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(2) But we must keep our discourse within bounds, and must search, in our first explanation of the types, for what reason the Word of God prefers the sacred description of fire, in preference to almost every other. You will find it, then, representing not only wheels of fire, but also living creatures of fire, and men, flashing, as it were, like lightning, and placing around the Heavenly Beings themselves heaps of coals of fire, and rivers of flame flowing with irresistible force; and also it says that the thrones are of fire; and that the most exalted Seraphim glow with fire, it shews from their appellation, and it attributes the characteristic and energy of fire to them, and throughout, above and below, it prefers pre-eminently the representation by the image of fire. I think, then, the similitude of fire denotes the likeness of the Heavenly Minds to God in the highest degree; for the holy theologians frequently describe the superessential and formless essence by fire, as having many likenesses, if I may be permitted to say so, of the supremely Divine property, as in things visible. For the sensible fire is, so to speak, in everything, and passes through everything unmingled, and springs from all, and whilst all-luminous, is, as it were, hidden, unknown, in its essential nature, when there is no material lying near it upon which it may shew its proper energy. It is both uncontrollable and invisible, self-subduing all things, and bringing under its own energy anything in which it may happen to be; varying, imparting itself to all things near it, whatever they may be; renewing by its rousing heat, and giving light by its uncovered illuminations; invincible, unmingled, separating, unchangeable, elevating, penetrating, lofty; subject to no grovelling inferiority, ever moving, self-moving, moving other things, comprehending, incomprehended, needing no other, imperceptibly increasing itself, displaying its own majesty to the materials receiving it; energetic, powerful, present to all invisibly, unobserved, seeming not to be, and manifesting itself suddenly according to its own proper nature by friction, as it were by a sort of seeking, and again flying away impalpably, undiminished in all the joyful distributions of itself. And one might find many characteristics of fire, appropriate to display the supremely Divine Energy, as in sensible images. The Godly-wise, then, knowing this, depict the celestial Beings from fire, shewing their Godlikeness, and imitation of God, as far as attainable.

(39) From a golden ring on her left arm a line descends, to the end of which is suspended a deep box filled with flaming coals and incense. Isis, or Nature personified, carries with her the sacred fire, religiously preserved and kept burning in. a special temple by the vestal virgins. This fire is the genuine, immortal flame of Nature--ethereal, essential, the author of life. The inconsumable oil; the balsam of life, so much praised by the wise and so often referred to in the Scriptures, is frequently symbolized as the fuel of this immortal flame.

(198) A similar Fire flashingly extending through the rushings of Air, or a Fire formless whence cometh the Image of a Voice, or even a flashing Light abounding, revolving, whirling forth, crying aloud. Also there is the vision of the fire-flashing Courser of Light, or also a Child, borne aloft on the shoulders of the Celestial Steed, fiery, or clothed with gold, or naked, or shooting with the bow shafts of Light, and standing on the shoulders of the horse; then if thy meditation prolongeth itself, thou shalt unite all these Symbols into the Form of a Lion.

(91) yet the Fire gives or represents to us a Mystery of the eternal Nature, and of the Deity also, wherein a Man is to understand two Principles of a twofold Source, viz. I. a hot, fierce, astringent, bitter, anxious, consuming One in the Fire-source. And out of the Fire comes the II. viz. the Light, which dwells in the Fire, but is not apprehended or laid hold on by the Fire; also it has another Source then the Fire has, which is Meekness, wherein there is a Desire of Love, where then, in the Love-desire, another Will is understood than that which the Fire has.

(37) And indeed he has done somewhat, in that he has set the divine Power into a Burning, which appears even in the Sun and Stars; also the Fire in the Salitter in the Elements is often kindled, so that it seems as if the Deep was of a burning Fire; of which I shall speak in another Place. He slept back out of the Meekness into the anxious Fire-will, and fell into Darkness. The Reader is advertised, that he must not understand in any Place, as if the Devil had kindled or fired the Light of God; no, but the Forms of Nature only, out of which the Light shines. For he has not comprehended the Light, as little as the Fire does, which cannot lay hold on the Light: But he entered into the Fire, and is expelled into the Darkness, and has neither Fire nor Light, besides, without, or distinct from his Creature. [Or his own creaturely Existence.]

(92) For the Fire will consume all, and causes a high Rising in the Source, and the Meekness of the Light causes Entity or Substantiality; viz. in the eternal Light it causes the Water-spirit of eternal Life: and in the third Principle of this World, it causes Water, together with the Existence or Original of the Air.

(56) Whilst there is Sap in the Wood, the Fire shines as a shining Light; but when the Sap is consumed in the Wood, the shining Light goes out, and the Wood becomes a glowing Coal. [Or Oiliness.]

(177) The telestic life through Divine Fire removeth all the stains, together with everything of a foreign and irrational nature, which the spirit of the Soul has attracted from generation, as we are taught by the Oracle to believe.

(36) But when the Light of the Sun kindled itself, then the next Circle or Orb above the Sun stood in the Fire-crack, for the Sun or the Light was shining in the Water, and the Bitterness ascended also in the Fire-crack out of the Water. But the Light made very great Haste after it, and laid hold on the Fire-crack, and there it remained standing as a Captive, and became corporeal.

