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(29) Reader, who lovest God; hereby it will be shown thee, that the great Mysteries meet us, concerning the hidden Things that were in Adam before his Fall, and that yet there are much greater after his Fall, when he was as it were dead, and yet living; and here is shown the Birth of the eternal Essence, and why it still must thus have been, that Adam must have been tempted, and wherefore it could not have been otherwise; though Reason continually a gainsays it, and alledges God's Omnipotence, that it was in him to hinder, or suffer the doing of it.

(7) And Jesus answered and said unto John: "Finely indeed do ye question on all with precision and certainty. But now, therefore, John, hearken that I may discourse with thee. Every one who hath received mysteries of the Light, will abide in the region up to which every one hath received mysteries, and he hath not the power to go into the height into the orders which are above him. "That mystery knoweth why the darkness hath arisen and why the light hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the darkness of the darknesses hath arisen and why the light of the lights hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the chaos hath arisen and why the treasury of the light hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the judgments have arisen and why the light-land and the region of the inheritances of the light have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements of the sinners have arisen and why the rest of the kingdom of the light hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the sinners have arisen and why the inheritances of the light have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the impious have arisen and why the good have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the chastisements and judgments have arisen and why all the emanations of the light have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the sins have arisen and why the baptisms and the mysteries of the light have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the fire of chastisement hath arisen and why the seals of the light, so that the fire should not harm them, have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why wrath hath arisen and why peace hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why slander hath arisen and why songs of the light have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the prayers of the light have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why cursing hath arisen and why blessing hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why knavery hath arisen and why deceit hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the slaying hath arisen and why the quickening of the souls hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why adultery and fornication have arisen and why purity hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why intercourse hath arisen and why continence hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why insolence and boasting have arisen and why humbleness and meekness have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why tears have arisen and why laughter hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why slander hath arisen and why good report hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why appreciation hath arisen and why disdain of men hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why murmuring hath arisen and why innocence and humbleness have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why sin hath arisen and why purity hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why strength hath arisen and why weakness hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why motion of body hath arisen and why its utility hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why poverty hath arisen and why wealth hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the freedom [?] of the world hath arisen and why slavery hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why death hath arisen and why life hath arisen."

(34) Lest that knowledge be lost, however, it was concealed in allegories and myths which were meaningless to the profane but self-evident to those acquainted with that theory of personal redemption which was the foundation of philosophical theology. Christianity itself may be cited as an example. The entire New Testament is in fact an ingeniously concealed exposition of the secret processes of human regeneration. The characters so long considered as historical men and women are really the personification of certain processes which take place in the human body when man begins the task of consciously liberating himself from the bondage of ignorance and death.

(1) It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that they rejoiced in great joy and exulted when they heard Jesus say these words. And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto them: "Hearken, therefore, now still further, O my disciples, so that I discourse with you concerning the whole gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable. "That mystery of the Ineffable knoweth why unmercifulness hath arisen and why mercifulness hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why ruin hath arisen and why everlasting eternity hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the reptiles have arisen and why they will be destroyed. "And that mystery knoweth why the wild beasts have arisen and why they will be destroyed. "And that mystery knoweth why the cattle have arisen and why the birds have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the mountains have arisen and why the precious stones therein have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the matter of gold hath arisen and why the matter of silver hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the matter of copper hath arisen and why the matter of iron and of stone hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the matter of lead hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the matter of glass hath arisen and why the matter of wax hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why herbs, that is the vegetables, have arisen and why all matters have arisen. "And the mystery knoweth why the waters of the earth and all things in them have arisen and why also the earth hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the seas and the waters have arisen and why the wild beasts in the seas have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the matter of the world hath arisen and why it [the world] will be utterly destroyed."

