THE FIFTH POINT 73
it up; so that the desire after God's world cannot
kindle fire in itself. If that were done, then would
the light-world be manifest in the first principle,
and the noble image of God would be revealed.
23. This is also hindered by the devil, who
possesses the root of this world in the soul's fire.
He is always holding up to the soul evil earthly
things, or moving the root in the centre of Nature
in the fierce wrath; so that the poor soul enkindles
itself either in the wrath-fire in the evil poiso&-
source, or else in fear and doubt of God's love.
He has then carried the day, and sets before the
soul external power, authority and honour, also the
splendour and pomp of the outer world. Then
the soul bites at this, and tickles itself therein
with imagination ; and yet cannot truly enjoy the
same, for it is only a borrowed mirror.
24. The poor soul is thus drawn away from God's
light, and is sinking always into perdition, viz. into
the dark house of misery, into the dark world.
That did Adam prepare for us when he introduced
his desire into earthliness. And thus the poor soul
swims now in earthly flesh and blood, and is always
eating of the tree of temptation of evil and good,
and is drawn strongly by both ; and the serpent's
monstrous shape is in the midst, in the source oi
wrath, and continually blows up the anger and
fierce wrath.
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