Mysterium Magnum (An Exposition of the First Book of Moses, called Genesis)

10. But seeing the anger had got the upper hand and sway in man; and yet the virgin-child of the angelical world’s essence should spring forth and grow out of the Covenant of God, out of the disappeared ens, through the anger, as a clear delightful light shines forth out of the candle, through the wrathful fire, which depriveth the darkness of its power and prevalency ; therefore the outward body in [Abel, and] the children of God must suffer itself to be slain and persecuted by the wrath of God ; for it1 was a strange figure on the virgin-child. 11. For Abel in his outward flesh had the awakened vanity lying in him, as well as Cain; he was also sinful as to the outward man, but internally the angelical world and image of Paradise did spring and bud forth again in the Covenant. This was now a great enmity against each other; the inward man bruised the Serpent-monster upon the head of its false desire, and the Serpent-monster stung him on the heel of his angelical will, and openly mocked the angelical image; as it is so still to this day. So soon as the virgin-child is born in the spirit of Christ, the outward earthly body, together with the virgin-child, is, by the children of Cain, persecuted, contemned, reviled, and accounted as a strange child of the world.

12. For the Serpent’s monster is as a fool before God, and seeing the noble and precious virgin-child must bear such a monster on it in the outward flesh, to which the devil hath yet continual access, there¬ fore this body is strongly assaulted and struck at by the devil in the anger of God and its children; they would continually slay it, for the virgin-child worketh through the outward man, as a light through the fire, and manifesteth itself. It teacheth and reproveth the wicked sort; and this the devil cannot endure, for it is against his kingdom, as the offering of Abel was against Cain’s. 13. For Cain offered in the proud Serpent’s desire as a hypocrite, and would be an honest, demure, devout and godly child in his Serpent’s desire; but Abel humbled himself before God, and set his desire into God’s mercy. God’s love-fire took his offering, and penetrated through the earthly offering and fire; and the like also is to be understood in the body of Abel; as the incorruptible [being] shall swallow up the corruptible, so also the heavenly took the earthly captive in itself. 14. But that Cain slew the outward body of Abel hath this type2

1 The outward body. 2 Signification. and figure : that the outward body shall be slain1 in the anger of God. The anger must devour and mortify the outward image which is grown up in the anger; and out of death springeth forth the eternal life. 15. Abel was a figure of Christ; the children of God’s anger must execute the right of God’s anger upon the outward earthly and also [upon the] bestial image of the children of the holy one. Even as the Pharisees (who before God were only false serpent-children, as Christ called them) must persecute and kill the humanity of Christ; so like¬ wise was Cain a type of these serpentine wolfish Pharisees, and also of the verbal titular Christendom. 16. As the false Serpent’s child is a monster and fool before the angelical world, so likewise the children of darkness do account and esteem the children of the light for fools; for there must be a contrary, that the one might be manifest in the other. If the anger had not taken hold of the humanity, and devoured it into itself, then the deepest love of God would not have been manifest in man. 17. But thus the love taketh cause, by the anger, to overpower and prevail over the same with its motion and manifestation ; as the same may be known in Christ. The true Son of God gave himself into our image, which was awakened in the anger, that so he might be made manifest with his love in the anger, and change the same into joy.

18. Christ gave our human image to the anger of his Father to be devoured in death, and brought his life into death, and yet manifested his love in the life which death had devoured, and brought forth the life in love through the death. As a grain of corn which is sown into the earth, the same must die in the earth, but out of that mortified grain grows a fair new body; even so the corrupt body of Adam shall and must be offered to death and the anger; and out of the death and anger the body of the divine love shall be manifest. 19. It was exactly typified and prefigured in Cain and Abel how it would be in the succeeding and future generations. Seeing Abel out¬ wardly did bear the earthly image, and yet in the spirit he was an image of heaven, his outward body in the corruption was only a visard'2 before the outward world; for there was another spirit hidden therein, which was not of the outward world’s essence and property; therefore because he was not wholly a right child of the earthly world, it would not suffer him (being as a strange child) in it; for the devil was prince in the wrathful essence in this world, who would not that a

1 Or mortified. 2 Text, Larva or strange disguised person. child of the light should spring forth through the wrathful essence [and be in his garden]. 20. Thus the image or person of Cain and Abel is a true figure of the false, and then also of the holy and true, children of God; of the outward sinful corrupt and mortal man, and of the inward new regenerate holy man. When Christ with his love-kingdom ariseth from death out of the disappeared ens, then Adam’s earthly image must die in Christ’s death; and if it now be that the outward body must yet live, it is only a scorn and fool before the heaven’s image, and so also before the natural life of this world.1 21. For so soon as Christ is born, the sinful life is condemned to death; and standeth in scorn and open shame before all the false children in the anger of God, as a whore in Bridewell,2 whom other whores likewise help to deride and scoff at; and yet they do but only judge and condemn themselves thereby. For if Christ be born, then the judgment passeth upon the false bestial life, and that man must stand in the judgment of God as a malefactor, and be termed a fool, a heretic; and be jeered, scoffed and reviled, yea, even utterly defied and slain, that the monster may be judged before God’s anger. But those that do it are the children of the lusty, pampered, and well-fattened anger of God, whom the wrath of God useth for its instrument; for God is a spirit, therefore he accomplisheth his judgment by a material image.3

22. For so soon as Abel did, in his offering, put on or attract the love of God in the Covenant anew into his human desire, and com¬ prehended [or amassed] the same into his essence, then forthwith the judgment passed upon the external mortal man; and God’s sword of anger took him, which Cain executed, and slew the outward body of Abel. And at this time also the judgment passed upon the false image of the anger in Cain, for he stood there, and cried, My sins are greater than can be forgiven me. 23. This doth now hint and point at the figure of Christ, how the anger of the Father must devour4 the life of Christ in death, and when as the anger had devoured the life in death, then the holy life of the deepest love of God moved itself in the death and the anger, and devoured the death and anger into itself; whereat the earth trembled, and the rocks clove asunder, and the graves of the saints opened. 1 All natural men. 2 At the house of correction or whipped through the streets. 3 By some outward substantial means or persons. 4 Or swallow up.

24. And so likewise the love-fire and the anger-fire1 in the place of this world (which wrathful fire was enkindled in the creation when The Apostate [Lucifer] fell) shall at the Last Day be again changed into the divine joyfulness, and be availed or swallowed up in the love. Understand, it shall be thus in the third Principle, where love and anger do strive [during] this time one with another : but he2 remaineth in the darkness in the first Principle. 25. The true cause wherefore Cain murdered Abel was by reason of their offerings and worship of God, viz. religion; as this contention continueth still to this day; the Cainical Church is not yet one with the Abelical. 26. Now saith reason, I see it well enough, that all contention and strife ariseth from religion, but what is the ground and most un¬ doubted cause and reason thereof. Behold ! this is the cause : set before thee the false Serpent’s child, which is evil and good, and then set before thee the virgin’s child, born of Christ, and then thou hast the fundamental cause, exactly drawn to the life, before thine eyes. 27. The Cainical Church drives a subtle trade with external ceremonies, and will appease God with some external thing or other; it will be outwardly an accepted and adopted child, it must down right be called honest, godly, holy and heavenly, it adorneth and trimmeth up itself very finely, and standeth mightily upon its calling, which it hath itself ordained and instituted;

it makes a very specious and renowned show in the white sheep’s clothing; and therein lodgeth the high priest of selfhood, without Christ’s spirit, and rules and masters the work of the outward letters; and whosoever learneth to transpose and compose the same boldly and bravely [according to their form of forged opinions] he is a high priest in their office and order; he putteth Christ’s garment ofinnocency on him for his cloak and covert.

28. The other party of the confused Cainical Church crieth out, and holdeth forth the goodly glistering child to sale for money;3 and hath bound the kingdom of heaven to its ceremonies, and will sell it for money; so that the man may but fat himself in this world under the white garment [of its hypocrisy]. 29. The third party giveth forth that they have so holy an order that it doth even sanctify and save them, and they, above all others, will be esteemed holy. 1 Good and evil now mixed and in contest one with the other. 2 Lucifer. 3 Makes good merchandise of its religious ceremonies. 30. The fourth party [or sect] will obtain the kingdom of God by their lip-labour,1 with muchness of speaking, reading, singing, preaching and hearing, and it rebukes, censures and reviles all that will not approve of, praise, and give diligent attention to its lip-labour [and fine conceited long prating]. 31. This party hath clothed itself with the white garment, and set itself upon the letter [or writings] of God’s children, and therewith it doth so lustily bestir and lay about it, as a beggar that casteth stones at the dogs; and sometimes hits a churlish2 one, sometimes a quiet3 one. And he that is hit at makes him hear of it, and then others fall on, pell-mell, and bite and worry him; and there is a continual biting, tearing, confounding, reviling, reproaching, cavilling and jangling about the letter, a mere external work, whereby men [blindly zealous] suppose to serve God, and obtain grace: a very Cainical offering.

32. The Cainical Church is in the outward world, evil and good; it buildeth, and breaketh down; and is only a figure of4 God’s love and anger. What one party buildeth and calleth holy, that, another pulleth down and revileth. With one mouth it buildeth, and with another it teareth down. What one hypocrite praiseth, that, another dispraiseth. And thus there is only a confused [shattered] Babylon, evil and good; a wonder of nature and time. 33. All these run on in their self-contrived and devised orders, and rely upon their received orders. And so they offer the letter of the word, and the work of their own hands, before God; and will needs be outwardly adopted and accepted children before God. God must have respect unto their offering, and forgive them their sins by a word¬ speaking; as a lord out of favour and clemency freely gives a malefactor his life. Such an unmeasurable matchless heap of grace they have brought into their literal offerings, and into the works of their hands; so that their teaching, and the hearing of them, is accounted for the most holy way wherein salvation is to be had. And whoseoever doth not worship and honour this their way with exceeding diligence, and subject himself thereunto, him they reproach, persecute and kill, or else hold him for a heretic.

34. But Abel’s children in Christ have far another worship and service of God. They dwell indeed among Cain’s children, and do also appear in their orders and offerings; [but] they offer to God a broken and bruised heart, and a humble, contrite mind, in true sorrow for, 1 Text, mouth-cry. 2 Or evil. 3 Or good. 4 Or according to. and conversion from, their committed sins; and with their spiritual will do go out from and forsake all their creatureself-fullness and selfish interests and arrogation, and die to their selfhood in the death of Christ; and become as children, who neither know (nor will) any¬ thing, but only their mother which hath brought them forth; they cast themselves into her bosom, and they take in patience whatsoever she pleaseth to do with them. 35. For their internal will is quite mortified to the outward world, with all its glozing show and alluring glory; they account themselves very unworthy before the great grace of God, and their vanity, which the flesh desireth, is always in their sight; and to this the inward spiritual will is a deadly opposite enemy, and yet it cannot be wholly separated from it in this lifetime. Their whole course through this world is a mere work of repentance, for their sins and impurity do appear continually in their sight.

36. There is a continual and constant combat in them, of the flesh in the earthly desire against the divine desire, and of the divine desire against the lust of the earthly flesh; for the divine desire doth amass1 itself into God’s grace and mercy, and brings itself into a centre of a working life, and penetrates through the earthly false lustful life, and striketh the false lust [and imagination] down; and then the false imagination falls into great sadness, when as it contemplates and beholds the voluptuous, pompous, stately, brave, glistering course of this world, and finds itself so mean and foolish that it must forsake and forego that wherein it might have its chief joy, pleasure and delight. 37. Also the devil he cometh forthwith with his temptation, and bringeth his desire into the false imagination; and shews him the fair kingdom of the world, and rebuketh his intent as a false fancy and mere conjecture; stirreth up the crew of the wicked against him, who scorn, jeer, reproach and contemn him; and then sometimes the sprackling glimpse, and divine desire, doth even lose itself, for Christ, viz. the virgin’s child in the spirit of Christ, is lead into the wilderness, and is tempted of the devil and of the anger of God, and also of the carnal world’s spirit, and oftentimes the spirit of Christ doth hide itself, as if the virgin’s child were quite gone, and past hopes, also the devil makes his address thereto, and brings him into doubt as if the virgin’s child were not born.

38. For the virgin’s child is hidden in the desert, and then the poor captivated soul is in great sorrow and lamentation, sigheth and crieth to God; also it cannot love, nor away with, the bestial image, but it doth stir up itself as a great assaulting storm in the body, and seeketh the gates of the deep in its original; and forceth with might [or holy violence] into that Word which hath formed it to be a creature, and diveth itself thereinto, as an impotent, will-less child, and desireth its first mother, whence the first soul was born, for its nurse; and makes itself wholly will-less in this mother, and lieth only at her breasts, and sucketh her love and grace into it; the mother may do with it what she please. This is the true meaning, and the right manner, of dying to selfhood and self-full imagination and lust in oneself, and becoming, as to the will of the soul, as a child in oneself; as Christ saith, Unless ye be converted, and become as children, ye can in no wise see the kingdom of God ; self, and self-full reason in the lust of the flesh, can neither taste nor see it.

