(12) And here the two strong Kingdoms of the Eternity are to be seen, which have been in Strife with one another, and are always so; and the Strife continues to Eternity, for it is also from Eternity, viz. [between] gthe Fierceness and the Meekness. If the Fierceness was not, there would be no Mobility; but it overcomes in this World only according to the Kingdom of Hell, and in the Heaven it makes the ascending Joy, and the Meekness.

(90) Now the heavenly [Body] must overcome the earthly, that the earthly may be as it were dead and impotent, and that the heavenly may xkeep the Dominion. And now as Adam stood in the Angle (between Love and Wrath) when he was tempted, there stood both Kingdoms against him, and pulled at him; and as God the Father (direct forward in his reconciled Will) is the Kingdom of Heaven, and the clear Deity; and backward (in the eternal Root of Nature) there is his Wrath and Anger, and yet both of them are in the eternal Father; and as in the eternal Nature of the Wrath, the Light or the Kingdom of Heaven is not known, and also in the eternal Light, the Kingdom of Fierceness and Wrath is not known, because each Kingdom is in itself, so is the Soul of Man also; it has Kingdoms in it, in which it a trades, in that it stands. If it trades in the Kingdom of Heaven, then the Kingdom of Hell is dead in it; not that it is ceased, but the Kingdom of Heaven is predominant, and the Kingdom of Fierceness is changed into Joy; so also, if it trades in the Kingdom of Wrath, then that is predominant, and the Kingdom of Heaven is as it were dead; although indeed (in itself it does not vanish) yet the Soul is not in it.

(14) And then we find also, how the Meekness is the Virtue and the Spirit, so that where the Meekness is not, there the Fierceness (in itself) is nothing but a Darkness and a Death, where no i Growing can spring up, and it cannot generate nor discover its Wonders; and thus we find that the Fierceness [Wrath or Sourness] is a Cause of the Essences, and [that] the Meekness [is] a Cause of the Joy, and a Cause of the Rising and [Budding] or Growing forth of the Essences; and then that the Spirit is generated by the Flowing, [Working, Springing,] and Rising up, out of the Essences, and that the Fierceness so becomes the Root of the Spirit, and the Meekness is its Life.

(15) Now there can be no Meekness without Light, for the Light makes the Meekness, and there can be no Fierceness without the Light, for the Light makes a Longing in the Darkness; and yet there is no Darkness there, but the Longing makes the Darkness in the Will, so that the Will attracts to itself, and impregnates the Longing, so that it becomes thick and dark; for it is thicker than the Will, and therefore it shadows the Will, and is the Darkness of the Will.

(31) But if it puts its Will forward into Meekness (viz. into the Obedience of God) then it is in the Source [or of the Quality and Property] of the Heart of God, and receives divine Virtue, and then all its rough Essences become angelical and joyful; and then its rough Essences are very serviceable to it, and are better and more profitable to it, than that it were altogether sweet in the Originality; in which [being sweet] there would be no Strength, nor such mighty Power as in the harsh, bitter, and fiery [Essences.]

(2) Meekness in itself is nought else, but a true knowing and feeling of a man’s self as he is. For surely whoso might verily see and feel himself as he is, he should verily be meek. Two things there be, the which be cause of this meekness; the which be these. One is the filth, the wretchedness, and the frailty of man, into the which he is fallen by sin; and the which always him behoveth to feel in some part the whiles he liveth in this life, be he never so holy. Another is the over‑abundant love and the worthiness of God in Himself; in beholding of the which all nature quaketh, all clerks be fools, and all saints and angels be blind. Insomuch, that were it not that through the wisdom of His Godhead He measured their beholding after their ableness in nature and in grace, I defail to say what should befall them.

