8/29/2015

An Address to the Earnest Lovers of Wisdom - 1764

COPYRIGHTNOTICE
ThisEText2012PasstheWORDServices.
ETextCopyrightrenewswitheachpublishedupdate.
OnlineatPTW:December122012
Lastupdate:December12,2012

AN

ADDRESS
TOTHE

EARNESTLOVERS
OF

WISDOM.
1764

HE whole World would not contain the Books that would be written of
Christ,ifallthathedidandspokeshouldbewrittenofhim,flowingfromthefountain
ofWisdomwhichdweltinhimWhatthencanbeexpectedinashortIntroduction,
butsomefewObservationsoftheFootStepsandPathsofWisdom?
Many have been her Scholars, in the Way which Nature has inclined them to, or
Godinthem,thathavekindledthedivineNature,andhavebeenmadepartakersofit
intheirSouls:WemayperceivetheirExcellencebywhathasbeenleftonRecordby
them.
This Author, Jacob Behmen, esteems not merely his own outward Reason, but
acknowledges to have received a higher Gift from God, freely bestowed upon him,
and left in Writing, for the Good of those that should live after him. And in his
Writings he has discovered such a Ground, and such Principles as reach into the
deepestMysteriesofNature,andleadtotheattainingofthehighestpowerfulnatural
Wisdom, such as was among the PhilosophersHermes Trismegistus, Zoroaster,
Pythagoras,Plato,andotherdeep Men, bothancient andmodern,conversantinthe
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Cblockquote%20style%3D%22color%3A%20rgb(0%2C%200%2C%200)%3B%20font-family%3A%20Verdana%3B%20font-size%

1/4

8/29/2015

An Address to the Earnest Lovers of Wisdom - 1764

MysteriesofNature.
ThesePrinciplesleadtotheattainingsuchWisdomaswastaught
inEgypt,inallwhichLearningMoseshadSkill,totheWisdomwhich
was taught in Babylon among the Caldeans, Astrologians, and
Wisemen or Magi, among whom Daniel was educated, and to that
WisdomoftheEast,fromwhencecametheMagi,whosawtheStar
that led them toJerusalem,and toBethlehem, where they saw the
Child Jesus and worshipped, and so returned whom God himself
waspleasedtowarn,anddirectthemwhattodo.
TheGroundandPrinciplesinhisWritingsleadtotheattainingthe
WisdomoftheEast,whichSolomonhad,andwroteintheProverbs,
and in a Book (which has not yet been extant with us, but was
reportedtohavebeenintheEast)whereinhewroteallPlants,from
the Cedar to the Moss that grows upon the Wall, and of all living
Creatures.
His Ground discovers the Way to attain, not only the deepest
MysteriesofNature,butDivineWisdom,Theosophy,theWisdomof
Faith,whichistheSubstanceofThingshopedfor,andtheEvidence
ofThingsnotseenwiththeoutwardEyes:ThisWisdombringsour
inward Eyes to see such Things as Moses saw in the Mount, when
hisFaceshoneliketheSunthatitcouldnotbebeheldsuchThings
asGehazi saw, when his Master Elisha had prayed that his Eyes
might be opened, his inward Eyes, for his outward were as open
before,ifnotmore,thananyofours,seeinghewasServanttoso
great a Prophet, so they were opened, and he saw Angels fighting
for Israel such Things as Stephen saw, who saw Jesus sitting at
theRightHandofGod,andhisFaceshoneliketheFaceofanAngel
at his Stoning andPaul, who saw Things unutterable in Paradise,
when his outward Eyes were struck blind: Such Wisdom as this
sees and knows all Mysteries, speaks all Tongues of Men and
Angels, that tongue which Adam named all the Creatures by in
Paradise, it can also do all Miracles for the Enjoyment of which
MenwouldgivealltheirGoodstothePoor,sodesirableaThingitis
to enjoy it in this Life: But whilst Corruption sticks to the Soul, it
musthaveCharity,orelsethisSeedofFaithwillnotbeartheFruit
of eternal Life in Paradise for ever, where there is nothing but an
eternalMiracle,ofwhichallMiraclesonEartharebutinPartbut
when that which is perfect is come, then that which is imperfect
shall be done away. This is the Wisdom by which Moses wrought
his Wonders above Nature, and all the Prophets from the first
toChrist and it is that which our Saviour Jesus Christ himself
taught his Apostles and Disciples, and which the Comforter
continuallyteachestheholyServantsofGodeversince.
BytheStudyoftheseWritings,Menmaycometoknow(everyone
according to his Condition, Property, and Inclination) how all the
real Differences of Opinions of all Sorts, may bereconciled even
the nicest Differences in all Ages. That which seems different in
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Cblockquote%20style%3D%22color%3A%20rgb(0%2C%200%2C%200)%3B%20font-family%3A%20Verdana%3B%20font-size%

