(61) O God, Thy grace is the proper object of our desire; Nothing is bitterer than severance from Thee, Our worldly goods rob us of our heavenly goods, Our hands, as it were, prey on our feet; Without reliance on Thee how can we live? And if the soul escapes these great perils, It is made captive as a victim of misfortunes and fears, Inasmuch as when the soul lacks union with the Beloved, If Thou showest not the way, our life is lost; A life living without Thee esteem as dead!

(1) May I come to thee and be glorified and made manifest and ensouled, let me have strength and soundness

(21) He hath given me strength through his back, through his back, and through his most powerful might, that I fall not upon Shu

(1) Aye, doth my soul indeed obtain assisting grace, and which of Thy blessings is that gift to me, O Lord? What saving champion is found to save both flocks and herds? And who for myself other than Thy Righteous Order, and Thyself, Ahura? Tell me , O (ye) invoked ones! Or what of grace is there for me save Thy Best Mind (itself)?

(6) Its strength proceedeth from him, it hath obtained it by prayer from him

(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.

(1) AND trust steadfastly that there is such a perfect meekness as I speak of, and that it may be come to through grace in this life. And this I say in confusion of their error, that say that there is no perfecter cause of meekness than is that which is raised of the remembrance of our wretchedness and our before‑done sins.

(3) [We give] Thee grace, Thou highest [and] most excellent! For by Thy Grace we have received the so great Light of Thy own Gnosis. O holy Name, fit [Name] to be adored, O Name unique, by which the Only God is to be blest through worship of [our] Sire,—[of Thee] who deignest to afford to all a Father’s piety, and care, and love, and whatsoever virtue is more sweet [than these], endowing [us] with sense, [and] reason, [and] intelligence;—with sense that we may feel Thee; with reason that we may track Thee out from the appearances of things ; with means of recognition that we may joy in knowing Thee.

(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.'"

(3) I say not that it shall ever last and dwell in all their minds continually, that be called to work in this work. Nay, so is it not. For from a young ghostly prentice in this work, the actual feeling thereof is ofttimes withdrawn for divers reasons. Sometime, for he shall not take over presumptuously thereupon, and ween that it be in great part in his own power to have it when him list, and as him list. And such a weening were pride. And evermore when the feeling of grace is withdrawn, pride is the cause: not ever pride that is, but pride that should be, were it not that this feeling of grace were withdrawn. And thus ween ofttimes some young fools, that God is their enemy; when He is their full friend.

(63) Therefore, thou beloved Soul, if thou art fallen into heavy Sins and Blasphemies, through the Deceit of the Antichrist, and the Seduction of the Devil and his Followers, consider thyself instantly, continue not therein, do not despair in that Condition; forgive thy Adversary his Faults, and pray to God the Father, for Christ's Sake, who has borne all our Wickedness and Iniquities upon him as a patient Lamb, and then they shall be forgiven thee. Nay, we should not in Eternity have ever been able to come out of this Evil and Wickedness, if the Mercy of God (without our Knowledge or Desert) had not helped us out of it.

(17) You have given these strength, hidden in the heart, and you came forth to them and from them.

(8) "In thy power shall it be to exalt and to abase

(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) And look thou have no wonder of this: for mightest thou once see it as clearly, as thou mayest by grace come to for to grope it and feel it in this life, thou wouldest think as I say. But be thou sure that clear sight shall never man have here in this life: but the feeling may men have through grace when God vouchsafeth. And therefore lift up thy love to that cloud: rather, if I shall say thee sooth, let God draw thy love up to that cloud and strive thou through help of His grace to forget all other thing.

(12) Even if you are not capable of practice, do work for My sake; By doing work for my sake also, you shall attain perfection.

(2) And yet He giveth not this grace, nor worketh not this work, in any soul that is unable thereto. And yet, there is no soul without this grace, able to have this grace: none, whether it be a sinner’s soul or an innocent soul. For neither it is given for innocence, nor withholden for sin. Take good heed, that I say withholden, and not withdrawn. Beware of error here, I pray thee; for ever, the nearer men touch the truth, more wary men behoveth to be of error. I mean but well: if thou canst not conceive it, lay it by thy side till God come and teach thee. Do then so, and hurt thee not.

(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.

(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.'

(10) He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine acquires unshakable devotion; of this there is no doubt.