(17) But we should not here again wholly set down the Ground of the Deity, so far as it is otherwise meet and known by us, we account that needless [here,] for you may find it before the Incarnation of a Child in the Mother's [Womb or] Body. We set down thus much here, to the End that the Region of his World may be understood. And thus we give the Reader exactly to understand and know how the Region of Good and Evil are in one another, and how it is an imperishable Thing [or Substance,] so that one is generated out of the other, and that also the one goes forth out of the other into another Substance [or Being,] which it was not in the Beginning; as you may learn to understand this in Man, who in his Beginning, in the Will of Man and Woman, viz. in the Limbus, and in the Matrix, is conceived in the Tincture, and sown in an earthly Soil; where then the first Tincture A Desiring or Attracting. Dispels. (in the Will) breaks, and his own Tincture springs forth out of the anxious [or aching] Chamber of Darkness, and of Death, out of the anxious Source [or Property,] and blossoms out of the Darkness, in the broken Gate of the Darkness in it, as a pleasant Habitation, and so generates its Light out of the anxious Fierceness out of itself; where then (in the Light) there goes forth again the endless Source of the [Thoughts or] Senses, which make a Throne and Region of Reason, which governs the whole House, and desires to enter into the Region of Heaven, out of which it proceeded not. And therefore now this is not the original Will, which there desires to enter into the Region of the Heaven; but it is the preconceived Will out of the Source of the Anxiety, [which Will is a Desire to] enter through the deep Gate of God.

(37) Therefore, according to our Knowledge, we will set down an Explanation of the Fall of Man, which is very perfectly manifested, and appears in the Light of the Day, and i convinces us. And we have no Need of the Fooleries of the Antichrist, who with the Blood and Death of Christ does but seek his own Covetousness, Pride, and Voluptuousness, and draws the Vail of Moses before our Eyes, that we should not see through the Tables that were graven through [through] Joshua or Jesus, into the promised Land of Paradise; that he may only sit and ride upon his horrible and devouring Beast of Covetousness and Pride, which [Beast] is become so very great and strong, that it shadows the Circuit of the Earth, and rules so wonderfully over Mountains and Valleys, with his Fierceness; which [Beast] yet shall be broken by the Lily without Hands. At which the [People or] Nations shall wonder, and say; How art thou, O terrible and great Might [and Power,] founded upon so weak and loose a Ground!

(30) But when we consider [or mean] the Original of the first Principle, then we find the [Nature, Property, or] Species of the Tree, and also the Will to the Tree. We find there the Abyss of Hell and of Anger [and Wrath;] and moreover we find the Will of all the Devils, we find the envious Will of all the Creatures of this World, why they all are the Enemies one of another, and do hate, bite, worry, kill and devour one another. My beloved Reason, here I will show you the Tree of the Temptation, and you shall look Moses in the Face: Keep your Mind stedfast, that you may apprehend it. 31.1 have often given you to understand in this Book already, what the Essence of all Essences is; but because it is most of all highly necessary in this Place to know the Ground [thereof,] therefore I will a set it you down all at large, and very fundamentally, so that you shall know it in yourself; yea you shall understand it in all Creatures, and in all Things that are, or that you look upon, or at any Time may possibly think on; all these shall be Witnesses. I can bring Heaven and Earth, also the Sun, Stars, and Elements for a Witness, and that not in bare Words and Promises only, but it shall be set before you [very convincingly and] very powerfully in their Virtue and Essence; and you have no Virtue [or Power, or Faculty] in your Body, that shall not [convince you and] witness against you; do but not suffer the lying Spirit, the old Serpent, to darken your Mind, who is the Inventor of a Thousand Tricks.

(1) WE know Christ has taught us, that a Judgment shall be kept, not only for the Punishment of the Despisers of God, and for a Reward to the Good, but also for the Sake of the Creature, and of Nature, that they may once be delivered from Vanity; and we know that the Substance of this World, and the Property thereof, must pass away; the Sun and the Stars, and also the four Elements, must pass away as to their Source [or Property,] and all must be restored again; and then the Life will spring forth through Death, and the Figure of every Thing shall stand eternally before God, for which End it was created; also we know that our Souls are immortal, generated out of the eternal Band; and when this World passes away, then also all its Essences pass away, which are generated out of it, and the Tincture remains still in the Spirit.

(2) Jesus said unto them: "There is no mystery which is more excellent than these mysteries on which ye question, in that it will lead your souls into the Light of the lights, into the regions of Truth and Goodness, into the region of the Holy of all holies, into the region in which there is neither female nor male, nor are there forms in that region, but a perpetual indescribable Light. Nothing more excellent is there, therefore, than these mysteries on which ye question, save only the mystery of the seven Voices and their nine-and-forty powers and their ciphers. And there is no name which is more excellent than them all, the name in which are all names and all lights and all powers.

