(2) And what more? Surely whoso will look verily in the story of the gospel, he shall find many wonderful points of perfect love written of her to our ensample, and as even according to the work of this writing, as if they had been set and written therefore; and surely so were they, take whoso take may. And if a man list for to see in the gospel written the wonderful and the special love that our Lord had to her, in person of all accustomed sinners truly turned and called to the grace of contemplation, he shall find that our Lord might not suffer any man or woman—yea, not her own sister—speak a word against her, but if He answered for her Himself. Yea, and what more? He blamed Symon Leprous in his own house, for that he thought against her. This was great love: this was passing love.

(1) LOOK that no man think it presumption, that he that is the wretchedest sinner of this life dare take upon him after the time be that he have lawfully amended him, and after that he have felt him stirred to that life that is called contemplative, by the assent of his counsel and his conscience for to profer a meek stirring of love to his God, privily pressing upon the cloud of unknowing betwixt him and his God. When our Lord said to Mary, in person of all sinners that be called to contemplative life, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” it was not for her great sorrow, nor for the remembering of her sins, nor yet for her meekness that she had in the beholding of her wretchedness only. But why then? Surely because she loved much.

(8) This blessedness came on those who had been chosen by Cod through Jesus Christ our Lord. For "love hides the multitude of sins." And they are blotted out by Him "who desireth the repentance rather than the death of a sinner." And those are not reckoned that are not the effect of choice; "for he who has lusted has already committed adultery," it is said. And the illuminating Word forgives sins: "And in that time, saith the Lord, they shall seek for the iniquity of Israel, and it shall not exist; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found." "For who is like Me? and who shall stand before My face? You see the one God declared good, rendering according to desert, and forgiving sins. John, too, manifestly teaches the differences of sins, in his larger Epistle, in these words: "If any man see his brother sin a sin that is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life: for these that sin not unto death," he says.

(3) Jesus said unto his disciples: "Rejoice and exult, for your sins are forgiven and your iniquities blotted out, and ye are reckoned with the kingdom of my father." And when he said this, the disciples rejoiced in great joy.

(2) Lo! here may men see what a privy pressing of love may purchase of our Lord, before all other works that man may think. And yet I grant well, that she had full much sorrow, and wept full sore for her sins, and full much she was meeked in remembrance of her wretchedness. And so should we do, that have been wretches and accustomed sinners; all our lifetime make hideous and wonderful sorrow for our sins, and full much be meeked in remembrance of our wretchedness.

(2) When then the Saviour had said this, he said unto his disciples: "Understand ye in what manner I speak with you?" And Mary answered again and said: "Yea, my Lord, already have I seized on all the words if he again turneth and transgresseth twelve times and again twelve times repenteth, praying in the mystery of the First Mystery, it will be forgiven. "But if after the twelve times he again transgresseth and turneth and transgresseth, it will not be forgiven him for ever, so that he should turn himself to any [mystery] of his mystery; and this [man] hath not repentance unless he receiveth the mysteries of the Ineffable, which have compassion at every time and forgive at every time."

(3) But how? Surely as Mary did. She, although she might not feel the deep hearty sorrow of her sins—for why, all her lifetime she had them with her whereso she went, as it were in a burthen bounden together and laid up full privily in the hole of her heart, in manner never to be forgotten—nevertheless yet, it may be said and affirmed by Scripture, that she had a more hearty sorrow, a more doleful desire, and a more deep sighing, and more she languished, yea! almost to the death, for lacking of love, although she had full much love (and have no wonder thereof, for it is the condition of a true lover that ever the more he loveth, the more he longeth for to love), than she had for any remembrance of her sins.

(2) And the Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of his disciples: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: All men who shall receive the mysteries of the Ineffable and moreover the mysteries of the First Mystery, sin every time through the compulsion of the Fate, and if they, when they are still in life, turn and repent and abide in any of their mysteries, it will be forgiven them at every time, because those mysteries are compassionate and forgiving for all time. For this cause then have I said unto you before: Those mysteries will not only forgive them their sins which they have committed from the beginning onwards, but they do not impute them to them from this hour onwards,--of which I have said unto you that they receive repentance at any time, and that they also will forgive the sins which they commit anew.

(2) When then the Saviour had said this unto his disciples, he said unto them: "Understand ye in what manner I speak with you?" The Saviour answered and said unto Mary in the midst of the disciples: "If to-day a king who is a man of the world, giveth a gift to men of his like, and also forgiveth murderers and those who have intercourse with males, and the rest of the very grievous sins which are deserving of death,--if it becometh him who is a man of the world, to have done this, much more then have the Ineffable and the First Mystery, who are the lords of the universe, the authority to act in all things as it pleaseth them, that they forgive every one who shall receive mysteries. "Or if on the other hand a king to-day investeth a soldier with a royal vesture and sendeth him into foreign regions, and he committeth murders and other grievous sins which are deserving of death, then they will not impute them to him, and are not able to do him any evil because he is invested with the royal vesture,--how much more then those who wear the mysteries of the vestures of the Ineffable and those of the First Mystery, who are lords over all those of the height and all those of the depth!"

