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AUTHOR: 
 
 BOHME, JAKOB 
 
 TITLE: 
 
 SIXTHEOSOPHIC 
 
 POINTS AND OTHER 
 
 PLA CE : 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 DA TE : 
 
 1920 
 
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 Bi5hine| Jakob, l575-162u^ 
 
 Six theosophic points and othe^r HrltingS, 
 
 by Jacob [ibhme, newlj translated into English 
 
 by John Rolleston E^rle»,, New York, Knopf, 
 1920. 
 
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SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 AND OTHER WRITINGS 
 
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GONE WEST 
 
 BY A SOLDIER DOCTOR 
 
 FOUR-DIMENSIONAL VISTAS 
 
 BY CLAUDE BRAGDON 
 
 THE DEAD HAVE NEVER DIED 
 
 BY EDWARD C. RANDALL 
 
 At all booksellers 
 NEW YORK: ALFRED • A • KNOPF 
 
 220 WEST FORTY-SECOND STREET 
 
 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 AND OTHER WRITINGS 
 
 By JACOB BOHME 
 
 NEWLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH BY 
 
 JOHN ROLLESTON EARLE, M. A. 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 ALFRED • A • KNOPF 
 MCMXX 
 
 |\ 
 
COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY 
 ALFRED A. KNOPF, Inc. 
 
 MR 1 2tf 
 
 
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 FEINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
 
 AUTHOR'S PREI ACE TO THE 
 
 READER 
 
 We have written this work, not for the irrational 
 animals who, in their exterior, have the form of 
 man, but in their image, in spirit, are evil and wild 
 beasts, which is disclosed and exhibited by their 
 properties; but for the image of man, for those 
 who are budding forth out of the animal image 
 with a human image that belongs to God's king- 
 dom, and who would fain live and grow in the hu- 
 man image, in the right man. Those who are often 
 and much hindered by the contrarious life, and thus 
 are involved in the mixed life, and travail in desire 
 for the birth of the holy life: for them are these 
 writings written. And we bid them not regard it 
 as impossible to discern and to know such mystery ; 
 and we give them this to consider of in a similitude. 
 Let them imagine a life which is the outcome and 
 growth of all lives, and is mixed. But let them also 
 imagine another hfe to grow in it from all the lives, 
 which, though it had grown from all the lives, was 
 free from all the other lives, and yet possessed all the 
 essential properties of those lives. This other new 
 life (let them imagine) is illuminated with the light, 
 and only in itself; so that it could behold all the 
 other lives, and they (the other lives) could not see 
 nor apprehend the new life. Thus is every one, 
 
6 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 who, out of the mixed life, evil and good, is born 
 again in and of God. This new image, born in the 
 life of God, beholds all the natural lives, and noth- 
 ing is strange or difficult to it ; for it beholds only 
 its root from which it grew. As a fair flower grows 
 out of the rough earth, which is not like the earth 
 but declares by its beauty the power of the earth, 
 and how it is mixed of good and evil; so also is 
 every man, who, out of the animal, wild, earthly 
 nature and quality, is born again so as to become 
 the right image of God. 
 
 For those who are a growth of such a kind, and 
 are shooting forth into the fair lily in the kingdom 
 of God, and are in process of birth, have we written 
 this book ; that they should strengthen their essences 
 therein, bud in the life of God, and grow and bear 
 fruit in the tree of paradise. And seeing all the 
 children of God grow in this tree, and each is a 
 twig of this same tree, we have wished to impart 
 to our twigs and fellow-branches in our tree, in 
 which we all are, and from which we all grow, our 
 sap, savour and essence, that our tree of paradise 
 may become great, and that we may rejoice one 
 with another. And we would urge all children, who 
 are thus growing in this tree, friendly to ponder 
 that each branch and twig helps to shelter the other 
 from the storm, and we commend ourselves unto 
 their love and growth. 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 Author's Preface to the Reader 
 
 The First Point. Of the springing of the three Prin- 
 ciples, etc. 
 
 Chapter I. Of the first growth and life from the 
 first Principle_, etc. 
 
 Chapter II. Of the proprium of the principle, etc. 
 
 The Second Point. 
 good, etc. 
 Chapter III. 
 
 Of the mixed tree of evil and 
 
 PAGE 
 
 5 
 
 13 
 
 13 
 
 31 
 
 •47 
 47 
 
 The Third Point. Of the origin of contrariety in 
 
 growth, etc. 54 
 
 Chapter IV. 54 
 
 The Fourth Point. How the holy and good tree of 
 eternal life grows through and out of all the growths 
 of the three principles^ etc. 
 
 Chapter V. 
 
 Chapter VI. 
 
 64 
 64 
 70 
 
 The Fifth Point. How a life may perish in the tree of 
 
 life, etc. 
 
 Chapter VII. 
 
 Chapter VIII. Of the right human essence from 
 God's essence 
 
 7 
 
 ^76 
 76 
 
 90 
 
8 
 
 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 PAOI 
 
 The Sixth Point. Of the life of darkness, wherein the 
 
 devils dwell, etc. ^^,. 
 
 Chapter IX. 99 
 
 Chapter X. Of the four elements of the devil and 
 
 of the dark world, etc. 
 
 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 Preface 
 
 The First Point. On the blood and water of the soul 
 The Second Point. On the election of grace, etc. 
 The Third Point. On sin, etc. 
 
 The Fourth Point. How Christ will deliver up the 
 kingdom to his Father 
 
 The Fifth Point. On Magic. Wiat Magic is, etc. 
 The Sixth Point. On Mystery. What it is 
 
 112 
 
 127 
 129x 
 131 
 135 
 
 14.1 
 143 
 148 
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 Chapter I. What God is, etc 
 
 Chapter II. Of the mind, will, and thoughts of human 
 life, etc. 
 
 Chapter III. Of the natural ground, etc. 
 Chapter IV. Of the In and Out, etc. 
 
 9 
 
 PAOE 
 
 177 
 
 191 
 
 202 
 219 
 
 ON THE EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY 
 
 MYSTERY 
 
 The First Text 
 The Second Text 
 The Third Text 
 The Fourth Text 
 The Fifth Text 
 The Sixth Text 
 The Seventh Text 
 The Eighth Text 
 The Ninth Text 
 
 153 
 
 154 
 
 155 
 
 156 
 
 159 
 
 162 
 
 164 
 
 168 
 
 172 
 
SEX PUNCTA THEOSOPHICA 
 
 OR 
 
 HIGH AND DEEP GROUNDING OF 
 
 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 BY 
 
 JACOB BOHME 
 
 AN OPEN GATE OF ALL THE SECRETS OF LIFE 
 
 WHEREIN THE CAUSES OF ALL BEINGS 
 
 BECOME KNOWN 
 
 Written in the year 1620 
 
THE FIRST POINT 
 
 Of the springing of the three principles 
 What sort of tree or life each generates 
 IN itself and from itself. How we are 
 to investigate and know the ground of 
 nature 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 Of the first growth and life from the first Principle, 
 That we are so to ponder and consider it, as if it 
 stood alone and were not mixed with the other, 
 — what its power might he. That, therefore, 
 we are not to think of it as being such that it is 
 on€ and united in a single figure or creation; 
 hut [we are to think of it sol ^^^^ ^'^ learn to 
 explore and fathom the centrum naturae, and 
 to distinguish the divine Essence from Nature, 
 
 1. We see and find that every life is essential, 
 and find moreover that it is based on will; for will 
 is the driving of the essences. 
 
 2. It is thus, as if a hidden fire lay in the will, 
 and the will continually uphfting itself towards the 
 fire wished to awaken and kindle it. 
 
 3. For we understand that every will without 
 the awakening of the fiery essences is an impotency, 
 as it were dumb without life, wherein is no feeling, 
 
 13 
 
14 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 understanding or substantiality. It resembles 
 only a shadow without substance; for it has no 
 conductor, but sinks down and suffers itself to be 
 driven and led like a dead thing, — such as is to be 
 compared to a shadow, which is led along without 
 essence. 
 
 4. Thus an essential will is a dumb existence 
 without comprehension or life; and yet is a figure 
 in the unfathomable eternal nothing, for it is 
 attached to the corporeal things. 
 
 5. Now, as the will without essence is dumb and 
 without being, so in the essence it is a being and 
 image according to the essences, which is fashioned 
 after the essences ; for the life of the will is generated 
 from the essences. 
 
 6. Thus life is the essences* son, and the will, 
 wherein life's figure stands, is the essences' father; 
 for no essence can arise without will. For in the 
 will is originated desire, in which the essences take 
 their rise. ^ 
 
 7. Seeing then the first will is an ungrounded- 
 ness, to be regarded as an eternal nothing, we 
 recognize it to be like a mirror, wherein one sees 
 his own image ; like a life, and yet it is no life, but 
 a figure of hfe and of the image belonging to life. 
 
 8. Thus we recognize the eternal Unground out 
 of Nature to be like a mirror. For it is like an eye 
 which sees, and yet conducts nothing in the seeing 
 wherewith it sees; for seeing is without essence, 
 although it is generated from essence, viz. from the 
 essential life. 
 
 9. We are able then to recognize that the eternal 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 15 
 
 Unground out of Nature is a will, like an eye where- 
 in Nature is hidden; like a hidden fire that burns 
 not, which exists and also exists not. It is not a 
 spirit, but a form of spirit, like the reflection in the 
 mirror. For all the form of a spirit is seen in the 
 reflection or in the mirror, and yet there is nothing 
 which the eye or mirror sees; but its seeing is in 
 itself, for there is nothing before it that w^re deeper 
 there. It is like a mirror which is a container of 
 the aspect of Nature, and yet comprehends not 
 Nature, as Nature comprehends not the form of the 
 image in the mirror. 
 
 10. And thus one is free from the other, and yet 
 the mirror is truly the container of the image. It 
 embraces the image, and yet is powerless in respect 
 of the form, for it cannot retain it. For if the 
 image depart from the mirror, the mirror is a clear 
 brightness, and its brightness is a nothing; and 
 yet all the form of Nature is hidden therein as a 
 nothing; and yet veritably is, but not in essence. 
 
 11.^ And so it is to be understood concerning the 
 hidden eternal wisdom of God, which resembles an 
 eternal eye without essence. It is the unground, 
 and vet sees all; all has been hidden in it from 
 eternity, and therefrom it has its seeing. But it is 
 not essential, as in the mirror the brightness is 
 not essential, which yet embraces all that appears 
 before it. 
 
 12. Secondly, this is to be understood also of the 
 eternal will, which likewise is without essence, as 
 also of the Spirit of God. For no seeing is without 
 spirit, neither is any spirit without seeing. And 
 
16 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 we understand thus, that seeing shines forth from 
 the spirit, and is its eye or mirror, wherein the 
 will is revealed. For seeing makes a will, as the 
 unground of the deep without number knows to find 
 no ground nor Mmit; hence its mirror goeth into 
 itself, and makes a ground in itself, that is a will. 
 
 13. Thus the mirror of the eternal eye shines 
 forth in the will, and generates to itself another 
 eternal ground within itself. This is its centre or 
 heart, from which the seeing continually takes its 
 rise from eternity, and through which the will be- 
 comes moving and directive, namely of that which 
 the centre brings forth. 
 
 14. For all is comprised in the will, and is an 
 essence, which, in the eternal Unground, eternally 
 takes its rise in itself, enters into itself, grasps 
 itself in itself, and makes the centre in itself; but 
 with that which is grasped passes out of itself, 
 manifests itself in the brightness of the eye, and 
 thus shines forth out of the essence in itself and 
 from itself. It is its own, and yet also in com- 
 parison to Nature is as a nothing (understand, in 
 comparison to palpable being, so to speak) ; though 
 it is all, and all arises from thence. 
 
 15. And herein we understand the eternal Es- 
 sence of the triad of the Deity, with the un- 
 fathomable wisdom. For the eternal will, which 
 comprehends the eye or the mirror, wherein lies 
 the eternal seeing as its wisdom, is Father. And 
 that which is eternally grasped in wisdom, the 
 grasp comprehending a basis or centre in itself, 
 passing out of the ungroundness into a ground, 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 17 
 
 is Son or Heart; for it is the Word of life, or its 
 essentiality, in which the will shines forth with 
 lustre. 
 
 16. And the going within itself to the centre of 
 the gi'ound is Spirit; for it is the finder, who from 
 eternity continually finds where there is nothing. 
 It goes forth again from the centre of the ground, 
 and seeks in the will. And then the mirror of the 
 eye, viz. the Father's and Son's wisdom, becomes 
 manifest; and v*^isdom stands accordingly before 
 the Spirit of God, who in it manifests the unground. 
 For its virtue, wherein the colours of the wonders 
 shine forth, is revealed from the Father of the 
 eternal will through the centre of his Heart or 
 Ground by the forthgoing Spirit. 
 
 17. For it (wisdom) is that which is uttered, 
 which the Father utters out of the centre of the 
 Heart by the Holy Spirit, and stands in divine 
 forms and images, in the ocular view of the Holy 
 Tri-unity of God ; but as a virgin without bringing 
 forth. It generates not the colours and figures 
 which shine forth in it, and are revealed in the 
 ground and essence ; but all is together an eternal 
 Magia, and dwells with the centre of the heart in 
 itself, and by the spirit goes forth from the centre 
 out of itself, and manifests itself in the eye of virgin 
 wisdom endlessly. 
 
 18. For as the essence of the Deity has no gi'ound 
 from which it arises or proceeds, so also the Will- 
 spirit has no ground where it might rest, where 
 there were a place or limit, but is called Wonder- 
 ful. And its word or heart, from which it goes 
 
18 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 forth, is called the eternal Power of the Deity ; and 
 the will which generates the heart and the power 
 in itself is called eternal Counsel. 
 
 19. Thus the essence of the Deity is eveiy where 
 in the deep of the unground, like as a wheel or eye, 
 where the beginning hath always the end ; and there 
 is no place found for it, for it is itself the place 
 of all beings and the fulness of all things, and yet 
 is apprehended or seen by nothing. For it is an 
 eye in itself, as Ezekiel the prophet saw this in a 
 figure at the introduction of the spirit of his will into 
 God, when his spiritual figure was introduced into 
 the wisdom of God by the Spirit of God; there he 
 attained the vision, and in no other way can that be. 
 
 The Second Text. 
 
 20. We understand, then, that the divine Essence 
 in threefoldness in the unground dwells in itself, 
 but generates to itself a ground within itself, viz. 
 the eternal word or heart, which is the centre or 
 goal of rest in the Deity; though this is not to 
 be understood as to being, but as to a threefold 
 spirit, where each is the cause of the birth of the 
 other. 
 
 21. And this threefold spirit is not measurable, 
 divisible or fathomable; for there is no place found 
 for it, and it is at the same time the unground of 
 eternity, which gives birth to itself within itself in 
 a ground. And no place or position can be con- 
 ceived or found where the spirit of the tri-unity is 
 not present, and in every being; but hidden to the 
 
 <i 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 19 
 
 being, dwelling in itself, as an essence that at once 
 fills all and yet dwells not in being, but itself has a 
 being in itself; as we are to reflect concerning the 
 ground and unground, how the two are to be under- 
 stood in reference to each other. 
 
 22. Thus, we understand eternity: (1) How it 
 was before the times of the creation of this world. 
 (2) What the divine Essence is in itself without a 
 principle. (3) What the eternal beginning in the 
 unground is, and the eternal end in its own ground 
 generated in itself, viz. the centre to the wordi, 
 which word is the centre itself. (4) And yet the 
 eternal birth of the Word in the will in the mirror 
 of the eternal wisdom, in the virgin, continually 
 takes place from eternity to eternity without a 
 genetrix or without bringing forth. 
 
 23. And in this virgin of the wisdom of God 
 the eternal principle is as a hidden fire, which is 
 recognized as in a mirror by its colours. It has 
 been known from eternity to eternity in figure, 
 and is known also thus to all eternity in the eternal 
 origin, in wisdom. 
 
 24. And in this mirror, where the principle is 
 disclosed from the eternal Unground, the essence 
 of the three principles, according to the likeness of 
 the holy triad, has been seen with their wonders as 
 in an unfathomable deep, and that from eternity. 
 
 25. We are now to understand that the first 
 Principle is magical in origin ; for it is generated in 
 desire, in the will. Hence its craving and contra- 
 will to bring forth is also magical, namely to bring 
 forth the second Principle. 
 
20 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 26. And whereas in the first and second principle 
 only a spirit without comprehensible [corporeal] 
 being is understood; yet there is also the craving to 
 give birth furthermore to the third Principle, where- 
 in the spirit of the two principles might rest and 
 manifest itself in similitude. 
 
 27. And though each principle has its centre, the 
 first principle stands in magical quality, and its 
 centre is fire, which cannot subsist without sub- 
 stance; therefore its hunger and desire is after 
 substance. 
 
 28. And in regard to the first principle, if we 
 speak only of one (though it is not single and soli- 
 tary) , we are to understand that the unfathomable 
 will in the centre of the unground, in which the 
 eternal Word is continually generated from eter- 
 nity, is desirous; for the will desires the centre, viz. 
 the word or heart. 
 
 29. Secondly, it desires that the heart should be 
 manifest. For in the unground there is no mani- 
 festation, but an eternal nothingness;; a stillness 
 without being or colours, neither any virtue — (but 
 in Desire colours, power and virtue come to be) — 
 and is thus hidden in itself, and were eternally not 
 manifest; for there would be no light, splendour or 
 majesty, but a threefold spirit in itself, which were 
 without source (Qual) of any being. 
 
 30. And thus we are to understand the essence of 
 the deepest Deity, without and beyond Nature. 
 
 31. Further, we are to understand that the 
 eternal will of the Deity desires to manifest itself 
 from its own ground in the light of Majesty, where- 
 
 ('\ 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 21 
 
 by we apprehend the first will of the Father to the 
 Son and to the light of Majesty to be desirous. 
 And that in two ways : The first way to the centre 
 of the Word; the second to Light or manifestation 
 of the Word. And we find that every desire is 
 attrahent, though in the unground there is nothing 
 that can be drawn; hence the desire di^aws itself, 
 and impregnates the other will of the Father, which 
 imaginates for the Hght of Majesty from the centre 
 of his word or heart. 
 
 32. Now is the heart pregnant with Light, and 
 the first will pregnant with Nature; and yet were 
 none of this manifest, if the principle were not 
 generated. 
 
 33. The Father generates from the first will the 
 first Principle, as the nature which in fire attains 
 to the highest perfection; and then he generates 
 the second Principle in and from the other will to 
 the Word, in that he desires the manifestation of the 
 Word in the light of JNIajesty. Thus the fire of the 
 second principle in the light of Majesty is a satis- 
 fying or appeasing of the first will : namely gentle- 
 ness, which is opposed to the fire of the first prin- 
 ciple, and quenches its fierce wrath, and brings it 
 into an essential substance as into an eternal life. 
 But the fire is hidden in the hght, and gives to the 
 light its power, strength and might, so that together 
 there is an eternal union, and one without the other 
 would not be. 
 
M 
 
 99 
 
 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 ^r 
 
 Oj the first Principle in itself; what it is 
 
 {singly) in itself. 
 
 34. We are to consider Desire; for every desire 
 attracts what is in the desiring will. 
 
 35. God, however, desires only light, viz. the 
 lustre from his heart, that he may shine forth in 
 wisdom, and the whole God thus be manifest in 
 himself, and by the forth-going Spirit out of him- 
 self, in the virgin of his wisdom ; and that there be 
 an eternal perfect joy, delight and satisfaction in 
 him. 
 
 36. Now this can be accomplished in no other 
 way than through fire, where the will is brought into 
 the deepest sharpness of omnipotence, as it becomes 
 consuming in fire. Contrariwise, light is a gentle- 
 ness of the genetrix of the omni-substantiality. 
 
 37. But fire must have a genetrix to its origin 
 and life, and here it appears in two lives and sources. 
 And they are rightly called two principles, although 
 there is only one; but it is a twofold source in one 
 being, and is in respect of the source regarded as 
 two beings, as is to be seen in fire and light. 
 
 38. We now consider Desire, and find that it is 
 a stern attraction, like an eternal elevation or 
 motion. For it draws itself into itself, and makes 
 itself pregnant, so that from the thin freedom 
 where there is nothing a darkness is produced. 
 For the desiring will becomes by the drawing-in 
 thick and full, although there is nothing but 
 darkness. 
 
 39. The first will would now be free from the 
 
 # 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 23 
 
 darkness, for it desires light, and yet cannot thus 
 attain it. For the greater the desire is for freedom, 
 the greater becomes the attraction and the sting 
 of the essences, which take their rise in the drawing 
 or desire. 
 
 40. Thus the will draws the more strongly into 
 itself, and its pregnancy becomes the greater, and 
 yet the darkness cannot comprehend the centre of 
 the word or heart of the ternary; for this centre is 
 a degree deeper in itself, and yet is a band. 
 
 41. But the first will, in which the gestation of 
 Nature takes place, is deeper still than the centre 
 of the word, for it arises from the eternal Unground 
 or Nothing; and thus the centre of the heart is 
 shut up in the midst, the first will of the Father 
 labouring to the birth of fire. 
 
 42. Now, we are to understand that in the stern 
 attraction a very unyielding substance and being is 
 produced. And so then substance from eternity 
 has its origin ; for the drawing gives sting, and the 
 drawn gives hardness, matter from nothing, a 
 substance and essentiality. The sting of the draw- 
 ing dwells now in this essentiality, pierces and 
 breaks; and all this from the desiring will which 
 
 draws. 
 
 43. And here we are to recognize two forms of 
 Nature, viz. sour (astringent), that is Desire, and 
 then the sting, which makes in the desire a breaking 
 and piercing, whence feeling arises, that is, bitter, 
 and is the second form of Nature, a cause and 
 origin of the essences in Nature. 
 
 44. Now the first will is not satisfied with this, 
 
<l 
 
 24 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 nor set at rest, but is brought thereby into a very 
 great anguish; for it desires freedom in light, and 
 yet, however, there is no brightness in freedom. 
 Then it falls into terrible anguish, and so uphfts 
 the desire for freedom, that the anguish, as a dying 
 or sinking down through death, introduces its will 
 into freedom out of the breaking, piercing and 
 powerful attracting. 
 
 45. Here, then, we understand the will in two 
 ways: One, which rises in fierceness to generation 
 of the wrath-fire ; the other, which imaginates after 
 the centre of the word, and, passing out of the 
 anguish, as through a dying, sinks into the free life; 
 and thus brings with it a life out of the torment 
 of anguish into freedom, so that the eternal Un- 
 ground is recognized as a life, and from the Nothing 
 an eternal life springs. * 
 
 46. Seeing then the first movement of the will 
 rises to the birth of fire, we recognize it as the first 
 nature, viz. the Father's nature in fierce wrath; 
 and the other entrance of the will into freedom, 
 into the centre of the heart, we recognize as the 
 Divine Nature, as the life in light, in the power of 
 the Deitv. 
 
 47. It is now clear what the first will to fire 
 operates and effects, viz. stern, hard, bitter, and 
 great anguish, which is the third form of Nature; 
 for anguish is as the centre where life and will 
 eternally take their rise. For the will would be 
 free from the great anguish, and yet cannot. It 
 would flee, and yet is held by the sourness (astrin- 
 gency) ; and the greater the will for flight becomes, 
 
 S 
 
 ;«» 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 25 
 
 the greater becomes the bitter sting of the essences 
 and plurality. 
 
 48. It being unable then to flee or ascend, it turns 
 as a wheel. And here the essences become mixed, 
 and the plurality of essences enters into a mixed 
 will, which is rightly called the eternal mind, where 
 plurality in numberless essences is comprised in a 
 mind, where always from an essence a will again 
 may arise according to the property of that essence, 
 whence the eternal wonders spring. 
 
 49. Seeing then the great and strong mind of the 
 form of anguish goes thus in itself as a wheel, and 
 continually breaks the stern attraction, and by the 
 sting brings into plurality of essences; but in 
 anguish, in the wheel disposes again into a one, as 
 into a mind: therefore now the anguishful life is 
 born, viz. Nature, where there is a moving, driving, 
 fleeing and holding, as also a feeling, tasting and 
 hearing. And yet it is not a right life, but only 
 a Nature-life without a principle. For it has no 
 growth, but is like a frenzy or madness, where 
 something goes whirling in itself as a wheel, where 
 indeed there is a bond of hfe, but without under- 
 standing or knowledge ; for it knows not itself. 
 
 50. Further, we are to inquire concerning the 
 other will of the eternal Father which is called 
 God, which in the centre of its heart desires hght 
 and the manifestation of the triad in wisdom. This 
 will is set or directed towards the centrum naturae, 
 for through Nature must the splendour of Majesty 
 
 arise. 
 
 51. Now, this other will in the Word of life has 
 
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 26 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 freedom in itself; and the anguishful will in the 
 sharpness of Nature desires freedom, that freedom 
 might be revealed in the anguish of the fierce wrath- 
 ful mind. 
 
 52. Whence then also anguish arises, that the 
 first will wishes to be free from the dark sourness 
 (astringency), and freedom desires manifestation; 
 for it cannot find itself in itself without sharpness 
 or pain. For the will of freedom, which is called 
 Father, desires to manifest itself, and that it cannot 
 do without properties. 
 
 53. It is therefore desirous of properties, which 
 take their rise in anguish, in essences, in fire, thereby 
 to manifest its wonders, power and colours, which 
 without Nature cannot be. 
 
 54. Thus, the first will (which is called Father, 
 and is itself freedom) desires Nature, and Nature 
 with great longing desires freedom, that it may 
 be released from the torment of anguish. And it 
 receives freedom in its sharp fierceness in the 
 imagination, at which it is terrified as a flash; for 
 it is a terror of joy that it is released from the 
 torment of anguish, 
 
 55. And in the terror arise two beings, a mortal 
 one and a living one, to be understood thus: 
 
 5Q, The will which is called Father, which has 
 freedom in itself, so generates itself in Nature, 
 that it is susceptible of Nature, and that it is the 
 universal power of Nature. 
 
 57. The terror of its Nature is a kindler of fire. 
 For when the dark anguish, as the very fervent, 
 stern being, receives freedom in itself, it is trans- 
 
 
 m 
 
 ti 
 
 I 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 27 
 
 formed in the terror, in freedom, into a flash, and 
 the flash embraces freedom or gentleness. Then 
 the sting of death is broken; and there rises in 
 Nature the other will of the Father, which he drew 
 prior to Nature in the mirror of wisdom, viz. his 
 heart of love, the desu^e of love, the kingdom of joy. 
 
 58. For in the Father's will fire is thus generated, 
 to which the other will gives the power of gentle- 
 ness and love. The fire takes the love-quality into 
 its essence, and that is now its food, so that it burns, 
 and gives from the consumption, from the terror, 
 the joyous spirit. 
 
 59. That is, here, the Holy Spirit, who originally 
 prior to Nature is the Father's Will- Spirit, becomes 
 manifest, and receives here the power of w^onders; 
 and proceeds thus from the Father (viz. from the 
 first will to Nature) , from the other will in Nature, 
 from fire, or from the terror of joy in the source of 
 love, into the substantiality of gentleness. 
 
 60. For gentleness is also become desirous of the 
 fire's property, and the desire draws the gentleness 
 of the kingdom of joy into itself. That is now the 
 water of eternal life, which the fire drinks, and gives 
 therefrom the light of IVIajesty. 
 
 61. And in the light dwells the will of the Father 
 and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the hfe there- 
 in. He reveals now the power of the gentle essen- 
 tiality in the light, and that is colours, wonders and 
 virtues. 
 
 62. And this is called virgin Wisdom; for it is 
 not a genetrix, neither itself reveals anything, but 
 the Holy Spirit is the revealer of its wonders. It 
 
28 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 is his vesture and fair adornment, and has in it the 
 wonders, colours and virtues of the divine world; 
 it is the house of the Holy Trinity, and the ornament 
 of the divine and angehc world. , 
 
 63. In its colours and virtues the Holy Spirit 
 has revealed the choii^s of angels, as well as all the 
 marvels of created things, all which have been 
 beheld from eternity in wisdom; without being 
 indeed, but in wisdom as in the mirror, according 
 to their figures; which figures have in the motion 
 of the Father advanced into essence and into a 
 creaturely existence, all according to the wonders 
 of wisdom. 
 
 64. Now, understand us also concerning the other 
 being, where in the terror Nature divides into two 
 beings, as mentioned above: viz. one through the 
 Father's will into fire or into the fire- world; and 
 one through the Father's other will that is drawn 
 or generated in himself, into the majestic light- 
 world. 
 
 65. And the other being, viz. the house of terror 
 in itself, in death, in the darkness of the hostile 
 source (Qual) , which must stand thus in order that 
 there may be an eternal longing in this anguish to 
 be freed from the source. For this longing makes 
 the first will to Nature eternally desirous to come 
 to the aid of its being. Whence then in the 
 Father's will mercy arises, which enters with free- 
 dom into the anguish, but cannot remain in the 
 anguish, but goes forth in fire into the source of 
 love. 
 
 66. That is, his other will, or his heart, issues in 
 
 f 
 
 f 
 I 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 29 
 
 him as a fountain of love and mercy, from whence 
 compassion has its origin, so that there is a pity on 
 distress and misery, and a sympathy; viz. here, the 
 Father's will, which is free, reveals itself in the 
 fierceness of Nature, so that the fierce wrathf ulness 
 is mitigated. 
 
 67. But nevertheless on one part the terrible 
 wheel of fierceness continues independently. For 
 in the terror a mortification is brought about, not 
 indeed a still death, but a mortal life; and re- 
 sembles the worst thing, as is an aqua fortis or a 
 poison in itself. For such a thing must be, if the 
 centrum, naturae is to subsist eternally. 
 
 68. And on the other part life proceeds out of 
 death, and death must therefore be a cause of life. 
 Else, if there were no such poisonous, fierce, fervent 
 source, fire could not be generated, and there could 
 be no essence nor fiery sharpness; hence also there 
 would be no light, and also no finding of life. 
 
 69. The first will, which is called Father, finds 
 itself thus in wonders; and the other will, which is 
 called Son, finds itself thus in power. Moreover, 
 thus also the kingdom of joy arises ; for if there were 
 no pain, there were also no joy. But this is the 
 kingdom of joy, that life is delivered from anguish, 
 although life has its origin thus. 
 
 70. And therefore the creatures have poison, viz. 
 a gall, for their life. The gall is the cause that there 
 is a mobility by which life rises; for it occasions 
 fire in the heart, and the right life is fire, but it is 
 not the figure of life. 
 
 71. From the fire-life springs the right spirit. 
 
30 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 which goes forth from fire in the hght; it is free 
 from fire as air, which nevertheless arises from 
 fire, is free from fire. 
 
 72. For the right spirit, or in man the spirit which 
 is generated from the soul's fire, has its property 
 in the Light of life, which burns from fire. For it 
 arises from death, it proceeds out of death, the 
 hostile source has remained away from it in fire, 
 and below fire, in the cause of fire, viz. in fierce 
 wrathful death. 
 
 73. Fierce wrathful death is thus a root of life. 
 And here, ye men, consider your death and also 
 Christ's death, who has begotten us again out of 
 death through the fire of God; for out of death is 
 the free life born. Whatever can go out from 
 death is released from death and the source of wrath. 
 That is now its kingdom of joy, that there is no 
 longer any fierce source in it ; it has remained away 
 from it in death ( in the dark world) . And thus out 
 of death life attains eternal freedom, where there 
 is no more any fear or terror; for in life the terror 
 is broken. 
 
 74. The right life is a power of joy, a perpetual 
 well-being and pleasing delight; for there is no 
 pain in it, save only a desire, which has all the 
 property of pain, and yet the pain cannot uplift 
 itself in it so as to kindle its property therein, for 
 light and freedom hinder that. 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 
 
 31 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Of the proprium of the principle. What the 
 principle is, or what they all three are, 
 
 1. When life and movement appears, which pre- 
 viously existed not, a principle is present. Fire is 
 a principle with its property, and light is also a 
 principle with its property, for it is generated from 
 fire, and yet is not the fire's property. It has also 
 its own life in itself, but fire is cause thereof, and 
 the terrible anguish is a cause of both. 
 
 2. But the will to anguish, which gives birth to 
 the anguishful nature, and which is called Father, 
 that it is impossible to search out. We inquire 
 only how it brings itself into the highest perfection, 
 into the being of the Holy Trinity; and how it 
 manifests itself in three principles, and how the 
 essence of each source arises ; what essence is, whence 
 life with the senses has its origin, and the wonder 
 of all beings. 
 
 3. Thus, we recognize the third principle, or the 
 source of this world, with the stars and elements, 
 to be a creation from the marvels of the eternal 
 wisdom. 
 
 4. The third principle manifests the first two, 
 though each is manifest in itself. But the eternal 
 Being has willed in his wonders, which have been 
 beheld in wisdom, to manifest himself in such a 
 
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 32 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 property, viz. according to the ground of eternity, 
 according to the source of wrath and of love ; and 
 has created all into a creaturely and figurative 
 being, evil and good according to the eternal origin. 
 As we plainly see that in this world there is evil and 
 good; of which, however, the devils are a great 
 cause, who in their creation have at the fall moved 
 more vehemently the fierce matrix in the wrath, 
 God having moved himself more exceedingly 
 according to the property of wrath, to cast them 
 forth out of light into the death of fierce wrath- 
 fulness; whereby also the heavenly Essence was 
 moved, so that very much which stood in freedom 
 has become shut up in the earthly essence. 
 
 5. As we see in gold and its tincture, which is 
 free from the earthly essence. For it resists fire 
 and every quahty, no quality can hold it in check, 
 but only God's will; and that must come to pass 
 repeatedly by reason of the unworthiness of the 
 
 world. . 
 
 6. And if we rightly consider the creation of this 
 world and the spirit of the third principle, viz. the 
 spirit of the great world with the stars and elements, 
 we find therein the property of the eternal world 
 as it were mixed, like unto a great marvel, whereby 
 God, the highest good, has willed to manifest and 
 bring into being the eternal wonders which existed 
 
 in mystery. 
 
