The Forty Questions of the Soul
20. So that it may be said, this is the Son of the woman, viz. the very corporeal and natural Son of Mary, with soul and body, with flesh and blood, and all that belongeth unto man; and also the very Son of God, which was born from eternity, out of God's eternal essence, before the foundation of the world was laid, who stood both in the Majesty of the Holy Ternary, and also in the x body of Mary at once.
21. And the soul of Christ belongeth half to the Principle of this world, and half to the Holy Spirit; for the soul of Christ made use of the spirit of the air and stars, with the virtue of the elements, and also the Word of God and the divine food; for such a man was Adam in innocency.
22. Thus God hath regenerated us in Christ; and so we are regenerated in Christ out of God's Word and spirit, by the water of eternal life, and thus we are God's children in Christ; and if we resign ourselves up to Christ, departing from our reason and will, then we are endued with Christ's body, and our will and spirit liveth from Christ, who is in us, and we in him.
1 Or womb.
23. Hence you may understand what the temptation of Christ was, viz. the Regenerate Man was to endure Adam's temptation, [to try} whether his soul could stand steadfast in God; and therefore he was proved in the turba [to see] whether he could stand steadfast in three Principles, and rule over the outward life; and therefore food was withdrawn from the outward hfe, and the inward must overpower the outward, and eat of the Word of the Lord, and sustain the outward in its own power and full omnipotency, and also keep death captive, that it might not be able to destroy the outward life: this must needs be a hard combat!
24. And the other two temptations were these, viz. he was tempted [to try] whether man would live in l full obedience, and suffer God to work in him; or whether he would exalt himself again, and be free from God, as Lucifer did; therefore the devil must tempt him, seeing this man was to possess his royal throne.
25. The devil complained that he could not stand, because the mother of wrathfulness drew him too hard, and therefore he was permitted to try this man, and to set before him that which was set before himself; and if this man stood, then he should judge the devil, who was found to be a liar.
1 Or complete.
26. For he fully tried him in the * second and third temptation, whether he would ascend on high, in his own power, as himself had done, and so stirred up the anger;
or whether he would place his trust and affiance in God only, and live to him, both in will and deed, as a child in obedience to the Father; and this he urged upon him, just so long as Adam stood in the temptation before he fell asleep.
27. And now we also must continually be so tempted and proved, and we are able to get the victory in Christ, who hath overcome; for his soul is our soul, and his flesh is our flesh, if we trust in him and give up ourselves wholly to him, as Christ gave himself up to his Father.
28. And thus, my beloved Friend, you understand what Christ's soul and body is, viz. that it is our soul and body if we cleave to God; but if we do not, then we are rent off; and in the outward life we belong to the spirit of this world, viz. to the lost and perished Adam; and in the soul we belong to the devil in the anger of God: But look for these things more at large in our other writings, where you shall find the whole ground of heaven, and of this world.
* "second and third temptation" (Anfechtung), "assault," "attack."
THE THIRTY-SEVENTH QUESTION
What is the Spirit of Christ which was l willing, and which he commended into his Father's Hands?
1. THIS is that great and excellent 2 jewel; and we exceedingly rejoice that we know it, so that we are able to know ourselves what we are, and it is more worth to us than all the world; for it is that Pearl of which Christ said, 3 that one sold all that he had and bought that Pearl.
20. So that it may be said, this is the Son of the woman, viz. the very corporeal and natural Son of Mary, with soul and body, with flesh and blood, and all that belongs unto man; and also the very Son of God, which was born from eternity, out of God's eternal essence, before the foundation of the world was laid, who stood both in the Majesty of the Holy Ternary, and also in the x body of Mary at once.
21. And the soul of Christ belongs half to the Principle of this world, and half to the Holy Spirit; for the soul of Christ made use of the spirit of the air and stars, with the virtue of the elements, and also the Word of God and the divine food; for such a man was Adam in innocency.
22. Thus God has regenerated us in Christ; and so we are regenerated in Christ out of God's Word and spirit, by the water of eternal life, and thus we are God's children in Christ; and if we resign ourselves up to Christ, departing from our reason and will, then we are endued with Christ's body, and our will and spirit lives from Christ, who is in us, and we in him.
1 Or womb.
23. Hence you may understand what the temptation of Christ was, viz. the Regenerate Man was to endure Adam's temptation, [to try} whether his soul could stand steadfast in God; and therefore he was proved in the turba [to see] whether he could stand steadfast in three Principles, and rule over the outward life; and therefore food was withdrawn from the outward hfe, and the inward must overpower the outward, and eat of the Word of the Lord, and sustain the outward in its own power and full omnipotency, and also keep death captive, that it might not be able to destroy the outward life: this must needs be a hard combat!
24. And the other two temptations were these, viz. he was tempted [to try] whether man would live in l full obedience, and suffer God to work in him; or whether he would exalt himself again, and be free from God, as Lucifer did; therefore the devil must tempt him, seeing this man was to possess his royal throne.
25. The devil complained that he could not stand, because the mother of wrathfulness drew him too hard, and therefore he was permitted to try this man, and to set before him that which was set before himself; and if this man stood, then he should judge the devil, who was found to be a liar.
1 Or complete.
26. For he fully tried him in the * second and third temptation, whether he would ascend on high, in his own power, as himself had done, and so stirred up the anger;
or whether he would place his trust and affiance in God only, and live to him, both in will and deed, as a child in obedience to the Father; and this he urged upon him, just so long as Adam stood in the temptation before he fell asleep.
27. And now we also must continually be so tempted and proved, and we are able to get the victory in Christ, who has overcome; for his soul is our soul, and his flesh is our flesh, if we trust in him and give up ourselves wholly to him, as Christ gave himself up to his Father.
28. And thus, my beloved Friend, you understand what Christ's soul and body is, viz. that it is our soul and body if we cleave to God; but if we do not, then we are rent off; and in the outward life we belong to the spirit of this world, viz. to the lost and perished Adam; and in the soul we belong to the devil in the anger of God: But look for these things more at large in our other writings, where you shall find the whole ground of heaven, and of this world.
* "second and third temptation" (Anfechtung), "assault," "attack."
THE THIRTY-SEVENTH QUESTION
What is the Spirit of Christ which was l willing, and which he commended into his Father's Hands?
1. THIS is that great and excellent 2 jewel; and we exceedingly rejoice that we know it, so that we are able to know ourselves what we are, and it is more worth to us than all the world; for it is that Pearl of which Christ said, 3 that one sold all that he had and bought that Pearl.
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