7. The garden of this tree signifieth the world; the soil or mould signifieth nature; the stock of the tree signifies the stars; by the branches are meant the elements; the fruit which grow on this tree signify men; the sap in the tree denoteth the pure Deity. Now men were made out of nature, the stars, and elements; but God the Creator reigneth in all: even as the sap doth in the whole tree.
8. But there are two qualities in nature, even until the Judgment of God: The one is pleasant, heavenly and holy; the other is fierce, wrathful, hellish and thirsty.
9. Now the good one qualifieth and worketh continually with all industry to bring forth good fruit, and the Holy Ghost reigneth therein, and affords thereunto sap and life: the bad one springeth and driveth with all its endeavor to bring forth bad fruit continually, to which the devil affordeth sap and hellish flame. Now both are in the tree of nature, and men are made out of that tree, and live in this world, in this garden, between both, in great danger; suddenly the sun shineth on them; by and by, winds, rain, and snow fall on them.

16. But now man is poisoned through sin, that the fierce wrathful quality, as well as the good, reigneth in him, and he is now half dead, and in his gross ignorance can no more know God his Creator, nor nature and its operation: Yet bath nature used its best endeavours from the beginning till now, to which God bath given his Holy Ghost, so that it [nature] hath at all times generated wise, holy, and understanding men, who learned to know nature, and their Creator, and who always in their writings and teachings have been a light to the world whereby God bath raised his Church on earth, to his eternal praise Against which the devil bath raged, and spoiled many a noble twig through the wrathful fierceness in nature, whose prince and god he is

21. Also it is clearly seen by the first world, as also by the second, even unto the end of our time, how the heavenly and the hellish kingdom in nature have always wrestled the one with the other, and stood in great travail, even as a woman in the birth.

26. But when the tree of nature came to its middle age, then it began to bear some mild and sweet fruit, to shew that it would henceforth bear pleasant fruit. Then were born the holy prophets, out of the sweet branch of the tree, who taught and preached of the light, which here after should overcome the wrathful fierceness in nature. And the there arose a light in nature among the Heathen, so that they knew nature, and her operation, although this was a light in the wild nature only, and was not yet the holy light.
27. For the wild nature was not yet overcome, and light and darkness wrestled so long the one with the other, till the sun arose, and with in heat forced this tree, so that it did bear pleasant sweet fruit; that is, ti there came the Prince of Light, out of the heart of God, and be can man in nature, and wrestled in his human body, in the power of if divine light, in the wild nature. That same Prince and Royal Twig grew up in nature, and became a tree in nature, and spread its branches abroad from the east to the west; and encompassed if whole nature, and wrestled and fought with the fierce wrath which was in nature, and with the prince thereof, till he overcame and triumphed, as a king in nature, and took the prince of wrath or fierceness captive in his own house [Psalms 68].

6. The supreme title is AURORA, that is, The Dawning of the Day in the East, or Morning Redness in the rising of the SUN. It is a secret Mystery, concealed from the wise and prudent of this world, of which they themselves shall shortly be sensible: But to those who read this book in singleness of heart, with a desire after the Holy Spirit, who place their hope in God only, it will not be a hidden secret, but a manifest knowledge.
7. I will not explain this title, but commit it to the judgment of the impartial Reader, who wrestleth in the good quality of this world.
8. Now if Mr. Critic, who qualifieth or worketh with his wit in the fierce quality, gets this book into his hand, he will oppose it, as there is always a stirring and opposition between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of hell.

• I. First, he will say that I ascend too high into the Deity, which is not a meet thing for me to do.
• II. Then, secondly, he will say that I boast of the Holy Spirit, and that I had more need to live accordingly, and make demonstration of it by wondrous works or miracles.
• III. Thirdly, he will say that I am not learned enough.
• IV. Fourthly, he will say that I do it in a vainglorious way.
• V. Fifthly, he will be much offended at the simplicity of the author; for in the world it is usual [or customary] to be mindful only of high things, and to be irritated by simplicity.

15. So neither can I say anything of myself, nor boast or write of anything, save this: that I am a simple man, and, besides, a poor sinner, and have need to pray daily, Lord, forgive us our sins; and to say with the Apostle, 0 Lord, thou hast redeemed us with thy blood.
16. Neither did I ascend into heaven, and behold all the works and creatures of God; but the same heaven is revealed in my spirit, so that in the spirit I know the works and creatures of God.
17. Besides, the will to that is not my natural will, but it is the impulse of the spirit; and for it I have endured many an assault of the devil.

33. Time past, present, and to come, as also depth and height, near and afar off, are all one in God, one comprehensibility.
34. The holy soul of man seeth the same also, but in this world in part only. It happeneth sometimes that it seeth nothing at all, for the devil doth assault it furiously in the fierce wrathful source that is in the soul, and oftentimes covereth the noble mustard-seed; therefore man must always be at strife [or in conflict].

1. Though flesh and blood cannot conceive or apprehend the being of God, but the spirit only when enlightened and kindled from God:
2. Yet if a man will speak of God, and say what God is, then,

• I. A man must diligently consider the powers in nature.
• II. Also the whole creation, heaven and earth.
• III. The stars, the elements, and the creatures that are proceeded from them. As also the holy angels, devils, and men; moreover, heaven and hell.

Of the Two Qualities in One.

3. In this consideration ate found two qualities, a good one and an evil one, which are in each other as one thing in this world, in all powers, in the stars and the elements, as also in all the creatures; and no creature in the flesh, in the natural life, can subsist, unless it bath the two qualities.

What a Quality is.

4. Now here a man must consider what the word quality meaneth or is. A quality is the mobility, boiling, springing and driving of a thing.

Of Heat.

5. As for example, heat, which burneth, consumeth and driveth forth all whatsoever that cometh into it which is not of the same property; and again, it enlighteneth and warmeth all cold, wet and dark things; it compacteth and hardeneth soft things.

Of Light and Fierceness.

6. Heat containeth likewise two other kinds in it, namely, (1) Light, and (2) Fierceness; of which take notice in this manner. The light, or the heart of the heat, is in itself a pleasant, joyful glance or lustre, a power of life, an enlightening and glance of a thing which is afar off, which light is a piece or source of the heavenly kingdom of joy.
7. For it maketh living and moving all things in this world. All flesh, trees, leaves and grass grow in this world in the power of the light, and have their life therein, viz, in the good.
8. Again, heat containeth also a fierceness or wrath, which burneth, consumeth and spoileth; this wrath or fierceness springeth, driveth and elevateth itself in the light, and maketh the light moveable.
9. Heat wrestleth and fighteth together in its twofold source as one thing: It is also one thing, but it bath a double source.

1. All whatsoever that bath been mentioned above is called quality, because it qualifieth, operateth or frameth all in the deep above the earth, also upon the earth and in the earth, in one another, as ONE thing, and yet bath several distinct virtues and operations, and but one mother, from whence descend and spring all things.
2. All the creatures are made and descended from these qualities, and live therein as in their mother; and the earth and stones descend or proceed from thence also; and all that groweth out of the earth liveth and springeth forth out of the virtue of these qualities; no rational man can deny it.
3. Now this twofold source, good and evil, in everything, is caused by the stars; for as the creatures in the earth are, in their qualities, so also are the stars.
4. For from its twofold source, everything hath its great mobility, running, springing, driving and growing. For meekness in nature is a still rest, but the fierceness in every power maketh all things moveable, running and generative.
5. For the driving qualities cause a lust in all creatures unto evil and good, so that all [things] are desirous one of another, to copulate and increase, decrease, grow fair, perish, love and hate.

Of the Quality of the Sun.

15. If thou wilt be a philosopher and naturalist, and search into God's being in nature, and discern how all is come to pass, then pray to God for the Holy Spirit, to enlighten thee with it.
16. For in thy flesh and blood thou art not able to apprehend it, and though thou dost read it, yet it is but as a fume or mist before thine eyes.
17. In the Holy Ghost alone, who is in God, and also in the whole nature, out of which all things were made, in him alone canst thou search into the whole body or corporeity of God, which is nature; as also into the Holy Trinity itself.
18. For the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Holy Trinity, and reigneth and ruleth in the whole body or corpus of God; that is, in the whole nature.
19. Even as the spirit of man ruleth and reigneth in the whole body, in all the veins, and replenisheth the whole man; even so the Holy Ghost replenisheth the whole nature, and is the heart of nature, and reigneth in the good qualities of everything.
20. Now, if thou hast that spirit in thee, so that it enlighteneth, filleth and replenisheth thy spirit, then thou wilt understand what followeth in this writing.
21. But if not, then it will be with thee as it was with the wise Heathen, who gazed and stared on the creation, and would search and sift it out by their own reason; and though with their fictions and conceits they came before God's countenance or face, yet they were not able to see it, but were stark blind in the knowledge of God.
22. As the Children of Israel in the desert could not behold the countenance of Moses, and therefore, when he drew near to the people, he must put a veil before his face.
23. The cause of this was, that they neither understood nor knew the true God and his will, who, notwithstanding, walked among them; and therefore that veil was a sign and type of their blindness and misunderstanding.
24. As little as a piece of work can apprehend him that made it, so little also can man apprehend and know God his Creator, unless the Holy Ghost enlighten him; which happeneth only to those that rely not upon themselves, but set their hope, will and desires upon God alone, and move in the Holy Ghost, and these are one spirit with God.
25. Now if we consider rightly of the sun and stars, with their corpus or body, operations and qualities, then the very divine being may be found therein, and we may find that the virtues of the stars are nature itself.

28. But here thou must elevate thy mind in the spirit, and consider how the whole nature, with all the powers which are in nature, also the wideness, depth and height, also heaven and earth, and all whatsoever is therein, and all that is above the heavens, is together the body or corporeity of God; and the powers of the stars are the fountain veins in the natural body of God in this world.
29. Thou must not conceive that in the body of the stars is the triumphing Holy Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in which there is no evil, for it is the light-holy, eternal fountain of joy, which is indivisible and unchangeable, which no creature can sufficiently apprehend or express; which dwelleth and is above the body of the stars in itself, whose depth no creature is able to measure or fathom.
30. But we must not so conceive as if God were not at all in the corpus or body of the stars, and in this world: For when we say, ALL, or from eternity to eternity, or All in All, then we understand the entire GOD.
31. For a similitude or example take man, who is made after the image or similitude of God, as it is written [Genesis 1:27].

79. This indeed hath been partly concealed from the beginning of the world to this time, and man with his reason could not comprehend it.
80. But seeing God is pleased to reveal himself in simplicity in this last time, I shall give way to his impulse and will; I am but a very little spark of light. AMEN.

13. When we consider the whole nature and its property, then we see the Father.
14. When we behold heaven and the stars, then we behold his eternal power and wisdom: So many stars stand in the whole heaven that they are innumerable and incomprehensible to reason, and some of them are not visible, so manifold and [so] various is the power and wisdom of God the Father.

Observe here the great Mystery of God.

53. Further, the sun is made or generated from all the stars, and is a light taken from the whole nature, and shineth again into the whole nature of this world; it is united with the other stars, as if itself together with all the stars were but one star.