(1) It came to pass then, when Jesus had finished saying these words unto his disciples, that John came forward and said: "My Lord, suppose a sinning and a law-breaking man is replete in all iniquities, and he hath ceased from these for the sake of the kingdom of heaven and renounced the whole world and the whole matter therein, and we give him from the be-ginning onwards the mysteries of the Light which are in the first space from without, and if he receiveth the mysteries, and after a little while again if he returneth and transgresseth, and thereafter again if he turneth and ceaseth from all sins and turneth and renounceth the whole world and the whole matter therein, so that he cometh again and is in great repentance, and if we know truly in truth that he longeth after God, so that we give him the second mystery of the first space which is from without;--in like manner if he turneth anew and transgresseth and is again in the sins of the world, and again if he thereafter turneth and ceaseth from the sins of the world and again renounceth the whole world and the whole matter therein and again is in great repentance, and we know it with certainty that he is not a play-actor, so that we turn and give him the mysteries of the beginning, which [are] in the first space from without;--in like manner, if he turneth again and sinneth and is in every type [of sin];--desirest thou that we forgive him unto seven times and give him the mysteries which are in the first space from without, unto seven times or not?" The Saviour answered again and said unto John: "Not only forgive him unto seven times,

(2) And Jesus continued again in the discourse and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass again thereafter that Pistis Sophia cried unto me, saying: "O Light of lights, I have transgressed in the twelve æons, and have descended from them; wherefor have I uttered the twelve repentances, [one] for each æon. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, forgive me my transgression, for it is exceedingly great, because I have abandoned the regions of the height and have come to dwell in the regions of the chaos.' "When then Pistis Sophia had said this, she continued again in the thirteenth repentance, saying: "'1. Be gracious unto me, O God, according to thy great grace; according to the fulness of thy mercy blot out my sin. "'2. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity. "'3. And may my sin be ever present to thee, "'4. That thou mayest be justified in thy words and prevail when thou judgest me.' "This is then the solution of the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." Jesus said unto her: "Well said, finely, Martha, blessed [one]."

(2) but amēn, I say unto you: Forgive him unto many times seven times, and every time give him the mysteries from the beginning onwards which are in the first space from without. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother and he inheriteth the Light-kingdom. "For this cause, therefore, when ye questioned me aforetime, saying: 'If our brother sin against us, desirest thou that we forgive him unto seven times?'--I answered and spake unto you in a similitude, saying: 'Not only unto seven times, but unto seventy times seven.' "Now, therefore, forgive him many times and every time give him the mysteries which are in the first space which is from without. Perchance ye win the soul of that brother and he inheriteth the Light-kingdom.

(1) It came to pass then, before Jesus had finished speaking, that Martha came forward, fell down at his feet, kissed them, cried aloud and wept with lamentation and in humbleness, saying: "My Lord, have mercy upon me and have compassion with me, and let me speak the solution of the repentance which Pistis Sophia hath uttered." And Jesus gave his hand unto Martha and said unto her: "Blessed is every one who humbleth himself, for on him they shall have mercy. Now, therefore, Martha, art thou blessed. But proclaim then the solution of the thought of the repentance of Pistis Sophia."

(1) which thou sayest. Now, therefore, my Lord, concerning the word which thou sayest: 'All the mysteries of the three spaces forgive sins and cover their [ sc. the souls'] iniquities,'--David, the prophet, then hath prophesied aforetime concerning this word, saying: 'Blessed are they whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are covered.' "And the word which thou hast spoken: 'The mystery of the First Mystery and the mystery of the Ineffable forgive all men who shall receive those mysteries, not only the sins which they have committed from the beginning onwards, but also they impute them not to them from this hour unto all eternity,'--concerning this word David hath prophesied aforetime, saying: 'Blessed are those to whom the Lord God will not impute sins,'--that is: Sins will not be imputed from this hour to those who have received the mysteries of the First Mystery and who have received the mystery of the Ineffable." He said: "Well said, Mary, thou spiritual and light-pure Mary. This is the solution of the word." And Mary continued again and said: "My Lord, if the man receiveth mysteries from the mysteries of the First Mystery and again turneth and sinneth and transgresseth, and if he thereafter again turneth and repenteth and prayeth in any [mystery] of his mystery, will it be forgiven him, or not?" The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: "Amēn, amēn, I say unto you: Every one who shall receive the mysteries of the First Mystery,