JACOB BEHME'S Table, Of the Divine Manifestation. Or An EXPOSITION Of The Threefold World.

Shewing What God is in Himself, without Nature and Creature: and how he is to be consi­dered in Nature according to the Three Principles.

Also What Heaven, Hell, the World, Time and Eternity; as also all Creatures both Visible and Invisible, are; and out of what all things are proceeded and sprung forth.

This Table is here Expounded in brief according to the Numbers; but in the Treatise of Predestination the Mat­ters are handled more at Large, especially in the first Five Chapters.

And Is as it were the Summe of all the Authours Writings; and as an A. B. C. to Beginners.

London, Printed in the Year, 1655.

What God is, considered as without and beyond Nature and Creature; and what the Great Myste­ry, Mysterium Magnum, is; shewing, how GOD hath, by his Breathing forth or Speaking, intro­duced himself into Nature and Creature.

What GOD is, viz. without or beyond NATURE and CREATURE.
 1Abysse Nothing and Allthings.  
FATHER.2Will of the Abysse.I. E. 
SONNE.3Longing delight, or the impression of the will.H.O.
SPIRIT.4Science, Root, or Mobility.V.A.
 5GOD in Trinity. Thus is God conside­red without Nature and Creature.
6WORD in GOD. 
7Wisdome. 

Here beginneth the Great Mystery, Mysterium Magnum; viz. the Distinction in the Speaking of the WORD: wherein the WORD, through the Wisdom becometh distinct, also Natural, Sen­sible, Perceptible, and Palpable or Inventible, whereby, the two Eternal Principles, of Gods Love and Anger, in Light and Darknesse, are under­stood.

The Beginning of the Mysterium Magnum, or Eternal NATUR.
GODin LOVE.GODinWRATH 
8. The SecondPrinciple.9. TheFirst Prin-ciple.Spiri-
 10. Tincture; or the Trinities Speaking. MovingSense-tual.
  DarkfeelingMindNATUR.
 V. Love fire.I. Desire.II. Sting. ScienceIII AnguishIV. Fire.
11. Angel. Light.VI. Sound or Distinction.Harsh.cause of Enmity.fiery hot-Root 
Angelical World. Root of the 4. E­lements.VII. Substance or the Substantial Wîsdom.Hard.Hellish life.HellSub-
 12. Pure Element.Sharp cold fire.RootDevill-stan-
The Growing or Springing in the Spiritual World.13. Paradise.Sal.Mercu­rius.Sulphur-tial.

Here beginneth the Outward visible World, viz. the Outspoken visible WORD. Wherein,

  • 1. Is understood the Good Life of the Creature which stands in the Quintessence.
  • 2. The Poyson and Grossenesse of the Earth and Earthly Life.
14. The Beginning of the Outward World.
The ThirdPrinciple. 
 15. Heaven. 
Starres.16. Quinta Essentia.Good powers.
The17. The 4. Elements.the Devils poyson introduced.
Outspoken WORD.18. Earthly Creatures. 

Now, If the Reader understandeth these things; all Doubts and Questions cease in him; and Bâbel is left in Ignominie and Scorn.

A Short Exposition of the foregoing Table concern­ing God Revealed or Manifested; shewing how he perpetually generateth and breatheth forth Himself from Himself: and how this Table is to be understood.

ABYSSE. 1. NOTHING & ALL THINGS.

AT Number 1. standeth the Abysse, the Nothing and All things; and there we must begin, to Consider, what God is, in himself, without and beyond Nature and Creature; and that Consideration of the hidden God goeth on to Number 7. Wisdom; whereby is understood, how God dwelleth through and through all things, and how all existeth from him, and yet himself is incomprehensible and as a Nothing to All things; and yet makes himself visible percep­tible palpable and inventible by and through All things.

2. Will of the Abysse.

At Number 2. standeth the Will of the Abysse; and right before it, standeth FATHER, and on the other side standeth I.E. this signi­fieth that the Will of the Abysse is the Father of Every being, or of all Substances; and the I.E. signifieth the Eternal One, viz. the Name JESUS proceeding from the Eternal One.

