A description of the three principles of the divine essence viz., of the un-originall eternall birth of the Holy Trinity of God ... : of man, of what he was created and to what end, and how he fell from his first glory into the angry wrathfulnesse ... : what the anger of God, sinne, death the Devill, and hell are ... / written in the German language, anno 1619, by Jacob Beme.

CHAP. XXVII. Of the Last Judgement, Of the Resurrection of the Dead, and of the Eternall Life.

The most horrible Gate of the wicked, and the joyfull Gate of the a Godly.

1. VVEE know Christ hath taught us, that a Judgement shal be kept: not onely for the Punishment of the despisers of God, and for a reward to the good; but also for the sake of the Creature, and of b Nature, that they may once be delive∣red from vanity: and wee know that the substance of this world and the property thereof must passe away, the Sunne and the Starres, and also the foure Elements, must passe away as to their source [or pro∣perty] and all must be restored againe, and then the life will spring forth through Death, and the figure of every thing shall stand Eter∣nally before God, for which end it was created: also wee know that our soules are immortall, generated out of the Eternall Band; and when this world passeth away, then also all its Essences passe away, which are generated out of it, and the c Tincture remaineth still in the Spirit.

2. Therefore O Man! Consider thy selfe here in this world, in which thou standest in the Birth, thou art sowne as a seede or Graine, and a Tree groweth out of thee; therefore now see in what d Ground thou standest, that thou mayest be found to be Timber for the great building of God in his Love, and not for a threshold [or footstoole] to be troden under-feete, or that is fit for nothing but for the fire, whereof nothing will remaine but dust and ashes.

3. It is said to thee, that the wood [or fewell] of thy soule shall burne in the Last Fire, and that thy soule shall remaine to be ashes in the fire, and thy body shall appeare like black soote; why wilt thou

then stand in a wildernesse, yea in a Rock where there is no water? How then will thy Tree grow againe? O! what great misery it is that wee are ignorant in what e soyle wee grow, and what kinde of f Essen∣ces wee draw to us, seeing our fruit shall appeare and be tasted: and that which is pleasant shall stand upon Gods Table; and the other shall be cast to the Devils swine. Therefore let it move you, to looke that you grow in the Ground or soyle of Christ, and bring forth fruit, that may be set upon Gods Table, which fruit never perisheth but continually springeth, and the more it is eaten of, the pleasanter it is, how wilt thou rejoyce in the Lord.

4. The Last Judgement is appointed for that end: and as wee know that all things [in this world] have had a beginning, so they shall also have an end: for before the Time of this world, there was nothing, but the Band of Eternity, which maketh it selfe, and in the Band the Spirit, and the Spirit in God, who is the highest Good, which was alwayes from Eternity, and never had any beginning; but this world hath had a beginning from the Eternall Band in the Time.

5. For this world maketh a Time, therefore it must perish: and as it hath been Nothing, so it will be Nothing againe; for the Spirit moveth in the g Ether; And therein the Limbus (which is corrup∣tible) is generated, from whence all things proceed: and yet there was no fashioner, but the Spirit (or the Vulcan) in the Essences, and so also there were no Essences, they were generated in the will of the Spirit, and in that will is the h fashioner which hath fashioned all things out of nothing, but meerly out of the will.

6. Seeing then it is fashioned out of the Eternall will, therefore it is Eternall; not in substance but in the will, and after the breaking of the substance, this world standeth wholly and altogether (like a fi∣gure) in the will for [a i Glasse of] Gods works of Wonder. And so wee know now, that where there is a will, it must comprehend it selfe so that it be a will, and that comprehension maketh an attraction, and that which is attracted is in the will, and it is thicker than the will, and is the darknesse of the will, and a source in the darknesse: for the will destreth to be free, and yet cannot be free, except it goe againe in it selfe out of the Darknesse, and if it doe, then the Darknesse con∣tinueth in the first will, and there conceived will remaineth in it selfe in the k Light.

7. Thus wee give you to understand, that this world (when the will was moved), was created out of the Darknesse, and the out-going out of the will in it selfe, is God: and the out-going out of God, is Spi∣rit, which hath discovered it selfe in the dark will, and that which was discovered were the Essences, and the l Vulcanus was the wheele of the Minde, that divided it selfe into seven Formes.

