MASTER

First, then, in that I said, its _virtue is Nothing, or that Nothing_

which is the beginning of All Things, thou must understand it thus; When

thou art gone forth wholly from the Creature, and from that which is

visible; and art become Nothing to all that is Nature and Creature, then

thou art in that Eternal One, which is God himself; and then thou shalt

perceive and feel within thee the highest virtue of Love. But in that I

said, Its power is through All Things, this is that which thou

perceivest and findest in thy own soul and body experimentally, whenever

this great Love is enkindled within thee; seeing that it will burn more

than the fire can do, as it did in the Prophets of old, and afterwards

in the Apostles, when God conversed with them bodily, and when his

Spirit descended upon them in the Oratory of Zion. Thou shalt then see

also in all the works of God, how Love hath poured forth itself into all

things, and penetrated all things, and is the most inward and most

outward ground in all things. Inwardly in the virtue and power of every

thing, and outwardly in the figure and form thereof.

And in that I said, _Its height is as high as God_; thou mayest

understand this in thyself: forasmuch as it brings thee to be as high as

God himself is, by being united to God; as may be seen by our beloved

Lord Jesus Christ in our humanity. Which humanity Love hath brought up

into the highest throne, above all angelical principalities and powers,

into the very Power of the Deity itself.

But in that I also said, _Its greatness is as great as God_, thou art

hereby to understand that there is a certain greatness and latitude of

heart in Love, which is unexpressible, for it enlarges the soul as wide

as the whole Creation of God. And this shall be truly experienced by

thee, beyond all words, when the throne of Love shall be set up in thy

heart.

Moreover in that I said, _Its virtue is the principle of all

principles_; hereby it is given thee to understand that Love is the

principal cause of all created beings, both spiritual and corporeal, by

virtue whereof the second causes do move and act occasionally, according

to certain Eternal Laws, from the beginning implanted in the very

constitution of things thus originated. This virtue which is in Love is

the very life and energy of all the principles of Nature, superior and

inferior. It reaches to all Worlds, and to all manner of beings in them

contained, they being the workmanship of Divine Love, and is the _first

mover_ and _first moveable_, both in heaven above, and in the earth

beneath, and in the water under the earth. And hence there is given to

it the name of the _Lucid Aleph_ or _Alpha_; by which is expressed the

beginning of the _Alphabet of Nature_, and of the Book of Creation and

Providence or the _Divine Archetypal Book_, in which is the Light of

Wisdom and the source of all lights and forms.

And in that I said, _Its power supports the Heavens_; by this thou wilt

come to understand that as the Heavens, visible and invisible, are

originated from this great principle, so are they likewise necessarily

sustained by it; and that therefore if this should be but never so

little withdrawn, all the lights, glories, beauties and forms of the

heavenly worlds would presently sink into darkness and chaos.

And whereas I further said _that it upholds the Earth_; this will appear

to thee no less evident than the former, and thou shalt perceive it in

thyself by daily and hourly experience; forasmuch as the Earth _without

it_, even thy _own earth_ also (that is, thy body) would certainly be

without form and void. By the power thereof the Earth hath been thus

long upheld, notwithstanding a foreign usurped power introduced by the

folly of sin. And should this but once fail or recede there could be no

longer either vegetation or animation upon it; yea, the very pillars of

it being overthrown quite, and the band of union, which is that of

attraction or magnetism, called the centripetal power, being broken and

dissolved, all must thence run into the utmost disorder, and falling

away as into shivers, would be dispersed as loose dust before the wind.

But in that I said, _Its height is higher than the highest Heavens_;

this thou mayest also understand within thyself. For shouldest thou

ascend in spirit through all the orders of Angels and heavenly Powers,

yet the Power of Love still is undeniably superior to them all. And as

the Throne of God, who sits upon the Heaven of Heavens, is higher than

the highest of them, even so must Love also be, which fills them all,

and comprehends them all.

And whereas I said of the _Greatness of Love that it is greater than the

very Manifestation of Godhead in the light of the Divine Essence_; that

is also true. For Love enters even into that where the Godhead is not

manifested in this glorious light, and where God may be said not to

dwell. And entering thereinto, Love begins to manifest to the soul the

light of the Godhead; and thus is the darkness broken through, and the

wonders of the new creation successively manifested.

