(71) Father begotten Light, which alone hath gathered from the strength of the Father the Flower of mind, and hath the power of understanding the Paternal mind, and doth instil into all Fountains and Principles the power of understanding and the function of ceaseless revolution.

(2) Invoking then Jesus, the Paternal Light, the Real, the True, "which lighteth every man coming into the world," "through Whom we have access to the Father," Source of Light, let us aspire, as far as is attainable, to the illuminations handed down by our fathers in the most sacred Oracles, and let us gaze, as we may, upon the Hierarchies of the Heavenly Minds manifested by them symbolically for our instruction. And when we have received, with immaterial and unflinching mental eyes, the gift of Light, primal and super-primal, of the supremely Divine Father, which manifests to us the most blessed Hierarchies of the Angels in types and symbols, let us then, from it, be elevated to its simple splendour. For it never loses its own unique inwardness, but multiplied and going forth, as becomes its goodness, for an elevating and unifying blending of the objects of its care, remains firmly and solitarily centred within itself in its unmoved sameness; and raises, according to their capacity, those who lawfully aspire to it, and makes them one, after the example of its own unifying Oneness. For it is not possible that the supremely Divine Ray should otherwise illuminate us, except so far as it is enveloped, for the purpose of instruction, in variegated sacred veils, and arranged naturally and appropriately, for such as we are, by paternal forethought.

(5) But we have spoken of these things in our Symbolical Theology. Let us now then celebrate the spiritual Name of Light, under Which we contemplate the Good, and declare that He, the Good, is called spiritual Light, on the ground that He fills every supercelestial mind with spiritual light, and expels all ignorance and error from all souls in which they may be, and imparts to them all sacred light, and cleanses their mental vision from the mist which envelops them, from ignorance, and stirs up and unfolds those enclosed by the great weight of darkness, and imparts, at first, a measured radiance; then, whilst they taste, as it were, the light, and desire it more, more fully gives Itself, and more abundantly enlightens them, because "they have loved much," and ever elevates them to things in advance, as befits the analogy of each for aspiration.

(6) The Good then above every light is called spiritual Light, as fontal ray, and stream of light welling over, shining upon every mind, above, around, and in the world, from its fulness, and renewing their whole mental powers, and embracing them all by its over-shadowing; and being above all by its exaltation; and in one word, by embracing and having previously and pre-eminently the whole sovereignty of the light-dispensing faculty, as being source of light and above all light, and by comprehending in itself all things intellectual, and all things rational, and making them one altogether. For as ignorance puts asunder those who have gone astray, so the presence of the spiritual light is collective and unifying of those being enlightened, both perfecting and further turning them towards the true Being, by turning them from the many notions and collecting the various views, or, to speak more correctly, fancies, into one true, pure and uniform knowledge, and by filling them with light, one and unifying.

(20) So now a Spirit is nothing else but a Springing Will, and in the Will there is the Anguish to the Birth, and in the Anguish the Fire generates itself, and in the Fire the Light, and from the Light the Will becomes friendly, pleasant, mild, and sweet, and in the sweet Will the Kingdom and the Glory generates itself. Thus the Light keeps the Might [or Power;] and if that be put out, then the Virtue [or Power] and Glory ceases, and the Kingdom also.

(1) "I had pity on the light of the spirit that the mind had received. I returned to my position to pray to the exalted, infinite light that the power of the spirit might increase there and might be filled without dark defilement. And reverently I said, You are the root of the light. Your hidden form has appeared, O exalted, infinite one. May the whole power of the spirit spread and may it be filled with its light, O infinite light. Then he will not be able to join with the unconceived spirit, and the power of the astonishment will not be able to mix with nature. According to the will of the majesty, my prayer was accepted.

