety, and vexes itself in the desire, and seeks the love in the desire, and yet finds nothing therein but the image 2 of the four elements which the desire itself makes. Thus the will serves its images, and loves the image in itself: and that is the greatest folly which nature has brought forth, and yet it is the instrument whereby the highest wisdom is made manifest.
1 form, quality or condition.
2 Or, postures of the stars.
29. O you men, who count yourselves wise, and receive honour one from another in respect of your self-love and your own will, how mad are you in the sight of heaven! Your own honour which you yourselves seek is a stink in the presence of the only love of God. But he that seeks another and honours and loves him, he is one thing with the total: for when he seeks and loves his brother, then he introduces his love into the members of his body, and is loved, sought, and found of him who made the first man out of his Word, and is but one man with all men, viz. with the first Adam, but one in all his members; as also with the second Adam, Christ, [he is] but one.
30. For God gave man but one will, that he should will only what God would. God would have the world and the creatures to be, and that would he by and out of his Word. This should man also will through that same Word: as that Word would have it, so should man also will to have it be. God created all things in its own similitude or image, by the Word, and out of the Word, that one should love another; so should man also love his likeness and similitude.
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