(1) And Andrew came forward and said: "My Lord and Saviour, thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David concerning this repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, and said in the one-hundred-and-eighth Psalm: "'1. God, keep not silent at my praise-singing. "'2. For the mouths of the sinner and crafty have opened their chops against me and with crafty deceitful tongue have talked behind me. "'3. And they have surrounded me with words of hate and have fought against me without a cause. "'4. Instead of loving me they have slandered me. But I prayed. "'5. They showed evil against me for good and hate for my love. "'6. Set a sinner over him, and let the slanderer stand at his right hand. "'7. When sentence is passed upon him, may he go forth condemned and his prayer become sin. "'8. May his days be shortened and another receive his overseership. "'9. May his children become orphans and his wife a widow. "'10. May his children be carried away and be driven forth and beg; may they be thrown out of their houses. "'11. May the money-lender sift out all that he hath, and may strangers plunder all his best efforts. "'12. Let there be no man to back him, and no one to take pity on his orphans. "'13. May his children be exterminated and his name blotted out in a single generation. "'14. Let the sin of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and the sin of his mother be not blotted out. "'15. Let them be ever present to the Lord and his memory be rooted out from the earth; "'16. In that he hath not thought of using mercy and hath persecuted a poor and wretched man and hath persecuted a sorry creature to slay him. "'17. He loved cursing,--and it shall come unto him. He desired not blessing,--it shall stay far from him. "'18. He clothed himself with cursing as with a vesture, and it entered into his bowels as water, and it was as oil in his bones. "'19. May it be for him as a garment in which he shall be wrapped, and as a girdle with which he shall ever be girded. "'20. This is the work of them who slander [me] before the Lord, and speak unlawfully against my soul. "'21. But do thou, O Lord God, be gracious unto me; for thy name's sake save me. "'22. For I am poor and I am wretched; my heart is tumult within me. "'23. I am carried away in the midst as a shadow which hath sunk down, and I am shaken out as grass-hoppers. "'24. My knees have become weak from fasting, and my flesh is altered from [lack of] oil. "'25. But I have become a mock unto them; they saw me and wagged their heads. "'26. Help, O Lord God, and save me according to thy grace. "'27. May they know that this is thy hand, and that thou, O Lord, hast fashioned them.' "This is then the solution of the twelfth repentance which Pistis Sophia uttered, when she was in the chaos."

(1) And when Jesus had spoken this, Matthew came forward and said: "My Lord, thy spirit hath stirred me and thy light hath made me sober to proclaim this eighth repentance of Pistis Sophia. For thy power hath prophesied thereof aforetime through David in the thirtieth Psalm, saying: "'1. On thee, O Lord, have I hoped. Let me never be put to shame; save me according to thy righteousness. "'2. Incline thine ear unto me, save me quickly. Be thou unto me a protecting God and a house of refuge to save me. "'3. For thou art my support and my refuge; for thy name's sake thou wilt guide me and feed me. "'4. And thou wilt draw me out of this snare, which they have laid privily for me; for thou art my protection. "'5. Into thy hands I will render my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, God of Truth. "'6. Thou hast hated them who hold to vain emptiness; but I have trusted. "'7. And I shall rejoice because of my Lord and make merry over thy grace. For thou hast looked down upon my humbleness and saved my soul out of my necessities. "'8. And thou hast not shut me up in the hands of my foes; thou hast set my feet on a broad space. "'9. Be gracious unto me, O Lord, for I am afflicted; my eye is distracted in the wrath and my soul and my body. "'10. For my years have wasted away in sadness and my life is wasted in sighing. My power is enfeebled in misery and my bones are distracted. "'11. I am become a mockery for all my foes and my neighbours. I am become a fright for my acquaintances, and they who saw me, are fled away from me. "'12. I am forgotten in their heart as a corpse, and I have become as a ruined vessel. "'13. For I have heard the scorn of many who encompass me round about. Massing themselves together against me, they took counsel to take away my soul from me. "'14. But I have trusted in thee, O Lord. I said: Thou art my God. "'15. My lots are in thy hands. Save me from the hand of my foes and free me from my persecutors. "'16. Reveal thy face over thy slave, and free me according to thy grace, O Lord. "'17. Let me not be put to shame, for I have cried unto, thee. Let the impious be put to shame and turn towards hell. "'18. Let the crafty lips be struck dumb, which allege iniquity against the righteous in pride and scorn.'"

