seraphita-第32部分

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every　place；　in　every　sphere。　Sighs　pierce　to　God　from　the　whole

universe。　This　earth　on　which　we　live　is　but　a　single　sheaf　of　the

great　harvest；　humanity　is　but　a　species　in　the　vast　garden　where　the

flowers　of　heaven　are　cultivated。　Everywhere　God　is　like　unto　Himself；

and　everywhere；　by　prayer；　it　is　easy　to　reach　Him。〃



With　these　words；　which　fell　from　the　lips　of　another　Hagar　in　the

wilderness；　burning　the　souls　of　the　hearers　as　the　live　coal　of　the

word　inflamed　Isaiah；　this　mysterious　being　paused　as　though　to　gather

some　remaining　strength。　Wilfrid　and　Minna　dared　not　speak。　Suddenly

HE　lifted　himself　up　to　die：



〃Soul　of　all　things；　oh　my　God；　thou　whom　I　love　for　Thyself！　Thou；

Judge　and　Father；　receive　a　love　which　has　no　limit。　Give　me　of　thine

essence　and　thy　faculties　that　I　be　wholly　thine！　Take　me；　that　I　no

longer　be　myself！　Am　I　not　purified？　then　cast　me　back　into　the

furnace！　If　I　be　not　yet　proved　in　the　fire；　make　me　some　nurturing

ploughshare；　or　the　Sword　of　victory！　Grant　me　a　glorious　martyrdom　in

which　to　proclaim　thy　Word！　Rejected；　I　will　bless　thy　justice。　But　if

excess　of　love　may　win　in　a　moment　that　which　hard　and　patient　labor

cannot　attain；　then　bear　me　upward　in　thy　chariot　of　fire！　Grant　me

triumph；　or　further　trial；　still　will　I　bless　thee！　To　suffer　for

thee；　is　not　that　to　triumph？　Take　me；　seize　me；　bear　me　away！　nay；　if

thou　wilt；　reject　me！　Thou　art　He　who　can　do　no　evil。　Ah！〃　he　cried；

after　a　pause；　〃the　bonds　are　breaking。



〃Spirits　of　the　pure；　ye　sacred　flock；　come　forth　from　the　hidden

places；　come　on　the　surface　of　the　luminous　waves！　The　hour　now　is；

come；　assemble！　Let　us　sing　at　the　gates　of　the　Sanctuary；　our　songs

shall　drive　away　the　final　clouds。　With　one　accord　let　us　hail　the

Dawn　of　the　Eternal　Day。　Behold　the　rising　of　the　one　True　Light！　Ah；

why　may　I　not　take　with　me　these　my　friends！　Farewell；　poor　earth；

Farewell！〃







CHAPTER　VII



THE　ASSUMPTION



The　last　psalm　was　uttered　neither　by　word；　look；　nor　gesture；　nor　by

any　of　those　signs　which　men　employ　to　communicate　their　thoughts；　but

as　the　soul　speaks　to　itself；　for　at　the　moment　when　Seraphita

revealed　herself　in　her　true　nature；　her　thoughts　were　no　longer

enslaved　by　human　words。　The　violence　of　that　last　prayer　had　burst

her　bonds。　Her　soul；　like　a　white　dove；　remained　for　an　instant　poised

above　the　body　whose　exhausted　substances　were　about　to　be

annihilated。



The　aspiration　of　the　Soul　toward　heaven　was　so　contagious　that

Wilfrid　and　Minna；　beholding　those　radiant　scintillations　of　Life；

perceived　not　Death。



They　had　fallen　on　their　knees　when　HE　had　turned　toward　his　Orient；

and　they　shared　his　ecstasy。



The　fear　of　the　Lord；　which　creates　man　a　second　time；　purging　away

his　dross；　mastered　their　hearts。



Their　eyes；　veiled　to　the　things　of　Earth；　were　opened　to　the

Brightness　of　Heaven。



Though；　like　the　Seers　of　old　called　Prophets　by　men；　they　were　filled

with　the　terror　of　the　Most　High；　yet　like　them　they　continued　firm

when　they　found　themselves　within　the　radiance　where　the　Glory　of　the

SPIRIT　shone。



The　veil　of　flesh；　which；　until　now；　had　hidden　that　glory　from　their

eyes；　dissolved　imperceptibly　away；　and　left　them　free　to　behold　the

Divine　substance。



They　stood　in　the　twilight　of　the　Coming　Dawn；　whose　feeble　rays

prepared　them　to　look　upon　the　True　Light；　to　hear　the　Living　Word；

and　yet　not　die。



In　this　state　they　began　to　perceive　the　immeasurable　differences

which　separate　the　things　of　earth　from　the　things　of　Heaven。



LIFE；　on　the　borders　of　which　they　stood；　leaning　upon　each　other；

trembling　and　illuminated；　like　two　children　standing　under　shelter　in

presence　of　a　conflagration；　That　Life　offered　no　lodgment　to　the

senses。



The　ideas　they　used　to　interpret　their　vision　to　themselves　were　to

the　things　seen　what　the　visible　senses　of　a　man　are　to　his　soul；　the