2/4

8/29/2015

An Address to the Earnest Lovers of Wisdom - 1764

the Writings of the profound magical, mystical, chemic

Philosophers,fromthatwhichwefindinothers,maybereconciled,
by considering what this Author teaches, that the Names which
weregiventothesevenPlanets,signifythesevenPropertiesofthe
eternalNature,andaretheCauseofallthoseThings,whichareby
Men conversant in Experiments in Nature frequently accounted the
firstanddeepestCausesofall.
Thereby also the Differences in Religion may be so reconciled,
that the Minds and Consciences of all doubting Persons may be
satisfied about the most difficult Points relating to Creation,
Corruption, Salvation, and Restoration, so clearly, that all will love
one another, and that hard Lesson, to love our Enemies, will be
readilylearntandMenwillquicklycontributetothestudyingthat
onenecessaryThing,thatTreasurehidintheField,thatGoldofthe
Kingdom of Heaven, that precious Pearl, that all in all, Faith and
Love,ChristandGod,whentheyshallperceivethatallthislieshid
ineverySoul,inoneMeasureorother,andmaybefound,andthe
Waysetdownsoplain,thateverySoulmayfindit.
TherebytheWritingsofallMenwillbeunderstood,andthevery
darkest Mysteries contained in the Writings of the Prophets and
Apostles will be made plain and easy to the most simple thirsty
Soul and when that appears which is now hidden, when that
excellentGloryshalldiscoveritselftoMen,theywillnotonlyseeit,
butwalkintheWayofit,andsoattainitinthehighestDegreeof
everyone'sCapacity.
Read these Writings diligently and seriously, till you apprehend
the Meaning but of some Part of the Way this Author describes,
which may well be done, and you will be satisfied the Things are
true,andthattheWayheshowsistrue,andbeabletowalkinit,
andalsobeveryearnesttoprosecutethatWaymoreandmore,till
you attain your whole Desire and then you will keep them as an
inestimableJewel,amemorialofallMysteries.
ButletAllreadthemthemselves,thegreatestKingthatsitsupon
aThrone,orthemeanestSlave,orletthemhearthemread,ifthey
propose and desire to partake of this so high a Gift from the most
High,orelse,byPrejudiceandPerversionofothers,theDevilmay
easilydeprivethemofit.

Endof:"AnAddresstotheEarnestLoversofWisdom"
{AppearedverynearthebeginningofVolumeOnepriorto"TheLifeofJacobBehmen"}
data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Cblockquote%20style%3D%22color%3A%20rgb(0%2C%200%2C%200)%3B%20font-family%3A%20Verdana%3B%20font-size%

3/4

8/29/2015

An Address to the Earnest Lovers of Wisdom - 1764

Transcriptionfrom:"TheWorksofJacobBehmen,TheTeutonicTheosopher."
ReverendWilliamLaw'sEditioninEnglish:VolumeOneLondon,1764,
PrintedforM.Richardson,inPaternosterRow.

BacktoJacobBoehmeIndex

MoreOnLineManuscriptsfromthePast

PrintingtheManuscripts:Forstepbystepinstructions,howtopossiblydealwithprinter
problems, how to customize page headers/footers, suggestions for those with no
computer/printer,andmoreinformationabouttheonlinedocumentsatPasstheWORD.
PleasereporttypographicalerrorstotheSiteStewards.

data:text/html;charset=utf-8,%3Cblockquote%20style%3D%22color%3A%20rgb(0%2C%200%2C%200)%3B%20font-family%3A%20Verdana%3B%20font-size%

4/4