(2) "'1. Why doth the mighty [one] boast himself in his wickedness? "'2. Thy tongue hath studied unrighteousness all the day long; as a sharp razor hast thou practised craft. "'3. Thou lovedst wickedness more than goodness; thou lovedst to speak unrighteousness more than righteousness. "'4. Thou lovedst all words of submerging and a crafty tongue. "'5. Wherefor will God bring thee to naught utterly, and will uproot thee and drag thee out from thy dwelling-place, and will root out thy root and cast it away from the living. (Selah.) "'6. The righteous will see and be afraid, and they will mock at him and say: "'7. Lo, a man who made not God for his helper, but trusted to his great riches and was mighty in his vanity. "'8. But I am as a fruit-bearing olive-tree in the house of God. I have trusted in the grace of God from all eternity. "'9. And I will confess unto thee, for thou hast dealt faithfully with me; and I will wait on thy name, for it is auspicious in the presence of thy holy [ones].' "This then is now, therefore, my Lord, the solution of the eleventh repentance of Pistis Sophia. While thy light-power hath roused me, I have spoken it according to thy desire."

(37) And here is fulfilled that which King David descants upon; Detraction, Shame, or Disgrace, Thou shalt rejoice to see how the Wicked are recompensed; how the wicked Driver, [Hunter or Oppressor,] and P Incendiary of Malice and Wickedness, is tormented in his Prison; for the Sins that are washed away shall not appear in Heaven (as in the Abyss of Hell) in the Form of Fire; but as Isaiah said, Though thy Sins were as red as Blood [or Scarlet,] (if thou turn) they shall be like Wool, white as Snow; they shall stand in a heavenly Figure, for Men to sing of in a Hymn of Praise, and a Psalm of Thanksgiving, for their Deliverance from the Driver.

(3) "'1. O Lord, unto thee have I lifted up my soul, O my God. "'2. I have abandoned myself unto thee; let me not be put to shame and let not mine enemies mock at me. "'3. For all who wait upon thee shall not be put to shame; let them be put to shame who do iniquity without a cause. "'4. O Lord, show me thy ways and teach me thy paths. "'5. Lead me in the way of thy truth and teach me, for thou art my God and my saviour; on thee will I wait all the day long. "'6. Call to remembrance thy mercies, O Lord, and the favours of thy grace, for they are from eternity. "'7. Remember not the sins of my youth and those of my ignorance. Remember me according to the fulness of thy mercy because of thy goodness, O Lord. "'8. The Lord is gracious and sincere; therefore fore will he instruct sinners in the way. "'9. He will guide the tender-hearted in the judgment and will teach the tender-hearted his ways. "'10. All the ways of the Lord are grace and truth for them who seek his righteousness and his testimonies. "'11. For thy name's sake, O Lord, forgive me my sin, [for] it is exceedingly great. "'12. Who is the man who feareth the Lord? For him will he establish laws in the way which he hath chosen. "'13. His soul will abide in good things and his seed will inherit the land. "'14. The Lord is the strength of them who fear him; and the name of the Lord belongeth to them who fear him, to make known unto them his covenant. "'15. Mine eyes are raised ever unto the Lord, for he will draw my feet out of the snare. "'16. Look down upon me and be gracious unto me, for I am an only-begotten; I am wretched. "'17. The afflictions of my heart have in-creased; bring me out of my necessities. "'18. Look upon my abasement and my woe, and forgive me all my sins. "'19. Look upon mine enemies, how they have increased themselves and hated me with unjust hatred. "'20. Preserve my soul and save me; let me not be put to shame, for I have hoped on thee. "'21. The simple and sincere have joined themselves to me, for I have waited on thee, O Lord. "'22. O God, deliver Israel from all his afflictions.'"

