The Forty Questions of the Soul

33. Now if the angels be in this world, in the holy Principle, whither then shall the soul fly first? Perhaps into pride, as Lucifer did, might Babel think. O no! they continue in humility, and look upon 3 God's wonders; as God's spirit moveth, so do they.

1 Or globe.

2 skies, mansions, or spheres.

3 what God doth.

THE TWENTY-SECOND QUESTION What doth every soul departed? Doth it rejoice till the Last Judgment-day?

1. THIS Question containeth the exceeding joyful gate of glory, leading to the knowledge of the * 1 victorious garland of the soul.

2. When a darling son travelleth afar off into a strange country, for art and honour, he often thinks of home, and of the time when he shall enjoy his parents and friends; he rejoiceth at the thought of that day, and expecteth it with inward joy and longing: also he plieth himself hard in his business, that he may get arts and skill, wherewith he may rejoice his parents, kindred, and friends.

3. Think of this similitude, and take it into consideration. It is just so with the soul; the souls without body have a great inward joy, and wait for the last day with great inward desire, when they shall again receive its fair and holy body with its 2 wonders.

4. Also their ornament is in their will, where they behold their works after the manner of the eternal abyssal magic, which they shall then first receive at the last day, in the figure, with the new body out of the old.

1 Or triumphant.

2 Or works, which it did here.

* "victorious garland" (Ritter-Krdnzleiri), "knightly-crown."

5. Also we know and 1 highly perceive, yet in the spirit only, according to its knowledge, that the blessed souls do rejoice in the labour which they took here, and exceedingly recreate themselves in their wonders, which they see magically: for they that have led many to righteousness, they have their reward in the magia, in the will, before their eyes.

6. They that have suffered much persecution for the truth's sake, they see their bright 2 triumphant garland, which at the last day they shall set upon the new body.

7. They that have done much good, they see that plainly shining in the will.

8. They who have been scorned, contemned, persecuted, and slain for Christ's doctrine, honour, and truth's sake, they see the triumphant victory, like one that hath overcome his enemy in a fight, and then represents the victory to his prince or king; for which he hath exceeding great glory, when his king receiveth him with great joy, and keeps him with him for his faithful assistant.

9. We have no pen that can write what exceeding joy is in them; only this we know, that those for the most part have put on the divine body in this world, and so have greater perfection than the other: they expect the last day with great joy and glory, when their works shall be presented to them, and set before their eyes in heavenly figures; and the wicked shall see, then, 3 against whom they have kicked.

1 Or fuUy.

2 Or crown of victory.

3 Or whom they have tyrannized over.

10. Every soul rejoiceth before the face of God, in great hope of that which it shall receive again, for it knoweth its reward; but without the body it cannot receive it: for it hath wrought its works in the body, and therefore its works follow it in the new body, and come to it again.

11. For although the exceeding precious holy souls have put on Christ's body in this world, so that they stand in heaven, viz. in the image of God; yet all their works were wrought in the old body, which was Gods glass: and in the resurrection they shall be represented in the true heavenly figure in that l body.

12. For the first image which Adam was before the fall, is regenerated in Christ; and shall again, with its wonders, be put upon the soul; and although it had the divine body before, yet the 2 wonders stand in the first image.