(48) 1 say not that thou receivest the Wrath of God in the Bread and in the Wine, but in thy false Confidence; thou art with thy Body and Soul in the Anger, and wilt not go out from it. Why then dost thou approach often to the Covenant of God, seeing thou art captivated of the Devil? Dost thou think that he will adorn thy Hypocrisy, and will hang his Pearl on thee? Thou art a Wolf, and howlest with the Dogs; thy Mouth prays, and thy Soul is abominably wicked [and naught;] when it goes from the Testament of Christ, it enters into the Stall of Robbery again, and is a Murderer; it howls with the Dogs; it is a bGod. perfidious Whore; when it goes away from the Covenant, it steps into whorish Corners, into the Den of Thieves; and there they stand, and pretend great Holiness. O, this Day is a holy Day to me, I must not sin; and yet they think, Tomorrow or next Day, they will go thither again.

The mysteries of truth are made known in symbols and images. The bedchamber is hidden, and it is the holy of the holy. At first the curtain concealed how God manages creation, but when the curtain is torn and what is inside appears, this building will be left deserted, or rather will be destroyed. And the whole godhead will flee from here but not into the holy of holies, for it cannot mingle with pure [light] and [perfect] fullness. Instead it will remain under the wings of the cross [and under] its arms. This ark will be salvation [for people] when floodwaters surge over them. Whoever belongs to the priestly order can go inside the curtain along with the high priest. For this reason the curtain was not torn only at the top, for then only the upper realm would have been opened. It was not torn only at the bottom, for then it would have revealed only the lower realm. No, it was torn from top to bottom. The upper realm was opened for us in the lower realm, that we might enter the hidden realm of truth. This is what is truly worthy and mighty, and we shall enter through symbols that are weak and insignificant. They are weak compared to perfect glory. There is glory that surpasses glory, there is power that surpasses power. Perfect things have opened to us, and hidden things of truth. The holy of holies was revealed, and the bedchamber invited us in.

(2) But how? Not as these heretics do, the which be well likened to madmen having this custom, that ever when they have drunken of a fair cup, cast it to the wall and break it. Thus should not we do if we will well do. For we should not so feed us of the fruit, that we should despise the tree; nor so drink, that we should break the cup when we have drunken. The tree and the cup I call this visible miracle, and all seemly bodily observances, that is according and not letting the work of the spirit. The fruit and the drink I call the ghostly bemeaning of these visible miracles, and of these seemly bodily observances: as is lifting up of our eyes and our hands unto heaven. If they be done by stirring of the spirit, then be they well done; and else be they hypocrisy, and then be they false. If they be true and contain in them ghostly fruit, why should they then be despised? For men will kiss the cup for wine is therein.

(39) Here comes Man, and prays before God for Forgiveness of Sins, and the Fox hangs behind his Cloak; he would be justified, and his Unrighteousness sticks in the Abyss, and that will not suffer him to enter into the new Regeneration; his Covetousness has taken too much hold of him; his wicked Babel (of Antichrist's Opinions) will not let him come to the true earnest Conversion; they bar up the Gate of Love, [and] the Spirit of this World (in the Lust of the Flesh) continues always [Predominant or] Chief.

(2) "Hearken moreover that I may tell you the word in truth, in what type the mystery of baptism forgiveth sins. Now, therefore, if the souls sin when they are still in the world, the retributive servitors indeed come and are witnesses of all the sins which the soul committeth, lest in sooth they should come forth out of the regions of the chaos, in order that they may convict them in the judgments which are outside the chaos. And the counterfeiting spirit becometh witness of all the sins which the soul shall commit, in order that it may convict it in the judgments which are outside the chaos, not only that it may bear witness of them, but--all the sins of the souls--it sealeth the sins and maketh them fast on to the soul, in order that all the rulers of the chastisements of the sinners may recognize it, that it is a sinning soul, and that they may know of the number of sins which it hath committed, by the seals which the counterfeiting spirit hath made fast on to it, so that it shall be chastized according to the number of sins which it hath committed. This do they with all sinning souls. "Now, therefore, he who shall receive the

(4) Now, if the profane should see or hear that these things are done by us, they will, I suppose, split with laughter, and commiserate us on our, folly. But there is no need to wonder at this. For, as the Oracles say, "If they will not believe, neither shall they understand." And as for us, who have contemplated the spiritual meaning of the things done, whilst Jesus leads us to the light, let us say, that, not without reason, does the Hierarch conduct to, and place the man fallen asleep, in the place of the same rank; for it shews reverently, that, in the regeneration, all will be in those chosen inheritances, for which they have chosen their own life here. For example, if any one led a Godlike and most holy life here, so far as the imitation of God is attainable by man, he will be, in the age to come, in divine and blessed inheritances; but if he led a life inferior to the divine likeness in the highest degree, but, nevertheless, a holy life, even this man will receive the holy and similar retributions. The Hierarch, having given thanks for this Divine righteousness, offers a sacred prayer, and extols the worshipful Godhead, as subjugating the unjust and tyrannical power against us all, and conducting us back to our own most just possessions (or judgments).