(3) And now when we consider our Mind, in the Light of Nature, and what that is, which makes us zealous [or earnest,] which burns there [in] as a Light, and is desirous [thirsty or covetous] like Fire, which desires to receive from that Place where it has not sown, and would reap in that Country where the Body is not at Home [or dwells not,] then the precious Virgin of the Wisdom of God meets us, in the middlemost Seat in the Center of the Light of Life, and says; The Light is mine, and the [Power or] Virtue and Glory is mine, also the Gate of Knowledge is mine, I live in the Light of Nature, and without me you can neither see, know, nor understand any Thing of my Virtue, [or Power.] I am thy Bridegroom in the Light; and thy Desire [or Longing] after my Virtue [or Power] is my Attracting in myself; I sit in my Throne, but thou knowest me not; I am in thee, and thy Body is not in me. I distinguish [or separate,] and thou seest it not. I am the Light of the Senses, and the Root of the Senses is not in me, but near me. I am the Bridegroom of the Root, but she has put on a rough Coat. I [will] not lay myself in her Arms till she puts that off, and then I will rest eternally in her Arms, and adorn the Root with my Virtue [and Power,] and give her my beautiful Form, and will espouse myself to her with my Pearl.

(2) "'1. O Light of powers, give heed and save me. "'2. May they who would take away my light, lack and be in the darkness. May they who would take away my power, turn into chaos and be put to shame. "'3. May they turn quickly to darkness, who press me sore and say: We have become lords over her. "'4. May rather all those who seek the Light, rejoice and exult, and they who desire thy mystery, say ever: May the mystery be exalted. "'5. Save me then now, O Light, for I lacked my light, which they have taken away, and I needed my power, which they have taken from me. Thou then, O Light, thou art my saviour, and thou art my deliverer, O Light. Save me quickly out of this chaos.'"

(8) Then he says expressly: "Send light to human souls that fain would know Whence conflicts spring, and what the root of ills, And of the blessed gods to whom due rites Of sacrifice we needs must pay, that so We may from troubles find repose."

(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

(2) "'1. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, for thou art a saviour; thou art a deliverer for all time. "'2. I will utter this song to the Light, for it hath saved me and saved me out of the hand of the rulers, my foes. "'3. And thou hast preserved me in all the regions, thou hast saved me out of the height and the depth of the chaos and out of the æons of the rulers of the sphere. "'4. And when I was come out of the Height, I wandered round in regions in which is no light, and I could not return to the thirteenth æon, my dwelling-place. "'5. For there was no light in me nor power. My power was utterly weakened (?). "'6. And the Light saved me in all my afflictions. I sang praises unto the Light, and it hearkened unto me, when I was constrained. "'7. It guided me in the creation of the æons to lead me up into the thirteenth æon, my dwelling-place. "'8. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works unto the race of men. "'9. When I failed of my power, thou hast given me power; and when I failed of my light, thou didst fill me with purified light. "'10. I was in the darkness and in the shadow of the chaos, bound with the mighty fetters of the chaos, and no light was in me. "'11. For I have provoked the commandment of the Light and have transgressed, and I have made wroth the commandment of the Light, because I had gone out of my region. "'12. And when I had gone down, I failed of my light and became without light, and no one had helped me. "'13. And in my affliction I sang praises unto the Light, and it saved me out of my afflictions. "'14. And it hath also broken asunder all my bonds and led me up out of the darkness and the affliction of the chaos. "'15. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me and that thy wondrous works have been wrought in the race of men. "'16. And thou hast shattered the upper gates of the darkness and the mighty bolts of the chaos. "'17. And thou didst let me depart out of the region in which I had transgressed, and my light was taken, because I have transgressed. "'18. And I ceased from my mysteries and went down to the gates of the chaos. "'19. And when I was constrained, I sang praises to the Light. It saved me out of all my afflictions. "'20. Thou sentest thy stream; it gave me power and saved me out of all my afflictions. "'21. I will give thanks unto thee, O Light, that thou hast saved me, and for thy wondrous works in the race of men.' "This then is the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered in the midst of the four-and-twenty invisibles, desiring that they should know all the wondrous works which I had done for her, and desiring that they should know that I have gone to the world of men and have given them the mysteries of the Height. Now, therefore, who is exalted in his thought, let him come forward and say the solution of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered."

