(39) But if a man here on earth is enlightened with the Holy Ghost from the fountain of JESUS CHRIST, so that the spirits of nature, which signify the Father, are kindled in him, then there ariseth such a joy in his heart, and it goeth forth into all his veins, so that the whole body trembleth, and the soulish, animal spirit triumpheth, as if it were in the holy Trinity, which is understood only by those who have been guests in that place.

(18) For the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Holy Trinity, and reigneth and ruleth in the whole body or corpus of God; that is, in the whole nature.

(7) The Father and the Son have one Will, and that Will is the Holy Ghost, Who gives Himself to the soul so that the Divine Nature permeates the powers of the soul so that it can only do God-like works. Just as a spring, which perpetually flows and waters the roots of the flowers, so that the flowers bloom and receive their colours from the water of the spring, so the Godhead imparts Itself to the capacities of the soul that it may grow in the likeness of God. The more that the soul receives of the Divine Nature, the more it grows like It, and the closer becomes its union with God. It may arrive at such an intimate union that God at last draws it to Himself altogether, so that there is no distinction left, in the soul's consciousness, between itself and God, though God still regards it as a creature. Wherefore let yourselves not be misled by the light of nature. The higher the degree of knowledge which the soul attains to in the light of grace, the darker seems to it the light of nature.

If the soul would know the real truth it must examine itself, whether it has withdrawn from all things, whether it has lost itself, whether it loves God purely with His love and nothing of its own at the same time, so that it may not be separated from Him by anything, and whether God alone dwells in it. If it has lost itself, it is as when the Virgin Mary lost Christ. She sought Him for three days, and yet was sure that she would find Him. All the while Christ was in the highest class in the school of His Father, unconscious of His mother's seeking Him. Thus happens it to the noble soul which goes to God to school, and learns there what God is in His essence, and what He is in the Trinity, and what He is in man, and what is most acceptable to Him. St Augustine saith that the righteousness of God in the Godhead and in the Trinity and in all creatures is the source of the chief joy which is in heaven. God in human nature is a lamp of living light, and "the light shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not." The darkness must ever more flee the light, as the night flees day.

Thus the soul learns to know God's will. St Paul saith, "This is God's will, our sanctification." And this is our sanctification, to know what we were before time; what we are in time, and what we shall be after time. Thus the soul loses itself in these three, and recketh naught of the body, till it comes to it in the temple, and obeys it without murmuring. The Father is a revelation of the Godhead, the Son is an image and countenance of the Father, and the Holy Ghost is an effulgence of that countenance, and a mutual love between Them, and these properties They have always possessed in Themselves. The Three Persons have stooped out of pity down to human nature, and the Son became man, and was the most despised man on the earth, and suffered pain at the hands of the creatures whom He Himself created with the Father, through Whose will He became man. Thus was Christ till His death, and when He rose from the dead then was seen the most despised of all men united with the Godhead in the Person of Christ.

(93) Now observe: As from the Father and the Son there goeth forth the Holy Ghost, who is a self- subsisting Person in the Deity, and moveth in the whole Father, so also out of the powers of thy heart, veins and of thy brain, goeth forth the power which moveth in thy whole body; and out of thy light, in the same power, goeth forth reason, understanding, skill and wisdom to govern the whole body, and to distinguish all whatsoever is externally without the body.

(137) For the holy soul is one spirit with God; though indeed it is a creature, yet it is like to the angels: Also the soul of man seeth much deeper than the angels; for the angels see only to the heavenly pomp, but the soul seeth both the heavenly and the hellish, for it liveth between both.

(82) For they are the members of his body; as all the powers of the Father are members of the Son, and he is their heart; and as all heavenly forms and fruits are members of the Holy Ghost, and he is their heart, in whom they rise up.