Of the Holy TRINITY

80. Now when we speak or write of the three Persons in the Deity, you must not conceive that therefore there are three Gods, each reigning and ruling by himself, like temporal kings on the earth.
81. No: such a substance and being is not in God; for the divine being consisteth in power, and not in body or flesh.
82. The Father is the whole divine power, whence all creatures have proceeded, and hath been always, from eternity: He hath neither beginning nor end.
83. The Son is in the Father, being the Father's Heart or light, and the Father generateth the Son continually, from eternity to eternity; and the Son's power and splendour shine back again in the whole Father, as the sun doth in the whole world.
84. The Son is also another Person than the Father, but not externally, without or severed from the Father, nor is he any other God than the Father is; his power, splendour, and omnipotence, are no less than the whole Father.
85. The Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Father and the Son, and is the third self-subsisting Person in the Deity. As the elements in this world go forth from the sun and the stars, and are the moving spirit which is in everything in this world,
86. So the Holy Ghost is the moving spirit in the whole Father, and proceedeth or goeth forth from eternity to eternity continually from the Father and the Son, and replenisheth the whole Father; he is nothing less or greater than the Father and the Son; his moving power is in the whole Father.

109. Thus you find in everything a similitude of the Ternary in the divine being, look upon what you will; let no man make himself so stark blind as to think otherwise, or to think that God hath no Son and no Holy Ghost.
110. I shall make this more plain and clear when I come to write of the creation; for I do not borrow of other men in my writings: And though indeed I quote many examples and testimonies of God's saints, yet all is written by God in my mind, so that I absolutely and infallibly believe, know and see it; yet not in the flesh, but in the spirit, in the impulse and motion of God.
111. It is not so to be understood that my reason is greater or higher than that of all other men living; but I am the Lord's twig or branch, and am a very mean and little spark of his; he may set me where he pleaseth, I cannot hinder him in that.
112. Nor is this my natural will, that I could do it by my own small ability; for if the spirit were withdrawn from me, then I could neither know nor understand my own writings; and I must on every side fight and struggle with the devil, and lie open to temptation and affliction as well as other men.
113. But in the following chapters you will soon see the devil and his kingdom laid naked; his pride and reproach shall suddenly be discovered.

29. Here I write not without knowledge; but if thou, like an epicure and fatted swine of the devil, from the devil's instigation, shouldst mock at these things and say:
30. The fool surely hath not gone up to heaven and seen or heard them, these are mere fables; then, in the power of my knowledge, I would have you warned, and cited before the severe judgment of God.

Question.

35. The question now is, What manner of qualification hath an angel?

Answer.

36. The holy soul of a man, and the spirit of an angel, are and have one and the same substance and being, and there is no difference therein, but only in the quality itself, or in their corporeal government; that which qualifieth outwardly, or from without, in man by the air hath a corrupt earthly quality, yet on the other side, hidden from the creatures, it hath also a divine and heavenly quality. 37. But the holy soul understandeth it well, as the kingly prophet David saith, The Lord rideth on the wings of the wind [Psalms 104:3]. In the angel the divine property qualifies only in perfect holiness, divinity and purity.

Question.

38. But a simple man may ask, What do you mean by the word qualifying, or what is that?

Answer.

39. I mean thereby the power, which in the body of the angel entereth in from without, and cometh forth again; as in a similitude, when a man fetcheth breath and breatheth it forth again; for therein standeth the life both of the body and of the spirit.

Observe:

40. The Father's power is all, in and above all heavens, and the same power everywhere generateth the light. Now this UNIVERSAL POWER is, and is called, the universal power of the Father; and the light which is generated out of that universal power is, and is called, the Son.
41. But it is therefore called the Son, in that it is generated out of the Father, so that it is the Heart of the Father in his powers.
42. And being generated, it is another person than the Father is; for the Father is the power and the kingdom, and the Son is the light and the splendour in the Father, and the Holy Ghost is the moving or exit out of the powers of the Father and of the Son, and formeth, figureth, frameth and imageth all.

46. Now if a man should say the Son of God were an image, circumscriptive or measurable like the sun, then the three Persons would be only in that place where the Son is, and his splendour or shining would be without or beyond him, and as gone forth from the Son; and the Father would be one, only externally, without or beside the Son, and then the power of the Father, which would be afar off and wide distant from the Son, would not generate the Son and Holy Ghost, externally, without and beyond the angelical gates; and so there would be an unalmighty being, externally, without or beside this place of the Son; and, moreover, the Father would be a circumscribed or measurable being.
47. Which is not so: But the Father everywhere generateth the Son out of all his powers, and the Holy Ghost goeth everywhere forth from the Father and the Son, and so there is but ONE only God in one being, with three distinct persons.
48. Of which you have a similitude in the precious gold ore, or a goldstone unseparated. First there is the matter, that is, the Salitter and Mercurius, which is the mother or the whole stone, which generateth the gold everywhere in the whole stone; and in the gold is the glorious power or virtue of the stone.

51. Thus also is the place or space in the centre or midst of the angelical gates a more pleasant, more gracious, amiable and blessed place to the Father, wherein his Son and Heart is generated in the most richly and fully loving manner, and wherein the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Son in the most richly and fully loving manner.
52. Thus you have the right ground of this Mystery, and you ought not to think that the Son of God was generated of the Father at once, at a certain time, as one that hath a beginning, and that he standeth now as a king, and would be worshipped.
53. No; this would not be an eternal Son, but one that had a beginning, and was under, beneath or inferior to the Father that had generated him.
54. Neither would he be all-knowing, for he could not know how it was before his Father had generated him.
55. But the Son is generated continually from eternity unto eternity, and shineth continually from eternity into the powers of the Father again, whereby the powers of the Father are always from eternity to eternity continually impregnated with the Son, and generate him continually.
56. Out of which the Holy Ghost continually existeth from eternity to eternity, and so continually from eternity to eternity goeth forth from the Father and the Son, and hath neither beginning nor end.

70. But here I will shew thee the right Mystery. Behold, the sun is the heart of all powers in this world, and is compacted, framed or composed out of all the powers of the stars, it re-enlighteneth all the stars, and all the powers in this world, and all powers grow active, operative or qualifying in its power.
[71. "Understand it magically: For it is a mirror, looking-glass, or similitude of the eternal world."]

Question.

21. Now the question is, What in heaven is the wrath of God? And whether God be angry in himself; or how is God moved to anger?

Answer.

Here there are chiefly seven sorts of qualities or circumstances to be observed.

I. Of the First Species or Circumstance.

22. First: In the divine power there is, hidden in secret, the astringent quality, which is a quality of the kernel, pith or hidden being, a sharp compaction or penetration in the Salitter, very sharp and harsh or astringent, which generates hardness, and also coldness; and when the astringent quality is kindled it generateth a sharpness like unto salt.

II. Of the Second Species or Circumstance.

32. The Second quality, or second spirit of God in the divine Salitter, or in the divine power, is the sweet quality, which worketh in the astringent, and mitigateth the astringent, so that it is altogether lovely, pleasant and mild or meek.
33. For it is the overcoming of the astringent quality, and is the very source or fountain of the mercy of God, which overcometh the wrath, whereby the astringent harsh source is mollified, and God's mercy riseth up.

III. Of the Third Circumstance or Species.

44. The Third quality, or the third spirit of God in the Father's power, is the bitter quality; which is a penetrating or forcing of the sweet and the astringent or harsh qualities, and which is trembling, penetrating and rising up.
48. The bitter quality is the first spirit from whence mobility taketh its original, whence the life becometh stirring, and is well called Cor or the heart, for it is the trembling, shivering, elevating, penetrating spirit, a triumphing or joy, an elevating source of laughing; in the sweet quality the bitter is mollified, so that it becometh very richly loving and joyful.
49. But if it be moved, elevated and kindled too much, then it kindleth the sweet and the astringent or harsh qualities, and is like a tearing, stinging and burning poison, as when a man is tormented with a raging plague-sore, which maketh him cry out for woe and misery.

IV. Of the Fourth Circumstance or Species.

59. The Fourth quality, or the fourth fountain-spirit in the divine power of God the Father, is the heat, which is the true beginning of life, and also the true spirit of life.
60. The astringent or harsh and sour quality, and the sweet, are the Salitter, which belongeth to the body, out of which the body is framed.
61. For coldness and hardness stand in the astringent quality, and are a contraction and drying; and in the sweet quality stand the water, and the light or shining-ness, and the whole matter of the body.
62. And the bitter quality is the separation and forming, and the heat is the spirit, or the kindling of the life, whereby the spirit existeth in the body, which [spirit] springeth or moveth in the whole body, and shineth out from the body, and also maketh the living motion in all the qualities of the body.
63. Two things chiefly are to be eyed in all the qualities: If you look upon a body you first see the stock or pith, or the kernel of all the qualities, which is framed or composed out of all the qualities; for to the body belong the astringent or harsh, sour, sweet, bitter and hot qualities; these qualities being dried together, make the body or stock.

The Great Mystery of the Spirit.

64. Now in the body these qualities are mixed, as if they all were but one quality; yet each quality moveth or boileth in its own power, and so goeth forth.
65. Each quality goeth forth from itself into the others, and toucheth or stirreth the others, that is, it affecteth the others, whereby the other qualities get the will of this quality; that is, they prove the sharpness and spirit of this, as to what is in it, and always mix with it continually.

V. Of the Fifth Circumstance or Species.

155. The Fifth quality, or the fifth spirit of God among the seven spirits of God, in the divine power of the Father, is the gracious, amiable, blessed, friendly and joyful love.
156. Now observe what is the fountain of the gracious, amiable, blessed and friendly love of God; observe it exactly, for it is the very pith, marrow or kernel.

164. 0 noble guest! 0, why didst thou depart from us! 0 fierceness, wrath and astringency or severity, thou art the cause of it! 0 fierce wrathful devil! 0, what hast thou done, who hast sunk down thyself and thy beautiful bright angels into darkness? Woe, woe for ever!
165. 0, was not the gracious, amiable, blessed and fair love in thee also? 0 thou high and lofty-minded devil! Why wouldst thou not be contented? Wert thou not a Cherubim? and was there anything so beautiful and bright in heaven as thou? For what didst thou seek? Wouldst thou be the whole or total God? Didst thou not know that thou wert a creature, and hadst not the fan and casting-shovel in thy own hand or power?
166. 0, why do I pity thee, thou stinking goat? 0 thou cursed stinking devil! how hast thou spoiled us? How wilt thou excuse thyself? What wilt thou object to me?

Objection.

167. Thou sayest, if thy fall had not been, man would never have been thought of.

Answer.

0 thou lying devil! Though that should be true, yet the Salitter out of which man is made (which is also from eternity, as well as that out of which thou art made), had stood in eternal joy and bright glory, and had likewise risen up in God, and had tasted of the gracious, amiable, blessed love in the seven spirits of God, and enjoyed the heavenly joy.

21. Now observe, The gracious, amiable, blessed love, which is the fifth fountain-spirit in the divine power, is the hidden source, fountain or quality which the corporeal being cannot comprehend or apprehend, but only when it riseth up in the body, and then the body triumpheth therein, and behaveth itself friendly, lovely and courteously; for that quality or spirit belongeth not to the imaging or framing of a body, but riseth up in the body, as a flower springeth up out of the earth.
22. Now this fountain-spirit taketh its original at first out of the sweet quality of the water.