(1) "'1. Hearken unto me singing praises unto thee, O Light of lights. Hearken unto me uttering the repentance for the thirteenth æon, the region out of which I have come down, in order that the thirteenth repentance of the thirteenth æon may be accomplished,--those [æons] which I have overstepped and out of which I have come down. "'2. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, hearken unto me singing praises unto thee in the thirteenth æon, my region out of which I have come down. "'3. Save me, O Light, in thy great mystery and forgive my transgression in thy forgiveness. "'4. And give unto me the baptism and forgive my sins and purify me from my transgression. "'5. And my transgression is the lion-faced power, which will never be hidden from thee; for because of it have I gone down. "'6. And I alone among the invisibles, in whose regions I was, have transgressed, and have gone down into the chaos. Moreover I have transgressed, that thy commandment may be accomplished.' "This then Pistis Sophia said. Now, therefore, let him whom his spirit urgeth to understand her words, come forward and proclaim her thought." Martha came forward and said: "My Lord, my spirit urgeth me to proclaim the solution of that which Pistis Sophia hath spoken; thy power hath prophesied aforetime concerning it through David in the fiftieth Psalm, saying thus:

(2) It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: "Do ye understand in what manner I discourse with you?" And Peter started forward and said unto Jesus: And Peter answered and said unto Jesus "O Lord, give ear that I may speak the thought of her repentance, of which aforetime thy power prophesied through the prophet David, uttering her repentance in the seventieth Psalm: "'1. O God, my God, I have trusted in thee, let me no more be put to shame for ever. "'2. Save me in thy righteousness and set me free; incline thine ear unto me and save me. "'3. Be unto me a strong God and a firm place to save me; for thou art my strength and my refuge. "'4. My God, save me from the hand of the sinner and from the hand of the transgressor and from the impious [one]. "'5. For thou art my endurance, O Lord, thou art my hope from my youth up. "'6. I have trusted myself to thee from my mother's womb; thou hast brought me out of my mother's womb. My remembrance is ever in thee. "'7. I have become as the crazy for many; thou art my help and my strength, thou art my deliverer, O Lord. "'8. My mouth was filled with glorifying, that I may praise the glory of thy splendour the whole day long. "'9. Cast me not away in the time of age; if my soul fades, forsake me not. "'10. For mine enemies have spoken evil against me and they who lay in wait for my soul, have taken counsel against my soul, "'11. Saying together: God hath forsaken him; pursue and seize him, for there is no saviour. "'12. God, give heed to my help. "'13. Let them be ashamed and destroyed who calumniate my soul. Let them be enwrapped in shame and disgrace who seek evil against me.' "This then is the solution of the second repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

(1) "'1. Out of the depths I have cried unto thee, O Lord. "'2. Hearken unto my voice; let thine ears give heed to the voice of my supplication. "'3. O Lord, if thou heedest my iniquities, who will be able to pass [the test]? "'4. For pardon is in thy hands; for the sake of thy name have I waited for thee, O Lord. "'5. My soul hath waited for thy word. "'6. My soul hath hoped in the Lord from the morning until the evening. Let Israel hope in the Lord from the morning until the evening. "'7. For grace standeth by the Lord and with him is great redemption. "'8. And he will deliver Israel from all his iniquities.'

(1) "God has seen many faults done by me; Yea, how many sins and faults of mine has He seen, Nevertheless of His mercy He punishes me not." God Almighty spake in the ear of Shu'aib, Addressing him with an inner voice in answer thereto, "Why hast thou said I have sinned so much, And God of His mercy has not punished my sins?" Thou sayest the very reverse of the truth, O fool! Wandering from the way and lost in the desert! How many times do I smite thee, and thou knowest not?