(40) For in Christ we are all one body, therefore also this spirit would heartily fain have it so, that its fellowmembers might be refreshed with a draught of the precious wine of God be/ore their departure from hence, whereby they might encounter and stand in the great fight with the devil, and obtain the victory, that the victory of the devil in this modern drunken world might be disappointed and destroyed, and the great name of the LORD might be sanctified. Now behold!

(36) Strong wine made from the juice of the grape was looked upon as symbolic of the false life and false light of the universe, for it was produced by a false process--artificial fermentation. The rational faculties are clouded by strong drink, and the animal nature, liberated from bondage, controls the individual--facts which necessarily were of the greatest spiritual significance. As the lower nature is the eternal tempter seeking co lead man into excesses which inhibit the spiritual faculties, the grape and its product were used to symbolize the Adversary.

(7) "For this cause have I said unto you: 'I am come to cast fire on the earth,'--that is: I am come to purify the sins of the whole world with fire. "And for this cause have I said to the Samaritan woman: 'If thou knewest of the gift of God, and who it is who saith unto thee: Give me to drink,--thou wouldst ask, and he would give thee living water, and there would be in thee a spring which welleth up for everlasting life.' "And for this cause I took also a cup of wine, blessed it and give it unto you and said: 'This is the blood of the covenant which will be poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins.' "And for this cause they have also thrust the spear into my side, and there came forth water and blood. "And these are the mysteries of the Light which forgive sins; that is to say, these are the namings and the names of the Light."

(47) How wilt thou receive the holy Body in the Love, if thou art a Devil? Has not the Devil also been an Angel? Why went he away from God? If thy old Man [captivated] in the Wrath be only thy Soul, and no new [Man,] then thy Soul receives the Wrath of God, and thy old Man receives the elementary Bread and Wine. The noble Pearl is not cast before the Swine; indeed the Testament is there, and the a Testator invites thee to it, but thou makest a Mockery of it; he would fain help thee, and thou wilt not.

(6) Set all his love below on righteousness; Wherefore from grace to grace did God unclose His eye to our redemption yet to be, Whence he believed therein, and suffered not From that day forth the stench of paganism, And he reproved therefor the folk perverse. Those Maidens three, whom at the right-hand wheel Thou didst behold, were unto him for baptism More than a thousand years before baptizing. O thou predestination, how remote Thy root is from the aspect of all those Who the First Cause do not behold entire! And you, O mortals! hold yourselves restrained In judging; for ourselves, who look on God, We do not know as yet all the elect;

(4) The more conformed thereto, the more it pleases; For the blest ardour that irradiates all things In that most like itself is most vivacious. With all of these things has advantaged been The human creature; and if one be wanting, From his nobility he needs must fall. 'Tis sin alone which doth disfranchise him, And render him unlike the Good Supreme, So that he little with its light is blanched, And to his dignity no more returns, Unless he fill up where transgression empties With righteous pains for criminal delights. Your nature when it sinned so utterly In its own seed, out of these dignities Even as out of Paradise was driven, Nor could itself recover, if thou notest With nicest subtilty, by any way, Except by passing one of these two fords: Either that God through clemency alone Had pardon granted, or that man himself Had satisfaction for his folly made. Fix now thine eye deep into the abyss Of the eternal counsel, to my speech As far as may be fastened steadfastly!

(29) And therefore he sent his Angel hither before him, that he should baptize with the Water of the eternal Life; for so can the eternal Body (into which the Soul must enter, and in its Tincture, in its Blood, be new-born again) be translated into the Body of Christ; to describe which, a great Deal of Room is requisite. But I will finish here briefly, and mention it more in another Book. And now we will handle the Matter of the Use [or Celebration,] for it is very hard to be apprehended by the Simple. And therefore we will deal with him after a childish Manner, to try whether he may come to see, and find the Pearl, for all shall not find what we in the Love of God have found; though indeed we could earnestly wish that all might have it, yet there is a great Matter between it; viz. the swelled puft-up Kingdom of this World and the Devil will set themselves against it, as raging Dogs, but the Smell of the Lily will make him faint; and so now we will speak as a Child.

(101) Or dost thou think that the spirit is drunken, and does not see thee? O, it seeth thee very well: Thy shame stands quite naked before God, thou art an unchaste, wanton, lascivious woman, and goest a whoring day and night, and yet thou sayest, I am a chaste virgin.

