85. If you will pray to God, then call upon God (your Heavenly Father) in the Name of his Son Jesus Christ, desiring that he would forgive you your Sins, for the Sake of his Sufferings and Death: and give you what is good for you, and may further your Salvation. Give up and yield all whatsoever is earthly, to his Pleasure and Will; for we know not what we should desire and pray for, but the Holy Spirit helps us in Christ Jesus, before his heavenly Father. Therefore there is no Need of many Words or long Prayers; but a believing Soul, which with its whole earnest resolved purpose yields itself up into the Mercy of God, to live in his Will, in the Body of Jesus Christ: and continues constant; then he is sure and safe from the Devil.
86. That Fancy about the Intercession of the Saints, is unprofitable; it is but a vexation, whereby you disquiet the Saints in their Rest. Does not God himself call you continually? And does not your Virgin wait for you with a longing Desire? Do but come, and she is yours: you need not send any foreign Embassadors; it is not here, as at Court; Christ would always willingly increase his Heaven, in his Joy. Why stand you so long in doubt because of your Sins? Is not the Mercy of God greater than Heaven and Earth? What do you mean? There is nothing nearer you than the Mercy of God; only in your sinful impenitent Life, you are with the Devil, and not with Christ -- say what you will; though you sent a Million of Embassadors to him, if yourself be wicked, you are but with the Devil still; and there is no Remedy, but you must yourself rise with Christ, and be born anew, in the Body of Jesus Christ, (through the Power of the Holy Ghost) in the Father, in your own Soul. If thou makest a Feast or keepest a Solemnity, do it for the Benefit and Relief of the Afflicted and Needy, whereby God is praised in thy Love, and that is well; but if it be for the Rich Glutton, who only uses it out of Pride and Laziness, thou hast not Benefit of that; for God is not praised therewith, neither does Paradise grow therein.
87. And do not rely upon the Hypocrisy of the Antichrist; he is a Lyar, and Covetous, and a Dissembler; he minds only his Idol the Belly, and is a Thief, in the Sight of God; he devours the Bread that belongs to the Needy; he is the Devil's Hell-hound; learn to know him.
94. Behold, a true Christian (who lives in the Spirit of Christ) must also walk in the Conversation of Christ; he must not walk in the fierce stern revenging Spirit of this World, but as Christ lived and conversed in this World, after his Resurrection, and yet not in the Source of Property of this World. And though it is not possible for us (while we live in the Source of this World) to do so, yet in the new Man in Christ (whom the Devil hides and obscures) we may; if we live in Meekness, then we overcome the World in Christ; if we recompence Good for Evil, then we witness, that the Spirit of Christ is in us; and then we are dead, to the Spirit of this World, for the Sake of the Spirit of Christ, which is in us; and though we are in this World, yet the World does but hang to us, as it hung to Christ after his Resurrection; and yet he lived in the Father in the Heaven, even so do we also if we be born in Christ.
Extract from Jacob Boehme's "Three Principles of the Divine Essence", From: " The Works of Jacob Behmen, The Teutonic Theosopher." Reverend William Law's Edition: Volume One; London, 1764, Printed for M. Richardson, in Pater-noster Row. Chapter 25: Paragraphs 85-87, 94.