8. And as is mentioned before, these seven Formes divide them∣selves againe every one in it selfe into infinite many formes, according to the m discovery of the Spirit, and therein standeth the Essence of all Essences, and it is all a great wonder: and our whole Teaching doth but aime at this, that wee, Men, might enter into the Light ho∣ly wonders: for at the end of this Time all shall be manifested, and every thing shall stand in that wherein it is growne: and then when that substance (which at present it possesseth and bringeth forth) perisheth, then it is all an Eternity.

9. Therefore let every one have a care, how he useth his Reason, that he may therewith stand in great honour in the wonders of God. Wee know that this world shall perish in the Fire; it shall be no fire of straw or wood, (that would turne no stones to ashes, and further, to nothing) neither will there any fire gather together, into which this world shall be throwne; but the fire of Nature kindleth it selfe in all things, and will melt or dissolve the body of every thing (or whatsoever is palpable), and ••urne it to nothing.

10. For as all in the Fiat was held and created according to the [will of the] n fashioner (which was the sole and totall work-ma∣ster in all things, in the seven Spirits of Nature, which brake nothing when he fashioned it, nor threw one [part] from the other when he had made it, but every thing seperated it selfe, and stood in the source of its own Essences) so there shall not need much blustering, Thun∣der and Lightening, and breaking, (as this world in Babell teacheth) but every thing o perisheth in it selfe: the source [or flowing forth] of the Elements cease, as a Man when he dyeth [ceaseth from work∣ing], and all passeth into its Ether [or receptacle].

11. And at the Time (before this Fabrick [of Heaven and Earth] perisheth and passeth into its Ether) cometh the Judge of the Living and the Dead; there all men must see him in his, and in their flesh; and all the Dead must rise through his voyce, and stand before him; and there the Angelicall world shall be manifested. And all the Gene∣rations of the Earth (which are not comprehended in the body of Christ) shall howle; and then they shall be seperated into two flocks: and the Sentence of Christ passeth over all, both good and bad; and there will be howling, trembling, yelling, roaring, and cursing them∣selves, the Children cursing their Parents: and wishing that they had never been borne.

12. Thus one of the wicked curseth the other, who hath caused him to commit such wickednesse: the Inferiour his Superiour that hath given him offence, [and been a stumbling block to him]: the Layety curse the Clergy, or p Priests, who have given them evill Ex∣amples, and seduced them with false Doctrine: the wicked Curser, swearer, and blasphemer, biteth and knaweth his Tongue, which hath

so murthered him, the Minde beateth the Head against the stones: and the ungodly hide themselves in the caves and holes of the Earth, before the Terrour of the LORD: for there is great quaking and stirring in the Essences of the Anger and fierce wrath of the LORD: and the Anguish breaketh the heart; and yet there is no dying; for the Anger is stirring, and the life of the ungodly floweth up in the Anger. There the ungodly curse the Heaven and the Earth that did beare him, as also the Constellation [or Starres] that lead him; and the houre of his q Birth: all his uncleannesse stand before his eyes, and he seeth the cause of his horrour, and condemneth himselfe: he cannot looke upon the Righteous for very shame: all his works stand in his minde, and (in the Essences), cry woe to him, that did them, they accuse him: the teares of those he hath afflicted and oppressed, are like a fiery stinging Serpent; he desireth r Rest or ease, but there is no comfort, despaire riseth up in him, for Hell terrifieth him.

13. Also the Devils tremble at the Kindling of the Wrath, whose faces appeare before the eyes of the ungodly: for they see the Ange∣licall world before them, and the Hellish Fire in them: and they see how every life burneth, and every one in its own source, in its own Fire. The Angelicall world burneth in Triumph, in Joy, in the Light of the s Glory, and it shineth as the cleere Sunne (which neither De∣vill, nor any of the wicked dare looke upon,) and there is Praise [and Halelujahs] that the Driver is overcome.

