The second booke, concerning the three principles of the divine essence of the eternall, dark, light, and temporary vvorld shewing what the soule, the image and the spirit of the soule are : as also what angels, heaven, and paradise are : how Adam was before the fall, in the fall, and after the fall : and what the wrath of God, sinne, death, the devils and hell are, how all things have been, now are, and how they shall be at the last / written in the German language by Jacob Behmen, aliàs Teutonicus Philosophus.

Of Christs Rest in the Grave [or Sepulchre.]

67. Wee know that the Body without the Spirit, is a thing that lyeth still; for though the body of Christ (the Holy Element genera∣ted in thec Mercy) is from God; yet the mobility and life standeth onely in the Deity, and in us Men, in the Spirit of the soule, and in the Spirit of the Great World, which are unsevered in this Body up∣on Earth.

68. Therefore now the question is, Where the soule of Christ was

all the time that the body did Rest in the Grave? Beloved Reason, doe not like those, that are blinde concerning God, who say, the soule [of Christ] went away from the Body downe into Hell into the Earth, and during that time, in the Divine power and vertue; assaulted the Devils in Hell: and bound them with chaines, and destroyed Hell. O it is cleane another thing. The Saints rising out of the Graves at the houre of the Death of Christ; declareth otherwise.

69. Reason knoweth nothing at all of God, and if it be not possible to attaine further from the Gift of God, doe not descend downe into that Deepe, but in singlenesse of heart stayd on the Article; it will not endanger thy happinesse: God looketh onely upon the will of the Heart. Thou must not search so deepe into every thing, if it be not given thee, as it is to this Pen; this Pen writeth in the Counsell of God, (that which the hand knoweth not, and scarce understandeth the least spark of it) and yet very deeply, as thou seest, that the things to come are shewen in a very difficult depth, which God alone will discover in due time, which ise unknowne to us.

70. Thou knowest that God himselfe is all, and there are but Three Principles (viz. Three Births of distinction) in his Essence; or else all things would be one thing, and all were meerely God, and if it were so, then all would be in a sweet meeknesse: but where would be the Mobility, Kingdome, Power, and Glory? Therefore wee have often said; the Anger is the Roote of Life: and iff it be without the Light, thenf it is not God, but Hell fire but if the Light shine there∣in, it becometh Paradise and fulnesse of Joy.

71. Therefore wee can say no otherwise of the soule of Christ, but that he commended it into his Fathers hands, and the Father took it into his Divine power; it stood with its Roote therein before: but its own Roote, was (without the Light of God,) in the Anger. And now the soule of Christ came with the Light of God into the Anger; and then the Devils trembled, for the Light tooke the Anger captive, and the Father (understand, his Anger) in the Kingdom of Heaven was Paradise, and in Hell remained to be Anger still. For the Light shut up the Principle of Hell, so (to be understood,) that no Devill dareth to take one glimpse [of light] in thither, he is blinde before the Light, and [the Light] is his terrour and shame.

72. And so thou must not think that the soule of Christ was then gone a great way from his Body; for all the Three Principles were on the Crosse, why also not in the Grave? at that very moment, when Christ laid off the Kingdome of this world, the soule of Christ pressed into Death, and into the Anger of God, and in that very moment, the Anger was reconciled in the Love in the Light, and became Para∣dise: and the Devils were captivated in the Anger in themselves, to∣gether with all wicked soules: and so instantly the life did spring up

through Death, and Death was destroyed, and made a scorne; yet to the wicked (which remaine in the Anger) it is a Death, but in Christ it is a Life.

73. Thus the soule of Christ rested in the Grave, in the Father, forty houres present with its body; for the Heavenly Body was not dead, but the Earthly onely, the soule sprung up in the Heavenly through Death, and stood forty houres in Rest; these were the forty houres, in which Adam was asleepe, when his wife was taken out of him: as also the forty dayes when Moses was on the Mount [and Is∣rael was tempted to try] whether it were possible to live in the ver∣tue or power of the Father in the Kingdome of Heaven. But when it was found to be impossible, then presently the people fell away from the Law of the Father (viz. from the Law of Nature): and worship∣ped a Calfe that they had made, to be instead of God: and Moses brake the Tables of the Law.

74. And God spake further to Israel in the fire, that they should see, that it was not possible to enter into the Land of Promise ([into] Paradise) till the right Joshua or Jesus came, who should bring them through Death into Life: consider this further: I will set it downe very cleerly in the other Bookes concerning the Tables of Moses; search for it, and you will finde the whole ground, of whatsoever Mo∣ses hath spoken and done.

Notes

• c

  Barmhertz∣igkeit.
• d

  Rest conten∣ted with that which the Scripture saith.
• e

  One Copie hath it, known to us.
• f

  The Anger.
• f

  The Anger.