Jacob Boehme's Aurora
Chapter 6: How an Angel, and how a Man, is the Similitude and Image of God.
BEHOLD! as the Being in God is, so is the Being also in Man and Angel's; and as the Divine Body is, so is also the Angelical and human Body or Corporeity.
But with this Difference only, 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 it is the Son of its Body.
Now if the Son resists and opposes 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 makes something out of that which is his own, he may, if it does not prove according to his Will, do with it what he pleases, and make it either a Vessel of Honour or Dishonour; which was done even so to Lucifer.
Now observe,
The whole Divine Power of the Father speaks forth from all Qualities, the WORD, that is, the Son of God.
Now that Voice, or that WORD, which the Father speaks, goes forth from the Father's Saltiter or Powers, and from the Father's Mercurius, Sound or Tune: And the Father speaks this forth in himself, and that WORD is the very Splendor or Glance proceeding from all his Powers.
But when it is spoken forth, it stays or sticks no more in the Powers of the Father, but sounds or turns back again in the whole Father in all Powers.
Now that WORD, which the Father pronounces or speaks forth, has such
Sharpness, that the Tone of the WORD goes swiftly in a Moment through the whole Deep of the Father, and that Sharpness is the Holy Ghost. [Sharpness,]
For the WORD, which is spoken forth, or outspoken, abides as a Splendor or glorious Edict before the King. [Or Proclamation.]
But the Tone or Sound, which goes forth through the WORD, executes 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 is also 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 which have a Beginning and End.
And in the Head is the divine Council-Seat or Throne, and it signifies 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. Now
the Five Senses always sit in Council in the Power of the whole Body, and when the Council's Decree is concluded, then the compacted or concreted Judge speaks it out into its Center or Midst of the Body; as a WORD, into the Heart: for that is the Fountain of all Powers, from which also it takes its
Rise.
Now it stands there in the Heart, as a self-subsisting Person, composed out of all Powers, and is a Word, and signifies God the Son; and now it goes out from the Heart into the Mouth on to the Tongue, which is the Sharpness, and that so sharpens it, that it sounds forth, and is distinguished according to the Five Senses.
From what Quality soever the Word takes its Original, in that Quality is it thrust forth upon the Tongue, and the Power of the Distinction or Difference goes forth from the Tongue; and that signifies the Holy Ghost.
For as the Holy Ghost proceeds forth from the Father and the Son, and distinguishes and sharpens all, and effects or produces that which the Father speaks through the Word;
so also the Tongue sharpens, articulates, and distinguishes all that, which the Five Senses in the Head bring through the Heart on to the Tongue, and the Spirit goes 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 executes it all.
Of the Mouth.
The Mouth signifies, 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 exists.
For in Heaven there is no such Air, but the Qualities are very meek and joyful, like a pleasant clearing Breath of Wind, and the Holy Ghost is among all the Qualities in the Saltiter and Mercurius. And
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 Entrails, 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 Draught, neither has an Angel need of them.
For Man got his Members of Generation and Fundament first in his doleful and lamentable Fall. An Angel sendeth forth Nothing but the Divine Power, which he takes in at his Mouth, wherewith he kindles his Heart, and the Heart kindles all the Members, and that he sends forth from himself again at the Mouth, when he speaks and praises God.
But the heavenly Fruits which he eats are not earthly; and though they are in such a Form and Shape as the earthly are, yet they are mere Divine Power, and have such a pleasant lovely Taste and Smell, that I cannot liken it to any Thing 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 shows 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: And 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: Only Lord Lucifer has deformed and dressed this World in that Manner: And 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 biting of this Apple. [Apple.]
The angelical and heavenly Fruit has not such a Substance: Indeed it is most certain and true, that there are all Manner of Fruits in Heaven, and not merely Types and Shadows: Also the Angels pluck them with their Hands, and eat them, as we do that are Men, but they need not any Teeth to do it withall, 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 gives it them in Love.
True it is, their Body is their own Propriety, for God has given it to them for a Propriety. Now whatsoever is given to any for his own, or for Propriety, that is by his Right of Nature, and he does not deal righteously which takes it from him again, unless upon Condition and Agreement: And thus neither does God, and therefore an Angel is an eternal incorruptible Creature, which stands or subsists 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 feeds them.
Of the Gracious, Blessed, and Joyful Love of the Angels towards God, from a true Ground.
The right Love in the divine Nature comes from the Fountain of the Son of God. Behold, thou Child of Man, let this be told thee; the Angels know already what the right Love toward God is, 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, shines 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 shines on the loving Angels, and casts its Beams into their Heart, then all the Powers in their Body are kindled, and there rises up such a joyful Love-fire, that for great Joy they sing and sound forth Praises, and 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 of it: 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; 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. [Gen. 32.]
If thou holdest on in thy Earnestness; and wilt not give over, then will this Fire come suddenly upon thee, like Lightening, and shine into thee, and then thou wilt well experience that which I have here wrote, 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.