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| Union of Angels and the Souls of Men. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
21. Union of Angels and the Souls of Men.
But some one may inquire whether the human soul can be
figuratively called a wife, and the angel who is set over her and is
her ruler, with whom as her sovereign she holds conversation, can be
called her husband; so that according to this each lawfully dwells
along with the soul which is worthy of the guardianship of a divine
angel; but sometimes after long sojourning and intercourse a cause may
arise in the soul why she does not find favour in the eyes of the angel
who is her lord and ruler, because that in it there is found an
unseemly thing; and bonds may be written out, as such are written, and
a bill of divorcement be written and put into the hands of her who is
cast out, so that she may no longer be familiar with her former
guardian, when she is cast out from his dwelling. And even she
who has gone away from her former dwelling may be joined to another
husband, and be unfortunate with him, not only, as in the case of the
former, not finding favour in his sight because an unseemly thing was
found in her, but even being hated by him.6210 Yea, and even there might be written
out from the second husband a bill of divorcement and it might be put
into her hands from the last husband who sends her away from his
dwelling. But whether there can be such a change of the life of
angels with men, as to amount, so far as concerns their relation to us,
to their death, one may put the question rash though it be; but be that
as it may, she also who has once fallen away from the former husband
will not return again to him, for the former husband who sent her away
will not be able to turn back and take her as wife to himself, after
she was defiled.6211 And if one
should dare, using a Scripture which is in circulation in the church,
but not acknowledged by all to be divine, to soften down a precept of
this kind, the passage might be taken from The Shepherd, concerning
some who as soon as they believe are put in subjection to
Michael,6212
6212 Cf. Her. Sim.
viii. 3. | but falling away
from him from love of pleasure, are put in subjection to the angel of
luxury,6213
6213 Cf. Her. Sim.
vi. 2. | then to the angel
of punishment,6214
6214 Cf. Her. Sim.
vi. 3. | and after this to
the angel of repentance; for you observe that the wife or soul who has
once been given to luxury no longer returns to the first ruler, but
also besides suffering punishment, is put in subjection to one inferior
to Michael; for the angel of penitence is inferior to him. We
must therefore take heed lest there be found in us any unseemly thing,
and we should not find favour in the eyes of our husband Christ, or of
the angel who has been set over us. For if we do not take heed,
perhaps we also shall receive the bill of divorcement, and either be
bereft of our guardian, or go to another man. But I consider that
it is not of good omen to receive, as it were, the marriage of an angel
with our own soul.6215
6215 The text is
probably corrupt. Perhaps it means the marriage of a
second angel with our soul. | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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