 7. We find good and evil, and we tind in all 
 things the centrum naturae or the torture-chamber. 
 But we find especially the spirit of the great 
 world in two sources, viz. in heat and cold. 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 83 
 
 Here, by cold we understand the centre of the 
 sour sharp fierceness, and by heat the principle 
 of fire, and yet they have but one origin from one 
 another. 
 
 8. Fire arises from the fierceness of the cold, and 
 cold from the centrum naturae, viz. from the sour 
 sharp anguish, where the sourness (astringency) 
 contracts so strongly into itself and makes sub- 
 stance. As we are to know that in the motion of 
 the Father at creation it has made earth and stones, 
 although there was no matter for this, but only 
 His own being, which is generated in two principles, 
 viz. in the light-world and world of death, in two 
 desires. 
 
 9. That which the fierceness attained in the 
 motion became shaped into the terrestrial globe. 
 And we find therein a diversity of things, evil and 
 good; and it often happens that from the worst 
 may be made the best, because the centrum naturae 
 is therein. If it be brought into fire, the pure child 
 of the eternal Essence may be extracted from it; 
 when it is liberated from death, as is to be seen in 
 gold. 
 
 10. In this world, however, we cannot attain 
 the eternal fire, and therefore also can develop 
 nothing from this principle. That is want of the 
 eternal fire, which we do not reach but in imagina- 
 tion only, by which a man has power to lead life 
 out of death and bring it into the divine substan- 
 tiality. This can be done only in man ; but what is 
 outside of man belongs to God, and remains unto 
 the renovation, to the end of this time. 
 
 I' 
 \ ■ 
 
 y\ 
 
34 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 11. And thus we give you to understand the 
 nature and property of the principles. The first 
 Principle lies in the fire of the will, and is a cause 
 of the two others, also of life and understanding; 
 and is an upholding of Nature, as well as of all the 
 properties of the Father. 
 
 12. The second Principle lies in light, as in the 
 fire of desire. This desire makes substance from 
 the property of the first principle. 
 
 13. The first and second principle are Father and 
 Son in eternity. One dwells in the other, and yet 
 each retains its property. There is no mixing in 
 the essence; but one receives the other in desire, 
 and the hght dwells in the fire's desire, so that the 
 fire's property gives its desire to the light, and the 
 light to the fire. 
 
 14. Thus there is one being and not two, but 
 two properties, whereof one is not the other, nor 
 eternally can become so. As the spirit's property 
 cannot be fire and hght, and yet proceeds from 
 fire out of light, and could not subsist either from 
 fire or from light alone. Fire alone can not give 
 it, neither could light, but the two give it. It is 
 the life of both, and is one being only, but three 
 properties, whereof one is not the other, as is to 
 be seen in fire, light and air. 
 
 15. The third Principle has just these properties. 
 It has also fire, light and spirit, that is, air; and 
 is in all particulars like to the eternal Being. But 
 it has a beginning, and proceeds from the Eternal ; 
 it is a manifestation of the Eternal, an awakening, 
 imaffe and similitude of the Eternal. It is not the 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 35 
 
 Eternal; but an essence has arisen in the eternal 
 Desire, which has manifested itself therein and 
 brought itself into a being like the Eternal. 
 
 16. Reason says: God has made this world out 
 of nothing. Answer : There was certainly for that 
 no substance or matter that were outwardly pal- 
 pable; but there was such a form in the eternal 
 power in the will. 
 
 17. The creation of this world was brought about 
 by an awakening of the Will-spirit. The inner 
 will, which exists within in itself, has stirred up its 
 own nature, as the centre, which, passing out of 
 itself, is desirous of the light which is pressing forth 
 from the centre. Thus the centre has seized out 
 of itself a being in desire; that is, it has seized 
 or made for itself being in its own imagination 
 in desire, and has also laid hold of the light's 
 nature. 
 
 18. It has with the beginning laid hold of the 
 Eternal; and therefore the beings of this world 
 must enter by figure again into the Eternal, for 
 they have been apprehended in the Eternal. But 
 whatever was made or seized from the beginning 
 in desire, that returns into its aether as into the 
 nothing, merely into the mirror of imagination 
 again. That is not of the Eternal, but is and be- 
 longs to the eternal Magic in desire. Like as a fire 
 swallows up and consumes a substance whereof 
 nothing remains, but becomes again as it was when 
 as yet it was no substance. 
 
 19. And thus we give you to understand what 
 this world's existence is. Nothing else than a 
 
36 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 coagulated smoke from the eternal aether, which 
 thus has a fulfilment like the Eternal. It shuts 
 itself in a centrum, of a substance, and finally con- 
 sumes itself again; and returns again into the 
 eternal Magic, and is but for a while a wonder as a 
 revelation of the Eternal, whereby the Eternal, 
 which is manifest in itself, manifests itself also out 
 of itself, and pours out its imagination; and thus 
 renews that which was seized or made by the motion 
 in desire, that the end may again enter into the 
 beginning. 
 
 20. For nothing can enter into the freedom of 
 the Eternal, except it be like the Eternal, subsist in 
 the fire of the will, and be as subtle as the light's sub- 
 stantiality, that is, as a water which can dwell in a 
 being wherein the light can dwell, and convey its 
 lustre through. This is not laid hold of by the 
 centrum naturae^ and though it be the property of 
 Nature, yet it is something eternal. 
 
 21. Thus we give you to understand that all 
 that is born in this world, which has substance, 
 which proceeds not from the eternal Essence, 
 inherits not the Eternal; but its figure persists 
 magically in the eternal Mystery, for it went origin- 
 ally at creation out of the Eternal. But its body 
 and the entire substance of the source passes away, 
 as a smoke is consumed; for it is from the begin- 
 ning, and goeth into the end. 
 
 22. But whatever arises from the eternal Essence, 
 from the essentiality of the eternal Light, cannot 
 pass away. That only in it perishes, which, pro- 
 ceeding from the temporal, has entered into the 
 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 37 
 
 Eternal ; as the outer flesh, which through imagina- 
 tion was in man introduced into the Eternal; that 
 must be consumed like smoke. 
 
 23. But whatever originating from the eternal 
 Imagination is re-introduced into the Eternal, 
 persists eternally ; and that which is born from the 
 Eternal (understand, from the Eternal Nature), 
 and is in man the soul, remains eternally, for it has 
 arisen from the Eternal. 
 
 24. But if something be born from the eternal 
 centre of wrath, that may enter into its renovation, 
 if it will. As the Eternal Nature of the essence 
 of external Nature renews itself, and abandons that 
 which it made in the beginning, and retains only 
 the magical image which it brought out of the 
 eternal will into the outward by the Verhum Fiat 
 at creation; so may man also renew that which he 
 makes. If he abandon the earthly, then he may 
 renew that which he has progenerated from the 
 Eternal ; but if it be not renewed, it remains in the 
 
 source. 
 
 25. For all that becomes not or is not as fire, 
 light and water, cannot subsist in freedom, but 
 remains in the source of that which it has awakened 
 or made in itself, — understand, from the centrum 
 naturae. Whatever it has introduced into the will 
 of freedom will thus be for it a torment and gnaw- 
 
 .ing, or contrary opposite will, which it has generated 
 from its own nature, by which it has made freedom 
 dark for itself, so that the light cannot shine 
 through. That will be its darkness. 
 
 26. For where the will is dark, there also the being 
 
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 38 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 of the will, or its body, is dark ; and where the will 
 is in torment, there also the body is in torment. 
 For which cause the children of the light of free- 
 dom will be separated in the source of anguish from 
 the children of darkness, each into its principle. 
 
 27. Further, we give you to understand that each 
 principle generates its own life according to its 
 property. But fire is the bound of separation 
 which satisfies the two eternal principles, darkness 
 and light. To the darkness it gives its sting and 
 the pang, and to the hght its sensibility and life. 
 
 28. So also the third Principle has two properties, 
 viz. heat and cold. Heat is the principle, and gives 
 its sting and pang to the cold; and to the light 
 it gives hfe and sensibility. The light in its turn 
 gives its substantiahty to the fire, so that it is 
 united amicably with it. The cold gives also its 
 property and substantiality to the fire, and the 
 fire breaks this, and makes from its substantiality 
 death and a dying. There is always, therefore, an 
 enmity between heat and cold, and they are never 
 
 at one. 
 
 29. But this thev attain in their enmity, that 
 life buds through death; for from heat and cold 
 arises the growth of the third principle (in which 
 we live outwardly). From cold there comes fruit 
 out of the earth, as well as the body of all creatures, 
 and, in the elements, substance. From heat there 
 comes in its contention life into the body of all 
 creatures and plants; as also in the deep of the 
 elements it gives the spirit of the great world 
 in diversity of figures. That is to say, where 
 
 \ 
 
 i^i; 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 39 
 
 cold makes substance, there heat makes a spirit. 
 
 30. Thus is the Essence all in wrestling combat, 
 that the wonders of the eternal world may become 
 manifest in fragility, and that the eternal exemplar 
 in the wisdom of God may be brought into figures. 
 And that these models in the eternal INIagic, in 
 Mystery, may stand eternally to God's glory, and 
 for the joy of angels and men; not indeed in being, 
 but in INIystery, in Magic, as a shadow of being, 
 that it may be eternally known what God has 
 wrought, and what he can and is able to do. 
 
 31. For, after the dissolution of this world, there 
 remains in existence only what is eternal, as eternal 
 spirits with the eternal substantiality of their bodies, 
 together with the wonders wrought here, which 
 stand in figure magically, by which the spirits will 
 recognize the might and marvels of God. 
 
 32. We are now to consider the principles with 
 their wonders. These are all three none else than 
 the one God in his wonderful works, who has 
 manifested himself by this world according to the 
 property of his nature. And we are thus to under- 
 stand a threefold Being, or three worlds in one 
 another. 
 
 33. The first is the fire-world, which takes its 
 rise from the centrum naturae, and Nature from the 
 desiring will, which in eternal freedom has its origin 
 in the unground, whereof we have not nor support 
 any knowledge. 
 
 34. And the second is the Hght-world which 
 dwells in freedom in the unground, out of Nature, 
 but proceeds from the fire-world. It receives its 
 
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 40 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 life and sensibility from fire. It dwells in fire, and 
 the fire apprehends it not. And this is the middle 
 world. 
 
 35. Fire in the centrum naturae before its en- 
 kindling gives the dark world; but is in its enkin- 
 dling in itself the world of light, when it separates 
 into light and leaves the centre in darkness, for it 
 is onlv a source in itself, and a cause of life. 
 
 36. It has creatures, but they are of the same 
 fierce essence. They feel no pain; to them the 
 light were a pain. But to the fallen devils, who in 
 the principle were created in the world of light, 
 to them the darkness is a pain, and fire a strength 
 or might, for it is their right life, although according 
 to many properties, by virtue of the centrum nat- 
 urae, in accordance with that essence. 
 
 37. The third world is the outer, in which we 
 dwell by the outer body with the external works 
 and beings. It was created from the dark world 
 and also from the light-world, and therefore it is 
 evil and good, terrible and lovely. Of this property 
 Adam was not to eat, nor imaginate thereinto; 
 but the three worlds were to stand in him in order, 
 that one might not comprehend the other, as in God 
 himself. For Adam was created from all the three 
 worlds, an entire image and similitude of God. 
 
 38. But seeing he has eaten of evil and good, and 
 introduced the outer into the middle, the outer 
 must now break off from the middle ; and a separa- 
 tion takes place, in which the outer must return 
 into its aether, and the middle remains. 
 
 39. Thus, if one see a right man, he may say: 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 41 
 
 I see here three worlds standing, but not moving. 
 For the outer world moves by the outer body, but 
 the outer body has no power to move the light- 
 world; it has only introduced itself into the world 
 of light, whereby the light-world is become extin- 
 guished in man. He has, however, remained to 
 be the dark world in himself; and the light-world 
 stands in him immoveable, it is in him as it were 
 hidden. 
 
 40. But if he be a right man by the new birth, 
 then it stands in him as light shines through water, 
 and makes the essence mobile and desireful, so that 
 the essence buds. Thus it is with the new man in 
 the Light. And as we cannot move the light of the 
 sun, so neither can we move the eternal Light or 
 the hght-world. It stands still and shines through 
 everything that is susceptible of it, whatsoever is 
 thin like a nothing, as indeed fire and water are; 
 though all is substantial, but in reference to the 
 external as a nothing. 
 
 41. Thus each principle has its growth from 
 itself; and that must be, else all were a nothing. 
 
 42. The principle of fire is the root, and it grows 
 in its root. It has in its proprium sour, bitter, 
 fierceness and anguish; and these grow in its 
 proprium in poison and death into the anguishful 
 stern hfe, which in itself gives darkness, owing to 
 the drawing-in of the harshness. Its properties 
 make sulphur, mercury and salt; though the fire's 
 property makes not Sul in sulphur, but the will of 
 freedom makes Sul in Phur, whilst the principle 
 goes forward. 
 
42 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 43. But what advances into its properties is only 
 Phur, viz. sternness, with the other forms in the 
 centre. This is the chief cause of Ufe and of the 
 being of all things. Though it is bad in itself, yet 
 it is the most useful of all to life and the manifesta- 
 tion of life. For there could be no life without this 
 property, and this principle is gi'ounded in the 
 internal and external world; in the internal as 
 imperceptible, in the external perceptible by its 
 fierceness. 
 
 44. The second Principle has also its growth from 
 itself, for fire streams forth in light with its pro- 
 perties. But the Light transforms the fierce wrath- 
 ful properties into a desire of love and joy. And 
 therefore the fire's essence and property is wholly 
 transformed in the Light, so that out of anguish 
 and pain comes a love-desire, out of the stinging 
 and raging a friendfy sensible understanding. 
 
 45. For the Light kindles the essences with the 
 quality of love, so that they give from themselves 
 a growth in the property of the spirit: viz. a friendly 
 will, morality, piety, patience in suffering, hope 
 to be delivered from evil; continually speaking of 
 God's wonderful works in desire and joy, ringing 
 forth, singing and rejoicing in the works and won- 
 ders of God ; always desiring to do right, to hinder 
 evil and wickedness; always wishing to draw one's 
 neighbour by love into the world of light; fleeing 
 from evil; always subduing the evil affections with 
 patience, in hope of being released therefrom; 
 rejoicing in the hope of that which the eyes see 
 not and external Reason knows not; continually 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 43 
 
 pressing forth out of evil, and introducing the desire 
 into the divine Being; always wishing to eat of 
 God's bread. 
 
 46. These properties hath the new man who is 
 born again from the light-world. These are his 
 fruits, which the light-world continually brings forth 
 in him quite hiddenly to the old Adam, and continu- 
 ally mortifies the old Adam of this world, and is 
 always in combat with him. Which old Adam 
 must therefore follow the new man; in sooth like 
 a lazy ass which is obliged to carry the sack, his 
 master continually lashing him on. Thus doth the 
 new man to the old; he compels him, so that he 
 must do what he would fain not do. What pertains 
 to the joy of this world were more acceptable to the 
 old ass; but he must thus be the servant. 
 
 47. Secondly, the principle has its growth, and 
 gives its fruit to the third principle generally, viz. 
 to the spirit of the great world, so that the external 
 and internal turba are held in check. It presses 
 through and gives f ruitf ulness ; it stays the fierce- 
 ness of the stars, and breaks the constellation of 
 the spirits and also of the firmamental heaven. 
 It resists the wrath of the devil and the devices of 
 wicked men, so far however as there are found saints 
 who are worthy of it. < 
 
 48. The third Principle has also its growth; and 
 therein were generated and created from what is 
 inward the stars and elements, which in this place 
 together with the sun are called the third principle. 
 For the two inward worlds, viz. the fire-world and 
 light-world, have manifested themselves by the third , 
 
 / 
 
44 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 principle ; and all is mixed together, good and evil, 
 love and enmity, life and death. In every life 
 there is death and fire; also, contrariwise, a desire 
 of love, all according to the property of the internal 
 world. And two kinds of fruit grow therefrom, 
 evil and good; and each fruit has both properties. 
 They show themselves moreover in every life in 
 this world, so that wrath and the evil quality are 
 always fighting against love, each property seeking 
 and bearing fruit. What the good makes, that 
 the evil destroys; and what the evil makes, that 
 the good destroys. It is a perpetual war and 
 contention, for the properties of both the inward 
 principles are active externally; each bears and 
 produces fruit to the internal kingdom, each will 
 be lord. 
 
 49. Cold, as the issue from the inward centre, 
 from the fierceness of death, will be lord, and be 
 continually shutting up in death ; it always awakens 
 the sting of death. And heat, as the issue from the 
 right fire, will also be lord; it would subdue and 
 consmne all, and will be always crude or unfash- 
 ioned, without a body. It is a spirit, and desires 
 only a spirit-Hfe. It gives sting to the cold, for 
 oftentimes it kills it, so that it must forego its right 
 and surrender itself to the heat. 
 
 50. In the same way the sun, or the light, will 
 also have reason and be lord. It overcomes heat 
 and cold, for it makes in its lucid gentleness water, 
 and introduces in the light's spirit a friendly spirit, 
 viz. the air; although fire gives the force of the 
 wind, and the sun the gentle spirit which is properly 
 
 THE FIRST POINT 45 
 
 called air. It is indeed one, but has two properties, 
 one according to the fire, as a terrible uplifting, and 
 one according to the light, as a gentle life. 
 
 51. The external principle is thus a perpetual 
 war and contention, a building and breaking; what 
 the sun or the light builds, that the cold destroys, 
 and the fire consumes it entirely. 
 
 52. In this struggle its growth rises in mere 
 combat and disunion ; the one draws out of the earth 
 its fruitfulness, the other destroys or swallows it up 
 again. 
 
 53. In all animals it causes malice and strife ; for 
 all animals and all the life of this world, except man, 
 is only a fruit of the third principle and possesses 
 only the life of the third principle, both its spirit 
 and body are only this. And all that moves in 
 this world, and man by his spirit and visible body in 
 flesh and blood, is also only the fruit of this same 
 essence, and nothing else at all. 
 
 54. But seeing he has in himself also the two 
 inward worlds (which give him the right under- 
 standing, discernment and disposition; which also 
 during this time of the earthly and elemental body 
 are in conflict with one another), let him therefore 
 take heed; the world that he makes lord in him, 
 the same will eternally be lord in him. During 
 this time he can break, and no farther. When the 
 outward breaks, then all stands in its aether. The 
 soul is free, and is the punctum, and has the under- 
 standing; it may incline whither it will and may 
 support which principle it pleases; the aether into 
 which it enters, there it is eternally. 
 
46 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 55, And thus we understand the foundation of 
 the three principles (hke as the tongue of the beam 
 of a" balance) ; what God and eternity is and is able 
 to do, and what growth each principle gives from 
 itself, from its property, and how we are to investi- 
 gate the ground of Nature. 
 
 Thus the first part or point is completed. 
 
 THE SECOND POINT 
 
 Of the mixed tree of evil and good, or the life 
 of the three principles in one another; 
 how they unite and agree. 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 1. In God's kingdom, viz. in the light-world, no 
 more than one principle is truly known. For the 
 Light rules, and the other sources and properties 
 all exist hiddenly as a mystery; for they must 
 all serve the Light, and give their will to the Light. 
 And therefore the wrath-essence is transformed in 
 the Light into a desire of light and of love, into 
 gentleness. 
 
 2. Although the properties, viz. sour, bitter, 
 anguish and the sharp pang in fire remain eternally 
 even in the light-world, yet none of them is mani- 
 fest in its property; but they are all of them 
 together only causes of Hfe, mobility and joy. 
 
 3. That which in the dark world is a pang, is in 
 the light- world a pleasing delight ; and what in the 
 dark is a stinging and enmity, is in the light an 
 uplifting joy. And that which in the dark is a fear, 
 terror and trembling, is in the light a shout of joy, a 
 ringing forth and singing. And that could not be, 
 if originally there were no such fervent, austere 
 source. 
 
 47 
 
48 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 4. The dark world is therefore the ground and 
 origin of the hght-world ; and the terrible evil must 
 be a cause of the good, and all is God's. 
 
 5. But the hght-world is only called God; and 
 the principle between the light-world and dark 
 world is called God's anger and fierce wrath. If 
 this be awakened, as by the devil and all wicked 
 men, these are then abandoned of the Light and 
 fall into the dark world. 
 
 6. The dark world is called death and hell, the 
 abyss, a sting of death, despair, self-enmity and 
 sorrowfulness; a Ufe of mahce and falsehood, in 
 which the truth and the light is not seen and is not 
 known. Therein dwell the devils and the damned 
 souls; also the hellish worms, which the Fiat of 
 death has figui'ed in the motion of the omnipresent 
 
 Lord. 
 
 7. For hell hath in the darkness the greatest 
 constellation of the fervent, austere power. With 
 them all is audible as a loud noise. What rings in 
 the Light, knocks and thumps in the Dark, as is 
 to be seen in the thing men use to strike upon, 
 that it gives a ringing sound. For the sound is not 
 the thing ; as a bell that is rung is itself not a sound, 
 but only a hardness and a cause of the sound. The 
 bell receives the stroke as a knocking, and from the 
 hard knocking proceeds the ringing sound. The 
 reason is this, that in the matter of the bell there is 
 an element, which, at creation, in the motion of the 
 omnipresent God, was shut up in the hardness; as 
 is to be seen in the metalline tincture, if men would 
 not be so mad and blind. 
 
 THE SECOND POINT 49 
 
 8. We recognize, then, that in hell, in the abyss, 
 there are many and divers spirits, not only devils, 
 but many hellish worms according to the property 
 of their constellation, and void of understanding. 
 As in this world there are irrational animals — 
 worms, toads and serpents — so has also the abyss 
 such in the fierce wrathful world. For all willed 
 to be creaturely, and is gone into a being, so that 
 the wrath-mirror also exhibited its wonders and 
 manifested itself. 
 
 9. There is indeed no feeling of pain in the hellish 
 worms, for they are of the same essence and prop- 
 erty. It is their life, and is a nature that is hidden 
 to the outer world; but the Spirit of God who in 
 all three principles is himself the source in accord- 
 ance with each property, he knows it and reveals it 
 to whom he will. 
 
 10. If now we would say how the three principles 
 are united together, we must place fire in the middle 
 as the highest force, which brings to each principle 
 a satisfying life and a spirit that it requires. There 
 is, therefore, in the principles no strife; for fire 
 is the life of all the principles, — understand, the 
 cause of life, not the life itself. To the abyss it 
 gives its pang, viz. the sting, so that death finds 
 itself in a life; else the abvss were a stillness. It 
 gives it its fierceness, which is the lift, mobility and 
 original condition of the abyss; else there were a 
 still eternity and a nothing. 
 
 11. And to the light-world fire gives also its 
 essence, else there were no feeling nor light therein, 
 and all were onlv one. And yet bevond fire a 
 
50 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 Nothing, as an eye of wonders that knew not 
 itself, in which were no understanding; but an 
 eternal hiddenness, where no seeking or doing were 
 possible. 
 
 12. And to the third principle, viz. to the king- 
 dom of this world, fire gives also its essence and 
 quality, whereby all life and growth rises. All 
 sense, and whatever is to come to anything, must 
 have fire. There springs nothing out of the earth 
 without the essence of fire. It is a cause of all 
 the three principles, and of all that can be named. 
 
 13. Thus fire makes a union of all the three 
 principles, and is for each the cause of being. One 
 principle fights not against another, but the essence 
 of each desires only its own, and is always in com- 
 bat; and if that were not, then all were a still 
 nothingness. Each principle gives to the other its 
 power and form, and there is a perpetual peace 
 between them. 
 
 \ 14. The dark world has the great pain and 
 anguish which gives birth to fire, so that the will 
 longs after freedom, and freedom longs after mani- 
 festation, viz. after essences, and gives itself to 
 fierceness that it may thus manifest itself. And it 
 is brought thus into fire, so that from fierceness and 
 freedom a fire arises. It gives itself to fierceness 
 to swallow up in death ; but passes out of death with 
 the received essences into a sphere of its own, as 
 into a special world or source ; and dwells in itself 
 unapprehended by death and the dark world, and 
 is a light in itself. 
 
 15. Thus are death and fierceness a mother of 
 
 THE SECOND POINT 51 
 
 fire, also a cause of the light-world ; a cause, more- 
 over, of all the essence of the third principle, a 
 cause of all the essences in all lives. How then 
 should one principle fight against another, if each 
 vehemently desires the other? 
 
 16. For the angelic light-world, and also this our 
 visible world, must have the essence of dark death 
 for their life and source ; there is a continual hunger 
 
 after it. 
 
 17. But each principle makes the source accord- 
 ing to its property. It gives to the evil its good, 
 and unites itself with it, and of three makes one, 
 so that there is no strife between the three principles. 
 But in the essence there is strife; and that must 
 be, or all were a nothing. 
 
 18. But we are to consider whence enmity has. 
 its origin. God has in each principle created 
 creatures from the nature and proprium of the 
 principle, therein to remain. And if they remain 
 not therein, but introduce another thing by their 
 imagination into themselves, into their property, 
 that is an enmity and torment to them, as to the 
 
 * devil and fallen man. Both these are gone out 
 from the light-world; the devil into the abyss of 
 the strong wrath-power through pride, and man 
 into this world, into the mystery of multiscience, 
 as into the wonders. 
 
 19. And now man has a difficulty and struggle 
 to come out again; and this world, into which he 
 has entered, holds him, for it will have him; and if 
 he go out from it by force, it becomes hostile to him, 
 assails him, and will not suffer him in itself. 
 
52 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 20. Hence it is that the children of this world 
 do hate, vex, strike, kill and drive from them the 
 children of light, for the spirit of this world impels 
 them thereto. To which also the devil helps, for 
 he knows that this world rests upon the abyss, and 
 that he will receive the children of this world at 
 the dissolution of this Mystery into his kingdom. 
 Therefore he drives the children of God from this 
 world, lest they introduce his children of this world 
 along with them into the world of light. 
 
 21. But if man had been created for this world, 
 he would certainly let him alone ; but he continually 
 desires to recapture his royal seat which he had, and 
 from which he was cast out ; and if he may in no wise 
 obtain it, he would deny it to the children who are 
 to possess it. 
 
 22. Now this is for man highly to consider, and 
 not to be so blind. Every man has entered into 
 the mystery of this world; but he should not there- 
 fore as a prisoner enter also into the earthly craving 
 of the confining of death, but should be a 
 discerner and knower of the Mystery, and not 
 the devil's butt and fool. He should by the 
 imagination continually go out again into the light- 
 world for which he was created, in order that the 
 light may give him lustre, that he may know 
 himself and see the outer Mystery. Then he is 
 a man. But if not, he is the devil's fool and the 
 ape of the light-world. Just as an ape will be 
 knowing and play with everything, and imitate 
 everything, so it is with the earthly man, who is but 
 an ape. His jugghng tricks with the light- world, 
 
 THE SECOND POINT 53 
 
 when he presses not thereinto with earnestness, 
 but only plays therewith, — this the devil derides, 
 and accounts him a fool. And so he is; he is an 
 animal-man. Go long as he is attached with his 
 will to the external, and regards this world's good 
 as his treasure, he is only a man with this world's ■ 
 essence, and not with the essence of God's light- 
 world; and he gives his body to this world or to 
 the earth, and his soul to the abyss of the dark 
 world. 
 
 23. Thus we give you to understand that in the 
 tree of the three principles, these agree very well 
 together, but not the creatures; for the creatures 
 of each principle desire not the others. And there 
 is a strong bar and closure between them, so that we 
 know not, nor shall we see the others. 
 
 24. But the devil's envy wars against the human 
 race, for they have possessed his seat. Therefore 
 it is said ; Man, seek thyself, and see what thou art, 
 and beware of the devil. So much on the second 
 point, how the three principles can agree unitedly 
 together. 
 
THE THIRD POINT 
 
 Of the origin of contrariety in growth, in 
 that life becomes strifeful in itself. 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 1. A thing that is one, that has only one will, 
 contends not against itself. But where there are 
 many wills in a thing, they become contending, 
 for each would go its own conceived way. But if 
 one be lord of the other, and has entirely full power 
 over all the others, so that it can break them if 
 they obey it not; then the thing's multiphcity 
 has its existence in one reality, for the multitude 
 of wills all give themselves to obedience of their 
 
 lord. 
 
 2. And thus we give you to understand life's 
 contrariety, for life consists of many wills. Every 
 essence may carry with it a will, and indeed does so. 
 For sour, bitter, anguish and acid is a contrarious 
 source, each having its own property, and wholly 
 adverse one to the other. So is fire the enemy of 
 all the others, for it puts each source into great 
 anguish, so that there is a great opposition between 
 them, the one being hostile to the other, as is to 
 be seen in heat and cold, fire and water, life and 
 death. 
 
 3. So likewise the hfe of man is at enmity with 
 
 54 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 55 
 
 itself. Each form is hostile to the other, and not 
 only in man, but in all creatures; unless the forms 
 of life obtain a gentle, gracious lord, under whose 
 control they must be, who can break their might 
 and will. That is found in the Light of Ufe, which 
 is lord of all the forms, and can subdue them all; 
 they must all give their will to the Light. And 
 they do it also gladly, for the Light gives them 
 gentleness and power, so that their harsh, stem, 
 bitter, anguishful forms are all transformed into 
 lovehness. They all give their will to the Light 
 of life, and the Light gives them gentleness. 
 
 4. Plurality is thus transformed into unity, into 
 one will which is called the mind, and is the foun- 
 tain from which the one will is able to draw evil 
 and good. This is done by imagination, or by 
 representation of a thing that is evil or good ; and 
 hence the thing's property is susceptible of the 
 same property in the hfe. The life's property 
 seizes the property of the thing represented, be it 
 either a word or a work, and enkindles itself there- 
 with in itself. It kindles also the other forms of 
 life therewith, so that they begin to quaUfy, and 
 every property burns in its source, either in love 
 or wrath, all according to the nature represented. 
 Whatever the imagination has seized, that it intro- 
 duces into the mind. 
 
 5. We give you therefore to understand that 
 when the mind thus enkindles itself in a form, it 
 enkindles the whole spirit and body, and forthwith 
 carries its imagination into the inmost fire of the 
 soul, and awakens the inmost centrum naturae. 
 
56 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 This, when it is enkindled, be it in wrath or love, 
 apprehends itself in all the seven forms of Nature, 
 which reach after the spirit of the soul's will, wherein 
 is the noble image in which God reveals himself, 
 and introduce their enkindled fire thereunto. As 
 you have a similitude of this in fire: According to 
 the matter in which it burns, such a light does it 
 give; as is to be seen in sulphur compared with 
 wood, and in many things besides. 
 
 6. We understand then by this, that whatever 
 nature and property the fire hath, such a property 
 getteth also the light and the power of the light. 
 
 7. Seeing then our noble image of God stands in 
 the Light of life, in the soul's fire, it is highly recog- 
 nizable by us how the spirit of the soul's will or the 
 noble image is corrupted, and becomes enkindled 
 in the source of wrath, often also in the source of 
 love. And we see here our great danger and mis- 
 ery, and do rightly understand why Christ has 
 taught us patience, love and meekness, viz. that the 
 soul's fire kindle not itself in wrath, also that we give 
 not occasion to others to kindle their souls' fire 
 in wrath, in order that God's kingdom be not 
 hindered. 
 
 8. Herein we recognize our heavy fall, that Adam 
 has introduced into our souls' fire earthly matter, 
 which burns as often as a source is awakened in 
 the centre of the property of wrath. We see thus 
 how we lie captive in God's wrath between anger 
 and love, in great danger. 
 
 9. And we give you this highly to recognize. 
 You know, as we have set forth above and in all 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 57 
 
 our books, how from fire light proceeds as another 
 principle, and yet has the fire's property and power, 
 for the fire's centre gives them to the light's centre. 
 And how the light is also desirous, and has a matrix 
 of longing desire, which makes itself pregnant in 
 desire with the power of the light, viz. with the 
 gentleness of the light; and in this pregnancy lies 
 the substance of the light, that is in the pure love 
 of the Divine Nature. 
 
 10. And then we have informed you how the fire 
 draws this substance into itself, uses it for its light's 
 essence, and swallows it up in itself, but gives from 
 the essence another spirit, which is not fire. As 
 indeed you see that fire gives two spirits: One 
 that is furious and consuming, consisting of fierce- 
 ness as property of the first matter; and secondly 
 an air-spirit, which is the property of the light's 
 gentleness. 
 
 11. We are now to consider in what matter fire 
 burns in the first essence. In whatever it has 
 kindled itself, in love or anger, that is, in earthly 
 or divine desire, such a fire it is, and gives also such 
 a fire of light, and such a spirit from the fire of 
 hght. 
 
 12. Now, if the matter of the first fire, wherein 
 the fire burns, be good, then has the other fire of 
 light also a good property, savour and source, and 
 gives also a good, powerful, lovely light, and from 
 the light's centre also a good and powerful spirit; 
 and this spirit is the similitude of God, the noble 
 image. 
 
 13. But if the first fire be evil in its essence, and 
 
58 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 has an evil matter in which it burns, then is also 
 the life's light a false source and a dim shining, as 
 is to be seen in a sulphurous light; and the centre 
 of this desiring light brings also out of its property 
 such a matter into its fire, and the fire gives such a 
 spirit from itself. 
 
 14. It is now evident what spirit can or cannot 
 attain the freedom of God. For the souFs spirit 
 or the image which has in itself the dim, dark 
 property, cannot be capable of the clear light of 
 God. Further, if it has in itself fierce wrathful 
 essences and qualities, it cannot unite with the 
 gentleness of God and inqualify with it; for wrath 
 is enmity against love and gentleness, and love 
 suffers not wrath within it. Here they are sepa- 
 rated : love thrusts wrath from it, and neither does 
 wrath desire any more the property of love. 
 