(17) Therefore must Christ in his Temptation overcome the Kingdom of the Anger, and this external Birth; and by his Entrance into Death, he broke the Head of the Serpent, viz. the Devil, and all Devils, and took them captive. Thou must understand it thus; That the inward Element (which comprises the whole Body of this World) became Christ's eternal Body; for the whole Deity, in the Word and the Heart of God, entered thereinto, and espoused itself to remain therein to all Eternity; and this same Deity became a Creature, even such a Creature as can be everywhere, as the Deity itself; and this same Creature has captivated all Devils in the Kingdom of this World. And all Men who with their Mind draw near to this Christ, and desire him in right Earnest, they are drawn by the Spirit of the Father, (viz. of the clear and pure Deity) into the Humanity of Christ, that is, into the pure Element before the Trinity. And if they continue steadfast, and do not again depart from God into the Desire of the Devil, then the precious Pearl, viz. the Light of God, is sown in their Soul, which [Light] attracts to itself the precious Body of Jesus Christ, with Paradise, and the Kingdom of Heaven. And thus the right new man (Christus) grows on the Soul in the heavenly Virgin of God's Wisdom, in the Holy Ternary, in the Kingdom of Heaven. And thus such a Man is according to the new Man in Heaven in the Body of Jesus Christ, and as to the old earthly Man, which hangs unto the holy [Man,] he is in this World in the House of Sin, and the Deity actuates the new Humanity, and the Spirit of this World the old, until he puts him off in Death; for he is a Man in Heaven, born in the Mercy of God in the Body of Jesus Christ.

(28) And therefore instantly at the Fall, the Word of God the Father (and in the Word the Light) through the Holy Ghost, entered into the holy Element, and into the chaste Virgin of the Wisdom of God, and made a precious Covenant, to become a Creature in this Virgin, and to take away the Devil's Power in the Anger, and to destroy his Kingdom; and this Christ would yield himself to be in the perished Humanity, and with his Entering into Death separate the Hell of the Anger, and the Kingdom of this World from us; and God the Father discovered this Word (of the promised Seed of the Woman) instantly (after the Fall) in the Garden of Eden, where instantly it gave up itself (in the eternal Espousal) into the Center of the Light of Life, and separated all the Souls of Men, who have inclined themselves, and yielded themselves up to him, in the Dying of their Bodies, from the Anger of God, and from the Kingdom of this World, and brought them into him (into the pure Element of the Paradise) into the Joy, and into the chaste Virgin of God, there to wait, till God breaks the Kingdom of this World, with the Stars and Elements, where instantly the pure Element shall be instead of the Out-Birth; and there shall spring and grow the new Body upon the Soul in the holy Element before God eternally.

(62) Therefore now if we will speak of our native Country, out of which we are wandered with Adam; and will tell of the Resting- Place of the Souls; we need not to scast our Minds far off; for far off and near is all one and the same Thing with God; the Place of the Holy Trinity is all over. Heaven and Hell is [every where] all over in this World, and the Man (Christ) dwells all over, for he has laid off the Corruptibility, and has swallowed up Death, as also that which is [fragile or] temporal, and he lives in God; his Body is the substance of the Element, which out of the Word of the Mercifulness, is from Eternity generated out of the Gates of the Deep; it is the Habitation, where the Sharpness of God breaks open the Darkness, where the eternal Virtue [or Power] appears in Wonders; and it is the Tincture of the Deity, which is before God, out of which the heavenly Virtues are generated; its name is wonderful; the earthly Tongue cannot express it.

(7) And now if we will speak of the Glorification of Christ, and of his Body, which he visibly (and in that Form in which he had conversed upon Earth) ascended with, then we must say, that as the Love of the Heart of God has reconciled the Anger of the Father, and holds it as it were captive in it, so also the Holy Ternary has comprehended the hard palpable Body of Christ, viz. the Kingdom of this World, as if it was wholly swallowed up, whereas it is not swallowed up, but the Source of this World is destroyed in Death, and the Holy Ternary has put on the Body of Christ, not as a Garment, but virtually [or powerfully] in the Essences; and he is as it were swallowed up (to our Apprehension and Sight) and yet is really, and shall come again at the last Judgment-Day, and manifest himself in his own Body which he had here, that all may see him, be they good or bad; and he shall also come in the same Form to keep the Judgment of the Separation, for in his divine glorified Form we cannot behold him, before we be glorified, especially the Wicked. But thus all Generations shall see him and know him, and the Unbelieving shall weep and wail, that they went so out of their Flesh and Blood into another Source [or Condition,] when they should and might in their own Essences have put on God, and yet put on the Kingdom of the Fierceness of the Anger of God with the Devils, and let the same into the Essences of their Souls, and caused themselves to perish.