(33) Now these three Kingdoms were in Adam, and also without him; and in the Essences there was a mighty Strife, all drew as well in Adam as without Adam, and would fain have him; for he was a great Lord [come] out of all the [Powers or] Virtues of Nature. The Heart of God desired to have him in Paradise, and [would] dwell in him; for it said, it is my Image and Similitude. And the Kingdom of Wrath [and of the fierce Tartness] would also have him; for it said, he is mine, and he is [proceeded] out of my Fountain, out of the eternal Mind of the Darkness; I will be in him, and he shall live in my Might, for he is generated out of [that which is] mine, I will, through him, shew great and strong Power. The Kingdom of this World said, he is mine; for he bears my Image, and he lives in [that which is] mine, and I in him; he must be obedient to me, I will tame him and compel him, I have all my Members in him, and he in me; I am greater than he, he must be my Householder, I will show my fair Wonders and Virtues in him, he must manifest my Wonders and Virtues, he shall keep and manage my Herds, I will cloathe him with my fair Glory; as now it is to be seen.

(34) But when the Kingdom of the Fierceness of the Wrath, of Death, and of Hell, saw that it had lost, and could not keep Man, then it said, I am Death, and a Worm, and my Virtue [or Power] is in him, and I will grind him and break him to Pieces, and his Spirit must live in me; and although thou World supposest that he is thine, because he bears thy Image, yet his Spirit is mine, generated out of my Kingdom; therefore take what is thine from him, I will keep that which is mine.

(54) Indeed, when his Wrath was sprung up in Man, then he would manifest his Wonders, but that was not the Purpose of God when he created Adam; but it was tried which of them should get the Victory, the Meekness, or the Fierceness in the eternal Root; but the Soul in Adam was yet free, and there was nothing else that could perish, but the own Will.

(8) Yet this first Will in the Mind ought not to stay behind in the Abyss of the sour Fierceness, (in which the fierce Malice is,) but ought to go forward in the Center of the Breaking forth out of the Darkness into the Light, for in the Light there is mere Meekness, Lowliness, Humility, Good- Will, and friendly Desires, that it might with its re-conceived Will go out of itself, and to Or earnest Will. open itself in its precious Treasury. For in the re-conceived Will to the Birth of the Light, there is no Source of Anxiety, but only mere friendly Desires; for the Glimpse rises up out of the Darkness in itself, and desires the Light; and the Desiring draws the Light into itself, and there the Anguish becomes an exulting Joy in itself, an humble Chearfulness, a pleasant Habitation. For the re-conceived Will in the Light is impregnated, and its Fruit in the Body is Virtue [or Power,] which the Will desires to generate, and to live therein; and this Desiring brings the Fruit out of the impregnated Will, [and presents it] before the Will, and the Will discovers itself [glimmers or shines] in the Fruit in an infinite pleasant Number; and there goes forth, in the pleasant Number, in the discovered [or manifested] Will, the high Benediction [or Blessing,] Favour, loving Kindness, pleasant Inclination [or yielding Pliableness,] the Taste of Joy, the Well-doing of Meekness [or Affability,] and [further] what my Pen cannot express. The Mind would much rather be freed from Vanity, and live therein without Molestation or Disturbance.

(20) Thus Man is drawn and held of both; but the Center stands in him, and [he] has the Balance between the two Wills, viz. between the original and the reconceived [Will] to the Kingdom of Heaven; and in each Scale there is a Maker, who forms what he lets into his Mind; for the Mind is the Center of the Balance, the Senses [or Thoughts] are the Weights that pass out of one Scale into the other; for the one Scale is the Kingdom of the Fierceness, and of Anger; and the other is the Regeneration (in the Virtue [or Power] of God) in the Heaven.

(1) NOW let see first of the virtue of meekness; how that it is imperfect when it is caused of any other thing mingled with God although He be the chief; and how that it is perfect when it is caused of God by Himself. And first it is to wit, what meekness is in itself, if this matter shall clearly be seen and conceived; and thereafter may it more verily be conceived in truth of spirit what is the cause thereof.

