Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

14. Therefore the kingdom of heaven is a bestowed bounty of grace for all those that earnestly desire it. Not that it is enough to say to one's self, I have indeed a will to yield myself earnestly to God, but I have need to have this world for a while, and afterwards I will enter into the obedience of God. That continueth from one time to another, and from one day to another, and in the meanwhile the l evil man groweth ; if you 1 Or the child defer it to the end, and then desire [and think] to be a of P«rditionheavenly fruit or birth, when all the time of your life you have grown in the anger of God, in the abyss of hell : No ; that is deceit, thou deceivest thyself. 15. The priests in Babd have after that no key to open the kingdom of heaven for thee ; thou must enter in thyself and be new-born, or else there is no remedy for thee in this world, nor in heaven; thou standest here in this [life] time, in the ground, and art a plant ; but when death cometh and cutteth down the stock, then thou art no more in the growing, but art a fruit ; and then if thou art not food for God, thou dost not belong to his table, and then God will not dwell in thee.

16. For we know that the Deity only is the virtue to the new birth, which [virtue], if thou longest for it, and desirest it with earnestness, sowest itself in thy mind, and in thy soul, out of which the new man in the life of Christ groweth, so that in this world the earthly [man] doth but hang to it. Thus the new man is in God in the life of Jesus Christ, and the old man is in this world ; of which St Paul writeth clearly in his 2 letter to the 2 Or Epistle. Romans, that if we thus live in the new birth, we live to God, but as to the old Adam, we are in this world ; where then the source of the eternal band in the soul is also changed, and the soul entereth in itself into the life of Christ, into the holy and pure element; which in some places of my 3 second book I call the Temarius » The Three 17. This is not according to the understanding of the Latin tongue, but according to the understanding of the divine nature ; by which words is excellently expressed the life of Jesus Christ in God the Father; as also the characters or letters themselves and the spirit in the syllables do signify ; wherein the birth [unigeniture or eternal working] of the Deity is excellently understood. Though indeed it is hidden to the historical man of

sitiei. fo those that are enlightened from God, who then also understand the source [or working property] of the spirit in the letter, which at this time is not fit to be set down here, and yet it shall be brought to the understanding. 18. And there is nothing more profitable for man for his beginning to the new birth, than true, earnest, sincere repentance, with great earnest purpose and resolution; for he must press into the kingdom of heaven, into the life of Christ ; where then his Regenerator is ready, deep in his mind, in the light of life, and with desiring and earnestness helpeth [to wrestle], and so soweth himself as a grain of mustard-seed into the soul of man, as a root to a new creature. And if the earnestness in the soul of a man be great, then the earnestness in his Regenerator is also great. 19. And it is not possible to describe the New Birth in Christ fully ; for he that cometh into it, can find it only in himself by experience; there groweth another bud in his mind, another man with other knowledge, he is taught of God, and he seeth that all the labour in the history, without the spirit of God, is but a confused work of Babel. From whence strife and contention (in self -pride) come, for they aim only at pride and advancement, to recreate themselves in the lusts of the flesh, and in self. They are no shepherds or pastors of Christ, but ministers or servants of the Antichrist, they have set themselves upon Christ's throne ; but they have erected it in this world.

20. Yet the kingdom of Christ is not of this world, but consisteth in power. And there is the true knowledge of God in no man, except he be regenerated in God, out of his corrupted house of sins. Where then the fierceness changeth itself into love, and he is a priest of God in the life of Jesus Christ, who always seeketh that which is in heaven in the wonders of God. And the New Man is hidden in the old man, and is not of this world, but he is in Temario Sancto, in the holy body of Jesus Christ, understand, in the virtue of his body. 21. For such also his covenant with us is, both in the Baptism and in" the Last Supper. He took not the flesh of his creature and gave it to his disciples, but he took the body of the pure element [that is] before God, wherein God dwelleth, which is present in all creatures, but comprised in another Principle, and gave it to his disciples to eat and to drink under earthly bread and wine. So also he baptized the outward man with earthly elementary water, but the inward new man he baptizeth with the water in the holy pure element of his body and spirit; which substance appeareth only in the second Principle, and is present everywhere, yet is hidden to the third Principle, viz. to the spirit of this world.

