26. Therefore, it is good to trust in God; and though the earthly body should always lie in dung, it is but for a little while, and no one knoweth what hour his time in this world is out, and then followeth the judgment, according to his life: Therefore desist from covetousness; it is the eternal root of all evil, and of all folly. A covetous man is the greatest fool on earth, for he devoureth himself, and causeth disquietness to himself, and so bringeth evil upon himself by it: He knoweth not what man it will be who shall possess his covetousness; and many times it is shamefully consumed in whoring: That wherewith one hath destroyed his soul, with the same another is frolic, in another foolery: For it must all come to its effect. But he that trusteth in God hath continually enough: whatsoever he hath he is contented with it, and so he is much richer than the foolish covetous [person], who oppresseth the miserable for money, which cannot prolong his life from death nor preserve him from hell.
27. The honest and virtuous gathereth treasure in heaven, he getteth a new body, wherein there is neither hunger nor thirst, nor frost nor heat, and he hath rest in his conscience, and will eternally rejoice in his treasure: And the covetous fool gathereth an earthly treasure, which he must leave to others; and an evil conscience, and a treasure in the abyss, which will gnaw and eat him eternally.
28. God's blessing never leaveth any that sincerely trust in God, and letteth that go which will not stay: God has wonderful ways, wherewith he feedeth and nourisheth his children; as Daniel in the lions' den; and Elijah under the juniper tree; and the widow ofSarepta in the famine. He that trusteth in God, hath built sure in heaven and on earth.
THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
Of Death, and of Dying. How Man is when
he Dieth; and how it is with him in Death.
A Great Gate of Wonders.
1. 1 KNOW that reason will say: Thou hast never tried it [or undergone it], and thou art yet in this world in the outward life, How then canst thou know this? Indeed, dear reason, according to my outward man I must say so too; and I say the truth as to the outward man.
2. But seeing we can live both in God and in this world together; and seeing the soul, if it will know God, must with Christ press into God through a narrow strait gate, through death and hell; therefore we have power to write of the way, and will set it down for a memorial, since we are yet in this world: For God is wonderful, who judgeth [or determineth] in a thing and yet the judgment is not executed in the thing at that instant: and so, though we are in the earthly life, we shall yet speak of the life in death, which we well know [and understand] .
3. For there is no knowledge incomprehensible to the matrix of nature; if the spirit ride upon its wings, it goeth through the three Principles, and if it ride upon its triumphant chariot, may it not then ride through death and hell? Who can hinder it? And may not a soul thus behold the wonders of God; especially when this is the time wherein all wonders shall be revealed [or made manifest] ?
4. We speak not of ourselves alone: The star [of the sixth seal]
is appeared which hath broken the seal: why dost thou long stand gazing? Observe it, the time is come, there is no preventing of it more.
5. All that hath a beginning hath an end, that which is included in time goeth with time again into the ether. If we had lived in this world without necessity, and without death, in a pure body without spot or blemish, yet the outward kingdom at the end would have departed from us, and so we should have remained in the heavenly substantiality, after the manner of Enoch and Elijah, as also Moses; yet Moses entered through death into the paradisical life: But Enoch and Elijah were taken up without dying; and there the outward dominion with the spirit of this world was taken from them without dying; which will also be done at the last trumpet; upon which will follow an eternal life, and an eternal death.
26. Therefore, it is good to trust in God; and though the earthly body should always lie in dung, it is but for a little while, and no one knows what hour his time in this world is out, and then follows the judgment, according to his life: Therefore desist from covetousness; it is the eternal root of all evil, and of all folly. A covetous man is the greatest fool on earth, for he devours himself, and causes disquietness to himself, and so brings evil upon himself by it: He knows not what man it will be who shall possess his covetousness; and many times it is shamefully consumed in whoring: That wherewith one has destroyed his soul, with the same another is frolic, in another foolery: For it must all come to its effect. But he that trusts in God has continually enough: whatsoever he has he is contented with it, and so he is much richer than the foolish covetous [person], who oppresses the miserable for money, which cannot prolong his life from death nor preserve him from hell.
27. The honest and virtuous gathers treasure in heaven, he getts a new body, wherein there is neither hunger nor thirst, nor frost nor heat, and he has rest in his conscience, and will eternally rejoice in his treasure: And the covetous fool gathers an earthly treasure, which he must leave to others; and an evil conscience, and a treasure in the abyss, which will gnaw and eat him eternally.
28. God's blessing never leaves any that sincerely trust in God, and letts that go which will not stay: God has wonderful ways, wherewith he feeds and nourishes his children; as Daniel in the lions' den; and Elijah under the juniper tree; and the widow ofSarepta in the famine. He that trusts in God, has built sure in heaven and on earth.
THE EIGHTEENTH CHAPTER
Of Death, and of Dying. How Man is when
he Dies; and how it is with him in Death.
A Great Gate of Wonders.
1. 1 KNOW that reason will say: You have never tried it [or undergone it], and you are yet in this world in the outward life, How then can you know this? Indeed, dear reason, according to my outward man I must say so too; and I say the truth as to the outward man.
2. But seeing we can live both in God and in this world together; and seeing the soul, if it will know God, must with Christ press into God through a narrow strait gate, through death and hell; therefore we have power to write of the way, and will set it down for a memorial, since we are yet in this world: For God is wonderful, who judges [or determins] in a thing and yet the judgment is not executed in the thing at that instant: and so, though we are in the earthly life, we shall yet speak of the life in death, which we well know [and understand] .
3. For there is no knowledge incomprehensible to the matrix of nature; if the spirit ride upon its wings, it goes through the three Principles, and if it ride upon its triumphant chariot, may it not then ride through death and hell? Who can hinder it? And may not a soul thus behold the wonders of God; especially when this is the time wherein all wonders shall be revealed [or made manifest] ?
4. We speak not of ourselves alone: The star [of the sixth seal]
is appeared which has broken the seal: why do you long stand gazing? Observe it, the time is come, there is no preventing of it more.
5. All that has a beginning has an end, that which is included in time goes with time again into the ether. If we had lived in this world without necessity, and without death, in a pure body without spot or blemish, yet the outward kingdom at the end would have departed from us, and so we should have remained in the heavenly substantiality, after the manner of Enoch and Elijah, as also Moses; yet Moses entered through death into the paradisical life: But Enoch and Elijah were taken up without dying; and there the outward dominion with the spirit of this world was taken from them without dying; which will also be done at the last trumpet; upon which will follow an eternal life, and an eternal death.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.