After which corrosive touch of revelation there follows a vision of knowledge; first, the human nature is cleansed and widened into shape, then decorated, then enlarged and built about with stately buildings for guest-chambers and treasure-houses; then the purged metal of knowledge, melted into form with divine violence, is made fluid and vital, that it may percolate and permeate the whole man through every pore of his spirit; then the metal is cast forth and put to use. All forms and forces of the world, viper and lion, half-human things and nameless natures, serve to help in this work; all manner of aspiration and inspiration, wrath and faith, love and labour, do good service here.
"The Giants who formed this world into its sensual existence, and now seem to live in it in chains, are in truth the causes of its life and the sources of all activity; but the chains are, the cunning of weak and tame minds, which have power to resist energy; according to the proverb, the weak in courage is strong in cunning.
"Thus one portion of being is the Prolific, the other, the Devouring; to the devourer it seems as if the producer was in his chains; but it is not so; he only takes portions of existence and fancies that the whole.
"But the Prolific would cease to be Prolific, unless the Devourer as a sea received the excess of his delights.
"Some will say, Is not God alone the Prolific?
"I answer, God only Acts and Is in existing beings or Men.
"These two classes of men are always upon earth, and they should be enemies; whoever tries to reconcile them, seeks to destroy existence.
"Religion is an endeavour to reconcile the two.
"Note.—Jesus Christ did not wish to unite but to separate them, as in the Parable of sheep and goats! and he says I came not to send Peace but a Sword.
"Messiah or Satan or Tempter was formerly thought to be one of the Antediluvians who are our Energies."
These are hard sayings; who can hear them? At first sight also, as we were forewarned, this passage