39. From this mortification of the self-full will, and earnest resignation into God’s mercy, the virgin’s child doth again spring forth out of the desert, with its fair and glorious pearl-blooming tree, with very excellent and new fruit; for so it must be tried in the fire of God’s anger, that the abomination of the introduced earthly will may die in it. 40. For the fire-soul, viz. the first Principle, hangeth upon the band of the outward world, and continually and eagerly introduceth something of vanity into it, whereby the virgin-child of the angelical world’s essence, viz. of Christ’s essentiality, is defiled, obscured and darkened, therefore it must be so refined, purified and purged again; and many a cold, piercing, rautish wind of tribulation, anguish and great perplexity bloweth upon this child. It must be continually as an off-scouring of the world, for its kingdom is not of this world; as Christ said, My kingdom is not of this world. 41. But the effect is this: when the fair Morning-Star doth dawn and arise in the virgin-child, then the outward life is even illuminated in this time;1 and it giveth itself up unto the obedience of the internal [life], as an instrument and servant of the internal.

42. And then the holy spirit of God shineth forth through the virgin-child, and preacheth Christ crucified, and reproveth the world for its sins and wicked malicious doings, and shews them their false hypocritical erroneous way, that they will needs be the children of God in the outward kingdom, in their self-contrived and devised ways, and will seek an external forgiveness of sin in their own con¬ ceited and received ways; and yet will still remain in the vanity, and 1 Or while it lives here. in the pleasure of their flesh. And desire only to make devout shows before God, and give good words in a soothing glozing gloss of fine hypocrisy, as if they served God in their contrived conjectures and opinions; but still they will continue in selfhood, in the outward show and ostentation. 43 . These the Holy Ghost doth rebuke and reprove by the virginchild in Christ’s spirit, and calls them hypocrites, and wolves in sheeps’ clothing, and crafty foxes born of the Serpent’s ens, in whom there is the very property of toads, dogs and wild beasts; and shews them, that they draw near to God with their lips, but their heart is full of murder, gall and serpent-desire, and hath no true upright lovedesire in it; also it shews them that they are but mere flatterers and dissemblers in their office, who only seek pleasure and temporal honour and respect thereby, that so they might be able to domineer and lord it over men’s bodies and souls, goods and estates, and thus they serve God only from without, with hypocritical mouths: Their heart hangeth to the whoredom of Babylon, full of devilish murder and poison against him that doth but touch their conscience.

44. Such children in the Serpent’s craft, who are best able as cunning craft masters in sophistry to turn this subtlety most takingly and artificially, the children of the world do set up unto themselves for teachers, and will learn the way of God from them. 45. These teachers do assume unto themselves [and presume upon] the writings of the saints, and proclaim with open mouth that they teach God’s word, [and that] the Holy Spirit is poured forth by their teaching and preaching; and though their conscience doth even convince them that they are not capable of the office of the ministry, and that they are in no wise the temples of the Holy Spirit who should teach in and by them, yet they care not for that: it brings them money and honour. Christ is gone up to heaven, and hath placed and ordained them to be stewards and vicars in his office; they must compose and contrive their doctrine out of the writings of the saints, and out of their reason, upon the letter of the Scripture. Their heaping together and composing of the words [in the form of their subtle reason] must be the voice of the Holy Spirit; they say the Holy Spirit is thereby poured forth into the hearts of men.

46. And though they themselves be only Cain, and in their literal and bookish rhapsody1 in their sermons do cast forth a great deal of light, lewd, Cainical scorn and brother-slaughter, and oftentimes mix 1 Or composing of the texts, or bare letter of Scripture. lies and truth together; yet the Holy Spirit must have taught, and the congregation must thank God for such holy, [sound, orthodox, evan¬ gelical] doctrine, as they call it. And after their killing of their brother there, they must also help, with boldness, courage and zeal, to murder and slay Abel, and the little child Jesus, in his members, with words and deeds. 47. Such teachers the world sets up, to learn the kingdom of God from: and whosoever can but lustily cavil, censure and condemn others in their gifts, and propose it with fine distinctions and subtle arguments, and clothe them with the mantle of reason, and hide the wolf (which thereby murdereth and devoureth Christ’s flock) under the purple mantle of Christ, to him they give diligent attention; for the fleshly Serpent’s heart doth therewith sooth up and flatter itself in its evil property ; it hath even such an artificial nature and constitution.

48. Such seed these teachers, chosen of men, do sow, who only desire the calling for temporal honour and pleasure, but are not called of God, and are also without divine knowledge [and understand not what true divinity is]. They enter not by the door of Christ; but they come into place by the election and favour of men, through the means of their own willing, walking and running: these can no way be acknowledged for the shepherds of Christ, for they are not born of Christ, and [are not] chosen to this function and divine calling. 49. They are only the great master-builders of Babylon, where the languages are confounded, and men thereby set at odds and variance, and they set up war and contention upon the earth. For they wrangle and jangle about the mere husk, viz. about the written word and letter; and they have not the living word of God dwelling in them, from which they ought to teach. The Spirit of Christ itself must be the teacher in the word, with the living voice [or expression] ; the spirit of man1 must know and feelingly find Christ in it, otherwise none teacheth the words of Christ, [but] only dumb [senseless] words, without power and spirit.

50. Now the Spirit of Christ in his children doth reprove these, and shews them the true way how we must die wholly in Christ’s death to the selfhood and the false self-full desire of temporal pleasure and honour; and be born again of Christ’s Spirit, with another new will and desire out of Christ’s love, in peculiar real knowledge, and preach and teach Christ from our [own peculiar and singular know¬ ledge of him in our] selves. 1 The human spirit. 51. This, Babel in Cain cannot endure, that one should teach: that Christ himself must be the teacher in the human spirit. They plead their cause from the forewritten Apostolical word, and say, if they teach the same then the Spirit of God is poured forth. Yes, forsooth ! very right, I say so too: If the same be taught in Christ’s spirit and power, then ’tis so, indeed. 52. But the Spirit of Christ in his children is not bound to any certain form, that it need not [or ought not] to speak anything which stands not in the Apostolical letter; as the spirit in the Apostles was free, and they spake not all one and the same words, but from one spirit and ground they did all speak, every one as the spirit gave him utterance. Even thus likewise the spirit speaketh yet out of its chil¬ dren, it needeth no form aforehand composed and gathered together out of the literal word. It indeed doth put man’s spirit in mind of what is comprehended and contained in the letter; for Christ said, The Holy Ghost shall take of mine , and declare it unto you.

53 . Christ is alone the Word of God that teacheth the way of truth through his children and members. The literal word is only a manuduction and manifestation of Christ; that we should have the same before us, as a testimony and witness of Christ, [shewing] what he is, and what he hath done for us, that we should conceive, let and fasten our faith therein; and yet with the desire enter into the living Word, Christ; and be ourselves born to life therein. 54. None is a shepherd of Christ but he that hath Christ’s Spirit, and teacheth from him. No art nor university makes one a shepherd of Christ, unless he be capable of the office in Christ’s Spirit. If he hath not that, living and working in him, then man hath only chosen him to be a carver and builder of the great Babylon; a letter-changer [a verbal jangler and wrangler], without divine understanding and knowledge; for the Scripture saith, The natural man perceiveth nothing of the Spirit of God. How then will he teach the way of God, who himself understands nothing thereof. 55. And Christ saith, He that entereth not into the sheepfold by him, viz. by the door of his spirit, but climbeth up some other way, as by art and reason, or by the favour of man, into the same: who¬ soever setteth up himself, not being called of God’s Spirit, to be a shepherd of Christ, for human and temporal repute and revenue’s sakes, he is a thief and murderer, and the sheep hear not his voice, for he hath not Christ’s voice, and cometh only that he may rob and steal.

56. But they say, the written word is Christ’s voice. Yea, it is indeed the cabinet thereof, viz. a form of the word : but the voice must be living which opens the same, and likewise acts it in due motion as a watch-work. The letter is as an instrument thereunto, as a trumpet; but there must be a true and right breath and air which agrees with the air or tune in the letter. 57. The word of the letter is a prepared instrument d what kind of trumpeter takes it in hand to play thereon, even such a sound it gives. Is not, I pray, the great Babel built out of this work? Every one hath sounded the trumpet of the letter as his own air and tone hath been in him; and so it hath been approved and received by each trumpeter, and brought into a substance; and this same substance is the great Babylon, where evil and good are built into a building. 58. But if men had not introduced any exposition upon the Apostolical word, and [had not] brought or contrived the same into other forms, then the instrument had remained pure. But the un¬ illuminated mind hath set itself up to be a master therein, and bowed the same according to its own imagination and well-liking; for the human pleasure hath thereon set itself, and formed and expounded the same according to the [rule of] fat [benefices for the] belly [’s sake] and worldly pleasures.

And thus the spirit is extinct; and ’tis turned to an antichristian order and custom. Men have taken and formed the word as an organ, and so they have brought it into a fashion and custom, that a man must play thereon, and others must hear the sound and tune which he makes; and thus for the most part such organists are only used who strike the organ from without, and make a fine con¬ trived and composed piece, which they willingly and readily hear. But the organ soundeth only as the master strikes it.2

59. But to this Christ saith, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Also, Whosoever is of God, he heareth God’s word. Christ said, The Son of man speaketh nothing but what he heareth the Father speak in him. So likewise must a teacher of Christ hear the Father’s Spirit in Christ speak in him; he must hear God’s word in the Spirit of Christ in him ; as David saith, I will hear what the Lord speaketh in me. He must be a temple of God, in whom God dwelleth, and from whom he speaketh, being only an instrument thereto. For Christ said, We will come to you, and make our abode in you. Also, I will put my word into your mouth, saith the prophet. Also, The word is nigh thee, namely in thy 2 Or plays on it. mouth, and heart. Here the Spirit of God speaketh of the living Word; and not of a bell without a clapper. 60. This, the Spirit of Christ in his children doth teach, and reproves the wooden clapper in the right bell, which hath hung itself up to be a clapper in the bell of the divine word, and yet hath no power to make the bell sound. This, Cain, in his offering, can by no means brook, that one should tell him his offering doth not please God.

61. He setteth forth himself with very fair glozing and glistering outside shows, and hath made himself such a brave glorious form; moreover, he is chosen of the high schools and worldly might thereto. And if a mean layman, without human calling, should come thereinto (as Christ, who was accounted for a carpenter’s son), and offer to reprove such a high priest in such great dignity, honour and respect, the same the world believeth not that it is from God that he is sent. 62. The great bear thinketh presently, This is only a sheep, which I will take into my mouth and devour him. What, shall a sheep reprove me, who am a bear? Will a disesteemed sheep nullify my reputation and esteem among men, and dare to quetch at me? I will soon rid him out of the way, and so defile him that he shall not be known that he is a sincere and single-hearted lamb of Christ, and speaketh from Christ’s Spirit. I will so wallow and mire him in the dirt, disgrace, and scorn, that he shall be held for a filthy beast, or a very defiled swine. 63 . In the meantime I live in my delicious days of pleasure, and remain lord over soul and body. But if the sheepling shall offer to stir, and shew more than a sheepling of Christ, then I will help the butcher drive it to the slaughter-house.

64. Thus it goeth with the simple, single-hearted children of Christ, whom the Spirit of Christ driveth, and out of whom he teacheth here in this world, etc. They are only as sheep among wolves; as Christ said, I send you as sheep among wolves. The earthly man is a serpentine wolf, under whom the virgin-child, viz. Christ’s lamb, must dwell; and then beginneth and ariseth murdering, slaying,1 and killing. 65. But it doth not at all hurt the virgin-child; its external wolf is also by this means bitten off by another-, for the outward wolf of all men is grown from the anger of God, and arisen with the sin in Adam; there¬ fore it must be given for food to the anger of God, that the virgin-child of the woman’s seed may become manifest. 66. For thus they do separate themselves as two enemies, and are continually opposite enemies one against another in the time of this outward life; for the judgment is given to the virgin-child against the introduced Serpent’s child of sin. In the resurrection the virgin-child shall condemn the serpent-child into the fire of God; there the limus of the earth shall be proved and purged from the Serpent’s ens, and again put upon the virgin-child.

67. Now saith reason, What pleasure hath God in this murdering of his children, can he not defend them from the enemy? Thus it must be : that the light may be manifest in the darkness, else the light would stand still in the darkness and bring forth no fruit. Seeing then the light receiveth into itself essence and perceivancy, also sensation from the darkness, viz. from the source of the fire, therefore one is set against the other, that so one might be manifest in the other: the joy against grief, and grief against joy; that it may be known what evil or good is. 68. For if there were no grief then the joy were not manifest to itself; but yet all is in the free will : as every thing doth introduce itself into evil or good, so it runneth on its course, and the one is but the manifestation of the other; for if there were no night or darkness then we should know nothing of the light or day. Thus the great God hath introduced himself into severation, to his own contemplation and sport of joy. 69. The like also is to be understood in the various diversity and severalty of men, touching evil and good. The evil must be a cause that the good be made manifest to itself; and the good must be a cause to manifest the evil in its wicked malicious subtlety and iniquity ; that all things may come into their contemplation [and visible ken], and every thing might manifest its judgment in itself unto the great separation-day of the LORD of all beings, where every thing shall give in itself into its barn, for its usefulness and profit, that, in the eternity, the great God may be known in a creatural and formal manner, according to light and darkness.

