Het tweede boeck des auteurs, handelende van de drie principien

z Or joy and sorrow.
a Or beginning.

the love and the gentleness of God may be, what God's desire or will may be, what the Devil and the wrath of God is; in sum, what z joy and sorrow may be. And how everything a takes its beginning and lasts eternally, as well as the right distinction between the eternal and the perishable Creatures: primarily concerning man and his soul, what that may be, and how the same is an eternal Creature: and what Heaven (where God and the Holy Angels and men dwell) may be: and what Hell is, where the Devils dwell, and how everything was thus created and came to be in the original beginning. In sum, what the b Being of all beings may be.

b Understand by the Being of all beings not the pure Deity like Aristotle, but the eternal nature, God's love and wrath.
c Or with all evil affections and practices of the devil in the wrath of God.
d Understand: that which shall be described here.

16. Since the love of God has graced me with this knowledge, I will set such down in writing as a memorial or a remembrance, as we live (in this world) in such great danger (between Heaven and Hell), and that we must continually c struggle with the Devil, should it happen that I also (through weakness) might fall into the wrath of God, through which the light of my knowledge might be withdrawn from me, so that I may have d this for a memory and for a restoration. For God wills that all men be helped and does not want the death of the sinner, but that he turn back, turn to him, and live in him eternally: for whose sake [he has let his own heart (that is his Son) become man, so] that we should hold onto him, and rise again in him, and be born anew (from our sins and resistance).

e Or more useful and necessary.
f Or grasps and understands.

17. Therefore, nothing is e more useful to man (since he dwells in this world in such great danger, in this miserable corrupt house of flesh) than that he learns to know himself rightly. And if he now knows himself rightly, then he also knows his Creator, together with all Creatures; likewise f he knows how God is minded toward him; and this knowledge is to me the dearest that I have ever found.

g Or rooting about.
h Or argue, who always seek reason and no salvation.
i That is, the intention is not to write for such as these.

18. But if it should now happen that these writings might be read, and the Sodomitic world and its fattened swine might very easily come upon them and g rage in my pleasure garden (who can know or understand nothing but to blaspheme and haughtily h cavil, thus knowing neither themselves nor God, much less his children), then I do not want to have i written for those same people, and I close my book (for such Idiots and wild calves of the Devil) with a firm bolt, as they sit even up to their ears in the Devil's murder-pits, and do not know themselves, doing exactly what the Devil, their schoolmaster, does, and remaining children of the sever-

k Or which.

severe wrath of God. But for the children of God, I will write clearly enough here; the world and the devil may rage and toss about even into the abyss; for their hourglass is set, where everyone shall harvest what he has sown. And the Hellish fire will surely tickle many a person for his bold, contemptuous haughtiness, k in which he has no faith here.

19. Likewise, I cannot well refrain from setting this same in writing, since God will have an account of everyone's gifts and demand how he has employed the same. For he will demand his entrusted talent original: "pont" back with interest, and give to those who have gained much. But as I can do nothing more for him this time, I let the same [happen according to his will, and I [thus] write (according to my knowledge) continually onward.

l Which seal is not opened by any Academic School-learning, but through earnest repentance, fasting, watching, praying, knocking, and seeking in the merit of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

20. Concerning the children of God, they will well understand this (my writing) for what it is, for it has a very excellent testimony; it can be proven with all Creatures, indeed in all things, primarily in man who is an image and likeness of God. But it remains hidden (for the children of wickedness), and there is a firm l seal before it, notwithstanding that the Devil might smell the roast meat and stir up the storm-weather from the sunrise toward midnight; where then [yet] in the m fierce tree a Lily grows with a root as broad [as] the tree reaches with its branches, and n brings its scent into Paradise.

m Or severe tree.
n Or her scent.
o In the great blindness.
p Understand: the children of noble Sophia or Divine Wisdom.
q Or the friendly well-doing.

21. There shall come a wonderful time: but because the same begins o in the night, many shall not see the same (on account of sleep and great drunkenness); yet the Sun shall shine for the children (in the p midnight). I commend the Reader herewith to the q gentle love of God, Amen.

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