(2) "'1. Lord, give ear unto my supplication and let my voice reach unto thee. "'2. Turn not away thy face from me; incline thine ear unto me in the day when I am oppressed; quickly give ear to me on the day when I shall cry unto thee. "'3. For my days are vanished as smoke and my bones are parched as stone. "'4. I am scorched as the grass, and my heart is dried up; for I have forgotten to eat my bread. "'5. From the voice of my groaning my bones cleaved to my flesh. "'6. I am become as a pelican in the desert; I am become as a screech-owl in the house. "'7. I have passed the night watching; I am become as a sparrow alone on the roof. "'8. My enemies have reviled me all the day long, and they who honour me, have injured me. "'9. For I have eaten ashes instead of my bread and mixed my drink with tears, "'10. Because of thy wrath and thy rage; for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down. "'11. My days have declined as a shadow, and I am dried up as the grass, "'12. But thou, O Lord, thou endurest for ever, and thy remembrance unto the generation of generation[s]. "'13. Arise and have mercy upon Zion, for the time is come to have mercy upon her; the proper time is come. "'14. Thy servants have longed for her stones, and will take pity on her land. "'15. And the nations will have fear of the name of the Lord, and the kings of the earth have fear of thy sovereignty. "'16. For the Lord will build up Zion and reveal himself in his sovereignty. "17. He hath regarded the prayer of the humble and hath not despised their supplication. "'18. This shall be recorded for another generation, and the people who shall be created will praise the Lord. "'19. Because he hath looked down on his holy height; the Lord hath looked down from the heaven on the earth, "'20. To hear the sighing of those in chains, to loose the sons of those who are slain, "'21. To proclaim the name of the Lord in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem.' "This, my Lord, is the solution of the mystery of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

(1) It came to pass then, when Jesus had spoken these words unto his disciples, that he said unto them: "This is the song of praise which Pistis Sophia uttered in her first repentance, repenting of her sin, and reciting all which had befallen her. Now, therefore: 'Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.'" Mary again came forward and said: "My Lord, my indweller of light hath ears, and I hear with my light-power, and thy spirit which is with me, hath sobered me. Hearken then that I may speak concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, speaking of her sin and all that befell her. Thy light-power hath prophesied thereof aforetime through the prophet David in the sixty-eighth Psalm: "'1. Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul. "'2. I sank, or am submerged, in the slime of the abyss, and power was not. I have gone-down into the depths of the sea; a tempest hath submerged me. "'3. I have kept on crying; my throat is gone, my eyes faded, waiting patiently for God. "'4. They who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; mighty are my foes, who violently pursued me. They required of me that which I took not from them. "'5. God, thou hast known my foolishness, and my faults are not hid from thee. "'6. Let not them that wait on thee, O Lord, Lord of powers, be ashamed for my sake; let not those who seek thee be ashamed for my sake, O Lord, God of Israel, God of powers. "'7. For thy sake have I endured shame; shame hath covered my face. "'8. I am become a stranger to my brethren, a stranger unto the sons of my mother. "'9. For the zeal of thy house hath consumed me; the revilings of them that revile thee have fallen upon me. "'10. I bowed my soul with fasting, and it was turned to my reproach. "'11. I put on sackcloth; I became unto them a bye-word. "'12. They who sit at the gates, chattered at me; and they who drink wine, harped about me. "'13. But I prayed with my soul unto thee, O Lord; the time of thy well-liking is [now], O God. In the fulness of thy grace give ear unto my salvation in truth. "'14. Save me out of this slime, that I sink not therein; let me be saved from them that hate me, and from the deep of waters. "'15. Let not a water-flood submerge me, let not the deep swallow me, let not a well close its mouth above me. "'16. Hear me, O Lord, for thy grace is good; according to the fulness of thy compassion look down upon me. "'17. Turn not thy face away from thy servant, for I am oppressed. "'18. Hear me quickly, give heed to my soul and deliver it. "'19. Save me because of my foes, for thou knowest my disgrace, my shame and my dishonour; all my oppressors are before thee. "'20. My heart awaiteth disgrace and misery; I waited for him who should sorrow with me, but I could not come at him, and for him who should comfort me, and I found him not. "'21. They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. "'22. Let their table be unto them for a trap and for a snare and for a retribution and for a stumbling-block. "'23. Mayest thou bend their backs at all time. "'24. Pour out thy anger upon them, and let the wrath of thy anger lay hold upon them. "'25. Let their encampment be desolate, let there be no dweller in their habitations. "'26. For they persecuted him whom thou hast smitten, and added to the smart of their woundings. "'27. They added iniquity to their iniquities; let them not come into thy righteousness. "'28. Let them be wiped out of the book of the living, and let them not be written in among the righteous. "'29. I am a poor wretch who is heart-broken too; it is the salvation of thy face which hath taken me unto itself. "'30. I will praise the name of God in the ode, and exalt it in the song of thanksgiving. "'31. This shall please God better than a young bull which putteth forth horns and hoofs. "'32. May the wretched see and make merry; seek ye God, that your souls may live. "'33. For God hath heard the wretched and despiseth not the prisoners. "'34. Let heaven and earth praise the Lord, the sea and all that is therein. "'35. For God will save Zion, and the cities of Judæa will be built up, and they will dwell there and inherit it. "'36. The seed of his servants shall possess it, and they who love his name shall dwell therein.'"

