The Forty Questions of the Soul
278. Thus you see, also, how the true essentiality ariseth from the light; for it is the satiating of the will: the water ariseth from the meekness of the light, for the desire taketh hold of the meekness, and keepeth it, because it hath a good 1 relish: and so the meekness becometh essential, and it is an essence of the fire, a satiating of the desiring wrath, a quenching of the wrath, and a corporality of the fire: for when the body 2 is dead, then its spirit is in the beginning, in that which gave a beginning to it, it is in that glass.
279. Now then, as the source is twofold, so also the water is twofold, viz. an outward and an inward; the one belongeth to the spirit, the other to the outward life; the outward is, as it were, a death, and the inward is the life of the outward; for the outward standeth between wrath and paradise, in the 3 insunken death, and the inward is paradise itself, for the spirit groweth up therein out of the eternity.
280. You may very well see that this is true, as followeth: Observe the summer and winter, heat and cold, and your eyes will soon be opened, if you be born not externally only but internally, with a true magic will to find God; 4 for it is very
5 plain.
281. For the water in the deep ariseth from the fire, not from the wrath, but from the light; for the light proceedeth from the fire, and hath a 6 seeking of its own; it seeketh a glass to behold itself in, and it seeketh a habitation, and draweth it 7 by its desire into itself, and dwelleth therein, and that which is drawn in is water, which receiveth the light; else if the light did not dwell in the water, the deep of the world could not comprehend the light: The water is the satiating of the desire of the light.
1 Or taste.
2 Or perisheth, or dieth, or corrupteth, or departeth.
3 death that is sunk down into the centre in a thing.
4 for that is done in the twinkling of an eye.
5 visible.
6 longing, sucking, drawing.
7 Or in.
282. And the water again seeketh the glass, and would have a house to dwell in, and that is flesh; as you see, the water receiveth the shadow of all bodily substances, so that the body may be seen in the water, and that is because *the seeking of the water hath captivated it.
283. Furthermore, you see herein the end of nature; for the eye fmdeth its life in the water, and so goeth back into the seventh form, and f seeth its body in the water: The outward desireth no more; this body desireth no other body more in the outward, but it looketh back after its mother, of which a 1 glass is a true example, which is water and fire, and it receiveth the image very clearly.
284. And thus you see, that the end goeth back again and seeketh the beginning, and no further 2 in the outward. For this world hath a limit, and is X included in time, and hasteneth to the limit, and there the end findeth the beginning, and this world is as a model or glass in the beginning: By this you may find somewhat of the Mystery, and § remit yourselves well into the beginning, that you may be found to be a wonder in the love of God.
1 looking-glass.
2 Or outwardly.
* "the seeking of the water hath captivated it." Both 1682 and 1730 eds. have "the seeking of the fire" (des Feuers Sucht), and Schiebler has reprinted the same. St Martin, while rendering the original literally, adds in a footnote that he considers Sparrow's substitution of "water" for "fire" correct.
f "seeth its body," lit., "seeketh its body."
X "included in time," lit., "shut up (geschlosseri) or held captive in time."
§ "remit yourselves well," etc. (schicket euch recht), "seek for," or "make right [straight] for the beginning." St Martin's rendering is, placez-vous juste.
285. And know that the second J kind of water is in the spirit: it is the glass of its father, of its maker, which dwelleth in the spirit, and is found only by its maker; itself findeth not itself: for so long as a thing goeth forward externally, there is no finding in the inward; but the spirit which dwelleth in the inward, that findeth itself in the outward.
278. Thus you see, also, how the true essentiality arises from the light; for it is the satiating of the will: the water arises from the meekness of the light, for the desire takes hold of the meekness, and keeps it, because it has a good 1 relish: and so the meekness becomes essential, and it is an essence of the fire, a satiating of the desiring wrath, a quenching of the wrath, and a corporality of the fire: for when the body 2 is dead, then its spirit is in the beginning, in that which gave a beginning to it, it is in that glass.
279. Now then, as the source is twofold, so also the water is twofold, viz. an outward and an inward; the one belongs to the spirit, the other to the outward life; the outward is, as it were, a death, and the inward is the life of the outward; for the outward stands between wrath and paradise, in the 3 insunken death, and the inward is paradise itself, for the spirit grows up therein out of the eternity.
280. You may very well see that this is true, as follows: Observe the summer and winter, heat and cold, and your eyes will soon be opened, if you be born not externally only but internally, with a true magic will to find God; 4 for it is very
5 plain.
281. For the water in the deep arises from the fire, not from the wrath, but from the light; for the light proceeds from the fire, and has a 6 seeking of its own; it seeks a glass to behold itself in, and it seeks a habitation, and draws it 7 by its desire into itself, and dwells therein, and that which is drawn in is water, which receives the light; else if the light did not dwell in the water, the deep of the world could not comprehend the light: The water is the satiating of the desire of the light.
1 Or taste.
2 Or perishes, or dies, or corrupts, or departs.
3 death that is sunk down into the centre in a thing.
4 for that is done in the twinkling of an eye.
5 visible.
6 longing, sucking, drawing.
7 Or in.
282. And the water again seeks the glass, and would have a house to dwell in, and that is flesh; as you see, the water receives the shadow of all bodily substances, so that the body may be seen in the water, and that is because *the seeking of the water has captivated it.
283. Furthermore, you see herein the end of nature; for the eye fmds its life in the water, and so goes back into the seventh form, and f sees its body in the water: The outward desires no more; this body desires no other body more in the outward, but it looks back after its mother, of which a 1 glass is a true example, which is water and fire, and it receives the image very clearly.
284. And thus you see, that the end goes back again and seeks the beginning, and no further 2 in the outward. For this world has a limit, and is X included in time, and hastens to the limit, and there the end finds the beginning, and this world is as a model or glass in the beginning: By this you may find somewhat of the Mystery, and § remit yourselves well into the beginning, that you may be found to be a wonder in the love of God.
1 looking-glass.
2 Or outwardly.
* "the seeking of the water has captivated it." Both 1682 and 1730 eds. have "the seeking of the fire" (des Feuers Sucht), and Schiebler has reprinted the same. St Martin, while rendering the original literally, adds in a footnote that he considers Sparrow's substitution of "water" for "fire" correct.
f "sees its body," lit., "seeks its body."
X "included in time," lit., "shut up (geschlosseri) or held captive in time."
§ "remit yourselves well," etc. (schicket euch recht), "seek for," or "make right [straight] for the beginning." St Martin's rendering is, placez-vous juste.
285. And know that the second J kind of water is in the spirit: it is the glass of its father, of its maker, which dwells in the spirit, and is found only by its maker; itself finds not itself: for so long as a thing goes forward externally, there is no finding in the inward; but the spirit which dwells in the inward, that finds itself in the outward.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.