XIIII. Responsum Sjjei.

XIIII. Responsum Sjjei.

And again, from that dark cloud, I heard a voice responding to this image: "O source of the Devil, you are the source of sin, and you neither know nor consider how many good things are in God." If you seek good things in them without God, no one will be able to help you; and if you seek bad things in them without God, no one will judge you. For God created heaven and earth and all useful things, and He bound hell by His command; but all good rewards are given from Him, and all judgments of evil come from Him. And why do you propose your own destruction, when you haven't been judged yet? The wicked spirits do not want God, and you do not trust in Him. All creatures follow God's commands, but the Devil rejects them, which is why he was cast into hell, and he can do nothing else except under the power of hell. Therefore, no one who desires to do something good should propose their own destruction, because God is the highest good, and He does not leave anyone's good works without reward. For I sit in good desire on the throne of God, and in faith I embrace all His works, and by doing good works, I draw all the earth to myself. You, mortal and wicked creature, do not do these things because you trust in no good from God. And what good will this do you? You often propose many punishments for yourself that you won't see, as if you're wasting your life in childish folly. But the seventh image seemed to take on a form of a mulberry tree, and it lay on its right side, with its legs bent towards itself, like a man who lies idly on his bed. But his hair was like flames of fire, and his eyes were white, like chalk; and he wore white shoes on his feet, which were so slippery that he could neither walk nor stand on them. From his mouth, he emitted a certain breath and a kind of venomous foam, and from his right breast, he nursed like a puppy dog, while from his left, he resembled a viper; and with his hands, he plucked flowers from trees and herbs, and he took their fragrance in through his nostrils. She also had no other garments, but was entirely fiery, and with her heat dried up everything around her like straw.