52. Observe it, ye children of God, for I myself formerly, before the time of my high knowledge, did thus reverence and honour him, and supposed it was [according to] God's will: for I was taught no otherwise; and the whole world is in the same conceit; though that doth not hurt the ignorant, but that he may be saved in his simplicity well enough, yet God will reveal him in this last time. For here the devil will lose his sting in the children of God, into whose hearts this knowledge shall spring up: for it is the right steel wherewith God's love-fire is struck, and whereby the soul receiveth Christ's body, and is born in God: for the soul needeth no other birth, but a returning and entering into God.
53. Behold! thou poor wounded soul, thou standest and prayest thus, O God, forgive me my sins, let thy anger cease, and receive me into thy grace; and it is very well done; but thou understandest not how God receiveth a poor sinner: Thou supposest it is as when thou comest before the prince or judge of the land, and hast forfeited thy life, and prayest him, and he of grace forgiveth thee thy misdeed, and so thou art quit and freed: But thy sins fly in thy face, and thy heart accuseth thee, that thou art yet guilty of the punishment: And just thus you come also before God: and so many hypocrites are thereby generated: You suppose God, in his essence and spirit, taketh your sins away from you: Do you not know what the Scripture saith, that all our works shall follow us? And if it shall happen, as aforesaid, then God must move himself upon every one's will and purpose to call upon him, and cast away his sins from him, and yet from eternity God hath moved himself no more but twice; once with the creation of the world and all creatures; and a second time in Christ's becoming man, and there the Heart of God moved itself. [Note, The third time God will move himself in the power of the Holy Ghost through the mouth of Christ at the Last Judgment Day, when all shall return again into the ether: The first moving is according to the Father; the second according to the Son; and the third according to the Holy Ghost; otherwise he moveth himself no more in eternity.]
54. Behold! when God forgiveth thee thy sins, when thou callest upon him, he taketh nothing away from thee, neither doth he fly down from heaven into thee, for he is from eternity in thy soul, but in his own Principle; thy soul, as to him, is only gone out from his Principle; understand, out from the holy will in the Majesty, into the anger. Now, in the anger, thou wert in the eternal death, and the man Christ, who is God and man, hath made a passage through the death and anger to the Majesty of God; you need only to turn, and go through that passage, through the death of Christ, through the anger into the
Majesty, and so you will be embraced as the most beloved angel, that never committed any sin: also no sin will be known in thee, but God's deeds of wonder only, which must be opened in the anger:
for the love hath nothing to do with that fire, [viz.
the love cannot open the wonders of the anger], neither doth it mix itself with the fire [of wrath], but flieth from it.
55. Now, therefore, when you pray thus, O
God ! forgive me; you always doubt, because of your sins, whether God will hear you, and come into your heart. Behold! do not doubt; for by your doubting you despise and contemn the
Majesty: It is also a sin; but cast all your sins in general upon a heap, and come confidently [or earnestly]
with your desiring soul, in humility, to God, and enter into him: Do but turn your soul out from the will of this world into the will of God: cast
52. Observe it, you children of God, for I myself formerly, before the time of my high knowledge, did thus reverence and honour him, and supposed it was [according to] God's will: for I was taught no otherwise; and the whole world is in the same conceit; though that does not hurt the ignorant, but that he may be saved in his simplicity well enough, yet God will reveal him in this last time. For here the devil will lose his sting in the children of God, into whose hearts this knowledge shall spring up: for it is the right steel wherewith God's love-fire is struck, and whereby the soul receives Christ's body, and is born in God: for the soul needs no other birth, but a returning and entering into God.
53. Behold! you poor wounded soul, you stand and prayest thus, O God, forgive me my sins, let your anger cease, and receive me into your grace; and it is very well done; but you understandest not how God receives a poor sinner: You supposest it is as when you comest before the prince or judge of the land, and have forfeited your life, and prayest him, and he of grace forgivs you your misdeed, and so you are quit and freed: But your sins fly in your face, and your heart accuses you, that you are yet guilty of the punishment: And just thus you come also before God: and so many hypocrites are thereby generated: You suppose God, in his essence and spirit, takes your sins away from you: Do you not know what the Scripture says, that all our works shall follow us? And if it shall happen, as aforesaid, then God must move himself upon every one's will and purpose to call upon him, and cast away his sins from him, and yet from eternity God has moved himself no more but twice; once with the creation of the world and all creatures; and a second time in Christ's becoming man, and there the Heart of God moved itself. [Note, The third time God will move himself in the power of the Holy Ghost through the mouth of Christ at the Last Judgment Day, when all shall return again into the ether: The first moving is according to the Father; the second according to the Son; and the third according to the Holy Ghost; otherwise he moves himself no more in eternity.]
54. Behold! when God forgivs you your sins, when you call upon him, he takes nothing away from you, neither does he fly down from heaven into you, for he is from eternity in your soul, but in his own Principle; your soul, as to him, is only gone out from his Principle; understand, out from the holy will in the Majesty, into the anger. Now, in the anger, you were in the eternal death, and the man Christ, who is God and man, has made a passage through the death and anger to the Majesty of God; you need only to turn, and go through that passage, through the death of Christ, through the anger into the
Majesty, and so you will be embraced as the most beloved angel, that never committed any sin: also no sin will be known in you, but God's deeds of wonder only, which must be opened in the anger:
for the love has nothing to do with that fire, [viz.
the love cannot open the wonders of the anger], neither does it mix itself with the fire [of wrath], but flies from it.
55. Now, therefore, when you pray thus, O
God ! forgive me; you always doubt, because of your sins, whether God will hear you, and come into your heart. Behold! do not doubt; for by your doubting you despise and contemn the
Majesty: It is also a sin; but cast all your sins in general upon a heap, and come confidently [or earnestly]
with your desiring soul, in humility, to God, and enter into him: Do but turn your soul out from the will of this world into the will of God: cast
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