(40) And therefore it is that Christ made two Testaments, the one in the Water of the eternal Life, and the other in his Body and Blood; that (whensoever the poor Soul should be defiled again by the Devil) it might yet in the other enter into the Body of Christ again; and if it turns with Sorrow for its Sins, and puts its Trust in the Mercy of God again, then it steps again into the first Covenant, and then it may come to the other Testament, and draw near to God, and then it will be received again with Joy; as Christ says, That there is more Joy in Heaven for one poor Sinner that repenteth, than for ninety and nine Righteous that need no Repentance.

(1) Whither stumble ye, sots, who have sopped up the wine of ignorance and can so far not carry it that ye already even spew it forth? Stay ye, be sober, gaze upwards with the [true] eyes of the heart! And if ye cannot all, yet ye at least who can! For that the ill of ignorance doth pour o`er all the earth and overwhelm the soul that's battened down within the body, preventing it from fetching port within Salvation's harbors.

(3) It should no longer now seem difficult To thee, when it is said that a just vengeance By a just court was afterward avenged. But now do I behold thy mind entangled From thought to thought within a knot, from which With great desire it waits to free itself. Thou sayest, 'Well discern I what I hear; But it is hidden from me why God willed For our redemption only this one mode.' Buried remaineth, brother, this decree Unto the eyes of every one whose nature Is in the flame of love not yet adult. Verily, inasmuch as at this mark One gazes long and little is discerned, Wherefore this mode was worthiest will I say. Goodness Divine, which from itself doth spurn All envy, burning in itself so sparkles That the eternal beauties it unfolds. Whate'er from this immediately distils Has afterwards no end, for ne'er removed Is its impression when it sets its seal. Whate'er from this immediately rains down Is wholly free, because it is not subject Unto the influences of novel things.

(6) And for this reason it is that I bid thee put down such a sharp subtle thought, and cover him with a thick cloud of forgetting, be he never so holy nor promise he thee never so well for to help thee in thy purpose. For why, love may reach to God in this life, but not knowing. And all the whiles that the soul dwelleth in this deadly body, evermore is the sharpness of our understanding in beholding of all ghostly things, but most specially of God, mingled with some manner of fantasy; for the which our work should be unclean. And unless more wonder were, it should lead us into much error.

(80) Who is it that will presume to undertake to stand before the Source [or Spring] of the Mercifulness, and make Intercession [or pray] for one that invocates them? As if the Love in the Heart of God was dead, and did not desire to help those that call to him; gMatth.ll. whereas his Arms continually without End stand stretched out, to help all those that turn to him with their whole Heart. 8 1. Thou wicked Antichrist, thou sayest, that Faith alone does not justify the Soul, but thy invented Works, for thy Avarice or Covetousness, these must do the Deed. Wherein wilt thou be regenerated? In thy Maozim, [or Belly-God,] or through the Birth of Jesus Christ? Which is nearest of all to the Deity? Thy Works pass away, and follow thee in the Shadow; yet the Soul has no Need of any Shadow, but it must be earnest; it must enter in through the Gates of the Deep, and must pass through the Center of the [grim] Fierceness of Death, through the Wrath of the eternal Band, to the meek Incarnation of Jesus Christ, and become a Member of the Body of Christ, and receive of his Fulness, and live therein; his Death must be thy Death; his Essences must flow in thee; and thou must live in his Source, [Property or Virtue.] Thus thou must be regenerated anew in him, if thou wilt stand before his Father; otherwise nothing will help; if there had been any Thing in the whole Depth of the Deity, that could have helped, God would have bestowed it upon Adam, and would not have let his Heart (against the Course of Nature) to become Man. But there was no Counsel, [or Remedy,] neither in Heaven, nor in this World, except God did become Man. Therefore be thou in earnest, and do not seek Byways to Babel.

(6) So very mystically the five loaves are broken by the Saviour, and fill the crowd of the listeners. For great is the crowd that keep to the things of sense, as if they were the only things in existence. "Cast your eyes round, and see," says Plato, "that none of the uninitiated listen." Such are they who think that nothing else exists, but what they can hold tight with their hands; but do not admit as in the department of existence, actions and processes of generation, and the whole of the unseen. For such are those who keep by the five senses. But the knowledge of God is a thing inaccessible to the ears and like organs of this kind of people. Hence the Son is said to be the Father's face, being the revealer of the Father's character to the five senses by clothing Himself with flesh. "But if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." "For we walk by faith, not by sight," the noble apostle says. Within the veil, then, is concealed the sacerdotal service; and it keeps those engaged in it far from those without.