(2) "'1. O Light, I have lifted up my power unto thee, my Light. "'2. On thee have I had faith. Let me not be scorned; let not the rulers of the twelve æons, who hate me, rejoice over me. "'3. For all who have faith in thee shall not be put to shame. Let them who have taken away my power, remain in darkness; and let them not get from it any profit, but let it be taken away from them. "'4. O Light, show me thy ways, and I shall be saved in them; and show me thy paths, whereby I shall be saved out of the chaos. "'5. And guide me in thy light, and let me know, O Light, that thou art my saviour. On thee will I trust the whole of my time. "'6. Give heed that thou save me, O Light, for thy mercy endureth for ever. "'7. As to my transgression, which I have committed from the beginning in my ignorance, put it not to my account, O Light, but rather save me through thy great mystery of the forgiveness of sins because of thy goodness, O Light. "'8. For good and sincere is the Light. For this cause will it grant me my way, to be saved out of my transgression; "'9. And for my powers, which are diminished through the fear of the material emanations of Self-willed, will it draw near after its commandment, and will teach my powers, which are diminished because of the merciless, its gnosis. "'10. For all gnoses of the Light are saving means and are mysteries for all who seek the regions of its Inheritance and its mysteries. "'11. For the sake of the mystery of thy name, O Light, forgive my transgression, for it is great. "'12. To every one who trusteth in the Light it will give the mystery which suiteth him; "'13. And his soul will abide in the regions of the Light and his power will inherit the Treasury of the Light. "'14. The Light giveth power to them who have faith in it; and the name of its mystery belongeth to those who trust in it. And it will show them the region of the Inheritance, which is in the Treasury of the Light. "'15. But I have ever had faith in the Light, for it will save my feet from the bonds of the darkness. "'16. Give heed unto me, O Light, and save me, for they have taken away my name from me in the chaos. "'17. Because of all the emanations my afflictions and my oppression have become exceedingly manifold. Save me out of my transgression and this darkness. "'18. And look upon the grief of my oppression and forgive my transgression. "'19. Give heed to the rulers of the twelve æons, who have hated me through jealousy. "'20. Watch over my power and save me, and let me not remain in this darkness, for I have had faith in thee. "'21. And they have made of me a great fool for having had faith in thee, O Light. "'22. Now, therefore, O Light, save my powers from the emanations of Self-willed, by whom I am oppressed.' "Now, therefore, who is sober, let him be sober." When then Jesus had spoken this unto his disciples, Thomas came forward and said: "My Lord, I am sober, I am plentifully sober, and my spirit is ready in me, and I rejoice exceedingly that thou hast revealed these words unto us. But indeed I have borne with my brethren until now, so that I should not anger them; nay rather I have borne with every one that he should come before thee and speak the solution of the repentance of Pistis Sophia. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the solution of the seventh repentance of Pistis Sophia thy light-power hath prophesied through the prophet David in the twenty-fourth Psalm, thus

