hence the World on one side and the Devil on the
other, not without the curse of God's Anger in flesh and blood, do
thoroughly sift and penetrate the Life, whereby it cometh to pass that
the Soul is often in anxiety when these three are all set upon it
together, and when Hell thus assaulteth the Life, and would manifest
itself in the Soul. But the Soul hereupon sinketh down into the hope of
the Grace of God, and standeth like a beautiful Rose in the midst of
Thorns, until the Kingdom of this World shall fall from it in the death
of the body. And then the Soul first becometh truly manifest in the Love
of God, and of his Kingdom, which is the Kingdom of Love; having
henceforth nothing more to hinder it. But during this life she must walk
with Christ in this world, and then Christ delivereth her out of her own
Hell, by penetrating her with his Love throughout, and standing by her
in Hell, and even changing her Hell into Heaven.

But in that thou sayest, Why do not the Souls which are without God feel
Hell in this World? I answer; They bear it about with them in their
wicked consciences, but they know it not; because the World hath put out
their eyes, and its deadly cup hath cast them likewise into a sleep, a
most fatal sleep. Notwithstanding which it must be owned that the Wicked
do frequently feel Hell within them during the time of this mortal life,
though they may not apprehend that it is Hell, because of the earthly
vanity which cleaveth to them from without, and the sensible pleasures
and amusements wherewith they are intoxicated. And moreover it is to be
noted that the outward Life in every such one hath yet the Light of the
outward Nature, which ruleth in this Life, and so the Pain of Hell
cannot, so long as that hath the rule, be revealed. But when the body
dyeth or breaketh away, so as the Soul cannot any longer enjoy such
temporal pleasure and delight, nor the Light of this outward World,
which is wholly thereupon extinguished as to it, then the Soul stands in
an eternal hunger and thirst after such vanities as it was here in love
withal, but yet can reach nothing but that false Will, which it had
impressed in itself while in the body; and wherein it had abounded to
its great loss. And now whereas it had too much of its Will in this
life, and yet was not contented therewith, it hath, after the separation
by death, as little of it; which createth in it an everlasting thirst
after that which it can henceforth never