(23) But if it undertakes to speak of the unmeasurable Space, [or infinite Geniture,] then it becomes full of Lies, and is troubled and confounded: For it belies the unmeasurable Deity; as Antichrist does, which will have the Deity to be only above the starry Heaven, that thereby himself may remain to be God upon Earth, riding upon the great Beast, which yet must shortly go into the original Lake of Brimstone, into the P Kingdom of King Lucifer; for the Time is come, that the Beast shall be revealed and spewed out; concerning which we may be well enough understood here by the Children of Hope; but there is a Wall and Seal before the Servants or Ministers of Antichrist, till the Wrath be executed upon her Whoredom, and that she has received her full Wages, and that the Crown of their Dominion which they have worn be their Shame, and till the Eyes of the Blind be opened; and then she will sit as a scorned Whore, which every one will adjudge to Damnation. The very sublime Gate of the Holy Trinity, for the Children of God.

(1) Jesus continued again and said unto his disciples: "Yet further, O my disciples and companions and brethren, let every one be sober in the spirit which is in him, let him understand and comprehend all the words which I shall say unto you; for from now on will I begin to discourse with you concerning all the gnoses of that Ineffable. "That mystery knoweth why the west hath arisen and why the east hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the south hath arisen and why the north hath arisen. Yet further, O my disciples, hearken and continue to be sober and hearken to the total gnosis of the mystery of the Ineffable. "That mystery knoweth why the demons have arisen and why mankind hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the heat hath arisen and why the pleasant air hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the stars have arisen and why the clouds have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the earth became deep and why the water came thereon. "And that mystery knoweth why the earth became dry and why the water came thereon. "And that mystery knoweth why famine hath arisen and why superfluity hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the hoar-frost hath arisen and why the healthful dew hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the dust hath arisen and why the delightsome freshness hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the hail hath arisen and why the pleasant snow hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the west wind hath arisen and why the east wind hath arisen. ("And that mystery knoweth why the fire of the height hath arisen and why the waters have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the east wind hath arisen. [? miscopied.]) "And that mystery knoweth why the south wind hath arisen and why the north wind hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the stars of the heaven and the disks of the light-givers have arisen and why the firmament with all its veils hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the rulers of the spheres have arisen and why the sphere with all its regions hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the rulers of the æons have arisen and why the æons with their veils have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the tyrant rulers of the æons have arisen and why the rulers who have repented have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the servitors have arisen and why the decans have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the angels have arisen and why the archangels have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the lords have arisen and why the gods have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the jealousy in the height hath arisen and why concord hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why hate hath arisen and why love hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why discord hath arisen and why concord hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why avarice hath arisen and why renunciation of all hath arisen and love of possessions hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why love of the belly hath arisen and why satiety hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the paired have arisen and why the unpaired have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why impiety hath arisen and why fear of God hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the light-givers have arisen and why the sparks have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the thrice-powerful have arisen and why the invisibles have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the fore-fathers have arisen and why the purities have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the great self-willed hath arisen and why his faithful have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the great triple-powerful hath arisen and why the great invisible forefather hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the thirteenth æon hath arisen and why the region of those of the Midst hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why receivers of the Midst have arisen and why the virgins of the light have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the ministers of the Midst have arisen and why the angels of the Midst have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the light-land hath arisen and why the great receiver of the light hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the guards of the region of the Right have arisen and why the leaders of them have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the gate of life hath arisen and why Sabaōth, the Good, hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the region of the Right hath arisen and why the light-land, which is the treasury of the light, hath arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the emanations of the light have arisen and why the twelve saviours have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the three gates of the treasury of the light have arisen and why the nine guards have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the twin-saviours have arisen and why the three Amēns have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the five Trees have arisen and why the seven Amēns have arisen. "And that mystery knoweth why the Mixture which existeth not, hath arisen and why it is purified."