(3) And think not because I set two causes of meekness, one perfect and another imperfect, that I will therefore that thou leavest the travail about imperfect meekness, and set thee wholly to get thee perfect. Nay, surely; I trow thou shouldest never bring it so about. But herefore I do that I do: because I think to tell thee and let thee see the worthiness of this ghostly exercise before all other exercise bodily or ghostly that man can or may do by grace. How that a privy love pressed in cleanness of spirit upon this dark cloud of unknowing betwixt thee and thy God, truly and perfectly containeth in it the perfect virtue of meekness without any special or clear beholding of any thing under God. And because I would that thou knewest which were perfect meekness, and settest it as a token before the love of thine heart, and didst it for thee and for me. And because I would by this knowing make thee more meek.

(42) And the Element remains hidden to the Anger and Fierceness [or Wrath,] and stands in Paradise; and the fierce Wrath goes still out from the Element; and therefore God has captivated the Devils with the Element in the fierce Wrath, and he keeps them [in] with the Element; and the fierce Wrath cannot [touch or] comprehend it, like the Fire and the Light; for the Light is neither hot nor cold, but the fierce Wrath is hot; and the one holds the other, and the one generates the other.

(39) Seeing now Man is entered into the Spirit of this World, and has all Gates in [him,] viz. the Kingdom of Heaven, and the Kingdom of Hell, and also the Kingdom of this World, and must thus live in the Press, [or narrow Chink,] between Heaven and this World, where the Devil stirs up one Mocker after another, (who are brought up by the Kingdom of Fierceness,) and continually stirs them up against the Children of God, so that the World is full of Tyrants, and bestial, bloody, incestuous Persons, also Murderers and Thieves, and because Covetousness grew up, therefore the Office of Ruling was most profitable, that the wicked P Driver might be stopped by Power [and Authority.]

(64) We find indeed the Virtue of the Kingdom of Heaven in all Things; and also we find the Virtue [or Effect] of the Kingdom of Hell in all Things; and yet the Thing is not hurt [or disturbed] by either of them, but what is not generated out of one [of them alone.]

(3) And now each Kingdom effects its Will; the inward goes right forward, and consents not to the Wickedness of the outward, but it runs to its Mark; and the outward also goes forward with its Desire, and performs its Work according to the Influence of its Constellation.

(86) And so should the angelical Man also set his Will in the broken Gates of the Darkness, through the Will of the Father, wherewith the Soul qualifies [or mingles] in the Meekness of the Heart of God, and then the Source [or Quality] of the Darkness, in the [fierce] Wrathfulness, should not have stirred him, but he should have continued a glorious Prince of Paradise, in Triumph over the Kingdom of Hell and of this World.

(3) This second cause is perfect; for why, it shall last without end. And the tother before is imperfect; for why, it shall not only fail at the end of this life, but full oft it may befall that a soul in this deadly body for abundance of grace in multiplying of his desire—as oft and as long as God vouchsafeth for to work it—shall have suddenly and perfectly lost and forgotten all witting and feeling of his being, not looking after whether he have been holy or wretched. But whether this fall oft or seldom to a soul that is thus disposed, I trow that it lasteth but a full short while: and in this time it is perfectly meeked, for it knoweth and feeleth no cause but the Chief. And ever when it knoweth and feeleth the tother cause, communing therewith, although this be the chief: yet it is imperfect meekness. Nevertheless yet it is good and notwithstanding must be had; and God forbid that thou take it in any other manner than I say.

(23) And there stand the three Principles in Strife. The first Principle, viz. the Kingdom of Sternness [or wrathful Fierceness] says, Go forth in the Midst of the strong Might of the Fire, it must be [so;] then says the second [Principle] in the Mind, Stay and consider, God is here with the Virgin, fear the Abyss of Hell; and the third [Principle,] viz. the Kingdom of this World says, Here we are at Home, we must have it [so,] that we may adorn and sustain the Body, it must be [so;] and it takes the Region of the Air, viz. its own Spirit, and brings that [Region] out at the Mouth, and keeps the Distinction according to the Kingdom of this World.