Observe:

74. The seven spirits of God, in their circumference and space, contain or comprehend heaven and this world; also the wide breadth and depth without and beyond the heavens, even above and beneath the world, and in the world, yea the whole Father, who hath neither beginning nor end.
75. They contain also all the creatures both in heaven and in this world; and all the creatures in heaven and in this world are imaged, fashioned or framed out of these spirits, and live in them as in their own propriety.
76. Their life and their reason is generated in them in such a manner as the divine being is generated, and also in the same power.
77. Out of and from the same body of the seven spirits of God are all things made and produced, all angels, all devils, the heaven, the earth, the stars, the elements, men, beasts, fowls, fishes; all worms, wood trees, also stones, herbs and grass, and all whatsoever is.

1. The Sixth qualifying or fountain spirit in the divine power is the sound, tone, tune or noise, wherein all soundeth and tuneth; whence ensued speech, language, and the distinction of everything, as also the ringing melody and singing of the holy angels, and therein consisteth the forming or framing of all colours, beauty and ornament, as also the heavenly joyfulness.

Question.

2. But thou wilt ask, What is the tone or sound? Or how taketh this spirit its source and original?

Answer.

3. All the seven spirits are generated one in another, the one continually generateth the other, not one of them is the first, nor is any one of them the last; for the last generateth as well the first as the second, third, fourth, and so on to the last.
4. But why one is called the first, another the second, and so on, that is in respect to that which is the first in order to the imaging, framing and forming of a creature.
5. For all the seven are equally eternal, and none of them hath either beginning or end; and therefore, in that the seven qualities are continually generating one another, and that none is without the other, it followeth that there is ONE Only Eternal Almighty GOD.

31. But here thou must know that one spirit alone can not generate another, neither can two of them do it, but the birth of a spirit standeth in the operation of all the seven spirits, six of them always generate the seventh, and so if one of them were not, then the others would not be either.
32. But that I sometimes take only two or three to the nativity or birth of a spirit, I do that because of my own weakness, for in my corrupted brain I cannot bear them all seven at once in their perfection.
33. I see them all seven very well, but when I speculate into them, then the spirit riseth up in the middlemost fountain or well-spring, where the spirit of life generateth itself, which goeth now upwards, now downwards, it cannot apprehend all the seven spirits in one thought, or at once, but only in part.
34. Every spirit hath its own quality or source, though indeed it is generated of the others; and so it is with the apprehension of man; he hath indeed the fountain of all seven spirits in him, but in what quality or fountain soever the spirit riseth up, the qualifying or fountain spirit thereof, wherein that same spirit is most strongly imaged, is that [one] which he comprehendeth most sharply in that rising up.
35. For even in the divine power one spirit, in its rising up, doth not go through all the spirits equally at once; for when it riseth up, then indeed it toucheth or stirreth them all at once, but it is caught in its rising up, so that it must lay down its stateliness and pomp, and not triumph over all the seven.
[36. "It is the being or substance of the senses and thoughts, otherwise, if a thought through the centre of nature could penetrate all the forms, then it were free from the band of nature. "]

45. I have read the writings of very high masters, hoping to find therein the ground and true depth; but I have found nothing, but a half dead spirit, which in anxiety travaileth and laboureth for health, and yet, because of its great weakness, cannot attain perfect power.
46. Thus I stand yet as an anxious woman in travail, and seek perfect refreshing, but find only the scent or smell or savour in its rising up, wherein the spirit examineth what power sticketh in the true cordial, and in the meanwhile refresheth itself in its sickness with that perfect smell or savour, till the true Samaritan doth come, who will dress and bind up its wounds and heal it, and bring it to the eternal inn or lodging, then shall it enjoy the perfect taste.
47. This herb, which I mean here, from whose fragrancy my spirit taketh its refreshing, every country ploughman doth not know it, nor every doctor, the one is as ignorant of it as the other; it groweth indeed in every garden, but in many it is quite spoiled and bad: for the quality of the soil or ground is in fault. And therefore men do not know it, nay the children of this Mystery do hardly know it; although this knowledge hath been very rare, dear and precious, from the beginning of the world to this time.
48. Though in many men a source or fountain and quality hath riser up, but then suddenly pride pressed after it, and spoiled all; whereupon it [pride] was loath to write it down in its mother-tongue; it supposed that was too childish a thing to do, it must shew it in a deeper language, that the world should see that it is manly; and for its advantage it kept it [the source or fountain and quality] in secret, and daubed it with deep strange names, that men might not know it; such a beast is the devil's disease of pride.

Question.

74. Thou askest, How can a man quench this kindled fire?

Answer.

75. Hearken, thou hast the sweet water in thee, pour that into the fire, and then the fire goeth out: If thou lettest it burn, then it consumeth in thee the sap that is in all the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, so that thou wilt become dry.
76. When that is done, then thou art a hellish fire-brand, and a billet or faggot to lay upon the hellish fire, and then there is no remedy for thee eternally.

81. But thou must know, that thou, in the government of thy mind, art thine own lord and master, there will rise up no fire to thee in the circle or whole circumference of thy body and spirit, unless thou awakenest it thyself.
82. It is true that all thy spirits spring and move in thee, and rise up in thee, and indeed always one spirit hath more power in thee than [in] another [man].
83. For if the government of the spirits were the same in one man as in another, then we should all have one will and form; but all seven are in the power of thy compacted incorporated spirit, which spirit is the SOUL.
[84. "It hath in it the first Principle; the spirit of the soul hath the second; and the astral or starry spirit in the elements hath the third, viz, this world."]

103. Yea, God is so near thee, that the birth or geniture of the Holy Trinity is done or wrought even in thy heart, yea, all the three Persons are generated in thy heart, even God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
104. Now when I write here concerning the midst or centre, that the fountain of divine birth or geniture is in the midst or centre, the meaning is not that in heaven there is a peculiar or several place, or a peculiar several body, wherein the fire of the divine life riseth up, out of which the seven spirits of God go forth into the whole deep of the Father.
105. No; but I speak in a corporeal or angelical or human way that the Reader may the better understand it, in such a manner as the angelical creatures were imaged or framed, and as it is in God everywhere universally.
106. For thou canst not nominate any place, either in heaven or in this world, wherein the divine birth or geniture is not thus, be it in an angel, or in a holy man, or anywhere else.
107. Wheresoever one qualifying or fountain spirit in the divine power is touched or stirred, let the place be where it will or the thing what it will (except in the devils, and all wicked, damned men), there is the fountain of the divine birth or geniture directly at hand, and there already are all the seven qualifying or fountain spirits of God.
108. As when thou wouldst make a spacious, creaturely, circumscribed circle, and hadst the whole Deity peculiarly apart therein. Just as the Deity is generated in a creature, so it is also in the whole deep of the Father in all places and parts thereof, and in all things.

1. The Seventh spirit of God in the divine power is the corpus or body, which is generated out of the other six spirits, wherein all heavenly figures subsist, and wherein all things image and form themselves, and wherein all beauty and joy rise up.
2. This is the very spirit of nature, yea nature itself, wherein apprehensibility or comprehensibility consisteth, and wherein all creatures are formed in heaven and on earth. Yea heaven itself is therein formed; and all naturality in the whole God consisteth in this spirit.
3. If it were not for this spirit there would be neither angel nor man, and God would be an unsearchable being, subsisting only in an unsearchable power.

Question

Answer

If thou art a rational mercurial spirit, which presseth through all the seven spirits of God, and beholdeth, proveth and examineth them, how they are, then thou wilt, by the explanation of this seventh spirit, conceive and understand the operation and the being of the whole Deity, and apprehend it in thy sense or mind.

11. Behold, all the seven spirits of God are generated alike together at once; none of them is the first, and none of them is the last; but we must have an eye to the kernel, and consider how the divine birth or geniture riseth up, otherwise man understandeth it not.
12. For the creatures cannot comprehend at once all the seven spirits, one in another, but they look upon them; but when one spirit is touched or stirred, then that toucheth or stirreth all the others, and then the birth or geniture standeth in full power.
13. Therefore it hath a beginning in man, but none in God; and therefore I must also write in a creaturely manner, or else thou canst not understand it.
14. Behold, without the flash all the seven spirits were a dark valley, but when the flash riseth up between the astringent and bitter qualities, in the heat, then it becometh shining in the sweet water, and in the flames of the heat it becometh bitter, and triumphing and living, and in the astringent it becometh corporeal, dry and bright.
15. Now these four spirits move themselves in the flash, for all the four become living therein, and so now the power of these four riseth up in the flash, as if the life did rise up, and the power which is risen up in the flash is the love, which is the fifth spirit.
16. That power moveth so very pleasantly and amiably in the flash, as if a dead spirit did become living, and was suddenly in a moment set into great clarity or brightness.
17. Now in this moving one power toucheth or stirreth another: First the astringent beateth or striketh, and the heat maketh in that beating or stroke a clear ringing sound, and the bitter power divideth the ringing, and the water maketh it mild and soft, and mitigateth it; and this is the sixth spirit.
18. Now the tone in all the five spirits riseth up like a melodious pleasant music, and remaineth so standing; for the astringent quality exsiccateth it or drieth it up.
19. So now, in the same sound that is gone forth (which now subsisteth, being dried) is the power of all the six qualifying or fountain spirits, and it is as it were the seed of the other six spirits, which they have there compacted or incorporated together, and made one spirit thereof, and which hath the quality of all the spirits: and that is the seventh spirit of God in the divine power.

22. The seven spirits are the father of the light, and the light is their son, which they always continually generate thus from eternity to eternity, and the light enlighteneth and always eternally maketh the seven spirits living and joyful, for they all receive their rising and life in the power of light.
23. Again, they all generate the light, and all are together alike the father of the light, and the light generateth no one spirit, but maketh them all living and joyful, that they always continually stand in the birth.

The Holy Gates.

32. But the light, which subsisteth in the midst or centre in all the seven spirits, and wherein standeth the life of all the seven spirits, whereby all seven become triumphing and joyful, and wherein the heavenly joyfulness rises up:
33. That is that which all the seven spirits generate, and that is the son of all the seven spirits, and the seven spirits are its father, which generate the light; and the light generateth in them the life; and the light is the heart of the seven spirits.
34. This light is the true Son of God, whom we Christians worship and honour, as the second Person in the Holy Trinity.

85. The seventh qualifying or fountain spirit of God is the qualifying or fountain spirit of nature: for the other six do generate the seventh; and the seventh, when it is generated, is then as it were the mother of the seven, which encompasseth the other six, and generateth them again: for the corporeal and natural being consisteth in the seventh.

102. Now as that quality is which is strongest, so the body of the fruit is imaged, and the colours also; in this striving or wrestling the Deity formeth itself into infinite and unsearchable variety of kinds and manners of images or ideas.
103. For the seven spirits are the seven head sources or springs, and when Mercurius riseth up therein, that stirreth all, and the bitter quality moveth it, and distinguisheth it, and the astringent drieth it up.
[104. "Nature and the Ternary are not one and the same; they are distinct, though the Ternary dwelleth in nature, but unapprehended, and yet is an eternal band, as is plainly unfolded in our second and third books."]