70. For all things were created by the Word, and brought into a form. Seeing then God is an angry jealous God and a consuming fire, and also a merciful loving meek God of light and giving [or free grace], in whom there cannot be any evil at all, therefore he hath introduced fire and light, evil and good, one with another in the Verbum Fiat, into a free will, whereby the will may form1 either in the evil or [in the] good; and yet he hath created all things good, and to the light, and set them into the free will, to multiply themselves in the free will, to conceive in evil or good; and yet hath associated to each thing its likeness, viz. to a male its female, that so nothing hath cause to degenerate,1 and to man he hath given commands what to do, and [what to] leave undone. 71. Thus all things stand to the judgment of the great God, and in this time they must be in contest, that one may be manifest in the other. But then in the great harvest every thing shall have its own seat in itself; when strife shall be taken up and cease, and all things must stand to the honour and admiration of the wonderful works of the great God, who alone knows whereunto every thing shall be good, and for what he will use it.

1 Or fall from its place and order into destruction. Shews how the Adamical Tree hath put forth and opened itself out of its Stock, and introduced itself into Boughs, Branches, Twigs, and Fruit; out of which Pullulation or Manifestation the Invention of all Arts and Governments1 is Arisen The Beep Gates out of the Centre of the Eternal and also the Temporal Nature, shewing how the Eternal JVisdom hath introduced itself into a formal [ Visible and Ideal ] Contemplation. i. /"T-' H E eternal divine understanding is a free will, not arisen either from any thing or by any thing; it is its own peculiar seat, and dwelleth only and alone in itself, un-apprehended of any thing; for beyond and without it is nothing, and that same NOTHING is only ONE; and yet it is also as a nothing to itself. It is one only will of the abyss, and it is neither near nor far off, neither high nor low; but it is ALL, and yet as a Nothing. For there is in itself no contemplation, sensation or perceivancy whereby it might find a likeness in itself. 2. Its finding is its own forth-proceeding, so that it beholdeth itself in the egress,2 for that which is proceeded forth is its eternal lubet, sensation, and perceivancy; and it is called the divine wisdom. Which wisdom the unsearchable abyssal will apprehendeth in itself to its centre of lubet,3 viz. to an eternal mind of the understanding; which understanding the free will formeth in itself to its own likeness,4 viz. to an eternal-speaking, living [working] word, which the free will doth speak or breathe forth out of the formed wisdom of the lubet.

3. And the forth-breathing5 is the spirit or mouth of the under¬ standing in the formed will of the wisdom, which doth distinguish [or variously severise] the speaking Word, so that the mind, and the understanding of the mind, becomes manifest and revealed; in which 1 Or Polities. 2 Or proceeding forth. 3 Or imagination, desire, or magia. 4 Or express image. manifestation the free lubet or wisdom is, in the speaking or forthbreathing, formed of the free will, by the spirit, into diversity and variety. 4. In which formation the powers of the divine properties do arise; so that it is truly said and declared concerning God, that he is the eternal will, understanding, mind, counsel, power, and wonder; in1 which wonders of powers he hath moved and formed himself from eternity. In which formation consists the invisible spiritual world, wherein the Spirit of God hath melodised and sported with itself from everlasting, which also hath neither ground, limit, bounds nor original. 5. For it is the divine vision2 of the formed wisdom. Its centre is the formed will, viz. the Word, forth-speaking out of all powers; and its life is the spirit which proceedeth in the speaking or breathing, which distinguisheth and formeth the lubet of the wisdom. So that the formed wisdom playeth before the life of the Deity, as little children play before their parents, who have begotten them out of their essence for their joy, and in them the parents take their delight and pastime.

6. Thus likewise are we to understand the being or essence of eternity; which being or essence the eternal free will hath, in the forth-breathing Word, introduced into a desire, viz. to an external comprehensiveness, in which comprehensibility the beginning of the corporeal being is arisen, viz. the centre of the formed nature; wherein the desire hath amassed, formed and introduced itself into properties, viz. into darkness and light, into pain and source, into joy and sorrow. And yet we must not understand any sorrow to be in the pregnatress; but the free will doth so form and conceive itself in the desire to the contemplation and manifestation of the wonders ; that so the properties might be peculiarly manifested and revealed in each other. 7. For if there were no contra-will then there would be no motion in the properties ; but seeing the free will hath introduced itself into love and anger, viz. into evil and good, a twofold will is arisen in these properties, viz. a wrathful [will], according to the nature of the fire and of the darkness, and a good love- will, according to the nature and quality of the light; in order that one might dwell in and manifest the other.

8. Not that this birth hath received only a temporal beginning: it is3 eternal, and is the manifestation of the divine vision, sensation, and 1 Or with. 2 Contemplation. 3 Or hath been. perception. Only, in the creating of the creation this birth introduced itself into a compaction or external comprehensiveness, that it might have a distinct dominion to work in for its own sport and play. 9. Also we are not to conceive that in the creation the evil, pro¬ ceeding from the darkness and fiery property, was separated from the good, and placed in a peculiar sundry working dominion, but the one is in the other. Yet the light shone through the darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend it. Every life in the creation pro¬ ceeded forth from the fiery property, and the spirit of the rational understanding did arise from the light’s property. In the creation every fiery life was brought forth, in its beginning , to1 the light. 10. Moreover, the Creator of all beings hath given the creatures of the outward world, which hath a temporal beginning out of the eternal Word, a universal light for visible contemplation; also, every life in the creation hath received the light of nature out of the centre in itself, out of which the understanding ariseth, so that the creature can rule and govern itself.

11. And nothing was created evil, or to the dominion of iniquity; for though on one part it hath an ens of the wrath in itself for its life, yet on the other part it hath also an ens of the light and good virtue in itself; and it is set in the free will, to conceive [or work] in evil or [in] good; for there is nothing so evil but it hath a good in it, whereby it may rule and be predominant over the evil. 12. But man was in equal accord in his properties : no property was manifest above the other, for he was God’s image; like as there is no evil manifest in God, unless he would himself manifest the wrath of the eternal nature in a thing: even so also the divine free will was given to man. 13. And withal, the command [was given to him] that he in his free will should not lust after evil and good, viz. after the divided pro¬ perties; he should continue steadfast in the equal harmony of the properties, and rule with the light over the darkness; and then the properties of the wrath had stood in mere joy, delight and melody in him, and he had been a mirror and form of the divine wisdom, which had seen and beheld itself in him, according to the kingdom of joy.

14. But seeing that he did contemplate with the free will in the dissimility, how evil and good were each of them in its own peculiar self-full property, and brought his lust and longing thereinto, desiring to taste thereof in the essence; whereupon this same property did also 1 In or for. take him in his lust, and prevailed in his will, and also in the ens whence the will did arise to its own contemplation and dominion. And thus the first man, who was good in the beginning, became a stock or tree of the taste of the knowledge of evil and good, viz. a contending dominion, in which both wills, viz. the good and the evil, ruled in one another. 15. But seeing the fiery wrathful will so overcame the good which was from the light’s essence, that the light’s ens was taken captive in the wrathful ens, this image fell under the power and command of the outward dominion, which was evil and good; and also under the wrath of the inward nature, viz. of the fiery darkness; upon which image God had compassion, and did re-inhest1 the Covenant of Grace into the captivated, disappeared and (as to the divine wisdom) blind ens of the holy world’s being, and did incorporate the same as a Covenant of a new regeneration of a new holy will and life.

16. Thus now we are to consider aright of the stock of the human tree, how it hath spread forth and displayed itself in the properties, and introduced itself as a tree (evil and good) into boughs and branches; and from whence his [man’s] temporal government of distinct and sundry offices and callings is arisen, which he did awaken in him when he lusted after evil and good, and thereby brought him¬ self in subjection to nature, seeing he fell under its dominion. 17. And we see very clearly that Moses hath described and set down in his first book2 how the human tree hath opened itself in evil and good, and introduced itself into boughs and branches for its fruit. Also we see how the fiery wrathful property hath always gone before, and first of all brought forth its fruit: we have a clear and plain under¬ standing hereof in the names of those which the Spirit of God hath put by Moses in the lines of propagation.3 18. For first he setteth Cain, whereby is understood, in the Lan¬ guage of Nature, a source out of the centre of the fiery desire, a self¬ full will of the fiery might of the soul, viz. a sprout or twig out of the first Principle, in which branch or sprig the first Principle did, in an especial manner, prevail, and would sever itself into a self-fullness, and break itself off from the love-ens. Yet not as a dark source, but as a source of self-full lust, and also [of] fiery strength and might.

19. For out of the ens of Cain (as the same was in the centre of the begetting nature in the wrestling wheel of life) arose his will; and out of the will, the desire; and out of the desire, the substance; in which 1 In-promise. 2 Genesis. 3 Genealogy. substance the false mind is understood, wherein the dominion of the outward did form and fasten itself; whereinto the devil also, in the wrath of nature, crept in with his desire, and desired the lordship and domination of this world in selfhood. As the fallen devil doth always desire domination in the place of this world, in the inward eternal, and [in the] outward temporal nature. 20. But seeing the word of divine power and holiness had incor¬ porated itself1 with a Covenant of regeneration, into the woman’s seed, viz. into the disappeared ens of the spiritual world’s essence, that it would deprive the fiery wrathful will, proceeding from the centre of the dark world, of its fiery might of selfhood; thereupon after Cain there sprang forth out of the human tree a sprout out of the aim of the Covenant, viz. Abel, whose name, in the Language of Nature, signifieth an out-breathed angel, which, in the first will of the essence whence the soul ariseth, had formed and fixed itself in the centre of light, in the love-desire, and penetrated quite through the fire’s centre. Whereupon the fiery desire did desire to cut off the earthly life, which hath its original out of the fiery desire as its property; for which cause Abel and all his posterity2 became martyrs.

21. For this is the door of Christ, who must give himself into this death of the wrath, and penetrate the human centre (of the soul’s original according to the fire-world), with the love-ens, viz. with the deepest love of the Deity, and change the fiery wrathful desire of the dark world’s essence into love. 22. Adam was the stock of the universal human tree. But when Eve was made out of him then the tree was divided according to two Principles, not wholly in the essence, but according to the nature and quality of the centres of fire and light; for the centre of the light, viz. the ground of the love-desire, did stand in Eve’s matrix; but in her fall it disappeared as to the creature; therefore the divine Word did reinhest3 itself therein to a centre of regeneration. 23 . Now Cain and Abel were the two twigs which grew out of this tree from the property of both Principles, viz. of the fire, and of the light; and they were a type of the whole tree, with its fruit which it would bring forth. But seeing Abel was a type of Christ (who was to be conceived without the help of man, only and barely of the incor¬ porated Word in the seed of the woman, who should suffer death for man), therefore Abel must pass through without branches and fruit. For the fruit which Christ should bring forth was to generate anew

1 Or espoused itself. 2 Or successors. 3 Espouse, betroth or promise. the human tree; and not produce other twigs out of his loins. There¬ fore Abel also, being the type of him, should not generate any twig out of his loins. For the line of the Abelical seed remained in the Covenant, and pointed at Christ, who should spring forth out of the Abelical line, and again manifest the spiritual world’s essence. 24. Therefore Adam must bring forth another branch by his Eve out of the vital tree; which was to be like Adam in his image; viz. Seth. Which name doth signify, in the Language of Nature, a forthrunning, or leap, where a glance or aspect of a love- will ariseth out of the fiery will; which, notwithstanding, is withheld and hindered by the outward world’s being, essence and substance, viz. by the corrupt house of flesh. 25. Now Christ must come to help this captivated, forestalled and obscured will, which, notwithstanding, hath its first ground out of God’s love, and free it from the band of wrath wherewith the divine ens was captivated, for this was Christ’s office: not that he should beget, but give himself into the generation of Seth, and redeem Seth and his branches from the wrath, and regenerate him anew in himself. He was not to beget children to this world, but to bring forth Seth out of this world, and bring him in himself into the spiritual world.

26. Now in Seth the line of the Covenant went forth, in which Christ would manifest himself according to the human tree. But in Cain the line of the wonders, viz. of nature and its government went forth ; for Moses saith, that unto Cain was born Enoch, and he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch (Gen. iv. 17). Now Cain was the first man born of woman, and Abel the second, whom he slew. 27. Now Moses saith that Cain built a city, whereas, indeed, if we would go merely upon reason, there were not men who might be able to build a city, and inhabit it; for the spirit in Moses doth here make a veil before the understanding, which lieth in the word city; for he saith, Cain’s son was called Enoch, and also the city. Now this is verily true; but the spirit in Moses looketh upon the root of Cain and Adam ; how the tree, evil and good, hath opened and displayed itself into its boughs and branches; for by the name of Enoch the spirit looketh upon the property of the branch, viz. of Cain’s son, intimating what kind of people would arise from thence, viz. a city1 and dominion of the outward world in selfhood; for in the Language of Nature it is to be understood in the name.