(14) And its floor was of fire, and above it were lightnings and the path of the stars, and its ceiling also was flaming fire.

(2) But to return from this digression: if the presence of the fire of the Gods, and a certain ineffable species of light, externally accede to him who is possessed, and if they wholly fill him, have dominion over and circularly comprehend him on all sides, so that he is not able to exert any one proper energy, what sense, or animadversion, or appropriate projection of intellect, can there be in him who receives a divine fire? What human motion, likewise, can then intervene, or what human reception of passion or ecstasy, or of aberration of the phantasy, or of any thing else of the like kind, such as is apprehended by the multitude, can take place? Let such, therefore, be the divine indications of true inspiration from the Gods, which he who attends to will not wander from a right knowledge concerning it.

(5) Conformably, also, to what has been said, the fire of the Gods, indeed, shines forth with an indivisible and ineffable light, and fills all the profundities of the world, in an empyrean, but not in a mundane, manner. But the fire of archangels is impartible indeed, but is seen to possess about itself an abundant multitude, either preceding or following after itself. The fire of angels is divided, except that it exhibits itself in the most perfect ideas. That of dæmons is still more shortly circumscribed by a distribution into parts, is effable, and does not astonish the sight of those that have seen more excellent natures. The fire of heroes has, after a certain manner, the same things as that of dæmons, but at the same time falls short of the most accurate similitude to it. Moreover, with respect to archons, the fire of those that are of a more elevated order, is more pellucid; but of those that are material, is more dark. And the fire of souls is seen to be much divided and multiform, and is comingled from many of the natures that are in the world. Again, the fire of the Gods appears to be entirely stable. That of archangels is tranquil; but that of angels is stably moved. The fire of dæmons is unstable; but that of heroes is, for the most part, rapidly moved. The fire of those archons that are of the first rank is tranquil; but of those that are of the last order is tumultuous. And the fire of souls is transmuted in a multitude of motions.

(33) Or dost thou suppose hit was for nothing? It is most certain, that the Spirit of the great World has thus set him up in great Wonders, because the other were no better; and therefore it must stand in the Light of Nature in the Wonders, as a God of this World, and God was near the one as the other. Thy Symbols or Signs in the Testament of Christ which thou usest (which Christ left for a Covenant) stood in Controversy, and were in Disputation, and thou didst pervert them according to thy Pride, and thou didst bend them to thy Institution, Ordinances and Appointment; thou didst no more regard the Covenant of Christ, but the Custom of Celebration or Performance of it, the Custom must serve the Turn; whereas Wood that burns not is not Fire, though when it is kindled it comes to be Fire; so also the Custom without Faith is like Wood that burns not, which they will call a Fire.

(3) The symbol of Life has always been the Flaming Fire, in all occult teachings. The Eternal, Universal Fire, or Flame, which kindles ever all that presents itself to its influence, yet ever remains unchanged and undiminished in its Essence, has ever been the favorite symbol of the occultists for the Universal Life in Manifestation. When the term "Spirit" is used to indicate "Life," then the Flame or Fire has always been the symbol for Spirit.

(28) I. There arose the Fire-crack, or the Mobility in the Heat, and that is the Beginning of Life in the Chamber of Death. II. After this, the Light in the Unctuosity, or Fatness of the Water became shining in the Heat, and that is now the Sun. III. And when now the Light of the Sun had affected or possessed the whole Body of the Sun, then the Power of Life, which rose up out of the first Affecting or Possessing, ascended, as when Wood is kindled, or when Fire is struck out of a Stone.

(45) But what is the Fire? First, there is the Darkness, the Hardness, the eternal Cold, and the Dryness, where there is nothing else but an eternal Hunger. Then how comes the Fire to be? Dear Soul, here [in the Fire's coming to be] the Spirit of God (viz. the eternal Light) comes to help the Hunger; for the Hunger exists also from the Light: Because the divine Virtue beholds itself in the Darkness, therefore the Darkness is desirous [and longing] after the Light; and the Desiring is the Will.

(5) Thus all the holy Souls were filled, so that their whole Body in all Essences was made stirring from the exceeding precious Virtue [or Power,] which went forth in the Wonders in Power and in a Deeds that were done there. And here is set before us the Virtue [or Power] of the Father in the Fire, in his severe Omnipotence on Mount Sinai, also the still Loving Virtue of the Son of God in the Love and Mercy; for we see that we could not all live in the Father, in the Source of the Fire, and therefore Moses broke the Tables, and the People fell away from God.

(1) With that "brightness of lightning" He kindled their souls That, which shone from Adam was gathered by Seth, When Noah received the gift of that lustre, By that light the soul of Abraham was led, Without fear he entered Nimrod's fiery furnace. When Ishmael sought out that light, He meekly laid his head beneath his father's bright knife. The soul of David was warmed by its heat, When Solomon was nurtured by its fruition, When Jacob bowed his head to the Divine decree, When moonlike Joseph saw that brilliant sun, When the staff drew might from the hand of Moses,

(34) 4th. Fire (ether) He drew forth from the water. He engraved and established by it the Throne of Glory. He fashioned the Seraphim, the Ophanim, and the Holy Living Creatures (Cherubim?), as His ministering angels; and with (of) these three He formed His habitation, as it reads: "Who made His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire." (Psalms civ. 4.)