(3) "And all rulers and all authorities and all angels therein were thrown all together into agitation because of the great light which was on me. And they gazed at the radiant vesture of light with which I was clad, and they saw the mystery which contains their names, and they feared most exceedingly. And all their bonds with which they were bound, were unloosed and every one left his order, and they all fell down before me, adored and said: 'How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing?' And they all sang praises together to the interiors of the interiors; but me they saw not, but they saw only the light. And they were in great fear and were exceedingly agitated and sang praises to the interiors of the interiors.

(35) For everything which is visible is a copy of that which is hidden. For as a fire which burns in a place without being confined to it, so it is with the sun which is in the sky, all of whose rays extend to places on the earth. Similarly, Christ has a single being, and he gives light to every place. This is also the way in which he speaks of our mind, as if it were a lamp which burns and lights up the place. (Being) in a part of the soul, it gives light to all the parts.

(38) Behold now, the Mind is in the Darkness, and it conceives its Will to the Light, to generate it; or else there would be no Will, nor yet any Birth: This Mind stands in Anguish, and in the Will conceives the Virtue; and the Virtue fulfils, [satisfies or impregnates] the Mind. Thus the Kingdom of God consists in the Virtue [or in Power,] which is God the Father, and the Light makes the Virtue longing to [be] the Will, that is, God the Son, for in the Virtue the Light is continually generated from Eternity, and in the Light, out of the Virtue, goes the Holy Ghost forth, which generates again in the dark Mind the Will of the eternal Essence.

(1) "'1. I will declare: Thou art the higher Light, for that hast saved me and led me unto thee, and thou hast not let the emanations of Self-willed, which are hostile unto me, take my light. "'2. O Light of lights, I sing praises unto thee; thou hast saved me. "'3. O Light, thou hast led up my power out of the chaos; thou hast saved me from them which have gone down into the darkness.' "These words again hath Pistis Sophia uttered, Now, therefore, whose mind hath become understanding, comprehending the words which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, let him come forward and set forth their solution."

(19) And the Light of the Sun is as it were a God in the Nature of this World, and by its Virtue [and Influence] it continually kindles the Stars [or Constellations] whereby the Stars [or Constellations] (which are of a very terrible and anguishing Essence) continually exult in Triumph very joyfully. For it [the Sun] is an Essence like the Light of God, which kindles and enlightens the dark Mind of the Father, from whence, by the Light, there arises the divine Joy in the Father.

(22) You have a Similitude [of this] in yourself. Your Soul which is in you, gives Reason to you, whereby you think, [consider and perceive;] that represents God the Father: The Light which shines in your Soul, whereby you know the Virtue [or Power in you,] and lead [and direct and order] yourself with; that represents God the Son, or the Heart, the eternal Power and Virtue: And the Mind, in which the Virtue of the Light is, and that which proceeds from the Light wherewith you govern your Body; that represents the Holy Ghost.

(2) "'1. O Light of lights, I have had faith in thee. Save me from all these rulers who pursue after me, and help me, "'2. That in sooth they may never take from me my light, as the lion-faced power [did]. For thy light is not with me and thy light-stream to save me. Nay, Adamas is the more enraged against me, saying unto me: Thou hast imprisoned my power in the chaos. "'3. Now, therefore, O Light of lights, if I have done this and have imprisoned it, if I have done any injustice at all to that power, "'4. Or if I have constrained it, as it hath constrained me, then let all these rulers who pursue after me, take my light from me and leave me empty; "'5. And let foe Adamas pursue after my power and seize upon it and take my light from me and cast it into his dark power which is in the chaos, and keep my power in the chaos. "'6. Now, therefore, O Light, lay hold on me in thy wrath and lift up thy power above my foes who have lifted themselves up against me to the very end. "'7. Quicken me quickly, as thou hast said unto me: I will help thee.'

(19) Thy Reason (Logos) sings through me Thy praises. Take back through me the All into [Thy] Reason - [my] reasonable oblation! Thus cry the Powers in me. They sing Thy praise, Thou All; they do Thy Will. From Thee Thy Will; to Thee the All. Receive from all their reasonable oblation. The All that is in us, O Life, preserve; O Light illumine it; O God in-spirit it. It it Thy Mind that plays the shepherd to Thy Word, O Thou Creator, Bestower of the Spirit [upon all].

(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."