to the Devils; but the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven is very firait and narrow; whofoever will walk therein, must not linger and tarry 'till the Devil quite barreth up the Door. He must not regard the Course of this World, but muft only enter to himself, and fearch himself. The Time will come that he fhall think that he walketh alone in this Way; but God hath always his Seven Thoufand with Elias befides him, whom he knoweth not of.

26. For a fincere earnest Chriftian doth not altogether know himfelf here; he feeth nothing but his Sins and Sinfulness, in which the Devil fighteth against him. They are always in his Sight; but he knoweth not his own Holiness in this World; for Chrift hideth it under his Crofs, fo that the Devil feeth it not. fore be always fober and watchful, and refift the fubtle Devil, that ye may live for ever.

Amen.

There

A

A N

EPISTLE

FROM

JACOB BEHMEN,

TOA

Good FRIEND of his.

BEING THE

Thirty-Second of his Book of Epiftles.

An E PISTLE

From JACOB BEHMEN.

Our Salvation confifleth in the effectual working Love of Jefus Chrift within us.

1.

MY very loving and Christian Friend,

I wish you the highest Peace, with the hearty Love of a Fellow-Member of Chrift working in the Defire, that the true Sun of the effectual Love of Jefus Chrift may continually rife and fhine in your Soul, Spirit, and Body.

2. Your Letter dated the 24th of January I received a Fortnight after Eafter; rejoicing to fee in it that you are a thirfty, fervent, and defirous Searcher and Lover of the true Ground of the Knowledge of Divine Myfteries, which I perceive you have fought and fearched for with Diligence.

3. But that my Writings are come to your Hands and please you, is certainly effected by the Appointment of GOD, who bringeth Lovers to that which they Love, and often useth strange Means, whereby he fatisfieth their Defire, and feedeth them with his Gifts

and

and Graces, and putteth an Ens or living Spark of the true Fire into their Love, that it may burn aright. And you may reft assured, if you continue conftant and fteady in your Love to Truth, that it will open, reveal, and manifeft itself to you in its flaming Love, and make itself certainly known. But the fearching for it must be begun aright, for we attain not the true Ground of Divine Knowledge by the fharp fearching and Speculation of our outward Reafon, but the Searching must begin from within in the Hunger of the Soul.

4. For Reafon penetrateth no further than its own Aftrum or Conftellation of the outward World, from whence itfelf hath its Original. But the Soul fearcheth in its own Aftrum or Conftellation, viz. in the inward Spiritual World, from whence this whole vifible World hath its Original, and wherein its Ground or Root ftandeth.

5. If the Soul then would search and reach its own Aftrum or Spiritual Conftellation, viz. the Myfterium Magnum, or the eternal Divine Nature, it must first wholly yield up all its Power and Will to the Divine Love and Grace within it, and become a Child, turning itself to its Centre by Repentance, and defiring to know and do nothing but that only which the Spirit of God feeketh and would do by it.