Thus shalt thou be brought to understand really and fundamentally what

is the virtue and the power of Love, and what the height and greatness

thereof is; how that is indeed the _virtue of all virtues_, though it be

invisible, and as a _Nothing_ in appearance, inasmuch as it is the

worker of all things, and a powerful _vital energy_ passing through all

virtues and powers natural and supernatural, and the _power of all

powers_, nothing being able to let or obstruct the _Omnipotence_ of

Love, or to resist its invincible penetrating might, which passes

through the whole Creation of God, inspecting and governing all things.

And in that I said; _It is higher than the highest and greater than the

greatest_; thou mayst hereby perceive as in a glimpse the supreme height

and greatness of _Omnipotent Love_ which infinitely transcends all that

human sense and reason can reach to. The highest Archangel and greatest

Powers of Heaven, are in comparison of it, but as dwarfs. Nothing can be

conceived higher and greater in God himself, by the very highest and

greatest of his creatures. There is such infinity in it as comprehends

and surpasses all the divine attributes.

But in that it was also said, _Its greatness is greater than God_; that

likewise is very true in the sense wherein it was spoken. For Love can

there enter where God dwelleth not, since the most high God dwelleth not

in darkness, but in the Light, the hellish darkness being put under his

feet. Thus, for instance, when our beloved Lord Jesus Christ was in

Hell, Hell was not the mansion of God or of Christ, Hell sees not God,

neither was it with God, nor could it be at all with him; Hell stood in

the darkness and anxiety of Nature, and no light of the Divine Majesty

did there enter; God was not there, for he is not in the darkness nor in

the anguish; but Love was there; and Love destroyed Death and conquered

Hell. So also when thou art in anguish or trouble, which is _hell

within_, God is not the anguish or trouble, neither is he in the anguish

or trouble; but his Love is there, and brings thee out of the anguish

and trouble into God, leading thee into the light and joy of his

presence. When God hides himself in thee, Love is still there, and makes

him manifest in thee. Such is the inconceivable greatness and largeness

of Love, which will hence appear to thee as great as God _above Nature_

and greater than God _in Nature_, or as considered in his manifestative

glory.

Lastly, whereas I said, _Whosoever finds it finds Nothing and all

Things_; that is also certain and true. But how finds he _Nothing_? Why,

I will tell thee how. He that findeth it findeth a supernatural,

supersensual Abyss, which hath no ground or Byss to stand on, and where

there is no place to dwell in; and he findeth also nothing is like unto

it and therefore it may fitly be compared to _Nothing_, for it is deeper

than any _Thing_, and is as Nothing with respect to All Things,

forasmuch as it is not comprehensible by any of them. And because it is

Nothing respectively, it is therefore free from All Things, and is that

only Good, which a man cannot express or utter what it is, there being

Nothing to which it may be compared, to express it by.

But in that I lastly said; _Whosoever finds it finds All Things_; there

is nothing can be more true than this assertion. It hath been the

Beginning of All Things; and it ruleth All Things. It is also the End of

All Things; and will thence comprehend All Things within its circle. All

Things are from it, and in it, and by it. If thou findest it thou comest

into that ground from whence All Things are proceeded, and wherein they

subsist; and thou art in it a King over all the works of God.

Here the Disciple was exceedingly ravished with what his Master had so

wonderfully and surprisingly declared, and returned his most hearty and

humble thanks for that light which he had been an instrument of

conveying to him. But being desirous to hear further concerning these

high matters, and to know somewhat more particularly, he requested him

that he would give him leave to wait on him the next day again; and that

he would then be pleased to show him _how_ and _where_ he might find

this which was so much beyond all price and value, and whereabout the

seat and abode of it might be in human nature, with the entire process

of the discovery and bringing it forth to light.

The Master said to him: This then we will discourse about at our next

conference, as God shall reveal the same to us by his Spirit, which is

a searcher of All Things. And if thou dost remember well what I answered

thee in the beginning, thou shalt soon come thereby to understand that

hidden mystical wisdom of God; which none of the wise men of the world

know; and where the Mine thereof is to be found in thee shall be given

thee from above to discern. Be silent therefore in thy spirit, and watch

unto prayer; that, when we meet again to-morrow in the love of Christ,

thy mind may be disposed for finding that noble Pearl, which to the

World appears _Nothing_, but to the Children of Wisdom is _All Things_.