Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence

8 nativity. his 2 birth ; all his uncleanness stands before his eyes, and he sees the cause of his horror, and condemns himself; he cannot look upon the righteous for very shame ; all his works stand in his mind, and (in the essences) cry, Woe ! to him that did them, they accuse him ; the tears of those

Ch. 27] OF THE LAST JUDGMENT 751 he has afflicted and oppressed are like a fiery stinging serpent ; he desires l rest or ease, but 1 abstinence. there is no eomfort, despair rises up in him, for hell terrifies him.

13. Also the devils tremble at the kindling of o the wrath, whose faces appear before the eyes of the ungodly ; for they see the angelical world before them, and the hellish fire in them ; and they see how every life burns, and every one in its own source, in its own fire. The angelical world burns in triumph, in joy, in the light of the 2 glory, and it shines as the clear sun, which a clarity, neither devil, nor any of the wicked dare look brightness. upon, and there is praise [and Hallelujahs] that the driver is overcome.

14. And there then the judgment is set, and all men (both the living and the dead) must stand there, every one in his own body. And the angelical choir of the holy men (who have been killed for the witness of Jesus) is set ; there stand the holy Patriarchs of the tribes of Israel, and the holy Prophets, with their doctrine ; and all that they have taught is made manifest and revealed, and stands before the eyes of the wicked ; they must give an account of all their murderings of the saints ; for they that have been murdered for the truth's sake stand before the eyes of their murderers, whose lives the murderers must give an account for, and yet have no excuse to make, but stand speechless ; all a man's slandering reproaches

752 THE THREE PRINCIPLES [Ch. 27 which he has cast upon the righteous stand there

1 really. before him l in substance, and is a substance, about which the law is there read to him.

15. Where is now your authority, your honour, your riches, your pomp and bravery, your power, wherewith you have terrified the needy, and have made the right bow and bend to your will ? Behold, it is all in substance, and stands before you ; the oppressed read your lesson to you ; all that was rightly spoken [by you] in this world, is there recalled again, and you abidest (in your unrighteousness) a liar, and you must be judged by those that you have here judged in falsehood ;

2 are really all lying and deceit stand 2 manifest in the subdiscovered in 1 1 i i • • the light. stance, all your words stand in the tincture in the substance of eternity before you, and are your looking-glass ; they will be your eternal gnawing whelps, and the book of your comfort and trust. Therefore do but think what you will do ; will you not then curse and judge yourself ?

16. On the contrary, the righteous stand there in unspeakable great joy, and their joy rises up in the source [or well-spring] of the Holy Ghost ; all their sorrow and heaviness (which they have had here) stands before them in substance, and it appears how they have suffered wrongfully ; their comfort springs up in the body of Jesus Christ, who has redeemed them out of so great misery ; all their sins are washed, and appear as white as snow ; and there then they return thanks

XXV.

Ch. 27] OF THE LAST JUDGMENT 753 to their bridegroom, who has redeemed them out of such necessity and misery, wherein they lay captive here, and there is mere hearty joy that the 1 driver is destroyed ; all their good works, their * the evil, teaching and well-doing, appear before them; all wickedness, the words of their teaching and reproving (where- °r the deviU with they have shown the ungodly the right way) stand in the figure.