(117) For it is and comprehendeth the power, as God the Holy Ghost does; and in this there is no difference at all between God the Holy Ghost and the spirit of the body, but only this, that the Holy Spirit of God is the whole fulness, and the spirit of the body is but a piece or part, which presseth through the whole fulness, and wherever it cometh, there it is mixed or affected with the place, and presently ruleth with God in the same place.

(98) For all the veins, together with the light in thee, as also thy heart and thy brain, and all whatsoever is in thee, make or constitute that spirit; and that is thy soul; and it well signifieth the Holy Ghost, which goeth forth from the Father and the Son, and reigneth in the whole Father; for the soul of man reigneth in the whole body.

(44) So the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Son, and moveth or acteth, formeth or frameth and imageth all that is in the whole God.

(67) Now when thou worshippest or prayest to the holy God in his heaven, then thou worshippest or prayest to him in that heaven which is in thee, and that same God breaketh through in thy heart with his light; and in his light the Holy Ghost breaketh through, and generateth thy soul to be a new body of God [or new divine body] which ruleth and reigneth with God in his heaven.

(44) The [soulish] spirit of the soul is very much more subtle, and more incomprehensible than the body, or the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, which hold, retain and form the body; for it goeth forth from the seven spirits, as God the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Son.

(19) But the animated or soulish spirit, which qualifieth or uniteth with God, that comprehends it well; but the bestial body attains only a glimpse thereof, just as if it lightened: For thus presenteth itself the innermost birth or geniture of the soul, when it teareth through the outermost birth or geniture in the elevation of the Holy Ghost, and so breaketh through the gates of hell; but the outermost birth presently shuts again; for the wrath of God bolteth up the firmament, and holds it captive in its power.

(67) As the Holy Ghost goeth forth from the Father and the Son, and formeth, imageth, figureth or frameth and loveth all; even so the Holy Ghost goeth forth in the angel, into his fellow brethren, and loveth them, and rejoiceth with them.

(86) So the Holy Ghost is the moving spirit in the whole Father, and proceedeth or goeth forth from eternity to eternity continually from the Father and the Son, and replenisheth the whole Father; he is nothing less or greater than the Father and the Son; his moving power is in the whole Father.

(48) When the animated or soulish spirit goeth forth out of the body, then it is one thing with the hidden Deity, and is together the midst or centre in the imaging or framing of a thing in nature, as God the Holy Ghost himself is.

(19) Even as the spirit of man ruleth and reigneth in the whole body, in all the veins, and replenisheth the whole man; even so the Holy Ghost replenisheth the whole nature, and is the heart of nature, and reigneth in the good qualities of everything.

(17) In the Holy Ghost alone, who is in God, and also in the whole nature, out of which all things were made, in him alone canst thou search into the whole body or corporeity of God, which is nature; as also into the Holy Trinity itself.

(51) Therefore one spirit in its own body, besides and distinct from its instanding or innate instant birth or geniture, cannot reach into the whole heart of God, and examine, try and search all; for, besides and distinct from its instanding birth or geniture, it comprehends only its own birth or geniture in the heart of God; but all the seven spirits, jointly together, comprehend the whole heart of God. ["So also in man. But understand it as to the image of God, viz. in the soul's spirit; not in the fiery essence of the soul, but in the essence of the light, wherein the image of God stands."]

(25) And now as the whole earth was, together with the word, so was the fruit also; but the word remained in the centre of the heaven, which is also in this place hiddenly; and this birth or geniture caused the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, out of or from the outermost, corrupt and dead birth or geniture, to form the body; and itself, viz. the Word or Heart of God, remained in its heavenly seat, sitting on the throne of majesty, and filled the astral and also the mortal birth or geniture, but to them was the holy life altogether incomprehensible.

(47) But the animated or soulish spirit generateth itself in the heart, out of or from the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, in that manner as the Son of God is generated, and keepeth its seat in the heart, and goeth forth from that seat in the divine power, as the Holy Ghost from the Father and the Son; for it has the same subtleness as the Holy Spirit of God, and it uniteth, qualifieth or operateth with God the Holy Ghost.