Three Principles of the Divine Essence Chap. 8-16 - meuser

wounded,] for he has not only Enemies outwardly, but also in
himself; he bears the bestial and also the hellish Image of Wrath
in him, so long as this House of Flesh r endures. Therefore
that causes Strife and Division against himself, and also without
q Or unites.
r Lasts.
him, against the Wickedness of the World, which the Devil
mightily s presses against him, and tempts him on every Side,
misleads, and distorts him every where, and his own Household in
his Body are his worst Enemies; therefore the Children of God
are Bearers of the Cross in this World, in this evil earthly Image.
37. Now behold, thou Child of Man, (seeing thou art an
eternal Spirit) thou hast this to expect after the Breaking [or
Deceasing] of thy Body; thou wilt be either an Angel of God
in Paradise, or a hellish ugly diabolical Worm, Beast, or Dragon;
all according as thou hast t been inclined [or given to] here in
this Life; that Image which thou hast borne here in thy Mind,
with that thou shalt appear; for there can no other Image go
forth out of thy Body at the Breaking [or Deceasing of it;] but
even that which thou hast borne here, that shall appear in Eternity.
38. Hast thou been a proud vain­glorious, selfishly Potent, and
one that has for thy Pleasure Sake oppressed the Needy, then
such a Spirit goes forth from thee, and then so it is in the
Eternity, where it can neither keep nor get any Thing for [to
feed] its Covetousness, neither can it adorn its Body with any
Thing, but with that which is there, and yet it climbs up eternally
in its Pride, for there is no other u Source in it; and thus in its
Rising it reaches into nothing else but the stern Might of the
Fire in its Elevation; it inclines itself in its Will continually in
such a Purpose as it did in this World; as it was wont to do
here, so all appears in its Tincture, therein it:climbs up eternally
in the Abyss of Hell.
39. But hast thou been a base Slanderer, Liar, Deceiver, false
murderous Man, then such a Spirit proceeds from thee, and
that desires in the Eternity nothing else but mere Falshood; it
spits out from its fiery Jaws, fiery Darts full of Abomination and
Reproach; it is a continual Stirrer and Breaker in the fierce
Sternness, devouring in itself, and consuming nothing; all its
[Things, Beings, Essences, Works, or] x Substances appear in
its Tincture; its Image is figured according as its Mind has
been here.
40. Therefore I say, a Beast is better than such a Man, who
gives himself up into the hellish Images; for a Beast has no
eternal Spirit, its Spirit is from the Spirit of this World, out