The Forty Questions of the Soul
1. IT is sufficiently declared already; for God's wrath in the darkness is their dwelling place; their light is that which shineth from their fiery eyes, like the glimmering of a flash of fire; they have no light at all but that, for they dwell in that which is 1 outermost, and so ascend in haughtiness above the thrones, like strong champions; and yet they have different qualifications among them, as their spirits differ.
2. For a dog acts like a dog, a wolf like a wolf, and so a horse, a fowl, a toad, a serpent, every one after his kind; yet they are all more speedy and swift than thoughts.
3. They have their joy in their abominations, and their chiefest joy is to scorn God; in that they are fiery spirits, and God a spirit of light.
4. Their boast is always of their strong, fiery might; they are as a dragon that spitteth fire, they seek perdition, and find abominations.
5. They have also fruit growing out of their own Principle, all according to the abominations of their wills.
1 As in utmost, or utter darkness.
6. They have a sport like such as play with fireworks, as rockets, and balls of fire, spitting fire out of their mouths; * fooling and juggling is their pastime; though indeed there is no time; nor is there any fear of any other torment, after the Last Judgment-day; but their whole life is a continual fear, horror, terror and lamentation: every one hath his work (which he did here while he lived) in the figure; which awakeneth the turba there, and so he rideth in the fire.
7. The soul hath no feeling, for it is without the fire, but the turba plagueth it with those abominations which it introduced; there is an eternal despairing in them, and therefore they are God's enemies.
8. To blaspheme God is their chiefest power; they devour hellish brimstone and abominations, for their fruits are a kind of matter that is outwardly fair, but inwardly mere 2 wrathfulness; such hypocrites as they have been upon earth, such bread doth their heaven afford them to eat.
9. They are at liberty, and shut up by nothing; they may descend as deep as they will, for the abyss and darkness is everywhere, and yet they are but in their first place; the deeper they desire to throw themselves, the deeper they fall, and yet they find no end or bottom.
10. 3 Their number is not the number of any human time, their 4 delight is a mere stink of fire and brimstone; when they consider themselves in their abominations, that they were once angels and now devils, then presently the gnawing worm ariseth, which devoureth and tormenteth them.
1 jesting, jeering, scoffing, and deriding in strange apish gestures of face, and body.
2 strong abominations, malice, or wickedness.
3 Their time not the time of man.
4 Refocillation.
11. To what end should their wickedness be described? They are evil, unclean beasts; that which they practised on earth, that followeth them, and that they desire to do there also; they swallow down abomination and cursing without measure.
12. Their l government is no way better to be known than in the antichristian
2 horse, and scornful men, who rave with cursing and blaspheming; yet this is but a
3 glass of the hellish abominations; we will not mention them any further, for they are not worthy to be named.
1 Or dominion.
2 Or beast.
3 shadow, or resemblance.
THE THIRTY-FIFTH QUESTION
What is the Enochian Life; and how long is it to continue?
1. IT is sufficiently declared already; for God's wrath in the darkness is their dwelling place; their light is that which shines from their fiery eyes, like the glimmering of a flash of fire; they have no light at all but that, for they dwell in that which is 1 outermost, and so ascend in haughtiness above the thrones, like strong champions; and yet they have different qualifications among them, as their spirits differ.
2. For a dog acts like a dog, a wolf like a wolf, and so a horse, a fowl, a toad, a serpent, every one after his kind; yet they are all more speedy and swift than thoughts.
3. They have their joy in their abominations, and their chiefest joy is to scorn God; in that they are fiery spirits, and God a spirit of light.
4. Their boast is always of their strong, fiery might; they are as a dragon that spitts fire, they seek perdition, and find abominations.
5. They have also fruit growing out of their own Principle, all according to the abominations of their wills.
1 As in utmost, or utter darkness.
6. They have a sport like such as play with fireworks, as rockets, and balls of fire, spitting fire out of their mouths; * fooling and juggling is their pastime; though indeed there is no time; nor is there any fear of any other torment, after the Last Judgment-day; but their whole life is a continual fear, horror, terror and lamentation: every one has his work (which he did here while he lived) in the figure; which awakens the turba there, and so he rids in the fire.
7. The soul has no feeling, for it is without the fire, but the turba plagus it with those abominations which it introduced; there is an eternal despairing in them, and therefore they are God's enemies.
8. To blaspheme God is their chiefest power; they devour hellish brimstone and abominations, for their fruits are a kind of matter that is outwardly fair, but inwardly mere 2 wrathfulness; such hypocrites as they have been upon earth, such bread does their heaven afford them to eat.
9. They are at liberty, and shut up by nothing; they may descend as deep as they will, for the abyss and darkness is everywhere, and yet they are but in their first place; the deeper they desire to throw themselves, the deeper they fall, and yet they find no end or bottom.
10. 3 Their number is not the number of any human time, their 4 delight is a mere stink of fire and brimstone; when they consider themselves in their abominations, that they were once angels and now devils, then presently the gnawing worm arises, which devours and torments them.
1 jesting, jeering, scoffing, and deriding in strange apish gestures of face, and body.
2 strong abominations, malice, or wickedness.
3 Their time not the time of man.
4 Refocillation.
11. To what end should their wickedness be described? They are evil, unclean beasts; that which they practised on earth, that follows them, and that they desire to do there also; they swallow down abomination and cursing without measure.
12. Their l government is no way better to be known than in the antichristian
2 horse, and scornful men, who rave with cursing and blaspheming; yet this is but a
3 glass of the hellish abominations; we will not mention them any further, for they are not worthy to be named.
1 Or dominion.
2 Or beast.
3 shadow, or resemblance.
THE THIRTY-FIFTH QUESTION
What is the Enochian Life; and how long is it to continue?
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