14. And there then the Judgement is set, and all Men (both the Living and the Dead) must stand there, every one in his own body: And the Angelicall Quire of the holy Men (who have been killed for the Witnesse of Jesus) is set: there stand the holy Patriarchs of the Tribes of Israel, and the holy Prophets, with their Doctrine: and all that they have taught is made manifest and revealed, and standeth be∣fore the eyes of the wicked: they must give an account of all their murtherings of the Saints: for they that have been murthered for the Truths sake, stand before the eyes of their murtherers, whose lives the murtherers must give an account for, and yet have no excuse to make, but stand speechlesse; all his slandering reproaches which he hath cast upon the Righteous, stand there before him t in substance, and is a substance, about which, the Law is there read to him.

15. Where is now thy Authority, thy honour, thy riches, thy pomp and bravery, thy power, wherewith thou hast terrified the needy, and hast made the Right bow and bend to thy will? Behold, it is all in sub∣stance, and standeth before thee, the oppressed reade thy lesson to thee, all that was rightly spoken [by thee] in this world, is there re∣called againe: and thou abidest (in thy unrighteousnesse) a lyar, and thou must be judged by those that thou hast here judged in falshood: all lying and deceit, stand u manifest in the substance, all thy words

stand in the Tincture in the substance of Eternity, before thee, and are thy Looking-Glasse: they will be thy Eternall knawing Whelps, and the Booke of thy Comfort and Trust. Therefore doe but thinke what thou wilt doe, wilt thou not then curse and judge thy selfe?

16. On the contrary the Righteous stand there in unspeakable great Joy: and their Joy riseth up in the source [or Well-spring] of the Holy Ghost; all their sorrow and heavinesse (which they have had heere) standeth before them in substance, and it appeareth how they have suffered wrongfully: their comfort springeth up in the bo∣dy of Jesus Christ, who hath redeemed them out of so great misery: all their sinnes are washed, and appeare as white as snow; and there then they returne thanks to their Bridegroom, who hath redeemed them out of such necessity and misery, wherein they lay captive here; and there is meere hearty Joy that the x Driver is destroyed: all their good works, their teaching and well doing, appeare before them: all the words of their teaching and reproving (wherewith they have shewed the ungodly the right way) stand in the Figure.

17. Heere will the Prince and Arch Shepheard pronounce his Sentence, saying to the y Godly; Come yee blessed of my Father, inherite the Kingdome that hath been prepared for you, from the Beginning; I have been hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, in prison and misery, and you have fed mee, given mee drink, cloathed mee, comforted mee, and visited mee, and have come and helped mee in my misery, therefore enter into Eternall Joyes. And they will answer; Lord, when have wee seene thee hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison, or in misery, and have served thee. And he will say, what you have done to the least of these my brethren, you have done that to mee. And to the wicked he will say: Away from mee yee cursed into the Eternall Fire: for I have been hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison, and in misery, and you have never ministred unto mee. And they will answer; Lord, when have wee seene thee so, and not ministred unto thee. And he will say; What you have not done to the least of these my poore brethren, that you have not done to Mee; and they must depart from him.

18. And in that moment of departing, there z passeth away Hea∣ven and Earth, Sunne, Moone, Starres, and Elements, and thence∣forth, Time is no more.

19. And there then in the Saints, the incorruptible attracteth the corruptible into it selfe, and the Death, and this Earthly flesh is swal∣lowed up: and wee all live in the great and holy Element of the body of Jesus Christ, in God the Father, and the Holy Ghost is our com∣fort: and with this world, and with our Earthly Body, all knowledge and skill of this world perisheth: and wee live as children, and eate of the Paradificall fruit; for there is no terrour, feare, nor death any more: for the Principle of Hell, together with the Devils (in this last

houre) is shut up: and the one [Principle] cannot touch the other any more in Eternity, nor conceive any thought of the other: the Parents shall no more think of their wicked children that are in Hell, nor the children of their Parents: for all shall be in Perfection, and that which is in Part shall cease.

20. And these then this world shall remaine standing in a Figure and shadow in Paradise, but the substance of the wicked perisheth in that [figure of the world] and remaineth in the Hell, for the works of every one follow after them: and there shall be Eternall Joy over the Figures of all things, and over the faire fruit of Paradise, which wee shall enjoy Eternally.

