Jacob Boehme's Aurora
Chapter 6: How an Angel, and how a Man, is the Similitude and Image of God.
BEHOLD! as the being or essence in God is, so also is the being in man and in angels; and as the divine body is, so also is the angelical and the human body or corporeity.
But with this difference alone, that an angel, and a man, is a creature, and not the whole being, but a son of the whole being, whom the whole being has generated; and therefore it is fit that it should be in subjection to the whole being, seeing that it is the son of the body of the whole being.
Now if the son resist and oppose the father, it is but right that the father should cast him away out of the house, seeing the son sets himself against him that has generated him, and from whose power he is become a creature.
For if any one make somewhat out of that which is his own, he may, if it does not prove according to his will, do with it what he pleaseth, and make it either a vessel of honour or of dishonour; which was done even so to Lucifer. Now observe:
From all qualities the whole divine power of the Father speaketh forth the WORD; that is, the Son of God.
Now that voice, or that WORD which the Father speaketh, goeth forth from the Father's Salitter or powers, and from the Father's Mercurius, sound or tune: This the Father speaketh forth in himself, and that WORD is the very splendour or glance proceeding from all his powers.
But when it is spoken forth it stayeth or sticketh no more in the powers of the Father, but soundeth or tuneth back again in the whole Father in all powers.
Now that WORD which the Father pronounceth or speaketh forth has such a sharpness, that the tone of the WORD goeth swiftly in a moment through the whole deep of the Father, and that sharpness is the Holy Ghost.
For the WORD which is spoken forth or outspoken abideth as a splendour or glorious edict [or proclamation] before the king.
But the tone or sound, which goeth forth through the Word, executeth the edict of the Father, which he had outspoken through the Word; and that is the birth or geniture of the holy Trinity.
Now behold! An angel, and a man also, is thus: The power in the whole body has all the qualities, as it is in God the Father.
And as all the powers in God the Father rise up from eternity to eternity, so all the powers rise up also in an angel, and in a man, into the head; for higher they cannot rise; for they are but creatures that have a beginning and end.
And in the head is the divine councilseat or throne, and [the throne] signifieth God the Father, and the five senses or qualities are the counsellors, which have their influences out of the whole body, out of all the powers.
The five senses always hold counsel in the power of the whole body, and when a conclusion is formed, the same is uttered [or pronounced] by the united council [lit. judge] in its [the council's] centre, or in the midst of the body, as a word, in the heart; for the heart is the fountainspring of all powers, whence the word itself taketh its rise [or ariseth]. In this par. a new translation has been substituted for Sparrow's original rendering.
Then the word stands in the heart as a self-subsisting person, compacted from all the powers [combined]; it is a word and representeth or denoteth God the Son. Then [also] it riseth up from the heart into the mouth and upon the tongue, which [latter] is the sharpness, and sharpeneth the word, so that it soundeth, and differentiateth it according to the five senses.
From what quality soever the word taketh its original, in that quality it is thrust forth upon the tongue, and the power of the distinction or difference goeth forth from the tongue; and that signifieth the Holy Ghost.
For as the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Son, and distinguished and sharpeneth all, and effecteth or produceth that which the Father speaketh through the Word:
So also the tongue sharpeneth, articulateth and distinguisheth all that which the five senses in the head bring through the heart on to the tongue; and the spirit goeth forth from the tongue through the Mercurius or tone in that place, as it was decreed or concluded by the council of the five senses, and executeth it all. Of the Mouth.
The mouth signifieth that thou art an unalmighty son of thy Father, whether thou art an angel or a man. For through the mouth thou must draw into thee the power of thy Father, if thou wilt live.
An angel must do so, as well as a man, though indeed he needs not to use the element of air in that manner as a man does; yet he must attract into himself, through the mouth, the spirit from which the air in this world existeth.
For in heaven there is no such air, but the qualities are very meek and joyful, like a pleasant cheering breath of wind, and the Holy Ghost is among all the qualities in the Salitter and Mercurius.
This the angel also must make use of, or else he cannot be a moveable creature, for he must also eat of the heavenly fruit through the mouth.
Thou must not understand this in an earthly manner; for an angel has no guts, neither flesh nor bones, but is constituted or composed by the divine power in the shape, form and manner of a man, and has all members like man, except the members of generation, and the fundament or going out of the draff, neither has an angel need of them.
