The Forty Questions of the Soul
12. It is now in God's Principle: 6 the first wrathful fire cannot touch it in eternity, for it hath received another source, and is truly born again, and knoweth no more of the first life, for it is swallowed up in the magia.
13. The turba remaineth in the earthly body, and is again become that which it was before the body was, viz. a nothing, a magia, wherein all its essences stand in the figure as in a glass, but not corporeally, but after the manner of eternity; as we know that all the wonders before this world stood in a Mystery, viz. in the virgin of wisdom, but without substance.
1 Or dieth, or falleth away.
2 substance, or dross.
3 substantiality, the glance of the Majesty; the glorified body of Christ; and Adam's body before he slept; Sophia's wedding garment.
4 Or glorified body.
5 Viz. the elementary fire of the outward nature.
6 the fire of the wrath of the outward life.
14. Therefore we here understand, that this Mystery hath been so manifested in its parting, that it cannot be 1 extinguished in eternity; but it remaineth eternally in distinction and partition, and is beheld in the magia, in the separation, in that manner as it formed itself here.
15. Thus we may perceive what the 2 separation is, that the turba hath found the limit of the essence; for sickness to death is nothing else, but that the turba hath inflamed itself, and will destroy the essence; it is at the hmit, and will cast away that which is introduced 3 between.
16. And this is also the cause that the body dieth; the turba passeth into itself into the fire, and so the outward hfe is extinguished; for it withdraweth the fire of the soul, and so it passeth into its own 4 aether, and is at its limit.
17. And if the fire of the soul hath not the divine body in the spirit, nor in the will in the desire, then it is a dark fire, which burneth in anguish and great horror; for it hath nothing but the first four forms of nature in anguish.
18. And if the will be quite void of the power of humility, then there is no sinking down, or into itself, through death into hfe, but it is like a 5 tormenting furious wheel, which would continually fly aloft, and yet it goeth downwards on the other side; it hath the condition of fire, but not the burning of fire.
1 Or made one again.
2 Or parting of the soul from the body.
3 Or middle, between the beginning and the end.
4 Or receptacle.
5 anxious, mad, senseless, giddy wheel.
19. For the turba is the exceeding strong 1 harshness and bitterness: and the bitterness continually seeketh the fire, and would strike it up, but the astringency holdeth it captive; so that it is only a horrible anguish, and continually turneth itself like a wheel, and imagineth, but findeth nothing but itself: it draweth itself into itself, and impregnateth itself: it devoureth itself, and is its own substance.
20. It hath no other substance, but that which the spirit of the soul continually 2 made in the outward life, viz. covetousness, pride, cursing, swearing, reviling, backbiting, slandering, * 3 murder, hatred, 4 wrath, anger, falsehood; this is its food, sport, and 5 pastime; for the turba in the will taketh the substance with it: its works follow it.
21. And although it hath done some good, yet that is done only in 6 a glistering show and appearance, from an ambitious mind; and afterwards it continueth thus, in its aspiring, always endeavouring to climb up, it always elevateth itself, it would continually be above the meekness, and yet it neither knoweth it nor seeth it; it is an incessant elevation above God, and yet an eternal f depression; it seeketh a ground, and there is none: this is its life.
22. Yet if it had comprehended any purity of love in its will (as many a one that is converted at last in his end), then it thus sinketh into itself through the anguish; for the humble spark falleth down through death into life, and then the 7 source of the soul endeth: but it is a small twig budding forth into the kingdom of God.
1 Or astringency.
2 Or did, or wrought.
3 cruelty.
4 rage, or surliness.
5 work, or business.
6 Or hypocrisy.
7 Or pain.
* "murder" (Neid), "envy."
f "depression" (sincken), "sinking" or "descent" (see par. 26).
12. It is now in God's Principle: 6 the first wrathful fire cannot touch it in eternity, for it has received another source, and is truly born again, and knows no more of the first life, for it is swallowed up in the magia.
13. The turba remains in the earthly body, and is again become that which it was before the body was, viz. a nothing, a magia, wherein all its essences stand in the figure as in a glass, but not corporeally, but after the manner of eternity; as we know that all the wonders before this world stood in a Mystery, viz. in the virgin of wisdom, but without substance.
1 Or dies, or falls away.
2 substance, or dross.
3 substantiality, the glance of the Majesty; the glorified body of Christ; and Adam's body before he slept; Sophia's wedding garment.
4 Or glorified body.
5 Viz. the elementary fire of the outward nature.
6 the fire of the wrath of the outward life.
14. Therefore we here understand, that this Mystery has been so manifested in its parting, that it cannot be 1 extinguished in eternity; but it remains eternally in distinction and partition, and is beheld in the magia, in the separation, in that manner as it formed itself here.
15. Thus we may perceive what the 2 separation is, that the turba has found the limit of the essence; for sickness to death is nothing else, but that the turba has inflamed itself, and will destroy the essence; it is at the hmit, and will cast away that which is introduced 3 between.
16. And this is also the cause that the body dies; the turba passes into itself into the fire, and so the outward hfe is extinguished; for it withdraws the fire of the soul, and so it passes into its own 4 aether, and is at its limit.
17. And if the fire of the soul has not the divine body in the spirit, nor in the will in the desire, then it is a dark fire, which burns in anguish and great horror; for it has nothing but the first four forms of nature in anguish.
18. And if the will be quite void of the power of humility, then there is no sinking down, or into itself, through death into hfe, but it is like a 5 tormenting furious wheel, which would continually fly aloft, and yet it goes downwards on the other side; it has the condition of fire, but not the burning of fire.
1 Or made one again.
2 Or parting of the soul from the body.
3 Or middle, between the beginning and the end.
4 Or receptacle.
5 anxious, mad, senseless, giddy wheel.
19. For the turba is the exceeding strong 1 harshness and bitterness: and the bitterness continually seeks the fire, and would strike it up, but the astringency holds it captive; so that it is only a horrible anguish, and continually turns itself like a wheel, and imagines, but finds nothing but itself: it draws itself into itself, and impregnats itself: it devours itself, and is its own substance.
20. It has no other substance, but that which the spirit of the soul continually 2 made in the outward life, viz. covetousness, pride, cursing, swearing, reviling, backbiting, slandering, * 3 murder, hatred, 4 wrath, anger, falsehood; this is its food, sport, and 5 pastime; for the turba in the will takes the substance with it: its works follow it.
21. And although it has done some good, yet that is done only in 6 a glistering show and appearance, from an ambitious mind; and afterwards it continues thus, in its aspiring, always endeavouring to climb up, it always elevats itself, it would continually be above the meekness, and yet it neither knows it nor sees it; it is an incessant elevation above God, and yet an eternal f depression; it seeks a ground, and there is none: this is its life.
22. Yet if it had comprehended any purity of love in its will (as many a one that is converted at last in his end), then it thus sinks into itself through the anguish; for the humble spark falls down through death into life, and then the 7 source of the soul ends: but it is a small twig budding forth into the kingdom of God.
1 Or astringency.
2 Or did, or wrought.
3 cruelty.
4 rage, or surliness.
5 work, or business.
6 Or hypocrisy.
7 Or pain.
* "murder" (Neid), "envy."
f "depression" (sincken), "sinking" or "descent" (see par. 26).
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