22. For as we know, that our mind reacheth all over this world, and also into the kingdom of heaven to God, so also the life of the pure element (wherein the creature / Christ, and our new man in Christ standeth) reacheth everywhere all over; and it is all over full of the fullness of the life of Jesus Christ, but only in the [one pure holy] element, and not in the four elements, in the spirit of the stars. 23. Therefore there needeth not in our writings much toil, nor hard consideration or study. We write out of another Principle, no Reader understandeth us rightly in the ground, except his mind be born in God. There ought f no historical skill and knowledge to be sought for in our writings ; for as it is not possible to see God with earthly eyes, so also it is not possible that an unenlightened mind, in the earthliness, can comprehend *it. l tho ground Heavenly thoughts and meaning can comprehend x it : of ?." like must be comprehended by like. 24. Indeed we carry the heavenly treasure in an earthly 2 vessel, but there must be a heavenly 3 receptacle hidden 2 Or recepin the earthly, else the heavenly treasure is not comprised tacle' nor held. None should think or desire to find the lily * ^ V688eL of the heavenly bud with deep searching and studying,

1 of what spirit it is generated. 2 materia, or material. « like gall. 4 Or Vulcan. if he be not entered by earnest repentance in the New Birth, so that it be grown in himself ; for else it is but a history, where his mind never findeth the ground, and yet itself supposeth it hath comprehended it; but his mind maketh it manifest * what spirit's child it is ; for it is written, They are taught of God. 25. We know that every life is a fire that consumeth, and must have somewhat to feed its consuming, or else it goeth out ; so also we know that there is an eternal band of life, where there is a matter whereon the eternal fire feedeth continually, for the eternal fire maketh that matter for food to itself. 26. So also we know that the eternal life is twofold, in a twofold source [quality or property], and each standeth in its own fire. The one burneth in the fierceness, and in the woe, and the matter thereof is pride, envy, and anger, its source is like brimstone spirit ; for the rising up of the pride, in covetousness, envy, and anger, maketh together a brimstone, wherein the fire burneth, and continually kindleth itself with this 2 matter ; for it is a great 3 bitterness, wherein the mobility of the life consisteth, as also the 4 striker up of the fire.

27. Now we know also, that every fire hath a shining and glance, and that glance goeth in itself forth from the source [or quality], and enlighteneth the matter of the source, so that in the source there is a knowledge and understanding of a [thing or] substance. From whence a mind and the might taketh its original of doing and comprehending a will to somewhat, and yet was not there in the originality. And that will, in itself, in the source, goeth forth and maketh a liberty for itself in the source, and the will desireth the liberty, that it might stand therein, and hath its life from the will in the light, and in itself, in the habitation, liveth without source. And yet there it standeth in the originality, in the ground of the source. 28. Thus, my beloved, worthy, seeking 5 mind, know and observe that every life standeth upon the abyss of the fierceness; for God calleth himself, A consuming fire; and also, A God of love; and his name GOD hath its original in Ihe love, where he goeth forth out of the source in himself, and maketh it, in himself, joy, paradise, and the kingdom of heaven.

29. We all in the originality of our life have the source of the anger, and of the fierceness, or else we should not be alive; but we must look to it, and in ourselves go forth out of the source of the fierceness, with God, and generate the love in us, and then our life shall be a joyful and pleasant habitation to us, and then it standeth rightly in the paradise of God ; but if our life stay in the fierceness, viz. in covetousness, envy, anger, and malice, and goeth not forth into another will, then it standeth in the anguishing source, as all devils do, wherein no good thought or will can be, but a mere enmity in itself. 30. Therefore these two lives, viz. the lif e in the loving regeneration, and the life in the originality of the source [or property], are one against another; and because the life in the love is not inimicitious, therefore it must suffer itself to be pinched, pierced through and wounded, and upon it the cross is laid to be borne with patience of meekness, and in this bud, in this ground [soil, or field], a child of God must be a bearer of the cross ; and for this end hath God appointed in himself a Day of Judgment, and of separation, where then he will reap what is grown in every life; and herewith shall all forms of the eternal life be manifested, all must stand to the manifesting of God's deeds of wonder.

31. Therefore, O man ! look to it, destroy not thyself; see that thou grow in the ground [or field] of love, meekness, and righteousness, and enter with thy life, in thyself, into the meekness of Jesus Christ, in the regeneration to God, and then thou shalt live in God's source of love ; and so when the field of this l sprout is J Or bad. taken away, then thy life is a fruit and plant of God, and thou shalt spring and grow with a new body out of the holy and pure element before God, in the life of thy dear Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Give up [or dedicate] thyself to it, in this contentious life, wholly and altogether, and so thou shalt with him, through his death and resurrection, grow up in a new man before God.