The Forty Questions of the Soul
12. There is such a kind of dancing and singing as children use when they take hold of hands, and sing and dance a round.
13. All arts will not be regarded: But you must know that they who have * borne the Mystery, and to whom it hath been revealed, they shall have far greater wisdom and knowledge than others, and and much excel others.
14. Indeed not in * contention and doctrine, but their wisdom will begin all manner of exercise in the heavenly Mystery, to the stirring up of joy; for as children flock together when one beginneth a sport, so also here.
15. Little children are our schoolmasters, till evil stir in them, and so they embrace the turba magna; but they bring their sport, which is a remnant of paradise, from the mother's womb; else all is lost, till we attain it again.
1 enjoyed the great hidden wisdom, understanding, and art. * "contention" (Zwang), "compulsion," or "coercion."
16. A king availeth no more there than a beggar: if he hath ruled well, then his virtue followeth him, and he shall have the glory of it in the Majesty; for he attaineth a bright glorification, like a shepherd over his flock.
17. But if he hath been evil, and yet at last converted and entered in as by a
1 thread, then his kingly works remain in the fire, and he will be accounted of 2 here, no more than a beggar who hath been honest; nay, he will not be so glorious.
18. Every one will be known by his works, what he hath been, when they shall present their merchandise in the heavenly magia, as children do in their sport.
19. And yet you must know that it shall not be a kingdom of sport only, but we shall speak of the wonders and wisdom of God, and of the great Mysteries of the heavenly magia: the 3 song of the 4 great hunter will continue there to the reproach of the devil, and to the glory of God.
20. We shall have some knowledge of hell, but see nothing of it, save only in the magia, in the Mystery; for the devils must dwell in the darkness: the wrathful fire which is in them, is their light; they have eyes of fire to see withal; all fire besides is gone, for the Majesty hath 5 swallowed it up, that it may burn in love.
21. Though indeed there is fire in the centre from which the Majesty ariseth; but this will not be allowed to the devils; they shall be 6 thrust out into darkness, where there is howling and gnashing of teeth; where there is more 7 cold than heat.
1 the thread of faith at the last.
2 in the kingdom of heaven.
3 Rev. xv. 3.
4 persecutor, oppressor.
5 Or allayed it.
6 Matt. viii. 12.
7 frost than fire.
THE THIRTY-THIRD QUESTION
What Kind of Matter shall our Bodies have in the Life to come"?
1. MY beloved Friend, this is a l hard question; the outward man must let it alone, and not meddle with it at all, for he is not worthy of it.
2. You know that God is become man, and hath taken our flesh and blood and soul upon him: Now Christ said, 2 I am from above: 3 None goeth into heaven but the Son of Man which is come from heaven, and is in heaven.
3. Do you understand this, that he said, he is in heaven? He spake not only of his Deity, that is, of the Word, but of the Son of Man, even of that Word which was flesh; and this we are now to consider of, for in that flesh and blood we must live eternally, and we must have Christ's body, if we will subsist in God.
4. Yet we know of no other body that we shall have, but our 4 own body, growing out of the old body, as a sprout groweth from a kernel; and such a body Adam had in the creation, but he was captivated by the 5 kingdom of this world, and so became earthly; this was his fall, and this caused God to take a part of Adam, and make a woman of it, as we have written at large in our 6 third book.
1 Or strong.
2 Johnviii. 23.
3 John hi. 13.
4 Jobxix. 26, 27.
5 Or by the working property of this world of four elements.
6 Of the Threefold Life.
5. Now we know well that Adam was a chaste virgin before his sleep, and before Eve was made, but afterwards became a man, 1 having deformity like a beast, of which we are yet ashamed at this very day in the sight of God, because we have earthly bestial members for propagation.
12. There is such a kind of dancing and singing as children use when they take hold of hands, and sing and dance a round.
13. All arts will not be regarded: But you must know that they who have * borne the Mystery, and to whom it has been revealed, they shall have far greater wisdom and knowledge than others, and and much excel others.
14. Indeed not in * contention and doctrine, but their wisdom will begin all manner of exercise in the heavenly Mystery, to the stirring up of joy; for as children flock together when one beginns a sport, so also here.
15. Little children are our schoolmasters, till evil stir in them, and so they embrace the turba magna; but they bring their sport, which is a remnant of paradise, from the mother's womb; else all is lost, till we attain it again.
1 enjoyed the great hidden wisdom, understanding, and art. * "contention" (Zwang), "compulsion," or "coercion."
16. A king avails no more there than a beggar: if he has ruled well, then his virtue follows him, and he shall have the glory of it in the Majesty; for he attains a bright glorification, like a shepherd over his flock.
17. But if he has been evil, and yet at last converted and entered in as by a
1 thread, then his kingly works remain in the fire, and he will be accounted of 2 here, no more than a beggar who has been honest; nay, he will not be so glorious.
18. Every one will be known by his works, what he has been, when they shall present their merchandise in the heavenly magia, as children do in their sport.
19. And yet you must know that it shall not be a kingdom of sport only, but we shall speak of the wonders and wisdom of God, and of the great Mysteries of the heavenly magia: the 3 song of the 4 great hunter will continue there to the reproach of the devil, and to the glory of God.
20. We shall have some knowledge of hell, but see nothing of it, save only in the magia, in the Mystery; for the devils must dwell in the darkness: the wrathful fire which is in them, is their light; they have eyes of fire to see withal; all fire besides is gone, for the Majesty has 5 swallowed it up, that it may burn in love.
21. Though indeed there is fire in the centre from which the Majesty arises; but this will not be allowed to the devils; they shall be 6 thrust out into darkness, where there is howling and gnashing of teeth; where there is more 7 cold than heat.
1 the thread of faith at the last.
2 in the kingdom of heaven.
3 Rev. xv. 3.
4 persecutor, oppressor.
5 Or allayed it.
6 Matt. viii. 12.
7 frost than fire.
THE THIRTY-THIRD QUESTION
What Kind of Matter shall our Bodies have in the Life to come"?
1. MY beloved Friend, this is a l hard question; the outward man must let it alone, and not meddle with it at all, for he is not worthy of it.
2. You know that God is become man, and has taken our flesh and blood and soul upon him: Now Christ said, 2 I am from above: 3 None goes into heaven but the Son of Man which is come from heaven, and is in heaven.
3. Do you understand this, that he said, he is in heaven? He spake not only of his Deity, that is, of the Word, but of the Son of Man, even of that Word which was flesh; and this we are now to consider of, for in that flesh and blood we must live eternally, and we must have Christ's body, if we will subsist in God.
4. Yet we know of no other body that we shall have, but our 4 own body, growing out of the old body, as a sprout grows from a kernel; and such a body Adam had in the creation, but he was captivated by the 5 kingdom of this world, and so became earthly; this was his fall, and this caused God to take a part of Adam, and make a woman of it, as we have written at large in our 6 third book.
1 Or strong.
2 Johnviii. 23.
3 John hi. 13.
4 Jobxix. 26, 27.
5 Or by the working property of this world of four elements.
6 Of the Threefold Life.
5. Now we know well that Adam was a chaste virgin before his sleep, and before Eve was made, but afterwards became a man, 1 having deformity like a beast, of which we are yet ashamed at this very day in the sight of God, because we have earthly bestial members for propagation.
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