The Forty Questions of the Soul
34. * What is the lamentable and horrible condition of the damned souls?
35. What is the Enochian life, and how long doth it continue?
36. What is the soul of the Messiah, or Christ?
37. fWliat is the Spirit of Christ, which he willingly commended into his Father's hand?
38. Of the things which shall come to pass at the end of the world?
39. What, and where is paradise, with its inhabitants?
40. Whether is it mutable, and what shall it be afterwards?
* Lit., "What is the lamentable, horrible, and wretched condition," etc.
f Lit., "What is the spirit of Christ, which was obedient, and which he commended into his Father's hand?"
Summary appendix
TO THE READER
IF we knew the preciousness of our own souls, we would confess and acknowledge with an inward feelingness, the answer to Christ's Question, when he said: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own Soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The soul is so precious, that nothing can truly be valued at so high a Rate. To save it is the greatest gain, to lose it is the greatest loss: then who will not highly prize the study and understanding of the way to save it? Christ saith, He that will save his soul shall lose it, and he that will lose his soul shall save it: But who understandeth this? We know it is the earnest desire of every soul to be saved, and to be happy and glorious, but the way is very unknown to us poor fallen souls, for we can hardly suppose that losing will be the saving of ourselves: Christ also taught that the way to Glory was through many tribulations and Death; this way he entered into Glory, and so have all the blessed from the beginning of the world, and can no otherwise to the end thereof. But how shall a soul know the way to lose and deny itself, so that it may assuredly attain Eternal Salvation? Let it listen, in its heart and Conscience, inwardly to that Teacher, which it shall find there, who is God himself: we have the Testimony of Moses for this, who told the Israelites, The Word, the Commandment is nigh thee, in thy heart and in thy mouth (not the outward, but the Inward heart and mouth); as also the Apostle Paul saith to the Romans, that Christ the Eternal Essential word of God, the word of Faith which they, the Apostles, preached, is nigh us, in our hearts and in our mouths; and in another place he saith, Do you not know that Christ is in you, except you be past reproof, adoKipoi improbi? Furthermore, the Apostle John saith, that God is Love, and he that loveth, God dwelleth in him, and he in God; which we all perceive is true, for in him we live, and move, and have our being. And this may be known, though the Apostle Paul had not said so much, for one of the Poets of old spake what he knew, and said, We are all of his Offspring, as the Apostle mentioneth it: Nay, we all know, that he that doth well is the servant of God, but he that doth evil is the servant of the Devil who ruleth in his heart: and though there is none that doth good, no not one, nor can do of himself, while he is in this mortal life, yet through Christ in him, he can desire to do well, and be sorry when he hath been drawn away to do evil by the lusts of his own heart, by which the Devil tempteth us to do evil; but if we will resist the Devil, he will fly from us; if we will leave off to do evil, and desire, try, and learn to do well, without doubt we shall be able, through God that dwelleth in us; and then he will teach us all things, and lead us into all truth by his Spirit. All this we shall fully understand, and all Mysteries, when God shall manifest himself in us, if we earnestly desire it with all humility, self-denial, losing of our souls, and being nothing in ourselves; for then God will be All in All, and nothing is impossible with God: All this, and much more, hath the Author of this Answer to these Questions concerning the soul, found true; and hath out of his inward Mystery manifested many things in this, and other Writings of his, the knowing whereof will be exceeding useful to the furtherance of the salvation of every soul; which when I had read I was very much satisfied in my own soul, and do desire that others may be made partakers of them, so far as heth in me. I have therefore taken in hand to put this Treatise into English, which I chose to do rather out of the Original than out of any Translations, because they many times come short of the Author's own meaning, and because I found many errors in some of them. And he is so deep in his writings, that we have need to desire that our souls may be put into such a condition as his was in, else they cannot be fully understood; but the same God that satisfied his desires, will satisfy ours, if we cast ourselves upon him in our souls, and let him do with us what he pleaseth.