3. Longing Delight or Impression.

At Number 3. the Longing Delight, or the Impression or Contracti­on of the Will standeth; right before which words standeth SONNE; and after them standeth H. O. which signifieth, how the Own will impresseth or frameth it self into a place for its possession: that place is the Generating forth from it self, wherein God Generateth God, [Page] viz. a longing delight or Well pleasingnesse to himself: The H. O. is the breathing of the Will whereby the Longing goeth forth.

4. Science, Root, or Mo­bility.

At Number 4. standeth Science, Root, or Mobility: and right be­fore it standeth SPIRIT. and after it standeth V.A. The Science or Root, is the Wills drawing in to be a place for God; wherein the Will impresseth the outgone Longing or Delight, to be the Sonne, or Breathing; by the breathing forth of which, is understood the Spirit of God. And here the Great Name JEHOVA, viz. the Tri-Une Substance is understood; viz. how the Father generateth his Sonne out of himself, and how the Holy Spirit goeth forth from them both, and yet they are but One only Substance which hath no­thing before it. For the Science, in the Impression is understood as a Root of the Eternal Skill Knowledge or Mobility.

5. God in Trinity.

At Number 5. standeth God in Trinity; signifying, the Tri-une Substance, whereof a Similitude may be given in the Will, Mind, and Senses or Thoughts; wherein the Eternal Understanding Lyeth: for that is the Trinity of the One Eternal Understanding, and Cause of Every Beeing.

6. WORD.

At Number 6, standeth WORD, signifying the Distinction or Separability in the Understanding, viz. the Speaking or Expressing the perceptibility of it self: which Word continueth Eternally in God; and God, viz. the Power or Vertue of the Perceptibility, is the Eter­nalGoodnesse. Good.

7. Wisdom.

At Number 7. standeth Wisdom, signifying the outspoken Word, [Page] viz. the Power of the Divine Vision, wherein God himself is under­standingly and perceptibly Revealed and Manifested. And thus far, God is Invisible and Incomprehensible to the Creature, and not Na­tural, also not Creatural.

The Beginning of the Myste­rium Magnum, or Eternal NATUR.

Under the line standeth these words; The beginning of the Great Mystery, Mysterium Magnum, or Eternal Nature; viz. the distincti­on or Separability, percepribility and inventibility of properties; whereby is understood, the Divine Explication or Revelation; shewing, how God introduceth himself into Love and Anger, in the Eternal Nature, and not in himself; for he is himself the Eternal One only Good, which yet without distinction or separability could not be per­ceptible or Manifested.

But here we are to note, that the Seven chief Forms of Nature are marked with Number I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. to difference them from the other Numbers, used in this Table.

8. The Second Principle.

 

9. The First Principle.

On the first side at Number 8. The Second Principle standeth; and on the other side at Number 9. The First Principle standeth: The words at Number 9. signifie the Fathers property, through the Speaking of the Word in Wrath; and those at Number 8. signifie the Sonnes pro­perty in the Love, wherein Gods Love is Manifested through the out­speaking or expressing of the Word: viz. that in the Love, Number 8, signifieth, the Angelical powers World; and that in the Wrath, Number 9. signifieth the Dark powers World, of Pain Woe and Tor­ment, wherein God is an Angry God.

10. Tincture.

At Number 10. standeth Tincture, which signifieth the Tempera­ture or Harmony of all Substances or things, shewing, how they [Page] therein, through the Word go forth into distinction and forms, viz. into seven chief Forms: as into, I. Desire. II. Science or Root. III. Anguish, IV. Fire, V. Lovefire, VI. Sound, and VII. Sub­stances: and further, there standeth by every chief form, what pro­perties go forth and are generated out of them: for if Speaking must be, then must the power first draw together, that it may breath forth it self, and then that drawing together, or Magnetick Impression, gene­rateth the somewhat which is the beginning, wherein is understood the Fiat, which hath attracted the powers.

I. Desire.

And it is the First chief Form of the Spiritual Nature, standing at Number I. viz. Desire; which Desire sharpneth it self so, that out of it Harsh, Hard, and the Cause of Cold existeth; and is a Ground of all Saltish properties, in the Spiritual World, Spiritual, and in the outward World Substantial. And thus the Desire of the Impression, is ac [...]use of the Overshadowing of it self, or of the Darknesse in the Abysse, as we see all these forms belong to Number I. viz. to the Desire of Impression.

