wise it was witnessed that these souls, before attaining to the wonderful and new favor of God, would protect their lives with a hundred thousand plans and schemes from threatenings of destruction, until for instance, they would flee from a fox and avoid a thorn. But after being honored with the Mighty Security and Great Providence, they would voluntarily expend a hundred thousand lives; nay rather, their blessed souls despised the cage of the body, and a single one of these hosts would fight against a multitude. If these souls were the same former souls, how could such things contrary to human tendencies and opposed to bodily desire proceed from them?
To resume: The fact is clear that it is impossible for such deeds and actions which have no similitude to former deeds and actions, to appear and be witnessed in the realm of existence, without a Divine change and transformation; for their agitation was changed to composure, their doubt turned to assurance, and their fear transformed into courage. This is the virtue of the Divine Elixir which transforms the servants in an instant.
For instance, consider the substance copper; which if it is protected in its own mine from superabundance of dryness, will in seventy years[1] attain to the state of gold although some consider copper itself to be gold, which through superabundance of dryness, hath become disordered and hath not reached its own state.
- ↑ A statement made by philosophers.