 15. For as soon as fire gives spirit from itself, 
 it is perfect, and separates into its proprium, be it 
 a spirit of light, or a dark wrathful sulphurous 
 spirit. And into the same essence from which it is 
 gone out does it desire to return again; for it is 
 its property, be it in love or enmity to love. 
 
 16. Accordingly we understand what spirits or 
 souls live in the source of enmity, and how enmity 
 originally arises, so that a life is at enmity with 
 itself from the first matter unto the life's light. 
 The cause lies in the wheel of Nature, in the seven 
 spirits or forms, each of which has its own pro- 
 perty; and in whichever property the mind be- 
 comes enkindled, such a property getteth its soul's 
 fire together with the will's spirit, which straight- 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 59 
 
 way aspires after substance and being, how it may 
 realize that with which the spirit of the will is 
 pregnant. 
 
 17. Now it is necessary to break the earthly 
 will's power and kill the old evil Adam, and bring 
 his will-spirit by compulsion and force out of 
 wickedness. For here, in this time, that is possible ; 
 because the third principle by the water which 
 gives gentleness is attached to the centre of the 
 inward nature, and holds it captive as it were in its 
 quaUty. 
 
 18. But if the spirit of the soul's will, as the 
 inward centre of light, breaks off from the outward 
 and remains alone, then the soul's spirit remains 
 in its property. For there is little remedy unless 
 the spirit of the will have in the time of the external 
 life turned round to God's love, and attained this 
 as a sparkle in the inward centre. Then some- 
 thing may be done. But in what agony and travail 
 that is done, experiences full well the sparkle of 
 love, which has to break down dark fierce death. 
 It is purgatory enough to it. In what enmity 
 life stands, in terror and anguish, till it can sink 
 into the sparkle, into the freedom of God, he in- 
 deed experiences who departs from this world so 
 nakedly with little light. This, the present much 
 too wise world regards as a jesting matter; but 
 what kind of knowledge it has, it shows by its 
 doing. 
 
 19. And thus we understand also the devil's fall, 
 who was an angel; how he imaginated back into 
 the centre of the first property, and sought great 
 
immgBmmBmmm'H 
 
 60 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 strength and might (as the present world seeks 
 great might and honour), and despised the hght 
 of love. Albeit he supposed the light would burn 
 for him thus (and the world also hopes and supposes 
 the light of God shall burn in its pomp), and he 
 willed to enkindle himself still more vehemently, 
 to see if he could dominate over all thrones, and 
 over the essence of the Deity in gentleness; which 
 proved to be his fall, as will happen also to the 
 present world. 
 
 20. Therefore let every man learn hereby to 
 beware of pride and covetousness; for the devil's 
 fall came through pride and covetousness, in that 
 he kindled in himself the centre of the dark world. 
 Hence he was cast out of the light-world into the 
 dark world. And thus it fares with all men, who, 
 abandoning meekness and humility, enter into 
 wrath, pride, covetousness and envy. All these 
 imaginate into the centre of the dark Nature, as 
 into the origin of Nature, and withdraw into the 
 dark fire of the source of anguish, where the noble 
 image is introduced into another quality, so that 
 it must be in fear and enmitv, each form of life 
 being hostile to the other. 
 
 21. And we see also very exactly herefrom, how 
 God's kingdom is found only in the bright clear 
 light in freedom, in love and gentleness ; for that is 
 the property of the white clear light. As is to be 
 seen in outer nature, that where there is a pleasant, 
 mild and sweet matter for the outer fire (which 
 is but the fierceness of the inner fire), that also 
 a pleasant light and odour arise from it. Much 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 61 
 
 more is this so in the spirit-fire, to which no com- 
 prehensible or external being belongs; but where 
 the seven spirits of Nature make in themselves a 
 fire, which is only a property and a source of fire, 
 as indeed the dark world and light-world stand in 
 such a spiritual property. 
 
 22. As also the inner man, who is from the 
 Eternal and who goeth into the Eternal; he has 
 only the two worlds in him. The property to which 
 he turns himself, into that world is he introduced, 
 and of that world's property will he eternally be, 
 and enjoy the same; either a source of love from 
 the light-world of gentleness, or a hostile source 
 from the dark world. 
 
 23. Here he buds and grows in the middle world 
 between the hght-world and dark world; he may 
 give himself up to which he pleases. The essence 
 which obtains the dominion in him, whether fierce- 
 ness or gentleness, the same he embraces, and it 
 han^s into him and leads him; it gives him morals 
 and will, and unites itself wholly with him; and 
 thereinto man brings the spiritual man, viz. the 
 image which God created from His being, from all 
 the three principles. 
 
 24. Therefore it is said : Take the cross upon thee ; 
 enter into patience, into a meek life. Do not what 
 the dark centre of wrath incites thee to, nor what 
 the falsehood and pleasure of this world entice 
 thee to; but break both their wills. Neither pro- 
 voke any to anger. For if thou deal falsely, thou 
 dost incense thy brother and hinder the kingdom 
 of God. 
 
62 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 25. Thou shouldst be a leader into the kingdom 
 of God, and enkindle thy brother with thy love and 
 meekness, that he may see in thee God's essence 
 as in a mirror, and thus in thee take hold also with 
 his imagination. Doest thou this, then bringest 
 thou thy soul, thy work, likewise thy neighbour 
 or brother into God's kingdom, and enlargest the 
 kingdom of heaven with its wonders. This has 
 Christ taught us, saying: If any smite thee on 
 one cheek, offer him the other also; if any take 
 away thy cloak, withhold not from him thy coat 
 also (Matt. v. 39, 40) ; that he may have in thee a 
 mirror and retreat into himself, see thy meekness, 
 acknowledge thou art God's child, and that God's 
 Spirit leads thee; that he may learn of thee, de- 
 scend into himself and seek himself. Else, if thou 
 oppose him with defiance and spite, his spite be- 
 comes kindled still more, and at last he thinks he is 
 acting right to thee. But thus he must certainly 
 recognize he doth thee wrong. 
 
 26. And as God's love resists all wicked men, 
 and the conscience often dissuades from evil, so 
 also thy meekness and patience go to his bad con- 
 science, and arraign the conscience in itself before 
 God's light in the wrath. In this way many a 
 wicked man goes out from his wickedness, descends 
 into himself and seeks himself. Then God's Spirit 
 puts him in mind of thy patience, and sets it before 
 his eyes, and so he is drawn thereby into repentance 
 and abstinence. 
 
 27. Not that one should not defend oneself 
 against a murderer or thief, who would murder and 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 63 
 
 steal. But where one sees that any is eager upon 
 unrighteousness, one should set his fault openly 
 with a good light before his eyes, and freely and 
 of good will offer him the Christian richly-loving 
 heart; that he may find actually and in fact, that 
 it is done out of love-zeal to God, and that love 
 and God's will are more to that man than the 
 earthly nature, and that he purposely will not 
 consent to anything passionate or evil being done; 
 that he may see that the children of God do love 
 more the love of God and do cleave more to it than 
 to any temporal good; and that God's children 
 are not at home in this world, but only pilgrims, 
 who gladly relinquish everything of this world 
 so that they may but inherit the kingdom of 
 heaven. 
 
 28. All this the Spirit of God puts before the 
 evil-doer in the hfe's light, and exhorts him there- 
 by to conversion. But if he will not, then the 
 wrath of God makes helHsh fire from it, and finally 
 gnaws him, to see if even yet he would know him- 
 self and repent. Persisteth he in wickedness, then 
 is he a wholly evil tree, grown in the wrath of God, 
 and belongs to the abyss, to the dark world of 
 anguish, to the dark God Lucifer; there he must 
 devour his own abominations. So much on the 
 third point. 
 
THE FOUR ill POINT 
 
 How THE HOLY AND GOOD TREE OF ETERNAL LIFE 
 GROWS THROUGH AND OUT OF ALL THE GROWTHS 
 OF THE THREE PRINCIPLES^ AND IS LAID HOLD 
 OF BY NONE. 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 1. A thing that dwells in itself can be grasped by 
 nothing, for it dwells in nothing; there is nothing 
 before it that can hold it in check, and it is free also 
 from the thing without it. 
 
 2. And thus we give you to understand concern- 
 ing the divine power and light, which dwells in 
 itself and is comprehended in nothing; nothing 
 touches it, unless it be of the property thereof. 
 It is everywhere in Nature, yet Nature touches it 
 not (understand, the outer Nature of the world). 
 It shines therein as the sun in the elements. The 
 sun shines in water, also in fire and through the 
 air, and yet is not seized or held by any of them. 
 It gives to all beings power, and makes the essential 
 spirits lovely and joyous. It draws by its power 
 essence out of the earth, and not only essence, but 
 also the being of the essences, which gives out of 
 the essence a body. 
 
 3. What the sun does in the third principle by 
 transforming all hostile essence and quality into 
 
 64 
 
 
 THE FOURTH POINT 65 
 
 gentleness, that God's light does in the forms of the 
 Eternal Nature. 
 
 4. It shines in them and also from them; that 
 is, it kindles the forms of Nature, so that they all 
 obtain the Light's will, and unite themselves and 
 give themselves up wholly to the Light; that is, 
 they sink down from their own essence and become 
 as if they had no might in themselves, and desire 
 only the Light's power and might. The Light 
 accordingly takes their power and might into itself, 
 and shines from this same power. And thus all the 
 forms of Nature attain to the Light, and the Light 
 together with Nature is but one will, and the Light 
 remains lord. 
 
 5. Else, if the wills in the stern forms of Nature 
 will be lord, there is a separation and an eternal 
 enmity. For one form is always at enmity with the 
 other; each elevates itself. And therefrom comes 
 contrariety, that a creature is so evil, wrathful and 
 hostile, that often Hfe is at strife in itself. 
 
 6. And as we know that the Light comes to the 
 aid of the stern life of Nature, of the properties of 
 the essences, so that a joyous life arises, and is thus 
 changed in the Light; so also we know that the 
 life of dark wrathfulness is the enemy of the Light, 
 for it cannot catch the Light. The eternal Light 
 shines through the darkness, and the darkness can- 
 not comprehend it ; for the plurality of wills in the 
 dark Nature are all shut up in death; the Light 
 shines not in them, but through them; they seize not, 
 nor do they see the Light. Nevertheless, the 
 Light is in the dark world, but it fills not the dark- 
 
66 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 ness; and therefore the essences of the dark world 
 remain a hostile poison and death, the essences being 
 at enmity with themselves. 
 
 7. Thus there are three principles in one another, 
 and one comprehends not the other ; and the eternal 
 Light cannot be laid hold of by anything, unless 
 that thing fall into death, and give its essence 
 voluntarily to the fire of Nature, and pass with its 
 essential will out of itself into the Light, and aban- 
 don itself wholly to the Light; and desire to will 
 or to do nothing, but commit its will to the Light, 
 that the Light may be its will. 
 
 8. Thus the Light seizes it, and it also the Light. 
 And thus the evil will is given up to the Light, and 
 the Light gives its power to the malignity, and 
 makes of the mahgnity a friendly good will, which 
 is only a love-desire; for the gentleness of the 
 Light has wholly embodied itself in the hostile will. 
 
 9. So then God's will is done, and the evil is trans- 
 formed into good, and God's love shines from his 
 anger and fierce wrath ; and no wrath is known in 
 God's Eternal Nature. Thus we are to understand 
 how the eternal Light, or the eternal Power-tree, 
 shines through all the three principles, unappre- 
 hended by any of them; for so long as an essence 
 is out of God's will (viz. the gentle hght-will), so 
 long is it sohtary and dwells in itself, and compre- 
 hends nothing of God. But if it unite itself to 
 God, and break and sink its own will, then it is one 
 spirit in and with God, and God shines from that 
 
 essence. 
 
 10. And we understand also why the wicked soul, 
 
 THE FOURTH POINT 67 
 
 as well as the devil, sees not and knows not God; 
 namely, because their will will not unite itself to 
 God, it will itself be lord. It remains accordingly 
 without God, only in itself, and God remains also 
 in himself; and so one dwells in the other, and 
 knows nothing of the other, for one turns its back to 
 the other, and sees not the face of the other. 
 
 11. And thus the world of light knows nothing 
 of the devils, and the devils know nothing of the 
 world of light, save only this, that they were once 
 in it. They represent it to themselves as one who 
 sees in imagination; although the light-world no 
 longer yields itself up to their imagination, neither 
 do they imaginate after it, for it terrifies them ; also 
 they are ashamed about it. 
 
 12. So likewise we are to understand concerning 
 the outer world. God's light shines through and 
 through, but is apprehended only by that which 
 unites itself thereunto. Seeing then this outer 
 world as it were dumb and without understanding 
 in respect of God, therefore it remains in its own 
 will, and carries its own spirit in itself, although 
 God has given it a Nature-god, viz. the sun, into 
 which every being should cast its will and desire; 
 whatever is in this world and does not do so, that 
 remains in itself a great malignity and is its own 
 enmity. 
 
 13. And this world is recognized as a special 
 principle because it has a Nature-god of its own, 
 namely the sun; and yet truly the light of the 
 Deity shines through all, through and through. 
 The light of the sun takes essence from God's fire, 1 
 
68 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 and God's fire from God's light. And thus the 
 light of the sun gives this power to the elements, and 
 they give it to the creatures, also to the plants of the 
 earth; and all that is of a good property receives 
 thus God's power as a lustre through the mirror of 
 wisdom, from whence it has its growth and life. . 
 
 14. For God is present to every being, but not 
 every being receives him into its essence; but as in 
 the mirror of the aspect in the sun's virtue ; for the 
 sun proceeds from the eighth number. Its root 
 from which it receives its brightness is the eternal 
 fire, but its body is in this world. Its desire is 
 directed wholly into this world, in which it shines; 
 but its first root is in the first world, in the fire of 
 God. This world gives being to its desire, and it 
 gives its power to being, and fills every being in 
 this world, as God's light does the divine light- 
 world. And if God's fire should burn no more, the 
 sun would be extinguished, and also the divine 
 light-world ; for God's fire gives essence to both, and 
 is a principle of both. And if the dark world were 
 not, neither would these two be ; for the dark world 
 gives occasion for God's fire. 
 
 15. The three worlds must accordingly be in 
 one another, for nothing can subsist without a 
 ground. For the dark world is the ground of 
 Nature; and the eternal unfathomable will, which 
 is called Father, is the ground of the dark world, 
 as above set forth. And the light-world is hidden 
 in the dark world, and also the dark world in the 
 
 1 light-world. 
 
 16. It is to be understood thus: This world is 
 
 i 
 
 THE FOURTH POINT 69 
 
 shut up in the wrath of God as in death ; for wrath 
 springs up in this world's essence. If that were not 
 so, then might this world's essence seize God's light. 
 
 17. Thus this world receives only a reflection 
 of God through the sun's power. The sun is not 
 God's light, for it shines not wholly in divine 
 essence, but shines in elemental essence. It has 
 God's fire as its root, but is filled with this world's 
 essence. For it is desirous as a magical craving, 
 and receives in its imagination and craving the 
 power of the stars and elements; and from this it 
 shines also. 
 
 18. Though God's fire is its root, yet it belongs 
 not to God's kingdom. And here we understand 
 how the devil is the poorest creature ; for he cannot 
 move a leaf except wrath be therein, and then he 
 moves it according to the property of wrath. For 
 the light and the power of this world is repugnant 
 to him; he enters not with his will into the property 
 of the light, neither is he able to do so. He stands 
 backward to the light of the sun in his figure and 
 property, and therefore the sun's light profits him 
 nothing. And all that grows in the sun's power, 
 that unites itself unto the sun, that he is enemy to; 
 his will enters not readily thereinto. 
 
70 
 
 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 1. If we consider all this, and pass from the 
 inward world into this outward visible world, we 
 find that the essence of the external world has pro- 
 ceeded from the internal, viz. from the imagination 
 or desire of the internal world. And we shall find 
 in the external world the property of the two inward 
 worlds; also how the wills of both properties are 
 moving and manifest in the external world. And 
 then how the good, or the essence which has pro- 
 ceeded from the light-world, is shut up in wrath 
 and death; and how the divine power activates all, 
 so that all grows through and out of the fierceness 
 of death. 
 
 2. For the earthly tincture has no communion 
 or fellowship with the heavenly in the light-world. 
 We find, however, in the earth another tincture 
 which has fellowship with the heavenly, as in the 
 precious metals, but is hidden in them. 
 
 3. And we understand thus the motion and the 
 Fiat of the two eternal worlds, viz. the dark world 
 and the light-world: Each has longed after being; 
 and as God put himself in motion once for all, one 
 world could not be moved without the other. 
 
 4. For the dark world contains the first centre 
 of Nature, and the light-world the other centre, 
 viz. the heart of God, or the Word of power of the 
 
 IH' 
 
 fl 
 
 /I 
 
 THE FOURTH POINT 71 
 
 Deity; and one world is not separated from the 
 other. 
 
 5. Hereby we should recognize in what danger 
 we stand, and think where we would plunge with 
 our will. For if we plunge into the earthly craving, 
 it captures us; and then the qualification of the 
 abyss is our lord, and the sun our temporal god. 
 
 6. But if we plunge with our will into the world 
 out of this world, then the light-world captures our 
 will, and God becomes our lord; and we abandon 
 the earthlv life of this world, and take with us 
 whatever has come from the light-world into us, — 
 understand, into Adam; the same is carried out 
 of this world with the will which becomes one spirit 
 with God. 
 
 7. Reason says: Where are then the three 
 worlds? It would have absolutely a separation, in 
 which one were beyond or above the other. That, 
 however, cannot possibly be, else the eternal un- 
 fathomable Essence were bound to sever itself. 
 But how can that sever itself which is a nothing, 
 which has no place, which is itself all? That 
 cannot enter into particular existence which has 
 no ground, which cannot be comprehended, which 
 dwells in itself and possesses itself; but it pro- 
 ceeds out of itself, and manifests itself out of 
 itself. 
 
 8. It makes a thing out of itself, which in itself 
 is but a will. In itself it is a spirit, but makes out 
 of itself a form of spirit, and the form makes a 
 being according to the property of the spirit. As 
 indeed this world is a being, and the inward spirit 
 
w ' '> (»'» wM i < i» "awiw >i )y *'*wttjw^ 
 
 72 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 possesses it. He is in every plaee, yet the place 
 comprehends him not, but he comprehends the 
 place. The place knows nothing of him, but it 
 feels him; for he is the power and the spirit in 
 the place. His will goes through being, and being 
 has no eyes to see him, but he is the seeing of the 
 place; and is himself no place or position, but 
 makes for himself an unfathomable position, where 
 there is no measurement. He is all, and yet also 
 like to a nothing in comparison with the external. 
 What he gives out of himself, that he possesses too; 
 he passes not into it, but he is there before being 
 occupies the place. The place contains but a reflec- 
 tion of his will, as one sees one's form in a mirror, 
 and yet cannot take hold upon it; or as the sun- 
 shine^ is not laid hold of in water, yet the water 
 feels it and receives the lustre; or as the earth 
 receives power from the sun, so that it brings 
 forth fruit. In this way God dwells in all beings, 
 and permeates and pervades all, yet is laid hold of 
 
 by nothing. 
 
 9. And as we understand that the earth has a 
 great hunger and desire after the sun's power and 
 light, in which it draws to itself and becomes 
 susceptible of the sun's power and light, which 
 without desire could not be; in like manner outer 
 nature hungers after the inner, for the outward 
 form arises from the inner. Thus outer nature 
 receives in itself the form of the inner as a lustre 
 or power; for it cannot seize the inward spirit, 
 inasmuch as he dwells not in the outer, but pos- 
 sesses himself in himself in the inner. 
 
 f. 
 
 THE FOURTH POINT 73 
 
 10. But the outer nature receives by the mirror 
 the form of the spirit, as water does the lustre of 
 the sun. We are not to think that the inner is far 
 from the outer, like the body of the sun is from 
 the water; though neither is that so, that the sun 
 is far from the water, for the water has the sun's 
 essence and property, else it would not catch the 
 sun's lustre. Although the sun is a corpus, yet the 
 sun is also in the water, but not manifest; the corpus 
 makes the sun manifest in the water. And we 
 are to know that the whole world would be nothing 
 but sun, and the locus of the sun would be every- 
 where, if God was to kindle and manifest it; for 
 every being in this world catches the sun's lustre. 
 There is in all a mirror, that the power and form 
 of the sun mav be received in all that is animate and 
 inanimate, in all the four elements and their essence 
 and substance. 
 
 11. And so it is also with the inner light-world.. 
 It dwells in the outer world, and this receives 
 power from it. It grows up in the outward power, 
 and this knows nothing of it; and only feels the 
 power, and the inward light it cannot behold ; only 
 in its life's mirror it receives the reflection thereof, , 
 for the inward power makes in the outward form a 
 likeness of itself. 
 
 12. And thus then we are to recognize man. He 
 is the inner and outer world (the cause, moreover, 
 of the inner world in himself) , and, so far as belongs 
 to him, also the dark world. He is all three worlds ; 
 and if he remain standing in co-ordination, so that 
 
 w 
 

 74 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 he introduce not one world into the other, then he 
 is God's hkeness. 
 
 13. He should introduce the form or the mirror 
 of the light-world into the outer world, and also 
 into the inmost dark world, and bring the power 
 of the middle or liglit-world into the mirror, and 
 then he is suspectible of the divine light ; for essence 
 seizes not the light, but the power of the light. But 
 the mirror of power catches the light, as water does 
 the sun ; for water is as a clear mirror in comparison 
 with earth. 
 
 14. Now if water be mixed with earth, it no 
 longer catches the sun's hght; so likewise the human 
 spirit or soul catches not God's hght, unless it 
 remain pure and set its desire upon that which is 
 pure, viz. upon the light; for what life imaginates 
 after, that it receives. The life of man is the form 
 of the two inward worlds. If life desire sulphur 
 in itself, then is Phur out of Sul its darkening; but 
 if it desire only Sul, then it receives the power of 
 the light, and in the power the light with its 
 property. For in Phur, viz. in fierce wrathful 
 Nature, life cannot remain clear as a mirror, but 
 in Sul it can; for the life of man is a true mirror 
 of the Deity, wherein God beholds himself. He 
 gives his lustre and power to the human mirror, and 
 finds himself in man, as also in angels and in the 
 forms of heaven. 
 
 15. The light-world's essence is his finding or 
 revelation, and the dark world's essence is his loss. 
 He sees not himself in the dark world, for it 
 has no mirror that were susceptible of the light. 
 
 H 
 
 THE FOURTH POINT 75 
 
 All that imaginates after the dark world's essence 
 and property, that receives the dark world's prop- 
 erty, and loses the mirror of God. It becomes filled 
 with dark wrath ; like as one mixes water with earth, 
 and then the sun cannot shine therein. This water 
 loses the mirror of the sun, and must withdraw 
 again from the earth ; else it is nevermore any mirror 
 of the sun, but is imprisoned in the wrathul dark 
 earth. 
 
 16. So it is also with human life. As long as 
 it imaginates after God's Spirit, it receives God's 
 power and light, and knows God. But when it 
 imaginates after earthliness or after the dark 
 world's property, it receives the essence of earthli- 
 ness and of the dark world, and becomes filled with 
 the same. Then is life's mirror shut up in dark- 
 ness, and loses the mirror of God, and must be born 
 anew. 
 
 17. As we know that Adam thus made the pure 
 mirror earthly, and lost God's power and light, 
 which Christ, God's Son, restored again, and broke 
 open the earthly darkness, and forcibly introduced 
 the mirror of God. 
 
 18. Thus we recognize how the holy tree grows 
 through all things, and out of all beings; but is 
 apprehended by no being, save only in the mirror 
 of purity, as in the pure life of man; which life 
 desires that tree, and it can be apprehended in no 
 dark life. This then is the fourth point. 
 
iP-fappmp > W»» '^ w III i^\ m mm fm i<i f '»tfff^' ^l ' ' 
 
 
 '!x3u,a,44.44; .ffi i fty | i Bifi i ii |fj Bm^^^ 
 
 . „' ^JT-' - - - 
 
 -, , -~~Mr.^ t^^^^-l-AJLIP^^iitSI^ 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 
 
 How A LIFE MAY PERISH IN THE TREE OF LIFE. 
 How IT PASSES OUT OF THE SOURCE OF LO^TE 
 AND JOY INTO A SOURCE OF MISERY, WHICH IS 
 CONTRARY TO ALL OTHER LIVES. 
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 1. Every life is a clear gleam and mirror, and 
 appears like a flash of a terrible aspect. But if 
 this flash catch the light, it is transformed into 
 gentleness and drops the terror, for then the terror 
 unites itself to the light. And thus the light shines 
 from the terrible flash; for the flash is the light's 
 essence, it is its fire. 
 
 2. The flash contains the centrum naturae, being 
 the fourth form of Nature where life rises, which in 
 the steady fire, as in the principle, attains to per- 
 fection, but in the light is brought into another 
 quality. 
 
 3. Now, the origin of the imagination [magical 
 attraction] is in the first form of Nature, viz. in the 
 desiring sourness, which carries its form through 
 the dark world unto fire; for the first desire goes 
 through all forms, makes also all the forms, and 
 is carried as far as to fire. There is the dividing 
 bound-mark of spirit, there it is born. It is now 
 free. It may by its imagination go back again 
 
 76 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 77 
 
 into its mother the dark world, or, going forward, 
 sink down through the anguish of fire into death, 
 and bud forth in the light. That depends on its 
 choice. Where it yields up itself, there it must be ; 
 for its fire must have substance, that it may have 
 something to feed upon. 
 
 4. Will the spirit eat of its first mother the sour- 
 ness, that is, will it give to its fire for food the fierce 
 essentiality in the centre, or the light's essentiality 
 in the light-world, that is all in its own power; 
 whatever its fire receives, in the property thereof 
 
 does it burn. 
 
 5. In the dark property it burns in the dark, 
 harsh, stern source, and sees in itself as a flash; it 
 has only the mirror of darkness, and sees in the 
 darkness. In the hght's property it catches the 
 gentleness of the light, in which the light-fire burns, 
 and sees in the light-world. All is nigh unto spirit, 
 and yet it can see in no other world or property 
 save in that wherein its fire burns ; of that world is 
 the spirit only susceptible, it sees nothing in the 
 other world; it has no eyes for that. It remains 
 to it an eternal hiddenness, unless it has been in 
 another world and gone out from thence, and given 
 itself to another fire, as the devils did, who have 
 indeed a knowledge of the light-world, but no 
 feeling or seeing thereof ; the light-world is nigh to 
 them, but they know it not. 
 
 6. And now we are to recognize life's perdition, 
 which comes about in the first Principle. There 
 is the hinge, there the will may plunge whither it 
 will. If it set its desire upon plurality and will 
 
™.-^-!. . . ^L,,j^jj,iia-,,A#^ ^i'* 
 
 78 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 itself be lord, then it cannot lay hold of plurality- 
 otherwise than in a dark, stern sourness, in the dark 
 world. But if it desire to plunge into the nothing, 
 into freedom, it must abandon itself to fire; and 
 then it sinks down in the death of the first principle, 
 and buds forth out of the anguish of fire in the 
 light. For when it abandons itself, the eternal 
 will to Nature (which is God the Father) leads 
 it out through fire into himself. For with the 
 abandoning it falls unto the first will to Nature, 
 who brings it by the other will, which is his Son 
 or Heart, out of the anguishful Nature, and places 
 it with the Son's will in freedom beyond the 
 torment of fire. There it obtains, instead of 
 plurality, all; not for its own glory or power, but 
 for God's glory and power; God is in it both its will 
 and its doing. 
 
 7. But whatever will itself be lord in fire, that 
 goeth into its own number, into its essence which 
 itself is; and whatever surrenders its power, sur- 
 renders also its fire-burning, and falls unto that 
 which is a cause of fire, viz. unto the eternal will of 
 God. 
 
 8. Thus it has fallen into freedom out of its fire 
 of torment, and freedom kindles its fire. Its fire 
 is now become a light and a clear mirror, for it has 
 yielded itself up to Freedom, viz. to God. And 
 thus its fire is a semblance and reflection of the 
 Majesty of God. 
 
 9. But that which will not, but will itself be lord, 
 that remains its own; it cannot bring itself in its 
 own forms higher than to fire, moreover only to 
 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 79 
 
 the flash; for no clear fire can burn in it, seeing 
 it has in itself no clear substance for fire. The 
 centrum naturae has nothing in itself from which a 
 clear brightness is able to arise ; but the freedom out 
 of Nature is a cause of such shining. Whatever 
 yields itself up to Nature, yet desires not Nature's 
 property but freedom, that becomes enkindled in 
 its flash of life by freedom, in the way the second 
 Principle has enkindled itself. 
 
 10. Thus we understand how a life perishes, that 
 is, how it introduces itself in anguish and torment 
 into darkness ; namely, when it will be its own lord 
 and desires plurality. If it will not give itself up 
 to death, then it cannot attain any other world. 
 
 11. For every life arises in the torment of 
 anguish, in Nature, and has no light in itself, except 
 it enter into that which gives birth to Nature ; there 
 it receives light. 
 
 12. For all that is in Nature is dark and in 
 anguish, as is to be recognized by this world. Were 
 the sun to be taken away, there would be nothing 
 but anguish and darkness. And therefore God put 
 himself in motion, so as to give a light to this world, 
 that the external life might be in light. 
 
 13. But as regards the inner life of the soul, it 
 has another form. This inner life can the external 
 not attain. Hath the soul's fire not God's light, 
 neither can the soul's will enter into God's light; 
 it must remain in the darkness of the Eternal 
 Nature. 
 
 14. External Reason thinks, if the outward eye 
 sees, that is good ; there is no other seeing possible. 
 
 < I 
 
80 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 Bad enough, forsooth! When the poor soul bor- 
 rows the external mirror, and must make shift with 
 this alone, where is its seeing? When the external 
 mirror breaks, wherewith will it see then? With 
 the terrible fire-flash in the horror, in the darkness ; 
 it can see nowhere else. 
 
 15. Therefore it often happens when the poor 
 captive soul beholds itself in the inward root, and 
 thinks what will follow when for it the external 
 mirror breaks, that it is terrified, and plunges the 
 body in fear and doubt. 
 
 16. For it can look nowhere where its eternal rest 
 might be, but it finds that it is in itself in utter 
 unrest, moreover in a darkness; it has the external 
 mirror only by way of loan. 
 
 17. As long as the soul is in this body, it may 
 indeed make shift with the sun-mirror, for the sun 
 has in its root the inner fire as the principle of the 
 Father. From this fire the soul receives a lustre or 
 mirror in the essence of the body, so that it is able 
 thus in this earthly, transitory hfe to be in joy. 
 But when the external mirror breaks, that is at an 
 end ; and the soul's fire goes into the eternal house 
 of mourning, into the centre of darkness. 
 
 18. The soul has in the time of the outer body 
 three mirrors or eyes of all the three worlds. The 
 mirror to which it turns itself, by that does it see. 
 But it has no more than one as a natural right, 
 namely the fire-flash, the fourth form of the dark 
 world, where the two inward worlds separate (one 
 into the darkness, the other into the light), and 
 where its eternal origin is. The world into which 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 81 
 
 the soul introduces its will, in the same it receives 
 also substance, viz. a spiritual body. For this sub- 
 stance becomes for the soul's fire a food, or matter 
 of its burning. 
 
 19. And therefore God has introduced the soul 
 into flesh and blood, that it might not so easily 
 become susceptible of the wrath-essence. Thus it 
 has its delight meanwhile in the mirror of the sun, 
 and rejoices in the sidereal essence. Presented to 
 it is (1) the light-world in its true fire, (2) the dark 
 world in the fire-root, (3) the outer elemental world 
 in the astral source. Among them hovers the great 
 mystery of the soul's fire. 
 
 20. The world to which the soul unites and 
 abandons itself, from that it receives substance in 
 its imagination. But because it has in Adam 
 turned itself to the spirit of this world, and carried 
 its imagination into the same, its highest desire is 
 now in the essence of the sun and stars, and by this 
 desire it draws the spirit of the outer world with its 
 substance of four elements continually into itself, 
 and has its greatest joy therein; in which it is in 
 a strange lodging as guest, for the abyss is beneath 
 it, and there is great danger. 
 
 21. Here external Reason says: God has created 
 the soul in flesh and blood in the outer world, what 
 harm can that do it? This Reason knows no more 
 of the soul's origin than a cow does of a new stable 
 door. She looks at it, and it seems to her to be 
 strange ; so also to external Reason the inner world 
 seems to be something strange. 
 
 22. It finds itself in the outer world, and aspires 
 
82 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 after that which the outer world has ; and yet finds 
 in itself the inner world, which continually arraigns 
 the soul before God's wrath. It finds also the 
 light-world, to which the inward desires of the soul's 
 principle look. It feels indeed the longing after 
 God, but the outer world hinders this and covers 
 it up ; so that the desire after God's world cannot 
 kindle fire in itself. If that were done, then would 
 the Ught-world be manifest in the first principle, 
 and the noble image of God would be revealed. 
 
 23. This is also hindered by the devil, who 
 possesses the root of this world in the soul's fire. 
 He is always holding up to the soul evil earthly 
 things, or moving the root in the centre of Nature 
 in the fierce wrath ; so that the poor soul enkindles 
 itself either in the wrath-fire in the evil poison- 
 source, or else in fear and doubt of God's love. He 
 has then carried the day, and sets before the soul 
 external power, authority and honour, also the 
 splendour and pomp of the outer world. Then 
 the soul bites at this, and tickles itself therein with 
 imagination; and yet cannot truly enjoy the same, 
 for it is only a borrowed mirror. 
 
 24. The poor soul is thus drawn away from God's 
 light, and is sinking always into perdition, viz. into 
 the dark house of misery, into the dark world. 
 That did Adam prepare for us when he introduced 
 his desire into earthliness. And thus the poor soul 
 swims now in earthly flesh and blood, and is always 
 eating of the tree of temptation of evil and good, 
 and is drawn strongly by both; and the serpent's 
 monstrous shape is in the midst, in the source of 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 83 
 
 wrath, and continually blows up the anger and 
 fierce wrath. 
 