28. Enoch signifieth a forth-breathing of life, and a reassuming to a selfish contemplation ; a child of self, which in nature doth introduce itself into a self-full dominion and will, so that it doth imagine and frame in its mind a dominion or region, country or city, desiring and aspiring in its will to be a tree or prince of men. For when the human life departed from the Spirit of God into selfhood, then it would be a peculiar selfish lord, which will’s son was Enoch, viz. a city or amassed substance to a self-full domination and government. 29. From which government and dominion the branches or chil¬ dren were born, concerning which the holy spirit complained in Noah, that they would not suffer his spirit to reprove them any more (Gen. vi. 3), for they were a tree or branch sprung forth from the tree of self-fullness; from which the worldly principalities and superiorities have taken their rise and original. For when the human life fell unto the stars, and the spirit of the outward world, then the same brought the human life into its [the outward world’s] own dominion, from the angelical into the astral and outward elementary dominion, according to its figure. This, the city of Cain, viz. Enoch, doth signify unto us, viz. the dominion upon the earth.

30. But now Enoch cannot be the ruler, but the city is he, that is, the branch or the country of the children of pride, who departed from God in their own selfish power and authority. Now the multiplicity of wills must have a judge, seeing they would not suffer the Spirit of God to rule them (1 Sam. viii. 7). Therefore the spirit in Moses saith, and Enoch begat Irad (Gen. iv. 18). This is now the governor who, out of their own essence, set himself up to be judge and lord over them, viz. a potentate and tyrant. 31. For the name is very pregnant in the Language of Nature, and signifieth a forth-breathing of life, where the life doth soon form1 itself in the centre of the fiery property and strong might; viz. in the anger of God, which was become ruler over the life; the same took Irad, as a lord and tamer of the life, and set him over Enoch. 32. From this root the rulers of the world are arisen; for seeing that man would not have God for a ruler of his life and will, God gave2 them the ruler in nature from among themselves; that they might lord it over and rule one another.

33. For God hath not given mankind any law or government among themselves, but made man to be lord only over all creatures, so that he should rule over all things. But God himself would rule with 1 Or take. 2 Or permitted. his spirit over man, and govern the human life. But seeing that self¬ hood would not, then Irad (that is, the fire’s strength and might) sprang forth forcibly out of the human tree, and set itself over the city, Enoch, upon the earth. 34. But now Irad must have something wherein and wherewithal to set up himself to rule and reign, for the fire’s wrath and fury would not have suffered them; and also the government must be somewhat profitable and advantageous. Therefore Moses writeth now very right and exceeding wonderfully, and saith, Irad begat Mabujael, which intimateth very emphatically, in the Language of Nature, an assum¬ ing1 of the outward and inward centre of nature, viz. of the outward and inward world; a self-conceived, bold, courageous, vainglorious, arrogant mind, which would possess the riches of the outward world in its domination and superiority, viz. all manner of creatures and fruits. And especially it denoteth a splendour of the inward assuming, viz. an earthly god, which externally sets itself in God’s office. Out of this name, Babel, viz. the Beast with the Whore, was afterwards brought forth.

35. And Moses saith further: Mahujael begat Methusael. This is now the right wonderful name, wherein is signified how the life doth arrogate divine power to itself. For Methusael would intimate in the Language of Nature thus much, that is to say, Mine is the divine might: I am an angel, set therein by God, or, I am the ordinance of God. Which indeed is true, but [only] according to the first Principle, by the outward nature, viz. a natural power and ordinance. 36. Moreover, in this name there is hidden, under the angel, the praise of the children who should be subject to this might, and live under the same, as under the divine ordinance. But this angel’s name in divine power doth first form itself in the fleshly selfhood; for the syllable Me-, which beginneth the word of the name, doth first form2 itself in the outward world’s birth, in the mine-hood; and sheweth that this ordinance doth not arise out of the kingdom of heaven in God’s holiness, but out of the first Principle, which formeth itself in the third Principle, viz. in the outward world’s nature, into such an order; and therefore it shall and must be abolished, and proved through the judgment of God.

37. And Moses goeth on to write, and saith, Methusael begat Lamech. Now in this name the hidden mystery of the divine ordinance 1 Or apprehension, taking, forming or amassing to itself. 2 Text, take or conceive. by the angelical counsel is contained; and it signifieth in the Language of Nature in this place as much as a sending of the angel over the dominion of the humanity, viz. over the regions of the world, over the fleshly life, which should be subject to the supreme governing prince in nature. 38. For here the wound which Adam received is sought: in that two superior princes do reign over the human life, viz. the ordained good angel, and the incorporated evil angel in the flesh. Also hereby is understood the powerful assault of the evil angel from without and from within; for the inward spirit in the name goeth forth out of the Covenant of God, and passeth into the outward world. Which denoteth how man would become lewd and profane, and also vilify the Covenant of God, and yet with the assuming goeth again into self¬ hood, and formeth itself in the forth-proceeding angel’s name. Which denoteth a hypocritical whoredom in an angel’s form, which entereth again into the external, and at last casteth away the Covenant, together with the angel’s name, quite from itself.

39. Further, Moses writeth, Lamech took two wives: the one was called Adah, and the other Zillah (Gen. iv. 19). Hereby is understood in the generation of the life’s tree thus much, viz. that the human life knew the wound which was arisen in its stock;1 and thenceforward took two wives, that is, a twofold essence and will, viz. Adah signifieth how the soul goeth with the will through the mind, and formeth itself with the desire in the first stock of Adam, and would fain be honest again. But the life had also taken to itself Zillah for wife of the pregnatress, viz. fleshly joy and pleasure. 40. The wife or will, Adah, would exercise a good dominion, and rule and maintain itself upon the earth according to God’s command; and she bare Jabal: Jabal betokeneth the simple, plain man, such as are countrymen, and the like; for Moses saith, that from him proceeded such as dwell in tents and such as keep cattle (Gen. iv. 20). 41. But the other brother, saith Moses, was named Jubal, who was the father of all those that handle the harp and organ (Gen. iv. 21); for the other will proceeded from the spirit of the outward world into temporal pleasure and joy; and devised all kinds of joyful sport and pastime for the recreation of its life. And this signifieth Jubal, viz. an external jocund angel, with whom the inward spirit sported before itself in a likeness.

42. And Zillah, saith Moses, she also bare Tubal-cain, a master in all 1 Stem or body. brass and ironwork (Gen. iv. 22). That is, Zillah is the fiery desire which formeth itself in the human property into a substance of Sulphur and Mercury, and brings itself forth with its spirit out of the substance into a contemplation and visible ken, in which understanding man hath found out the arts of metals. 43. For the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. Here lieth the precious pearl, dear masters. Naamah is heavenly in her property, clothed with the external vesture, so that you do not know her, for the earthly man is not worthy of it; for her essence is virginal, a virgin of purity. It pointeth in one part at the inward new man, viz. the sister of the sulphurean man; and on the other part it signifieth the gross metal of the earth, and also the precious metal, viz. gold and silver. 44. For Tubal-cain is the brother of Naamah, they lie in one womb ; but Tubal-cain is of this world, and Naamah is a virgin hidden under her brother; and herein the twofold earth is understood, viz. in a two¬ fold property; one heavenly and the other gross earthly, viz. an essence out of the dark world’s property and an essence out of the light world’s property. And thus also it is to be understood in man; for by the property of God’s anger, viz. by the dying of the earthly man Naamah becomes manifest.

45. Wherefore doth Moses add the name Naamah, and yet speaketh nothing either of any that she brought forth, or that she married? Answer: because that in the regeneration the natural generation ceaseth. The new virginity in the spirit of Christ doth not produce any creature more, but they must all proceed out of the first centre and stock, so that they may be all one tree; and by the fire the metal, viz. the virgin, which is Tubal-cain’s sister, is made manifest. 46. The name Tubal-cain hath an excellent understanding in it, for it sheweth how the sulphurous mercurial wheel doth open itself in the birth and generation of metals, and also in the original of life. For God subjected all things to man, and gave him all things for his delight and play; therefore Tubal-cain must open and discover himself in the human tree, that so they might understand it. Hereby we have signified enough to those that are our schoolfellows. 47. And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, and mark what I say: I have slain a man to my wound, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged, sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-and-sevenfold (Gen. iv. 23, 24). This is a wonderful, strange and marvellous saying. Who would understand what the spirit signifieth here, without its own peculiar exposition? I do seriously admonish the

mocker to leave our work here uncensured, for he understandeth not our spirit and sense. 48. Lamech saith that he slew a man to his wound, and a young man to his hurt. This man is Abel, according to the outward humanity of the kingdom of this world; and the young man is the image of Christ, proceeding from the virginlike line out of the seed of the woman in him : the man he slew to his rebuke, viz. to an incurable wound, and the precious young man in the man to a hurt, which would gall and trouble him as an evil hurt, bruise or boil in the conscience of sin. For the wrath of God wrought in this boil, and the wound being a great and woeful hurt might not be healed; for the curse of the Lord went forth out of this boil into the wound, in which the earth was cursed, so that the human dominion became a valley of misery. 49. For Lamech saw the sore wound, and returned; and thereupon took two wives, that is, a twofold will into his mind for his govern¬ ment, whereby he would rule upon the earth, viz. one went forth from Adah into the grazing and keeping of cattle, and the hard labour of the hands for a temporal livelihood, wherein he found the curse and wound. And the other went forth out of the branch ofZillah into the earth after the metals, to make useful tools and instruments for the tillage and husbandry of the ground, and for other necessaries ; and so he found in the metals the rusty boil and sore in their metalline nature; for the precious tincture or the fair blossom of the earth was hidden in the curse, viz. environed and beset with an evil boil and sore.

50. Now Lamech knew the woeful hurt, and said, Hearken, ye wives of Lamech, and mark what I say. He would fain express the hurt and damage; he saw back again into the tree of man, and considered the revenge of God, which had laid hold of man’s life, and said, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, and Lamech seven-and-seventyfold. For God said also to Cain, when he stood and cried, Thou drivest me out this day from the face of the earth;1 and it will come to pass that whosoever findeth me will slay me. [But the Lord said to him], Whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And he set a mark on Cain, that none should kill him (Gen. iv. 14, 15). 51. These are most wonderful and hidden sayings: Cain shall be avenged sevenfold and Lamech seventy-and-sevenfold? Wherefore shall Lamech be avenged seventy-and-sevenfold, and Cain sevenfold? Who hath done anything to Lamech? Here the spirit pointeth out of the 1 Or from the land and country. centre of the human life upon the time which was to come, intimating, how it would afterwards go with man, in this wound, when, as men should multiply and increase, and make unto themselves kings and princes, dominions and governments, that the wrath of God would also forcibly exercise itself in man’s will, and even in the human life and dominion open and display itself.

52. Now, if a man would understand what Lamech saith concern¬ ing the revenge, then he must look upon the centre, for the life of all creatures consists in seven degrees or properties, as it is above clearly mentioned. Now Adam was the stock, for Adam and Eve are one tree, from the parting and division of which evil and good did arise. And Cain was the first twig which sprang forth from this tree, wherein the seven properties of life did put themselves forth out of the right divine order and harmony in the life, and destroyed the image of God ; which was long of the devil, who egged him on also in the divided properties to the brother-slaughter, so that he slew Abel. Now God said, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, if any one slay him. And he set a mark on Cain, that none should kill him. 53. The devil had folded up himself in the wrath of God, and cunningly insinuated himself into the seven properties of life, seeing they were departed from their mutual harmonious accord; and he would be lord in the place of the spirit of God in the life of man, and would wholly murder and slay the life, as to the kingdom of God. Therefore God set a mark, with the promise of the Covenant therein, so that none could slay it.

54. For Cain did not cry out only for fear of the outward life, but he feared that his right eternal life might be slain, that his life should be wholly blotted out from the face of God; for he cried also, and said, Lo ! thou drivest me out this day from off the earth ; and I must hide myself from thy face; and I must be a fugitive, and a vagabond in the earth ; and it will now come to pass that whosoever fndeth me will slay me. He cried out for fear of being killed, and was sore afraid. And yet there was no man besides him upon the earth, save only his father, Adam, and without doubt his sister, whom he took to wife. 55. Cain feared the spirits who had moved him to slay his brother, that they would also kill him; for he saith, I must be hid from thy face. Now this was not in any external manner, but in an internal, for God dwelleth not in the view of the outward eyes, but in the inward spiritual [vision]. Therefore God said, IVhosoever killeth Cain’s internal life, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And he set the mark of the

Covenant on his life, so that no spirit in the wrath could murder it; for he was a twig out of the tree of life. 56. Although the seven properties of nature in him were departed from their mutual accord in each other, yet he was not the sole cause of it, for he had so received his life from father and mother in the divided property. And therefore the grace passed as well upon him as upon Abel; except only that Abel proceeded out of the other line. But the centre of the soul was alike to them both. But the motion in the seed was unlike; for they were the two types of the world; viz. Cain the type of the selfhood in the wrath, and Abel the type of the resignation of life, where, from the resignation, another world springeth forth through death out of the centre. 57. Not that Cain was born to destruction, but that evil awakened property in the dissimility, viz. the soul of the outward world, brake forth forcibly in the seed ; and took the [centre of] life into its power, and therein God set a mark, viz. his Covenant, that the murderers should not slay the soul’s life.

