And it is not possible for this Soul to come into the Rest of God,
because God's Anger is manifested in it, and worketh in it. Now when a
body is parted from the Soul, then beginneth the Eternal Melancholy and
Despair, because it now findeth that it is become altogether Vanity,
even a Vanity most vexatious to itself, and a distracting Fury, and a
self-tormenting Abomination. Now it perceiveth itself disappointed of
every Thing which it had before fancied, and blind, and naked, and
wounded, and hungry, and thirsty, without the least prospect of ever
being relieved, or obtaining so much as one drop of the water of Eternal
Life. And it feeleth itself to be its own vile executioner and
tormentor; and is affrighted at its own ugly dark form, and fain would
flee from itself if it could, but it cannot, being fast bound with the
chains of the Dark Nature, whereinto it had sunk itself when in the
flesh. And so, not having learned or accustomed itself to sink down into
the Divine Grace, and being also strongly possessed with the Idea of
God, as an angry and jealous God, the poor Soul is both afraid and
ashamed to bring its Will into God, by which deliverance might possibly
come to it. The Soul is afraid to do it, as fearing to be consumed by so
doing, under the apprehension of the Deity as a mere devouring Fire.
The Soul is also _ashamed_ to do it, as being confounded at its own
nakedness and monstrosity, and therefore would, if it were possible,
hide itself from the Majesty of God, and cover its abominable form from
his most holy eye, though by casting itself still deeper into the
Darkness. Therefore it _will not_ enter into God, nay, it _cannot_ enter
with its false Will; yea, though it should strive to enter, yet can it
not enter into the Love, because of the Will which hath reigned in it.
For such a Soul is thereby captivated in the Wrath, yea, is itself but
_mere Wrath_, having by its false Desire, which it had awakened in
itself, comprehended and shut itself up therewith, and so transformed
itself into the nature and property thereof.
And since also the Light of God doth not shine in it, nor the Love of
God enclose it, the Soul is moreover a _great Darkness_, and is withal
an anxious Fire-source, carrying about an Hell in itself, and not being
able to discern the least glimpse of the Light of God, or to feel the
least spark of his Love. Thus it dwelleth in itself as in Hell, and
needeth no entering into Hell at all, or being carried thither, for in
what place soever it may be, so long as it is in itself, it is in the
Hell. And though it should travel far and cast itself many hundred
thousand leagues from its present place, to be out of Hell; yet still
would it remain in its hellish source and darkness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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