Truth

"I went into a forest into a plain, and the trees took counsel- And said, Come, let us go and make war against the sea that it may depart away before us, and that we may make us more woods. The floods of the sea also in like manner took counsel, and said, Come, let us go up and subdue the woods of the plain, that there also we may make us another country. The thought of the wood was in vain, for the fire came and consumed it. The thought of the floods of the sea came likewise to nought, for the sand stood up and stopped them. If thou wart judge now betwixt these two, whom would thou begin to justify? or whom would thou condemn?"

"It were better that we were not at all, than that we should live still in wickedness, and to suffer, and not to know wherefore."

"Thine own things, and such as are grown up with thee, canst thou not know; How should thy vessel then be able to comprehend the way of the Highest, and, the world being now outwardly corrupted to understand the corruption that is evident in my sight?"

"Nevertheless now have I asked thee but only of the fire and wind, and of the day where-through thou hast passed, and of things from which thou canst not be separated, and yet canst thou give me no answer of them."

"If I should ask thee how great dwellings are in the midst of the sea, or how many springs are in the beginning of the deep, or how many springs are above the firmament, or which are the outgoings of paradise: Peradventure thou would say unto me, ‘I never went down into the deep, nor as yet into hell, neither did I ever climb up into heaven."

"What man is able to do that, that thou should ask such things of me?"

"Go thy way, weigh me the weight of the fire, or measure me the blast of the wind, or call me again the day that is past."

"How my adventures become your sins?"

"She cannot: but must do it by distance of time."

"Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bring forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once."

"As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, which gives life to all, hast given life at once to the creature that thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now be present at once."

"Could thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou might shew thy judgement the sooner?"

"I will liken my judgment unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first."

"Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that be reserved till the end: and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us?"

"Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my people."

"As for you, you're unwise: how may you then speak of these things whereof thou ask you?"

"O Lord that bear rule, who may know these things, but he that had not his dwelling with men?"

"Number me the things that are not yet come- gather me together the dross that are scattered abroad- make me the flowers green again that are withered- Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that in them are shut up- shew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou labor to know."

"Thou art sore troubled in mind for the people in the world’s sake: loves thou that people better than he that made them?"

"Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more."