LXXXII. Verba Salomonis..

LXXXII. Verba Salomonis..

The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord; and it is found among the faithful in the living, believed among chosen women, and recognized with the just and faithful. This should also be understood in this way. The first aspect of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, just as the dawn precedes the sun. For when a person understands that they are created by God, they begin to fear God. What is feared is honored; and what is honored is loved; and if it is loved justly, it is also honored justly. Therefore, a person who knows they are from God should be faithful in their actions, since faith is like the womb of the saints. Let him have the heart to save himself, and also strive to be saved, and let him do this in the way that wisdom is fulfilled. For a person is twisted in sin, and when the mind engages with wisdom, it considers how to cast off sin and how to remove the crookedness of vices that it has through sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch; just as a craftsman smooths his shapes to make them into a beautiful statue. Oh, how great is the wisdom that a person begins to act against the laws of the flesh through the fear of wisdom; so that they forgive the sins they could commit! And so, through these works, the fear of the Lord is established in the faith of the saints by wisdom; just as wisdom completed all its works well at the beginning of creation. But he also dwells with the chosen in the sanctity of women, since God created woman in such a way that she should have fear of Him, and also fear of her husband. Therefore, it is just that a woman should always be timid. For it is like a house of wisdom, since both earthly and heavenly things are fulfilled in it. For on one side, a person proceeds through her, but on the other side, good works appear with the modesty of chastity. But if someone doesn't have fear, they won't be able to cultivate the modesty of chastity, because, like a venomous snake, they will bite everything they can. A devout woman gathers all the treasures of good works and holy virtues into her heart, and she never stops until she has accomplished many good deeds. Thus, the fear of the Lord is believed to be present among the chosen women, who are elected in holiness and justice, where virtues operate within them; and among the just, who fulfill the law and commandments of God in all things, and among the faithful who forsake their bodies and the world for the sake of God, it is recognized in great miracles, as their good and holy works shine throughout the whole world, like the sun, illuminating everything. These good works cannot be done without the fear of the Lord, but they are faithfully accomplished through Him. His works are devoid of the love of the world when they are done in the fear of the Lord. These words are spoken about the souls of the repentant, to be purified and saved, and they are faithful; let the faithful pay attention to these, and let them keep in mind the good knowledge. The punishment of the petulant. Then I saw other spirits from the multitude mentioned earlier, who were shouting with a loud cry of joyful hearts, declaring that Lucifer was worthy of that honor which he had usurped for himself. However, these lead people to a petulant state of mind, and they encourage them to embrace that petulance. I saw a great and reddish fire, which was surrounded by such density that its flames could not break through the thickness of the air. And in this fire, there were many fiery worms, making a great noise and sound and movement. The souls that had sinned in their bodies through wantonness were tormented in this fierce fire, so much so that they could barely breathe; for the same fire was so dense that it closed off all access to air, and they were also greatly afflicted by the same worms on their sides and feet. For when they lived in the world, they labored greatly in their indulgence, burning in a fiery red flame; and because they had imitated the customs of various regions through the same vice, they suffered suffocation in it; and since they had often twisted their sides and feet in this way and that, they were fiercely tormented by the aforementioned worms.