A compendious view of the grounds of the Teutonick philosophy : with considerations by way of enquiry into the subject matter and scope of the writings of Jacob Behmen, commonly called, the Teutonick philosopher : also several extracts from his writings and some words used by him explained

18 Concerning eternal Nature’s Effence.

the ftill eternity, nor out of the eternal unity of the Triune Deity.

Thirdly, It is brought forth by God’s will out of this eternal ground into matter and form, which I am now to fpeak of.

Fourthly, The final caufe is alfo fignified in thefe words, for the good pleafure of his will, Now the will of God was to bring forth eternal Nature, with all her working effences, to be the original effence and ground of all created effences whatfoever, nothing being created without it, buc from it effentially and originally.

Queft. But you may poffibly afk, what is the difference between the abyfial effence, which is the original effence of all effences, and eternal Nature, which is the ground of all effences ?

Anfw. There is a very great difference ; the Triune Deity fees that all things lie hid in bis divine chaos, but without effence : but in eternal Nature’s ground he fees all things _ effentially, and the materiais and inftruments to bring forth all things from eternal Nature’s ground. So that eternal Nature is God’s workboufe, wherein he has whatfoever materially are required to creation. In the eternal nothing is no aétual

effence,