The Forty Questions of the Soul

6. Why then should they search after art, when the whole Mystery of God standeth open? God fdleth all in all; there is only a mere wonder, they all live in wonders, and are all of them the art of God; they have great knowledge, but in a paradisical, simple children's life.

1 Or employment.

* "the other search not," or "the other do not try to fathom."

THE TWENTY-EIGHTH QUESTION

Whether hath the Soul any more Knowledge of Divine, Angelical, Earthly, and

Devilish Things? And whether can it get more certain Experience and

Knowledge of them, than it had in the Body?

1. CONCERNING divine and angelical knowledge, certainly it hath much more of that, for it is in the Principle of God; the son seeth very well what the father doth in his house, and so likewise the soul seeth what is in heaven.

2. Their knowledge is different; for the highest knowledge is in the Majesty; and therefore most souls must wait till the last day, when they shall receive their new body.

3. But the highly enlightened souls, which are in the divine body and power, they have superabundant understanding and knowledge of God, and of the angels; for they continue in the wonders of God, * till their own wonders shall be presented also to them.

4. The souls that are without a body are in heaven, in God, as it were magically; they awaken no wonders, but are under God's altar, and expect the wonders at 1 the day of appearing.

5. They take no care about devilish matters; it belongeth to the angels to strive with the devils, and to defend man; no 2 soul imagineth into hell, it is enmity to it.

i 2 Tim. iv. 1. Tit. ii. 13. 1 Pet. i. 7. 2 holy soul.

* "till their own wonders," etc., lit., "till they display (darstelleri) also their own wonders."

THE TWENTY-NINTH QUESTION
What is the Soul's Rest, 1 Awakening, and 2 Glorification?

1. THIS is already sufficiently explained. Their rest is without essence in the stillness, where they are in God's hand, and no 3 source toucheth them; they have no feeling of any source, but they are as one that lieth in a sweet sleep and resteth very quietly.

2. Their glorification, during this time, is when they consider of the joy to come; then the 4 spirit entereth into the Majesty of God, and receiveth joy and * 5 clarity; and so all this time they 6 trim their lamps, that they may the more 7 readily receive their bridegroom in their new bodies.

3. There is a very sweet, magical, paradisical joy in them, but paradise is not yet fully 8 manifested in them with total perfection, for that belongeth to the new body, [which shall rise] out of the earth.

4. The first body which God created, and Christ redeemed with his blood, that will bring the wonders with it, and enter again into paradise, and be clothed with the Majesty of God, and then 9 the tabernacle of God is with men.

1 Or Resurrection.

2 Clarification, or Transfiguration.

3 pain or turba.

4 Viz. the spirit of the soul.

5 glorious illustration.

6 Matt. xxv. 6, 7.

7 cheerfully.

8 stirring, or working.

9 Rev. xxi. 3.

* "clarity" (Klarheit), or "purity," in the sense of transparency.

THE THIRTIETH QUESTION

What is the Difference between the Resurrection of the Flesh and of the Soul, both of the Living and of the Dead?

1. CHRIST saith concerning this, that there shall be a great difference; therefore we direct you to the Scripture, for it shall come to pass just according to the HolyScripture.

2. Seeing that human reason cannot search or find it out, how should I answer you more than the Scripture speaketh of? Yet * seeing you so earnestly desire and long to know these things, you even become the finder in your seeking, and I am but the instrument.

3. And although it be given and opened to me, yet it is not a thing that fconsisteth in my understanding or knowledge; but the knowledge standeth in the spirit of Christ; according to which this hand calleth itself twofold, for it speaketh from two persons; and two persons say, not I, but we, and speaketh of two, as a lord who speaketh of his person, and of his 1 dominion.

1 office, authority, power, or jurisdiction.

* "seeing you so earnestly desire," etc., lit., "since you groan for these things and earnestly desire to know them."

f "consisteth in my understanding," etc., lit., "belongeth to my understanding, or is from my own knowledge, but the knowledge is [stands] in the spirit of Christ."