 25. Here then can the noble lily-branch nowhere 
 recover itself, often also not recognize itself. It is 
 oftentimes overwhelmed with the fierceness of 
 malignity, so that it is as if it were wholly destroyed ; 
 and it would be destroyed were the mirror of the 
 Deity not turned towards it, in which the spirit 
 of the will of the poor captive soul may recover 
 itself, and regenerate itself therein. 
 
 26. For in the mirror of the light-world the in- 
 carnation of Christ is presented to the soul's spirit; 
 and the Word that became man stands in sound, 
 and is in action. Therein may the soul's spirit 
 recover itself and generate itself anew; else it were 
 often past help with the poor soul, when it is 
 immersed in wrath and in the poison of the dark 
 world. 
 
 27. And thus we understand at bottom what the 
 destruction of the noble tree, or the image of God, 
 is, namely this : 
 
 28. The entire man is in his being the three 
 worlds. The soul's centre, viz. the root of the soul's 
 fire, contains the dark world; and the soul's fire 
 contains the first Principle as the true fire-world. 
 And the noble image, or the tree of divine growth, 
 which is generated from the soul's fire and buds 
 forth through fierce wrathful death in freedom or 
 in the world of light, contains the light-world or the 
 second Principle. And the body, which in the 
 beginning was created out of the mixed substance 
 which at creation arose from the hght-world, the 
 
«•* 
 
 ■MUM 
 
 84 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 dark world and the fire-world, contains the outer 
 world or the third mixed Principle. 
 
 29. The right soul is the spirit of these three 
 worlds, as God's Spirit is the spirit of all the three 
 worlds. In the dark world it is wrathful, stern and 
 an austere source, and is called God's anger. In 
 the hght-world it is lovely, gentle and joyous, and 
 is the spirit from God's Heart, the Holy Spirit. 
 In the outer world it is the spirit of air, as also of 
 fire and water, and may be used as man pleases, 
 all unto the great wonders. 
 
 30. Thus is man according to the particular per- 
 son the great mystery in the three worlds. The 
 world to which he turns himself, in which he pro- 
 duces fruit, the same is lord in him, and this world 
 becomes manifest in him; the other two remain 
 hidden. As fire is hidden in wood, so light or the 
 light-world remains hidden in the wrathful dark 
 world; as also in malignity, in the distemper of 
 the inner world in the outer world. 
 
 31. But if the light-world cannot become mani- 
 fest in man so as to be lord, then the soul at the 
 breaking of the outer world remains only in the 
 dark world; for there it is no longer possible for 
 the light-world to be kindled. There is for the light 
 no longer any mirror that were turned towards the 
 soul. The heart of God is not manifest therein, 
 nor eternally can be (for the dark world must be, 
 else the hght would not be manifest) ; but here in 
 this world that may be. 
 
 32. And though a soul be plunged in the deepest 
 abyss, and lies in the wrath of God, yet in the 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 85 
 
 external light of the sun it has before it the light- 
 mirror wherein the divine power reveals itself, as 
 also the mirror of the incarnation of Christ, which 
 in the inner dark world never is known. 
 
 33. And our whole teaching is nothing else than 
 how man should kindle in himself God's light-world. 
 For if this be kindled, so that God's hght shines 
 in the soul's spirit, then the whole body hath light, 
 as Christ says: If the eye be light, then is the whole 
 body light (Matt. vi. 22, 23). He means the soul's 
 eye. And if the wrath of the dark world be kindled, 
 then are body and soul dark, and have only a lustre 
 from the sun. If the divine light be kindled, it 
 burns in love and meekness; and if the wrath of 
 the dark world be kindled, it burns in stinging envy^ 
 and hate, in fierce rage, and flees away in the 
 external mirror of the sun's light into pride, and 
 will always be mounting above the source of love, 
 whereupon follows scorn and contempt of meekness 
 and of all that is lowly. 
 
 34. And here man should prove or try himself, 
 and recognize which world is lord in him. If he 
 find that anger, wrath, envy, falsehood, lying and 
 deceit is his desire; also pride, avarice, and con- 
 tinual greed of honour and earthly pleasure, that 
 he is but a perpetual itch for wantonness and lewd- 
 ness; then he may know with certainty that he 
 burns with anger, wrath, en\y, falsehood, lying 
 and deceit in the dark, viz. in the dark world's 
 fire. For this fire gives such essence, desire and 
 will. 
 
 35. And the other desire, viz. earthly pleasure, 
 
86 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 pride, thirst for honour, avarice, and the perpetual 
 wanton bestial itch of concupiscence, is the fruit 
 which grows out of the dark world in the outer 
 
 world. 
 
 36. As love buds out of death (where the spirit 
 of the will yields up itself to the fire of God, and 
 sinks down as it were in death, but buds forth in 
 God's kingdom with a friendly desire always to do 
 well) ; so hath the will of wickedness given itself to 
 perdition, viz. to wrathful, stern, eternal death, but 
 buds forth with its twig in this corrupt world in 
 outer nature, and bears such fruit. 
 
 37. By this should every one learn to know him- 
 self, he need only search for his distinctive property. 
 To whatever his will constantly drives him, in that 
 kingdom does he stand; and he is not a man as 
 he accounts himself and pretends to be, but a 
 creature of the dark world, viz. a greedy hound, a 
 proud bird, a lustful animal, a fierce serpent, an 
 envious toad full of poison. All these properties 
 spring in him, and are his wood from which his fire 
 burns. When the outer wood, or the substance of 
 four elements, abandons him at his death, then the 
 inner poisonous evil quahty alone remains. 
 
 38. What figure now must stand in such a qual- 
 ity? None else but what was strongest amongst 
 these properties ; this is figured in the hellish Fiat in 
 his form, as a venomous serpent, a dog or other 
 beast. The property to which the spirit of the will 
 has given itself up, that same property is afterward 
 the soul's image. And this is one part. 
 
 39. Further, man should prove or try himself 
 
 |i 
 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 8T 
 
 in his desire (for every man has these evil properties 
 in him) , to see whether he finds in himself a constant 
 longing to kill this poison and malignity ; whether 
 he be enemy to this poison ; or whether he hath his 
 delight in continually putting the false poison into 
 operation, viz. in pride, covetousness, envy, Ucen- 
 tiousness, lying and deceit. 
 
 40. Now, if he find in himself that he hath his 
 delight therein, and is always ready to put the same 
 into practice, then he is not a man, as he accounts 
 himself to be; but the devil in a strange form 
 deceives him, so that he believes he is a man. But 
 he bears not God's but the serpent's image; and is 
 only in the external kingdom a likeness to an image 
 of man, so long as he remains in this property so 
 that this property is supreme lord. 
 
 41. But if he find strife and combat within him, 
 that his inner will always, yea, hourly, fights against 
 these evil properties, suppresses them, and suffers 
 them not to attain to evil being; that he would fain 
 always do well, and yet finds that these evil prop- 
 erties hinder him, so that he cannot accomplish 
 what he would; and finds the desire for abstinence 
 and repentance, that a perpetual desire after God's 
 mercy springs in him, so that he would gladly do 
 
 well if he could: 
 
 42. This man may think and assuredly know 
 that God's fire glimmers in him, and continually 
 labours towards the hght. It would fain burn, and 
 is always giving essence for flame; but is quenched 
 by the evil humidity of this world, which Adam has 
 introduced into us. 
 
88 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 43. But when the outer evil body with its vapours 
 perishes, so that it can no longer obstruct the 
 ghmmering wick, then the divine fire becomes 
 enkindled in its essence, and the divine image is 
 figured according to the strongest quality which the 
 man has here carried in his desire. If, however, he 
 continue not in the above-mentioned warfare, but 
 drops the struggle, he may again deteriorate most 
 dangerously. 
 
 44. The third proof and trial is this, that a man 
 recognize in what being or figure he stands. If he 
 find that he hath a constant desire after God, and 
 in his desire is so strong that he can again break 
 and transform into gentleness the evil essences, 
 as often as for him a quality becomes enkindled; 
 that he is able to let all go that shines and glitters 
 in this world; that he can do good for evil; 
 that he hath full mastery over all his worldly 
 substance, be it money or goods, to give thereof 
 to the needy and for God's truth to abandon it 
 all; and freely and willingly for God's sake resign 
 himself to misery in assured hope of that which 
 is eternal : for him the divine power flows, so that he 
 may kindle the light of the kingdom of joy therein; 
 he tastes what God is. He is the most undoubted 
 man, and carries the divine image with heavenly 
 essence in himself even in the time of the outer 
 
 body. 
 
 45. There Jesus is born of the Virgin, and that 
 man never dies. He lets pass from him only the 
 earthly kingdom, which was to him in this time an 
 opposition and hindrance, with which God has 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 89 
 
 concealed him. For God will not cast pearls before 
 swine ; they are hidden in Him. 
 
 46. This same new man dwells not in this world ; 
 neither doth the devil know him, only he is hostile 
 to his essence, which contains the inward centre; 
 for it impedes him that his will is not done. And 
 therefore he incites the evil animal-men against him, 
 to vex and persecute him, so that the true humanity 
 remains concealed. 
 
90 
 
 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 Of the right human essence from God's 
 
 essence, 
 
 1. The right true human essence is not earthly, 
 nor from the dark world ; it is generated only in the 
 light-world; it has no communion or fellowship 
 with the dark world, nor with the outer world; 
 there is a great bar, viz. death, between them. 
 
 2. Not that there is nothing of the true essence 
 in the external man. It is there; for it was given 
 to Adam in his image. But it is shut up and lies 
 in death, and cannot quahfy; neither has it any 
 motion in itself, unless it becomes quick in the power 
 of the Deity. As it became quick in the Virgin 
 Mary by God's motion and entrance; there the 
 right human essence came again to life. 
 
 3. So also in us the right human essence is not 
 stirring, except we be born of God in Christ. 
 
 4. In the baptism of infants the Word of God 
 enters into union and connection with them in the 
 covenant, and is the first stirring in this world ; as a 
 smouldering in wood that begins to glimmer, but 
 the wicklet is often after darkened and extin- 
 guished. Moreover, in many a child that is begot- 
 ten of wholly godless essence, it is not susceptible. 
 
 5. Christ said: Suffer little children to come unto 
 me, for of such is the kingdom of God (Mark x. 14) . 
 Not dogs, wolves, toads or serpents, but children, 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 91 
 
 in whom the essence is not wholly devilish. For 
 many a child is baptized in the wrath of God, for 
 which the parents are to blame. An evil tree bears 
 evil fruit, says Christ. 
 
 6. And though He is come into this world to 
 save what was lost, yet it depends also on the 
 essence of that which will let itself be helped. For 
 an animal-man may attain the image [of God], if 
 he turn round and suffer the Word that became 
 man to draw him. If not, then he remains in his 
 animal essence an evil beast. 
 
 7. But we are not to suppose that baptism lays 
 the first foundation of the human essence, and is 
 wholly the first enkindling cause of the divine fire. 
 No, that is not so; for a child becomes through 
 the parents' essence a spirit, as also flesh and blood, 
 with espousal of the constellation of the spirit 
 majoris mundi. 
 
 8. At the time when a child in the womb has 
 attained to life, then immediately divine or hellish 
 essence glimmers from the primal fount and origin. 
 
 9. And if but a small spark of the divine essence 
 be active, the child is susceptible of baptism. And 
 though it should die unbaptized, yet the spark is 
 in God's Mystery, and glimmers in God's king- 
 dom, and is kindled in the fire of God. For it 
 dies in the Mysterium of the Father, and glimmers 
 up in the Mysterium of the Son who became man. 
 
 10. The parents' baptism and covenant is its 
 baptism and covenant. The reconciliation has 
 taken place in human blood, in the right true human 
 essence. God's word or heart has given itself to 
 
1 1 
 
 92 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 the shut up, dead, human essence; not to the 
 earthly part, but to the heavenly part. Not to 
 the part that Adam by his imagination introduced, 
 which is earth; but to the part which was given 
 to Adam from the angelic world, which he cor- 
 rupted and poisoned with the earthly craving for 
 in the craving earthly, coarse, animal flesh was 
 
 produced. 
 
 11. This part has the right human essence, and 
 in this part God became man. And this same part 
 has the ground of the angehc world, for it takes its 
 origin from the angelic world. 
 
 12. But if most frequently godless parents are 
 inmiersed wholly in the wrath of God, : .id so beget 
 children in the wrath; then is their seer« shut up 
 in death, and has in it nothing of the rigiit human 
 essence, which is moving, save only what the 
 constellation in the spirit majoris mundi has in 
 itself. There certainly the divine power has some 
 movement; but the wrath's, power exis'.s as 
 opposite, and is heavy. Nevertheless, there is no 
 impossibility; for the incarnation of God, his 
 becoming man, is presented to all souls in the life's 
 
 light. 
 
 13. But baptism contains something else. God's 
 essence (as the water of eternal hfe born of God's 
 gentleness) must move the right human essence 
 *(with Adam shut up in death), and yield itself up 
 there as a new life or a living essence. God's water 
 must baptize; the Holy Spirit must be the operant. 
 
 14. But I say, according to my knowledge, that 
 the water of eternal Ufe, upon which the Holy 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 93 
 
 Spirit broods, will hardly yield itself up to the 
 poison of wrath and death, where there is not an 
 essence of desire [toward God] . 
 
 15. I say, then, that a child (as soon as it has life 
 in the womb) is, so far as the divine essence is 
 moving in the heavenly part, already baptized by 
 the Holy Spirit, and attains the incarnation of 
 Christ. For baptism depends not on the priest's 
 power, that the Holy Spirit should wait upon him. 
 The incarnation of Christ waited not upon man's 
 power, but upon the goal that God set in his 
 covenant. This goal was blessed. Therefore the 
 angel said to Mary: Blessed art thou among 
 women. The goal lay in her, and was blessed, 
 and blessed her also when God's heart awakened 
 the goal. 
 
 16. This goal reached back to Adam, and for- 
 ward to the last man. When God became man, 
 the goal was awakened in the heavenly part; not 
 only in Mary, but also in Adam and Eve, and all 
 their children who had given themselves up to God ; 
 these were all blessed in the goal. 
 
 17. For that is the covenant of grace which God 
 established with Adam and Eve. This covenant 
 is in all human essence, but not in devihsh essence. 
 
 18. But baptism is the seal that God affixed to 
 the covenant, as in the old testament circumcision. 
 In baptism God gives divine water to the human 
 race as a pledge and seal; but the covenant is 
 already there before baptism; it was made in 
 paradise, yea before the foundation of the world. 
 As soon as a soul is stirring in the womb, so that 
 
94 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 a human soul is born, it is in the covenant. For 
 Christ has given himself to the fire of God, to the 
 principle, and fulfilled the covenant, and is become 
 the result of the testament. 
 
 19. This result waits not upon any external ordi- 
 nance, upon the delusion of the outer man; but as 
 soon as a soul is born from the principle, it is in the 
 result of the testament, so far as the divine life is 
 moving in it. But not in godless souls; in them 
 the divine life must first be born. God's wrath 
 swallows up many a soul still in essence, before it 
 attains the principle ; because it is from false essence, 
 from evil seed of the parents. 
 
 20. Reason says: What can a child do to this, 
 that the parents are wicked ? Nay, what can even 
 God do? It is in the parents' power to get a child. 
 What can God do to this, that whores and profli- 
 gates creep together? Though the false tree 
 springs not thus from this line only, but also in 
 marriage. Man is free; if he awaken no hfe, his 
 seed remains an essence. Shall God, because of the 
 child's innocency, cast pearls before swine? The 
 kingdom of heaven confronts it; let it enter, God 
 closes the kingdom of heaven to none. 
 
 21. But a bad man is shut up in body and soul, 
 why not also in the seed? The seed is truly the 
 fruit of his body. If we would reap good wheat, 
 we of right sow wheat; but if thistle seed be sown, 
 a thistle gi^ows from it. Must God then change 
 that into wheat? Has not the sower power to 
 sow in his field what he pleases? Or wilt thou 
 say; What can the thistle do to this, that it is 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 95 
 
 a thistle and pricks? It belongs not among the 
 wheat, but grows up itself along with it. 
 
 22. God were certainly content though no thistle- 
 child did grow; it is not his ordinance. But the 
 devil sows weeds amongst the wheat, viz. in the 
 heart of man. Why does man suffer this and de- 
 stroy himself, so that his essence becomes a thistle- 
 seed, and yields weeds to the fire in the wrath of 
 God? It is not all attributable to the seed, but 
 depends on the field. Many a noble grain perishes 
 in the evil field's essence. The heavens with the 
 sun give life and power to all growth. The sun 
 makes no weeds, neither desires any ; but the essence 
 in the field makes oftentimes another thing, and 
 destroys the good. 
 
 23. So also in man. IMany a curse sticks which 
 one wishes the other, when the other has provoked 
 it, and is apt for it; as indeed is common among 
 godless married people, one wishing the other the 
 devil and hell-fire. If then they both be godless, 
 should not then their godless will be realized to 
 them, by their begetting godless children? There 
 is not anything that is good in them, what good 
 thing then shall come out of them? What can God 
 do to this? He sets his word and teaching before 
 them, and announces to them tiheir destruction. 
 If they will not regard it, let them go whither they 
 please. So too is their seed; and thus many a child 
 is born a thistle and evil beast, and is baptized in the 
 wrath of God. 
 
 24. For, of what essence the soul's spirit is, in 
 such an essence it receives also the divine nature 
 
96 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 in the covenant: one in the power of light, in love; 
 another in the power of wrath, in darkness. 
 
 25. The covenant at baptism stands firm. Every 
 child is baptized in the covenant; the Spirit of 
 God baptizes each one, if we observe the customary 
 form, but in accordance with the child's property. 
 Often the father and mother, as also the baptizer, 
 are godless, and only evil beasts, and there is no real 
 earnestness. The outward pomp and the money is 
 the main point with them; they despise the mystery. 
 Here the child is wholly in the property of wrath. 
 Who then shall baptize? None other than the 
 wrath of God in his covenant, for that men do but 
 make a mock of it. 
 
 26. Thus the source of wrath seizes the new 
 spirit, works powerfully in it, and brings forth fruit 
 to perdition. As St. Paul says of the other testa- 
 ment, that the wicked man receives it unto judg- 
 ment, not discerning the Lord's body (1 Cor. xi. 
 29). That is, he distinguishes not in himself the 
 heavenly part of his essence from the earthly, to put 
 his will into the heavenly and offer this up to God ; 
 but deems all common, as an ox eats the fodder. 
 
 27. Therefore the wrath of God springs in him, so 
 that he doth not break off his will from the earthly 
 and repent of his wickedness. His heavenly part 
 cannot become partaker of God's body, because 
 he cannot awaken the essence of the heavenly 
 part. Thus it has no mouth to receive God's body, 
 the mouth being shut up in death. The earthly 
 part, however, receives Christ's body, but according 
 to the property of wrath, according to the prop- 
 
 il 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 97 
 
 erty of the dark world; for the testament must 
 stand. 
 
 28. In like manner is baptism. According as 
 the soul's essence is in being, so also does it enjoy 
 God's covenant. It were better a wholly godless 
 child were not baptized, and that a wicked man in 
 his sins without conversion did not touch God's 
 testament; for it brings them both only power to 
 perdition. God's covenant is never moved without 
 fruit. God works in his covenant according to his 
 word. 
 
 29. As is the soul which moves the covenant, so 
 is the medicament in the covenant, and in such a 
 power the Spirit of God works in love and wrath; 
 for he is the spirit of every life, and assimilates 
 himself to every life. He is in every thing as the 
 thing's will and property is, for one property seizes 
 the other. What the soul wills, that he wills also, 
 and thereinto the soul enters. 
 
 30. It is all magical; what the will of a thing 
 wills, that it receives. A toad takes only poison 
 into itself; though it sit in the best apothecary's 
 shop; the like also does a serpent. Every thing 
 takes only its own property into itself ; and though 
 it eat the substance of a good property, yet it con- 
 verts all in itself into its own property. Though 
 a toad should eat honey, yet this becomes poison in 
 it. As indeed the devil was an angel ; but when he 
 willed nothing good, his heavenly essence became 
 to him hellish poison, and his evil will remained evil 
 one time as another. 
 
 31. We are therefore highly to consider our life, 
 
jltx«AUi«i«U«' ^.3^&i''^!:sstJiymm'^'^^*»^''^^ 
 
 \ 
 
 98 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 what we would do and be at. We have evil and 
 good in us. The one wherein we draw our will, 
 its essence becomes active in us; and such a prop- 
 erty we draw also from without into us. We 
 have the two Mysteries, the divine and the deviUsh 
 in us, of the two eternal worlds, and also of the 
 outer world. What we make of ourselves, that we 
 are; what we awaken in ourselves, that is moving 
 in us. If we lead ourselves to good, then God's 
 Spirit helps us; but if we lead ourselves to evil, 
 then God's wrath and anger helps us. Whatever 
 we will, of that property we obtain a leader, and 
 thereinto we lead ourselves. It is not God's will 
 that we perish, but his wrath's and our own will. 
 
 And thus we understand the fifth point.. How 
 a hfe perishes, and how out of good an evil comes, 
 and out of evil a good, when the will turns round. 
 
 u 
 
 'A 
 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 
 
 Of the life of darkness^ wherein the devils 
 dwell; what birth and quality it hath. 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 1. The life of darkness is repugnant to all life 
 of light; for the darkness gives fierce and hostile 
 essence, and the life of light gives love-essence. 
 
 2. In the darkness there is in the essence only 
 a perpetual stinging and breaking, each form being 
 enemy to the other— a contrarious essence. Each 
 form is a liar to itself, and one says to the other, 
 that it is evil and adverse to it, that it is a cause 
 of its restlessness and fierceness. Each thinks in 
 itself: If only the other form were not, thou wouldst 
 have rest; and yet each of them is evil and false. 
 Hence it is, that all that is born of the dark property 
 of wrath is lying, and is always lying against the 
 other forms, saying they are evil; and yet it is 
 itself a cause thereof, it makes them evil by its 
 poisonous infection. 
 
 3. Thus are they all, and lying is their truth. 
 When they speak "lies, they speak from their own 
 forms and properties. And so also are their 
 creatures. Therefore Christ said: The devil is a 
 liar and murderer from the beginning (John viii. 
 44) . For each form desires to murder the other, 
 
 99 
 
100 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 and yet there is no killing; but the greater the 
 strife is, the greater becomes their murderous 
 hfe. 
 
 4. And therefore it is called an eternal death 
 and enmity, where nothing but contrariety arises. 
 For there is nothing that could abohsh the strife, 
 nothing that could hold in check a single form. 
 The more it were resisted, the greater would be 
 the fierceness ; like a fire that is stirred, whereby it 
 burns but the more. 
 
 5. Thus the fierce wrathful kingdom can be 
 extinguished by nothing, save only by God's light, 
 by which it becomes wholly gentle, lovely and full 
 of joy. And neither can that be; for if the dark 
 kingdom were to be kindled with the light, the light 
 would have no root to its nature and property, no 
 fire could be generated, neither were there any 
 light, nor any power, but all were a nothing. 
 
 6. Hence the kingdom of wrath must be, for it 
 is a cause of the fire-world and the light-world, and 
 all is God's. But all is not acknowledged as or 
 called God, as the dark world has another prop- 
 erty, and the light-world is a cause of the fierce- 
 ness and terror of the dark property ; for the dark- 
 ness is terrified at the light, and stands in eternal ter- 
 ror because the light-world dwells in it. It trembles 
 eternally before the light, and yet cannot apprehend 
 it ; but is only a cause of life and of movement. And 
 thus all must be subservient to the glory of God. 
 
 7. The life of darkness has many forms ; it is not 
 one and the same property. As we are to recognize 
 by the creatm^es of this world, where one is always 
 
 w 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 101 
 
 worse than the other, also has its subsistence in 
 a different source from the other; who nevertheless 
 all live in the sun's power and light, by which they 
 are meekened. 
 
 8. But if the sun were to be extinguished, then 
 would the deep be wrathful and stinging. Then 
 we should soon see the property of the dark world, 
 how all creatures would become poisonous and 
 
 evil. 
 
 9. For every life is rooted in poison. The light 
 alone resists the poison, and yet is a cause that the 
 poison lives and faints not. 
 
 10. We are therefore to recognize that the hfe 
 of darkness is only a fainting poison, like a dying 
 source; and vet there is no dying there. For 
 the light-world stands opposed to the mirror of 
 darkness, whereby the darkness is eternally in 
 
 terror. 
 
 11. The dark life is like a terror, where the flash 
 and terror is always mounting upwards, as if it 
 would quit the life and fly out above it. And hence 
 arises pride, so that the devil is always wishing 
 to be above God; it is his proprium, his life's figure 
 is so, and he cannot do otherwise. Just as a poison 
 rages and pierces, as if it would break loose from 
 
 the member; 
 
 12. So is the hfe of darkness in itself. The 
 poisonful essences make such an inward disposi- 
 tion, and from the disposition proceeds such a 
 will-spirit. There is such a property therein, and 
 consists of seven forms, according to the centre of 
 Nature with its principle. As the life of joy con- 
 
102 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 sists of seven forms by right of Nature, so also 
 does the life of sorrowfulness. That which in 
 the light gives joy, in the darkness gives sorrow- 
 fulness. 
 
 13. And yet it is not to be thought that the life 
 of darkness therefore sinks down into misery, that 
 it would forget itself as if it were sorrowful. There 
 is no sorrowing; but what with us on earth is 
 sorrowing according to this property, is in the dark- 
 ness power and joy according to the property of the 
 darkness. For sorrowfulness is a thing that is 
 swalllowed up in death. But death and dying is 
 the life of the darkness, just as anguish is the hfe of 
 the poison. The greater the anguish becomes in 
 the poison, the stronger becomes the poison-hfe, as 
 is to be seen in the external poison. 
 
 14. We cannot, then, say of the devil that he 
 sits in dejection, as if he were faint-hearted. There 
 is no faint-heartedness in him, but a constant will 
 to kindle the poison-source more, that his fierce- 
 ness may become greater. For this fierceness is 
 his strength, wherein he draws his will to mount 
 above the thrones and inflame them. He would 
 be a mighty lord in the poison-source, for it is the 
 strong and great hfe. But the light is his misery 
 and dread; that checks his bravery. He is terri- 
 fied at the light; for it is his true poison, which 
 torments him. Because he abandoned it, it now 
 resists him. Of which he is ashamed, that he is 
 thus a deformed angel in a strange image. He 
 would be content with the source of wrath, if only 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 103 
 
 the light were not so near him. Shame is therefore 
 so great in him that he grows furious, and kindles 
 his poisonous source more and more, so that his 
 figure becomes increasingly horrible, and the divine 
 image is not recognized in him. He aims only at 
 how he may storm and rage against God, as if he 
 were a foreign thing, or a foreign power, as if he 
 had a foreign kingdom; whereas he is poor, and 
 the dark kingdom is not his, but he is only a pris- 
 oner in it. It is God's abyss ; he is only a creature 
 therein. He would be lord therein, and yet is 
 but a juggler with the fierceness; although he 
 must act according to the property. And this is 
 also a wonder before the stern might of eternity. 
 It is as a sport wherewith the stern might hath 
 its dissipation, by which it is distinguished what 
 evil or good, joy or sorrow, is; and that the 
 creatures in the light-world have cause to humble 
 themselves. And yet God created no devil, nor 
 destined Lucifer for the dark world. But this is 
 enmity in Lucifer, that he was an angel, and 
 that the light is so near him that he became an 
 
 apostate. 
 
 15. There is no pain in the creatures which have 
 been created in the dark world ; for they are of the 
 fierce wrathful property, and know nothing of the 
 light. Fierceness is their strength and might, and 
 enmity their will and life. The more evil and 
 hostile a creature is in the dark world, the greater 
 is its might. As the powerful tyrants of this world 
 often exhibit their power in malignity, so that men 
 
104 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 must fear them, or as tame animals are afraid of 
 ferocious ones ; so' has this hkewise a property in 
 the dark world. 
 
 16. If we will rightly consider the property of 
 the dark world, let us look upon the malice and 
 pride of this world, which is a figure or type. For 
 all malice, falsehood, pride and covetousness has 
 its root from the dark world; it is the property of 
 the dark world, whether it be recognized in men or 
 beasts. 
 
 17. For this world rests upon the foundation of 
 the dark world. The dark world gives to this world 
 essence, will and quality. And had not the good 
 been introduced also at creation, there would be 
 no other doing or will in this world than in the dark 
 world. But the divine power and the sun's light 
 hinder that. As is to be seen among men and 
 beasts, how there is a biting, hating and striking, 
 and an arrogant self-will, each wishing to rule over 
 the other, to kill and devour the other, and elevate 
 itself alone; also to trample upon everything with 
 guile, wrath, malice and falsehood, and make itself 
 
 lord. 
 
 18. In like manner the dark world has such a 
 property. What all wicked men in this world do 
 in their malice and falsehood, that also the devils 
 do in the dark world ; and what the poisonous evil 
 worms and beasts in their malignity do, that also 
 the other creatures do in the dark world. Though 
 they are without such a body, yet they have such 
 a property in their spiritual body; and though they 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 105 
 
 have a body, yet it is after the fashion of spirit, as 
 the devils have one. 
 
 19. The birth, being, essence and dominion of 
 the dark world lies principally in the first four 
 forms of Nature, viz. in the source of anguish, in 
 an exceedingly strong and powerful dominion, 
 where all in the essence is divulged. For gentleness 
 is the enmity of the wrath-power, and each is against 
 
 the other. 
 
 20. Else, if they should be one, there would 
 necessarily be but one quality; and if there were 
 also only one will, the eternal wonders could not 
 become manifest. But the manifold quality makes 
 the eternal wonders manifest. For eternity could 
 not otherwise become manifest, nor attain to being, 
 save through the enkindling, viz. in the stern harsh 
 attraction in which the dark world stands, and in 
 which the fire-world and also the light-world take 
 their rise. All is only a single essence or substance, 
 but it separates itself into three properties. One 
 property is not separated from the other, but each 
 gives the other; as is to be seen in fire and light, 
 as also in the matter from which the fire burns. 
 
 21. And man need not search deeper, for he 
 is himself the essence of all beings. But because 
 he has in his creation turned aside from his original 
 order, and introduced and awakened another quality 
 in himself, it is necessary for him to inquire how 
 he may re-enter into his eternal order and quahty, 
 and generate himself anew. And then, how he 
 may extinguish the fierce wrathful quality which 
 
106 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 is moving in him, for all is active in him and draws 
 him, both evil and good. Therefore he should learn 
 how to resist wrath, and walk in meekness, in the 
 quality of light and love. 
 
 22. Man, moreover, has no law except he enkindle 
 himself in the dark world's property, and walk 
 according to this property. Independently of that, 
 all is free to him. Whatsoever he doth in meekness 
 and love is without restriction for him, and is his 
 proper being; it consists not in any one's name or 
 presumption. 
 
 23. All that is grown from one root is and belongs 
 to one tree, it is but one manner of fruit; un- 
 less it corrupt itself, so that the very essence 
 changes. 
 
 24. As long as a thing remains in the essence 
 from which it arose, it has no law; but if it with- 
 draw therefrom into another quality, the first 
 quality hangs unto it, and is in conflict with the 
 other. And then law ensues, that it should return 
 again into that which it originally was, and be one, 
 not two; for one thing should exercise only one 
 dominion, not two. Man was created in the 
 dominion of love and gentleness, as in God's Being, 
 and therein he was to remain. 
 
 25. But because he was awakened another do- 
 minion, viz. fierce wrath, he is now in combat and 
 strife, and has laws, that he may mortify and 
 abandon the fierceness, and be in one dominion 
 again. Since then both dominions are become 
 powerful in him, and the dominion of wrath has 
 overpowered love, he must wholly break to pieces 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT lOT 
 
 in substance, and be re-born again from the first 
 root. And therefore he has in this twofold being 
 laws, how he should conduct himself and generate 
 a will-spirit unto the eternal dominion. 
 
 26. All this lies in his power. He may bring 
 forth the spirit of wrath or the spirit of love, and in 
 accordance with the same he is separated whither 
 and into which world he belongs; for he separates 
 himself. 
 
 27. But the law continues over him as long as he 
 is in this hfe (field). Then, when the weed sepa- 
 rates from this field of the body, it is in one dominion 
 again, where it shall remain eternally; for after 
 that there is nothing more to give it law, inasmuch 
 
 as it is wholly one in its will, either to do evil or 
 
 » 
 
 good. 
 
 28. But in this external life man is in combat and 
 strife. Two dominions, qualities and laws repose in 
 him. The divine unto love and righteousness ; and 
 the wrathful in the rising of pride in the power of 
 fire, in the stern, harsh, hellish covetousness, envy, 
 anger and malice. The one to which the spirit 
 unites itself, of that dominion it is. The other 
 hangs unto it, and reproaches it to its face as a 
 perjured wretch and an apostate; but neverthe- 
 less draws it, and will have it. Thus life is in a 
 desperate strait between the two, and is at odds 
 with itself. 
 
 29. But if it resolve rashly, and abandon itself 
 wholly to the wrath, then the fierce wrath destroys 
 the first image according to God. And if it can- 
 not entirely, because the divine power hinders that. 
 
 (I 
 
108 SIX THEOSOPliiC POINTS 
 
 then it would cast the whole man headlong; and 
 many a one is plunged into despair in this anguish, 
 so that he lays violent hands on himself. 
 
 3u. Thus the soul with the image falls unto the 
 wrathful, dark world; and the image is brought 
 into a hellish figure, into a form of its property 
 which it had here. So it fared also with the devils, 
 who have lost their first image. 
 
 81 Every devil has an image according to his 
 property, according to the figure of the wrath, 
 in accordance with its quahty; like as there are 
 horrible worms or evil beasts, and such a thing has 
 also the lost soul to expect. 
 