II. Sting or Science.

Close by standeth the Second chief form Number II. which is the Sting or Science, viz. the root, which signifieth the indrawing of the desire, whence the first Enmity or Contrary will existeth; for hardnesse and moving, are unlike things, in this form now existeth the moving and feeling, as a root of painfulnesse; wherein is understood the Mercurial poysonous Life, both spiritually and in substance; and in the Darknesse, the Torment, or the painfulnesse of the Evil Life; neither would the Good Life be manifested without this root of Evil; and it is the root of Gods wrath, according to the Eternal Nature of the perceptibility.

III. Anguish.

The Third chief form Number III. is Anguish, which existeth out of the Desire of the Impression, and out of the Enmity of the S [...]ing, whence the Will standeth in the source or pain, and is a Cause of theOr perception in the Mind and Thoughts. feeling, and of the five Senses, therein, and because in the Anguish all forms are pained, that makes them that they find one an­other; and herein the WORD becometh distinct, and is a root of Sulphur, both spiritual and Substantial, wherein is rightly understood in the Darknesse in the painful Life, the Hellish fire, as is noted in the Table downwards.

IV. Fire.

The Fourth chief Form Number IV. is called Fire; wherein is un­derstood the Kindling of the fire, from the painful Sulphurey root; for the Will goeth from the Anguish into the Liberty again, and the liberty goeth into the Anguish to its manifestation,

In this Conjunction the Crack or Lightening Flash is effected, wherein the Abysse, viz. the Eternal Good becomes manifested, and is, in the Forms of NATURE, the Understanding and Life; in the Darknesse painful woe and Torment; and in the Liberty it is the Root of Joy, or the awakening of the powers, and is the fires Kindling; in which Kindling, the Abysse becometh a shining Light, viz. Mate­rial.

V. Lovefire.

The Fifth Form Number V. is called the Lovefire, wherein is un­derstood, how the Eternal Good, through the Kindling of the painful fire, introduceth it self into an exulting burning Lovefire, which fire is indeed in God before, but thus now it unfoldeth it self forth, so that it is perceptible and moveable, wherein the good powers become work­ing.

11. Angel.

VI. Sound.

At Number VI. standeth Sound, or Distinction, viz. the Sixth chief Form, signifying, the Natural clear life, wherein the Eternal Divine Word, hath through the forms of Nature, unfolded it self forth, wherein all the powers of the Wisdom stand in the Sound; and in this now consisteth the understanding Life, in the Light it is Angelical and Divine, and in the darknesse it is Diabolical; as right before it Num­ber 11. Angel standeth.

VII. Substance.

At Number VII standeth Substance, or the Substantial Wisdom of the outbreathed Word, wherein all other forms are manifested; and it is even the Substance of All forms, viz. Read the 6o. Epistle printed, of the true and false Light. in the Light Good, in the Darknesse Evil and Painful: And especially the Great Mystery My­sterium Magnum is understood therein; also the Angelical World is understood therein, as also the InwardIn Adam we lost Our Angelical heavenly Body, but through the regeneration and Faith in Christ, we at­tain it again, and that is kept by Christ with his heavenly flesh and blood in us, unto Eter­nal life, and nor the outward beastial Man. Spiritual Body of Man, which faded or disappeared in Adam; when the Soul's will went forth from [Page] Gods Will; but the same is made alive again in Christ, who giveth to it this powerful worlds substance, for food, which is that heavenly flesh, John 6.51. and is the dry Rod of Aaron, which in Christs Spirit buddeth and springeth fresh up in Man, again.

12. Pure Element.

At Number 12. standeth Pure Element, signifying, the Motion in the Angelical world into Substance, and it is the One only Holy pure Element, wherein the four Elements lye in the Temperature or Har­mony, and is a root of the four Elements.

13. Paradise.

At Number 13. standeth Paradise, signifying the Eternal springing up or budding, or the spiritual growing or vegetation in the Spirituall World, out of which, the Outward visible World out of Good and Evil, viz. out of both the Eternal Principles, hath been breathed forth; In which Source Quality and Regiment, Adam in his Innocency stood: viz. the four Elements in him stood yet all in the Temperature, viz. in the Holy Pure Element.