58. But if it should so come to pass that the own peculiar will would give itself to the murderers, then the life of Cain should be avenged sevenfold, that is, through all the seven properties; and the free will which did slay the life of God (which was in the Word) should be rebuked and punished sevenfold through all the seven forms of nature, both temporally and eternally. And this is the meaning : who¬ soever killeth the life, [that is] what free will soever murdereth its life, vengeance shall be taken on it eternally in the seven properties of the dark world. 59. And in this place we are further to consider aright of the great mysteries; for the seven properties of the human tree, producing and manifesting the life of the wonders of God, had now spread forth themselves even unto Lamech. The dominion of the world was now wholly brought forth with Lamech in nature; for Lamech was the seventh man in the root of the wonders arising from the first stock. That is, Adam was the first; Abel belongeth not unto the line of the wonders, but unto the regeneration ; Cain was the second in the line of the wonders; Enoch the third, Irad the fourth, Mahujael the fifth, Methusael the sixth, and Lamech the seventh.

60. Now Lamech did spring forth from Cain’s root out of this line of the wonders of God; and he was an honest upright man; but was environed1 with the spirit of the wonders. And he looked back upon 1 Taken or beset. the wound, and also upon the sign1 of grace in the Covenant, and knew for certain that even now the spirit of the wonders should be fully brought forth and manifested in the human life; whereby all arts of the world should be found out. 61. And he saw also forwards, how it would fall out in these wonders of the world; how his children would introduce his life, which they should receive from him by propagation, into a Babylon of folly, and corrupt the same. And hereby also he looked especially upon the Word whence the human life was sprung; and how the life in the spirit of the wonders of the world would introduce itself into a sevenand-seventyfold word of languages and nations, as came to pass at Babel; and how the free will of nature would go astray from the only God, and be corrupt, and that it should be avenged seven-andseventyfold. That is, every tongue and speech should be avenged in the anger of God, and therefore, because they would corrupt Lamech’s life, which they received of him by propagation; and this the wrath of God would avenge in the free will of his children, divided into several speeches.

62. For the spirit saw forwards, how the free will would give up and addict itself to selfhood, and apostatise from the only God, and how the anger of God would seize upon and confound the natural spirit of the wonders in man, viz. the soul of the outward world, from whence the great Babylon of contention about God’s being and will would arise; and this, the spirit said, should be avenged seven-andseventyfold in Lamech. 63. For this was a seven-and-seventyfold Racha [or avengement] upon the word of the understanding in the human life; that out of one only tongue, out of only one speaking Word and vital Spirit, a seventyand-sevenfold tongue (viz. a confusion of the understanding) should be made. Before, the understanding lay in one sound [voice or harmony], but now the Racha came into it, and confounded and shattered it into seventy-and-seven parts. 64. For the human wheel of the sound or understanding was turned round, and the ten forms of fire, wherein time and eternity doth consist, did open themselves in every form of nature; which was seven times ten, which makes seventy; whereto also belongeth the centre, with its seven unchangeable forms of the eternal nature; which is altogether seventy-and-seven parts.

65. And herein lieth the Grand Mystery.2 Dear brethren, if ye 1 Or seal. 2 Mysterium Magnum. were not clothed with the garment of the contentious languages, then we would be bold to declare something more in this place unto you; but ye are yet all captivated in Babel, and are contenders about the spirit1 of the letter; and yet have no understanding of the same. Ye will also be doctors and learned masters [forsooth], but yet ye under¬ stand not your own mother-tongue: ye bite and devour one another about the husk of the word, wherein the living Word doth form and amass itself, and ye neither desire nor understand the living Word. Ye speak only out of seven and out of seventy-and-seven, and yet ye have the Word in one number, wherein the whole understanding2 is con¬ tained: ye have it moving upon your tongues, yet ye cannot com¬ prehend it. 66. And the reason is, that you will speak only out of seven, and out of seventy-and-seven, viz. out of the wrath which hath divided the tongues; and doth avenge the life of Lamech seventy-and-seven times in your tongues and speeches. But if ye would go3 unto the centre and open your eyes then you would see how the Babylonical whore leads you captive by her string, and how she hath set herself over the life of man, with seventy-and-seven4 numbers; and hath wholly hidden our sister Naamah with the numbers; that the beast of the numbers might reign and rule in the wrath of God over the life of our sister Naamah.

67. But we have heard a watchman say : Away ! the beast, with the whore, which stood upon the earth in Naamah’s stead, is quite fallen, and given to the press of the sevenfold Racha5 in the seventy-andseven, &c. The Racha ariseth up in Lamech, and goeth through the seventy-and-seven; and this none can hinder. Amen. 68. For Naamah shall be manifested to all nations, tongues and speeches; and even then, out of the seventy-and-seven, there shall be but one word of understanding. For the life of man proceeded from ONE only Word of God, and hath formed and divided itself in self¬ hood, in the spirit of the wonders of the world, into seventy-and-seven properties of the only Word. Now cometh the time that the life’s beginning shall again enter with the spirit of the wonders and speeches into the end, viz. into the beginning. And therefore the child of the wonders, which hath given itself forth in6 the sight of God, must be made manifest in the unity. 1 Or meaning. 2 Or the understanding of all things. 3 Or enter into. 4 One copy hath it seven, seventy-and-seven. 5 Vengeance. 6 Or before. 69. And seeing that the free will hath given itself into the vanity of the speeches and the multiplicity of the powers, and defiled and slain the life of the only Word, the Racha proceedeth forth from the murdering spirit through seventy-and-seven; until the beast, together with the harlot, be consumed and devoured with the fire of God’s anger.

70. And then Tubal-cain findeth his sister Naamah in golden attire, and Adah rejoiceth in her son Jabal, who is a herdsman; for Lamech hath again found his children which he left in the Racha. And the pride of self, and also the craft, deceit and subtlety of the Serpent ceaseth. Then1 every beast shall eat its own pasture. The time is near: Hallelujah! Of the Line of the Covenant I- ^ | 'HE line of the Covenant is not so to be understood as if the ± Covenant fell only upon this line. No, the Covenant befalleth1 the only life, which was in the Word before the times of the humanity. The line of Seth passeth only upon the manifestation in the flesh, in which line the Word in the Covenant would externally manifest itself in the flesh. But the spirit proceeding from the centre in the Covenant falls as well upon Cain’s line as upon Abel’s 5 yet in Cain’s [line] in the spirit, and in Seth’s in the external mouth [or manifestation], viz. in the formed and conceived word, that is, in the office and ministry of teaching and preaching. For Seth was sprung forth according to the spirit, out of the Covenant, where the spirit moved itself in the incorporated Word in the Covenant; and Cain was comprehended under the spirit of nature.

2. For by Cain’s line the arts were brought forth to light, which were a wonder of the divine wisdom, contemplation and formation, viz. of the formed Word through and in nature. And in Seth the Word was brought into a formal life, viz. into a spiritual contemplation, wherein the Word of God did behold itself with the wisdom in a spiritual image;2 and in Cain’s line it beheld itself in a natural formed word; and both serve to set forth the wonderful deeds of God. 3. Not as Babel judgeth, that God, out of his purpose and determi¬ nate counsel, hath thus predestinated and chosen one part of men in his anger to condemnation, and the other part to life: they that so judge are yet under the number seventy-and-seven in the multiplica¬ tion of the word; for the Promise was given to Adam before Cain was conceived. The Covenant touching grace rested in Adam and Eve; but the spirit of sanctification and regeneration by Christ, passed only upon the seed of the woman, viz. upon the seed of the kingdom of heaven which was shut up; that is, upon the light’s tincture, upon the matrix of Venus, wherein Adam, when he was man and woman, should have propagated himself in peculiar desire and love; which, seeing it could not be [by reason of Adam’s strong earthly imagina¬ tion], was taken from Adam and made into a woman.

4. But when the woman became earthly, the heavenly part of this 1 Passeth upon, belongeth to, or is entailed upon. 2 Form, or figure. matrix [which was to the producement] of the heavenly birth was shut up in death. Into which matrix the Word of God did again incorporate itself with the Covenant, to open and manifest himself in this matrix with a living and heavenly seed, and to destroy the power of death. 5. For the Word would not open itself in the formed word of nature, viz. in Cain’s generation, but in the disappeared heavenly ens; and by the same revived and requickened heavenly ens, that is, by the woman’s seed of the heavenly part bruise the Serpent’s head, viz. the devil’s introduced desire in the wrath of nature; that is, overcome the wrath [and curse of God] in the generation of Cain and Seth. 6. The Word in the Covenant did open itself in Seth and Abel, [it being] as a voice of the teacher, and Cain’s generation should in its life receive this voice, and impress it into its life, so that it might produce the new regeneration. But that many of them have continued in death, and contemned this voice, is (see ch. 29, 52) long of the free will, which suffered itself to be held by the devil in the anger of God, and still to this day doth suffer itself to be held, in that the Cainical will doth love nature and self too much.

7. For if the free will of the soul will apprehend the word in the Covenant, then it must die to its natural selfhood and self-full will, and be wholly resigned to the own will in the Covenant, that it may, with its desire, follow the word and spirit in the Covenant, as the same doth lead, guide and move it. 8. And this Cain is very loath and unwilling to do; he will be a selfish lord, and with the desire doth figure and shape a monster and an evil beast in his free will, which doth not resemble the first image of the formed life in the word of God. Now against this beast the words of Christ are directed, when he saith, Unless ye be converted, and become as children (that is, unless you do depart from and utterly dis¬ claim the will of the self-generated beast, and enter again into the form of the first life) ye cannot else see the kingdom of God. Also, ye must be born again of the water of the heavenly world’s essence, and of the same holy spirit proceeding from the Covenant, otherwise ye cannot see and behold God. 9. This evil beast of the Godless form is predestinated to con¬ demnation; but the Covenant is in the life. If the free will resigneth itself up to the Covenant, then Christ ariseth in his humanity, out of the Covenant, in the life; and even then the strange beast dieth in Christ’s death, and the will formeth itself again into the first image, according as God created it. And this is not annexed only unto Seth,

but unto Adam’s life, viz. unto the only life of man which was in the Word of God, and passeth from one upon all; as all branches in one tree do receive sap from the only root of the stock. 10. But the properties of nature, viz. of the natural life, have brought themselves out of Adam’s stock into sundry boughs and branches, whence the multiplicity of nations, tongues and speeches is arisen. But the life is only one, and the Covenant in the life sprang forth from the root of life, viz. from the Word of God, out of which the life came upon all, even as the sin, viz. the fall and apostasy passed upon all, none excepted. For the children of Seth were concluded under sin as well as Cain’s; but the Covenant, with its manifestation,1 passed upon Seth; for his name signifieth, in the Language of Nature, a forth-breathing spring out of the life through the first centre of the soul, wherein the Word of God would open itself through the life. 11. And Moses saith, Seth begat Enos, and then began men to preach of the Name of the Lord (Gen. iv. 26): for the name Enos signifieth, in the Language of Nature, a divine lubet through the life, wherein the formed Word would behold itself in the sound and voice of the life. Therefore the spirit of God began to teach out of the Covenant through the life of man, concerning God and his being and will. This was the beginning of the divine contemplation through the formed wisdom in the Word, where the Word did behold itself through the wisdom of the formed human voice.

12. And as the life did form itself by Cain’s line through the wonders of the formed wisdom in nature, with all manner of arts and works, and also dominions, governments and orders, and introduced them all for the setting forth of God’s wondrous deeds and acts, viz. to a contemplation of evil and good, light and darkness; so likewise the spirit of God did bring forth, out of the line of the Covenant in the manifested Word, the wonders of divine holiness, truth, righteous¬ ness, love and patience; and by the preaching of the formed Word did declare what the holy and spiritual kingdom of God is. 13. In Cain the kingdom of nature was represented, and in Abel and Seth the supernatural divine kingdom. Both these arose together and went all along one in another to the remonstrance or contempla¬ tion of the divine lubet in the formed wisdom; and each put itself forth in an especial manner into its visible ken as a wonder. 14. For from Adam even unto Lamech, in the line of the wonders, there are seven generations ; and in the other line, viz. in the line of the 1 Or, the open and outward manifestation of the Covenant.

