Discourse 12

On the one who ought not to cease from the servant of God who has withdrawn from the world and gone forth in his desire and also for the truth: from the cause of the end, when the blood cannot reach the truth, he remains from his own desire for the truth, and from the warm fervor that is born from the yearning for divine things, and from the contemplation of their mysteries which are inscribed mysteriously. In this desire, the thought remains from evil confusion and from sorrowful memories. 12. Three orders exist, by which the entire course of the human being is arranged: the order of beginning, of middle, and of completion. The first order: all his labor and his memories are even toward excellence, his thought is chosen in passion, it is. And the second: the middle is between the state of being troubled and spiritual things, and thoughts of right and left equally work in him, and the source of light and of darkness from both sides does not cease, as it is said. Then he remains even a little from the agitation of the breathless sigh of the spiritual writings and the kindlings of the divine things, by whose flames the one who lives for the truth is inflamed spiritually, together with the external form according to his power. From that and from that which is within, and the labor that suffices, he is drawn toward the side of the passions. And if the natural warmth is kindled in these things of which I spoke, and from desire and pursuit he does not remain.

from afar, without seeing him, but only through the hints of the scriptures. And he should increase his thoughts and command himself in these things, not turning to the left, nor receiving any seed from the demons of the time of truth. But he should be patient and guard himself, and appease God with the prayer of the passion of the spirit's endurance. When it pleases God to give to him, he will open the door before him. Especially because of his humility. For to the humble, mysteries are revealed. Then in this intention he dies, without having seen that land from near, he hopes that his inheritance will be with the first ones who were perfected, like the word of the apostle, and did not see, and on its hope they labored all their days and slept. But what does he say? If a man does not reach that which enters the land of the kingdom, which is the order of the perfect, and finds the truth there openly as much as knowledge suffices, he remains henceforth in this lower order, which is entirely in material speech. And because he did not find the whole truth, he remains in the lower state, not knowing even to touch these things, or to be raised to this middle one of which I spoke. Nor does he see as in a vision, but from afar he hopes for it. And in this intention he is bound to his fathers?

and not even to that entire grace of the Trinity, except through the desire for her while far off, he should make his face humble. And by her own mysteries, as long as he lives, he should cease and learn from evil thoughts. And in this hope, when his heart is filled from God, he should depart from this world. Everything that is in humility is good. The subtle arguments of the mind, which are evil, concerning the love of God through the hints of the scriptures, are accustomed to the ascents of the soul before foreign thoughts, and they guard the intention for the memories of the passions, and from these the warmth of his movement is stirred, and he falls into distraction.