The Forty Questions of the Soul
318. The turba taketh away the earthly source; the outward body from the earth remaineth in the earth; but the will taketh *its works along with itself, for they are in the new body, and follow it; therefore let a man consider what he doth whilst he is here in this life.
The Ninth Form of Fire, the great 1 Earnestness.
319. Seeing then we understand that all things proceeded from the beginning, and that one thing thus proceedeth always out of another; and seeing we understand that the fire is a cause of the life, and that the life divideth itself into two parts, and yet doth not corrupt; only the outward life is that which corrupteth; it falleth into the turba, which destroyeth it: we are now, therefore, to consider wherein the inward eternal life consisteth, and what upholdeth it, that the body 2 fadeth not, seeing essentiality hath a beginning; and yet we can say with good ground, that it hath no end; for it must have a 3 ground, or else the turba will have it, and that findeth the limit.
1 Severity.
2 corrupteth, or breaketh not.
3 Or sure foundation to uphold it.
* "its works" (seine Wesen) or "its essences."
320. The eternal body must not have a limit, but be free in the abyss, in the eternal nothing; or else another essence would again be in that essence, * which would divide it, and make a limit.
321. We have told you before, that all which shall endure for ever must pass quite through the fire, for the turba taketh that which remaineth in the fire; now no spirit is created x for the fire, that it should remain in it.
322. Only the turba hath captivated many of them, but not from the will of God, for God's will is only love; but the turba is the will of his wrath, which by its vehement hunger hath gotten a great dominion, wherein it hath manifested its wonders, viz. the devils and wicked souls of men.
323. But the eternal life consisteth in meekness, and hath no death or turba in it;
therefore we must say, that the soul and spirit are not in the turba, especially the 2 body of the soul; if it were, the turba would destroy it.
324. This is only to be understood, as it is mentioned before, that the will in the anguish source, in the fire (understand the will of the soul), sinketh down in itself as into death, and 3 should not live in the fire, and so 4 it falleth into another world, viz. into the beginning, or (as we may better say) into the free eternity, into the eternal nothing, wherein is no source, nor anything that 5 giveth or receiveth a source.
iin.
2 Or image.
3 may not.
4 the will.
5 Or maketh.
* "which would divide it, and make a limit," or "which would make for division and limitation."
325. Now there is no dying in the will that is thus sunk down, for it is gone quite out from the fiery beginning, in the eye, and so bringeth its life into another Principle, and dwelleth in the hberty; and yet it hath all the forms of the essences which arise from the fire in it, but 1 unperceived; for it is gone quite out from the fire.
326. And therefore the hfe of its essences is in the hberty; and it is also desiring, and receiveth in the desire, in its essences, the power of the hght which shineth in the hberty, which is power without turba: for this fire is only love, which consumeth not, but yet always desireth and satiateth, so that the wiU of the soul 2 putteth on a body.
327. For the will is a spirit, and the soul is the great life of the spirit, which upholdeth the spirit, and so the soul is 3 clothed with power, and dwelleth in two Principles, as God himself doth, and as to the outward life in three Principles, and is the similitude of God.
328. The inward water in the spirit of the soul, is the water of eternal life, of which Christ said, He that drinketh the water that I will give him, he shall never thirst 4 : this is that water.
329. And the essentiality of the spirit which the soul putteth on is God's or Christ's body, of which he saith, He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, he is in me, and I in him 5
1 imperceptible.
2 getteth, or attracteth.
3 endued.
4 John iv. 14.
5 Or dwelleth. John vi. 56.
318. The turba takes away the earthly source; the outward body from the earth remains in the earth; but the will takes *its works along with itself, for they are in the new body, and follow it; therefore let a man consider what he does whilst he is here in this life.
The Ninth Form of Fire, the great 1 Earnestness.
319. Seeing then we understand that all things proceeded from the beginning, and that one thing thus proceeds always out of another; and seeing we understand that the fire is a cause of the life, and that the life divids itself into two parts, and yet does not corrupt; only the outward life is that which corrupts; it falls into the turba, which destroys it: we are now, therefore, to consider wherein the inward eternal life consists, and what upholds it, that the body 2 fads not, seeing essentiality has a beginning; and yet we can say with good ground, that it has no end; for it must have a 3 ground, or else the turba will have it, and that finds the limit.
1 Severity.
2 corrupts, or breaks not.
3 Or sure foundation to uphold it.
* "its works" (seine Wesen) or "its essences."
320. The eternal body must not have a limit, but be free in the abyss, in the eternal nothing; or else another essence would again be in that essence, * which would divide it, and make a limit.
321. We have told you before, that all which shall endure for ever must pass quite through the fire, for the turba takes that which remains in the fire; now no spirit is created x for the fire, that it should remain in it.
322. Only the turba has captivated many of them, but not from the will of God, for God's will is only love; but the turba is the will of his wrath, which by its vehement hunger has gotten a great dominion, wherein it has manifested its wonders, viz. the devils and wicked souls of men.
323. But the eternal life consists in meekness, and has no death or turba in it;
therefore we must say, that the soul and spirit are not in the turba, especially the 2 body of the soul; if it were, the turba would destroy it.
324. This is only to be understood, as it is mentioned before, that the will in the anguish source, in the fire (understand the will of the soul), sinks down in itself as into death, and 3 should not live in the fire, and so 4 it falls into another world, viz. into the beginning, or (as we may better say) into the free eternity, into the eternal nothing, wherein is no source, nor anything that 5 gives or receives a source.
iin.
2 Or image.
3 may not.
4 the will.
5 Or makes.
* "which would divide it, and make a limit," or "which would make for division and limitation."
325. Now there is no dying in the will that is thus sunk down, for it is gone quite out from the fiery beginning, in the eye, and so brings its life into another Principle, and dwells in the hberty; and yet it has all the forms of the essences which arise from the fire in it, but 1 unperceived; for it is gone quite out from the fire.
326. And therefore the hfe of its essences is in the hberty; and it is also desiring, and receives in the desire, in its essences, the power of the hght which shines in the hberty, which is power without turba: for this fire is only love, which consums not, but yet always desires and satiats, so that the wiU of the soul 2 putts on a body.
327. For the will is a spirit, and the soul is the great life of the spirit, which upholds the spirit, and so the soul is 3 clothed with power, and dwells in two Principles, as God himself does, and as to the outward life in three Principles, and is the similitude of God.
328. The inward water in the spirit of the soul, is the water of eternal life, of which Christ said, He that drinks the water that I will give him, he shall never thirst 4 : this is that water.
329. And the essentiality of the spirit which the soul putts on is God's or Christ's body, of which he says, He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, he is in me, and I in him 5
1 imperceptible.
2 getts, or attracts.
3 endued.
4 John iv. 14.
5 Or dwells. John vi. 56.
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