Covenant, from Adam unto Enoch are also seven generations. Enoch is the eighth, viz. a beginning of the prophetical spirit; for in the first seven generations the form of the spiritual kingdom proceeding from the life’s tree was set forth. 15. Adam was the stock, for his life taketh its original out of the Word. But seeing the life of nature in him did predominate over the life in the formed Word, and would have the supreme dominion, and obscured the life proceeding from the Word, the Word itself freely gave itself with a Covenant to be a life therein; and set forth its figure in Abel, how the natural life should and must be broken, and the Word of the divine power again spring forth afresh out of the first life. 16. Thus Abel was the figure of the Second Adam, Christ, and therefore he must be slain for the Covenant’s sake; for Christ should kill the exalted haughty natural will, and bring forth a new one. And therefore Abel also should not beget any natural child, else it had been strange to nature; for they should all proceed forth out of one stock; and the Word would spring forth anew through the only tree in the Covenant, that so the children of grace might be brought forth out of the tree of nature, as the dew out of the day-break.1

17. For thus also the figure of the new birth was represented out of the stem; namely, the line went forth out of Adam. He was the first, Abel the second, Seth the third, Enos the fourth, where men began to teach of the spiritual kingdom; Kenan2 the fifth, which signifieth in the Language of Nature, a forth-going, re-conceived3 lubet or desire of the divine contemplation, in which the taught word did form itself, viz. in prayer, and in the will’s desire and also in their offerings. 18. Mahalaleel was the sixth, and signifieth in the Language of Nature an angelical form of an angelical kingdom, where the spirit did typify and portray the kingdom of Christ in this name. 19. Jared was the seventh. By this name is understood, in the Language of Nature, a priest or prince of the spiritual kingdom. For as Irad should be the regent or ruler in the kingdom of nature, so Jared should be the regent in the spiritual kingdom; for out of Jared came the office of Moses; and out of Irad proceeded the kingdom of worldly principalities, and framed governments and dominions. 20. But the Language of Nature sheweth very clearly that Jared is only a type of a spiritual kingdom; for the name carrieth forth the Cherub along with it through the word; for the spiritual kingdom

1 Or morning. 2 Or Cainan. 3 Re-apprehend. upon the earth was all along captivated in the wrath of God, until Christ, who destroyed the anger. 2,1 • The office of this Jared is twofold, viz. externally it is the figure of the spiritual kingdom, bound with the wrath of God; and internally it is the true holy kingdom, which the penitent man receiveth or taketh possession of: outwardly it is Moses; and inwardly Christ. 22. From this outward kingdom the great mother of the Babylonical whoredom is arisen in the kingdom of Moses among the Pharisees; and in the kingdom of Christ among the verbal and titular Christians j1 who do all only boast, and gloriously set up themselves in the figure as an idol, and appear as if they were the holy spiritual kingdom. But the Cherub carrieth forth the sound through their word, as a consonant of the wrathful anger of God. 23. And therefore they must contend about the kingdom of God’s will; for they have not the spirit of the inward spiritual heavenly kingdom; but only the voice out of the figure, where evil and good are in contest. They have and use the letter, but as an empty, unprofitable instrument, as a figure of the spiritual form. For thus also the spirit did represent it by the name Jared, as a mixed kingdom upon the earth, whereby the inward spiritual new born children should be exercised and proved.

24. And by this form it did signify and foretell how that the greatest part in this spiritual office would be taken in the sword of the Cherub, and that their office would be cut off by the Cherub from God’s holiness, and given to the spiritual eternal kingdom of the anger. 25. For as Lamech in Cain’s line took two wives, viz. two wills, and confirmed his kingdom therein, and at last brought forth [or pro¬ nounced] the seventy-and-sevenfold Racha proceeding from the centre of nature (even from the seven properties) upon the murder of the free will, which would murder and slay his life in many : even so likewise Jared carrieth two wills in his nature’s name, viz. one into God’s love and mercy in the Covenant, and the other into the figure in which the anger of God ariseth up and carrieth the abominable idol (the belly-god) along with it; which is here deciphered and painted forth to the life. 26. And Moses saith further, Jared begat Enoch. Here the great and wonderful gate doth open; for out of Jared, viz. out of the kingdom of 1 Text, the letter criers, or literalists. the wonders, the prophet must arise: for the prophet is the mouth of the kingdom. He sheweth what the kingdom is, and how it is taken and apprehended in the evil and good, and what the issue and end of all things will be; also he declareth and pointeth out the means,1 how the turba hath apprehended the life; and denounceth severe and earnest threatenings concerning God’s anger; how the sword of the Cherub will cut off the false [man or prophet].

27. Enoch signifieth in its own speech as much as a forth-breathed breath of the divine good pleasure,2 which hath in the time thus beheld itself with the out-breathing in a form; which power of the forth-breathing doth again draw the formed breath into itself, and doth only give forth its sound, as a voice of the divine will. And first it doth point at a twig, springing from the line of the Covenant, viz. out of the internal priestly office, out of the holy divine lubet of the wisdom of God, out ofjehovah. The spirit would comprehend the deepest love in Jehovah in one name and word, which is called Jesus. But in the meantime it did thereby play, in the time of the figure, in the holy wisdom, in the line of the Covenant, as with an internal hidden holy kingdom, which he would manifest in the fullness of time. 28. Secondly, it signifieth the power of the formed word, viz. the person or the body out of the limus of the earth, [viz.] of the heavenly part of the earth; intimating that this body should be taken into the holy word, and translated from this earthliness. As the light doth withdraw and swallow up the darkness, even so likewise the good part of the true humanity in Adam’s first image shall3 be translated [extracted or drawn forth] by the word out of the earthliness, and arise out of the earth : which Enoch’s translation from this world doth point out and signify.

29. Thirdly, it signifieth and pointeth at the prophet, viz. the voice of the divine lubet, which did declare and set forth the kingdom of Christ, and also the kingdom of the wonders in their future trans¬ actions and junctures of time; for the prophetical voice did manifest itself again out of the translation. And did foretell and signify out of the essence of the spirit, viz. out of the most spiritual kingdom, that is, out of the human angelical kingdom, through the soul’s spirit; and then also from the whole body of the kingdom, viz. from the nature of the wonders, from the limus of the earth and of the stars, [I say, it did 2 Or lubet. 3 Text, should or is to be. set forth both from the spiritual and from the corporal kingdom], how the outward kingdom of man should afterwards arise in this world’s being, and what would happen and come to pass therein. This the inward holy omniscient spirit doth signify through1 the outward, viz. through the wonders of the pregnatress [or mother] of the outward beings, viz. through the spirit of the outward world. For the inward spirit did view itself through the formed wisdom of God, and did contemplate and behold itself in the formed spirit of the wonders : this the name Enoch signifieth unto us.

30. Now the spirit in Moses doth further demonstrate, and saith, Enoch was sixty-jive years old, and he begat Methuselah, and after that he begat him he continued in a divine life three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: so that the whole age of Enoch was three hundred sixty and five years. And seeing he led a divine life God took him away, and he was no more seen (Gen. v. 21-24). Here the veil hangeth right before the face of Moses, by reason of the unworthiness of man; and the spirit signifieth very clearly in Moses (if we had but the eyes of our understanding open), when these mysteries should be manifested [or fulfilled]. 31. But seeing the Most High hath freely granted us by his counsel to understand this, we will, so far as we dare,2 somewhat unfold these mysteries to our schoolfellows, and shew the precious pearl unto the children; and yet withal suffer a bolt to lie before our description, that the false heart shall not enter into it : but we shall be sufficiently and fundamentally intelligible unto those that are ours. 32. Moses pointeth in each degree in the lines, only upon one person, which he also setteth into the line through which the spirit of wonders goeth. Afterwards saith Moses, and he yet lived such a timef and begat sons and daughters-, of which he saith nothing any further. Thereby he would intimate and signify unto us the spirit of the manifestation of the wonders of God in each line. Their age, which the spirit setteth down, denoteth the times how long each dominion and government, both the worldly and the spiritual [or ecclesiastical kingdom] should stand in its form and structure. That is to say, how long each prevail¬ ing4 monarchy of the secular and worldly power and domination should continue; and so likewise of the spiritual monarchy.

33. And these monarchies5 of the wonders are forthwith repre¬ sented out of the first twigs, springing from the beginning of the human tree. That is, they are set forth in each line in seven numbers, 1 Or by. 2 As we ought. 3 Or so long. 4 Beginning, growing, arising. 5 Or monarchs. from Adam through Cain even unto Lamech; and in the other line from Adam unto Jared. By which numbers and names the spirit pointeth in each line especially at seven of the forth-proceeding properties of the tree and powers of the wonders; intimating how the powers of the wonders should afterwards bring themselves into governments, and how one figure should arise out of the other, and how one should destroy and break down the other, and set forth out of the destruction another form, as it hath been brought to pass in the spiritual and worldly1 governments. For always the worldly govern¬ ment is to be understood with the spiritual; for the outward formed Word in the dominion and regiment of nature doth evermore set forth its form by, with, and in the spiritual [or ecclesiastical] form [or manner of discipline]. Therefore observe and mark here, with precise exact¬ ness.

34. There are seven times appointed to proceed from the tree of life in the word of power. The first proceedeth from the pure life of Adam; for before the creature the life was in the Word, whence it was brought pure into the image; this continued until the fall. From this pure life there springs forth a twig in the inward [kingdom], this same was Abel; but seeing the fall hung on him externally, this same pure life was carried through death into the holy world. This signifieth and pointeth at the kingdom of Christ, who should bring us through death into the pure life. 35. The second time begins with Seth. For Moses saith, that Adam was a hundred and thirty years old, and begat a son in his own likeness, and called him Seth. Understand, he was such an image as Adam was after the fall, and was set in the spiritual line of the wonders ; and Cain also with him, in a worldly natural line of the wonders, for both kingdoms2 go together. Seth’s time continueth till the deluge, and beareth the supremacy, even to the deluge, or Noah’s flood. 36. The third time begins with Enos, under Seth’s time, and carrieth forth itself all along as a spiritual ministry, or knowledge of God, under Seth’s time, as a hidden kingdom; and continued till Abraham, to whom the Covenant of Christ was established in the flesh.

37. The fourth time begins with Cainan, which is the spiritual form in prayers and spiritual offerings, wherein the Word formed itself in the wisdom, and carried itself forth all along, under Seth’s and Enos’s time, and manifested itself with Moses. Like as Enos’s time was 1 Ecclesiastical and temporal. 2 Secular, and ecclesiastical. first truly manifested with Abraham, with the promise in the Covenant, this time of Cainan continued in its manifestation and dominion under Moses, till Christ in the flesh. 38. The fifth time begins with Mahalaleel, and ’tis the reception or formation of the angelical form, viz. of the new regeneration out of the Covenant; and goeth secretly all along under the ministry of Enos, under Seth and Cainan, in the Word of the Promise, through all the three times; and did manifest itself with the fulfilling of the Covenant in the humanity of Christ, where the true Mahalaleel and angelical image, which did disappear in Adam, was again manifest in the humanity of Christ. 39. The sixth time begins with Jared, which is the spiritual priest¬ hood under the external, where outwardly Seth, Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel were in their times in their orders [or outward forms], as the ministry and preaching of Enos concerning God and his being and will; so likewise the preaching of Abraham concerning the Covenant and circumcision; also Moses with the Book of the Law. Under all these the inward priest Jared went along hiddenly. Inwardly this spiritual priesthood is Christ in the new man; and outwardly in the self-elected priests it is Babel.

40. This sixth time began in the kingdom of Christ after the death of the Apostles, when as men chose themselves teachers out of favour and outward respects. That is, it did even then first open itself out of the hiddenness1 of the shadow, and put itself forth in the churches of stone, where the church stood in stead of the holy temple of Christ : then indeed the holy Jared, viz. Christ’s voice, ruled in Christ’s children internally; but externally the Cherub with the sword [did alone bear rule]. For the outward authority which these self-elected priests do manage is the sword of the Cherub; which is signified in the name Jared ; which powerfully forceth itself forth all along in the word, in the Language of Nature.2 41. This sixth time is hidden and manifest; it is known, and also not known : for Christ said, My kingdom is not of this world. So that this time hath been fain to pass away, as it were, in a mystery under Anti¬ christ, where inwardly, in the children of God, Christ’s kingdom hath been manifest. But in the rest (who have also lived under this time, that the sword of the Cherub should domineer the whole time of the sixth Seal among the priests, who should have taught the love of Jesus: but by this sword they fall. Amen.

and have been called Christians) only Babel and the Antichrist hath been manifest, both in the priests, and [in] their hearers. For they which have been born of God have heard the true Jared, viz. Christ’s voice in them; but the others have heard only the outward voice in Babel, viz. disputation and contention about Christ’s kingdom. 42. For all war which the Christians manage, is only the sword of the Cherub proceeding from Babel. True Christians wage no war; for they have broken the sword of the Cherub in the death of Christ, and are dead with Christ, and risen again in him, and they live no longer to the external might and dominion; for their kingdom is manifest in Christ, and is not of this world. 43 . This sixth kingdom1 beginneth after the death of the Apostles, and continueth with its outward government even to Mount Zion, till translated Enoch doth again appear in spirit and power. For Enoch is the prophetical root, and holdeth in his dominion2 Noah, Moses, and the sword of Elias. At the end of this sixth time the outward Jared falleth, and with him that same outward building, viz. the city, Babel.