(3) When then Jesus had said this, he said unto his disciples: "Who hath ears to hear, let him hear." "'1. Lord, God of my salvation, by day and by night have I cried unto thee. "'2. Let my weeping come before thee; incline thine ear to my supplication, O Lord. "'3. For my soul is full of evil, my life hath drawn nigh to the world below. "'4. I am counted among them who have gone down into the pit; I am become as a man who hath no helper. "'5. The free among the dead are as the slain who are thrown away and sleep in tombs, whom thou no more rememberest, and they are destroyed through thy hands. "'6. They have set me in a pit below, in darkness and shadow of death. "'7. Thy wrath hath settled down upon me and all thy cares have come upon me. (Selah.) "'8. Thou hast put away mine acquaintances far from me; they have made me an abomination for them. They have abandoned me, and I cannot go forth. "'9. My eye hath become dim in my misery; I have cried unto thee, O Lord, the whole day and have stretched forth my hands unto thee. "'10. Wilt thou not surely work thy wonders on the dead? Will not surely the physicians arise and confess thee? "'11. Will they not surely proclaim thy name in the tombs, "'12. And thy righteousness in a land which thou hast forgotten? "'13. But I have cried unto thee, O Lord, and my prayer shall reach thee early in the morning. "'14. Turn not thy face away from me. "15. For I am miserable, I am in sorrow from my youth up. And when I had exalted myself, I humbled myself and arose. "'16. Thy angers are come upon me and thy terrors have brought me into delusion. "'17. They have surrounded me as water; they have seized upon me the whole day long. "'18. My fellows hast thou kept far from me and my acquaintances from my misery.' "This is then the solution of the mystery of the fifth repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, when she was oppressed in the chaos."

(50) Yea, a hundred times as wicked as Thou sayest. But in mercy Thou veilest my sins, But, independently of my own works and warfare, Independently of my faith or unfaith, good or evil, Independently of my poor devotion to Thee, And of my thoughts and the thoughts of hundreds like me, Whether Thou adjudge me upright or rebellious, O Lord, who art gracious without thought of consequence, I set my face towards that free grace of Thine;

(2) "'1. I have sung praises unto thee, O Light, in the darkness below. "'2. Hearken unto my repentance, and may thy light give heed to the voice of my supplication. "'3. O Light, if thou thinkest on my sin, I shall not be able to stand before thee, and thou wilt abandon me, "'4. For thou, O Light, art my saviour; because of the light of thy name I have had faith in thee, O Light. "'5. And my power hath had faith in thy mystery; and moreover my power hath trusted in the Light when it was among those of the height; and it hath trusted in it when it was in the chaos below. "'6. Let all the powers in me trust in the Light when I am in the darkness below, and may they again trust in the Light if they come into the region of the height. "'7. For it is [the Light] which hath compassion on us and delivereth us; and a great saving mystery is in it. "'8. And it will save all powers out of the chaos because of my transgression. For I have left my region and am come down into the chaos.' "Now, therefore, whose mind is exalted, let him understand."

