Forty questions of the soul concerning its original, essence, substance, nature or quality and property, what it is from eternity to eternity : framed by a lover of the great mysteries, Doctor Balthasar Walter, and answered in the year 1620 / by Jacob Behme, called Teutonicus Philosophus ; Englished by John Sparrow ...

The Fifth Form of Fire in the Eternal Will.

67. Thus having opened to you an Entranoe and Looking-glass of the Eternal Original,

whence the Eternal Fire originateth, and what it is; so it is necessary also further to shew you, according to the highest Depth, what the Eternal Nature in its propaga∣tion is.

68. Wherein then Two Kingdoms are to be understood; the one a good and plea∣sant one, the other an evil and fierce wrathful one, an eternal envious sad one. After which two, the Philosophers from the beginning of the world, have continu∣ally sought and laboured; but the time of finding hath not been yet born.

69. But now it is, so that the hidden thing shall be found, not by me alone, but by many who will be faithful, and humble themselves in God, and seek in his Spirit and Will. It will only be found in God's Eye, else no where: therefore let none enter into any other thing with seeking, else he findeth the Devil.

70. Seeing then the Eternity is thus, which yet is NOTHING; but therein is Light and Darkness, Life and Spirit, which is ALL; therefore there is and must be in both a seeking, viz. a desiring continu∣ally to find it self, where yet there is no∣thing that can find but the Spirit.

71. Now seeing it hath nothing that it

findeth, and yet also the Desiring eternal∣ly goeth forward, therefore the Desiring is a figure of the seeking Will, a similitude according to God's Eye, and is a Looking∣glass of the Eternal Eye, which is called God.

72. Now this is in Two wayes, one ac∣cording to the Light, and one according to the Darkness; for the Seeking is in both, and yet there is no departing of one from the other: thus the Light is in the inward, and the Darkness in the out∣ward; whereas yet the most inward of all, is also the most outward; but the Light is the middlemost.

73. For it is in nothing, therefore it cannot be the innermost of all, for it hath no place or limit, it is its own finding, which the Darkness findeth not; but the will in the Darkness, which desireth the Light, that goeth forth out of the Darkness, and that standeth Eternally in the Light.

74. Now the Light's desiring, setteth be∣fore it self a Model of its likeness, wherein the Eternity standeth revealed or mani∣fested, viz. all and every thing which the Spirit in the Eternal Power of God from Eternity in Eternity findeth in it self.

75. That Model is not God, the Eterni∣ty

it self, for it beginneth it self in the Spirit, and is the Spirits wonder, which it from Eternity seeketh and findeth, and standeth in Gods Eye as a Figure, and all Wonders of the Abysse of Eternity are therein, and become seen in the Light of the Majesty, as one Wonder in many end∣less Wonders.

76. And that is an Image of God, a Virgin full of purity, and chastity, and no Genetrix, for the holy Spirit alone openeth the Wonders in the Power.

77. But this Virgin is God's Simili∣tude, his Wisdom, wherein the Spirit dis∣cerneth it self, and alwayes and in Eter∣nity openeth it self therein again; and the more is opened, the more is therein.

78. For it is without Ground and Num∣ber, as also unmeasurable, as the Eye of God it self is: there is Nothing like it, also Nothing can be found that may be likened to it; for it is the Eternal Simili∣tude of the Deity, and the Spirit of God is its † 1.1 substance there∣in.

79. It is a Circle and Mo∣del, which openeth to us our mind, so that we behold it, and God IN it, for our will is cast into it, and it standeth in our

will; and therefore speak we of God, and see him in himself as in that which is our own, according to the hiddenness of the Humanity; which Seeing is very highly dear and pretious.

80. Thus we should also speak as con∣cerning the Darkness, which is in it self a bolting in, and there being nothing to bolt, it bolteth it self, and generateth it self, and is its own Enemy to it self, for it maketh its own source or pain without Ground and Number, and hath no Giver that bestoweth it, but the Darknesse's own Form.

81. And that originateth from the First Desiring, where the Desiring attracteth into it self, and impregnateth it self, so that it is a stinging bitter astringent, or harsh, hard, cold, fierce, wrathful fire-spirit; for the Desiring maketh astringent, austere or harsh from the attracting in the Will, and the attracting is stinging, and the suffering is bitter, which the Will willeth not, and thereupon in it self goeth forth from the sting, and maketh a Principle of its own; in which the Majesty appeareth.

82. Thus existeth in the bitter suffering, the great Anguish, whereas yet nothing is there that suffereth, but it is in it self thus,

and it is its own Life; and if this were not, the Glance of the Majesty would not be neither, the one is the cause of the other, for in the Darkness is the flash of Lightning, and in the Liberty the Light with the Majesty.

83. And this now is the parting, that the Liberty is a still nothing; which Li∣berty receiveth the Light, and maketh the Darkness Material, whereas yet there is no substance of palpability; but dark spi∣rit and power, a filling of the Liberty in it self, understand in the Desiring not without, for without is the Liberty.

