The Forty Questions of the Soul
5. The soul is proceeded out of the mouth of God; and when the body dieth, it goeth again into the mouth of God: It is in the Word, the essence; and in the will, the deed.
1 Or pain, or working property, or nature.
2 Or branches.
6. Now who will condemn that which he hath in his own body? Now the soul is in the divine body, it is hidden in God from all evil; and who can find it? None but the spirit of God, and one soul another, and the communion of angels.
7. But the wicked souls have lost their image in the limit, for it is entered into a limit, and that limit is the end of the image; the turba destroyeth the first image, and attracteth the 1 essences of the will for an image; and this is also immortal, for the eternal nature dieth not, because it had no beginning.
8. If the eternal nature in the fire of anger should die, then also God's Majesty would be extinguished, and the eternal something would again become an eternal nothing; and that cannot be, but whatsoever is from eternity, that continueth eternally.
9. The false soul cannot awaken any other source, but that only which stood from eternity in the eye of anger, viz. in the centre of nature.
10. All things have been from eternity, but essentially in the essence, not in the substance of the essence, not substantial spirits, but spirits 2 in figure, without corporality; they have been from eternity as in a magia, where one hath swallowed up the other in the magia.
11. And a third is come out of these two, according to the form of these two; there hath been a wrestling from eternity, and a figured substance: the creation hath placed all in the 3 wonders, so that now in eternity all things stand thus in the eternal magia in the wonders.
1 Or works.
2 figurales spiritus.
3 Or works of wonder.
12. Now if the wicked souls had l brought no substance into their wills, then they should have no pain, there would be no feehng or perception of pain, but magia; but the substance is an image, and that is the turba, and so there is a source that may be felt.
13. There is a dying, and yet no dying, but a will of dying, viz. an anguish in that substance which was introduced into the will.
14. And this is caused by the longing that all things have after God, and yet are not able to reach him; and this causeth anguish and sorrow for the introduced evil, when the soul continually thinketh, Hadst thou not done this, or that, then thou mightest have attained the grace of God; and the evil substance causeth the eternal despair.
15. And thus we say no soul is mortal, whether it be in God or in hell; and its substance remaineth for ever to God's wonders.
1 Note the condition of the evil souls of such infants as die in their mother's womb, before they commit sin actually.
THE TWENTIETH QUESTION
How doth the Soul return to God again?
1. THIS hath been already sufficiently explained; that it was 1 spoken out of the mouth of God, and created by the Holy Ghost in the image of God.
2. Now if it so continueth, then, when it leaveth this earthly life, it is already in the mouth of God; for it is in the divine body, no 2 source can touch it.
1 Or breathed.
2 evil, pain, or hurt can come at it.
THE TWENTY-FIRST QUESTION Whither goeth the Soul when it departeth from the Body; be it saved, or not saved?
1. HE that rightly understandeth the three Principles need not ask this Question; for the soul departeth not out at the mouth, for it did not come in at the mouth; but it only passeth out of the earthly life; the turba breaketh off the earthly life, and then the soul remaineth in its own Principle.
2. For the body retaineth it not, no wood, no stone, can 1 retain it; it is thinner than the air; and if it have the divine body, then it goeth direct as a conqueror through the turba, viz. through the anger of God, and quite through death; and when it is through, then it is in God's 2 essence.
3. It remaineth in its 3 wonders and essences which it wrought here; it beholdeth the Majesty of God, and the angels, face to face.
4. Wheresoever it is, it is in the abyssal world, where there is no end nor hmit.
Whither should it go? 4 Where the carcass is, there the eagles gather together: It is in Christ's flesh and blood, with Christ its Shepherd.
1 comprehend, enclose, keep or withhold it.
5. The soul is proceeded out of the mouth of God; and when the body dies, it goes again into the mouth of God: It is in the Word, the essence; and in the will, the deed.
1 Or pain, or working property, or nature.
2 Or branches.
6. Now who will condemn that which he has in his own body? Now the soul is in the divine body, it is hidden in God from all evil; and who can find it? None but the spirit of God, and one soul another, and the communion of angels.
7. But the wicked souls have lost their image in the limit, for it is entered into a limit, and that limit is the end of the image; the turba destroys the first image, and attracts the 1 essences of the will for an image; and this is also immortal, for the eternal nature dies not, because it had no beginning.
8. If the eternal nature in the fire of anger should die, then also God's Majesty would be extinguished, and the eternal something would again become an eternal nothing; and that cannot be, but whatsoever is from eternity, that continues eternally.
9. The false soul cannot awaken any other source, but that only which stood from eternity in the eye of anger, viz. in the centre of nature.
10. All things have been from eternity, but essentially in the essence, not in the substance of the essence, not substantial spirits, but spirits 2 in figure, without corporality; they have been from eternity as in a magia, where one has swallowed up the other in the magia.
11. And a third is come out of these two, according to the form of these two; there has been a wrestling from eternity, and a figured substance: the creation has placed all in the 3 wonders, so that now in eternity all things stand thus in the eternal magia in the wonders.
1 Or works.
2 figurales spiritus.
3 Or works of wonder.
12. Now if the wicked souls had l brought no substance into their wills, then they should have no pain, there would be no feehng or perception of pain, but magia; but the substance is an image, and that is the turba, and so there is a source that may be felt.
13. There is a dying, and yet no dying, but a will of dying, viz. an anguish in that substance which was introduced into the will.
14. And this is caused by the longing that all things have after God, and yet are not able to reach him; and this causes anguish and sorrow for the introduced evil, when the soul continually thinks, Hadst you not done this, or that, then you might have attained the grace of God; and the evil substance causes the eternal despair.
15. And thus we say no soul is mortal, whether it be in God or in hell; and its substance remains for ever to God's wonders.
1 Note the condition of the evil souls of such infants as die in their mother's womb, before they commit sin actually.
THE TWENTIETH QUESTION
How does the Soul return to God again?
1. THIS has been already sufficiently explained; that it was 1 spoken out of the mouth of God, and created by the Holy Ghost in the image of God.
2. Now if it so continues, then, when it leaves this earthly life, it is already in the mouth of God; for it is in the divine body, no 2 source can touch it.
1 Or breathed.
2 evil, pain, or hurt can come at it.
THE TWENTY-FIRST QUESTION Whither goes the Soul when it departs from the Body; be it saved, or not saved?
1. HE that rightly understands the three Principles need not ask this Question; for the soul departs not out at the mouth, for it did not come in at the mouth; but it only passes out of the earthly life; the turba breaks off the earthly life, and then the soul remains in its own Principle.
2. For the body retains it not, no wood, no stone, can 1 retain it; it is thinner than the air; and if it have the divine body, then it goes direct as a conqueror through the turba, viz. through the anger of God, and quite through death; and when it is through, then it is in God's 2 essence.
3. It remains in its 3 wonders and essences which it wrought here; it beholds the Majesty of God, and the angels, face to face.
4. Wheresoever it is, it is in the abyssal world, where there is no end nor hmit.
Whither should it go? 4 Where the carcass is, there the eagles gather together: It is in Christ's flesh and blood, with Christ its Shepherd.
1 comprehend, enclose, keep or withhold it.
No commentary for this page.
There is commentary on page 1.