101. Understand aright now, what the New-Birth or Regeneration is, and how it cometh to pass, as follovveth. The outward earthly mortal Man is not born anew in this Life’s Time, that is, neither the outward Flesh, nor the outward Part of the Soul. They continue both of them in the Vanity of their Wills which awoke in Adam. They love their Mother, in whose Body they live, viz., the Dominion of this outward World ; and therein the Birth of Sin is manifest.
102. The outward Man in Soul and Flesh, (we mean the outward Part of the Soul) hath no Divine Will, neither doth he understand any Thing of God, as the Scripture saith, ‘ The natural ' Man perceiveth not the Things of the Spirit of GOD,’ &c.
• 105? But, the Fire-breath of the inward World, if it be once enlightened, understandeth.it ; it hath a great Longing, Sighing, Hunger „ and Thirst after the sweet Fountain of Christ ; it refresheth itself by Hungering and Desiring, (which is the true Faith in)* the sweet Fountain of Christ from his New Body, from the Heavenly Substantiality , as a hungry Branch in the Vine Christ.
104. And the Reason why the fiery Soul cannot attain to Perfection during this Lifetime, is because it is fast bound with the outward Bond of Vanity, through which the /^//continually casteth his venomous Rays of Influence upon it, and so sifteth it, that it often biteth at his Bait, and poisoneth itself. From whence Misery and Anguish arise, so that the Noble Sophia hideth herself in the Fountain of Christ, in the ILeavetily Humanity ; for she cannot draw near to Vanity.
105. For she knew how it went with her in Adam, when she lost her Pearl, which is of Grace freely bestowed again upon the inward Humanity ; therefore she is called Sophia, viz., the Bride of Christ.
job. Here she faithfully calleth to her Bridegroom the fiery Soul, and exhorteth him to Repentance, and to the unburdening of himself, or going forth from the Abomination of Vanity.
107. And now War assaulteth the whole Man. The outward Fleshly Man fighteth against the inward Spiritual Man, and the Spiritual against the Fleshly ; and so Man is in continual Warfare and Strife, full of Trouble, Misery, Anguish, •and Care. •
108. The inward Spirit saith to the fiery Soul : O my Soul!
O my Love ! Turn 1 beseech thee and go forth from Vanity, or
else thou loseth my Love and the noble Pearl.
109. Then saith the outward Reason, viz., the Bestial Soul;
* Thou art foolish ; wilt thou be a Laughing-Stock, and the yS The TV ay to Qhrist .
‘Scorn of the World? Thou needest the outward World to ‘ maintain this Life. Beauty, Power, and Glory are thy proper * Happiness ; wherein only thou canst rejoice and take Delight.
‘ Why wilt thou cast thyself into Anguish* Misery, and Re- ‘ proach ? Take thy Pleasure, which will do both thy Flesh and ‘ thy Mind good.’
l io. With such Filth the true Man is often defiled ; that is, the outward Man defileth himself, as a Sow in the Mire, and obscureth his noble Peaid . For the more vain the outward Man groweth, the more dark the inward Man cometh to be, until at length it disappeared altogether.
in. And then the fair Paradisaical Tree is gone, and it will be very hard to recover it again. For when the outward Lights viz. y the outward Soul is once enlightened, so that the outward Light of Reason is kindled by the inward Light ; then tb~ out> ward Soul commonly useth to turn Hypocrite , and esteem itself Divine , even though the Pearl be gone ; which lamentable Error sticketh hard to many a Man.
1 12. And thus it comes to pass that the Tree of Pearl in the Qarden of Christ is often spoiled ; concerning which the Scripture inaketh a hard Knot or Conclusion , viz.. That those who have once tasted the Sweetness of the World to come , and fall away from it again , shall hardly see the Kingdom of (jod.
101. Understand aright now, what the New-Birth or Regeneration is, and how it comes to pass, as follovvs. The outward earthly mortal Man is not born anew in this Life’s Time, that is, neither the outward Flesh, nor the outward Part of the Soul. They continue both of them in the Vanity of their Wills which awoke in Adam. They love their Mother, in whose Body they live, viz., the Dominion of this outward World ; and therein the Birth of Sin is manifest.
102. The outward Man in Soul and Flesh, (we mean the outward Part of the Soul) has no Divine Will, neither does he understand any Thing of God, as the Scripture says, ‘ The natural ' Man perceives not the Things of the Spirit of GOD,’ &c.
• 105? But, the Fire-breath of the inward World, if it be once enlightened, understands.it ; it has a great Longing, Sighing, Hunger „ and Thirst after the sweet Fountain of Christ ; it refreshes itself by Hungering and Desiring, (which is the true Faith in)* the sweet Fountain of Christ from his New Body, from the Heavenly Substantiality , as a hungry Branch in the Vine Christ.
104. And the Reason why the fiery Soul cannot attain to Perfection during this Lifetime, is because it is fast bound with the outward Bond of Vanity, through which the /^//continually casts his venomous Rays of Influence upon it, and so sifts it, that it often bits at his Bait, and poisons itself. From whence Misery and Anguish arise, so that the Noble Sophia hides herself in the Fountain of Christ, in the ILeavetily Humanity ; for she cannot draw near to Vanity.
105. For she knew how it went with her in Adam, when she lost her Pearl, which is of Grace freely bestowed again upon the inward Humanity ; therefore she is called Sophia, viz., the Bride of Christ.
job. Here she faithfully calls to her Bridegroom the fiery Soul, and exhorts him to Repentance, and to the unburdening of himself, or going forth from the Abomination of Vanity.
107. And now War assaults the whole Man. The outward Fleshly Man fights against the inward Spiritual Man, and the Spiritual against the Fleshly ; and so Man is in continual Warfare and Strife, full of Trouble, Misery, Anguish, •and Care. •
108. The inward Spirit says to the fiery Soul : O my Soul!
O my Love ! Turn 1 beseech you and go forth from Vanity, or
else you loses my Love and the noble Pearl.
109. Then says the outward Reason, viz., the Bestial Soul;
* You are foolish ; will you be a Laughing-Stock, and the yS The TV ay to Qhrist .
‘Scorn of the World? You needest the outward World to ‘ maintain this Life. Beauty, Power, and Glory are your proper * Happiness ; wherein only you can rejoice and take Delight.
‘ Why will you cast yourself into Anguish* Misery, and Re- ‘ proach ? Take your Pleasure, which will do both your Flesh and ‘ your Mind good.’
l io. With such Filth the true Man is often defiled ; that is, the outward Man defils himself, as a Sow in the Mire, and obscurs his noble Peaid . For the more vain the outward Man grows, the more dark the inward Man comes to be, until at length it disappeared altogether.
in. And then the fair Paradisaical Tree is gone, and it will be very hard to recover it again. For when the outward Lights viz. y the outward Soul is once enlightened, so that the outward Light of Reason is kindled by the inward Light ; then tb~ out> ward Soul commonly uses to turn Hypocrite , and esteem itself Divine , even though the Pearl be gone ; which lamentable Error sticks hard to many a Man.
1 12. And thus it comes to pass that the Tree of Pearl in the Qarden of Christ is often spoiled ; concerning which the Scripture inaks a hard Knot or Conclusion , viz.. That those who have once tasted the Sweetness of the World to come , and fall away from it again , shall hardly see the Kingdom of (jod.
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