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24. But first, "Wash you, make you clean;" put away iniquity
from your souls, and from before mine eyes, that the dry land may
appear. "Learn to do well; judge the fatherless; plead for the
widow," that the earth may bring forth the green herb for meat, and
the tree bearing fruit; and come let us reason together, saith the
Lord, that there may be lights in the firmament of heaven, and that
they may shine upon the earth. That rich man asked of the good Master
what he should do to attain eternal life. Let the good Master, whom
he thought a man, and nothing more, tell him (but He is "good"
because He is God) let Him tell him, that if he would "enter
into life" he must "keep the commandments;" let him banish from
himself the bitterness of malice and wickedness; let him not kill, nor
commit adultery, nor steal, nor bear false witness; that the dry land
may appear, and bud forth the honouring of father and mother, and the
love of our neighbour. All these, saith he, have I kept.
Whence, then, are there so many thorns, if the earth be fruitful?
Go, root up the woody thicket of avarice; sell that thou hast, and
be filled with fruit by giving to the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven; and follow the Lord "if thou wilt be perfect,"
coupled with those amongst whom He speaketh wisdom, Who knoweth what
to distribute to the day and to the night, that thou also mayest know
it, that for thee also there may be lights in the firmament of heaven,
which will not be unless thy heart be there; which likewise also will
not be unless thy treasure be there, as thou hast heard from the good
Master. But the barren earth was grieved, and the thorns choked the
word.
25. But you, "chosen generation," you weak things of the
world," who have forsaken all things that you might "follow the
Lord," go after Him, and "confound the things which are mighty;"
go after Him, ye beautiful feet, and shine in the firmament, that
the heavens may declare His glory, dividing between the light of the
perfect, though not as of the angels, and the darkness of the little,
though not despised ones. Shine over all the earth, and let the day,
lightened by the sun, utter unto day the word of wisdom; and let
night, shining by the moon, announce unto night the word of
knowledge. The moon and the stars shine for the night, but the night
obscureth them not, since they illumine it in its degree. For behold
God (as it were) saying, "Let there be lights in the firmament of
the heaven." There came suddenly a sound from heaven, as it had been
the rushing of a mighty wind, and there appeared cloven tongues like as
of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And there were made lights in
the firmament of heaven, having the word of life. Run ye to and fro
everywhere, ye holy fires, ye beautiful fires; for ye are the light
of the world, nor are ye put under a bushel. He to whom ye cleave is
exalted, and hath exalted you. Run ye to and fro, and be known unto
all nations.
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