Preface.

GOD and Father, who according to his Fire-propertyoriginal: "Feuers-Eigenschafft." In theosophical thought, this refers to God’s foundational, energetic power and justice, which must be tempered by "Light" to become manifest as love. in the Kingdom of Nature is the eternal Root of Creation, and in Christ as the origin of the eternal Light, has willed the Fire- and Light-Form (from which all things consist) to appear also in external nature; he has therefore through his Spirit brought forth this Fire- and Light-Principle as an astral salt-bodyoriginal: "astralischen Salz-Leib." In early modern spiritual alchemy, this refers to a semi-spiritual, crystalline substance that gives physical form to life. or NitrumLatin for saltpeter. Here it refers to a "divine salt" or active spiritual catalyst within material nature., and has made it visible in the creatures. We also know further, that we have a LORD and Savior, who wishes to refresh anew—with his Light- and Love-Essence—the poor human beings who, through the Fall into Sinoriginal: "Sünden-Fall," referring to the biblical account of humanity's separation from God., lost the divine light and lay imprisoned in the harsh fire of an adverse sensation of the wrath of GOD; and through the Holy Spirit (as a dew falling down from heaven) he wishes to impregnateoriginal: "beschvvængern." This biological metaphor describes the Holy Spirit fertilizing the soul so it can bear spiritual fruit. and fill with light and life from GOD the languishing earth of the heart that lies under the curse.

Thus, everything in both the Kingdom of Nature and the Kingdom of Grace has its origin in this divine fire, light, and regenerating spirit, and everything finds its true rest once again in this, its origin. Necessarily, therefore, the only true service and the only true religion, with which we are obligated to the original highest Essence of all things, must consist in this: that we daily return into this, our origin. And since this is even in the Kingdom of Nature the noblest course of all creatures: so indeed it may also be the most perfect effort of men in the Kingdom of Grace, when they direct their course toward GOD, so that He is their highest wish and desire, delight and joy. In a word, our divine service consists in an outstretched desire of faithoriginal: "Glaubens-Begierde." A central concept in this text, describing the soul’s active, hungry reaching out for God’s grace. for GOD and in a love-zealous worship of GOD in the Spirit.

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