(94) There's no such god. But what befalls by chance And of itself to each, is Fortune called."

(22) Behold! I tell thee a Mystery, so soon as the Door is set wide open to its Angle, all useless, fatnailed, sticking Bolts or Bars will be cast away, for the Door will never be shut any more at all, but stands open, and then the four Winds will go in and out at it.

(121) Thou shouldst not suppose, that which I write here to be as a doubtful Opinion, questionable whether it be so or no: For the Gate of Heaven and Hell stands open to the Spirit, and in the Light it presses through them both, and beholds them also; proves or examines them; for the astral Birth or Geniture lives between them both, and must endure to be squeezed.

(56) Accordingly he has not forbidden us to be rich in the right way, but only a wrongful and insatiable grasping of money. For "property gained unlawfully is diminished." "There are some who sow much and gain the more, and those who hoard become impoverished." Of them it is written: "He distributed, he gave to the poor, his righteousness endures for ever." For he who sows and gathers more is the man who by giving away his earthly and temporal goods has obtained a heavenly and eternal prize; the other is he who gives to no one, but vainly "lays up treasure on earth where moth and rust corrupt"; of him it is written: "In gathering motley, he has gathered it into a condemned cell." Of his land the Lord says in the gospel that it produced plentifully; then wishing to store the fruits he built larger store-houses, saying to himself in the words dramatically put into his mouth "You have many good things laid up for many years to come, eat, drink, and be merry. You fool," says the Lord, "this night your soul shall be required of you. Whose then shall be the things you have prepared?"

(135) In this world no knocking at the door is possible Save hope, and God knows what is best." The final cause of trading is hope or probability, When the merchant goes to his shop in the morning, If you have no hope of getting bread, why go? There is the fear of loss, since you are not strong. But does not this fear of utter loss in your trade Become weakened in the course of your exertions? You say, "Although the fear of loss is before me, I have a better hope through exerting myself;

(99) Yet I grant that it has the Key to open Purgatory with; but the other Key which it has, will not open the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the rich Chest of Gold, out of which the [supposed] Maids [or Virgins] receive their Wages, and are sent (with fine Passports) into Purgatory; then the Strumpet thinks she goes to Heaven, to St. Peter, and thus the false God beguiles the false Goddess.

(47) For the Soul, which apprehends the Word, has an open Gate in Heaven, and can be prevented by nothing; neither does the Devil see the Soul, because it is not in his Country or Dominions.

(9) Mark how fortune brings endless misfortune by the miseries of winning it, guarding it, and losing it; men's thoughts cling altogether to their riches, so that they have not a moment to free themselves from the sorrows of life. Thus they who are possessed by desire suffer much and enjoy little, as the ox that drags a cart gets but a morsel of grass. For the sake of this morsel of enjoyment, which falls easily to the beast's lot, man, blinded by his destiny, wastes this brief fortune, that is so hard to win. For all time lasts the struggle for the welfare of the mean body that is doomed to depart and fall into hell, and even a millionth part of this labour would win the rank of the Enlightened. Greater is the pain of them that are possessed by desire than the pain of the way of holiness, and no Enlightenment comes to them. Neither sword, nor poison, nor fire, nor fall into abysses, nor foemen may be compared to the desires, if we bear in mind the agonies of hell and the like. Then shrink from the desires, and learn delight in solitude, in the peaceful woodlands void of strife and toil. Happy are they who are fanned by the sweet silent breezes of the forest, as they walk upon the pleasant rock-floors broad as in a palace and cooled by the moonbeams' sandal ointment, and take thought for the weal of their fellow-creatures! Dwelling anywhere for what time they will, in deserted sanctuary or cave or beneath the trees, saved from the weariness of winning and guarding possessions, they wander fancy-free at pleasure. Indra himself can hardly win the bliss of contentment that is enjoyed by him who wanders homeless at his own free will and unattached to aught.

(6) One was of gold, and the other was of silver; First with the white, and after with the yellow, Plied he the door, so that I was content. "Whenever faileth either of these keys So that it turn not rightly in the lock," He said to us, "this entrance doth not open. More precious one is, but the other needs More art and intellect ere it unlock, For it is that which doth the knot unloose. From Peter I have them; and he bade me err Rather in opening than in keeping shut, If people but fall down before my feet." Then pushed the portals of the sacred door, Exclaiming: "Enter; but I give you warning That forth returns whoever looks behind."

(62) But seeing God opens to me the Gate of his Being in his great Love, and remembers the Covenants which he has with Man, therefore I will faithfully and earnestly, according to my Gifts, unfold and set wide open all the Gates of God, so far as God will give me Leave.

(27) 'No man can be made happy by wealth. Shall we possess wealth, when we see thee? Shall we live, as long as thou rulest? Only that boon (which I have chosen) is to be chosen by me.'

(31) "Every man naturally desires a superiority, to have treasures of Gold and Silver [intellect and soul], and to seem great in the eyes of the world. God indeed created all things for the use of man, that he might rule over them, and acknowledge therein the singular goodness and omnipotence of God, give Him thanks for His benefits, honor Him and praise Him. But there is no man looks after these things, otherwise than by spending his days idly; they would enjoy them without any previous labor and danger; neither do they look them out of that place where God hath treasured them up, Who expects also that man should seek for them there, and to those that seek will He give them. But there is not any that labors for a possession in that place, and therefore these riches are not found: For the way to this place, and the place itself hath been unknown for a long time, and it is hidden from the greatest part of the world. But notwithstanding it be difficult and laborious to find Out this way and place, yet the place should be sought after.

(63) O Danger upon Danger! as our King Christ also saith; "It is very hard for a rich Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. A Camel will easier go through the Eye of a Needle, than a rich Man enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." [Math. 19:21. Mark 10:25.]

(52) Therefore to him the porter openeth not, for he is a thief and a murderer, as Christ saith. Now, behold and mark, whether one can be in the right Way, and enter in by the right Door, if one be living in lawless freedom or license, or disregard of ordinances, virtue or vice, order or disorder, and the like. Such liberty we do not find in Christ, neither is it in any of His true followers.

(24) Chapter XIV. Again we warn those who are dazzled by the glitter of gold or those who, now upright, might be turned by great riches to a life of idleness and pomp, not to disturb our sacred silence with their clamorings; for though there be a medicine which will cure all diseases and give unto all men wisdom, yet it is against the will of God that men should attain to understanding by any means other than virtue, labor, and integrity. We are not permitted to manifest ourselves to any man except it be by the will of God. Those who believe that they can partake of our spiritual wealth against the will of God or without His sanction will find that they shall sooner lose their lives in seeking us than attain happiness by finding us.

(53) Here the Spirit opens both Doors and Gates; if thou wilt not see, then be blind.

(103) Thou Child of Man, behold now, how great a Gate of Heaven, of Hell, and of the Earth, as also of the whole Deity, the Spirit opens to thee.

(19) I would therefore have every one warned, that he deal circumspectly and warily, and not be conceited that he is rich, and cannot grow poor; truly I have very admirable and wonderful Wares to sell, every one will not have Understanding and Skill to know what to do with them.

(73) This is the other open Gate of the Deity, here thou must set thy Eyes wide open, and rouze up or awaken the Spirit in thy half dead Heart: For this is not an obscure Fiction, Contrivance or Fancy. Observe,

(95) But unto me is opened the Gate of my Mind, so that I can see and discern it, else it would indeed remain concealed with, and hidden to me, till the Day of the Resurrection from the Dead; yea, it has been concealed from all Men, since the Beginning of the World; but I submit my Will to God's Will, let him do what he pleases.