44. The sign of the end is deciphered3 with such a figure : And denoteth the time when the triple cross doth open and declare 1 Or sixth Seal. 2 Or regiment. 3 Or stands with such a figure. itself in the voice of Enoch, as a manifestation of the holy Trinity, to make known the same in the figure and similitude in all visible things. Moreover, it denotes the conquest of the sword of the Cherub in Babel, when the force and violence of the city, Babel, turns its sword with the point downwards. Thirdly, it denotes the great rod and punishment upon Babel, which rod doth mightily advance its power on high. Fourthly, it denotes the wrathful enkindled fire of God’s anger, which shall devour the sword and rod. This will be the end of the sixth time. The threefold cross doth betoken the time when this shall come to pass [or be fulfilled]. When the kingdom of Christ shall attain such a number, then is the sixth time wholly past. 45. The seventh time begins with Enoch,1 viz. with the prophetical mouth, who declareth the secret wonders of God under all the six times; laying open what should be [and have been] done, and brings itself all along quite from under the veil of Noah, Abraham, and Moses, even into the kingdom of Christ, where this same prophetical spirit is2 translated in Christ’s spirit, till the end of the sixth time; then he manifests himself in the number of the triple cross. When the triple cross doth manifest itself, then stands the right triple crown upon the cross. And even then the Enochian prophet’s mouth doth express and speak forth the great wonders of the triple cross; that is, he speaketh no more magically [viz. in types and parables], but sheweth the holy Trinity in the figure, viz. the formed word of God in all visible things, and revealeth all mysteries, within and without.

46. And even then is the time when Enoch, and the children under his voice, do lead a divine life, of which the first life of Enoch was a type. And then there is a blessed and golden year, till Enoch’s last translation comes. And then the turba is born, which, when it shall enkindle its fire, the floor shall be purged, for it is the end of all time. 47. Enoch begat Methuselah, who was the man of the longest age, and was translated three hundred years after. This intimateth and declareth, that the spirit which in Enoch did bring forth a twig, viz. Methuselah, who attained the highest age, shall rule in the last and highest age [of the world], and in the meanwhile hide itself before that time, and remain as it were translated; as Enoch was translated, and was no more seen. 48. His translation was not a dying, or a putting off of nature and creature, but he went into the Mystery, between the spiritual and the outward world, viz. into Paradise; and is the prophetical root, out of 1 Read the 35th question of the Forty Questions of the Soul. 2 Or, hath been.

the stem of Adam, in the line of the Covenant, out of which spirit the prophetical mouth afterwards spake. 49. This spirit was translated in Christ’s living voice, when it spake in the flesh, and must be silent till the voice of Jared is finished; then he proceedeth forth again from his first root, through all voices, viz. through the voice of Noah, who denounceth the deluge of anger to come upon Babel, and through the stock of Noah, and the whole forth-spreading propagation of his tree through all the lines, viz. through the Heathenish, Japhetical, and Sem’s line,1 and through Abraham’s, and Nimrod’s children in Babel, through Moses, and the prophets; and lastly through the voice of the manifested Word in the spirit of Christ; and revealeth the whole mystery of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. 50. For through his voice all the forementioned voices of the wonderful lines, whence the kingdoms of this world have had their rise, shall be changed into one voice and knowledge, and transplanted into one kingdom, viz. into the first tree of Adam, which is no longer called Adam, but Christ in Adam. All nations, tongues and speeches hear this voice; for it is the first word, whence the life of mankind pro¬ ceeded; for all wonders do join again together in the word into one body, and that body is the formed divine Word, which at first with Adam did introduce itself into one only stem; and through him into a tree of manifold boughs, branches and fruits, to the contemplation of the divine wisdom, in the wonders of the powers, colours and virtues, according to evil and good.

51. This high tree doth disclose and clearly open itself, what it hath been in time, and what it shall be eternally; and in its manifesta¬ tion,2 Moses puts away his veil, and Christ his parables in his doctrine. And then the prophetical mouth of this tree of wonders doth express in divine power all the voices of the powers of the tree, whereby Babel taketh her end: and this is a wonder. And in this same wonder all numbers and names are made manifest, and this no man can hinder. 52. For that which is lost in the spirits of the letters shall be again found, and the spirit of the letter shall be found again in the formed word of the creation; and in the creation shall be found and known the Being of all Beings; and in the Being of all Beings the eternal under¬ standing of the holy Trinity. Even then the contentions about the knowledge of God, his being and will, do cease. When the branches shall know that they stand in the tree they will never say that they 1 Through Ham’s, Japhet’s and Sem’s line. 2 Disclosure, or opening. are peculiar and singular trees; but they will rejoice in their stem, and they will see that they are altogether boughs and branches of one tree, and that they do all receive power and life from one only stem.

53. And here Moses shall keep sheep, and every sheep eateth his own pasture. Therefore observe: when this approacheth near to be fulfilled, then Noah denounceth the deluge, and Elias brings the flaming sword upon the false Israel; and the turba in the fire of the wrath devours the wild tree, with its fruits and branches. Let this be told thee, Babel. 54. For as concerning Enoch’s divine time, our speech is taken from us, seeing Babel is not worthy of it, and also shall not see it. And likewise we must be silent concerning the discovery of the times of The Ancient, whose number shall stand open in the rose of the lily. Of Enoch’s Wonderful Line i. -jy /r OSES writeth, Enoch begat Methusalah (Gen. v. 21). This name IVAsignifieth, in the Language of Nature, as much as a forthproceeding1 voice, which intimateth and denoteth the spirit of Enoch; which voice doth form2 itself into a body, viz. into nature, and goeth forth in strong might through the word; and when the con¬ ceived or formed word is proceeded forth, it doth then contemplate itself. For the syllable -SA- is a fiery glimpse of light; and the syllable -LAH- is the forth-proceeded word, which beholdeth the property, of what kind of ens it is, wherein the word hath formed (or compre¬ hended) itself. The divine sound beholdeth itself in the human ens and word, contemplating how the free will, proceeding from the human ens, hath introduced the divine voice or breath into a form of the spirit.

2. Now saith Moses, And Methusalah begat Lamech. The spirit did now put itself forth by Methusalah, even out of the ens into another twig; and called it Lamech, viz. a contemplation and beholding of the great affliction and wound, that the human ens was corrupted. For like as Lamech in Cain’s line did express the wound of corruption [and misery that was broke in upon mankind], and spake of a seventy-andsevenfold Racha upon the free will which did corrupt the life, even so here the divine spirit said: the human ens is Lamech ; that is, the wound is too great, it prevaileth. Although the strong and mighty breath of God in Methusalah proceeded forth out of the prophetical voice, yet the ens, in propagation, did form itself in the corrupted nature in Lamech; that is, in two wills, as Moses saith, The first Lamech in Cain’s line took two wives , viz. Adah and Zillah. Even so here likewise it would not be otherwise. 3. Now Moses saith, And Lamech begat Noah (Gen. v. 28). With this name the spirit goeth forth out of the wound of Lamech into the end of time, and bringeth the end into the beginning; for NOAH signifieth in the Language of Nature, End and Beginning. Now the spirit findeth in the end the holy word, which had espoused and incorporated itself in the Covenant, and saith, This same shall comport us in our labour and toil upon the earth which the Lord hath cursed (Gen. v. 29).

2 Frame, or comprehend. 246 4. For the comfort of man must come out of the beginning and end; for in the beginning is, and was, the Word of God, which is the beginning of all things ; and in the end is also the Word of God, which is the comfort of all things; that the creature shall be delivered from the vanity. Whereunto the spirit looked, and said, this same (where he meant the Word which would manifest itself in the humanity) shall comfort us in our labour upon the earth which the Lord hath cursed ; for Noah could not comfort men, for he preached to them the rebuke, punish¬ ment and perdition. But he that was in the beginning and end, he comforted mankind in their labour and toil upon the earth, which they had in the curse and anger of God. 5. In this name, Noah , the spirit in Lamech looketh forwards into the end, and backwards into the beginning; and conceives itself in the beginning and end into a form, and calls the same, Noah , that is, an ark of the wonders which were in the beginning and end, and [in] the whole time; and displayeth or putteth forth this same spirit of the whole form through Noah into three branches, which went forth out of the tree of wonders, viz. out of the prophetical ens of Enoch in the human property. And thereof Moses saith, And Noah begat Sem, Ham, and Japhet. These were the three twigs of the second monarchy, under which most excellent mysteries are given us to be understood.

6. Sem signifieth an out-breathing divine lubet [or desire] out of the line of the Covenant, out of the life of man, and a comprehension of the lubet, viz. a type of that which secretly passed forth afterwards under the lubet. It pointeth at the humanity of Christ in the flesh, the type of which was Sem, viz. a representation [or express form] in the same lubet; in which lubet also the Covenant was made with Abraham, concerning the seed of the woman, wherein the blessing should appear. 7. The other branch or twig the spirit called Ham, which signifieth a strong breathing out of the centre of nature, and a gross amassment or compaction into a flesh. Which denoteth the earthly, natural, fleshly man, which holdeth Sem captive in itself; [understand by Sem] the inward man, which shall arise from death out of the earth.1 Understand, the man proceeded from the limus of the good part of the earth, which was in Sem formed according to the divine lubet.2 8. We do not hereby understand the totally spiritual man, which is only as a spirit, but that [man] which is from the limus of the good 1 Note. — Concerning the Resurrection.

2 Or taken into the divine lubet. part of the earth, which lieth captive in Ham, that is, in the gross bestial flesh, and is as dead without the divine lubet, which the spiritual Christus, viz. the totally spiritual man, shall put on at the end of the days in Noah [that is, out of the beginning and end]. This inward hidden man, his gross earthly brother Ham, viz. the gross earthly flesh (which is nothing worth) (John vi. 63), doth devour and swallow up. 9. And from the lubet of Sem springeth forth the third branch out of the centre of nature, where the divine lubet doth behold itself through nature; and this the spirit called Japhet , which is, in the Language of Nature, an appendix of Sem, a birth out of Cain’s line of wonders, where the divine lubet doth bring itself through nature into a form of the wonders of the divine wisdom. With Sem it introduceth itself into a contemplation of the spiritual wonders in the holiness of God, and in Japhet into a natural wonder, viz. into the septenary of the eternal and [the] temporal nature ; understand, into a form of the sevenfold wheel,1 or life’s forms, in which vital sphere2 the Spirit of God appeareth as a glorious glee, or gleam of the wonders.

10. Sem is a type of the light-world, and Japhet is a type of the fire-world, where the light doth through-shine. Japhet a type [or image] of the Father; and Sem a type of the Son; but Ham is an image and type of the outward world. 11. For the type and figure of the three Principles stood in the three brethren, and clearly pointeth out the second monarchy, even to the end of the world; and withal shews what kind of men would thenceforward possess the world, viz. a spiritual world, and a natural world of wonders, and a bestial world of folly. These are the three sorts of men, viz. out of the stock and family of Sem came Israel, and out ofjaphet’s the Gentiles, who governed themselves in the light of nature, but Sem’s [generation were disciplined] in the Covenant and word of God; but Ham [both in Sem and Japhet] he ruled himself in the bestial brutish property, against whom the curse of God was pronounced through the spirit in his father, Noah; for Paul said, that flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 12. And Moses speaketh now further, thus: But when men began to multiply upon the earth, and daughters were born unto them ; that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair, and took unto them wives as they pleased. Then said the Lord, Men will not suffer my spirit any more to reprove them, for they are flesh; yet I will make their days an hundred and

1 Orb, or sphere. 2 Or, life’s wheel. twenty years1 (Gen. vi. 1-3). Here Moses hath again the veil before his eyes; for he saith that the children oj God looked upon the beauty of the daughters of men , and took unto them wives according as they listed, and would not suffer the Spirit of God to reprove and admonish them. 13. The meaning of it is this: The children of God, in whom the Spirit of God did manifest itself, looked, in the lust of the flesh after fleshly women, although they were of the generation and lineage of Ham, without God’s Spirit; yet if they were but fair and beautiful for their lust of the flesh, they introduced the seed of the holy ens into such bestial vessels, and afterwards brought forth such tyrants,2 and fleshly-minded men, who would not suffer the Spirit of God to rebuke them, for they were only flesh, without divine spirit and will. 14. They should not have mixed themselves with the bestial daughters, but looked after those in whom the Spirit of God was, even those who feared and loved God; but they looked only at the lust of their eyes and flesh, and corrupted the holy ens in the Covenant, in which God had espoused3 and betrothed himself. Against these the spirit here complaineth, that they would not be instructed and reformed, but follow the lust of the flesh.