 32. External Reason supposes that hell is far 
 from us. But it is near us. Every one carries 
 it in himself, unless he kill the hellish poison with 
 God's power, and bud forth therefrom as a new 
 twig, which the hellish quality cannot seize or 
 touch (rilgen) . 
 
 33. Though indeed the fierceness of hell is recog- 
 nized more in one place than in another, all 
 according to the hellish dominion, where the upper 
 dominion is powerful in various places in the locus 
 of this world; all according to the fire enkindling 
 of King Lucifer, as in many places of the earth, 
 as also in the deep between the stars and the 
 earth, is the hellish quality to be discerned above 
 other places, where the inner fierceness extends 
 to the external principle. Here then are distinct 
 dominions of devils, also of the other hellish 
 properties ; here the fierce wrath of God has strongly 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 109 
 
 infiamed itself, and now burns until the judgment 
 of God. 
 
 34. Every man carries heaven and hell within 
 hi min this world. The property which he awakens, 
 the same burns in him, and of that fire is the soul 
 susceptible. And when the body dies, the soul 
 needs to go nowhither, but it is committed to the 
 hellish dominion of which it is the property. Those 
 devils who are of its property await it, and receive 
 it into their dominion until the judgment of God. 
 And though they are confined to no place, yet 
 they belong to the same dominion, and the same 
 quality they have everywhere. Wherever they 
 go, they are in the same dominion and quality; 
 for the abyss has no place, neither time nor space. 
 As it was before the times of the world, when there 
 was no place; so it is and remains so eternally in 
 the abyss. 
 
 35. And though the place of this world was given 
 to Lucifer for a kingdom (for he was created 
 therein), yet he has been cast out from place and 
 position, and dwells in the abyss, where he can 
 never reach any place of the angelic kingdom ; but 
 is shut up in his own realm in the abyss, where he 
 must bear eternal reproach as a prisoner. As is 
 done to a malefactor, who is put into a dark dungeon 
 away from all the beings of this world, where he 
 must do without any mundane joy or pleasure and 
 bear the reproach of his crime. 
 
 36. So it fares also with the devils, and with all 
 damned souls, who he captive in the dark prison. 
 
 . II 
 
^».u~-fa™^i-i,-*»*^«t^^^ '".r'^.'::'::' ,.„:.,'. :^^:«™..;-:,^,,,J.i,_.2''^J^JBI 
 
 110 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 Nor do they desire to come out, because of the 
 great reproach of their horrible form and image. 
 And wherever they go, yet they never enjoy any 
 good; there is among them no refreshment. But 
 they lie in hell as the dead, or as eternally hungry, 
 fainting and thirsty; and are only an evil poison- 
 source. All is to them adverse and contrary. 
 They have only a thirst after anguish and malice; 
 these they devour eternally, and bring forth 
 blasphemies upon themselves. The more horrible 
 they can make their figure, the more pleasing that 
 is to them. Like buffoons, who on earth would 
 fain be always the greatest fools, give themselves 
 a hideous appearance, and have their delight 
 therein; so they do also eternally in hell, and 
 accordingly they begin the game here on earth. As 
 the tyrant delights when he can torment men, and 
 spend their sweat in show and luxury, in foolish 
 strange attire and behaviour, and ape the fool; so 
 do also the devils in hell. And the luxury of this 
 world in its strange garb is a true type of the hellish 
 world. 
 
 37. All the curious tassels and tufts which the 
 proud man devises, and clothes his foolish man 
 therewith, whereby he would be distinguished from 
 the true children of God, are types of the hellish 
 world. All his bedizenment, glittering show and 
 ostentation, by which he withdraws himself from 
 humihty, is a hellish mirror; for the devil's pride 
 will be like to none, it keeps itself distinct in this 
 world. And the blind man understands not this, 
 how the devil fools and deceives him, and thus only 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT m 
 
 to mock God prefigures his own proud mask; so 
 that the poor man does as he does, and thinks he is 
 thereby fine, and better than other men, whereas 
 we all arise and proceed from one body and spirit. 
 But before God and his angels he is recognized 
 only as a devil's mask, and is in the sight of heaven 
 an abomination. As a fool in comparison with 
 wisdom is but an abomination, so is also hypocritical 
 pride an abomination before God and his angels, 
 in presence of the noble image. The world still 
 cleaves to this abomination, and therewith marks 
 out the corrupt image of earthliness. 
 
 38. He who sees a proud man sees the heavy fall 
 of Adam, and a type of the hellish world; a half 
 devil and half man, to whom the devil has con- 
 tinual access. For he is the devil's servant in this 
 world; the devil does his work through him, and 
 the poor man knows it not, and so enters the devil's 
 service to his eternal reproach. He thinks he is 
 thereby fine and important, and is thereby in the 
 sight of God only as a fool, who puts on strange 
 clothing and takes to himself animal form. 
 
112 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 Of the four elements of the devil and of the dark 
 world; how we shall know them in this outer 
 world. 
 
 1. The first element of the dark world and of the 
 devil is pride, the second covetousness, the third 
 envy, the fourth anger. These four elements are 
 everlastingly hatching a young son, who is called 
 Falsehood. This son is also a true son of the 
 corrupt Adam, whom he left behind him to be a 
 lord of the world. He has become king in the 
 world, and has possessed the whole world, and 
 rules everywhere in the third principle. Whoever 
 rightly knows this king, knows the four elements of 
 the devil ; for in the dark world these four elements 
 have entire dominion in spirit and body, and in all 
 that is called being. 
 
 2. And we see hereby clearly that this world 
 rests upon the foundation of these four elements, 
 and receives from them tendency, quality and will. 
 For the son of these four elements rules on earth; 
 he will have all obedient under him, and has four 
 different races of his subjects. (1) The race of 
 pride, which will be above all other, and will put 
 itself on a level with none. (2) The race of 
 covetousness, which will alone possess all, subdue all 
 under it, and will have all. This second race is the 
 son of the first, for pride will also have all, that 
 
 I 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 113 
 
 it alone may be all. (3) The third race is envy, 
 which is the son of covetousness. When it sees 
 it cannot alone have all, it stings like a poison, and 
 begrudges anything to any one. Its will in all 
 things is either to draw to itself and possess alone, 
 or to rage therein with an evil will. (4) The fourth 
 race is anger, which is the son of envy. What it 
 cannot attain with evil will, that it enkindles in the 
 fire of wrath, and breaks it by force. It brings 
 about war and slaughter, and would destroy every- 
 thing. This race would subdue all by violence. 
 
 3. These, then, are the four elements of the devil, 
 all which four are in one another as one. One 
 proceeds from the other, and one gives birth to the 
 other. They take their origin from the dark 
 Nature, viz. from sour, bitter, anguish and fire. 
 
 4. But seeing God's power is for them an opposi- 
 tion, so that in this world they have not full 
 dominion, they have generated a crafty son, by 
 whom they rule, who is called Falsehood. He takes 
 the coat of divine colours upon him, that he may 
 not be known ; and wishes to be called a son of truth 
 and virtue, but is an imposter. He speaks in one 
 way, and thinks and acts in another. He carries 
 the lustre of God on his tongue, and the devil's 
 power and poison in his heart. 
 
 5. This is king on earth, and manages two king- 
 doms. The first is called perdition; the second 
 Babel, a confusion. The kingdom of perdition this 
 king has clothed with strength and might; it is 
 the garment of that kingdom. On tlie other king- 
 dom. Babel, he has put a white shining garment. 
 
114 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 That must be to it in place of God, and with that 
 the king rules on earth as if he were God. And 
 the people worship this garment; and beneath it is 
 the man of falsehood and deceit, and hath in him 
 his mother the four elements, viz. pride, covetous- 
 ness, envj^ and anger. 
 
 6. Thus the four elements of the devil rule under 
 a hypocritical coat, and men strive eagerly for this 
 coat. Eveiy one will put it on; but he who puts 
 it on, puts on hell and God's wrath. The coat is 
 honoured in God's stead, and is the coat which the 
 wrath of God did put on Adam and Eve, when the 
 devil deceived them, so that they fell from obedience 
 to God. And it is the very same coat of which God 
 from the beginning of the world has warned us, 
 that we should not put it on; for the devil has 
 his lodging in it. When we put it on, we take up 
 our abode with the devil, and must do what he 
 pleases; for he is host in that house, and rests in 
 
 that coat. 
 
 7. Because he is a prisoner of God, he puts his 
 coat on us, and sends us therewith to Babel into 
 his service, where we cannot but mock God; for 
 we have on God's coat, and the devil lodged under 
 it as guest. Thus the tongue gives God's good 
 words, and the heart has the spirit of the four 
 elements of wrath ; and God is therefore mocked by 
 the devil, that God shall see that he, the devil, is lord 
 and king over men, and esteems God's dominion 
 in man only as a shining coat, in which he, the devil, 
 is man, and has man captive in his arms. He covers 
 him indeed with the coat, and allows man to call 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 115 
 
 himself God's child; but in this coat man does only 
 his will for him, so that all that the devil cannot or 
 may not do in the external kingdom, that man does 
 for him in his service. The devil may not kill any 
 one, and man does it readily to please him. Neither 
 can the devil use God's creatures, and man misuses 
 them wilUngly to please him, thereby to mock God. 
 With this he practises pride and covetousness, also 
 falsehood and malice, and accomplishes by them 
 all that the devil would have ; he shines also there- 
 with as if he were God. 
 
 8. The external kingdom is therefore become a 
 perpetual murderous den of the devil. The false 
 and pretended man (who calls himself a man, but is 
 not) does butchery, and increases God's wrath, 
 and kindles the dark Avorld in this outer world, so 
 that God's wrath continually burns in this world. 
 
 9. Thus God's kingdom is hindered, and the 
 devil's will done; and the devil remains a prince 
 on earth, whereas otherwise he could accomplish 
 nothing on earth. The pretended man is in his 
 service, and does his will. Two species of men, 
 then, dwell together on earth. The one are real 
 true men, who serve God in the coat of humihty 
 and misery, whom the devil derides and torments 
 them with the other species, and in their case brings 
 all his wonders to pass by means of those who serve 
 
 him. 
 
 10. The other species also calls itself men, walk 
 also in human form, but they are evil beasts. They 
 put on the garment of their King, that is to say, 
 Falsehood; and live in the power of the four 
 
116 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 elements of their king, viz. in pride, covetousness, 
 envy and anger. 
 
 11. Pride is the first virtue. It snatches the 
 bread from the mouth of the real man, and coerces 
 the wretched, that it may satisfy itself. It insists 
 that nothing shall be on a level with it; it will be 
 alone the fairest child in the house. It has put 
 on the coat of dissimulation, and would be called 
 righteous; people must honour it and bow them- 
 selves before it. Nothing must compare itself to 
 It. It will be lord, and says : I am modest in my 
 demeanour. 
 
 12. But its heart is covetousness. That is the 
 wolf, and devours the sweat and labour of the 
 wretched. Pride mounts up above all. It explores 
 daily the wonders of God, to see how it may dis- 
 semble and play the hypocrite. It affects to be 
 friendly and chaste, as if it were a virgin full of 
 modesty; and yet is a strumpet full of flaws, and 
 at heart hates all virtue, chastity and righteous- 
 ness. It is a perpetual enemy of love and humility. 
 Whatever is simple, that it despises ; and yet forces 
 the simple under its yoke. It says to the real true 
 man: Thou art my dog, I will hunt thee whither 
 I list. Thou art foolish, and I am wise; and it 
 is itself the biggest fool. It forfeits God and the 
 kingdom of heaven for a little while's delight of the 
 eyes ; it plunges itself into darkness, and puts on the 
 coat of anxiety. 
 
 13. The second virtue of this King Falsehood is 
 covetousness. This draws all to itself, and 
 darkens the shining adornment of pride. It draws 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 117 
 
 to itself evil and good promiscuously, and continu- 
 ally fills pride full. And when it has filled it, it 
 takes its son envy and torments pride therewith, 
 so that it has no rest in its splendour. Envy 
 stings incessantly in the desiring covetousness, as 
 if it were mad and frantic; and tortures pride 
 day and night, so that it never rests. Covetous- 
 ness is the right coarse swinish beast; it desires 
 more than it can eat. Its jaws are wide open day 
 and night. It suffers not man to rest, and tor- 
 ments him continually in its sordid filthiness, so 
 that he has an eager longing earthward, and toward 
 the things the earth yields without any one's 
 covetousness; only labour belongs thereto, and no 
 covetousness. 
 
 14. Covetousness plagues itself and is its own 
 enemy ; for it fills itself with pain and disquietude, 
 and clouds man's understanding, so that he cannot 
 recognize that all comes from the divine hand. It 
 makes dark for man his life's light, consumes the 
 body, and robs him of the divine senses and glory. 
 It casts him into the pit of death, and brings him 
 temporal and eternal death. It attracts dark 
 matter into man's noble image, and makes of an 
 angel a fierce wrathful devil. It creates the turba 
 in body and soul, and is the hon'ible beast in 
 the abyss of hell, for it is the cause of suffering 
 and pain; without it no pain could arise. It causes 
 war and strife, for it is never satisfied. If it had 
 all the world, it would want to have also the abyss; 
 for there is no place made for its rest. It builds up 
 countries and kingdoms, and destroys them also 
 
118 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 again. It drives man into mere trouble and tur- 
 moil; it is simply the devil's heart and will. 
 
 15. For pride is the brave spirit which grows 
 from covetousness. It is the fair child that was to 
 possess heaven; but covetousness has transformed 
 it into a bastard-child, and has introduced it 
 into Babel, into the mother of the great whore- 
 dom on earth. There pride continually prosti- 
 tutes itself to covetousness, and is but a bastard- 
 child in the sight of God. It cannot possess 
 heaven; it has its kingdom of heaven on earth. It 
 makes court to King Falsehood, who takes all 
 its labour, and gives it to the four elements of the 
 devil in the dark world; and thither must pride 
 follow also with covetousness, when the bag of 
 anxious avarice breaks. The same is indeed so 
 very just, and yet takes its covetousness with it 
 into the abyss, that pride may have its dehght 
 therein. As a fool in his fool's dress, who toils 
 and vexes himself that he may bring forth folly 
 and please his spectators, that he may be an 
 extravagant fool; so in like manner pride and cov- 
 etousness is God's fool and the devil's juggler, who 
 hath his delight in this, that he can make of God's 
 image a fool's image. 
 
 16. The third virtue is envy, in the four elements 
 of the devil, in the kingdom of falsehood. The 
 same is a sting, a rager and raver, like an evil 
 poison. It can abide nowhere, and has no resting- 
 place Its mother covetousness allows it no rest; 
 it nmst always rage and rave. It must enter into 
 that in which it is not generated. It is the mouth 
 
 . 
 
 •11 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 119 
 
 of covetousness, a perpetual liar and slanderer. It 
 pierces into its neighbour's heart, and wounds it. 
 It devours itself for very poisonful hunger, and yet 
 never has enough. It causes restlessness without 
 limit or measure. It is the greatest poison and the 
 eye of hell, whereby the devil sees in the soul and 
 body of man. Nothing is like unto it. It is no 
 fire, but the sting of fire. It brings about all ill, 
 and yet finds no rest; the more it pushes on, the 
 more frantic it is. It is a famished poison. It 
 needs no being, and yet rages in being. It makes 
 man more than mad, so that he desires to storm 
 and rave against God. It is the essence of hell 
 and of wrath, and makes of love the gi^eatest enmity. 
 It grudges any one anything, and yet is itself a 
 starved nothing. 
 
 17. Envy is the devil's will-spirit; and the man 
 who takes it as a lodging, receives the devil and 
 God's wrath; for it brings heUish torture and pain. 
 It is the eternal hostile torment and unrest, and 
 destroys the noble image of God ; for it is the enemy 
 of God and of all creatures. 
 
 18. The fourth virtue, in the four elements in 
 the kingdom of falsehood of the devil, is anger, 
 rage. This is the right hell-fire; for anger is 
 generated between covetousness and envy. It is 
 the fire and life of envy. What envy cannot do, 
 that anger accomplishes. Anger takes body and 
 soul together, and runs like a raging devil. It 
 would destroy and shatter everything; it runs 
 against walls and strongholds. And though it 
 burst itself, still it is furious, like a mad dog that 
 
120 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 bites and kills all; and is so venomous in its wrath, 
 that, what it cannot overpower, it nevertheless 
 poisons. This is the true podagra of the world. 
 When pride in its hypocritical coat cannot get the 
 mastery by guile and falsehood, it must then give 
 effect to the fourth virtue, which strikes with the 
 fist and brings about war. Oh, how merry is the 
 devil when his four elements rule thus! He still 
 thinks he is lord on earth. For though he is a pris- 
 oner, yet the animal-men perform his office wtII; 
 and accordingly he holds men in derision, that they 
 are and do worse than he himself can do. 
 
 19. These are, then, the four elements of the 
 dark world, in which the devil opines to be a God; 
 and therewith he rules on earth by his faithful son 
 Falsehood. This latter is the smug kitling, who 
 before gives good words, and yet always has the 
 mouse in view. Can it but catch it: Oh, how brisk 
 and jocund it is when it can bring the roast meat 
 to the devil! With these four elements man is 
 surrounded, and lodges in the country of the false 
 king. They shoot him at all hours to the heart, 
 and would destroy his noble image. He must 
 always be at war against them, for they lodge with 
 him and in him; they make thrusts continually at 
 him, and would destroy his choicest jewel. 
 
 20. If but one of these four elements obtain in 
 man power to qualify, this one enkindles all the 
 others; and they straightaway rob him of his noble 
 image, and make of him a mask of the devil. And 
 no man who allows to these four elements power 
 to quahfy can with truth say of himself, that he 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 121 
 
 is a man; for he quahfies into the devil's property, 
 and is an enemy of God. And though the devil 
 clothe him with the hypocritical coat, so that he 
 is able to give good words and knows how to be 
 elegant in his manners, that men think he is a child 
 of God, yet he is not a man as long as these four 
 elements have the upper-hand in him; but he is a 
 diabolized man, half devil and half man, till he 
 make his measure full: then he is an entire devil in 
 
 human shape. 
 
 21. Let every one, therefore, learn to know him- 
 self,— what kind of properties rule in him. If he 
 find that all these four elements, or one only, rule 
 in him, he has to take the field against them, or 
 it will turn out ill in the end. He will not be 
 permitted to comfort himself with the kingdom of 
 heaven. Only let him not suffer the devil to wrap 
 him round with the hypocritical cloak, as happens 
 when men live in these four elements, and subtly 
 flatter themselves with the sufferings of Christ. 
 That must be the covering of this impostor. The 
 impostor might retain his dominion, if he did not 
 tickle himself with Christ's satisfaction. 
 
 22. Oh, how the shining coat of Christ will be 
 stript off thee! Then will be seen standing in 
 Babel the whore with the four virtues. It is not 
 merely a question of taking comfort, but of keep- 
 ing down the impostor, lest he become master in 
 the house. He must not bear rule, but righteous- 
 ness, love, humility and chastity, and constant 
 cheerful well-doing. Not dissembling and giving 
 good words, but doing. There must be doing: viz. 
 
V 
 
 / 
 
 122 SIX THEOSOPHIC POINTS 
 
 striving against the devil's will, contenting oneself 
 with little, in patience shutting oneself up in hope 
 in God, resisting the four evil elements and taking 
 in God's four elements, which are love, meekness, 
 mercy, and patience in hope. These should man 
 awaken in himself, and therewith continually fight 
 against the devil's four elements. 
 
 23. Man must here be at war against himself, if 
 he wishes to become a heavenly citizen. He must 
 not be a lazy sleeper, and with gormandizing and 
 swilling fill his belly, whereby the devil's elements 
 begin to qualify; but he must be temperate, sober 
 and vigilant, as a soldier that stands before his 
 enemy. For God's wrath fights continuallv ao-ainst 
 him; he will have enough to do to defend 
 himself. 
 
 24. For the devil is his enemy, his own corrupt 
 flesh and blood is his enemy, God's wrath is his 
 enemy within him, and the whole world is his 
 enemy. Wherever he looks he sees enemies, who 
 all desire to rob him. 
 
 25. Therefore fighting must be the watchword, 
 not with tongue and sword, but with mind and 
 spirit; and not give over. Though body and soul 
 should break, yet God must remain the strength of 
 the heart, as David says (Psal. Ixxiii. 26). And 
 though a man should see that the whole world were 
 godless, if he purpose becoming a child of God, he 
 must nevertheless continue steadfast. 
 
 26. And though it should seem to him that he 
 were alone in this path, and the whole world should 
 say: Thou art a fool, and art mad! yet he should 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 123 
 
 be as if he were dead in the world, and heard that 
 from the mouth of the devil, who is his worst 
 enemy. He should nowhere give ground ; but think 
 that in his purpose he pleases God, and that God 
 himself in him is his purpose; that he would thus 
 deliver him from the devil, and bring him into his 
 kingdom. Amen. 
 
 I 
 
/ 
 
 SEX PUNCTA MYSTICA 
 
 OR 
 
 A SHORT EXPLANATION OF 
 
 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 BY 
 
 JACOB BOHME 
 
 Written in the year 1620 
 
 I 
 
 V 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The precious knowledge is not found unless the 
 soul have once conquered in the assault and struck 
 down the devil, so that it obtains the knight's 
 garland, which the gracious virgin Chastity puts 
 upon it as a token of victory that it has overcome 
 in its dear champion Christ. Then the wonderful 
 knowledge rises, but with no perfection. 
 
 127 
 
THE FIRST POINT 
 
 On the blood and water of the soul. 
 
 1. All that is substantial and tangible is in this 
 world. Now, since the soul is not a substance or 
 entity in this world, neither is its blood and water 
 a substance or entity in this world. 
 
 2. Certainly the soul with its blood and water is 
 in the outer blood and water; but its substance is 
 magical. For the soul is also a magical fire, and 
 its image or form is generated in the light (in the 
 power of its own fire and light) from the magical 
 fire ; and yet is a veritable image in flesh and blood, 
 but in the original state thereof. 
 
 3. As God's wisdom has being, and yet it, wis- 
 dom, is not a being; so the soul with its image has 
 being, and yet it, the soul, is only a magical fire, but 
 its sustenance is from its substance. 
 
 4. As a fire must have substance if it is to burn, 
 so likewise the magical fire of the soul has flesh, 
 blood and water. There would be no blood if the 
 tincture of fire and light were not in water. This 
 tincture is the ens or life of wisdom (which has in 
 it all the forms of 6f Nature), and is the other 
 magical fire. 
 
 5. For it gives all colours; and from its form 
 goes forth divine power in the gentle nature of the 
 light (understand, according to the property of the 
 
 129 
 
130 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 light in it) ; and according to the property of the 
 fire in it, it is a sharpness of transmutation. It can 
 bring eveiy thing to its highest degree ; although it 
 is not a live spirit, but the supreme ens. 
 
 6. Hence also the tincture is such an ens in water, 
 and introduces thereinto the property of fire and 
 of light, with all the powers of Nature; whereby 
 it transforms the water into blood ; and this it does 
 in the outer and inner water, as in the outer and 
 inner blood. 
 
 7. The inner blood of the divine substantiality is 
 also magical; for it is Magic which makes it into 
 substance. It is spiritual blood, which outer nature 
 cannot touch {rilgen), but by imagination only. 
 The inner imagination introduces the outer will into 
 the inner blood, whereby the flesh and blood of the 
 divine substantiality is corrupted, and the noble 
 image of the likeness of God is eclipsed. 
 
 8. The soul's flesh and blood is in the highest 
 mystery, for it is divine substantiality. And when 
 the outer flesh and blood die, it falls unto the outer 
 mystery, and the outer mystery falls unto the 
 
 inner. 
 
 9. And every magical fire has its brightness and 
 darkness in itself ; on account of which a final day 
 of separation is appointed, when all must pass 
 through a fire and be proved, what shall be fit for 
 it or not. Then everything goes into its own magic, 
 and thereafter is as it was from eternity. 
 
 THE SECOND POINT 
 
 On the election of grace. On good and evil. 
 
 1. God is from eternity alone all. His essence 
 divides itself into three eternal distinctions. One 
 is the fire-world, the second the dark world, and 
 the third the light-world. And yet they are but 
 one essence, one in another; but one is not the 
 other. 
 
 2. The three distinctions are alike eternal and 
 without bounds, and confined in no time nor place. 
 Each distinction shuts itself in itself in a being; 
 and its qualification is in accordance with its prop- 
 erty, and in its qualification is also its desire, as 
 the centrum naturae. 
 
 3. And the desire is its making, for desire makes 
 being where there is none, and that in the essence 
 of the desire, according to the property of the 
 desire. And all is together only a Magia, or a 
 hunger after being. 
 
 4. Each form makes being in its desire; and each 
 form fulfils itself out of the mirror of its bright- 
 ness, and has its seeing in its own mirror. Its 
 seeing is a darkness for another mirror, its form 
 is hidden to another eye; but in feehng there is a 
 difference. 
 
 5. For each form derives its feeling from the 
 original state of the first three forms in Nature, viz. 
 
 131 
 
132 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 from sour, bitter and anguish ; and yet in these three 
 there is no pain in themselves, but fire causes pain 
 in them, and light transforms it into gentleness 
 again. 
 
 6. The right life is rooted in fire; there is the 
 hinge of light and darkness. The hinge is desire; 
 with whatever it fill itself, to the fire thereof the 
 desire belongs, and its light shines from that fire. 
 That hght is the form or seeing of that hfe; and 
 the substance introduced in the desire is the fire's 
 wood, from which the fire burns, be it harsh or 
 soft; and that also is its kingdom of heaven or 
 of hell. 
 
 7. Human life is the hinge between light and 
 darkness; to whichever it give itself up, in that 
 same does it burn. If it give itself to the desire 
 of essence, it burns in anguish, in the fire of 
 darkness. 
 
 8. But if it give itself to a nothing, then it is 
 desireless, and falls unto the fire of light, and then 
 it cannot burn in any pain; for it brings into its 
 fire no substance from which a fire could burn. 
 Seeing then there is no pain in it, neither can the 
 life receive any pain, for there is none in it; it 
 has fallen unto the first Magia, which is God in 
 his triad. 
 
 9. When the life is born, it has all the three worlds 
 in it. The world to which it unites itself, by that 
 it is held, and in that fire enkindled. 
 
 10. For when the hfe enkindles itself, it is 
 attracted by all the three worlds; and they are in 
 motion in the essence, as in the first enkindled fire. 
 
 THE SECOND POINT 133 
 
 Whatever essence the life in its desire takes in and 
 receives, its fire burns. 
 
 11. If the first essence in which the life enkindles 
 itself be good, then is also the fire pleasant and 
 good. But if it be evil and dark, consisting of a 
 fierce wrathful property, then is the fire also a 
 wrath-fire, and has a con-esponding desire conform- 
 ing to the property of the fire. 
 
 12. For every imagination desires only essence 
 like unto itself, wherein it originally arose. 
 
 13. The Hfe of man in this time is like a wheel, 
 where the undermost is soon uppermost. It en- 
 kindles itself at every essence, and soils itself with 
 every essence. But its bath is the movement of the 
 heart of God, a water of gentleness ; and therefrom 
 it is able to introduce substantialitv into its fire-life. 
 The election of God depends not on the first 
 essence. 
 
 14. For the first essence is only the mysterium 
 for a life; and the first life with the enkindling 
 belongs properly to its mysterium out of which it 
 proceeded, be it wholly fierce essence, or a mixed 
 essence, or an essence of light according to the 
 light-world. 
 
 15. The property from which the life first takes 
 its rise, from that also burns the light of its life. 
 This life has no election, and no judgment is passed 
 upon it ; for it stands in its own primitive condition, 
 and carries its judgment in itself. It separates 
 itself from all other source {Qual) ; for it burns 
 only in its own source, in its own magical fire. 
 
 16. Election is in respect of that which is intro- 
 
t 
 
 134 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 duced, whether it belong to the light or to the 
 darkness. For according as it belongs to the one 
 property or to the other, so also is its life's will. 
 And here it becomes known whether it is of the 
 fierce wrathful essence, or of the love-essence. So 
 long as it burns in one fire, it is forsaken of the 
 o+her ; and the election of that fire wherein it burns 
 passes upon the life; for it would have it, it is of 
 its property. 
 
 17. But if that fire's will (as the flying punc- 
 turn) plunge into another fire and enkindle itself 
 therein, then it may enkindle the whole life with 
 that fire, if it remain in that fire. 
 
 18. Then is the hfe new-born, either unto the 
 dark world or unto the world of hght (in which- 
 ever the will has enkindled itself), and upon it 
 comes another election. And that is the reason why 
 God suffers people to teach, and so does the devil. 
 Each wishes the fife's will to plunge into his fire, 
 and enkindle itself. And then one mysterium 
 seizes the other. 
 
 1 
 
 I 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 
 
 On sin. What is sin, and how it is sin.^ 
 
 1. A thing that is one has neither commandment 
 nor law. But if it mix with another, then there 
 are two beings in one, and also two wills, one 
 running counter to the other. There is the origin 
 of enmity. 
 
 2. Thus we are to consider of enmity against 
 God. God is one and good, without any pain or 
 limiting characteristic (Qual) ; and though all 
 source or quality (Qual) be in him, yet it is not 
 manifest. For the good has swallowed up the evil 
 or contrary into itself, and keeps it in restraint in 
 the good, as it were a prisoner; for the evil must 
 be a cause of life and of light, but immanifest. 
 But the good dies to the evil, that it may dwell in 
 the evil, without pain or feeling, in itself. 
 
 3. Love and enmity are only one thing; but each 
 dwells in itself, and that makes two things. Death 
 is the bound of separation between them; and yet 
 there is no death, save that the good dies to the evil, 
 as the light is dead to the pain of fire, and no 
 longer feels the fire. 
 
 4. Thus then must we explain sin in human life. 
 For life is one and good; but if there be another 
 quality therein, then it (life) is an enmity against 
 
 1 i.e. What things are sins, and what makes them sins. 
 
 135 
 
136 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 God; for God dwells in the highest life of 
 man. 
 
 5. Now, no unfathomable existence can dwell in 
 one that is fathomable. For, as soon as the right 
 life awakens pain in itself, it is not identical with the 
 nnground, in which there is no pain; hence imme- 
 diately one separates from the other. 
 
 6. For the good or the light is as nothing; but 
 if something come into it, then this something is 
 another than the nothing. For the something 
 dwells in itself in torment (Qual) ; for where there 
 is something, there must be a quality (Qual) which 
 makes and keeps the something. 
 
 7. And thus we are to consider of love and 
 enmity. Love has but one quality and one vrill, it 
 desires only its like, and not many. For the good 
 is only one, but quality is many; and the human 
 will that desires many, brings into itself, into the 
 One (wherein God dwells) , the torment of plurality. 
 
 8. For the something is dark, and darkens the 
 life's light; and the One is Light, for it loves itself 
 and is no desire after several. 
 
 9. The life's will must therefore be directed 
 towards the One (as towards the good), and thus 
 it remains in one quahty. But if it imaginate into 
 another quality, it makes itself pregnant with the 
 thing after which it longs. 
 
 10. And if this thing be without an eternal foun- 
 dation, in a frail perishable root, then it seeks a root 
 for its preservation, that it may remain. For every 
 life stands in magical fire ; and every fire must have 
 substance in which it burns. 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 187 
 
 11. This same thing must make for itself sub- 
 stance according to its desire, that its fire may 
 have food to feed upon. Now, no fire-source can 
 subsist in the free fire; for it attains not that, 
 inasmuch as it is only a self -thing. 
 
 12. All that is to subsist in God must be freed 
 from its own will. It must have no individual 
 fire burning in it; but God's fire must be its fire. 
 Its will must be united to God, that God and the 
 will and spirit of man may be but one. 
 
 13. For that which is one is not at enmity with 
 itself, for it has only one will. Wherever it goes, 
 or whatever it does, that is all one with it. 
 
 14. One will has only one imagination; and the 
 imagination makes or desires only that which assim- 
 ilates with it. And so in like manner we are to 
 understand concerning the contrary will. 
 
 15. God dwells in all things; and nothing com- 
 prehends him, unless it be one with him. But if 
 it go out from the One, it goes out of God into 
 itself, and is another than God, which separates 
 itself. And here it is that law arises, that it should 
 proceed again out of itself into the One, or else 
 remain separated from the One. 
 
 16. And thus it may be known what is sin, or 
 how it is sin. Namely, when the human will sep- 
 arates itself from God into an existence of its own, 
 and awakens its own self, and burns in its own fire, 
 which is not capable of the divine fire. 
 
 17. For all into which the will enters, and will 
 have as its own, is something foreign in the one will 
 of God. For all is God's, and to man's own will 
 
138 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 belongs nothing. But if it be in God, then all 
 is its also. 
 
 18. Thus we recognize that desire is sin. For it 
 is a lusting out of one into many, and introduces 
 many into one. It will possess, and yet should be 
 will-less. By desire substance is sought, and in 
 substance desire kindles fire. 
 
 19. Now each particular fire burns in accordance 
 with the character of its own being; and here sep- 
 aration and enmity are born. For Christ says : He 
 that is not with me is against me; and he that 
 gathereth not with me scattereth (Luke xi. 23). 
 For he gathereth without Christ ; and whatsoever is 
 not in Him is out of God. 
 
 20. We see, then, that covetousness is sin; for 
 it is a desire out of God. And we see also that 
 pride is sin, for it will be a thing of its own; and 
 separates itself from God, as from the One. 
 
 21. For whatever will be in God must walk in 
 him, in his will. Seeing then we are in God but 
 one in many members, it is against God when one 
 member withdraws itself from the other, and makes 
 a lord of itself, as pride does. Pride will be lord, 
 and God alone is lord. Thus there are two lords, 
 and one separates from the other. 
 