14. The Beginning of the Outward World.

At Number 14. standeth The Beginning of the Outward World: sig­nifying, how God through his Word, hath breathed forth the Spiritual Mysterium Magnum, Great Mystery, viz. the Eternal Nature of all Spiritual Properties, into a Visible outward formed substance, and through the Fiat, viz. the Spiritual Desire, formed it into Creatures; near which standeth, The Third Principle; wherein is to be understood 3. Worlds one in another, viz. the Dark world in Gods Wrath, and the Eternal Light World of Divine Love; and this beginning, fading or transitory world.

15. Heaven.

At Number 15. standeth Heaven, signifying the limit of distinction or separation between the Inward and Outward World, viz. be­tween the visible and invisible Substance; which Heaven, consisteth in the Substance of the Spiritual fires Water.

16. Quinta Essentia.

At Number 16. standeth Quinta Essentia; the Quintessence: sig­nifying the Spiritual Powers, viz. the Paradisical Ground in the 4 Ele­ments, as also the Starres or Constellations which were breathed forth out of the inward powers when Time began; and it is the Good in the four Elements, wherein the Light of Nature shineth, as an outbreathed Lightening or Lustre from the Eternal Light,

17. Four Elements.

At Number 17. standeth Four Elements; that is, 1 Fire, 2 Aire, 3 Water, and 4 Earth; viz. the Created World, out of the Dark-and Light-World: which is the Outspoken formed WORD, out of the Eternal Natures powerful Substance, into which the Devil had shed his poyson, which after Mans Fall, was Cursed of God.

18. Earthly Creatures.

At Number 18. standeth Earthly Creatures; signifying, that out of the Quinta Essentia, or Quintessence, and out of the 4. Elements, all Creatures of this visible World have been created, and have their Life only from thence. But the Soulish or PsuchicallMan having 2. Eternall worlds in him, is capable of being Sa­ved, or Dam­ned. Man, hath also both the Inward Spiritual Worlds in him as to the Inward Sou­lish Man. Therefore may both Gods Love and Anger be Manifested in him; for, into which of them the will frames fashions comprehen­deth or kindleth it self, of the substance thereof it cometh to be, and to manifest the self same therein, as is to be seen in Lucifer.

This is a brief Explication of the Table, which is the Summe of all the Authours Writings, set forth for his Loving Friends sakes, and from a good Christian intent very faithfully, and for an A.B.C. to Beginners, 1623.
FINIS.

The Reader is desired to mend these faults with his Pen before he read the Book.

FIrst Preface, Page 3. (a) Margine, for צ. read ע. Page 1. (b) l. 8. blot out by.

Behm's Preface, page 2. line 1. read highest Good)

The Book, Page 3 line 12 for sound. read found. p. 4 l. 35 for on. r. an. p. 8 l. 16 for Image. r. Imaged. p. 10 l. 36 for End. r. Ens. p. 12 l. 46 for salt. r. fatt. p. 16 l. 22 read Tongue. p. 17 l. 13 read Love-fire. p. 19 l. 3 for of. r. or. p. 21 l. 1 & 2 r. lights Love-fire. p. 22 l. 3 r. and Metals, the. for were. r. was. p. 26 l. 2 for incorrupting. r. incorporating qualifying Life of. p. 28 l. 11 for first. r. fift. p. 35 l. 29 for transmitted. r. transmuted. p. 36 l. 5 read forms of dispositions. p. 42 l. 8 r. the Mens or Mind. p. 47. l. 18 r. of Nat [...]re. l. 20 r. 72. For, in. p. 49 l. 9 for into. r. in. for Ens, or Beeing. r. Essence. p. 53 l. 17 for its. [...]. into. p. 56 Margine. l. 11 r. of The. p. 78 l. 20 r. Life that. p. 79 l. 3 for was. r. were. p. 111 l 45 r. Glauben. p. 117 l. 5 r. property; l. 37 for with. r. without. p. 120 l. 4 r. which was. p. 136 l. 10 r. the Grace and. p. 148 l. 32 r. so very great. p. 164 l. 19 for whole. r. good. p. 187 l. 38 r. who without. p. 188 l. 22 r. no other. p. 196 l. 41 r. and sharp.

Table. Page 4. line 32. read Sting. p. 8. l. 4. r. Substance.

FINIS.

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