15. We see this very emphatically set forth unto us in Sem, Ham, and Japhet: that it is so, that the spirit would not that the children of God should mix themselves with the very carnal or bestial people; for after the deluge the spirit divideth the three brethren into three families, and would that each family should remain apart by itself. 16. For therefore came the deluge upon the earth, and destroyed these mixed people, and afterwards made a separation amongst them, according to the nature of the three Principles; that each property might possess its choir and line in the nature of the wonders; but yet it would not do. So that at last the spirit divides them with the con¬ fusion of the languages at Babel, that so they might come into a several division; for the properties of the tree did there divide and spread forth themselves into seventy-and-seven, viz. into the wonder of the nature of the formed word. 17. Now saith Moses, And the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that all their thoughts and imaginations in their hearts were only evil continually . Then it repented God that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his very heart. And he said, I will destroy man which I have created from off" the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and creeping thing, and all the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have

1 1 will yet give them 120 years’ respite. 2 Giants. 3 Incorporated. made them (Gen. vi. 5-7). These are marvellous and wonderful sayings, that the spirit saith it repented God that he had made man, and the creatures. Who would understand this without divine knowledge; that anything should grieve the unchangeable God! Reason would be ready to say, Hath he not known aforehand what would be? How can his will, which is himself, grieve and repent ? 18. Here we must go into the centre. In God there is no grieving or repentance; nothing can grieve or trouble him. But there is a grieving in his expressed formed Word; for it repenteth the formed Word in the devils that the ens of light is turned into an ens of dark¬ ness. It grieveth the devil that he did not continue an angel. Also it repenteth the wicked man eternally that he stood not in the divine ens in the formed Word, and hath turned the power of the Word into malice and iniquity. Also there is a grieving in the formed Word in nature, over all kinds of creatures, that the property of the wrath in the curse of the anger doth rule and domineer in the formed expressed Word. It grieveth the love-ens of the Word, that the devil and wrath domineereth in it, and corrupteth and destroyeth many.

19. Now when God saith it repenteth him , it is to be understood according to the creation of the formed Word, not according to the eternal-speaking Word, which is unchangeable, but according to the good property in the creation, that it must be laden with evil against its will. For the spirit saith in Moses, And it grieved him in his heart. Yes! it did truly grieve or trouble him in his HEART. The good ens of the earth, which went also along with it into a compaction, which is from the spiritual world’s property, from the holy word, the same was in the sin [or fall of man] captivated in death, and shut up in the curse in the earth. Now the formed Word grieved at it, and troubled or affected the eternal-speaking Word, viz. God’s heart. 20. For our soul crieth unto God’s heart, viz. unto the eternal¬ speaking Word, and moveth, troubleth or affecteth the same, that it should move itself in us according to its love. Now the human word worketh in the divine; and stirreth the divine; so that the divine [word] entereth into our sorrow for sin, and helpeth us to repent of our sins. For the spirit in Moses said, when Lamech had begotten Noah, This same shall comfort us in our labour.

21. This was now the spirit of the beginning and end of all things; it repented through nature of the iniquity of man, and [grieved] at the captivity of the vanity of the creatures ; and wrought repentance into the holy eternal-speaking Word. The spirit in the formed Word of the whole creation of this world said, It grieveth me, that I have brought me into such an evil property in the creatures: And wrought repentance into the living eternal-speaking Word, from whence the out-breathed formed Word has flown forth and proceeded. 22. For that this is so, let us take an example on our repentance: We cannot work any repentance, unless our inward human soul doth repent that it hath made, formed or brought forth the beast of vanity in itself. But if it will repent, then its formed word must enter or make its earnest approach into the heart of God, and press the same with an incessant importunity, and move in it. And now, when this comes to pass, then presently the deluge cometh upon the evil man of the vain will, which must forthwith be drowned in its sorrow in the word of death. Here, then, God repenteth in man; that the evil beast, full of sinful desire, is born; and in this same divine sorrow it must be drowned in God’s love, and die unto the wrathful evil life and will.

23. Now understand aright God’s sorrow or repentance in the creature of the creatures. The spirit in the whole creation, even in every life which moveth in the fire and air, said, It grieveth me, that I have figured this image ofi vanity on me-, and this sorrow of the formed spirit in the expressed Word grieved, that is, moved the eternal¬ speaking Word in it. Then said the eternal Word, I will yet give them an hundred and twenty years respite (for even so long the time in the dominion or government of Seth’s spirit did continue), and then the turba in all flesh shall perish or be thrown down. For this sorrow was nothing else but that the Word in the Covenant did grieve at the misery and vanity of man, and would comfort mankind by the Covenant through Noah, which comfort did first open itself in Abraham, viz. in Enos, his manifestation. 24. For the comfort went forth in the love of the Covenant, and opened itself with its branch at its right limit or juncture of time; for God hath confined all things into a certain limit, when everything shall come to pass. And from the comfort of the moving Word in the Covenant proceeded forth the judgment, that the old Adamical man, with all his desires, concupiscences and lusts, should, in the Covenant (when the same should open itself in the flesh) be drowned and mortified in the same new humanity of Christ; and out of the comfort of the Covenant a new human spirit and will should arise, which should live in righteousness and purity; of which the deluge was a type.

25. For the grief or repentance came out of the Covenant upon the formed Word in the life; and therefore, seeing the same Word repented of the vanity, thereupon the vanity of the creature must be drowned; for the will in the Covenant went forth from the vanity, and grieved the life of God, and moved the matrix of nature in the water’s birth, and drowned the fiery wrath in the fire’s nature. 2 6. But the spirit in Noah doth especially complain here against man, for their Sodomitical, bestial concupiscence and filthy lusts of the flesh, viz. against unchastity, and unclean lascivious wantonness; and also against the high oppressors and tyrants, who put forth and advanced themselves in their own lust, and would rule and domineer, and no longer suffer the Spirit of God to rule in them, and reprove them that they had intruded themselves, to compel and tyrannise over one another without command. All this was an abomination before God; and it grieved the spirit in the formed Word that it had brought forth such evil beasts, and would no longer endure them. 27. Even this same prophetical spirit, whose root did open and display itself in Enoch, which also by Enoch did propagate and put forth its line with its branches ; which also by Noah did grieve at the wickedness and iniquity of mankind, and drowned them with the deluge, even this is he which now also doth grieve at the great sins and vanity of men:

for his mouth is at present opened; he hath been translated in the Spirit of Christ. Now this Word which became man doth repent at the vanity and wickedness of men; that its children of the new Covenant will not give willing obedience to the Spirit of Christ.1 Therefore this prophetical mouth doth now disclose and put forth itself, for it is the time of its manifestation, and proclaimeth the great deluge of God’s anger, and the flaming sword of Elias, who also was translated into the Mystery; for he must draw forth his sword in the turba.

28. Let this be told thee, Babel: he complaineth mightily against thy bestial unchastity and tyranny; against thy own usurped power, force and violence wherewith thou art proud and wanton, and hast thereby set up thyself in God’s government. He will drown thee with thy tyranny and bestial wantonness in the fire of anger. Seeing thou wilt not repent thee of thy vanity, therefore he repenteth through thee, with the turba; and will drown thy turba, that so his repenting may be made manifest in his children, and also his refreshing comfort and consolation might be manifested out of his repentance. 29. For without God’s repenting there is in us no true sorrow or 1 Suffer the Spirit of Christ to draw them. repentance for the vanity; for the natural spirit desireth not to repent, yea, if it could be more wrathful, malicious, evil and vain, it would please, love and delight itself therein; for it is nature’s spirit, strength and might. But the Word of God, which in the creation did impress and give itself into the human ens for a sovereign powerful [and holy] life, the same [incorporated engrafted Word of life], if it be stirred and moved, doth repent and grieve that it hath such an evil beast in nature on it ; that saith, It repenteth me that I have created the evil beast in nature.

30. But this sorrow is not a sorrow to annihilation, as if he would have no more to do with the creature, but it is a sorrow which saddeth and moveth God’s heart, viz. the holy divine Word, and setteth the natural spirit a time for to repent, that so it might enter into divine sorrow; but if it doth not, then he will drown the natural spirit in its evil will and ways, as came to pass in the deluge. 31. God said, The earth is corrupt , and full of perverseness; and the end of all flesh is come before me, I will destroy them. Here again is a great mystery, in that God said, the earth was corrupt before him; that all flesh had corrupted its way; and that the earth was filled with perverseness through them [and lo: he would destroy them]. The earth was afore with Cain accursed according to the vanity’s property; but now he saith also in this place, all flesh hath corrupted its way, the end of all flesh is come before me. This is not so mean and slight a thing as one would look on it to be; for the spirit complaineth against all flesh, that all things were become vain in his sight, and full of perveseness.

32. Now saith reason, a beast doth not sin, it doth according to its nature’s property; how can any perverseness be attributed to it? So far doth reason go, and further it knows not; also it understands nothing of the divine Mystery. It understands nothing of the formed Word that hath formed itself through the nature of time. It saith only, God hath created and made: and considereth not that all things are created in the Word, that the Word hath introduced and com¬ pacted itself into an ens. Also it will know nothing of the eternal spiritual nature of divine manifestation; it understands nothing of the ground or original of the outward visible world, with its creatures; when it saith, God hath made all things out of nothing, then it meaneth that he hath so spoken it forth, and yet it is wholly blind and senseless in it. It looketh only upon the outward colour, and knoweth not from whence it taketh its original; thus it is only learned in the external colour, and prateth of the painted work of the outside and shell; and concerning the ens whence the colour ariseth, it is dumb and senseless. 33. The spirit complaineth against all flesh upon the face of the earth, even whatsoever hath breath and sense.1 The outward nature had corrupted itself in every kind of life, and brought the formed, expressed Word into an ens of vanity; this was the perverseness and violent self-willedness of the natural life. The spirit of nature, which taketh its original in the fire, had exalted itself in its fiery property, and introduced itself into a wrathful life, and driven itself even to the utmost end of meekness.

34. For the devil was an insinuating predominant prince in the wrath’s property, which had incited and stirred up the centre of the outward nature in the fire’s matrix, and had not only corrupted the natural life of man, but also the creatures ; for he moved and acted man in God’s anger, who used the creatures for their service and food, so that the curse and the vanity was also manifest in every life, that man in his conversation stood in the curse and vanity, and so came, in the vanity in the curse, even into the abyss, viz. into the end of this world. Therefore said the spirit, the end of all flesh, in its perverseness and violence, is come before me. Every life had, through the vanity of man, brought itself unto the end of the outward nature; and the throat of wrath was open in nature, and would devour and swallow up all things in the wrath. 35. For the kingdom of God’s anger, viz. the dark world, had gotten the upper hand in its property, and brought the good part of nature even unto the end. Therefore the formed, expressed Word did move, or repent through every life of this vanity, that it should bear the abomination on it; and said, that it would destroy with water the womb or pregnatress of vanity proceeding from the fire’s mother, and break its power and force.

36. For before the flood the fire’s root was more strong and potent than the water’s root, and that, from the original of the fiery motion; that is, the Fiat stood in the fiery property, and compacted the earth and stones. So that there was then a great wrath poured forth in nature, and that, by reason of the casting out or ejection of the hierarch Lucifer into the darkness. 37. And here, by the flood or deluge, the force and violence was taken from the wrathful fire root in the centre of nature. For the repenting or grieving of the formed Word was nothing else but a 1 Text, liveth in the air and fire. type of Christ, where the eternal living divine Word in the human property did repent and grieve in the formed creatural word, at our sins and vanity, and mortified the same vanity in his death in the creature;1 and drowned the formed creatural word in the human property with the divine water of love and meekness in the holy heavenly blood. 38. So also in this place, the formed Word grieved at the vanity of the creatures, in that they were laden therewith, and brought the life of all the creatures into death ; and in its sorrow moved the meek¬ ness of the water-source in nature, so that all the fountains of the deep did open themselves, as Moses saith, and devoured the fire-source in the water.

This signifieth unto man the Baptism of Christ, where the fire-source of the soul in God’s anger was, in the Word of Christ’s Covenant, baptised with the regenerated water of the spirit (under¬ stand the spiritual water), which shall quench the fire of God’s anger. As it was above mentioned concerning the seven times, that each time of the seven degrees of nature hath brought itself unto its end; and in the end there was a sorrow for the abomination; and in the repentance and sorrow the turba was broken and destroyed.

39. Now behold here aright: by Noah, with the flood, the second time, viz. Seth’s time, was at the end; and with Adam, in the fall, when he lusted to eat of the vanity, the first time was at the end. 40. In Adam the Word repented, and gave itself with a Covenant into the life, to help comfort and restore the life. And by Noah the Word repented, and moved all the fountains of the deep in nature, and drowned the wrath, and opened the Covenant of grace. 41. And when the time of Enos was at the end, in the days of the children of Nimrod, the Word grieved at the vanity of man, that they would not know God, and drowned the understanding of the one only tongue, and divided it, and gave by2 its repentance the certain understanding in the Covenant with Abraham. 42. And when the time of Cainan was at the end, that the children of Abraham’s Covenant were compelled in the vanity of servitude, the Word grieved at the vanity, and destroyed Pharaoh; and after¬ wards all the men of the children of Israel in the wilderness, save Joshua and Caleb, and gave them, out of its sorrow and repentance, the Law of his Covenant : a true type of Christ, who should drown the abomination in his blood.