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

60 What kind of Principle eternal Nature is.

We will now take into confideration the nature of this fire, and whence it burns and flames continually, without ever being extinguifhed. God, the moft wife artift, took care that the fire might never go out, for then the eternal darknefs would become a dead efience; and therefore the great Chymift placed in the bowels of this fire, its eternal food of fulphur, mercury, and fal-nitre; which is the fewel that maintains its everlafting burnings.

Queft. If you afk me from whence this eternal fire does proceed ?

Anfw. I anfwer, not immediately from the divine effence, for init no fire is to be found; but out of the abyffal chaos, by the eternal {peaking word of power. The effence and nature of this Sire fpirit is nothing elle but an eternal hunger, and a dry paintul thirft in itfelf; and from this hun‘ger it attracts eagerly and earneftly, and yet finds nothing in itfelf to attract, but its own burning fulphur, poifonful mercury,and infected fal-nitre, and the more it attracts, the more it hungers ; and the more ic hungers, the more it preys on its own fuel. Bat God does not jiop bere, becaufe perfection isnot found in the fire: for the great Artilt faw,

that