34. * What is the lamentable and horrible condition of the damned souls?
35. What is the Enochian life, and how long does it continue?
36. What is the soul of the Messiah, or Christ?
37. fWliat is the Spirit of Christ, which he willingly commended into his Father's hand?
38. Of the things which shall come to pass at the end of the world?
39. What, and where is paradise, with its inhabitants?
40. Whether is it mutable, and what shall it be afterwards?
* Lit., "What is the lamentable, horrible, and wretched condition," etc.
f Lit., "What is the spirit of Christ, which was obedient, and which he commended into his Father's hand?"
Summary appendix
TO THE READER
IF we knew the preciousness of our own souls, we would confess and acknowledge with an inward feelingness, the answer to Christ's Question, when he said: What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own Soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? The soul is so precious, that nothing can truly be valued at so high a Rate. To save it is the greatest gain, to lose it is the greatest loss: then who will not highly prize the study and understanding of the way to save it? Christ says, He that will save his soul shall lose it, and he that will lose his soul shall save it: But who understands this? We know it is the earnest desire of every soul to be saved, and to be happy and glorious, but the way is very unknown to us poor fallen souls, for we can hardly suppose that losing will be the saving of ourselves: Christ also taught that the way to Glory was through many tribulations and Death; this way he entered into Glory, and so have all the blessed from the beginning of the world, and can no otherwise to the end thereof. But how shall a soul know the way to lose and deny itself, so that it may assuredly attain Eternal Salvation? Let it listen, in its heart and Conscience, inwardly to that Teacher, which it shall find there, who is God himself: we have the Testimony of Moses for this, who told the Israelites, The Word, the Commandment is nigh you, in your heart and in your mouth (not the outward, but the Inward heart and mouth); as also the Apostle Paul says to the Romans, that Christ the Eternal Essential word of God, the word of Faith which they, the Apostles, preached, is nigh us, in our hearts and in our mouths; and in another place he says, Do you not know that Christ is in you, except you be past reproof, adoKipoi improbi? Furthermore, the Apostle John says, that God is Love, and he that loves, God dwells in him, and he in God; which we all perceive is true, for in him we live, and move, and have our being. And this may be known, though the Apostle Paul had not said so much, for one of the Poets of old spake what he knew, and said, We are all of his Offspring, as the Apostle mentions it: Nay, we all know, that he that does well is the servant of God, but he that does evil is the servant of the Devil who ruls in his heart: and though there is none that does good, no not one, nor can do of himself, while he is in this mortal life, yet through Christ in him, he can desire to do well, and be sorry when he has been drawn away to do evil by the lusts of his own heart, by which the Devil tempts us to do evil; but if we will resist the Devil, he will fly from us; if we will leave off to do evil, and desire, try, and learn to do well, without doubt we shall be able, through God that dwells in us; and then he will teach us all things, and lead us into all truth by his Spirit. All this we shall fully understand, and all Mysteries, when God shall manifest himself in us, if we earnestly desire it with all humility, self-denial, losing of our souls, and being nothing in ourselves; for then God will be All in All, and nothing is impossible with God: All this, and much more, has the Author of this Answer to these Questions concerning the soul, found true; and has out of his inward Mystery manifested many things in this, and other Writings of his, the knowing whereof will be exceeding useful to the furtherance of the salvation of every soul; which when I had read I was very much satisfied in my own soul, and do desire that others may be made partakers of them, so far as heth in me. I have therefore taken in hand to put this Treatise into English, which I chose to do rather out of the Original than out of any Translations, because they many times come short of the Author's own meaning, and because I found many errors in some of them. And he is so deep in his writings, that we have need to desire that our souls may be put into such a condition as his was in, else they cannot be fully understood; but the same God that satisfied his desires, will satisfy ours, if we cast ourselves upon him in our souls, and let him do with us what he pleases.
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