(5) It came to pass, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary Magdalene came forward and said: "My Lord, how many years of the years of the world is a year of the Light?" "Of the rest of the lower mysteries, therefore, ye have no need; but ye will find them in the two Books of Yew, which Enoch hath written whilst I spake with him out of the tree of gnosis and out of the tree of life in the paradise of Adam. "Now, therefore, when I shall have explained unto you the whole expansion, I will give you and tell you the great mysteries of the three allotments of my kingdom, that is the heads of the mysteries which I will give you and tell you in all their figures and all their types and in their ciphers and the seals of the last space, that is the first space from without. And I will tell you the answers and the apologies and the tokens of that space. "The second space which is within, possesseth no answers nor apologies nor tokens nor ciphers nor seals; but it possesseth only types and figures."

(18) Although such Revelations have been hidden [or concealed] from the Beginning of the World, yet because it must now go into its Ether, and into the Breaking-through, therefore all stands naked, whatsoever has been hidden in Nature; and there shall very great Things (which have been hidden) be revealed [or manifested;] and this Mystery is the Break of Day. Therefore it is Time to awake, for the Awakening of the Dead is near at Hand.

(78) Though indeed here we shall be as one that is dumb to the World, yet we have written it for ourselves, for we understand it very well; and it is plain enough to the Tree of the Lily. But that the Person of Christ, with his Deeds and Essence, might be rightly demonstrated to the Reader, that he might apprehend it right, I therefore direct him to the Temptation of Christ in the Wilderness after his Baptism; whereat thou shouldst open thine Eyes, and not speak like the Spirit in Babel, which says, we know not what his Temptation was, and lay the Fault upon the Devil, that he was so impudent to presume to tempt Christ; saying moreover, we ought not to dive into it, [nor be so inquisitive about it,] we will let that alone till we come thither, [into the other Life,] and then we shall see what it is. Besides, they forbid him that has Eyes to see, none must search into it, [if they do,] they are called Enthusiasts, and are cried out upon for Novellists [such as broach new Opinions and pretend to new Lights] and for Heretics.

(20) And there then this World shall remain standing in a Figure and Shadow in Paradise, but the Substance of the Wicked perishes in that [Figure of the World,] and remains in the Hell, for the Works of every one follow after them; and there shall be eternal Joy over the Figures of all Things, and over the fair Fruit of Paradise, which we shall enjoy eternally. Matth. 25. Note, Read more of this in the Answer to the thirtieth Question, in the Book of the Forty Questions concerning the Soul. To which help us, O Holy Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen. What is wanting here, you may seek for in the other Parts of my Writings, especially concerning Moses and all the Prophets, and concerning the Kingdom of Christ. In the fourth Part of these Writings, being the Forty Questions of the Original of the Soul, and what it is from Eternity to Eternity, this is clearly described. A true Information concerning the confounded Babel. To the Comfort of such as seek; and set here for a Witness against the Mockers and Despisers.

(31) But that other thing which they affirm, how that we ought to throw off and cast aside the life of Christ, and all laws and commandments, customs and order and the like, and pay no heed to them, but despise and make light of them, is altogether false and a lie. Now some may say; “Since neither Christ nor others can ever gain anything, either by a Christian life, or by all these exercises and ordinances, and the like, nor turn them to any account, seeing that they possess already all that can be had through them, what cause is there why they should not henceforth eschew them altogether? Must they still retain and practise them?” Behold, ye must look narrowly into this matter. There are two kinds of Light; the one is true and the other is false. The true light is that Eternal Light which is God; or else it is a created light, but yet divine, which is called grace. And these are both the true Light. So is the false light Nature or of Nature. But why is the first true, and the second false? This we can better perceive than say or write. To God, as Godhead, appertain neither will, nor knowledge, nor manifestation, nor anything that we can name, or say, or conceive. But to God as God,39 it belongeth to express Himself, and know and love Himself, and to reveal Himself to Himself; and all this without any creature. And all this resteth in God as a substance but not as a working, so long as there is no creature.