 22. All, therefore, is sin and a contrary will, that 
 desire possesses as its own, be it meat or drink. 
 If the will imaginate thereinto, it fills itself there- 
 with and kindles the fire thereof, and then another 
 fire burns in the first, and there is contrary will 
 
 and error. 
 
 23. Therefore out of the contrary will must 
 
 
 THE THIRD POINT 139 
 
 grow a new will, which gives itself up again to the 
 one Unity; and the contrary will must be broken 
 and slain. 
 
 24. And here we are to consider the Word of 
 God that became man. If man place his desire 
 therein, he goes out from pain (Qual) , from his 
 own fire, and is new-born in the Word. And thus 
 the out-going will dwells in God ; and the first will 
 in greed, earthliness and plurality. 
 
 25. Accordingly plurality with the body must 
 break, and it (plurality) must perish and fall away 
 from the out-going will, and then the out-going 
 will is recognized as a new birth. For in the One 
 it takes all again into itself; but not with its own 
 desire, but with ^ its own love — a love that is united 
 with God, that God may be all in all, and his will 
 the will of all things; for in God exists but a single 
 will. 
 
 26. Thus we find that evil must be subservient 
 unto the life of the good, provided the will again 
 goes out from the evil, from itself, into the good; 
 for fierceness must constitute life's fire. 
 
 27. But the life's will must be turned against 
 itself in conflict; for it must flee from fierceness, 
 and not will it. It must not will desire, and yet its 
 fire {i.e. life's fire) wills desire, and must have desire. 
 Therefore the thing is, to be born anew in will. 
 
 1 Mr. H. H. Joachim writes: *Bohme's point here is very deep: 
 the Individuars will when united with God does not lose its individu- 
 ality'. It takes all into itself with a love peculiar to itself — but since 
 it is love, and not desire, it (the love) can be the wiU's very own, pe- 
 culiar to it, and yet not separate it from other individuals or from 
 God.' 
 
140 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 28. Every will-spirit that remains in the desire 
 of its life's fire (as in the ferventness of the wood 
 for fire), or enters thereinto and possesses the 
 earthly, is separated from God as long as it possesses 
 what is foreign, viz. the earthly. 
 
 29. Thus, we recognize how superfluity of meat 
 and drink produces sin. For the pure will, which 
 goes out from hfe's fire, is drowned in desire and 
 imprisoned, so that it proves too powerless in 
 combat. For the source of fire (or of desire) 
 holds it captive and fills it with craving, so that 
 this same will carries its imagination into the 
 desire. 
 
 30. Accordingly the will in the desire for meat 
 and drink is earthly, and is separated from God. 
 But the will that escapes from the earthly fire, bums 
 in the inward fire, and is divine. 
 
 31. This will that flees from the earthly desire 
 arises not from the earthly fire. No; it is the will 
 of the soul's fire, which is caught and concealed by 
 the earthly desire. It wills not to remain in the 
 earthly desire, but will enter into its One, into God, 
 out of which it originally sprang. 
 
 32. But if it be kept a prisoner in the earthly 
 desire, then it is shut up in death, and suffers agony. 
 And thus is sin to be understood. 
 
 THE FOURTH POINT 
 
 How CHRIST WILL DELI\^R UP THE KINGDOM 
 
 TO HIS FATHER. 
 
 1. At the creation of the world and of all being, 
 the Father put himself in motion in accordance 
 with his property, viz. by the centre of Nature, 
 by the dark world and the fire-world. These 
 continued in motion and domination till the Father 
 moved himself in accordance with his heart (and 
 the hght-world), and God became man. Then 
 the love of the hght overcame the Father's fierce 
 wrathful property, and the Father ruled in the Son 
 with love. 
 
 2. Then the Son had dominion in those that did 
 cleave unto God; and the Holy Spirit (that pro- 
 ceeds from the Father and Son) drew men in the 
 light of love, through the Son, to God the Father. 
 
 3. But in the end the Holy Spirit moves in the 
 Father's and also in the Son's property, and both 
 properties become active at once. The spirit of 
 the Father reveals itself in fire and light, as also 
 in the wrath of the dark world. Then the king- 
 dom falls unto the Father. For the Holy Spirit 
 must govern eternally, and be an eternal revealer 
 in the light-world and also in the dark world. 
 
 4. For the two worlds will stand still; and the 
 Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and 
 
 141 
 
142 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 Son, bears rule eternally in the two worlds, accord- 
 ing to each world's nature and property. 
 
 5. He alone will be the revealer of the wonders. 
 And thus to the Father (who is all) the eternal 
 dominion, which he exercises with the Spirit, is 
 delivered by the Son. 
 
 I 
 1 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 
 
 On magic. What magic is. What the 
 magical ground is. 
 
 1. Magic is the mother of eternity, of the being 
 of all beings; for it creates itself, and is under- 
 stood in desire. 
 
 2. It is in itself nothing but a will, and this will 
 is the great mystery of all wonders and secrets, but 
 brings itself by the imagination of the desireful 
 hunger into being. 
 
 3. It is the original state of Nature. Its desire 
 makes an imagination {Embildung), and imagina- 
 tion or figuration is only the will of desire. But 
 desire makes in the will such a being as the will in 
 itself is. 
 
 4. True Magic is not a being, but the desiring 
 spirit of the being. It is a matrix without sub- 
 stance, but manifests itself in the substantial being. 
 
 5. JIagic is spirit, and being is its body; and yet 
 the two are but one, as body and soul is but one 
 person. 
 
 6. Magic is the greatest secrecy, for it is above 
 Nature, and makes Nature after the form of its 
 will. It is the mystery of the Ternary, viz. it is 
 in desire the will striving towards the heart of God. 
 
 7. It is the formative power in the eternal wis- 
 dom, as a desire in the Ternary, in which the eternal 
 
 143 
 
144 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 wonder of the Ternary desires to manifest itself in 
 co-operation with Nature. It is the desire which 
 introduces itself into the dark Nature, and through 
 Nature into fire, and through fire, through death or 
 fierceness into the Ught of Majesty. 
 
 8. It is not Majesty, but the desire in Majesty. 
 It is the desire of the divine power, not the power 
 itself, but the hunger or craving in the power. It is 
 not God's Almightiness, but the directrix in God's 
 power and might. The heart of God is the power, 
 and the Holy Spirit is the revelation of power. 
 
 9. It is, however, the desire not only in the power, 
 but also in the conducting spirit ; for it has in it the 
 Fiat. What the Will-spirit reveals in it, that it 
 brings into a being by the sourness which is the 
 Fiat ; all according to the model of the will. Ac- 
 cording as the will makes a model in wisdom, so 
 does desiring Magic receive it; for it has in its 
 property imagination as a longing. 
 
 10. Imagination is gentle and soft, and resembles 
 water. But Desire is harsh and dry, like a hunger; 
 it makes the soft hard, and is found in all things, 
 for it is the greatest thing ( Wesen) in the Deity. 
 It leads the bottomless to foundation, and the noth- 
 ing into something. 
 
 11. In Magic are all forms of Being of all beings. 
 It is a mother in all three worlds, and makes each 
 thing after the model of that thing's will. It is 
 not the understanding, but it is a creatrix accord- 
 ing to the understanding, and lends itself to good 
 
 or to evil. 
 
 12. All that the will models in wisdom, if the 
 
 i«a»i-*»««ito»rf«ii*»*««w*«^^ 
 
 1 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 145 
 
 will of the understanding also enter thereinto, that 
 does Magic make into a being. It serves those 
 that love God in God's Being; for it makes in the 
 understanding divine substance, and takes this 
 from imagination, as from the gentleness of the 
 light. 
 
 13. It is Magic that makes divine flesh; and the 
 understanding is born of wisdom, for it is a dis- 
 scerner of colours, powers and virtues. The under- 
 standing guides the right true spirit with a bridle; 
 for the spirit is soaring, and the understanding is its 
 fire. 
 
 14. The spirit is not dissentient, that it should dis- 
 sent from the understanding; but it is the will of 
 the understanding. But the senses in the under- 
 standing are fiying-out and dissentient. 
 
 15. For the senses are the flash from the fire- 
 spirit, and bring with them in the light the flames of 
 Majesty; and in the darkness they bring with them 
 the flash of terror, as a fierce flash of fire. 
 
 16. The senses are such a subtle spirit that they 
 enter into all beings, and take up all beings into 
 themselves. But the understanding tries all in its 
 own fire; it rejects the evil and retains the good. 
 Then Magic, its mother, takes this and brings it 
 
 into a being. 
 
 17. Magic is the mother from which Nature 
 comes, and the understanding is the mother coming 
 from Nature. Magic leads into a fierce fire, and 
 the understanding leads its own mother. Magic, 
 out of the fierce fire into its own fire. 
 
 18. For the understanding is the fire of power. 
 
146 SIX MYSTICAL POINTS 
 
 and Magic the burning fire; and yet it is not to be 
 understood as fire, but the power or mother to fire. 
 Fire is called the principle, and Magic is called 
 
 desire. 
 
 19. By Magic is everything accomplished, both 
 good and bad. Its own working is Nigromantia, 
 but it is distributed into all the properties. In that 
 which is good it is good, and in that which is evil it 
 is evil. It is of use to the children for God's king- 
 dom, and to the sorcerers for the devil's kingdom; 
 for the understanding can make of it what it 
 pleases. It is without understanding, and yet com- 
 prehends all; for it is the comprehension of all 
 
 things. 
 
 20. It is impossible to express its depth, for it is 
 from eternity a ground and support of all things. 
 It is a master of philosophy, and likewise a mother 
 
 thereof. 
 
 21. But philosophy leads Magic, its mother, as 
 it pleases. As the divine power, viz. the Word (or 
 heart of God), leads the severe Father into gentle- 
 ness; so also does philosophy (or the understand- 
 ing) lead its mother into a gentle divine quahty. 
 
 22. Magic is the book of all scholars. All that 
 will learn must first learn Magic, be it a high or a 
 lowly art. Even the peasant in the field must go 
 to the magical school, if he would cultivate his field. 
 
 23. Magic is the best theology, for in it true faith 
 is both grounded and found. And he is a fool that 
 reviles it ; for he knows it not, and blasphemes 
 against God and himself, and is more a juggler than 
 a theologian of understanding. 
 
 il 
 
 THE FIFTH POINT 147 
 
 24. As one that fights before a mirror, and knows 
 not what the quarrel is, for his fighting is superfi- 
 cial; so also the unjust theologian looks on Magic 
 through a reflection, and understands nothing of 
 the power. For it is godlike, and he is ungodlike, 
 yea, devilish, according to the property of each 
 principle. In sum: Magic is the activity in the 
 Will-spirit. 
 
THE SIXTH POINT 
 
 On mystery. What it is. 
 
 1. Mystery is nothing else than the magical will, 
 which still lies caught in desire. It may fashion 
 itself in the mirror of wisdom how it will. And as 
 it fashions itself in the tincture, so it is fixed and 
 formed in Magic, and brought into a being. 
 
 2. For Mystermm magnum is nothing else than 
 the hiddenness of the Deity, together with the Be- 
 ing of all beings, from which one mysterium pro- 
 ceeds after another, and each mysterium is the mir- 
 ror and model of the other. And it is the great 
 wonder of eternity, wherein all is included, and from 
 eternity has been seen in the mirror of wisdom. 
 And nothing comes to pass that has not from eter- 
 nity been known in the mirror of wisdom. 
 
 3. But you must understand this according to 
 the properties of the mirror, according to all the 
 forms of Nature, viz. according to light and dark- 
 ness, according to comprehensibihty and incompre- 
 hensibility, according to love and wrath, or accord- 
 ing to fire and light, as has been set forth elsewhere. 
 
 4. The Magician has power in this Mystery to 
 act according to his will, and can do what he pleases. 
 
 5. But he must be armed in that element wherein 
 he would create; else he will be cast out as a 
 stranger, and given into the power of the spirits 
 
 148 
 
 THE SIXTH POINT 149 
 
 thereof, to deal with him according to their desire. 
 Of which in this place no more is to be said, because 
 of the turba. 
 
^ggigi,g,^ppii«MwmtiP%*"'^ ^ % )>-i.^' 
 
 ■t,^^'i? 
 
 MYSTERIUM PANSOPHICUM 
 
 OE 
 
 A FUNDAMENTAL STATEMENT 
 
 CONCERNING THE 
 
 EARTHLY AND HEAVENLY 
 
 MY STERY 
 
 HOW THEY ARE IN ONE ANOTHER, AND HOW IN 
 THE EARTHLY THE HEAVENLY IS MANIFESTED 
 
 DRAWN UP IN NINE TEXTS 
 
 WHERE BABEL, THE GREAT CITY ON EARTH, IS 
 
 TO BE SEEN WITH ITS POWER AND MARVELS. WHY 
 
 BABEL IS BORN, AND FROM WHAT. WHERE 
 
 ANTICHRIST SHALL STAND NAKED 
 
 A most wonderful revelation, taken out of the 
 
 highest arcanum. Herein is wholly revealed what 
 
 the turha of all beings is. 
 
 Written for the children of God, who by such 
 warning will flee from burning Babel, and shall 
 
 be born children of God out of the turha. 
 All very earnestly and faithfully given from know- 
 ledge of the great Mystery, the 8th May, 1620 
 
 BY 
 
 JACOB BOHME 
 
»^"***-S«iS1B^«KS*]i«S«^i!Si:i!».^^^; - 
 
 r- 
 
 -n 
 
 ^i 
 
 THE FIRST TEXT 
 
 The unground is an eternal nothing, but makes an 
 eternal beginning as a craving. For the nothing is 
 a craving after something. But as there is nothing 
 that can give anything, accordingly the craving it- 
 self is the giving of it, which yet also is a nothing, or 
 merely a desirous seeking. And that is the eternal 
 origin of Magic, which makes within itself where 
 there is nothing; which makes something out of 
 nothing, and that in itself only, though this craving 
 is also a nothing, that is, merely a will. It has noth- 
 ing, and there is nothing that can give it anythmg; 
 neither has it any place where it can find or repose 
 itself. 
 
 I 
 
 153 
 
THE SECOND TEXT 
 
 1. Seeing then there is a craving in the nothing, 
 it makes in itself the will to something. This will 
 is a spirit, as a thought, which goes out of the crav- 
 ing and is the seeker of the craving, for it finds its 
 mother or the craving. Then is this will a INIagician 
 in its mother ; for it has found in the nothing some- 
 thing, viz. its mother, and so now it has a place for 
 its dwelling. 
 
 2. And herein understand that the will is a spirit, 
 and different from the desirous craving. For the 
 will is an insensitive and incognitive life; but the 
 craving is found by the will, and is in the will a 
 being. Thus the craving is a Magia, and the will a 
 Magus; and the will is greater than its mother which 
 gives it, for it is lord in the mother ; and the mother 
 is dumb, but the will is a hfe without origin. The 
 craving is certainly a cause of the will, but without 
 knowledge or understanding. The will is the un- 
 derstanding of the craving. 
 
 3. Thus we give you in brief to consider of nature 
 and the spirit of nature, what there has been from 
 eternity without origin. And we find thus that the 
 will, viz. the spirit, has no place for its rest ; but the 
 craving is its own place, and the will is a band to it, 
 and yet is not held in check. 
 
 154 
 
 THE THIRD TEXT 
 
 1. Seeing then the eternal will is free from the 
 craving, but the craving is not free from the will 
 for the will rules over the craving) , we recognize 
 the will as the eternal Omnipotence. For it has no 
 parallel. The craving is indeed a movement of 
 attraction or desire, but without understanding; it 
 has a Hfe, but without knowledge. 
 
 2. Now the will governs the Hfe of the craving, 
 and doth therewith what it will. And though it 
 doth somewhat, yet this is not known till the same 
 reveals itself through the will, so that it becomes an 
 entity in the life of the will ; then it is known what 
 the will has wrought. 
 
 3. We recognize, therefore, the eternal Will- 
 spirit as God, and the moving life of the craving as 
 Nature. For there is nothing prior, and either is 
 without beginning, and each is a cause of the other, 
 and an eternal bond. 
 
 4. Thus the Will-spirit is an eternal knowing of 
 the unground, and the life of the craving an eternal 
 being [body] of the will. 
 
 155 
 
 I 
 
THE FOURTH TEXT 
 
 1. Seeing then the craving is a process of desire, 
 and this desire a hfe, this same desiring hfe goes in 
 the craving forward, and is always pregnant with 
 the craving. 
 
 2. And the desire is a stern attraction, and yet 
 hath nothing but itself, or the eternity without foun- 
 dation. And it draws magically, viz. its own desir- 
 ing into a substance. 
 
 3. For the will takes where there is nothing. It 
 is a lord and possessor. It is itself not a being, and 
 yet rules in being, and being makes it desirous, 
 namely of being. And since it becomes in itself 
 desirous, it is magical, and makes itself pregnant, 
 viz. by spirit without being; for originally it is only 
 spirit. Thus it makes in its imagination only spirit, 
 and becomes pregnant with spirit as with the eter- 
 nal knowing of the unground, in the All-power of 
 the life, without being. 
 
 4. As then it is pregnant, the engenderment goes 
 within itself, and dwells in itself. For the essence 
 of the other life cannot grasp this pregnation, and 
 be its container. Hence the pregnation must go 
 within itself and be its own container, as a Son in 
 the eternal Spirit. 
 
 5. And as this pregnation has no being, then that 
 is a voice or sound, as a Word of the spirit ; and yet 
 
 156 
 
 THE FOURTH TEXT 157 
 
 remains in the primitive condition of spirit, for it 
 hath else no seat. 
 
 6. But in this AVord is a will, which desires to 
 go out into a being. This will is the life of the 
 original will, and proceeds out of the pregnation, 
 as out of the mouth of the will, into the life of ]Magic, 
 viz. into Nature; and reveals the non-understanding 
 life of IMagic, so that the same is a mysterium in 
 w^hich an understanding exists essentially, and thus 
 obtains an essential spirit. There, every essence is 
 an arcanum or a mysterium of an entire being, and 
 is thus a comprehension as an unfathomable won- 
 der of eternity ; for many lives without number are 
 generated, and yet all is together but one being. 
 
 7. The threefold Spirit without being is its mas- 
 ter and possessor ; and yet it possesses not the Na- 
 ture-being, for it (the Spirit) dwells in itself. 
 
 8. The Word is its centre or seat, and is in the 
 midst as a heart; and the spirit of the Word, which 
 takes its origin in the primal eternal will, reveals 
 the wonders of the essential life. There are, then, 
 two mysteries : one in the spirit-life, and one in the 
 essential life. The spirit-life is acknowledged as 
 God, and is rightly so called ; and the essential life 
 is acknowledged as the Nature-Hfe, which would 
 have no understanding if the Spirit or the spirit-Ufe 
 were not desirous. In this desire the divine Being, 
 as the eternal word or heart of God, is continually 
 and from eternity generated ; from which the desir- 
 ing will as Spirit eternally goes out into the Nature- 
 hfe, and reveals therein the mystery in essences. 
 So that there are two lives and also two beings. 
 
158 ON HEAVENLY MYSTERY 
 
 from and in a single, eternal, unfathomable origin. 
 9. And thus we apprehend what God and Nature 
 is ; how the one and the other is from eternity with- 
 out any ground or beginning. For it is an ever- 
 lasting beginning. It begins itself perpetually and 
 from eternity to eternity, where there is no number ; 
 for it is the unground. 
 
 THE FIFTH TEXT 
 
 1. Seeing then there have been from eternity two 
 beings, we cannot say that one exists beside the 
 other, and is disposed so that the one comprehends 
 the other; neither can it be said that one is outside 
 of the other, and that there is a separation. No; 
 but thus we apprehend it, that the spirit-life faces 
 
 inwards, and the nature-life outwards and forwards. 
 
 2. Together, then, we compare them to a spheri- 
 cal orb which goeth on all sides, as the wheel in 
 Ezekiel indicates. 
 
 3. The spirit-life is an entire fulness of the na- 
 ture-life, and yet is not laid hold of by the nature- 
 life. They are two principles in a single origin, 
 each having its mystery and its operation. The na- 
 ture-life works unto fire, and the spirit-Hfe unto the 
 light of glory. By fire we understand t^e fierce- 
 ness of the consuming of the essentiahty of Nature ; 
 and by light the production of water, which deprives 
 the fire of power, as is set forth in the Forty Ques- 
 tions on the soul. 
 
 4. And thus we are able to recognize an eternal 
 substantiality of Nature, identical with water and 
 fire, which are as it were mixed together; where then 
 this gives a light-blue colour, like the flash of fire; 
 where it hath a form as a ruby mixed with crystal 
 in one substance, or as yellow, white, red and blue 
 
 159 
 
t«^*f»l*Rrf''*l»«Mit»%,***^^ *"* 
 
 160 ON HEAVENLY MYSTERY 
 
 mingled in a dark water; where it is as blue in 
 green, yet each has its lustre, and shines. And the 
 water checks the fire, so that there is no consuming 
 there, but an eternal essence or substance in two 
 mysteries united in one another, and yet the dis- 
 tinction of two principles as two kinds of hfe. 
 
 5. And thus we understand here the essence of 
 all beings, and that it is a magical essence, as a will 
 can create itself in the essential life, and so enter 
 into a birth, and in the great Mystery, in the origin 
 of fire, awaken a source which before was not mani- 
 fest, but lay hidden in mystery like a gleam in the 
 multiplicity of colours ; as we have a mirror of this 
 in the devils and in all malignity. And we recog- 
 nize also from whence all things, evil and good, take 
 their origin, namely from the Imagination in the 
 great Mystery, where a wonderful essential life 
 generates itself. 
 
 6. As we have a sufficient knowledge thereof by 
 the creatures of this world, as where the divine Life 
 awakened once for all the Nature-fife, when it 
 brought forth such wonderful creatures from the 
 essential mystery; whereby we understand that 
 every essence is come to be a mysterium or a life, 
 and also that in the great Mystery there is a magical 
 craving, so that the craving of every essence makes 
 in its turn a mirror, to see and to know itself in the 
 mirror. 
 
 7. And then the craving seizes this (namely the 
 mirror), brings it into its imagination, and finds 
 that it is not of its fife. Hence opposition arises 
 and loathing, so that the craving would discard the 
 
 THE FIFTH TEXT 161 
 
 mirror, and yet cannot. And therefore the craving 
 seeks the fimit of the beginning, and passes out of 
 the mirror. Thus the mirror is broken, and the 
 breaking is a turba, as a dying of the formed or 
 comprehended life. 
 
 8. And it is highly recognizable by us how the 
 imagination of the Eternal Nature has the turba 
 in the craving, in the Mystery, but not awakenable, 
 unless the creature, as the mirror of eternity, doth 
 itself awaken this, viz. the fierce wrath, which in 
 eternity is hidden in mystery. 
 
 9. And we see here, when the Eternal Nature 
 put itself in motion once for all by the creation of 
 the world, that the fierce wrath was awakened too, 
 and also manifested itself in creatures. As indeed 
 we find many evil beasts, likewise herbs and trees, 
 as also worms, toads, serpents and the like, — of 
 which the Eternal Nature hath a loathing, and the 
 malignity and poison is nourished only in its own 
 essence. 
 
 10. And therefore the Eternal Nature seeks the 
 limit of the malignity, and would abandon it. Then 
 it falls into the turban, as into a dying; and yet there 
 is no dying, but a spewing-out in the iVIystery, where 
 the malignity with its life must stand apart as in a 
 darkness. For the Eternal Nature abandons it and 
 casts it into shade, so that it stands thus by itself as 
 an evil, poisonous, fierce mysterium, and is itself its 
 own magic as a craving of the poisonf ul anguish. 
 
■\*'^«.''^**r'''*%*"ifl''v**%&w^^ -It 
 
 THE SIXTH TEXT 
 
 1. When we consider and take cognizance of our- 
 selves, we find the opposition of all essences, each 
 being the loathing of the other, and enemy to the 
 
 other. 
 
 2. For every will desires a purity without turba 
 in the other essence ; and yet has itself the turba in 
 it, and is also the loathing of the other. Then the 
 power of the greater extends over the lesser and 
 holds it in subjection, unless it escape from it; other- 
 wise the strong rules over the weak. Therefore 
 the weak doth run, and seeks the limit of the driver 
 or oppressor, and would be free from compulsion. 
 And thus the limit, which is hidden in mystery, is 
 sought by all creatures. 
 
 3. And hence arises all the power of this world, 
 that one rules over the other. And this was not in 
 the beginning conmianded or ordained by the high- 
 est good, but grew out of the turba. Afterward 
 Nature acknowledged it as her own being, which 
 was born from her, and gave it laws, to generate it- 
 self further in the framed government. Where 
 then this birth has climbed to regal prerogative, and 
 has moreover sought the abyss, as the One, till it is 
 become monarchy or empire. And there it is 
 chmbing still, and will be one and not many. And 
 though it be in many, yet will the first source, from 
 which all is generated, rule over all, and will alone 
 be a lord over all governments. 
 
 162 
 
 THE SIXTH TEXT 163 
 
 4. And as this craving was in the beginning one 
 government, but in time divided itself into many ac- 
 cording to the essences ; therefore the plurality again 
 seeks the One, and it is certainly boi-n in the sixth 
 number of the crown, in the six thousandth year in 
 the figure ; not at the end, but in the hour of the day 
 in which the creation of the wonders was completed. 
 
 5. That is, when the wonders of the turba are in 
 the end, a Lord is born who governs the whole 
 world, but by many forms of administration. 
 
 6. And then the self -grown authority and the 
 oppressor will be sought; for the lesser, who hath 
 lain under, has run to the limit. Then everything 
 separates itself, for it is at the limit, and there is no 
 staying or revoking. 
 
 7. Also the turba, as the fierce wrath of all crea- 
 tures, will be sought ; for it has with the loathing of 
 the creatures run to the limit, and now becomes man- 
 ifest, viz. in the midst, in the number of the crown, 
 in the six thousandth year, a little over, not under. 
 
 8. In the dav and the hour when the creation was 
 accomplished in mystery, and was set as a mirror of 
 eternity in the wonders [of this time] .^ 
 
 9. That took place on the sixth day, past noon. 
 There [also in the end] the mystery with the won- 
 ders is revealed and is known. Where then purity 
 shall drive out the turba for a time, till the begin- 
 ning pass into the end. And then is the mystery 
 [of creation but] a wonder in figures. 
 
 1 The explanatory additions within brackets [ ] are from Claassen's 
 book of extracts. 
 
mmiiimimmtim 
 
 
 THE SEVENTH TEXT 
 
 1. Now, seeing in the mystery of the Eternal 
 Nature we have such an arcanum from which all 
 creatures evil and good were generated and cre- 
 ated, we recognize it to be a magical essence or sub- 
 stance, where one Magic has by desire awakened 
 another and brought it into being, where everything 
 has elevated itself and carried itself to the highest 
 power. For the Spirit of God is not a maker in 
 Nature, but a revealer and a seeker of the good. 
 
 2. Thus hath evil as by magical craving always 
 sought and found itself in the Mystery, and has 
 been revealed apart from the divine purpose. For 
 fierceness is a harsh rigorousness, and rules over the 
 
 simple. 
 
 3. All has, therefore, grown from its own tree 
 without premeditation. For the first revealer, viz. 
 God, ordained not malignity to the government, but 
 reason or wit, which was to reveal the wonders and 
 be a guide of Hfe. And here there meets us the 
 great secret which has from eternity existed in mys- 
 tery, viz. the Mystery with its colours, which are 
 four. The fifth is not proper to the mysteriimi of 
 Nature, but is of the Mysterium of God, and shines 
 in the mysterium of Nature as a living light. 
 
 4. And these are the colours wherein all things 
 lie : blue, red, green and yellow. The fifth, white, 
 belongs to God; and yet has also its lustre in Na- 
 
 164 
 
 
 THE SEVENTH TEXT 165 
 
 ture. It is the fifth essence, a pure unblemished 
 child; as is to be seen in gold and silver, and in a 
 white clear stone that resists fire. 
 
 5. For fire is the proof or trial of all the colours, 
 in which none subsists but white, the same being a 
 reflection of God's Majesty. The black colour be- 
 longs not to the mystery [of the wonders of crea- 
 tion], but is the veil or the darkness wherein all 
 things lie. 
 
 6. Further, we find here the tree of tongues or 
 languages, with four alphabets. One signed with 
 the characters of the Mystery, in which is found the 
 language of Nature, which in all languages is the 
 root. But in the bu'th of plurality (or of many 
 languages) it is not known save by its own children, 
 to whom the Mystery itself gives understanding; 
 for it is a wonder of God. This alphabet of the 
 language of Nature is hidden among them all in 
 the black colour ; for the black colour belongs not to 
 the number of colours. The same is mystery and 
 not understood, save by him who possesses the lan- 
 guage of Nature, to whom it is revealed by God's 
 Spirit. 
 
 7. The second alphabet is the Hebrew, which 
 reveals the mystery [of the language of Nature], 
 and names the tree with the branches and twigs. 
 
 8. The third is the Greek, which names the tree 
 with the fruit and every ornament, and first cor- 
 rectly expresses knowledge. 
 
 9. The fourth is the Latin (to which many na- 
 tions and tongues have recourse, which expresses 
 the tree with its power and virtue. 
 
i^^W-i -^i '- tr^% " («if.''ii!*a™f-^ wT"*'' 
 
 166 ON HEAVENLY MYSTERY 
 
 10. The fifth is God's Spirit, which is the re- 
 vealer of all alphabets; and this alphabet can no 
 man learn, unless it reveal itself in man's spirit. 
 
 11. These alphabets take their origin from the 
 colours of the great Mystery, and distribute them- 
 selves moreover into seventy-seven languages; al- 
 though we recognize only five for chief languages, 
 and seventy-two for the marvels wherein Babel is 
 understood, as a mouth of a confusedness. There 
 reason abandoned her guide and willed to go alone, - 
 and to climb aloft into the Mystery. 
 
 12. As is to be known by the children of Nimrod 
 at the tower of Babel, when they had fallen from 
 obedience to God into their own individual reason ; . 
 then they had lost their guide and did confound 
 reason, so that they comprehended not their own 
 
 language. 
 
 13. Thus many languages, viz. seventy-two, grew 
 out of confused Babel, and each entered into itself 
 and sought knowledge, each in its own reason and 
 iniquity ; for they had forsaken God and were be- 
 come heathens. And he suffered them to walk in 
 their wonders, for they would not cleave unto him, 
 but would be a special self-ful growth. And their 
 own reason (which was mixed of all the colours) 
 had to rule them. 
 
 14. Then the turba was born, so that they were 
 not of one mind; for every one would live under 
 guidance of his own colour. And yet these were 
 not the true chief colours, but only their evil self- 
 hatched children, who hatched themselves out in 
 reason. And they ran without the right guide, who 
 
 THE SEVENTH TEXT 167 
 
 had created all in one tongue, and revealed no more 
 than one, — one tree with the branches and the power 
 together with the fruit. 
 
 15. For the four alphabets are in one tree, and 
 proceed from one another. But the multitude of 
 languages must have recourse to their characters 
 as members of the same family, and yet also will be 
 their very own. And all shoot forth in opposition 
 to the tree. 
 
 I 
 
THE EIGHTH TEXT 
 
 1. We see here the origin of two sorts of rehgions, 
 from which Babel as an idol-god is born, and that 
 in heathens and Jews. 
 
 2. For Babel is in both, and they are two races 
 in one. One, under guidance of its reason (as of 
 the life and spirit of Nature), goes forward and 
 seeks to elevate itself. It makes itself a way in its 
 being; for its will proceeds out of its own craving 
 and seeks its magic, as a great number for its gov- 
 ernment, and goes simply out of itself forward. 
 Its will remains in its plurality, and is the god and 
 guide of its plurality. 
 
 3. And though the Free-will of God oppose it 
 and reprove it, yet the idol-god only flatters with 
 its lips the Free-will, viz. the Spirit of God, and 
 honours its own will in the number of plurality. 
 For this will is generated from its treasure, from its 
 own magic, and comprehends not the Free-will of 
 God. It is born therefore from flesh and blood, 
 from its own nature; and is a child of this world, and 
 regards its treasure as its love. Hence it is a hypo- 
 crite and a confused Babel. The number of plural- 
 ity and its own magic confuse it, in that it goes out 
 from one number into many. This multiplicity is 
 a confused Babel; and its hypocritical mouth, with 
 which it gives good words and solemnly promises 
 much to the Spirit of Unity, is an antichrist and a 
 
 168 
 
 THE EIGHTH TEXT 169 
 
 liar. For it speaks in one way and acts in another. 
 Its heart is a craving, and the spirit of its heart has 
 turned itself to the craving. 
 
 4. Thus the Magician of multiplicity is a proud, 
 arrogant, covetous, malignant devourer, and a spirit 
 from the desiring plurality; and is a false god. He 
 is not attached to the Free-will of Nature, which 
 hath the might of wonders at its command, and he 
 has no understanding in the Divine Mystery, for he 
 cleaves not with his will to that Spirit. Else, if 
 his will were turned towards Freedom, the Spirit of 
 God would reveal his magical mystery, and his won- 
 ders and works would, with his will, stand in God. 
 
 5. But seeing they go out from themselves, the 
 beginning seeks the end, and the middle is the turha. 
 For it is not in the Free-will of God; but it grows 
 from itself, and elevates itself like a proud tree. 
 
 6. And as God is one only in will, one in the 
 eternal Desire or in the eternal Magic ( so that the 
 craving of the eternal Magic yields itself up to the 
 eternal Will, and draws therein its hfe), then the 
 apostate will is a perjured whore, for it is a gener- 
 atress of falsehood, and hangs not on the Free-will. 
 
 7. And here we understand a separation from 
 God; a cause of all this being Lucifer, who made 
 the Magic of Nature subject to false desire. Thus 
 two eternal lives are born: one in the will of God, 
 the other in the will of the devil and of the fierce 
 wrath; and this is Babel with Antichrist on earth. 
 
 8. All that goes out from God's will into its own 
 will belongs to Babel. This is seen in Jews and 
 heathens, and in all peoples. 
 