139. But the cold and half-dead body doth not always understand this fight of the soul: The body doth not know how it is with it, but is heavy and anxious; it goeth from one room or business to another; and from one place to another; it seeketh for ease and rest.
140. When it cometh thither, where it would be, yet it findeth no such thing; then doubtings and unbelief fall in between and come upon it; sometimes it seems to it as if God had quite cast it off; but it doth not understand the fight of the spirit, how the same is sometimes down, and sometimes gets aloft.
141. What vehement and furious war and fight there is between the hellish quality and the heavenly, which fire the devils blow up, and the holy angels quench it, I leave to every holy soul to consider of.
142. Thou must know that I write not here as a story or history, as if it were related to me from another, but I must continually stand in that combat or battle, and I find it to be full of heavy strivings, wherein I am often struck down to the ground, as well as all other men.
143. But for the sake of the violent fight, and for the sake of the earnestness which we have together, this revelation hath been given me, and the vehement driving or impulse to bring it so to pass as to set all this down on paper.
144. But what the total sequel is, which may follow upon and after this, I do not fully know: Only sometimes, future Mysteries in the depth are shewn to me.
145. For when the flash riseth up in the centre, one seeth through and through, but cannot well apprehend or lay hold on it; for it happeneth to such a one as when there is a tempest of lightning, where the flash of fire openeth itself, and suddenly vanisheth.
146. So it goes also in the soul, when it presseth or breaks quite through in its flight or combat, then it beholdeth the Deity, as a flash of lightning; but the source, quality or fountain of sins covereth it suddenly again: For the Old Adam belongeth to the earth, and doth not, with this flesh, belong to the Deity.

Observe the Depth.

4. There are seven spirits of God, all these seven have moved them selves, and the light therein hath moved itself also, and the spirit, which goeth forth out of the seven spirits of God, hath moved itself also.
5. Now the Creator intended, according to his Ternary, to create three hosts, not one from another, but one by another, as in a circle or sphere.
6. Now observe: As the spirits were therein in their moving, boiling or rising up, so also were the creatures: In the midst or centre of each host was the heart of each host incorporated or compacted together, out of which an angelical or great or chief prince proceeded or came to be.

Question.

28. Why hath God created angel-princes and not made them all equal, or alike?

Answer.

29. Behold, God is the God of order; and as it is, and as it goeth and moveth in his government in himself, that is, in his birth or geniture, and in his rising up, so also is the order of the angels.
30. Now as there are in him chiefly seven qualities, whereby the whole divine being is driven on, and sheweth itself infinitely in these seven qualities, and yet these seven qualities are the chief or prime in the infiniteness, whereby the divine birth or geniture stands eternally in its order unchangeably:
31. And as in the midst or centre of the seven spirits of God the heart of life is generated, whence the divine joy riseth up; thus also is the order of angels.

Of his Creation.

134. As Michael is created according to the quality, manner and property of God the Father, so was Lucifer created according to the quality, condition and beauty of God the Son, and was bound to and united with him in love, as a dear son or heart, and his heart also stood in the centre of light, as if he had been God himself; and his beauty or brightness transcended all.
135. For his circumference, conception or chief mother, was the Son of God, and there he stood as a king or prince of God.
136. His court, province, place, region or quarters, wherein he dwelt with his whole army or company, and wherein he is become a creature, and which was his kingdom, is the created heaven and this world, wherein we dwell with our King JESUS CHRIST.

22. But to me is shewn the ladder of Jacob, upon which I am climbed up, even into heaven, and have received my ware, to offer for sale: Therefore if any one will climb up after me, Let him take heed that he be not drunken, but he must be girt with the sword of the spirit.
23. For he must climb through a horrible deep, a giddiness will frequently come into his head; and besides, he must climb through the midst or centre of the kingdom of hell, and there he will feel by experience what a deal of scoffings and upbraidings he must endure.
24. In this combat I had many hard trials to my heart's grief: My sun was often eclipsed or extinguished, but did rise again; and the oftener it was eclipsed or put out, the brighter and clearer was its rising again.

44. But the seven spirits, which are in an angel, and which generate the light and understanding, are bound and united with the whole God, that they should not qualify any other way, either higher or more vehemently, than God himself; but that there should be one and the same manner and way between them both.
45. Seeing they are but a part or piece of the whole, and not the whole itself, for God hath therefore created them out of himself, that they should qualify, operate or act in such a manner, form and way as God himself doth.
46. But now the qualifying or fountain spirits in Lucifer did not so; but they, seeing that they sat in the highest primacy or rank, moved themselves so hard and strongly that the spirit which they generated was very fiery, and climbed up in the fountain of the heart, like a proud damsel or virgin.

54. But when they elevated themselves in a sharp or strong kindling, then they did against nature's right otherwise than God their Father did, and this was a stirring quality or rising up against or contrary to the whole Deity.
55. For they kindled the Salitter of the body, and generated a high triumphing son, which in the astringent quality was hard, rugged or rough, dark and cold, and in the sweet was burning, bitter and fiery; the tone was a hard fiery noise; the love was a lofty enmity against God.
56. Here now stood the kindled bride in the seventh nature-spirit, like a proud beast; now she supposed she was beyond or above God, nothing was like her now: Love grew cold, the Heart of God could not touch it, for there was a contrary will or opposition between them. The Heart of God moved very meekly and lovingly, and the heart of the angel moved very darkly, hard, cold and fiery.

Now observe:

65. The whole Deity hath in its innermost or beginning birth, in the pith or kernel, a very tart, terrible sharpness, in which the astringent quality is a very horrible, tart, hard, dark and cold attraction or drawing together, like winter, when there is a fierce, bitter, cold frost, when water is frozen into ice, and besides it is very intolerable.
66. Then think or suppose, if in such a hard winter, when it is so cold, the sun should be taken away, what kind of hard frost, and how very rough, fierce and hard darkness would it be, wherein no life could subsist.
67. After such a manner and kind is the astringent quality in the innermost kernel or pith in itself, and to itself alone, without the other qualities in God; for the austereness or severity maketh the attraction or drawing together, and fixation or glutinousness of the body, and the hardness drieth it up, so that it subsisteth as a creature.
68. And the bitter quality is a tearing, penetrating and cutting bitter quality or source: for it divideth and driveth forth from the hard and astringent quality, and maketh the mobility.
69. Between these two qualities is heat generated from its hard and fierce bitter rubbing, tearing and raging, which riseth up in the bitter and hard quality, as a fierce wrathful kindling, and presseth quite through, as a hard fiery noise.
70. From whence existeth the hard tone, and in that rising up or climbing, it is environed and fixed in the astringent quality, so that it becometh a body which subsisteth.

85. But if I should describe the Deity in its birth or geniture in a small round circle, in the highest depth, then it is thus:

In a Similitude.

86. Suppose a WHEEL standing before thee, with seven wheels one so made in the other that it could go on all sides, forward, backward and cross ways, without need of any turning back or stopping.
87. In its going, that always-one wheel, in its turning about, generateth the others, and yet none of them vanish out of sight, but that all seven be visible or in sight.
88. The seven wheels always generating the naves in the midst or centre according to their turning about, so that the nave stands always free without alteration or removing, whether the wheels go forward or backward or cross ways or upward or downward.
89. The nave always generating the spokes, so that in their turning about they stand right and direct from the nave to the fellies of the wheel: and yet none of the spokes to be out of sight, but still turning about thus one with another, going whithersoever the wind driveth it, and that without need of any turning back or stopping.

Now observe what I shall inform you in the application of this.

90. The seven wheels are the seven spirits of God, the one always generating the others, and are like the turning about of a wheel, which hath seven wheels one in another, and the one always wheeleth itself otherwise than the others in its station or position, and the seven wheels are hooped round with fellies, like a round globe.
91. And yet that a man may see all the seven wheels turning round about severally apart, as also the whole fitness or compass of the frame, with all its fellies and spokes and naves.
92. The seven naves in the midst or centre being as it were one nave, which doth fit everywhere in the turning about, and the wheels continually generating these naves, and the naves generating the spokes continually in all the seven wheels, and yet none of the wheels, as also none of the naves, nor any of the fellies or spokes, to be out of sight, and as if this wheel had seven wheels, and yet were all but one wheel, and went always forward, whithersoever the wind drove it.

Now behold, and consider:

93. The seven wheels one in another, the one always generating the others, and going on every side, and yet none out of sight, or turning back; these are the seven qualifying or fountain spirits of God the Father.
94. They generate in the seven wheels in each wheel a nave, and yet there are not seven naves, but one only, which fitteth in all the seven wheels: This is the heart or innermost body of the wheels, wherein the wheels run about, and that signifteth the Son of God.
95. For all the seven spirits of God the Father generate continually in their circle, and that is the Son of all the seven spirits, and all those qualify or act in his light, and [the Son] is in the midst or centre of the birth, and holds together all the seven spirits of God, and they in their birth turn about therewith thus.
96. That is, they climb either upward or downward, backward or forward, or crossways, and so the Heart of God is always in the midst or centre, and fitteth itself to every qualifying or fountain spirit.
97. Thus there is one Heart of God, and not seven, which is always generated from all the seven, and is the heart and life of all the seven.
98. Now the spokes, which are always generated from the naves and wheels, and which fit themselves to all the wheels in their turning, and are their root, stay and fastening in which they stand, and out of which they are generated, signify God the Holy Ghost, which goeth forth from the Father and the Son, even as the spokes go out from the nave and wheel, and yet abide also in the wheel.
99. Now as the spokes are many, and go always about with and in the wheel, so the Holy Ghost is the workmaster in the wheel of God, and formeth, imageth and frameth all in the whole or total God.
100. Now this wheel hath seven wheels one in another, and one nave, which fitteth itself to all the seven wheels, and all the seven wheels turn on that one nave: Thus God is one God, with seven qualifying or fountain spirits one in another, where always one generateth the others, and yet is but one God, just as these seven wheels are but one wheel.

105. As the seven wheels turn about upon one nave, as upon their heart, which holds them, and they hold the nave, so the seven spirits generate the heart, and the heart holds the seven spirits, and so there arise voices, and divine joyfulness of hearty loving and kissing.
106. For when the spirits with their light move or boil, turn about and rise one in another, then the life is always generated; for one spirit always affordeth to the others its taste or relish, that is, it is affected by the others.
107. Thus one tasteth and feeleth another, and in the sound one heareth another, and the tone presseth forth from all the seven spirits towards the heart, and riseth up in the heart in the flash of the light, and then rise up the voices and joyfulness of the Son of God; and all the seven spirits triumph and rejoice in the Heart of God, each according to its quality.
108. For in the light in the sweet water all astringency and hardness and bitterness and heat are mitigated and made pleasant, and so there is in the seven spirits nothing else but a pleasant striving, struggling and wonderful generating, like a divine holy sport or scene of God.
109. But their sharp or tart birth, of which I have written above, abideth hidden as a kernel, for it becometh mitigated by the light and the sweet water.

60. Sin hath seven kinds, forms, species or sorts; among which there are four special well-springs or sources: And the eighth kind or sort is the house of death.

Now observe:

61. The seven forms are the seven qualifying or fountain spirits of the body; when these are kindled each spirit generateth a special or particular enmity against God.
62. Out of these seven are generated other four new sons, and they together are the new god, which is wholly against the old God, as two professed armies of enemies, which have sworn eternal enmity one against the other.

The first Son is PRIDE. The second Son is COVETOUSNESS. The third Son is ENVY. The fourth Son is WRATH.