84. Therefore is God the most secret, and also the most revealed; and that is Mysterium magnum, the great Mystery. Thus the Abysse is also secret, and yet revealed, as the Darkness is before our eyes; but the source or pain is unsearch∣able, or unperceptible, till the will † 1.2 diveth thereinto, then it becometh felt and found, when the will loseth the Light: and herein lyeth the ground of right be∣leeving, or true Faith. Let this be told you ye Teachers in Babel.

85. Since then there is an Abysse, which is called the Ground, in respect of the com∣prehension

of the Darkness, where the source or pain is as a cause of the Life within: for the fierce wrathfull slash of Lightening, is the awakening of the Life; whereas there is nothing there but in it self, therefore it is also a Desiring, and the Desiring is a Seeking, and yet can find nothing but a Looking-glass, and a simili∣tude of the dark, fierce, wrathful source or pain, wherein nothing is.

86. For it is a † 1.3 figure of the earnest, severe, fierce, wrathful flash of Lightning, and of the sharp and strong Might, which is God's, according to which he calleth himself, * 1.4 a Con∣suming Fire, and an Angry, Zealous, or Jealous God.

87. This Looking-glass is also without Ground, without Beginning and End, and yet hath an Eternal Beginning and End, and is the Eternal Only Cause that the Abysse is Blew Dusky and Fiery. It is the Cause of the Stars and Elements; for the Firmament is the other or second Look∣ing-glass generated out of this.

88. Since then there is in all things a Threefold Source, one whereof is the others Looking-glass, Generating and Cause, nor

thing excepted, All standeth according to the Substance or Working of the Number Three.

89. Now seeing there is a Looking-glass in the Abysse, wherein the source or quali∣ty beholdeth it self, therefore that also is a figure and image of the source or quality, which standeth before the source or quali∣ty, and acteth or generateth nothing, but is a Virgin of the source quality or pain, wherein the fierce Wrath of the flash of Lightning discovers it self in infinity with∣out Number, and continually openeth its wonders therein, with the bitter spirit of the stirring Essences, which in the flash of Lightening hath its Life, so that it goeth swifter than a Thought.

90. Though indeed the THOUGHTS of the Creatures stand and move herein; and the Spirits of all living Creatures are with their Root standing herein, every Life according to its Principle.

91. And in this Spirit of the fire-flash, standeth the Great Omnipotent Life, for it is consuming, as the flash of Lightning con∣sumeth the Darkness, and that Fire all things, and yet continueth a Life in it self, but it is an Hunger and Thirst, and must

have Substantiality, else it continueth a Dark Hunger-fire, a will of devouring and having Nothing, a will to rage, prick and find nothing, but it self, out of which cause the Substantiality, viz. the Water, as also Sulphur is generated and generateth it self from Eternity to Eternity.

92. Here seek the first Root of the Soul, viz. in the Fire-Life, and the second, in the Light-Life in the Majesty, and then you will find God's Image and similitude, and the greatest Mystery of the Deity ly∣ing therein.

93. Since then there is such an Eye of the fierce Wrath, wherein the earnest severe stern fire-life originateth, yet is not at all sundred from the Fire-Life, it is One and the same Life, and hath Two Principles; for it burneth in a twofold source or qua∣lity, one within another, and is One Spi∣rit in Two distinctions with two Wills, the one dwelling in the Fire, the other in the Light.

94. And know for certain assuredly that the Dark Fire-Life is the the Abysse of Hell, for it is the stern severe Anger of God.

95. And seek it not so, as Babel the

great City of Confusion upon earth hath sought, which yet we blame for nothing else, but her negligence and inconsiderate∣ness, seeking self-honour and power, and so hath captivated her self in the fierce wrathful Anger of God, which hath had her a long time under its Wonders, and drawn many souls into its source or qua∣lity. Consider well of it.

96. In the † 1.5 Third Part of our Writings, it is large∣ly described, for that is somewhat easier to reach than this; but this is the deepest Ground of Eternity, as much as a Spirit can be capable of, for more it CANNOT bear, yet it may be expressed much more at large, but not more deeply, for it is comprized in the Abysse in both Principles; as indeed a Soul originateth in the Abysse in both Prin∣ciples, and in the spiritual Will in the Eternity.

97. And therefore if it be not circum∣spect, the Devil may easily ride upon its Chariot, viz. upon its Will; but if it be circumspect, and casteth it self into the * 1.6 Will of the Majesty of God, then the holy Spirit of God rideth upon its will, and it is his Chariot.

98. Herein you may clearly discern Heaven and Hell, Angels and Devils, Evil and Good, Life and Death, if you but search after it, as we shall further mention to you.

Notes

• † 1.1

  Wesen, matter or work.
• † 1.2

  Immer∣seth.
• † 1.3

  Or, Repre∣sentation.
• * 1.4

  Deut. 4. 24.
• † 1.5

  Three-fold Life.
• * 1.6

  Into Good Desires.