The Forty Questions of the Soul
THE TWELFTH QUESTION
How is the Soul enlightened, and what is the Illumination of it?
1. WE must consider, that if the sun were taken away out of this world, that all things would be in darkness, and then outward reason would say, We are in dark death and in the 1 wrathfulness of the cold; and it were so indeed.
2. Now observe, my beloved mind, and consider with thyself, when thy body perisheth, and so thy spirit loseth the 2 sun; how canst thou then enjoy the light? and wherewith wilt thou see? In simplicity we put thee in mind of this, that thou mayest consider it.
3. That thing which consisteth in the eternal hberty, if it always enter again into the eternal liberty, it hath no darkness, for it dwelleth in nothing that 3 affordeth darkness: it is free as the eye of God, which beholdeth itself through a 4 substance.
4. * When that imagineth after anything, in lust, then the will entereth into that thing, which the desiring lust itself maketh; and this receiveth the will into itself, and overshadoweth it, so that it dwelleth in darkness, and can have no light, unless it goeth forth again out of that thing into the liberty.
1 Or bitterness.
2 Viz. the light of the sun.
3 giveth, maketh, or causeth.
4 Or being, or essence.
* "When that imagineth," etc. "When that imagineth [makes use of the imaging power] in a desire (Lust) for anything, then the will entereth into that thing, which the eager desire itself maketh." The meaning of the German "Lust" is not identical with that of the English "lust." St Martin has rendered it in this case, "attrait."
5. Thus we give you earnestly to understand, that we have no hght in all * our 1 affairs and works,if we let our will enter into that which we have wrought, by setting our heart and 2 will upon the work of our own hands, in covetousness; then the soul is wholly blind, and we have no hght in us, but only the outward hght of the sun, which giveth hght to the outward body; and when that perisheth, then the soul is imprisoned by that 3 thing.
6. You must here understand the spirit and will of the soul; for the prison of the soul is a dark 4 vale, 5 having no hght; and although it do elevate itself, and inflame itself, yet it becometh only a wrathful flash of fire, and is hke the devil, and cannot 6 attain the divine hght in itself.
7. The cause is, it hath brought abominations into its will and spirit, which darken the spirit, and hold it captive with the turba: for God's light goeth not backwards, but forwards, into the eternity.
8. And therefore God's eye is 7 twofold, standing back to back, as before in the Figure; one part goeth forwards into the still eternity, into the eternal nothing, viz. into the hberty.
1 matters, or business.
2 Or sacrifice to our own net. Hab. i. 16. Note the cause of our spiritual blindness.
3 it was set upon.
4 cave, or hole.
5 void of light.
6 Or reach.
7 Or in two halves, or parts.
* "our affairs and works" (wiser Wesen und Macheri), "our being and doing."
9. And the other part goeth backwards into the desire, and maketh darkness and the centre of nature therein, and driveth it to the greatest anguish and sharpness.
10. And then the will again sinketh out of the anguish through the darkness, into the still liberty, and bringeth the wrathfulness of the mobility and earnest sharpness out of the anguish with it.
11. In which sharpness, the liberty (when the will bringeth the sharpness into it) becometh a highly triumphing majestic light, which is called God's light, which shineth for ever, and cannot be 1 smothered by anything, for it giveth light in the eternal liberty, and desireth no more.
12. And if (as thou earthly man perhaps doth suppose) God would receive thy spirit into his majestic light, while thou lettest in thy abomination (viz. covetousness, which hath brought forth pride, which is the fiery life of covetousness) into thy will, so that thy will sticketh wholly in earthliness; thou wouldst darken God's Majesty, and thy spirit and will would nevertheless stick in covetousness, and burn out with the fiery source of the soul, as a reflection in a glass, viz. in pride, and thou shouldst not be able to reach the Majesty of God.
THE TWELFTH QUESTION
How is the Soul enlightened, and what is the Illumination of it?
1. WE must consider, that if the sun were taken away out of this world, that all things would be in darkness, and then outward reason would say, We are in dark death and in the 1 wrathfulness of the cold; and it were so indeed.
2. Now observe, my beloved mind, and consider with yourself, when your body perishes, and so your spirit loses the 2 sun; how can you then enjoy the light? and wherewith will you see? In simplicity we put you in mind of this, that you may consider it.
3. That thing which consists in the eternal hberty, if it always enter again into the eternal liberty, it has no darkness, for it dwells in nothing that 3 affords darkness: it is free as the eye of God, which beholds itself through a 4 substance.
4. * When that imagines after anything, in lust, then the will enters into that thing, which the desiring lust itself makes; and this receives the will into itself, and overshadows it, so that it dwells in darkness, and can have no light, unless it goes forth again out of that thing into the liberty.
1 Or bitterness.
2 Viz. the light of the sun.
3 gives, makes, or causes.
4 Or being, or essence.
* "When that imagines," etc. "When that imagines [makes use of the imaging power] in a desire (Lust) for anything, then the will enters into that thing, which the eager desire itself makes." The meaning of the German "Lust" is not identical with that of the English "lust." St Martin has rendered it in this case, "attrait."
5. Thus we give you earnestly to understand, that we have no hght in all * our 1 affairs and works,if we let our will enter into that which we have wrought, by setting our heart and 2 will upon the work of our own hands, in covetousness; then the soul is wholly blind, and we have no hght in us, but only the outward hght of the sun, which gives hght to the outward body; and when that perishes, then the soul is imprisoned by that 3 thing.
6. You must here understand the spirit and will of the soul; for the prison of the soul is a dark 4 vale, 5 having no hght; and although it do elevate itself, and inflame itself, yet it becomes only a wrathful flash of fire, and is hke the devil, and cannot 6 attain the divine hght in itself.
7. The cause is, it has brought abominations into its will and spirit, which darken the spirit, and hold it captive with the turba: for God's light goes not backwards, but forwards, into the eternity.
8. And therefore God's eye is 7 twofold, standing back to back, as before in the Figure; one part goes forwards into the still eternity, into the eternal nothing, viz. into the hberty.
1 matters, or business.
2 Or sacrifice to our own net. Hab. i. 16. Note the cause of our spiritual blindness.
3 it was set upon.
4 cave, or hole.
5 void of light.
6 Or reach.
7 Or in two halves, or parts.
* "our affairs and works" (wiser Wesen und Macheri), "our being and doing."
9. And the other part goes backwards into the desire, and makes darkness and the centre of nature therein, and drivs it to the greatest anguish and sharpness.
10. And then the will again sinks out of the anguish through the darkness, into the still liberty, and brings the wrathfulness of the mobility and earnest sharpness out of the anguish with it.
11. In which sharpness, the liberty (when the will brings the sharpness into it) becomes a highly triumphing majestic light, which is called God's light, which shines for ever, and cannot be 1 smothered by anything, for it gives light in the eternal liberty, and desires no more.
12. And if (as you earthly man perhaps does suppose) God would receive your spirit into his majestic light, while you lettest in your abomination (viz. covetousness, which has brought forth pride, which is the fiery life of covetousness) into your will, so that your will sticks wholly in earthliness; you would darken God's Majesty, and your spirit and will would nevertheless stick in covetousness, and burn out with the fiery source of the soul, as a reflection in a glass, viz. in pride, and you should not be able to reach the Majesty of God.
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