43. Now when I write of the animated soulish spirit, then you must exactly know what it is, or how it is, else thou wilt read this birth or geniture in vain, and it will happen to thee as it did to the wise Heathen, who climbed up to the very face or countenance of God, but could not see it.
44. The spirit of the soul is very much more subtle, and more incomprehensible than the body, or the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, which hold, retain and form the body; for it goeth forth from the seven spirits, as God the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Son.
45. The seven qualifying or fountain spirits have their compacted or incorporated body out of nature, that is, out of the seventh nature-spirit in the divine power; which in this book I call the Salitter of God, or the Comprehensibility, wherein the heavenly figures or shapes arise.
46. And that is a spirit, as all the rest of the seven spirits are, only the other six are an incomprehensible being therein; for the divine power generateth itself in the comprehensibility of the seventh nature-spirit, as it were hidden or concealed, and incomprehensible to the creatures.
47. But the animated or soulish spirit generateth itself in the heart, out of or from the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, in that manner as the Son of God is generated, and keepeth its seat in the heart, and goeth forth from that seat in the divine power, as the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son; for it hath the same subtleness as the Holy Spirit of God, and it uniteth, qualifieth or operateth with God the Holy Ghost.
48. When the animated or soulish spirit goeth forth out of the body, then it is one thing with the hidden Deity, and is together the midst or centre in the imaging or framing of a thing in nature, as God the Holy Ghost himself is.
49. An example whereof you have in this: as when a carpenter will build a curious house or artificial piece of architecture, or when any other artist goeth about the making of some artificial work, the hands, which signify nature, cannot be the first that begin the work: but the seven spirits are the first workmasters about it, and the animated or soulish spirit sheweth to the seven spirits the form, figure or shape of it.
50. Then the seven spirits image or frame it, and make it comprehensible, and then the hands first begin to fall to work, to make the structure according to the image or frame contrived: For a work must be first brought to the sense, before you can make it.

6. Now the seventh form, or the seventh spirit in the divine power, is nature, or the issue or exit from the other six. For the astringent quality attracteth the Salliter together, or the fabric or product of all the six spirits, even as a magnet or loadstone attracteth to itself the Salitter of the iron; and when it is attracted together, then it is a comprehensibility, in which the six spirits of God qualify, act or operate in an incomprehensible way or manner.
7. This seventh spirit hath a colour and condition or kind of its own, as all the other spirits have; for it is the body of all the spirits, wherein they generate themselves as in a body: Also out of this spirit all figures, shapes and forms are imaged or fashioned; moreover, the angels also are created out of it, and all naturality standeth therein.
8. And this spirit is always generated from the six, and subsisteth always continually, and is never missing or wanting, nor doth ever pass away, and it again continually generateth the six; for the other six are in this seventh as in a mother, enclosed or encompassed; and they receive their nourishment, power and strength always in their mother's body or womb.
9. For the seventh spirit is the body, and the other six are the life, and in the middle centre is the heart of light, which the seven spirits continually generate as a light of life; and that light is their son; and the welling out or penetration through all the spirits expandeth itself aloft in the heart, in the exit or rising up of the light.
10. And this is the spirit of all the seven spirits, that goeth forth out of the heart of God, which there, in the seventh spirit, formeth and frameth all, and wherein the qualifying or fountain spirits, with their love-wrestling, shew themselves endlessly.
11. For the Deity is like a wheel, which with its fellies and spokes, and with all the naves, turneth about, and is fellied together, as seven wheels, so that it can go any way, forward, backward, downward, upward and crossways, without turning back.
12. Whereas yet always the form of all the seven wheels, and the one only nave in the centre of all the wheels, is fully in sight, and so it is not understood how the wheel is made; but the wheel always appears more and more wonderful and marvellous, with its rising up, and yet abideth also in its own place.
13. In such a manner the Deity is continually generated, and never passeth away, or ceaseth or vanisheth out of sight; and in this manner also is the life in angels and men continually generated.
14. According to the moving of the seven spirits of God the figures and creatures of the transitoriness are formed, but not thus generated; though indeed the birth or geniture of all the seven spirits sheweth itself therein, yet their quality standeth only in the seventh nature-spirit, which the other six spirits do form, figure, frame, alter and change, according to their wrestling and rising up.
15. Therefore also the figures, and transitory forms and creatures, are changed according to the condition of the seventh nature-spirit, in which they rise up.

110. The spirit alone understandeth this hidden secret, which spirit must fight daily and hourly with the devil, the outward flesh cannot comprehend it; also the astral spirits in man cannot understand it, neither is it comprehended by man at all, unless the animated or soulish spirit unite, qualify and operate with the innermost birth or geniture in nature, in the centre, where the light of God is set opposite against the devil's kingdom, that is, in the third birth or geniture, in the nature of this world.
111. When it uniteth, qualifieth or operateth with God in this seat, then the animated or soulish spirit carrieth it into the astral; for the astral must in this place fight hourly with the devil.
112. For the devil hath power in the outermost birth or geniture of man, for his seat is there. [This seat is] the murderous den of perdition, and the house of misery and woe, wherein the devil whetteth the sting of death, and through his animated or soulish spirit he reacheth in into the heart of man, in man's outermost birth or genitute.
113. But when the astral spirits are enlightened from the animated or soulish spirit, which in the light uniteth with God, then they grow fervent, and very longing and desirous of the light. On the other hand, the animated or soulish spirit of the devil, which ruleth in the outermost birth or geniture of man, is very terrible and angry, and of a very contrary or opposite will.
114. And then there riseth up the striving or fighting fire in man, just as it rose up in heaven with Michael and Lucifer, and so the poor soul comes to be miserably crushed, stretched, tormented and put upon the rack.
115. But if it getteth the victory, then it bringeth with its piercing penetration its light and knowledge into the outermost birth or geniture of man; for it presseth back with force through the seven spirits of nature, which here I call the astral spirits, and governeth in the council [or counsel] of reason.

118. Now this birth of the flesh is not the mansion-house of the soul, but in its strife the soul goeth in with its light into the divine power, and fighteth against the murder of the devil.
119. On the other hand, the devil with his poison shooteth and darteth at the seven qualifying or fountain spirits which generate the soul, intending to destroy and to kindle them, that thereby he may get the whole body for his own propriety.
120. Now if the soul would willingly bring its light and knowledge into the human mind, then it must fight and strive hard and stoutly, and yet hath a very narrow passage to enter in at; it will often be knocked down by the devil, but it must stand to it here, like a champion in the battle. And if it now gets the victory, then it hath conquered the devil; but if the devil prevails and gets the better, then the soul is captivated.
121. But seeing the fleshly birth or geniture is not the soul's own proper house, and that it cannot possess it as an inheritance, as the devil doth, therefore the fight and the battle lasteth as long as the house of flesh lasteth.
122. But if the house of flesh be once destroyed, and that the soul is not yet conquered or vanquished in its house, but is free and unimprisoned, then the fight is ended, and the devil must be gone from this spirit eternally.
123. Therefore this is a very difficult article to be understood; nay, it cannot be understood at all, except by experience in this fight. Though I should write many books thereof, yet thou wouldst understand nothing of it, unless thy spirit stand in such a birth or geniture, and that the knowledge be generated in thyself; otherwise thou canst neither comprehend nor believe it.

30. The outward comprehensibility or palpability in the whole nature of this world, and of all things which are therein, standeth all in the wrath-fire of God, for it is become thus through the kindling of nature; and lord Lucifer with his angels hath his dwelling now in the same outward birth or geniture which standeth in the wrath-fire.
31. But now the Deity is not so separated from the outward birth or geniture, as if they were two things in this world; if so, man could have no hope, and then this world did not stand in the power and love of God.
32. But the Deity is in the outward birth, hidden, and hath the fan or casting shovel in its hand, and will one day cast the chaff and the kindled Salitter upon a heap, and will draw away from it its inward birth or geniture, and give them to lord Lucifer and his crew of followers for an eternal house.
33. In the meanwhile lord Lucifer must lie captive and imprisoned in the outermost birth in the nature of this world, in the kindled wrath-fire; and therein he hath great power, and can reach into the heart of all creatures with his animated or soulish spirit in the outermost birth or geniture, which standeth in the wrath-fire.

2. But because at that time, when God created heaven and earth, there was yet no man who saw it, therefore it may be concluded that Adam before his fall, while he was yet in the deep knowledge of God, knew it in the spirit.
3. But yet when he fell, and was set into the outward birth or geniture, he knew it no more, but kept it in remembrance, only as a dark and veiled story; and this he left to his posterity.

19. So now, seeing every man is as the whole house of this world, therefore all his qualifying or fountain spirits love the kernel, or the best thing that is in the corrupted nature, and that they use for the defense, protection and maintenance of themselves.
20. But the innermost kernel, which is the Deity, that they can nowhere comprehend, for the wrath of the fire lieth before it, as a strong wall, and this wall must be broken down with a very strong storm or assault, if the astral spirits will see into it. But the door standeth open to the animated or soulish spirit, for it [the animated or soulish spirit] is withheld by nothing, but is as God himself is, in his innermost birth or geniture.

Question ?

Now then it might be asked, How then shall I understand myself in or according to the three-fold birth or geniture in nature?

The depth !

21. Behold, the first, innermost and deepest birth or geniture standeth in the centre, and is the heart of the Deity, which is generated by the qualifying or fountain spirits of God; and this birth or geniture is the light, which yet, though it be generated out of the qualifying or fountain spirits, no qualifying or fountain spirit of itself alone can comprehend, but every qualifying or fountain spirit comprehendeth only its own in-standing, innate place or seat in the light; but all the seven spirits jointly together comprehend the whole light, for they are the father of the light.

88. Had not our philosophers and doctors always played upon the fiddle of pride, but had played on the musical instrument of the prophets and apostles, there would have been far another knowledge and philosophy in the world.
89. Concerning which, in regard of my imbecility, want of literature or learning and study, as also the slowness and dullness of my tongue, I am very insufficient, but not so simple in the knowledge. Only I cannot deliver it in profound language, and in the ornament of eloquence, but I rest contented with my gift I have received, and am a philosopher among the simple.

138. But it must not so be understood as if the Deity were separated from nature; no, but they are as body and soul: Nature is the body and the heart of God is the soul.

Question ??

Now a man might ask, What kind of light then was it that was kindled? Was it the sun and stars?

Answer

12. But the greatness of the triumphing that was in the spirit I cannot express, either in speaking or writing; neither can it be compared to anything, but to that wherein the life is generated in the midst of death, and it is like the resurrection from the dead.
13. In this light my spirit suddenly saw through all, and in and by all the creatures, even in herbs and grass it knew God, who he is, and how he is, and what his will is: And suddenly in that light my will was set on by a mighty impulse, to describe the being of God.
14. But because I could not at once apprehend the deepest births of God in their being, and comprehend them in my reason, there passed almost twelve years, before the exact understanding thereof was given me.
15. It was with me as with a young tree that is planted in the ground, and at first is young and tender, and flourishing to the eye, especially if it comes on lustily in its growing: But [it] doth not bear fruit at once; and though it blossoms, the blossoms fall off; also many a cold wind, frost and snow pass over it, before it comes to any growth and bearing of fruit.
16. So also it went with this spirit: The first fire was but a seed, and not a constant lasting light: Since that time many a cold wind blew upon it; but the will never extinguished.

