The Forty Questions of the Soul

21. Or dost thou think that we are blind? If we did not see, we should be silent; what pleasure would a he be to God? Yea, we should be found in the turba, which searcheth through all human essences and works: Or do we this piece of service for wages? Is it our 1 living? Why do we not mind our bread only, according to outward reason?

22. But seeing it is our day labour, we must do what the Father will have us, for 2 we must give an account of it in the evening; this we speak seriously, and in good earnest.

23. Thus you may well understand the contrariety of flesh and spirit, and apprehend very well that two spirits are in one another, one striving against the other; for one desireth God, the other desireth bread, and both are profitable and good.

24. But thou child of man, let this be spoken to thee: Lead thy life circumspectly, and let the spirit of thy soul be master, and thou wilt 3 have fought here a good fight, for this time is but short.

25. We all stand here in the field and grow; let every one have a care what fruit he beareth, for at the end of the harvest every work shall be put into its own granary.

1 Or trade.

2 Matt. xx. 8.

3 2 Tim. iv. 7.

26. It is better to labour a little while with toil and care in the vineyard, and to expect the great wages and refreshment, than to be a king here for a little time, and afterwards to be a lion, a wolf, a dog, a cat, a toad, serpent or worm, in 1 figure.

27. child of man! think upon this, be yet warned; we speak very seriously, out of a wonderful eye, you shall very shortly find it by experience; there is yet but a little time, for the beginning hath already found the end: this is a little 2 rose out of the beginning; *see yet, and put covetousness out of your 3 eyes, or else you shall wail and lament, and none will pity you; 4 for what a man soweth, that he must also reap; what will pomp and honour avail, when it leaveth you?

28. Here you are very potent, but afterwards you shall be impotent; 5 ye are gods, and yet you run on headlong to the devil; take pity on your own life, and on your fair heavenly image.

29. Pray be the children of God, and be not the devil's; let not the hypocrites keep you back by their 6 flattery; they do it for their bellies, for their honour's and for money's sake; they are the servants of the great Babel.

30. Examine yourselves, ask your conscience whether it be in God? That will blame you, and bid you drive the hypocrites from you, and seek the clear countenance of God, and look not through 7 a glass.

1 Or shape.

2 rose-bud.

3 Or sight.

4 Gal. vi. 7, 8.

5 John x. 34, 35.

6 Or example.

7 Or spectacles.

* "see yet" (werdet doch sehend), lit., "become seeing," or "let your eyes be opened."

31. God is for you, he is in you, confess to him, come to him with the lost son; there is no other can take the turba from you; you cannot enter but through death into the other world, whither your hypocrites can never come, otherwise there is no forgiveness of sin; and though you should give all to your hypocrites, yet then you would be as much captivated in the turba as you were before.

32. It is no such matter, as that one should stand by and take away the turba from you when you give x him good words; no, no, it is a magical thing: You must be born again, as Christ saith, or else you cannot come to God; do what you will, all hypocrisy is deceit.

33. If you would serve God, you must do it in the new man, the earthly Adam can do him no acceptable service; let him sing, roar, call, confess, pray, cry, and do whatever he will, all is but fighting with a shadow; the will must be in it, the heart must wholly resign itself up into it, else it is but conjecture, and a fable of Antichrist's, wherewith the whole earth is filled.

34. The will is greater and more powerful than much crying; it is able to destroy the turba, and to enter into the image of God; it hath power to be the child of God; it can throw down mountains, and raise the dead, if it be born in God, and if the Holy Spirit give it leave.