seat, and singeth and ringeth forth very joyful words concerning God's holiness, and concerning the fruit and vegetation of the eternal life. 25. Also concerning the ornament, colours and beauty of the eternal joy, and concerning, the amiable blessed glance or gracious aspect and countenance of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; also concerning the excellent fraternity, fellowship and communion of angels, concerning the continual everlasting joy fulness, concerning the holiness of God, and concerning the angels' own princely government. 26. In brief, concerning all powers, and that which proceedeth from all God's powers; which, in regard of the untowardness of my corruption in the flesh, I cannot write, I would much rather be there present myself. 27. But what I cannot write here I will commit to thy soul to consider further of it, and at the Day of the Resurrection you shall see it most plainly and clearly. 28. You should not here scorn my spirit, for it is not sprung forth from the wild beast, but is generated from my power and virtue, and enlightened by the Holy Ghost. 29. Here I write not without knowledge; but if thou, like an epicure and fatted swine of the devil, from the devil's instigation, shouldst mock at these things and say: 30. The fool surely hath not gone up to heaven and seen or heard them, these are mere fables; then, in the power of my knowledge, I would have you warned, and cited before the severe judgment of God.
31. And though in my body I am powerless to bring thee there, yet That from which I have my knowledge is mighty and potent enough to cast thee even into the abyss of hell. 32. Therefore take warning, and consider that thou also belongest to the angelical choir, and read the following hymn with longing delight, and then the Holy Ghost will be awakened and stirred up in thee, and thou also wilt get a desire and longing after the heavenly chorus and choir of dancing. Amen. 33. The musician hath wound up his pegs, and tuned his strings; the Bridegroom cometh. When the round beginneth take heed thou dost not get the hellish gout in thy feet, lest thou be found incapable or unfit for the angelical dance, and so be thrust out from the wedding, seeing thou hast on no angelical garment. 34. Surely the gate will be locked upon thee, and so thou wilt not enter in any more, but wilt dance with the hellish wolves in the hellish fire; truly thou wilt then forget to mock, and sorrow will gnaw thee. Of the Qualification of an Angel. Question. 35. The question now is, What manner of qualification hath an angel? Answer 36. The holy soul of a man, and the spirit of an angel, are and have one and the same substance and being, and there is no difference therein, but only in the quality itself, or in their corporeal government; that which qualifieth outwardly, or from without, in man by the air hath a corrupt earthly quality, yet on the other side, hidden from the creatures, it hath also a divine and heavenly quality. 37. But the holy soul understandeth it well, as the kingly prophet David saith,[Psalm civ. 3] The Lord rideth on the wings of the wind. In the angel the divine property qualifies only in perfect holiness, divinity and purity.* * The last clause of this par. does not appear in Sparrow's translation. It is in all the German eds. except 1656 and Schiebler's ed. Question. 38. But a simple man may ask, What do you mean by the word qualifying, or what is that? Answer. 39. I mean thereby the power, which in the body of the angel entereth in from without, and cometh forth again; as in a similitude, when a man fetcheth breath and breatheth it forth again; for therein standeth the life both of the body and of the spirit. 40. The quality from without kindleth the spirit in the heart, in the first fountain, whereby all the powers in the whole body become stirring, and then that quality in the corporeal spirit, which is the natural spirit of an angel or a man, riseth up into the head, where it hath its princely seat or throne and government, and there it hath its counsellors, whose advice it taketh. 41. The first counsellor is the eyes; they are affected with everything they look upon, for they are the light. 42. For as the light goeth forth from the Son of God in the whole Father into all the powers, and affecteth all the powers of the Father, and
seat, and sings and rings forth very joyful words concerning God's holiness, and concerning the fruit and vegetation of the eternal life. 25. Also concerning the ornament, colours and beauty of the eternal joy, and concerning, the amiable blessed glance or gracious aspect and countenance of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; also concerning the excellent fraternity, fellowship and communion of angels, concerning the continual everlasting joy fulness, concerning the holiness of God, and concerning the angels' own princely government. 26. In brief, concerning all powers, and that which proceeds from all God's powers; which, in regard of the untowardness of my corruption in the flesh, I cannot write, I would much rather be there present myself. 27. But what I cannot write here I will commit to your soul to consider further of it, and at the Day of the Resurrection you shall see it most plainly and clearly. 28. You should not here scorn my spirit, for it is not sprung forth from the wild beast, but is generated from my power and virtue, and enlightened by the Holy Ghost. 29. Here I write not without knowledge; but if you, like an epicure and fatted swine of the devil, from the devil's instigation, should mock at these things and say: 30. The fool surely has not gone up to heaven and seen or heard them, these are mere fables; then, in the power of my knowledge, I would have you warned, and cited before the severe judgment of God.
31. And though in my body I am powerless to bring you there, yet That from which I have my knowledge is mighty and potent enough to cast you even into the abyss of hell. 32. Therefore take warning, and consider that you also belongest to the angelical choir, and read the following hymn with longing delight, and then the Holy Ghost will be awakened and stirred up in you, and you also will get a desire and longing after the heavenly chorus and choir of dancing. Amen. 33. The musician has wound up his pegs, and tuned his strings; the Bridegroom comes. When the round beginns take heed you do not get the hellish gout in your feet, lest you be found incapable or unfit for the angelical dance, and so be thrust out from the wedding, seeing you have on no angelical garment. 34. Surely the gate will be locked upon you, and so you will not enter in any more, but will dance with the hellish wolves in the hellish fire; truly you will then forget to mock, and sorrow will gnaw you. Of the Qualification of an Angel. Question. 35. The question now is, What manner of qualification has an angel? Answer 36. The holy soul of a man, and the spirit of an angel, are and have one and the same substance and being, and there is no difference therein, but only in the quality itself, or in their corporeal government; that which qualifies outwardly, or from without, in man by the air has a corrupt earthly quality, yet on the other side, hidden from the creatures, it has also a divine and heavenly quality. 37. But the holy soul understands it well, as the kingly prophet David says,[Psalm civ. 3] The Lord rids on the wings of the wind. In the angel the divine property qualifies only in perfect holiness, divinity and purity.* * The last clause of this par. does not appear in Sparrow's translation. It is in all the German eds. except 1656 and Schiebler's ed. Question. 38. But a simple man may ask, What do you mean by the word qualifying, or what is that? Answer. 39. I mean thereby the power, which in the body of the angel enters in from without, and comes forth again; as in a similitude, when a man fetches breath and breathes it forth again; for therein stands the life both of the body and of the spirit. 40. The quality from without kindls the spirit in the heart, in the first fountain, whereby all the powers in the whole body become stirring, and then that quality in the corporeal spirit, which is the natural spirit of an angel or a man, rises up into the head, where it has its princely seat or throne and government, and there it has its counsellors, whose advice it takes. 41. The first counsellor is the eyes; they are affected with everything they look upon, for they are the light. 42. For as the light goes forth from the Son of God in the whole Father into all the powers, and affects all the powers of the Father, and
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