The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives (John Chapter 8)
- Chapter 187 -
On the effects of wine.
But I said to them: "My dear friends and brothers, wine, enjoyed in the right measure, is a proper strengthening and makes the body limbs strong and healthy; but if drunk excessively, it awakens the evil spirits of the flesh and dazes the senses. The evil spirits then awaken the desire of the flesh, which is called lewdness and bawdy, whereby the soul becomes impure for a long time, also ill-humoured, argumentative, sluggish and often nearly like dead. Therefore also in drinking wine keep the right measure, and you will have peace in your flesh!"
2
Says Peter: "Lord, are we possessed too, since You have spoken of evil spirits in our flesh?"
3
Said I: "Indeed; since the flesh and the blood of every person are full of natural evil spirits, which are called evil, because they are still standing in judgement; and if they would not have been in the judgement, they would not have been your flesh and blood. When however your body will be taken away from you, it soon afterwards will be dissolved, and its spirits will then be guided towards a more freer destination.
4
However, not only in your flesh, but also in all elements are such spirits, which for a long time to come cannot be called good. Only for him who already became clean through Me, for him everything is clean and good through the destination it carries in itself from God.
5
See, a stone which lies totally dead on the ground, is only seemingly dead! Just offend it by immense hitting and rubbing, and by flying sparks it will tell you that it consist of purely judged spirits! And if you place it in a hot fire, it will become soft and start to flow. And if not so, how otherwise would people produce their expensive glass?
6
Thus, the evil and unfermented nature spirits exist everywhere, like there exist bodies, water and air, and the earthly fire is nothing else than a redemption of the already riper spirits, which thereupon are already guided again towards a higher destination.
7
Nevertheless, there exist a great difference between those evil spirits who often possess people and the unfermented nature spirits, of which the whole earth in all its parts and elements consists of; however, they still have this relationship and mutual relation, that a person, who does not awakens the nature-spirits of his body too much, is also not that easily possessed by real evil human soul spirits, regarding his body.
8
However, therefore I warn you to be aware of all passions, since they are in itself a result of the awakening of the various flesh- and blood spirits. Once they are too awake, then soon they are joined by still unclean souls of deceased people who are quite often present in the lower regions of the earth; and if that happens, then such a person is in all seriousness possessed. - Do you understand this?"
9
Said the disciples: "Yes Lord; because such matters you already have explained to us quite often, but never so openly clear than today, and we therefore must thank You a lot and will not drink wine anymore for the rest of the night."
10
Said I: "Do this, and you will feel good in the morning; since a sober body preserves a healthy soul, and a healthy soul is the best doctor for a sick body!"