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Chapter 111

The Son speaks to the bride and says: ”There are three laws. The first is ecclesial law. The second is imperial law. The third is common law. All these kinds of law are written on dead animal skins. However, there is also a spiritual law, which is not written on skins but in the book of life. This law is never lost or destroyed by old age. It is not wearisome to keep nor is it a difficult possession to have. Every good law should be ordered toward the salvation of the soul, the fulfillment of God's commandments, the avoidance of evil, and the obtainment of those goods that ought to be desired with prudence. There is a phrase in the law written on skins that says 'in order to obtain this or that.' Thus, in order to obtain something, one of four conditions is necessary: It is either a gift made to someone out of trusted love and intimacy, or because of inheritance, or because of partitioning, or as compensation for humble acts of service.

It is similar with the spiritual law. The spiritual law is to know and love God and delight in him. In this law are found the spiritual honors and riches that consist in exchanging all creatures for the Creator, surrendering one's own will to God, loving virtues and giving up the world for heaven. These riches are obtained in four ways. First, through charity: Just as a worldly ruler gives someone gifts out of charity, even without antecedent merit, so too I created and redeemed and daily maintain and honor humankind despite human ingratitude. Moreover, all those who wholeheartedly love me and desire nothing but me will have on earth the virtue that is written in the heart by God's finger and in heaven have the honor that is written in the book of life, which is life eternal.
Second, spiritual honor is obtained through inheritance. Through my taking on a human nature and through my passion, I purchased heaven for humankind and opened it up to them with hereditary right. Man sold his divine inheritance to the devil, exchanging eternal joy for a puny fruit, the tree of life for forbidden food, truth for falsehood. Likewise, in obedience to the Father, I tore up the letter of disobedience. I made up for the sweetness of fruit by the bitter suffering of my heart. I earned the tree of life for humankind by my death. I brought humanity back and established all truth through faith in my own humanity. Therefore, whoever believes in the words of my truth and imitates me will obtain by inheritance both spiritual riches and my grace.
Third, spiritual honor is obtained through partition. This occurs when a person partitions or separates himself from every delight in carnal pleasures, changing carnal lust into abstinence, wealth into poverty, reputation into lowly submission, earthly relatives for the company of God's friends, the vision of the world for the vision of God. Fourth, spiritual honor is obtained by means of humble acts of service. This happens when a person struggles patiently in God's service like a valiant soldier in battle, serving him in humility and faith like a servant, dispensing the goods entrusted to him with mercy and justice like a good steward, on the lookout for temptations like a good scout. Such a person is worthy of the honors and spiritual riches that are written not on animal skins but in the animate soul. The system of the threefold written law is useful indeed for the carrying out of justice, but the spiritual law is agreeable when it comes to earning a reward.
Hence, my daughter, seek to obtain spiritual honor through charity by loving nothing as much as me. Seek it through inheritance by firmly believing what the church teaches. Seek it through acts of humility by doing everything for my glory. You have been called in my law. Therefore, you are bound to keep my law. My law means living in accordance with my will. As a good priest lives in accordance with ecclesial law, so you, too, should live in accordance with the law of my humility by taking after my friends. Every temporal law tends in part to the honor of the world and in part to its contempt. My law, however, alone tends to heaven, for no one before or after me has as fully understood how glorious is the delight of the heavenly kingdom as have I and anyone to whom I wish to reveal it.”

Christ speaks to the bride and tells her to beware especially of the vice of pride, not to be puffed up over her physical beauty or her possessions or her family. The proud man is compared to a butterfly with broad wings and a tiny body.

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The Son speaks to the bride: ”Do not be disturbed by their pride, for it will quickly pass away. Among the species of flies there is one called the butterfly. It has broad wings and a tiny body. It also has many colors. First, it can fly high because of its lightness and thinness, but as it rises in the air, it quickly descends and lands on whatever is closest, whether rocks or wood, because it has so little strength in its body.

This species of fly symbolizes proud people. They have broad wings and a tiny body, for their mind is swollen with pride like a skin inflated with air. They think they have what they have because they deserve it. They put themselves ahead of others and consider themselves to be worthier than others. They would spread their own name throughout the whole world, if they could. Yet they descend and fall, because they do not recognize that their life is brief and momentary. Second, proud persons have many colors like a butterfly, for they are proud of their physical beauty, their possessions, and their family, and change their status with every contrivance of their pride. Yet when they die, they are but dust. Third, when the proud reach the highest point in their pride, they descend rapidly and fall dangerously to their deaths.

Therefore, beware of pride, for it turns God's face away from you, and my grace cannot enter into anyone whom pride possesses.”

Christ admonishes the bride to live humbly and not to care about fame or a great name, for he did not choose great scholars to preach the gospel but humble fishermen.

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