;^.if-.-^3»._-..;^-«k, :■_«* 
 
 170 ON HEAVENLY MYSTERY 
 
 9. The heathen remained in their own magic. 
 But those who from the itch of corruption passed 
 out into the hght of Nature because they did not 
 know God, yet have hved in purity, — these were 
 children of the Free-will, and in them has the Spirit 
 of Freedom revealed great wonders in their mys- 
 tery, as is to be seen by the wisdom they have be- 
 queathed to us. 
 
 10. But the others, who have lived only in their 
 own magical will from flesh and blood, — their will 
 was drowned in the turha. And the turha streamed 
 forth in their will, and gave them a spirit according 
 to the essences of covetousness and fierceness. 
 These have sought only the number of plurality, as 
 dominions and kingdoms. 
 
 11. And when the turha could not on account of 
 power advance, it grew furious and began hostili- 
 ties. And from thence war has its origin, viz. from 
 pride and greed of plurality, and belongs with its 
 number to the Mystery of wrath. 
 
 12. Thus also were the Jews. God revealed 
 himself to them, but they were attached also to two 
 wills. One part to the commandment, with their 
 will directed into God's will, as the patriarchs and 
 all the pious hopers of Israel. The others per- 
 formed with their hands the work of the law, and 
 adhered with their will to their poisoned magic, viz. 
 to covetousness, and sought only their numbers of 
 plurality. Their mouth was a Jew, and their heart 
 a Babylonish whore, a hypocrite and an antichrist, 
 with fair words and a false covetous heart. 
 
 13. And in the same way in Christendom and 
 
 THE EIGHTH TEXT 171 
 
 among all peoples the Babylonish whore with Anti- 
 christ is established. In one people dwell at once 
 two kingdoms, and are not miscible in the inward 
 spirit so as to become one, like as clay and iron are 
 not miscible. They mix indeed by the body, but 
 their spirits are two kinds (Dan. ii. 43). 
 
 14. Whosoever will know Antichrist, let him seek 
 him thus ; he will find him in every house. But the 
 worst of all is the crowned whore ; and her sponsors 
 at the baptism of whoredom are the brawlers who 
 lead out of the one will of God into many wills, that 
 they may inherit only the number of plurality, and 
 fatten earthly bellies. 
 
 15. And the other part of the Free-will of God 
 proceeds with its magical will out of itself into 
 Freedom, viz. into the one ungraspable will of God. 
 These stand turned backward in the magical figure. 
 Their life seeks bread, and goes forward; yet their 
 will is not in the bread, but passes out of itself, out 
 of the craving, into God. These hve with the will 
 in God, in one number; these are children of the 
 eternal true Magic. For God's Spirit dwells in 
 their will, and reveals to them the eternal wonders 
 of God; and their hfe's spirit reveals the wonders 
 of this world. 
 
 16. These are free from Babel and Antichrist, 
 even though they should sit in his lap. For the 
 true image of God is in the spirit of the will, which 
 is generated from the soul's spirit. 
 
THE NINTH TEXT 
 
 1. Seeing then there are two Magics in one an- 
 other, there are also two Magicians who lead them, 
 viz. two spirits. One is God's Spirit, and the other 
 the Reason-spirit, in which the devil ensconces him- 
 self. In God's Spirit is the love of unity. And 
 man cannot better prove or try himself than by 
 giving serious attention to what his desire and long- 
 ing impel him : the same he hath for a leader, and 
 its child he is. Nevertheless, he now has power to 
 break and change that will; for he is magical and 
 possesses the power. 
 
 2. But there must be real earnestness; for he 
 must subdue the astral spirit which rules in him. 
 To do this, a sober calm life is necessary, with con- 
 tinual abandomnent to God's will. For, to subdue 
 the astral influence, no wisdom nor art will avail; 
 but sobriety of life, with continual withdrawal from 
 the influxes. The elements continually introduce 
 the astral craving into his will. Therefore it is not 
 so easy a thing to become a child of God ; it requires 
 great labour, with much travail and suffering. 
 
 3. Antichrist indeed may call himself a child of 
 God. But Christ says: They shall not all enter 
 into the kingdom of heaven who say: Lord, Lord, 
 have we not in thy name cast out devils and done 
 mighty works? But he saith unto them: Away 
 
 172 
 
 THE NINTH TEXT 173 
 
 from me, ye stinking goats, I know you not (Matt, 
 vii. 21-23) . Ye have done this by means of false 
 magic, and have never become known in my spirit 
 and will. Ye are in your spiritual figure goats, 
 tyrants, covetous muckworms, proud arrogants, vo- 
 luptuaries. Ye have carried my name on your 
 tongue, but sacrificed your heart to pleasure, to the 
 itch of the flesh, and are generated in the turba. 
 Ye must be proved by fire. And thus to every 
 kingdom its fruit comes home. 
 
 4. Therefore, thou brave world, look at thyself 
 in these writings, which the eternal Ground hath 
 set before thee, and meditate on it further and more 
 deeply. Else thou wilt be caught in thy turba. 
 There thou shalt with thy substance pass through 
 the fire of God; and whatsoever is a work out of 
 God's will shall remain in the fire. 
 
 5. But whatsoever is done in the will of God 
 shall stand to the honour and glory of God, and for 
 the eternal joy of the image of man. 
 
 6. Now think what thou doest. For Babel is 
 already in flames, and begins to burn. There is no 
 longer possible any quenching, nor any remedy. 
 She has been recognized as evil; her kingdom goeth 
 to the end. Hallelujah. 
 
!;; **«ii»-. tuf^mKnu-irins^- 
 
 : 
 
 THEOSCOPIA 
 
 OR 
 
 THE HIGHLY PRECIOUS GATE OF THE 
 
 DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 SHOWING WHAT MYSTERIUM MAGNUM IS, AND 
 HOW ALL IS FROM, THROUGH AND IN GOD; 
 
 HOW GOD IS SO np:ar all things, 
 
 AND FILLS ALL 
 Written in the year 16-22 
 
 BY 
 
 JACOB BOHME 
 
CHAPTER I 
 
 What God is; and how we shall recognize his divine 
 nature in his manifestation. 
 
 1. Reason says: I hear much mention made of 
 God, that there is a God who has created all things, 
 also upholds and supports all things; but I have 
 not yet seen any, nor heard from the lips of any, 
 that hath seen God, or that could tell where God 
 dwells or is, or how he is. For when Reason looks 
 upon the existence of this world, and considers that 
 it fares with the righteous as with the wicked, and 
 how all things are mortal and frail; also how the 
 righteous man sees no deliverer to release him from 
 the anxiety and adversity of the wicked man, and 
 so must go down with fear in misery to the grave : 
 then it thinks, all things happen by chance ; there is 
 no God who interests himself in the sufferer, seeing 
 he lets him that hopes in him be in misery, and there- 
 in go down to the grave ; neither has any been heard 
 of who has returned from corruption, and said he 
 has been with God. 
 
 2. Answer. Reason is a natural life, whose 
 ground lies in a temporal beginning and end, and 
 cannot enter into the supernatural gi^ound wherein 
 God is understood. For though Reason thus views 
 itself in this world, and in its viewing finds no other 
 ground, yet it finds in itself a desire after a higher 
 ground, wherein it might rest. 
 
 177 
 
178 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 3. For it understands that it has proceeded from 
 a supernatural ground, and that there must be a 
 God who has brought it into a hfe and will. And it 
 is terrified in itself at its willing of wickedness, it is 
 ashamed of its own will, and pronounces itself 
 wrong in the willing of evil. Even though it does 
 wrong, yet it accuses itself, and is afraid of a judg- 
 ment which it sees not. This signifies that the hid- 
 den God, who has brought himself into Nature, 
 dwells in it and reproves it for its evil way; and that 
 the same hidden God cannot be of the nature of 
 perceptibility, since Reason sees not nor compre- 
 hends him. 
 
 4. On the other hand, forsaken Reason, which 
 here wrongfully (to its thinking) is tormented in 
 misery, finds a desire within it, itself still more to 
 forsake, and willingly gives itself up to suffering. 
 But in its suffering wrong it enters into a hope that 
 that which has created it will take it from suffering 
 into itself ; and it desires to rest in that which is not 
 passive, and seeks rest in that which it is not in it- 
 self. It desires the death of its egoism, and yet de- 
 sires not to be a nothing; but desires only to die to 
 suffering (Qual) , in order that it may rest in itself. 
 
 5. It gives itself up therefore to sufi'ering, that 
 the power of pain should kill its suffering, and that 
 it might in its life, through the death of the dying 
 of its Self, in that it is a painful life, enter into the 
 unpainf ul and unsuffering. 
 
 6. Herein we understand r:ghtly the hidden God, 
 how he reveals himself in the heart of man, and re- 
 proves wrong in the conscience, and draws that 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 179 
 
 which suffers wrong by suffering to himself. And 
 how the life of Reason, viz. the natural life, must 
 in suffering get a desire to return again into that 
 out of which it proceeded; and how it must desire 
 to hate itself, and to die to the natural will, in order 
 that it may attain the supernatural. 
 
 7. Reason says : Why has God created a painful, 
 suffering life? Might it not be in a better state 
 without suffering or pain, seeing he is the ground 
 and beginning of all things? Why does he permit 
 the contrary will? Why does he not destroy evil, 
 that only a good may be in all things ? 
 
 8. Answer. Nothing without contrariety can 
 become manifest to itself; for if it has nothing to 
 resist it, it goes continually of itself outwards, and 
 returns not again into itself. But if it return not 
 again into itself, as into that out of which it origi- 
 nally went, it knows nothing of its primal being.^ 
 
 9. If the natural life had no contrariety, and were 
 without a limit, it would never inquire after its 
 ground from which it arose; and hence the hidden 
 God would remain unknown to the natural life. 
 Moreover, were there no contrariety in life, there 
 would be no sensibility, nor will, nor efficacy therein, 
 also neither understanding nor science. For a thing 
 that has only one will has no divisibility. If it find 
 not a contrary will, which gives occasion to it exer- 
 cising motion, it stands still. A single thing can 
 know nothing more than a one ; and even though it 
 is in itself good, yet it knows neither evil nor good, 
 for it has nothing in itself to make this perceptible. 
 
 10. And so then we can philosophize concerning 
 
 I Dr. Stirling's rendering of Urstand. 
 
180 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 the will of God, and say: If the hidden God, who 
 is a single existence and will, had not by his will 
 brought himself out of himself, out of the eternal 
 wisdom in the temperament, into divisibility of will, 
 and had not introduced this same divisibility into 
 an inclusiveness for a natural and creaturely life, 
 and had this possibility of separation in life not 
 found expression in strife; how could then the hid- 
 den will of God, which in itself is one only, be re- 
 vealed to himself? How can there be in a single 
 will a knowledge of itself? 
 
 11. But if there be a divisibility in the one will, 
 so that the divisibility disposes itself into centra and 
 self-will, so that thus in that which is separated there 
 is a will of its own, and thus in a single will unfath- 
 omable and innumerable wills arise, like branches 
 from a tree; then we see and understand that in 
 such a divisibility each separated will brings itself 
 into a special form, and that the conflict of the wills 
 is about the form, so that one form in the partibility 
 is not as another, and yet all have their subsistence 
 in one ground. 
 
 12. For a single will cannot break itself asunder 
 in pieces, just as the soul (Gemiith) breaks not in 
 pieces when it separates into an evil and good will- 
 ing; but the out-going of sense only separates into a 
 willing of evil and of good, and the soul remains in 
 itself entire, and suffers an evil and good willing to 
 arise and dwell in it. 
 
 13. Now saith Reason: Whereto is this good or 
 useful, that with the good there must be an evil? 
 Answer. That which is evil or of contrary will 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 181 
 
 occasions the good or the will to press back towards 
 its primal existence, as towards God, and the good, 
 viz. the good will, to become desirous. For a thing 
 that in itself is only good, and has no suffering 
 {Qual), desires nothing; for it knows nothing bet- 
 ter in itself or for itself after which it could long. 
 
 14. Thus then we can philosophize concerning the 
 one good will of God, and say, that he can desire 
 nothing in himself, for he has nothing in or for him- 
 self which could give him anything. And therefore 
 he brings himself out of himself into a divisibility, 
 into centra, in order that a contrariety may arise in 
 the emanation, viz. in that which has emanated, that 
 the good may in the evil become perceptible, effec- 
 tual, and capable of will; namely to will to separate 
 itself from the evil, and to re-will to enter into the 
 one will of God. 
 
 15. But seeing the emanation of the one eternal 
 will of God continually proceeds from himself to 
 his manifestation, the good likewise, as the divine 
 power, flows from the eternal One with this emana- 
 tion, and enters also into the divisibility and into the 
 centra of plurality. 
 
 16. Now, the perpetual emanation of the will 
 occasions the good by its motion to long for stand- 
 still again, and to become desirous to repenetrate 
 into the eternal One; and in such penetration into 
 itself the One becomes mobile and desiref ul ; and in 
 such working lies feeling, cognition and will. 
 
 17. God, so far as he is called God, can will noth- 
 ing but himself; for he has nothing before or after 
 him that he can will. But if he will anything, that 
 
182 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 very same has emanated from him, and is a counter- 
 stroke of himself, wherein the eternal will wills in 
 its something. Now if the something were only a 
 one, the will could have no exercise therein. And 
 therefore the unfathomable will has separated itself 
 into beginnings and carried itself into being, that 
 it might work in something, as we have a similitude 
 in the soul {Gemiith) of man. 
 
 If the soul did not itself flow from itself, it would 
 have no sense-perception; but if it had no sense- 
 perception, neither would it have any knowledge of 
 itself, nor of any other thing, and were incapable of 
 doing or working. But the efflux of sense from the 
 soul (which efflux is a counter stroke of the soul, in 
 which the soul feels itself) endows the soul with will 
 or desire, so that it introduces the senses into a some- 
 thing, viz. into a centrum of an ego-hood, wherein 
 the soul works through sense, and reveals and con- 
 templates itself in its working through the senses. 
 
 19. Now if in these centra of sense in the counter- 
 stroke of the soul there were no contrarium, then all 
 the centra of emanated sense were but a one ; in all 
 the centra of sense but one single will, that did con- 
 tinually but one and the same thing. How could 
 then the wonders and powers of the divine wisdom 
 became known by the soul (which is an image of 
 divine revelation) and be brought into figures? 
 
 20. But if there be a contrarium, as light and 
 darkness, therein, then this contrarium is contrary 
 to itself, and each quality occasions the other to 
 bring itself into desire to will to fight against the 
 other, and to dominate it. In which desire, sense 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 183 
 
 and the soul is brought into a natural and creaturely 
 ground to a will of its own, viz. to a domination in 
 its something, or by its centrnvi over all the centra, 
 as one sense of the soul over another. 
 
 21. Hence struggle and anxiety, also contrary 
 will, take their rise in the soul, so that the whole soul 
 is thereby instigated to enter into a breaking of the 
 senses, and of the self-will of the senses, as of the 
 natural centra, and, passing out of the pain of re- 
 bellion and strife, out of anxietv, to desire to sink 
 into the eternal rest, as into God, from whence it 
 sprang. 
 
 22. And therefrom arise faith and hope, so that 
 the anxious soul hopes for a deliverance, and longs 
 to return to its origin again, viz. to God. 
 
 23. So have we likewise to understand the divine 
 manifestation. For all things have their first be- 
 ginning from the emanation of the divine will, 
 whether evil or good, love or sorrow; and yet the 
 will of God is not a thing, neither nature nor crea- 
 tion, wherein is no pain, sorrow nor contrary will. 
 But from the efflux of the Word, as by the outgoing 
 of the unfathomable mind (which is the wisdom of 
 God or the great Mystery, where the eternal under- 
 standing is in the temperament) , has flowed under- 
 standing and knowledge ; and this efflux is a begin- 
 ning of will, when the understanding has separated 
 itself into form. Thus the forms, each in itself, be- 
 came desirous to have also a counterstroke to its 
 similarity. And this desire is a comprehendingness 
 for selfhood or ownness, as for a place, for a some- 
 thing. And through this something the Mysterium 
 
j«%^-^*a--i?^,. *!ai»'«_.i-j^ %^iii^"i- -.s^-: ^- -^•'' ■■*'^".j~ ^.:^i„ ii^. 
 
 184 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 magnum^ as the unnatural power, is become sub- 
 stantial and natural; and the something has com- 
 prehended itself so as to become an individual will. 
 
 24. For this individual will is a ground of its 
 selfhood, and shuts itself in as a desiring will, 
 whence the magnetic impression for sharpness and 
 hardness has taken its origin; and is a ground of 
 darkness and of painful feeling, whence contrary 
 will, anxiety and flight (sensibility) have their ori- 
 gin ; and is a ground of Nature, from whence comes 
 the plurality of the qualities, so that in such a con- 
 trariety each will has arisen from the other, to sep- 
 arate itself from pain, like as sense takes its rise 
 from the soul, the soul through the senses being in 
 continual anxiety, working, willing and breaking. 
 
 25. In this divine emanation, in which the divine 
 power breathes forth itself from itself, and brings 
 and has brought itself into Nature and creation, we 
 are to recognize two things. First, the eternal un- 
 derstanding of the one good will, which is a temper- 
 ament, and thus only introduces itself into a sensi- 
 bihty and activity for the manifestation of power, 
 colours and virtue; that power and virtue may be 
 realized in separability, in form, and the eternal wis- 
 dom be revealed and pass into knowledge. From 
 thence also the angelic, soulic and creaturely ground 
 has proceeded, as well as thrones and dominions, to- 
 gether with the visible world. 
 
 26. And then, secondly, we are to understand the 
 original will of Nature, viz. the comprehensibility 
 of the centra, where each centrum in the divisibility 
 shuts itself in a place to egoism and self-will as an 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 185 
 
 individual mysterium or mind. Out of which 
 springs unlikeness of will, showing how in these two 
 a contrarium arises, for they are two in one. 
 
 27. Namely (1) that which is inward from the 
 origin of the divine power requires only a counter- 
 stroke to its similarity, viz. something that is good, 
 wherein the good, divine, emanated will may work 
 and manifest itself. Then (2) the self -generated, 
 individual, natural will in the place of the self-hood 
 of the dark impression of the sharpness also re- 
 quires a hkeness, viz. a counterstroke through its 
 own comprehensibiUty ; through which comprehen- 
 sion it makes itself material, and requires nothing 
 but its corporality as a natural gi^ound. 
 
 28. In these two we are to understand the good 
 and evil will in all things. And it is herein rightly 
 understood how the inward, spiritual ground of all 
 beings arises from the divine power, and how in all 
 things also an individual, natural desire arises ; and 
 how all the bodies of visible, sentient beings have 
 their origin from the desire of Nature. 
 
 29. Further, we should clearly observe that just 
 as the individual, natural desire, which has a begin- 
 ning, makes itself material and makes for itself a 
 counterstroke, viz. a likeness, wherein it works; so 
 also the divine ground and will through the compre- 
 hensibihty of its love makes for itself a counter- 
 stroke and spiritual being, wherein the divine will 
 works, and introduces the divine power into forms 
 and separabihty for the manifestation of the divine 
 
 power and glory. 
 
 30. And in this world always two natures in one 
 
186 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 are to be understood : First, an eternal, divine and 
 spiritual; and secondly, one that has a beginning, 
 and is natural, temporal and perishable in self-will. 
 For two kinds of will are found in one life : First, 
 one that has a beginning and is natural, in which 
 the will is an individual astrum, and inqualifies with 
 all that is external, natural, elemental and sidereal ; 
 and secondly, an eternal spiritual will, or eternal 
 spiritual nature, which is a comprehension or com- 
 prehended existence of the divine will, with which 
 the divine will also makes for itself a counterstroke 
 and being, wherein it works. And these two are 
 understood in two principles: the first divine in a 
 heavenly, and the second temporal in an earthly. 
 
 31. And as the heavenlv han^j^s on the earthlv, 
 so also does the earthly on the heavenly, and yet 
 neither is the other. For the heavenly has a spir- 
 itual nature, which is wholly an essential power, and 
 permeates and pervades the earthly, and yet pos- 
 sesses only its principle. And it gives power to the 
 earthly, so that it obtains another new will, and 
 longs after the heavenly. Which longing is a de- 
 sire to go out from the vanity of Nature, whereof 
 the Scripture says : All creatures do earnestly long 
 with us to be freed from the vanity to which they 
 are subjected against their will (Rom. viii. 19-22) . ^ 
 
 32. Understand it aright. The egressed Desire 
 of the divine power for Nature, from which Nature 
 and self-will has arisen, longs to be freed from the 
 natural individual will. 
 
 33. This Desire is laden with the impression of 
 Nature against its will, for that God has introduced 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 187 
 
 it thereinto. It shall at the end of this time be re- 
 leased from the loaded vanity of Nature, and be 
 brought into a crystalline, clear Nature. Then 
 will be evident why God has shut it up in a time, 
 and subjected it to pain [in the disposition] for suf- 
 fering: Namely, that through the natural pain the 
 eternal power might be brought into forms, shape 
 and separabihty for perceptibility; and that crea- 
 tures, viz. a creaturely life, might be revealed there- 
 in in this time, and so be a play in the counterstroke 
 to the divine wisdom. For through folly wisdom 
 becomes manifest, because folly attributes power to 
 its own self, and yet rests upon a [another] founda- 
 tion and beginning, and has an end. 
 
 34. Thus the endless life is displayed to view 
 through folly, in order that therein a praise might 
 arise to the honour of God, and that the eternal and 
 permanent might become known in the mortal. 
 
 35. And thus the first question put by Reason 
 is answered, in that it supposes all things happen by 
 chance, and that there is no God, seeing he suffers 
 the righteous man to be in pain, fear and tribulation, 
 and brings him at last to the grave, like the wicked 
 man; so that it seems as if God interested himself 
 in nothing, or as if there were no God, since Reason 
 sees not, knows nor feels him. Therefore it is de- 
 clared to it, that it (Reason) is in its own life only 
 a counterstroke to the right life ; and if it find in it- 
 self no hunger or desire after that from which in 
 the beginning it arose, that it is in its own life only 
 a foolishness and play, wherein wisdom brings its 
 wonders to pass. 
 
 
I) ^ 
 
 188 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 36. For Reason sees in the wise man also such a 
 folly according to the outward nature, and sees how 
 God abandons this folly of the wise, that it must 
 stand in shame and reproach before the self-willed, 
 foolish subtlety, which nevertheless knows not its 
 end. Therefore foolish Reason supposes there is 
 no deliverer, and knows not how the wise man is de- 
 livered in himself and freed from the inherited folly 
 by immergence of his own will. For his own will, 
 through the pain and opposition of the godless, en- 
 ters into its breaking and into its willing nothing, 
 and sinks again into its first origin, as into God's 
 will, and therein is born anew. And that God is 
 not served by the coarse, mortal flesh, that he should 
 introduce deliverance into the animal, self-willed 
 life ; but that to him the matter hes in this, that self- 
 will should break, and sink again into God. Thus 
 is the inward good nature comprehended in God's 
 will ; and on the mortal body is the more pain laid, 
 that the individual, natural will may not enter again 
 into a desire of its own for selfhood, and set itself 
 up as a ruler over the inward ground, and destroy 
 the true image of God. 
 
 37. This, earthly Reason understands not; for 
 it knows not how God dwells in it, and what God's 
 will and nature is. It knows not that God dwells 
 through it, and is so near it ; and that its life is but 
 a foolishness of wisdom, by means of which life 
 wisdom manifests itself, that it may be known what 
 wisdom is. Its will is gone from God into selfhood, 
 and boasts itself of its own power, and sees not how 
 its power has beginning and end, that it is but a 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 189 
 
 play, by which mirror (play) wisdom beholds itself 
 for a time in the folly of the wise; and, finally, 
 through such pain of the godless, folly in the case of 
 the wise breaks to pieces, in that they begin to hate 
 the frail, foolish life, and to die with Reason, and to 
 give up the will to God. 
 
 38. This, earthly Reason regards as a folly, es- 
 pecially when it sees that God also in the wise aban- 
 dons their earthly folly, and lets the body of such 
 folly, wherein the folly beheld itself, go down with- 
 out help to the grave. Therefore it supposes this 
 man has received no deliverance from God : Seeing 
 he trusted in Him, his faith must certainly have been 
 false, else He had surely dehvered him in his life- 
 time. 
 
 39. Moreover, because it feels not its punishment 
 immediately, it supposes there is no longer possible 
 any serious earnest here; and knows not that the 
 longer the more it comprehends itself in folly, and 
 becomes in itself a strong source of eternal pain. 
 So that, when for it the light of outer Nature per- 
 ishes, wherein for a time it has strutted in selfhood, 
 it then stands by itself in darkness and pain, so that 
 its false, own desire is a mere rough, stinging, hard 
 sharpness and contrary will. 
 
 40. It hopes during this time in an external help, 
 and brings itself into pleasure of its will, and holds 
 that for its kingdom of heaven. But when for it 
 the outer light is extinguished in death, it then 
 stands in eternal despair, and neither sees any de- 
 liverer about nor within it. 
 
 41. But the wise man becomes in this time to 
 
190 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 himself a fool, and learns to hate his folly (which 
 folly Reason regards as prudence) . Accordingly 
 his wisdom (which the world regards as folly) must 
 be a foohshness to Reason, at which it is scandal- 
 ized. And so also God in the wise man hates the 
 foolish mortal life, just as the wise man hates it him- 
 self, in order that the true divine life may rule in- 
 him with the understanding. And therefore with 
 God there is no regret for the mortal body of the 
 wise man; for he comprehends his divine Ens in 
 him in his spirit and will, and lets the body of folly 
 with the foolish descend into its grave, till the day 
 of the separation of all beings. 
 
 42. And Reason understands not this; therefore 
 it is foolish. And a man should be a man, not ac- 
 cording to folly, but according to God's Spirit; and 
 judge what is divine, not according to image-like 
 [creaturely] Reason, for it is written: He that 
 builds on the flesh (viz. on the mortal Reason of his 
 own will) shall of the flesh inherit corruption; but 
 he that builds on the spirit (viz. on the divine will) , 
 and places his will in the hope of the divine promise, 
 shall of the spirit inherit eternal life (Gal. vi. 8) . 
 
 fi^a ^^«'*Aet^^ r^'^'U J* 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 Of the mind, will, and thoughts of human life. How 
 it has its origin from the will of God, and how 
 it is an object or an image of God, in which 
 God wills, works, and dwells, 
 
 1. Reason says: As the mind with the senses is 
 a natural life with a beginning, which stands in a 
 time and fragility; how may it then in this time be 
 brought to the supersensible divine life? Or, how 
 is the divine indwelling in life ? 
 
 2. Answer. The life of man is a form of the 
 divine will, and came from the divine inbreathing 
 into the created image of man. It is the formed 
 Word of the divine knowledge; but has been poi- 
 soned by the counter-breathing of the devil, and of 
 the fierce wrath of temporal Nature; so that the 
 life's will has fashioned itself with the outward, 
 earthly counterstroke of the mortal nature, and has 
 come out of its temperament into separation of 
 qualities. 
 
 3. For these reasons it is found still in the earthly 
 image, and is now to be considered in three prin- 
 ciples. In the first Principle, by its true primal 
 existence, it stands in the outgoing will of God, in 
 the divine knowledge, which originally was a tem- 
 perament, in which the divine power did work by 
 sense. And therein is rightly understood a para- 
 
 191 
 
192 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 disc or working of divine powers, as a perpetual 
 formation of divine will. And by this budding is 
 to be understood the outgoing of the good senses, 
 whereby the divine wisdom formed itself in figure 
 in a divine manner, and by such formation the di- 
 vine understanding manifested itself through the 
 outgoing of the life of sense. Hence it was rightly 
 called an image of God, in which the divine will re- 
 
 vp3,lc(i itscli* 
 
 4. But when this hfe in the first principle was 
 breathed upon in its image by the fierce wrathful 
 devil, so that the devil whispered it, that it were 
 good and profitable for it that the outgoing of the 
 senses from the hfe should break itself off from the 
 temperament, and should bring itself into an image 
 of its own according to the properties of pluraHty, 
 to prove dissimilarity, viz. to know and to be sensible 
 
 of evil and good ; 
 
 5. Then the fife's own will consented, and 
 brought the senses as the outgoing Desire there- 
 into ; it has introduced itself into desire for ownness, 
 and impressed or comprehended itself in selfhood. 
 
 6. And then immediately the Hf e's understanding 
 became manifest in [separated] qualities; Nature 
 has taken the life captive in dissimilarity, and set 
 up her rule. Whence the life is become painful, 
 and the inward divine ground of the good will and- 
 nature has been extinguished, that is, has become 
 inoperative as to the creature. For the life's will 
 broke itself off therefrom, and went into sensibiUty, 
 out of unity into plurahty; it strove against the 
 Unity, viz. the eternal one rest, the one good. 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 193 
 
 7. When this took place, the divine ground (viz. 
 the second Principle or the w^isdom of God, which 
 in divine power with the out-breathing will of God 
 had imprinted itself in the image-like life [of the 
 soul or of the first, fiery principle], as in the coun- 
 terstroke to God) was eclipsed in the false will. 
 For the cause of the motion of the holy Essence had 
 turned itself to earthliness, in which evil and good 
 are in strife. 
 
 8. Understand it: The eternal, unfathomable 
 will of Hfe had turned itself away from the divine 
 Ens, and wished to rule in evil and good. And 
 therefore the second principle, or the kingdom of 
 God, is become extinguished for it ; and in the stead 
 thereof is arisen the third Principle in its own fig- 
 urative form, as the quality of the stars and of the 
 four elements ; whence the body became coarse and 
 animal, and the senses false and earthly. 
 
 9. Life has thus lost the temperament, viz. the 
 eternal rest, and has by its own desire made itself 
 dark, painful, harsh, hard and rough. It has be- 
 come a mere restlessness, and runs now in earthly 
 power in an eternal ground, and seeks rest in that 
 which is frail or fragile, but finds none ; for fragility 
 is not life's equality. Therefore the life sets itself 
 forcibly above the existence of this world, and dom- 
 inates the mortal power of the stars and elements as 
 an individual God of Nature. And it is by such 
 domination become silly and foolish, so that in such 
 earthly imagination {Bildung) and self-assumption 
 it cannot recognize its ground and original state, 
 wherein its eternal rest stood; and is rightly called 
 
" '■■ ■ I I Hi ll m t 
 
 w^g^^A^&i-^' •***? 
 
 194 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 foolish. For it has brought itself out of the divine 
 Ens into an earthly (animal) ens, and placed itself 
 in a fragile being ; and will i-ule in that which never- 
 theless perishes for it, and passes away quickly like 
 a smoke. 
 
 10. And when that breaks, over which it has ruled 
 for a while, then the life remains in its contrariety 
 in the first principle, in darkness; and is nothing else 
 than an everlasting, unquenchable, painful fire- 
 source, as the devils also are such. 
 
 11. To the aid of this captive life came again the 
 great love of God; and immediately after such 
 downfall inbreathed itself again into the inward ens, 
 viz. into the deadened nature of divine quality ; and 
 gave itself to the life for an object, introduced itself 
 as a new fountain of divine unitv, love and rest into 
 the faded divine Ens, and revealed itself therein;' 
 from which the life is able to draw and its pain and 
 restlessness in the centra of ownness to extinguish. 
 
 12. Further, this new fountain of divine love and 
 unity has, by its outflow in Christ, embodied itself 
 in the true life of all the three principles of human 
 quality ; and has entered into the image-like senses, 
 viz. into life's natural, creaturely, dissentient, im- 
 age-like will, and assumed humanity ; and has shat- 
 tered egoism and self-will by the influence of the 
 one love of God, as by the eternal One ; and turned 
 life's will inwards again to the eternal One, to the 
 temperament, whereby the devil's introduced will 
 was destroyed, and life's painfulness brought into 
 the true rest. And has broken open the shutting-in, 
 viz. death, and restored again the divine paradisaic 
 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 195 
 
 budding with the holy senses and workings ; and led 
 the holy life through the confining of death, and 
 made death and the devil's will a reproach. And 
 has thus powerfully demonstrated how the eternal 
 One can predominate over plurality and particu- 
 larity, that the might of what is image-like may not 
 be a God, but the might of what is super- and unim- 
 age-hke rule all. For what is image-like is only a 
 counterstroke to the un-image-Hke will of God, 
 through which the will of God works. 
 
 13. But seeing the great love of God in Christ 
 is thus come to the aid of human life in earthly form, 
 and has made for us poor men in the life of the hu- 
 manity of Christ an open gate of grace to the diAine 
 entrance ; therefore the matter now lies in this, that 
 the life's will taken captive in its image-like exist- 
 ence should abandon again the earthly, viz. egoism 
 and self-will, and inmierse itself wholly and solely 
 in this embodied grace (which pressed from one, as 
 from the first man, upon all, Rom. v. 18) ; and take 
 to itself this grace, and in virtue of such acceptance 
 and divine union sink with the resigned life's will 
 into the supersensible, superfathomable, eternal 
 One, as into the first ground of life's beginning, and 
 give itself up again to the gi'ound from which life 
 sprang forth ; then it is again in its eternal place, in 
 the temperament, in the true rest. 
 
 14. Reason says: How can a man do this, seeing 
 the Scripture saith (1 Cor. xv. 45; Gen. i. 28) : The 
 first man was made a natural life, to rule over all 
 the creatures and beings of this world. The life 
 must therefore introduce desire into earthly quality. 
 
, .fuiia-,-,.. | '. | ^ j jAy^, .^, , ..4|.f.^.,, . ^.. ._av\prf-'>i.' ;~i-\ 
 
 IfflaiaiB^iaseii;^*;-'-*^.-*..^.'-. . 
 