To which help us, O Holy Trinity, God the Fa∣ther, Sonne, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

What is wanting heere, you may seek for in the other Parts of my Writings, especially, concerning Moses and all the Prophets, and concerning the Kingdome of Christ. In the fourth Part of these Writings, being the forty Questions of the Originall of the soule, and what it is from Eter∣nity to Eternity, this is cleerly described. A true Information concerning the Confounded Babell. To the Comfort of such as seeke: and set heere for a Wit∣nesse against the Mockers and Despisers.

21. Though now there be so many Doctrines and opinions b mani∣fested, yet the scorner (who is borne of this world onely) ought not to fall on so, and cast all downe, which he cannot apprehend; for all is not false, there is much that is Generated by Heaven, which [Hea∣ven] will at present make another Seculum or Age, which discovereth it selfe highly with its vertue [or power], and seeketh the Pearle, it would faine open the Tincture in its substance, that the vertue [or power] of God might thereby appeare in it, and that it might be freed from the irksome vanity, this was done in all Ages, as Histories shew: and as is well knowne to the enlightened.

22. For now there are many that seeke, and they finde also: One Gold, another Silver, another Copper, another Tinne: but this must not be understood of Mettalls, but of the Spirit, in the Power, in the great Wonders of God, in the Spirit of the Eternall Power.

23. And though there be such seeking in the Mysterie by the in∣stigation and driving of the Spirit of God, yet every one seeketh (in his own c manner) in his field wherein he standeth, and there he also findeth; and so bringeth his Invention to Light, that it may appeare, and this is the d Purpose of the Great God, that he may so be mani∣fested in his Wonders. And it is not all from the Devill, as the world in Babell (in its great folly) doth e teach: where they cast all downe to the Ground, and will make a Bon-fire of it, and set Epicurisme in its place.

24. Behold, I give you a fit similitude in a Sower, a Sower tilleth his Ground the best he can, and soweth good wheate, but now there is other seede among the wheate, and though that were indeed whol∣ly pure, yet the Earth putteth forth weeds among the wheate, even Thornes and Thistles: and now what shall the Sower doe? Shall he therefore reject the whole crop, or burne it for the Thistles and Dar∣nells sakes? No: but he thresheth it, and fanneth it, he severeth the weeds and drosse from it, and useth the good seede for his foode, and giveth the chasse to his Cattle or Beasts, and with the straw he maketh f Compost for his Ground, and so maketh good use of his whole crop.

25. But to the Mockery be it spoken, he is a weede, and shall be throwne to the Beasts. And now though other seede be found among the wheate (when it is fanned and sifted) that he cannot get out, shall he therefore not use his wheate for food? Every kinde of Graine hath its vertue, one strengtheneth the heart, the other the stomack, another the other members of the Body: for one Essence alone ma∣keth no Tincture, but all the Essences together, make the senses, [Thoughts] and understanding.

26. Goe into a Meadow, and looke upon the hearbs and flowers, which grow all out of the Earth, and alwayes one •••• fairer and more fragrant in smell than the other, and the most contemptible [hearb] hath many times the greatest vertue: Now then the Physician cometh and seeketh, and often turneth his minde to the lustiest and fairest, because they thrive so in their growing and smell strong; then think∣eth he, these are the best; whereas many times a small regardlesse hearb, will serve his turne better in his Physick for his Patient, whom he hath under cure.

27. Thus I must tell you: the Heaven is a sower, and God giveth him seede, and the Elements are the ground into which the seede is sowen: now the Heaven hath the Constellation, and receiveth also the seede of God, and soweth all together one among another, now the Essences of the Starres receive the seede in the Ground, and qualifieth [or is united] with it, and carry themselves along in the hearb, till a seede also be in the hearb.

28. Now since there is variety of Growth, according to the Essen∣ces of the Starres, and yet the seede of God (which was sowne in the beginning) is in the Ground, and so they grow together, should God now therefore cast away the whole crop (because all have not the same Essences) doth it not all stand in his wonders? and is it not the Joy of his life, and the quickening of his Tincture, [this is] spoken by way of similitude.