(192) Fear not to acknowledge your ignorance and guilt, When you say, "I am ignorant; O teach me," O ingenuous one, learn of our father Adam, Who said of yore, "O Lord, we have dealt unjustly." He made no vain excuses and prevaricated not, On the other hand, Iblis raised arguments, saying, "I used to be honorable; Thou hast disgraced me. My stain is owing to Thee; Thou art my dyer; Thou hast caused my sin and transgression." Read the text, "Lord, Thou hast caused me to err,"

(2) And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, saying: "This is the third repentance of Pistis Sophia," that he said unto them: "Let him in whom a sensitive spirit hath arisen, come forward and speak the thought of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." And Martha answered and said unto Jesus in the midst of the disciples: "Concerning the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, O my Lord Jesus, of it thy light-power in David prophesied aforetime in the sixty-ninth Psalm, saying: "'1. O Lord God, give heed to my help. "'2. Let them be put to shame and con-founded who seek after my soul. "'3. May they turn straightway and be put to shame, who say unto me: Ha, ha. "'4. May all who seek thee, be joyful and exult because of thee, and they who love thy salvation, say ever: May God be exalted. "'5. But I am wretched, I am poor; O Lord, help me. Thou art my helper and defence; O Lord, delay not.' "This then is the solution of the third repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, singing praises to the height."

(2) I was greatly troubled in my groaning. I will bathe my bed and my cover each night with my tears. I have become old in the midst of all my enemies. Depart from me, all you who work at lawlessness, for look, the lord has heard the cry of my weeping and the lord has heard my prayer.

A king was enraged against one of his courtiers, and drew his sword to slay him. The bystanders were all afraid to interfere, with the exception of one who boldly threw himself at the king's feet and begged him to spare the offender. The king at once stayed his hand, and laid down his sword, saying, "As you have interceded for him, I would gladly pardon him, even if he had acted as a very demon. I cannot refuse your entreaties, because they are the same as my own. In reality, it is not you who make these entreaties for him, but I who make them through your mouth. I am the real actor in this matter and you are only my agent. Remember the text, 'You shot not when you shot;' you are, as it were, the foam, and I the mighty ocean beneath it. The mercy you show to this offender is really shown by me, the king." The offender was accordingly released and went his way; but, strange to say, he showed no gratitude to his protector, but, on the contrary, omitted to greet him when he met him, and in other ways refused to recognize the favor he had received from him. This behavior excited remark, and people questioned him as to the cause of his ingratitude to his benefactor. He replied, "I had offered up my life to the king when this man intervened. It was a moment when, according to the tradition, 'I was with God in such a manner that neither prophet nor angel found entrance along with me,' and this man intruded between us. I desired no mercy save the king's blows; I sought no shelter save the king. If the king had cut off my head he would have given me eternal life in return for it. My duty is to sacrifice my life; it is the king's prerogative to give life. The night which is made dark as pitch by the king scorns the brightness of the brightest festal day. He who beholds the king is exalted above all thoughts of mercy and vengeance. Of a man raised to this exalted state no description is possible in this world, for he is hidden in God, and words like 'mercy' and 'vengeance' only express men's partial and weak views of the matter. It is true 'God taught Adam the names of all things,' but that means the real qualities of things, and not such names as ordinary men use, clad in the dress of human speech. The words and expressions we use have merely a relative truth, and do not unfold absolute truth." He illustrates this by the reply made to the angel Gabriel by Abraham when he was cast into the fire by Nimrod. Gabriel asked him if he could assist him, and Abraham answered, "No! I have no need of your help." When one has attained union with God he has no need of intermediaries. Prophets and apostles are needed as links to connect ordinary men with God, but he who hears the "inner voice" within him has no need to listen to outward words, even of apostles. Although that intercessor is himself dwelling in God, yet my state is higher and more lovely than his. Though he is God's agent, yet I desire not his intercession to save me from evil sent me by God, for evil at God's hand seems to me good. What seems mercy and kindness to the vulgar seems wrath and vengeance to God-intoxicated saints. God's severity and chastisements serve to exalt his saints, though they make the vulgar more ungodly than before, even as the water of the Nile was pure water to the Israelites, but blood to the Egyptians.

(59) Thus I will not be angry with my God, though for his name's sake I should endure shame, ignominy and reproach, which springeth, buddeth and blossometh for me every day, so that I am almost inured to it: I will sing with the prophet David [Psalm lxxiii 26], Though my body and soul should faint and fail, yet thou, O God, art my trust and confidence; also my salvation, and the comfort of my heart.