How is it that so few Souls do find It, when yet all would be glad enough to have It?
Master:
They all seek It in Somewhat, and so they find It not. For where there is Somewhat for the Soul to adhere to, there the Soul findeth but that Somewhat only, and taketh up its Rest therein, until she seeth that It is to be found in Nothing, and goeth again out of the Somewhat into Nothing, even into that Nothing out of which all Things may be made. The Soul here saith, " I have Nothing, for I am utterly empty and stripped of every Thing; I can do Nothing, for I have no Manner of Power, but am as Water poured out; I am Nothing, for all that I am is no more than an Image of Being, and only God is to me I AM; and so sitting down in my own Nothingness, I give Glory to the Eternal Being, and will Nothing of mySELF, that so God may will All in me, being unto me my God and All Things." Herein now that it is that so very few find this most precious Treasure in the Soul, though every one would so fain have It; and might also have It were it not for this or that Somewhat into which every one letteth.
Disciple:
But if the Love should proffer Itself to a Soul, could not that Soul find It, nor lay hold on It, without going for It into Nothing?
Master:
No verily. Men seek and find not, because they seek It not in the naked Ground where It lieth; but in SomeThing or Other where It never will be, neither can be. They seek It in their OWN Will, and they find It not. They seek It in their Self-Desire, and they meet not with It. They look for It in an Image, or in an Opinion, or in an Affection, or a natural Devotion and Fervour, and they lose the Substance by thus hunting after a Shadow. They search for It in Something sensible or imaginary, in Somewhat which they may have a more peculiar natural Inclination for, and Adhesion to; and so they miss of what they seek, for Want of diving into the Supersensual and Supernatural Ground where the Treasure is hid. Now should the Love graciously condescend to proffer Itself to such as these, and even to present Itself evidently before the Eye of their Spirit, yet would It find no Place in them at all, neither could It be held by them, or remain with them.
Disciple:
Why not, if the Love should be willing and ready to offer Itself, and to stay with them?
Master:
Because the Imaginariness which is in their own Will hath set up itself in the Place thereof; and so this Imaginariness would have the Love in it; but the Love fleeth away, for it is Its Prison. The Love may offer Itself; but It cannot abide where the Self-Desire attracteth or imagineth. That Will which attracteth Nothing, and to which Nothing adhereth, is the only Will capable of receiving It, for It dwelleth only in Nothing as I said, and therefore they find It not.
Disciple:
If It dwell only in Nothing, what is now the Office of It in Nothing?
Master:
The Office of the Love here is to penetrate incessantly into Something; and if It penetrate into, and find a Place in Something which is standing still and at Rest, then Its Business is to take Possession thereof. And when It hath there taken Possession, then It rejoiceth therein with Its flaming Love-Fire, even as the Sun doth in the visible World. And then the Office of it, is without Intermission to enkindle a Fire in this Something, which shall burn it up; and then with the Flames thereof exceedingly to enflame Itself and raise the Heat of the Love-Fire by It, even seven Degrees higher.
Disciple:
O loving Master, how shall I understand this?
Master:
If It but once kindle a Fire within thee, my Son, thou shalt then certainly feel how It consumeth all that which It toucheth; thou shalt feel It in the burning up of thy SELF, and swiftly devouring all Egoity, or that which thou callest I and Me, as standing in a separate Root, and divided from the Deity, the Fountain of thy Being. And when this Enkindling is made in thee, then the Love doth so exceedingly rejoice in thy Fire, as thou wouldst not for all the World be out of It; yea, wouldst rather suffer thyself to be killed, than to enter into thy Something again. This Fire now must grow hotter and hotter, till It shall have perfected Its Office with respect to thee, and therefore wilt not give over, till It come to the seventh Degree. Its Flame hence also will be so very great, that It will never leave thee, though It should even cost thee thy temporal Life; but It would go with thee in Its sweet loving Fire into Death; and if thou wentest also into Hell, It would break Hell in Pieces also for thy Sake. Nothing is more certain than this; for It is stronger than Death and Hell.
Disciple:
Enough, my dearest Master, I can no longer endure that any Thing should divert me from It. But how shall I find the nearest Way to It?
Master:
Where the Way is hardest, there go thou; and what the World casteth away, that take thou up. What the World doth, that do thou not; but in all Things walk thou contrary to the World. So thou comest the nearest Way to that which thou art seeking.
Disciple:
If I should in all Things walk contrary to other People, I must need be in a very unquiet and sad State; and the World would not fail to account me for a Madman.
Master:
I bid thee not, Child, to do Harm to any one, thereby to create to thyself any Misery or Unquietness. This is not what I mean by walking contrary in every Thing to the World. But because the World, as the World, loveth only Deceit and Vanity, and walketh in false and treacherous Ways; thence, if thou hast a Mind to act a clean contrary Part to the Ways thereof, without any Exception or Reserve whatsoever, walk thou only in the right Way, which is called the Way of Light, as that of the World is properly called the Way of Darkness. For the right Way, even the Path of Light, is contrary to all the Ways of the World. But whereas thou art afraid of creating to thyself hereby Trouble and Inquietude, that indeed, will be so according to the Flesh. In the World thou must have Trouble, and thy Flesh will not fail to be unquiet, and to give thee Occasion for continual Repentance. Nevertheless in this very Anxiety of Soul, arising either from the World or the Flesh, the LOVE doth most willingly enkindle Itself, and Its cheering and conquering Fire is but made to blaze forth with greater Strength for the Destruction of that Evil. And whereas thou dost also say, that the World will for this esteem thee mad, it is true the World will be apt enough to censure thee for a Madman in Walking contrary to it. And thou art not to be surprised if the Children thereof laugh at thee, calling thee silly Fool. For the Way to the Love of God is Folly to the World, but is Wisdom to the Children of God. Hence, whenever the World perceiveth this holy Fire of Love in God's Children, it concludeth immediately that they are turned Fools, and are beside themselves. But to the Children of God, that which is despised of the World is the greatest Treasure; yea, so great a Treasure It is, as no Life can express, no Tongue so much as name what this inflaming, all-conquering Love of God is. It is brighter than the Sun; It is sweeter than any Thing that is called sweet; It is stronger than all Strength; It is more nutrimental than Food; more cheering to the Heart than Wine, and more pleasant than all the Joy and Pleasantness of this World. Whosoever obtaineth It, is richer than any Monarch on Earth; and he who getteth It, is nobler than any Emperor can be, and more potent and absolute than all Earthly Power and Authority.
"Behold, I stand at the Door and knock: if any man HEAR My voice, and open the Door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me." "He that is of God HEARETH God's Words; ye therefore HEAR them not, because ye are not of God." "My Sheep HEAR My Voice; and I know them, and they follow Me... And a Stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the Voice of Strangers." "He that has Ears to HEAR, let him HEAR."