For man first gat his members of generation and fundament in his doleful and lamentable fall. An angel sendeth forth nothing but the divine power, which he taketh in at his mouth, wherewith he kindleth his heart, and the heart kindleth all the members, and that he sendeth forth from himself again at the mouth, when he speaketh and praiseth God.
But the heavenly fruits which he eateth are not earthly; and though they are in such a form and shape as the earthly, yet they are mere divine power, and have such a pleasant lovely taste and smell that I cannot liken it to anything in this world; for they taste and smell of the Holy Trinity.
Thou must not think that they are there only as it were a type or shadow of things; no; for the spirit sheweth plainly that in the heavenly pomp, in the heavenly Salitter and Mercurius, grow divine trees, plants, flowers, and all sorts of whatever is in this world but as a type and resemblance: As the angels are, so are the vegetation and fruits, all from the divine power.
These heavenly sprouts and springings thou must not wholly liken to this world: For there are two qualities in this world, a good and an evil; and many things grow through the power of the evil quality, which does not so in heaven.
For heaven has but one form or manner: nothing grows there which is not good. Lord Lucifer alone has deformed and dressed this world in that manner: Therefore was mother Eve ashamed, when she had eaten of that which was dressed by the evil quality; in like manner also she was ashamed of her members of generation, which she had caused by the biting of this apple.
The angelical and heavenly fruit has not such [an evil quality or] substance: Indeed it is most certain and true that there are all manner of fruits in heaven, and not types and shadows merely: Also that the angels pluck them with their hands, and eat them, as we that are men do, but they need not any teeth to do it withal, neither have they any, for the fruit is of a divine power.
Now all this, whatsoever an angel makes use of, which is externally without him, for the supporting his life, is not his corporeal propriety, as if he had it by a natural right, but the heavenly Father giveth it to the angels in love.
True it is that their body is their own propriety, for God has given it to them for a propriety. Now whatsoever is given to any one for his own, or for propriety, that is his by right of nature, and he does not deal righteously who taketh it from him again, unless [he does so] upon condition and agreement; and thus neither does God [take things away again]. Therefore an angel is an eternal incorruptible creature, which stands or subsisteth in all eternity.
But what would the body profit him, if God did not feed it, for then it would have no mobility, and would lie still like a dead block. Now, therefore, the angels are obedient to God, and humble themselves before the powerful God; they honour, laud and praise him in his great deeds and works of wonder, and sing continually of God's holiness, because he feedeth them. Of the Gracious, Blessed, and Joyful Love of the Angels towards God, from a true Ground.
The right love in the divine nature cometh from the fountain of the Son of God. Behold, thou child of man, let this be told thee: The angels know already what is the right love toward God, but thou needest it in thy cold heart.
Observe, when the gracious, amiable, blessed, joyful glance and light, together with the sweet power out of the Son of God, shineth into all powers in the whole Father, then all the powers are kindled by the gracious, amiable, blessed, lovely light and sweet power, in a triumphing and joyful manner.
So also when the gracious, amiable, blessed and joyful light of the Son of God shineth on the loving angels, and casteth its beams into their heart, then all the powers in their body are kindled, and there riseth up such a joyful lovefire, that for great joy they sing and ring forth praises, and [there riseth up] that which neither I nor any other creature is able to express.
With this song I would have the Reader cited into the other life, where he will have experience thereof: I am not able to set it down in writing.
But if thou wilt have experience of it in this world, give over thy hypocrisy, bribery and deceit, and thy scorning; and turn thy heart in all seriousness to God: Repent thee of thy sins, with a true intention and resolution to live holily, and pray to God for his holy spirit.
Wrestle with him, as the holy patriarch Jacob did, [Gen. xxxii.] who wrestled with him all the night, till the dawning of the day, or morning redness broke forth, and would not give over till God had blessed him. Do thou so likewise with him, and the Holy Ghost will get a form in thee.
If thou holdest on in thy earnestness, and wilt not give over, then will this fire come suddenly upon thee, like lightning, and shine into thee; and then thou wilt well experience that which I have here written, and wilt easily believe that which is in my book.
Thou wilt also become quite another man, and wilt think thereon all the days of thy life; thy delight will be more in heaven than on earth.