The Mysteries of Saint John the Apostle and Holy Virgin 18

1And I said unto the Cherubim, 'My Lord, at the moment when God is about to create man, doth He give him the name "righteous" or "sinner", or not?' And the Cherubim said unto me, 'Hearken, and I will shew thee. At the moment when God is about to create a man, before He placeth him in the womb of his mother, He calleth all the angels, and they come and stand round about. If the Father blesseth the soul, the angels make answer "Amen". If there come from His mouth the words, "This soul shall give Me rest," the angels make answer "Amen". If the Father saith, "This soul shall commit iniquity," the angels make answer "Amen". Whatsoever cometh forth from the mouth of the Father, that cometh to pass.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Is the matter of which man is fashioned more excellent than that of the beasts?' The Cherubim said unto me, 'Yes. Now when men die, each one of them is taken to the place of which he is worthy, but so far as beasts are concerned, whether they die, or whether they live, their place is the earth.'

2And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Are there souls in them?' He said unto me, 'Every created thing hath a soul in it. Now therefore, the soul of every created thing is its blood.' And I said unto the Cherubim, 'Will they then be punished, or will rest be given unto them?' He said unto me, 'Let it not be that rest be not given unto them, and let them suffer not; but man is a being who can suffer, and can enjoy rest.'