Now observe:

24. If thou fixeth thy thoughts concerning heaven, and wouldst fain conceive in the mind what it is, and where it is, and how it is, thou needest not to swing or cast thy thoughts many thousand miles off, for that place, or that heaven, is not thy heaven.
25. And though indeed that is united with thy heaven as one body, and so together is but the one body of God, yet thou art not in that very place which is become a creature, aloft, many hundred thousand miles off; but thou art in the heaven of this world, which containeth also in it a deep, such as is not of any human number (or is not circumscriptive).
26. For the true heaven is everywhere, even in that very place where thou standest and goest, and so when thy spirit apprehendeth the innermost birth or geniture of God, and presseth in through the astral and fleshly geniture, then it is clearly in heaven.

But thou must know,

28. That the place of this world with its innermost birth and geniture uniteth or qualifieth with the heaven aloft above us, and so there is one heart, one being, one will, one God, all in all.
29. But that the place of this world is not called heaven, and that there is a firmament or fast enclosure between the upper heaven above us, hath this understanding or meaning, as followeth.
30. The upper heaven compriseth the two kingdoms, that of Michael, and that of Uriel, with all the holy angels that are not fallen with Lucifer, and that heaven continueth as it was from eternity, before the angels were created.
31. The other heaven is this world, in which Lucifer was a king, who kindled the outermost birth or geniture in nature; and that now is the wrath of God, and cannot be called God or heaven, but perdition.

38. The second birth of this world standeth in the life, for it is the astral birth, out of which is generated the third and holy birth or geniture, and therein love and wrath strive the one with the other.
39. For the second birth standeth in the seven qualifying or fountain spirits of this world, and is in all places and in all the creatures, as also in man: But the Holy Ghost also ruleth and reigneth in the second birth, and helpeth to generate the third holy birth or geniture.

48. Thou seest in this world nothing but the deep, and therein the stars, and the birth or geniture of the elements: Now wilt thou say, God is not there? Pray then, what was there in that place before the time of the world? Wilt thou say, There was nothing? Then thou speakest without reason, for thou must needs say that God was there, or else nothing would have come to be there.
49. Now if God was there then, who bath thrust him out from thence or vanquished him, that he should be there no more? But if God is there, then he is indeed in his heaven, and, moreover, in his Trinity.

56. Neither must thou think that the Deity is such a kind of being as is only in the upper heaven, nor that the soul, when it departeth from the body, goeth up aloft into the upper heaven many hundred thousand miles off.
57. It needeth not do that, but it is set or put into the innermost birth, and there it is with God, and in God, and with all the holy angels, and can now be above, and now beneath; it is not hindered by anything.
58. For in the innermost birth the upper and nether Deity is one body, and is an open gate: The holy angels converse and walk up and down in the innermost birth of this world by and with our King JESUS CHRIST, as well as in the uppermost world aloft in their quarters, courts or region.

68. Now, where nothing is, there nothing can come to be: All things must have a root, else nothing can grow: If the seven spirits of nature had not been from eternity, then there would have come to be no angel, no heaven, also no earth.
69. But the earth is come from the corrupted Salitter of the outermost birth or geniture, which thou canst not deny, when thou lookest on earth and stones, for then thou must needs say that death is therein: On the other hand also thou must needs say that there is a life therein, otherwise neither gold nor silver, nor any plant, herb, grass or vegetable, could grow therein.

Question:

Now one might ask, Are there also all the three births or genitures therein?

Answer.

70. Yes: the life presseth through death; the outermost birth is the death; the second is the life, which standeth in the wrath-fire and in the love; and the third is the holy life.

79. But if thou sayest that there is no life in the earth, thou speakest as one that is blind; for thou mayest see plainly that herbs and grass grow out of it.
80. But if thou sayest it bath but one kind of birth or geniture, thou speakest again also like one that is blind; for the herbs and wood which grow out of it are not earth, neither is the fruit, which groweth upon a tree, wood; so also the power and virtue of the fruit is not God either; but God is in the centre, in the innermost birth in all the three natural births or genitures, hiddenly, but is not known, except in the spirit of man alone; also the outermost birth in the fruit doth not comprehend, conceive or contain him, but he containeth the outermost birth of the fruit, and formeth it.

130. Thou seest also how the wrath of God lieth hid and resteth in the outermost birth of nature, and cannot be awakened, unless men themselves rouse or awaken it, who with their fleshly birth or geniture qualify, operate or unite with the wrath in the outermost birth of nature.

20. What good will thy knowledge do thee, if thou wilt not strive and fight therein? It is just as if one knew of a great treasure, and would not go for it; but, though he knoweth he might have it, would rather starve for hunger in the bare knowing of it.

63. It is not so to be understood as that I am sufficient enough in these things, but only so far as I am able to comprehend.
64. For the being of God is like a wheel, wherein many wheels are made one in another, upwards, downwards, crossways, and yet they continually turn, all of them together.
65. Which, indeed, when a man beholdeth the wheel, he highly marvelleth at it and, in its turning, cannot at once learn to conceive and apprehend it: But the more he beholdeth the wheel, the more he learneth its form or frame; and the more he learneth, the greater longing he hath to the wheel; for he continually seeth somewhat that is more and more wonderful, so that a man can neither behold it, nor learn it enough.
66. Thus I also, what I do not enough describe in one place concerning this great Mystery, that you will find in another place; and what I cannot describe in this book, in regard of the largeness of the Mystery, and my incapacity, that you will find in the others following.
67. For this book is the first sprouting or vegetation of this twig, which springeth or groweth green in its mother, and is as a child that is learning to walk, and is not able to run apace at the first.

Now observe:

69. The earth hath just such qualities and qualifying or fountain spirits as the deep above the earth or as heaven hath, and all of them together belong to one only body; and the whole or universal God is that one only body. But that thou dost not wholly and fully see and know him, sins are the cause thereof, with and by which thou, in this great divine body, liest shut up in the dead or mortal flesh; and the power or virtue of the Deity is hidden from thee, even as the marrow in the bones is hidden from the flesh.
70. But if thou, in the spirit, breakest through the death of the flesh, then thou seest the hidden God. For as the marrow in the bones penetrateth, presseth or breaketh through and giveth virtue, power and strength to the flesh, and yet the flesh cannot comprehend or apprehend the marrow, but only the power and virtue thereof, so no more canst thou see the hidden Deity in thy flesh, but thou receivest its power, and understandest therein that God dwelleth in thee.
71. For the dead or mortal flesh belongeth not to the birth of life, and therefore cannot receive or conceive the life of the light as a propriety; but the life of the light in God riseth up in the dead or mortal flesh, and generateth to itself, from or out of the dead or mortal flesh, another heavenly and living body, which knoweth and understandeth the light.
72. For this body is but a husk, from which the new body groweth— ["The new body groweth out of the heavenly substantiality in the Word, out of the flesh and blood of Christ, out of the mystery of the old body."] — as it is with a grain of wheat in the earth. The husk or shell will not rise again, no more than it doth in the wheat, but will remain for ever in death and in hell.

78. Thou must know that all the seven spirits of God are in the earth, and generate as they do in heaven: For the earth is God, and God never died; but the outermost birth or geniture is dead, in which the wrath resteth, and is reserved for king Lucifer, to be a house of death and of darkness, and to be an eternal prison or dungeon.

104. But thou art to know that the earth hath all the qualifying or fountain spirits. For through the devil's kindling the spirits of life were incorporated or compacted together also in death, and, as it were, captivated, but not quite murdered.
105. The first three, viz, the astringent, the sweet, and the bitter, belong to the imaging or forming of the body; and therein standeth the mobility, and the body or corporeity. And these now have the comprehensibility or palpability, and are the birth of the outermost nature.
106. The other three, viz, the heat, the love, and the tone, stand in the incomprehensibility, and are generated out of the first three; and this now is the inward birth, wherewith the Deity qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth.
107. If the first three were not congealed or benumbed in death they could kindle the heat, and then thou wouldst soon see a bright, shining, heavenly body, and thou wouldst see plainly where God is.

110. Here thou seest once more how the kingdom of God and the kingdom of hell hang one to the other, as one body, and yet the one cannot comprehend the other. For the second birth, viz, the heat, light, love, and the sound or tone, is hidden in the outermost, and maketh the outward moveable, so that the outward gathereth itself together, and generateth a body.

1. Here now is begun the describing of the astral birth. It ought well to be observed what the first title of this book meaneth, which is thus expressed: The Day-Spring or Dawning in the East, or Morning-Redness in the Rising. For here will a very simple man be able to see and comprehend or apprehend the being of God.
2. The Reader should not make himself blind through his unbelief and dull apprehension; for here I bring in the whole or total nature, with all her children, for a witness and a demonstration. If thou art rational, then look round about thee, and view thyself; also consider thyself aright, and then thou wilt soon find from or out of what spirit I write.
3. For my part, I will obediently perform the command of the spirit, only, have thou a care, and suffer not thyself to be shut out by an open door; for here the gates of knowledge stand open to thee.

18. The spirit hath a long time waited on them, and importuned them that they would once open the door, for the clear day is at hand; yet they walk up and down in their drunkenness, seeking for the key, when they have it about them, though they know it not; and so they go up and down in their proud and covetous drunkenness, always seeking about like the country man for his horse, who all the while he went seeking for him was tiding upon the back of that very horse he looked for.
19. Thereupon, saith the spirit of nature, seeing they will not awake from sleep and open the door, I will therefore do it myself.
20. What could I, poor, simple layman, teach or write of their high art, if it were not given to me by the spirit of nature, in whom I live and am? I am in the condition or state of a vulgar or layman, and have no salary, wages or pay for this writing: Should I, then, oppose the spirit, that he should not begin to open where, and in whom, he pleaseth ? I am not the door, but an ordinary wooden bolt upon it: Now if the spirit should pluck me out from thence, and fling me into the fire, could I hinder it?

22. Behold! I tell thee a Mystery: so soon as the door is set wide open to its angle, all useless, fastnailed, sticking bolts or bars will be castaway, for the door will never be shut any more at all, but standeth open, and then the four winds will go in and out at it.
23. But the sorcerer sitteth in the way, and will make many so blind that they will not see the door; and then they return home and say, There is no door at all, it is a mere fiction. And so they go thither no more.
24. Thus men suffer themselves easily to be turned away, and so live in their drunkenness.
25. Now when this is done, then the spirit which hath opened the gates is angry, because none will go OUT and IN at its doors any more, and then it flings the door-posts into the abyss, and then there is no more time at all. Those that are within, remain within; and those that are without, remain without. AMEN.

30. After these patriarchs came the wise Heathen, who went somewhat deeper into the knowledge of nature. And I must needs say, according to the ground of the truth, that they, in their philosophy and knowledge, did come even before the face or countenance of God, and yet could neither see nor know him.
31. Man was so altogether dead in death, and so bolted up in the outermost birth or geniture in the dead palpability; or else they could have thought, that in this palpability there must needs be a divine power hidden in the centre, which had so created this palpability, and moreover preserveth, upholdeth and ruleth the same.
32. Indeed they honoured, prayed to, or worshipped the sun and stars for gods, but knew not how these were created or came to be, nor out of what they came to be.

42. For thou needest not to ask, Where is God? Hearken, thou blind man; thou livest in God, and God is in thee; and if thou livest holily, then therein thou thyself art God. For wheresoever thou lookest, there, is God.