29. Therefore my beloved Minde, looke what thou doest: and judge not so hastily and unadvisedly, and do not turne Beast (because of the multitude of Opinions,) to whom belongeth onely the Chaffe of the Noble seede. The Spirit of God sheweth himselfe in every one that seeketh him, yet according to the manner and kinde of his Essen∣ces; and yet the seede of God is sowne along in the Essence; and if the seeker, seeketh in a Divine desire, then he findeth the Pearle ac∣cording to his Essences, and so the great Wonders of God are mani∣fested thereby.

30. If now you desire to know the difference, and which is a false seede or hearb (understand, a false Spirit, in which the Pearle, or the Spirit of God is not), consider it in its fruit, smell, and taste: if he be vain glorious, a seeker of his own honour, covetous, a blasphemer, a slanderer, and despiser of the children of God, which casteth downe all under his feete, and would be Lord of g all; then know, that such a one is a naughty h seede: and he is a Thistle, and shall be fifted out from the seede of God: Goe out from i such [a Spirit]: for he is a confounded wheele, and hath no foundation: nor no sap or vertue from God, for the growing of his fruit: but he groweth as a Thistle which pricketh onely, and beareth no good seede.

31. The good smell in the hearb (which you should now look for, in the many Opinions) is onely the New Regeneration (out of the old corrupted Adamicall mixt Man) in the body of Jesus Christ, in the Power of the Holy Ghost, viz. a new Minde towards God in love and meeknesse: which is not set upon pride, covetousnesse, and seek∣ing his own honour, credit, and esteeme, nor upon warre, or any manner of stirre or insurrection of inferiours against their superiours: but groweth in patience and meeknesse, as a Graine of wheate among thornes, and bringeth forth fruit in its season. And consider, that where there is such fruit [in thy minde] that is borne of God, and it is the Noble vertue in that [Man]: Goe out from the other fruit, which teacheth uproares and dissention, between inferiours and supe∣riours, for such [fruits] are thistles, and will prick, and sting [like Nettles], God will fanne his wheate himselfe.

32. The Lilly will not be found in strife or warres, but in a friend∣ly humble loving Spirit, together with good sound k Reason, this will dispell and drive away the smoak of the Devill, and flourish in its time.

Therefore let none thinke, that when strife goeth on, and he getteth the upper hand, now it is well and right: and he that is under, and subdued, let him not thinke, sure I am found to be in the wrong, I should now goe to the other opinion or side, and help that party, to prosecute the other: no; that is not the way, such a one is meerely in Babell.

33. But let every one enter into himselfe, and labour to be a righ∣teous Man, and feare God, and doe right, and consider that this his worke shall appeare in Heaven before God, and that he standeth eve∣ry moment before the face of God, and that all his works shall follow after him, and then the Lilly of God springeth and groweth, and the world standeth in its Seculum.

AMEN.

FINIS.

Notes

• a

  Or, Saints and holy peo∣ple.
• b

  The outward Nature.
• c

  Or, the ground of the Essences or substance.
• d

  Field or soyle.
• e

  Ground or field.
• f

  Sap, juice, or substance.
• g

  Or, upholder.
• The sevde.
• The sevde.
• The sevde.
• h

  Framer, moulder, or former.
• i

  Figure or Picture.
• k

  Liberty or freedome.
• l

  Or, the striker of fire, which striketh up the thoughts of the minde.
• m

  Or, sparkling.
• n

  Framer, or Artificer.
• o

  Or, passeth away.
• p

  Ministers or Teachers.
• q

  Nativity.
• r

  Abstinence.
• s

  Clarity, Luster, or Brightnesse.
• t

  Really.
• u

  Are really discovered in the Light.
• x

  The evill, ma∣lice, wicked∣nesse, or the Devill.
• y

  Honest, ver∣tuous, or inno∣cent.
• Matth. 25.
• z

  Perisheth.
• Note. Reade more of this, in the Answer to the thirtieth Question, in the Book of the forty Questi∣ons concerning the soule.
• b

  Or, broached.
• c

  Or, forme.
• d

  Or, Decree.
• e

  Or, babble.
• f

  Or, dung for his Land.
• g

  All Mens mindes and opinions.
• h

  Or, Spirit.
• i

  Or, be at en∣mity with such a property in thy selfe, saying with Paul, Who shall de∣liver me from this body of Death.
• k

  Well-ground∣ed convincing satisfactory Reason.