 
 '**!SMBS*^_»tS«!li»SS*<'*"' 
 
 196 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 Answer. Human life is placed in a counterstroke 
 to the divine will, in and through which counter- 
 stroke God wills; and the earthly creatures are 
 placed in a counterstroke to human life, in and 
 through which counterstroke man was to will. 
 Man's will was with God's will to will, and rule over 
 all natural and creaturely life. Not in animal but 
 in divine essence was it to stand. Though man was 
 placed with hf e in Nature, yet his nature was a tem- 
 perament, and his life a mansion of divine will. 
 
 15. But because life must stand during this time 
 in earthly essence, and cannot be rid of it, we must 
 look at the threefold nature of the life according to 
 the three principles ; by which principle of the hf e 
 man may plunge into the supersensible being of 
 God, and how this may be done. 
 
 16. Christ said: Without me ye can do nothing- 
 (John XV. 5 ) . No man can of his own power reach 
 the supreme ground, unless he sink his inmost 
 ground of the first principle, according to the life's 
 image-like nature, in the embodied grace of God; 
 and, in accordance with the same ground, stand still 
 from his own being in divine hope, and give himself 
 up wholly with the will to God, in such a way that 
 his will no longer wills to speak according to this 
 ground, save what God speaks and wills through 
 this ground ; then he is at the highest goal. 
 
 17. If it be possible for him to stand still an hour 
 or less from his own inner wiUing and speaking, 
 then will the divine will speak into him. By which 
 inspeaking God's will embraces his will in Himself, 
 and speaks into the image-like, natural, external 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 197 
 
 Reason-Ufe; and dissolves and illuminates the 
 earthly imagination of Reasoif s will, so that imme- 
 diately the supersensible divine life and will buds 
 and incentres itself in Reason's will. 
 
 18. For as little as the hfe's own will can, in self- 
 ness and will turned away from God, stand still in 
 Nature a moment from its working, unless it sink 
 down beyond all Nature ; so little also can the divine 
 speaking, in the life resigned to the ground, stand 
 still from its working. 
 
 19. For if the life stand still from its own will, 
 it is in the abyss of Nature and creation, in the eter- 
 nal, divine utterance ; and hence God speaks therein. 
 
 20. For from God's speaking the hfe has pro- 
 ceeded and come into body, and is nothing else than 
 an image-hke will of God. Now if its own imagi- 
 nation and will stand still, the divine imagination 
 and will arises. For whatever is will-less is with 
 the Nothing but one thing, and is out of or beyond 
 all Nature, which ungroundedness is God himself. 
 
 21. Seeing then the Unground or God is an eter- 
 nal speaking, viz. a breathing forth of himself, the 
 Unground accordingly is inspoken into the resigned 
 life; for the breathing of the Unground speaks 
 through the stationary ground of the life. For the 
 life has arisen from the divine breathing, and is a 
 likeness of the divine breathing, therefore one like- 
 ness seizes the other. As we understand in the 
 case of the life's senses, which are such an issue from 
 the breathing of the soul, as the soul is an issue and 
 counterstroke from the divine soul of the divine 
 knowledge. 
 
198 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 22. Now as God, by his breathing forth of his 
 eternal wisdom and knowledge, has revealed him- 
 self by Nature and creation, both by the inward holy 
 life, by the life of angels and men, and has intro- 
 duced his will of his knowledge into form for re- 
 utterance through a formed divulged mode ; as also 
 by Nature and its re-breathing forth of the crea- 
 tures of the visible world, and has always made the 
 external, uttered by Nature, subject to the inward 
 principle, so that the inward should rule through 
 the external corporeal, and be a spirit of the ex- 
 ternal : 
 
 23. Know, then, that in like manner, the intro- 
 verted, new-born hfe of man, in divine power and 
 might, can and should rule over the external Rea- 
 son-life of stars and elements. And if this be not 
 done — viz. that the inward eternal life in man, in 
 divine power and light, rule over the external, 
 earthly, astral life of the mortal desire, and break 
 the will of the earthly desire (wherein lies the ser- 
 pent's image) — then there is not yet any new birth 
 or divine will manifest in such life and working, and 
 such a man (as long as he stands in the earthly will 
 alone) is no child of heaven. For the divine scientia 
 is transformed into earthly, animal quality by the 
 individual imagination of the false will ; and is as to 
 the body an evil beast, and as to the soul an averse, 
 false will, which wills not with God — after the man- 
 ner of the devils, who likewise stand in their own im- 
 agination of sensual knowledge. 
 
 24. Therefore Christ said (Matt. xii. 30) : He 
 that gathereth not with me scattereth. That is, 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 199 
 
 whosoever works, wills and acts not with the em- 
 bodied divine grace, which God through Christ has 
 revealed and offers, but works by natural individual 
 will, he disperses not only the divine order of the 
 senses, but scatters also his works into false ground. 
 
 25. Consider a parable of the sun. If a herb 
 hath not sap, the sun's rays scorch it; but if it hath 
 sap, the sun's rays warm it, whereby it grows. So 
 also in the life of essence in man. Hath that hfe 
 not ens from God's gentleness and love, viz. from 
 the eternal One, then it impresseth itself into a 
 fierce, fiery sharpness, so that the mind becomes 
 wholly rough, hungry, covetous, envious and sting- 
 ing. And such false sense and will proceeds then 
 from the life into the body, and into all its ways and 
 
 works. 
 
 26. Such a fiery, covetous, envious nature with 
 the life's sharp sense scatters and destroys all that 
 is good. There is danger in all it has to do with. 
 For it carries its poisonous rays thereinto, and will 
 draw all to itself, and bring its poison thereinto, viz. 
 hungry covetousness. But if it be that the fiery life 
 can eat of divine love, then it is a similitude how a 
 light presses forth from fire: Thus the right life 
 presses forth from the fiery nature with a new spirit 
 and will of divine love from within; and is no longer 
 taking, as the fire's nature is, but giving. For the 
 will of love gives itself, as light from fire, which 
 gives itself to all things, and produces in all some- 
 thing that is good. 
 
 27. If the sun did shine no more in the deep of 
 the world, then would the sjnritus mundi in the 
 
200 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 sharpness of the stars, in the sulphureous, mercurial 
 nature in the four elements, be wholly stern, rough, 
 dry, harsh, thick, dark, and hard. Hence all life 
 in the elements would perish, and it would soon be 
 seen what hell and God's wrath are. 
 
 28. And thus in like manner as the outer man is 
 a limus of the external elemental world, whose hfe 
 has its subsistence in the power and virtue of the 
 sun and stars, and the body, as also the earth, is a 
 coagulation of the spiritus mundi; and if that were 
 unable to have in its food the sun's power of light 
 and of love, it would become wholly evil, fiery, and 
 mortal, and the external life would necessarily 
 perish : 
 
 29. So also, in like manner, the soul is a limus of 
 the inward spiritual world from the Mysterium 
 magnum, viz. from the issue and counterstroke of 
 the divine knowledge, which must receive its nour- 
 ishment from the Mysterium magnum of the divine 
 power and knowledge. Now if it cannot have the 
 ens of divine love for its food, so that it breaks itself 
 off from the unground, as from resignation or re- 
 nunciation, then it becomes sharp, fiery, dark, 
 rough, stinging, envious, hostile, rebellious, and an 
 entire restlessness itself; and introduces itself into 
 a mortal, dying, fierce source, which is its damna- 
 tion, wherein it goes to destruction, as befell the 
 devil, and likewise befalls the wicked. 
 
 30. But if such a fire-source can again attain and 
 receive in itself divine love, viz. the essential light 
 of God, then this fire-source of the soul becomes 
 transformed into a kingdom of joy, into praise to 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 201 
 
 God. But without will that has turned round, that 
 stands still from its own impression and shutting-in, 
 this is not possible. For the light of the sun cannot 
 so work in a hard stone as in herbs and trees, for 
 the water is compacted and coagulated in the stone 
 into a hard impression. 
 
 31. And thus it is to be understood with regard 
 to the soul's false own will and divine gentleness, so 
 that in such a covetous, envious fire-gi-eed the divine 
 gentleness accomplishes no working. Hence Christ 
 truly said (John vi. 53) : The life of man which 
 should not eat the bread that is come from heaven 
 to give life to the world, has no life in it. Thereby 
 he indicates the essential love which God has mani- 
 fested in him (in Christ) by a new fountain for re- 
 freshment of the poor withered soul. The soul that 
 should not eat thereof cannot attain the divine 
 Light, and were without divine life. And indeed 
 he calls himself (John viii. 12) the Light of the 
 world. Item, in the Psalms: A Light that shines 
 in the darkness, which changes the darkness into 
 light (Ps. cxii. 4). 
 
i 
 
 M 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 Of the natural ground. How Nature is a counter- 
 stroke to the divine knowledge, whereby the 
 eternal (one) will xmth the unfathomable, su- 
 pernatural knowledge makes itself perceptible, 
 viable, effectual, and desire ful. And what 
 Mysterium magnum is. How all is from, 
 through, and in God, How God is so near all 
 things, and fills all. 
 
 A highly precious gate, for the reader that loveth 
 
 God to well consider, 
 
 John i. 1-3 runs thus: In the beginning was the 
 Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word 
 was God. The same was in the beginning with 
 God. All things were made by him, and without 
 him was not anything made that was made. 
 
 1. The beginning of all beings was the Word as 
 the breath of God ; and God was the eternal One of 
 eternity, and likewise remains so in eternity. But 
 the Word is the efflux of the divine will or of the 
 divine knowledge. As the senses flow from the 
 soul, and yet the soul is but a one ; so it was with the 
 eternal One in the efflux of the will, that is to say: 
 In the beginning was the Word. For the Word as 
 the efflux of the will of God is the eternal beginning, 
 and remains so eternally. For it is the revelation 
 of the eternal One, by and through which the divine 
 
 202 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 203 
 
 power is brought into a knowledge of somewhat. 
 By the Word we understand the revealed will of 
 God; and by the word God we mean the hidden 
 God, viz. the eternal One from which the Word eter- 
 nally springs forth. 
 
 2. Thus the Word is the efflux of the divine One, 
 and yet God himself as his revelation. 
 
 3. This efflux flows from God; and what has 
 flowed forth is wisdom, beginning and cause of all 
 powers, colours, virtues and qualities. 
 
 4. From such a revelation of powers, in which the 
 will of the eternal One contemplates itself, flows 
 the understanding and the knowledge of the some- 
 thing {Ichts),^ as the eternal will contemplates it- 
 self in the something (Ichts), and in wisdom intro- 
 duces itself into delight in a likeness and image. 
 
 5. This image is the Mysterium magnum, viz. the 
 creator of all beings and creatures ; for it is the sep- 
 arator in the efflux of the will, which makes the will 
 of the eternal One separable; it is the separabihty 
 in the will, from which powers and qualities arise. . 
 
 6. These powers again are in efflux of themselves, 
 each power bringing itself into individual will ac- 
 cording to the virtue of that same power. From 
 thence arises the multiplicity of wills, and from this 
 also the creaturely hfe of eternity has taken its ori- 
 gin, viz. angels and souls. And yet it cannot be said 
 that by this a Nature or creation is understood, but 
 the eternal imaged existence of the divine word and 
 will, as the Spirit of God has in such a counterstroke, 
 
 1 Ichts the opposite of Nichta (nothing) is "I," self-consciousness.-— 
 Hegel, Hist, of Phil, vol. iii. p. 286. 
 
liU j^,..^yf»JW' - |. ^ 'i»» - V^'-j y^ 'Ho.'' J«ij '■'^f- 
 
 ,'ijmmfi^'i%~-J'S:', -C"^ 
 
 I 
 
 204 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 in the powers of wisdom, sported with himself in 
 such formation of similitude. 
 
 7. As the mind of man in the understanding in- 
 troduces itself by the senses into a counterstroke of 
 an exact likeness, and by sense flows forth and dis- 
 poses into images, which images are the thoughts 
 of the mind, wherein the will of the mind works, and 
 thus by desire brings itself into a sharpness, as into 
 a magnetic appropriation, from which joy and sor- 
 row arise ; 
 
 8. So also, in regard to the eternal mind of per- 
 ceptibility, we are to understand that the outgoing 
 of the one will of God has, through the Word, in- 
 troduced itself into separability, and the separabil- 
 ity has introduced itself into receptibiUty, as into 
 desire and craving for its self -revelation, passing 
 out of the Unity into plurality. 
 
 9. Desire is the ground and beginning of the na- 
 ture of perceptibility of the particular will. For 
 therein is the separability of the Unity brought into 
 receptibility, whence the separabiUties of the wills 
 are brought into perceptibility of a self-hood, 
 wherein the true, creaturely, perceptible, angelic, 
 and souhc Uf e is understood. 
 
 10. For the will of the eternal One is impercep- 
 tible, without tendency to anything ; for it has noth- 
 ing to which it could tend, save only towards itself. 
 Therefore it brings itself out of itself, and carries 
 the efflux of its unity into plurality, and into as- 
 sumption of selfhood, as of a place of a Nature, 
 from which quaUties take thek rise. For every 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 205 
 
 quality has its own separator and maker within it, 
 and is in itself entire, according to the quality of 
 the eternal Unity. 
 
 11. Thus the separator of each will develops in 
 its turn qualities from itself, from which the infinite 
 plurality arises, and through which the eternal One 
 makes itself perceptible, not according to the unity, 
 but according to the efflux of the unity. But the 
 efflux is carried to the greatest sharpness with mag- 
 netic receptivity, to the nature of fire ; in which fiery 
 nature the eternal One becomes majestic and a light. 
 Thereby [by fire] the eternal power becomes de- 
 sireful and effectual, and [fire] is the original con- 
 dition of the sensitive hfe, where in the Word of 
 power, in the efflux, an eternal sensitive hfe has its 
 origin. For if hfe had no sensitiveness, it would 
 have no will nor efficacy; but pain makes it effectual 
 and capable of will. And the light of such kindling 
 through fire makes it joyous, for it is an anointment 
 
 of painfulness. 
 
 12. From this eternal operation of the sensation 
 and sense-element, which very working has from 
 eternity introduced itself into Nature and qualities, 
 the visible world with all its host sprang, and was 
 brought into a creaturely being. For the eternity 
 of such working to fire, light and darkness has with 
 visible world carried itself into a counterstroke, and 
 made the separator in all the powers of the ema- 
 nated being a steward of Nature, by whom the eter- 
 nal will rules, makes, forms and shapes all things. 
 
 13. We can, therefore, in no wise say that God's 
 
206 ON THE DIVIXE INTUITION 
 
 essence is something far off, which possesses a spe- 
 cial abode or place ; for the abyss of Nature and cre- 
 ation is God himself. 
 
 14. The visible world with its host of creatures is 
 nothing else than the emanated Word which has dis- 
 posed itself into qualities, as in qualities the particu- 
 lar will has arisen. And with the receptibility of 
 the Will the creaturely life arose ; which Uf e has in 
 the beginning of this world introduced itself into a 
 receptivity for a creaturely ground, which the sep- 
 arator has separated according to the quahty, and 
 brought to a will of its own after such a fashion. 
 And with the self-will of such desire substance or 
 body of its likeness and quality has arisen to each re- 
 ceptivity; whereby the separator has signed itself 
 and made itself visible, as is to be seen in every hfe. 
 
 15. In this counterstroke of the divine will we 
 are to understand two kinds of life, viz. an eternal 
 and a temporal. That which is eternal is in the 
 Eternal, and arises from the eternal Word. It 
 stands at the basis of the eternal spiritual world, in 
 the Mysterium magnum of the divine counterstroke, 
 and constitutes the intellective life at the basis of 
 the eternal fire and hght. 
 
 16. The inmost ground is a spark of the ema- 
 nated will of God through the eternal divine breath- 
 ing, and is united with God's Word to will nothing 
 but what the one will of God wills through such em- 
 anation. 
 
 17. It is nothing else than a mansion of divine 
 will, through which the divine will reveals itself; 
 and is revealed to no peculiarity of individual will, 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 207 
 
 but only to the instrument of the divine will, by 
 which this chooses to perform its marvellous works. 
 It is the separator of the divine will, an instrument 
 of God, into which the divine will has fashioned it- 
 self so as to be a wonder-worker of omnipotence and 
 glory, by which he will rule all things. Wherefore 
 also the divine understanding was given to it. 
 
 18. The other life is a primal efflux of the sep- 
 arator of all powers, and is called the soul of the 
 outer world. This life became creaturely in the 
 emanated qualities, and is a life of all the creatures 
 of the visible world, whereby the separator or cre- 
 ator of this world fashions itself and makes a like- 
 ness of the spiritual world, in which the power of 
 the inward spiritual world forms, shapes and be- 
 holds itself. 
 
 19. For the spiritual world of fire, light and dark- 
 ness is hidden in the visible elemental world, and 
 works through the visible world, and by the sep- 
 arator imprints itself with its efflux in all things, ac- 
 cording to each thing's kind and quality. Accord- 
 ing as each several thing is of a kind and quality, 
 such a quality does it receive from the separator of 
 the inward spiritual power. Not for a possession 
 and individual power does the visible receive the 
 invisible, that the outer might thereby be trans- 
 formed into the inner. No ; that is not so. The in- 
 ward power fashions itself in the way we understand 
 this in the powers of herbs, trees and metals, that 
 their external spirit is only an instrument of the in- 
 ward spirit or of the inward power, whereby the in- 
 ward power imprints itself in the external spirit. 
 
208 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 20. We understand indeed in such powers of 
 growing things three kinds of spiritus in different 
 centra, but in one corpus. The first and external 
 spiritus is the coarse sulphur, salt and mercury, 
 which is a substance of four elements, or of the stars 
 according to the property of their roughness. It 
 makes the corpus, and impresses itself or compacts 
 itself into a substance, or draws that which is in- 
 ternal out of the spiritual separator into itself, as 
 also the elements from without, and coagulates it- 
 self therewith ; whence immediately the signature or 
 sign is effected by the separator. It forms the vis- 
 ible corpus according to the property of the greatest 
 power of the spiritus mundi, viz. according to the 
 constellation of the stars or property of the planets 
 and now enkindled elements. 
 
 21. The second spiritus, which has a centrum of 
 its own, is found in the oil of sulphur, which is called 
 the fifth essence, viz. a root of the four elements. 
 This spiritus is the softening and joy of the coarse, 
 painful spirit of sulphur and salt; and receives its 
 nourishment, firstly, from within, from the light of 
 Nature, from the efflux of spiritual gentleness, from 
 the inward spiritual fire and light. And, secondly, 
 it receives its nourishment from without, from the 
 sun and from the subtle power of the spiritus mundi, 
 and is the true cause of growing life, a joy of Na- 
 ture, as is the sun in the elements. 
 
 22. The third spiritus is the tincture, a counter- 
 stroke of the divine Mysterium magnuin, in which 
 all powers are in equality, and is rightly called para- 
 dise or divine delight. It is a mansion of divine 
 
 ~x 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 209 
 
 power, a mansion of the eternal soul, whence all ex- 
 ternal powers spring, after the manner of air from 
 fire. 
 
 23. For the tincture is nothing else than a spir- 
 itual fire and light, in which fire and hght is a single 
 and united being. But because it has within it its 
 separator, as the emanated divine will to manifesta- 
 tion, it is the highest reason for which the first sepa- 
 ration of qualities comes about in the existence of 
 this world, and belongs by its own quahty to eter- 
 nity. For its origin is the holy power of God. And 
 it has a special centrum, viz. the most inward ground 
 of the creature, which indeed is hidden to the mortal 
 creature on this account, that man brought false 
 will against it. Hence arose the curse of the earth 
 at the fall of man. Yet this high, holy principle in 
 its own centrum presses forth through all the beings 
 of this world, and flows forth into the outer powers, 
 as the sun into the elements. But the creature can- 
 not touch the centrum of this power, unless it be 
 done by divine permission, as comes to pass in the 
 new birth. 
 
 24. Such a revelation is seen in all living and 
 growing things. All things have their subsistence 
 in these three principles or beginnings. You see 
 an example in a herb of the earth, which has its 
 nourishment from within and without, viz. from 
 the earth, and from without from the sun and 
 stars, whereby the spiritus of the earth together 
 with the external spiritus fashions itself. When 
 the herb sprouts forth, it is in such power that 
 this is realized. Thus the outward separator in 
 
»mm 
 
 210 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 sulphur, salt and mercury signs itself externally 
 with the shape and form of the herb; for it is 
 the herb's motion and sensation, and makes itself 
 
 corporeal. 
 
 25. So that when I see a herb standing, I may 
 say with truth: This is an image of the Earth- 
 spirit, in which the upper powers rejoice, and 
 regard it as their child; for the Earth-spirit is 
 but one being with the upper, outward powers. 
 And when the herb is grown up, it blossoms; and 
 with the blossom the oleous spirit signs itself with 
 beautiful colours. And with the lovely smell of 
 the blossom, the tincture or the third principle 
 
 signs itself. 
 
 26. Here then we understand that the inward, 
 hidden spirit of the elements has revealed itself, 
 and brings itself also into the form of the fruit. 
 For the earth would have no such smell, neither 
 colours nor such virtue, if the hidden power of 
 the divine efflux did not manifest itself. 
 
 27. So also with metals, which outwardly are 
 a coarse corpus of sulphur, mercury and salt, 
 wherein consists the growth; but in their inward 
 ground they are a beautiful clear corpus, in which 
 the ideal light of Nature shines from the divine 
 efflux. In this lustre is to be understood the 
 tincture and great power, how the hidden power 
 makes itself visible. It cannot be said of such 
 power or virtue that it is elemental, as neither is 
 the power of the blossom so. The elements are 
 only a mansion and counter stroke of the inward 
 power, a cause of the motion of the tincture. 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 211 
 
 28. For power proceeds from the tincture 
 through motion of the coarse elemental spirit, and is 
 carried thereby into sensation, viz. into taste and 
 smell. 
 
 29. For smell is nothing but the sensation of the 
 tincture, through which the efflux of divine power 
 reveals itself, and thus assumes perceptibiUty. The 
 sharpness of smell is indeed elemental, but the true 
 power and virtue in the sharpness of the smell is 
 the tincture. For the motion of a thing is not the 
 highest reason of power, but that to which the cause 
 of the motion is due. 
 
 30. The physician uses a fragrant herb for his 
 medicaments; but the smell, that is, the sharpness 
 of the smell, is not the cure which cureth the 
 patient in his sickness. But that is the cure, from 
 which such balsam or smell arises, viz. the tincture, 
 which imprints itself in such balsam. 
 
 31. Christ said to the fig-tree: Be thou withered 
 (Matt. xxi. 19) . But the external, audible, human 
 word, or the sound, was not the power by which it 
 was done. But the power was that from whence 
 the word came. Else, if the external human soul 
 did it, other men could do it too. 
 
 32. The like also is to be understood concerning 
 faith. Confession and assent in respect to a thing 
 is not true faith, much less is science so. But 
 that is faith, from which the confession proceeds, 
 viz. the revealed Spirit of God in the inward ground 
 of the soul, which by the confession frames itself 
 in the pronounced word and makes this visible 
 outwardly, and works with the visible elements of 
 
 I 
 
iiHH?s«HmMnfarii««i>> ittw 
 
 ■'■'i^- «(li»'iwii(jjljr''' (Us'"'? 
 
 212 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 faith and exhibits itself outwardly. So that we 
 understand that God's Spirit co-operates in the 
 work of faith, just as it works with and through 
 the power of the elemental world, and makes itself 
 visible through the existence of this world with a 
 counterstroke. 
 
 33. So that, as regards everything I look upon, 
 be it evil or good, I can with truth say: Here, by 
 this thing, has the hidden spirit of the separator 
 of all beings shaped itself into a property, and made 
 for itself here an object or image according to its 
 efflux, either according to evil or good; all accord- 
 ing to the properties of Nature, according to heat 
 or cold, according to harsh, bitter, sweet or sour, 
 or however that may be. And in all such forma- 
 tion there is only outwardly such an elemental 
 nature, viz. such a sulphur and salt; but in the 
 inward ground, in the tincture, it is good and ' 
 profitable, and belongs to its likeness for the nour- 
 ishment of life, which by the astral and elemental 
 nature stands in all properties according to its 
 external ground. 
 
 34. Every particular thing, be is herb, grass, tree, 
 beast, bird, fish, worm, or whatsoever it be, is of 
 use, and has proceeded from the separator of all 
 beings, viz. from the Word or separable will of God, 
 by which the separator of each thing's quality has 
 made for itself a likeness or image in which it 
 works. 
 
 35. For this visible world with all its host and 
 being is nothing but an objective representation of 
 the spiritual world, which spiritual world is hidden 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 213 
 
 in this material, elemental world, like as the tincture 
 in herbs and metals. 
 
 36. And as the tincture with its virtue f ashioneth 
 itself in all things with its efflux and makes itself 
 visible, so that we may see and know by the figure, 
 as well as by the colours and smell, what manner 
 of separator or efflux of divine will has emanated in 
 the tincture from the Mysterium magnum ; so like- 
 wise we may recognize in the visible world, in sun, 
 stars, elements and all creatures, the inward ground 
 from which they arose. 
 
 37. For no thing or being is come from afar to 
 its place, but in the place where it grows is its 
 ground. The elements have their cause, from 
 which they arise, in themselves; the stars also 
 have their chaos, wherein they stand, in them- 
 selves. 
 
 38. The elements are nothing but an image-like, 
 moving existence of what is invisible and non- 
 moving. 
 
 39. The stars likewise are an efflux of the quali- 
 ties of the spiritual world, according to the separa- 
 tion of the separator, whose ground is the Word or 
 the separable will of God. 
 
 40. The being and motion of the elements is 
 fire, air, water and earth, wherein is thick and 
 thin, moist and dry, hard and soft, and these are 
 united together in one substance. Not that each is 
 from a particular origin, but they all proceed from 
 a single ground, and that place where they have 
 arisen is everywhere. We have only to conceive 
 how at one place there may have been a greater 
 
 i 
 
214 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 enkindling according to one quality than at another 
 place, whereby the motion has become greater, and 
 of material things in such form and substance more 
 have been produced than at another place. As is 
 to be understood by the material things of the 
 earth, as also by the water and air, how a difference 
 exists at each pole, or at each position above the 
 earth. Whence also the difference of manners and 
 of virtues, as well as of governments, laws and 
 
 creatures. 
 
 41. But the differences of such qualities have all 
 arisen from theMysterium magnum, by the motion 
 once for all of the powers of all beings, as when the 
 one will of all beings puts itself in motion at once, 
 and brought itself out of non-perceptibility into 
 perceptibility and separability of powers, and 
 made the eternal Power effectual and desireful, 
 so that in each power a counterstroke as an in- 
 dividual desire has arisen. This same desire in the 
 counterstroke of the powers has developed itself in 
 its turn out of itself into a counterstroke, whence 
 the desire of such efflux is become acute, strong 
 and excessive, and has coagulated and brought itself 
 into material things. 
 
 42. And as the efflux of the inward powers has 
 been from light to darkness, from sharpness and 
 gentleness, from the nature of fire and light, so 
 has been the origination of material things. The 
 further the efflux of a power has extended, the more 
 outward and coarse does the matter become; for 
 one counterstroke has proceeded out of another, 
 unto finally the coarse earth. 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 215 
 
 43. But we must deduce correctly the ground 
 of this philosophy, and indicate whence hard and 
 soft have taken their origin. This we recognize 
 in metals. For every matter which is hard, as are 
 metals and stones, as also wood, herbs and the like, 
 has within it a very noble tincture and high spirit 
 of power. As also is to be recognized in the bones 
 of creatures, how the noblest tincture according 
 to the power of the Light, or the greatest sweetness, 
 is in the marrow of the bones; and, on the other 
 hand, in the blood there is only a fiery tincture, 
 viz. in sulphur, salt and mercury. This is under- 
 stood thus: 
 
 44. God is the eternal One, or the greatest 
 gentleness [stillness,] so far as he exists in himself 
 independently of his motion and manifestation. 
 But in his motion he is called a God in trinity, 
 that is, a triune Being, where we speak of three 
 and yet but of one, and in accordance with which 
 he is called the eternal Power and Word. This is 
 the precious and supreme ground, and thus to be 
 considered: The divine will shuts itself in a place 
 to selfhood, as to power, and becomes active in 
 itself; but also by its activity goes forth, and 
 makes for itself an object, viz. wisdom, through 
 which the ground and origin of all beings has 
 
 arisen. 
 
 45. In like manner know this: All that is soft, 
 gentle and thin in the existence of this world is 
 emanating and self -giving; and its ground and 
 origin is in accordance with the Unity of eternity, 
 the Unity perpetually emanating from itself. And 
 

 sss:?g:ggsggg S!S!!&asv;i*5 i; > iini » Mr, ii.w-«M>,.M)>«w/~--. 
 
 216 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 indeed in the very nature of thinness or rarity, as in 
 water and air, we understand no sensation or pain, 
 so far as that nature is one in itself. 
 
 46. But whatever is hard and impressing, as 
 bones, wood, herbs, metals, fire, earth, stones, and 
 the like material things, — therein is the image of 
 divine power and motion, and shuts itself up with 
 its separator (viz. the efflux of divine desire) against 
 the coarseness, as a noble jewel or sparkle of divine 
 power. And it is hard and fiery on this account, 
 that it hath its own ground of divine inclusion, as 
 where the eternal One introduces itself continually 
 into a ground of threefoldness for motion of powers, 
 and yet shuts itself up against the efflux, as against 
 the introduction of the particular will of Nature, 
 and with the power of the Unity works through 
 Nature. 
 
 47. And so it is to be understood in regard to 
 the noble tincture. Where it is noblest, there it is 
 most of all shut up with the hardness. For the 
 Unity is involved in it in a mobihty, as in a sensation 
 of activity, and therefore it is hidden, but in 
 thinness or rarity it is involved not in such sensation, 
 but is one with all things. As indeed water and 
 air are one with all things, and are in all things. 
 But the dry water is the true pearly foundation, 
 in which the subtle power of the working of 
 the Unity is in the centre. To ours, who are 
 worthy of this, it is hereby intimated, that they 
 should not give their attention to the soft and 
 yielding apart from the fiery nature, to seek 
 
 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 217 
 
 the mystery therein. Understand this mystery 
 
 thus: 
 
 48. That the soft and thin arises from the Unity, 
 from its emanation, from the 3Iysterium magnum, 
 and is nearest to the Unity; and, on the other 
 hand, the noblest ground of divine revelation, 
 both in power and operation, lies in the fiery 
 hardness, and is a dry unity or a temperament, 
 wherein again is contained the separabihty of all 
 powers. For, where powers are comprised not in 
 the unity of a will, there the will is divided, and 
 no great power is to be understood in that 
 thing. Which ought well to be observed by the 
 physicians, that they should not look to the coarse 
 spiritus of strong smell, and regard that as 
 the true balsam; although it is present therein,, 
 and so is the tincture therein very mobile and 
 
 evolant. 
 
 49. The spiritus or spiritual essences of the strong 
 power in smell must be brought into the tempera- 
 ment, into unity, and not be flying from it, whereby 
 men attempt to cure with salt, as with the sharp- 
 ness of fire, and give to the patient soul without 
 
 spirit. . 
 
 50. The soul of such balsams is separated in the 
 qualities; each one gives itself in its great joy 
 separately, but in separation they are too rebellious. 
 Thev unite not hf e's enmity and division, but kindle 
 
 life's division more. 
 
 51. Shut them up and make them one, so that 
 they all have one will in love, and you have the 
 
, i.j;,rfjtiia.*B-^ife--j'-n*-,,()' v.^y^-ia^-g'?^^"'^ 
 
 ,-- *i*^i«ijs.;>»«*-^<.-'a.'»«: *s»,*MbW*«*..^'' 
 
 218 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 pearl of the whole world. To provoke to wrath - 
 causes pride and strife, which is to be recognized 
 
 in all things. 
 
 52. A prisoner is comforted only by his release, 
 until he place his will in hope, and compose himself 
 with patience; and so at last his restlessness falls 
 into hope, into the temperament, and he learns m 
 such hope to become humble. Then, if one tells him 
 of his release, he rejoices. 
 
 53. Therefore, ye physicians, observe it, that is 
 your pearl, if you can understand this, the meaning 
 is internal and external. 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 Of the In and Out. How the eternal will of God 
 carries itself outwards and into perceptihihtij . 
 inwards and again into the One. 
 
 Here may he understood to what end the being of this 
 world was created, and what purpose the creaturely 
 around serves. Further, to what end joy and sor- 
 row have become manifest; and how God ts so near 
 all things. 
 
 1 John i. 11-13 runs thus: He (Jesus Christ) 
 came unto his own, and his own received him not. 
 But as many as received him, to them gave he power 
 to become children of God, even to them that 
 believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, 
 nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, 
 
 but of God. . , 
 
 2 In these words we have precious ground 
 of divine revelation, viz. the eternal In and Out. 
 For they speak of this, how the hidden dmne 
 eternal Word of the divine power of the Unity 
 came forth into the emanated, natural, creaturely, 
 image-like Word, viz. into humanity, into his 
 
 °T* For the emanated, image-like creaturely Word 
 is the ever-speaking Word's property. And it is 
 thereby clearly signified that his own, or the 
 averse, image-like, particular will, received him 
 
 219 
 
220 ON THE DIVINE INTUITION 
 
 not. This individual, image-like will had arisen 
 from its own ground, viz. from flesh and blood of 
 the self-ful nature of man and woman, that is, in 
 the separator of the emanated will, where the 
 eternal will had confined itself in ownership, and 
 would go forth and rule in personal power and 
 
 might. 
 
 4. This received not the eternal Word (which, 
 as an outflow of divine grace, again came forth 
 to the averse will), for it would be an individual 
 lord. But the will which has turned round, so that 
 it has been born anew in the divine outflow of love, 
 to that gave he power to become God's child. For 
 it is not the natural, individual will can inherit the 
 divine childship, but only that which, united with 
 the Unity, is one with all things, in which God 
 himself works and wills. 
 
 5. Wherein we clearly understand how the in- 
 ward ground has extroverted itself and made itself 
 visible, and is a peculiar possession of God, as an 
 efflux of divine power and will. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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