The Gospel of Barnabas - chapter 195

Sacred-Texts Islam
  

195.

'They that shall believe in me shall not die eternally, for through my word they shall perceive God within them, and therefore shall work out their salvation.

'What is death but an act which nature doth by commandment of God? As it would be if one held a bird tied, and held the cord in his hand; when the head willeth the bird to fly away, what doeth it? Assuredly it commandeth naturally the hand to open; and so straightway the bird flieth away. "Our soul," as saith the prophet David, "is as a sparrow freed from the snare of the fowler," when man abideth under the protection of God. And our life is like a cord whereby nature holdeth the soul bound to the body and the sense of man. When therefore God willeth, and commandeth nature to open, the life is broken and the soul escapeth in the hands of the angels whom God hath ordained to receive souls.

'Let not, then, friends weep when their friend is dead; for our God hath so willed. But let him weep without ceasing when he sinneth, for [so] the soul dieth, seeing it separateth itself from God, the true Life.

'If the body is horrible without its union with the soul, much more frightful is the soul without union with God, who with his grace and mercy beautifieth and quickeneth it.'

And having said this Jesus gave thanks to God; whereupon Lazarus said: 'Lord, this house belongeth to God my creator, with all that he hath given into my keeping, for the service of the poor. Wherefore, since thou art poor, and hast a great number of disciples, come thou to dwell here when thou pleasest, and as much as thou pleasest, for the servant of God will minister to thee as much as shall be needful, for love of God.'