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Semiphoras and Schemhamphoras Man's Divine Character God has endowed man with a divine character, through the number Phahad, the left-hand sword of God, through which man becomes a curse to all creatures. And then again he has another character in the number of God, Hesed, the right-hand sceptre of God. through which he finds favor in the sight of God and all his creatures. An evil conscience is the judge of men, but a good conscience is his happiness. Therefore, through the other divine numbers, and through the angels and stars, a man becomes impressed with signs and characters of conscience which cause him to be happy at one time and unhappy at another. On this account, if a man has committed murder, theft, or any other act which his conscience condemns, he can be brought to a confession of his guilt through persistent calling upon the name of God, for his Conscience will then give him no rest until he returns what he has stolen or until he has suffered the punishment due to his crime. Therefore, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, take three small pieces of wood from the door-sill over which the thief passed in leaving the place where he committed the theft, place them within a wagonwheel, and then through the hub of the wheel say the following words: "I pray thee, thou Holy Trinity, that thou mayest cause A, who stole from me, B, a C, to have no rest or peace until he again restores [to] me that which he has stolen." Turn the wheel round three time and replace it again on the wagon. Nevertheless, all pious Christians, who have any regard for their future happiness, should carefully avoid all superstitious matters and should beware of using the holy name of God unworthily, holding it in the greatest reverence lest they bring upon themselves eternal punishment. If a man knows himself and realizes that he is created in the Image and likeness of God, he will acknowledge God the Creator before all things, and afterward the world and all its creatures. From the high spirits, angels, and the heavens, he has his portion. and from the elements, animals, vegetation, and stones, he has within himself.everything that he desires to obtain. If a man knows how to appropriate the particular place, time, order, bulk, proportion, and mental organization of anyone, he can attract and draw them, just as a magnet attracts iron, but he must first be prepared, just as the magnet must be fashioned by the file and charged with electricity. To this end, the soul must first be purified and dedicated to God through faith -- a pure heart and constant joy in the spirit are requisites. He must possess love to God and his fellow-man, and then he may arrive at a perfect state and become like unto the Son of God. He will become united with God and will once more be like him. It is not given to angels nor to any creature to unite with God, but only to man, and he may become his son; and when this takes place, so that he overcomes himself, he overcomes and can draw to him all other creatures and command their obedience. But our spirit, word, and act have no power in magic and knowledge if they are not everywhere strengthened by the word of God, which we should hear often. We must pray to God without ceasing [and] live a sober, temperate, and unstained life. We must live in a continual state of repentance, give alms, and help the poor, for Christ has not said in vain, "Make unto you friends with the unrighteous Mammon, so that he will receive you into eternal habitations" -- that is, apply your wealth and abundance to the support of the poor, that they may receive their daily bread from you and be satisfied. Christ says, "What ye have done unto the least of mine, that have ye also done unto me." These are the friends that will lead us to a divine abode in heaven, where we shall receive a thousandfold and life eternal. On the other hand, there are others who will be rejected, for Christ also says, "I was hungry and thirsty and ye gave me no meat and drink -- depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, into outer darkness." Therefore, by fasting, praying, giving alms, [and] preparing the souls of the believing for the temple, we may become co-heirs of heavenly gifts, which the Most High will confer upon us in this life if we know how to use them properly. Since all things have their life and being from God, so the proper name of everything was taken from the being of that thing, and all things derive an influence from the Creator, if they have been appropriately named, for as God brings forth all things through the influence of heaven and the operation of the planets, even so the names of all things have been given in accordance with some quality of the thing named by him who counts the stars. And thus God led all creatures to Adam in order to have them named, and their names indicated some peculiar quality or part possessed by each. Therefore, each name that has a meaning shows, by comparison with the heavenly influence, an inherent qualification of the object, although it is frequently changed. When, however, both meanings of the name harmonize, then the willpower and natural power become identical. Moreover, the celestial office to which man is ordained by God endows him with [the] power to ponder life, and tells him what to encourage, what to elevate, what to suppress in his cause Sphaera, and to perform wonderful works with full devotion toward God, etc. |