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

32 The formal Caufe of eternal Nature.

~ing fpirits, yet they have an innate hunger

in themlelves (which is their intrinfical form) whieh makes them defire each other : thus the fire effence hungers after the meeknefs of the water, as its daily food, wherewith its ravenous fiercenefs may be fatisfied and allayed ; and again the water hungers after the fire, as its life, ftrength and motion. The aftringent darknefs hungers after the meek light, and the light after the darknefs, that it may fhine through it, and fubfift in it. And from this inbred hunger it is that they rejoice to qualify one with another; it is their fport and paftime to penetrate one through another, and to be fometimes above and fometimes under another in this wreftling wheel of nature. For all thefe qualifying powers of nature have fenfibility and mobility in themfelves,whereby they can feel and tafte one another’s properties, and are fenfible of the pleafure and fatisfaction they receive one from another, which continually awakens the hunger in every property, to qualify one with another. So the fire is fenfible that the meek water allays its fiercenefs, and therefore it hungers after ic; the anguilhing

darknefs