44. Or dost thou think that in or at the time of the creation of this world he departed and went away from his seat wherein he did sit from eternity? 0 no; that cannot be, for though he would himself do so, he cannot do it, for he himself is All: As little as a member of the body can be rent off from itself, so little also can God be divided, rent or separated from being everywhere.
45. But that there are so many formings, figurings or framings in him, is caused by his eternal birth or geniture, which first is threefold, and out of or from that Trinity or Ternary it generateth itself infinitely, immeasurably or inconceivably.

65. But seeing men now, at the end of this time, do listen and long very much after the root of the tree, through which nature sheweth that the time of the discovery of the tree is at hand, therefore the spirit will shew it to them. And the whole Deity will reveal itself, which is the Day-spring, Dawning, or Morning-redness, and the breaking-forth of the great day of God, in which whatsoever is generated from death to the regeneration of life shall be restored and rise again.

88. You have an example of this in gold, and in silver, which you cannot make to be pure or fine gold or silver, unless it be melted seven times in the fire. But when that is done, then it remaineth in the middle or central seat in the heart of nature, which is the water, sitting in its own quality and colour.

102. And now, when it is almost made, then it hath its true virtue and colour, and there is nothing wanting except in this, that the spirit cannot elevate itself with its body into the light, but must remain to be a dead stone; and though indeed it be of greater virtue than other stones, yet the body remaineth in death.
103. And this now is the earthly god of blind men, which they love and honour, and leave the living God, who standeth hidden in the centre, sitting in his seat. For the dead flesh comprehendeth only a dead god, and longeth also only after such a dead god. But it is such a god as hath thrown many men headlong into hell.
104. Do not take me for an alchymist, for I write only in the knowledge of the spirit, and not from experience. Though indeed I could here shew something else, viz, in how many days, and in what hours, these things must be prepared; for gold cannot be made in one day, but a whole month is requisite for it.
105. But it is not my purpose to make any trial at all of it, because I know not how to manage the fire; neither do I know the colours or tinctures of the qualifying or fountain spirits in their outermost birth or geniture, which are two great defects; but I know them according to (another or) the regenerate man, which standeth not in the palpability.

3. Many will dare to say, What manner of God would that be, whose body, being, and power or virtue, standeth or consisteth in fire, air, water and earth?
4. Behold! thou unapprehensive man, I will shew thee the true ground of the Deity. If this whole or universal being be not God, then thou art not God's image. If he be any other or strange God, then thou hast no part in him: For thou art created out of this God, and livest in this very God, and this very God continually giveth thee power or virtue, and blessing, also meat and drink, out of himself; also all thy knowledge standeth in this God, and when thou diest, then thou art buried in this God.

15. But observe here rightly the earnest and severe birth or geniture, out of which the wrath of God, hell, and death, are come to be, which indeed have been from eternity in God, but not liable to be kindled or to become predominant.
16. For the whole or total God standeth in seven species or kinds, or in a sevenfold form or generating; and if these births or genitures were not, then there would be neither God, nor life, nor angel, nor any creature.
17. And these births or genitures have no beginning, but have so generated themselves from eternity; and as to this depth, God himself knoweth not what he is: For he knoweth no beginning of himself, also he knoweth not anything that is like himself, as also he knoweth no end of himself.
18. These seven generatings in all are none of them the first, the second, or the third, or last, but they are all seven, every one of them, both the first, second, third, fourth, and last. Yet I must set them down one after another, according to a creaturely way and manner, otherwise thou couldst not understand it: For the Deity is as a wheel with seven wheels made one in another, wherein a man seeth neither beginning nor end.

45. For they wrestle in the birth or geniture continually one with another, like a loving play or scene, and according as the birth or geniture is with the colours and taste in the rising up, so also are the figures imaged.
46. And this birth or geniture now is called GOD the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Not one of them is the first, and not one of them is the last: though I make a distinction, and set the one after the other, yet not one of them is the first or the last, but they have all been from eternity thus seated in the same equality of being.
47. I must write thus by way of distinction, that the Reader may understand it; for I cannot write mere heavenly words, but must write human words. Indeed all is rightly, truly and faithfully described: But the being of God consisteth only in power, and only the spirit comprehendeth it, and not the dead or mortal flesh.

49. But now this sharp birth or geniture is the original of mobility and of life, as also of the light, from whence existeth the living and rational spirit, which distinguisheth, formeth and imageth all in this generating.
50. For the astringent cold birth or geniture is the beginning of all things, which quality is astringent, severe, contracting and retentive, and formeth and contracteth together the birth, and maketh the birth thick or solid, so that out of it nature cometh to be; hence nature and comprehensibility hath its original in the whole body of God.
51. Now this nature is as a dead, unintellectual being, and standeth or consisteth not in the power of the birth or geniture, but is a body, wherein the power generateth.
52. But it is the body of God, and hath all power as the whole geniture hath, and the generating spirits take their strength and power out of or from the body of nature, and continually generate again, and the astringent spirit continually compacteth or draweth together again, and drieth up; and thus the body subsisteth, and the generating spirits also.

64. Thou seest also that nature cannot be distinguished from the powers of God, but is all one body.
65. The Deity, that is, the holy power of the heart of God, is generated in nature, and so also the Holy Ghost existeth or goeth forth out of the heart of the light continually, through all the powers of the Father, and figureth all, and imageth or frameth all.
66. This birth or geniture is now in three distinct parts, every part being several and total, and yet not one of them is divided asunder from the others.

78. Thus there is one God, and three distinct Persons one in another and not one of them can comprehend, or withhold, or fathom the original of the others, but the Father generateth the Son, and the Son is the Father's heart, and his love and his light, and is an original of joy, and the beginning of all life.
79. And the Holy Ghost is the spirit of life, and a former, framer and creator of all things, and a performer of the will in God; that hath formed and created out of or from the body, and in the body of the Father, all angels and creatures, and holdeth and formeth all still, daily, and is the sharpness and the living spirit of God: As the Father speaketh or expresseth the Word, out of or from his powers, so the spirit formeth or frameth them.

83. Thou must know that I do not suck it out from the dead or mortal reason, but my spirit qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with God, and proveth or searcheth the Deity, how it is in all its births or genitures in its taste and smell: And I find that the Deity is a very simple, pure, meek loving and quiet being; and that the birth of the Ternary of God generateth itself very meekly, friendly, lovingly and unanimously, and the sharpness of the innermost birth can never elevate or swell itself into the meekness of the Ternary, but remaineth hidden in the deep.

Now thou wilt say to me:

90. Dost not thou seek after deeper subtlety than we? Thou wilt [wishest to] climb into the most hidden secrets of God, which is not fit for any man to go about. We seek only after human prudence and subtlety, but thou wouldst be equal with God, and know all; how God is in every thing, both in heaven and in hell, in devils, angels and men. Therefore, sure it is not unlawful to seek for a cunning, sharp wit, and after crafty designs, which bring honour, power or authority, and riches.

A Reply.

91. If thou climbest up this ladder on which I climb up into the deep of God, as I have done, then thou hast climbed well: I am not come to this meaning, or to this work and knowledge, through my own reason, or through my own will and purpose; neither have I sought this knowledge, nor so much as knew anything concerning it. I sought only for the Heart of God, therein to hide myself from the tempestuous storms of the devil.
92. But when I gat in thither, then this great, weighty and hard labour was laid upon me, which is, to manifest and reveal to the world, and to make known, the great day of the LORD; and, seeing men seek and long so eagerly after the root of the tree, to reveal to them what the whole tree is, thereby to intimate that it [the present time] is the Dawning, or Morning-Redness of the Day, which God hath long ago decreed in his council. AMEN.

1. Now when the whole body of nature in the extent, space or circumference of this world was benumbed or deadened, as in the hard death, and yet that the life was hid therein, thereupon God moved the whole body of the nature of this world on the fourth day, and generated the stars from or out of nature, out of the risen light. For the wheel of God's birth or geniture moved itself again, as it had done from eternity.

13. This now is the sum or the contents of the astral birth or geniture, of which I here intend to write. Now it may be asked, What are the stars? or out of what are they come to be?
14. They are the power of the seven spirits of God; for when in this world the wrath of God was kindled by the devil, then the whole house of this world in nature, or the outermost birth or geniture, was as it were benumbed or chilled in death; from whence the earth and stones are come to be. But when this hard dross or scum was driven together into a lump or heap, then the deep was cleared. But the deep was very dark, for the light therein was dead in the wrath.

28. But that there are so many stars of so manifold different effects and operations is from the infiniteness, which is in the efficiency of the seven spirits of God, in one another, which generate themselves infinitely.

31. Behold! the stars are plainly incorporated or compacted out of or from God; but thou must understand the difference between the stars and God, for the stars are not the heart and the meek pure Deity, which man is to honour and worship as God; but they are the innermost and sharpest birth or geniture, wherein all things stand in a wrestling and a fighting, wherein the heart of God always generateth itself, and wherein the Holy Ghost continually riseth up from the rising of the life.

35. Thus also is the heart or light of God always generated in the body of this world, and that generated heart is one heart with the eternal, unbeginning, infinite heart of God, which is in and above all heavens.
36. It is not generated in and from the stars only, but in the whole body of this world; but the stars always kindle the body of this world, that the birth or geniture may subsist everywhere.

But here thou must well observe this.

37. The light or the heart of God taketh not its original barely from the wild rough stars, where, indeed, love and wrath are in each other, but out of or from the seat where the meek water of life is continually generated.
38. For that water, at or in the kindling of the wrath, was not apprehended by death, but subsisteth from eternity to eternity, and reacheth to all the ends and parts of or in this world, and is the water of life, which breaketh through death, out of which is built the new body of God in this world.
39. And it is in the stars, as well as in all ends, corners and places, but not in any place comprehensible or palpable, and it at once filleth or replenisheth all alike. It is also in the body of man, and he that thirsteth after this water, and drinketh thereof, in him the light of life kindleth itself, which is the heart of God; and there [in that place] presently springeth forth the Holy Ghost.

45. In this kindling of the light, in the stars and elements, the birth of nature did not thereupon wholly transmute or change itself into the holy meekness, as it was before the time of the wrath, so that the birth of nature be now altogether holy and pure: No, but it standeth in its sharpest, most austere, and most anxious birth, wherein the wrath of God incessantly springeth up like hellish fire.

48. The stars are only the kindling of the great house; for the whole house is benumbed in death, as the earth is; for the outermost birth or geniture is dead and benumbed, as the rind, shell or bark of a tree. But the astral birth is the body in which the life riseth up.

65. Now when thou beholdest the sun and stars, thou must not think that they are the holy and pure God, and thou must not offer to pray to them, or ask anything of them, for they are not the holy God, but are the kindled, austere birth or geniture of his body, wherein love and wrath wrestle the one with the other.

67. Now when thou worshippest or prayest to the holy God in his heaven, then thou worshippest or prayest to him in that heaven which is in thee, and that same God breaketh through in thy heart with his light; and in his light the Holy Ghost breaketh through, and generateth thy soul to be a new body of God, which ruleth and reigneth with God in his heaven.
68. For the earthly body which thou bearest is one body with the whole kindled body of this world, and thy body qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with the whole body of this world; and there is no difference between the stars and the deep, as also between the earth and thy body; it is all one body. This is the only difference, thy body is a son of the whole, and is in itself as the whole being itself is.

