The Forty Questions of the Soul

195. And if he do not, in the time of this life, turn his will into the cross of Christ (as is to be seen in this Figure), then he is reserved in the Mystery for the Judgment of God, where he shall be tried in the fire, whether the spirit of his will hath any divine 2 power in it or not, or whether he can subsist in the fire, and there his proud earthly works will be burned up; and if the soul remain in the dark magic fire of the will (for itself is a magic fire, when the divine light-fire is not in it), then one magic fire receiveth the other, and then there is no remedy to help out from thence.

1 Or wit.

2 power or virtue.

* "He would be cunning and get much skill," etc. Lit., "He would [willed to] become clever, and acquired much skill, and also the earthly," etc.

f "brought divine food," lit., "introduced (eingefiihrt) divine food."

Will; Number 28. Light; Number 29. Spirit; Number 30. Man; Number 31.

196. But the soul, which in the time of this life did turn again, and did yield itself up with its will into the death of Christ, at the line of the cross, Number 27, that soul is then sunk down from its proud and 1 wicked works, and * become free in that same will, and is entered into the death of Christ, and sprouteth forth with the spirit of its Will, Number 28, in the divine power from the death of Christ, through the second Principle, where the spirit of the will (viz. the image) 2 obtaineth the divine Light again, Number 29, and the 3 Image, Number 30, standeth again in the divine Man, Number 31.

Image; Number 32. God; Number 33.

197. For when the spirit of the will entereth into death at the cross, then it putteth on the divine 4 essentiality (that is, Christ's flesh) into itself again, and bringeth it with itself into the light world, where the divine life springeth forth again in the holy body, and the Image is free again, as here, Number 32, is to be seen, and it dwelleth in God, Number 33, and eateth of God's Word or essence; for the Image here is 5 without nature, in the liberty, but the humanity is in nature, as it is here set down.

1 Or evil.

2 Or reacheth.

3 Or Spirit.

4 Or substantiality.

5 Or beyond.

* "become free in that same will," lit., "become free from its own will" (Willen-los) [in the death of Christ].

198. But for those souls which abide in their proud covetous works in the Anguish, Number 26, they abide indeed in the magic fire of Anguish, and their works are fuel for that fire.

199. But if the spirit of the will at length doth incline itself towards the death of Christ, and yet is hard bound to the wrath, then it hangeth, as it were, by a thread to the death of Christ.

The Ninth Number; Number 34.

200. This soul must needs burn thus a while, till the spirit of the will can enter into the death of Christ, and till its sidereal *fuel be burnt up: when the earthly body dieth, the image must be 1 bathed, which this present too-wise world scorneth, but f shall be forced to try it in death, where that little spark (which did hang but as by a thread) must enwrap itself quite into the death of Christ; for it hath lost both body and essence, and remaineth naked without divine 2 essence or body in God's mercy in the divine tincture, viz. in the Ninth Number, Number 34, and waiteth for the Last Judgment, wherein God will restore, in the tincture, all that which Adam lost: But the works which it hath done here will not pass through the fire, but the dark magic fire hath swallowed them up into its Mystery in the dark world; let this be told thee, O man.

1 Or washed, scoured, or purged.

2 Or substance.

* "fuel," lit., "wood."

f "shall be forced to try it in death" (im Tod erfahret), "experienceth it in death."

Soul's Eternal Habitation; Number 35.