19. Now when thou beholdest the stars, and the deep, together with the earth, then thou seest with thy bodily eyes nothing else but the old body in the wrathful death; thou canst not see heaven with thy bodily eyes, for the blue or azure sphere which thou seest above is not the heaven, but is only the old body, which may be justly called the corrupted nature.

21. But how deep or how large the place of this world is, no man knoweth, though some physicists or astrologers have undertaken to measure the deep with their measures of circles; their measuring is but conjectural, or a measuring of somewhat that is comprehensible or palpable; as if a man would grasp the wind in his fist.
22. But the true heaven is everywhere all over, to this very time, and till the Last Judgment Day; and the wrath-house of hell and of death is also in this world everywhere, even to the Last Judgment Day.
23. But the dwelling of the devils is now from the moon to the earth, and in the earth, in the deep caves and holes thereof; especially in wildernesses and desert places, and where the earth is full of stones and bitterness.

26. The whole body of this world is as a man's body, for it is surrounded in its utmost circle with the stars and risen powers of nature; and in that body the seven spirits of nature govern, and the heart of nature standeth in the midst or centre.

But here thou must observe exactly,

40. As far as the middle point or centre hath kindled itself, just so big is the sun; for the sun is nothing else but a kindled point in the body of nature.
41. Thou must not think that there is any other power or virtue in it, or belonging to it, than there is in the whole deep of the body everywhere, all over.
42. For should the love of God, through its heaven, kindle the whole body of this world through the heat, it would be everywhere all over as light as it now is in the sun.

49. But seeing the doors of the deep, and the gates of wrath, and the chambers of death also, are, through the love of God, set open in my spirit, therefore the spirit must needs look through them.
50. Accordingly I find, that the birth or geniture of nature standeth to this day, and generateth itself, just so as it did when it first took its beginning; and whatsoever riseth up in this world, whether men, beasts, trees, herbs, grass, mineral ores, or be it what it will, all riseth up in such a quality, manner and form as it first did; also every life, be it good or bad, taketh its original thus [as it did from the beginning].
51. For this is the right or law of the Deity: that every life in the body of God should generate itself in one manner or uniform way; though it be done through many various imagings, yet the life hath one uniform way and original in all.

55. Thou must not conceive it so, as if my old man were a living saint or angel. No, Friend, he sitteth with all men in the house of wrath and of death, and is a constant enemy to God, and sticketh in his sins, wickedness and malice, as all men do, and is full of faults, defects and infirmities.
56. But thou must know this, that he sticketh in a continual, anxious birth or geniture, but would fain be rid of the wrath and wickedness, and yet cannot. For he is as the whole house of this world, wherein love and wrath always wrestle the one with the other, and the new body always generateth itself in the midst or centre of the anguish. For so it must be, if thou wilt be born anew, otherwise no man can reach the regeneration.

Understand it aright.

68. The place where the SUN is, is such a place as you may choose or suppose anywhere above the earth; and if God should kindle the light by the heat, the whole world would be such a mere SUN; for that same power wherein the sun standeth is everywhere all over; and before the time of wrath it was everywhere all over in the place of this world as light as the sun now is, but not so intolerable.

Now observe:

55. When thou mindest, thinkest and considerest what there is in this world, and what there is without, besides or distinct from this world, or what the essence of all beings is, then thou speculatest, contemplatest, meditatest in the whole body of God, who is the essence of all beings; and that is a beginningless, infinite being.
56. But it hath in its own seat no mobility, rationality or comprehensibility, but is a dark deep, which hath neither beginning nor end. In the dark deep is neither thick nor thin, opaque nor transparent, but it is a dark chamber of death, where nothing is perceived, neither cold nor warmth, for it is the end of all things.
57. This, now, is the body of the deep, or the very real chamber of death.
58. But in this dark valley there are the seven spirits of God, which have neither beginning nor end, and the one is neither the first, second, third or last.
59. In these seven dominions or regimens the regimen divideth itself into three distinct beings, where the one is not without the other, nor can they be divided the one from the other. But those seven spirits do each of them generate one another, from eternity to eternity.
60. The first dominion or regimen standeth or consisteth in the body of all things, that is, in the whole deep, or the being or essence of all beings or essences, which hath, in all corners and places thereof, in itself the seven spirits in possession, or in propriety indivisibly, or irresistibly, for its proper own.

69. But as long as the heart of the Deity, which [heart] is the corporeity, hideth itself in the body of this world in the outermost birth, the corporeity is a dark house; all standeth in great anguish and needeth alight, which is the sun, to shine in the chamber of darkness, until the heart of God doth move itself again in the seven spirits of God in the house of this world, and kindle the seven spirits.
70. Then the sun and stars will return again to their first place, and will pass away in such a form or manner; for the Heart and Light of God will give light and shine again in the corporeity, that is, in the body of this world, and replenish or fill all.

10. Since then the great Mysteries, the beginning of and original of all things, do befall us by divine grace; that we are able (as through the ground of the soul) to understand the same in real knowledge, with the inspired word of the divine science, we will write down its ground (so far as it is permitted to us) in this book: for a Memorial to ourself, and for the exercise of divine knowledge to the Reader.

13. And how the whole time of this world is portrayed and modellized, as in a watch-work: how afterwards it should go in time: and what the inward spiritual world, and also the outward material world, is: also what the inward spiritual man, and then the external man of the essence of this world, is: how time and eternity are in one another, and how a man may understand all this.

5. This threefold spirit is one only essence, and yet it is no essence, but the eternal understanding, an original of the something: and yet it is the eternal hiddenness (just as the understanding of man is not confined in time and place, but is its own comprehension and seat), and the egress of the spirit is the eternal original contemplation, viz, a lubet* of the spirit.

8. This is now the eye of the abyss, the eternal chaos, wherein all (whatsoever eternity and time hath) is contained; and it is called Counsel, Power, Wonder and Virtue. Its peculiar and proper name is called GOD, or JEOVA, or JEHOVAH, who is outside of all nature, without all beginnings of any essence, a working in himself, generating, finding, or perceiving himself; without any kind of source from any thing, or by any thing: He hath neither beginning nor end, he is immeasurable, no number can express his largeness, and greatness, he is deeper than any thought can reach; he is nowhere far from any thing, or nigh unto any thing; he is through all, and in all: his birth is everywhere, and without and besides him there is nothing else: he is time and eternity, byss** and abyss, and yet nothing comprehends him save the true understanding, which is God himself.

*Lubet: Possibly from the Latin "lubet" or "libet": It pleases, or is pleasant or agreeable to.
**Byss: In the philosophy of Boehme, the opposite of abyss or void.

6. When I take up a stone or clod of earth and look upon it, then I see that which is above and that which is below, yea, [I see] the whole world therein; only, that in each thing one property happeneth to be the chief and most manifest; according to which it is named. All the other properties are jointly therein; only, in various diverse degrees and centres, and yet all the degrees and centres are but one only centre. There is but one only root whence all things proceed: it severizeth itself only in the compaction, where it is coagulated: its original is as a smoke or vaporous breath or exhalation from the Great Mystery of the expressed Word; which standeth in all places in the reexpressing, that is, in the re-breathing (or echoing forth), a likeness according to itself; an essence according to the spirit.

8. For, I say, the inward world is the heaven wherein God dwelleth; and the outward world is expressed out of the inward, and hath only another beginning than the inward, but yet out of the inward. It is expressed from the inward through the motion of the eternal speaking Word, and closed into a beginning and end.

10. Therefore there is nothing nigh unto or afar off from God; one world is in the other, and all are only one: But one is spiritual, the other corporeal, as soul and body are in each other; and also time and eternity are but one thing, yet in distinct or different beginnings. The spiritual world in the internal [Principle] hath an eternal beginning, and the outward a temporal; each hath its birth in itself. But the eternal speaking Word ruleth through and over all; yet it can neither be apprehended nor conceived, either by the spiritual or by the external world, that it should stand still; but it worketh from eternity to eternity, and its work is conceived. For it is the formed Word, and the working Word is its life, and is incomprehensible; for the Word is without all essence, as a bare understanding only, or as a power that bringeth itself into essence.

15. The anguish-source is thus to be understood: The astringent desire conceiveth itself, and draweth itself into itself, and maketh itself full, hard and rough: now the attraction is an enemy of the hardness. The hardness is retentive, the attraction is fugitive: the one will into itself, and the other will out of itself; but since they cannot sever and part asunder one from the other they remain in each other as a rotating wheel: the one will ascend, the other descend.

17. The anguish maketh the sulphurous spirit, and the compunction maketh the Mercury, viz, the work-master of nature: he is the life of nature, and the astringent desire maketh the keen salt-spirit ; and yet all three are only one; but they divide themselves into three forms, which are called Sulfur, Mercurius and Sal: These three properties do impress the free lubet into themselves, that it also giveth a material essentiality, which is the oil of these three forms (viz, their life and joy), which doth quench and soften their wrathfulness; and this no rational man can deny. There is a salt, brimstone and oil in all things; and the Mercurius, viz, the vital venom maketh the essence in all things, and so the abyss bringeth itself into byss and nature.

21. First know this: That the divine understanding doth therefore introduce itself into fire, that its eternal lubet might be majestical and lustrous, for the divine understanding receiveth no source into itself, it also needeth none to its own being, for the all needeth not the something. The something is only the play of the all, wherewith the all doth melodize and play; and, that the universal or all might be manifest unto itself, it introduceth its will into properties. Thus we, as a creature, will write of the properties, viz, of the manifested God, how the all, viz, the abyssal, eternal understanding manifests itself.
22. Secondly, the abyssal and divine understanding doth therefore introduce itself into an anxious fire-will and life, that its great love and joy, which is called God, might be manifest; for if all were only one, then the one would not be manifest unto itself; but by the manifestation the eternal good is known, and maketh a kingdom of joy; else, if there were no anguish, then joy were not manifest unto itself; and there would be but one only will, which would do continually one and the same thing. But if it introduceth itself into contrariety, then in the contest the lubet of joy becomes a desire and a love play to itself, in that it bath to work and act; to speak according to our human capacity.
23. The original of the eternal spiritual and natural fire is effected by an eternal conjunction or copulation, not each severally, but both jointly, viz, the divine fire, which is a love-flame, and (2) the natural fire, which is a torment and consuming source.

12. And here is the original of the eternal death or devoration; and in this devoration is the highest arcanum or secret, for the true essential lively spirit and understanding proceedeth out of this devoration, and maketh another beginning; for the first beginning is God's, who introduceth himself from the abyss into byss to his own contemplation. But this beginning, which proceedeth again out of the devoration, is a spiritual beginning, and maketh three worlds, namely:

• (1) The dark fire-world in heat and cold; a rawness, wholly austere, devoid of essence:
• (2) The other world is the spiritual, light or angelical world:
• (3) And the third bath its beginning with the beginning of time. When God moved both the inward worlds, he thence brought forth and created this outward visible world into a form of time.

7. That which is good and holy in the light of the powers, that, in the darkness, is anxious and adverse. The darkness is the greatest enmity of the light, and yet it is the cause that the light is manifest. For if there were no black, then white could not be manifest to itself; and if there were no sorrow, then joy were also not manifest to itself.

10. In the darkness he is an angry zealous God, and in the fire-spirit a consuming fire, and in the light he is a merciful loving God, and in the power of the light he is especially, above all other properties, called God; and yet 'tis all only the manifested God, who manifesteth himself through the ete