material　covering　of　a　divine　essence。



The　departing　SPIRIT　was　above　them；　shedding　incense　without　odor；

melody　without　sound。　About　them；　where　they　stood；　were　neither

surfaces；　nor　angles；　nor　atmosphere。



They　dared　neither　question　him　nor　contemplate　him；　they　stood　in　the

shadow　of　that　Presence　as　beneath　the　burning　rays　of　a　tropical　sun；

fearing　to　raise　their　eyes　lest　the　light　should　blast　them。



They　knew　they　were　beside　him；　without　being　able　to　perceive　how　it

was　that　they　stood；　as　in　a　dream；　on　the　confines　of　the　Visible　and

the　Invisible；　nor　how　they　had　lost　sight　of　the　Visible　and　how　they

beheld　the　Invisible。



To　each　other　they　said：　〃If　he　touches　us；　we　can　die！〃　But　the

SPIRIT　was　now　within　the　Infinite；　and　they　knew　not　that　neither

time；　nor　space；　nor　death；　existed　there；　and　that　a　great　gulf　lay

between　them；　although　they　thought　themselves　beside　him。



Their　souls　were　not　prepared　to　receive　in　its　fulness　a　knowledge　of

the　faculties　of　that　Life；　they　could　have　only　faint　and　confused

perceptions　of　it；　suited　to　their　weakness。



Were　it　not　so；　the　thunder　of　the　LIVING　WORD；　whose　far…off　tones

now　reached　their　ears；　and　whose　meaning　entered　their　souls　as　life

unites　with　body；one　echo　of　that　Word　would　have　consumed　their

being　as　a　whirlwind　of　fire　laps　up　a　fragile　straw。



Therefore　they　saw　only　that　which　their　nature；　sustained　by　the

strength　of　the　SPIRIT；　permitted　them　to　see；　they　heard　that　only

which　they　were　able　to　hear。



And　yet；　though　thus　protected；　they　shuddered　when　the　Voice　of　the

anguished　soul　broke　forth　above　themthe　prayer　of　the　SPIRIT

awaiting　Life　and　imploring　it　with　a　cry。



That　cry　froze　them　to　the　very　marrow　of　their　bones。



The　SPIRIT　knocked　at　the　SACRED　PORTAL。　〃What　wilt　thou？〃　answered　a

CHOIR；　whose　question　echoed　among　the　worlds。　〃To　go　to　God。〃　〃Hast

thou　conquered？〃　〃I　have　conquered　the　flesh　through　abstinence；　I

have　conquered　false　knowledge　by　humility；　I　have　conquered　pride　by

charity；　I　have　conquered　the　earth　by　love；　I　have　paid　my　dues　by

suffering；　I　am　purified　in　the　fires　of　faith；　I　have　longed　for　Life

by　prayer：　I　wait　in　adoration；　and　I　am　resigned。〃



No　answer　came。



〃God's　will　be　done！〃　answered　the　SPIRIT；　believing　that　he　was　about

to　be　rejected。



His　tears　flowed　and　fell　like　dew　upon　the　heads　of　the　two　kneeling

witnesses；　who　trembled　before　the　justice　of　God。



Suddenly　the　trumpets　sounded；the　last　trumpets　of　Victory　won　by

the　ANGEL　in　this　last　trial。　The　reverberation　passed　through　space

as　sound　through　its　echo；　filling　it；　and　shaking　the　universe　which

Wilfrid　and　Minna　felt　like　an　atom　beneath　their　feet。　They　trembled

under　an　anguish　caused　by　the　dread　of　the　mystery　about　to　be

accomplished。



A　great　movement　took　place；　as　though　the　Eternal　Legions；　putting

themselves　in　motion；　were　passing　upward　in　spiral　columns。　The

worlds　revolved　like　clouds　driven　by　a　furious　wind。　It　was　all

rapid。



Suddenly　the　veils　were　rent　away。　They　saw　on　high　as　it　were　a　star；

incomparably　more　lustrous　than　the　most　luminous　of　material　stars；

which　detached　itself；　and　fell　like　a　thunderbolt；　dazzling　as

lightning。　Its　passage　paled　the　faces　of　the　pair；　who　thought　it　to

be　THE　LIGHT　Itself。



It　was　the　Messenger　of　good　tidings；　the　plume　of　whose　helmet　was　a

flame　of　Life。



Behind　him　lay　the　swath　of　his　way　gleaming　with　a　flood　of　the

lights　through　which　he　passed。



He　bore　a　palm　and　a　sword。　He　touched　the　SPIRIT　with　the　palm；　and

the　SPIRIT　was　transfigured。　Its　white　wings　noiselessly　unfolded。



This　communication　of　THE　LIGHT；　changing　the　SPIRIT　into　a　SERAPH　and

clothing　it　with　a　glorious　form；　a　celestial　armor；　poured　down　such

effulgent　rays　that　the　two　Seers　were　paralyzed。



Like　the　three　apostles　to　whom　Jesus　showed　himself；　they　felt　the

dead　weight　of　their　bodies　which　denied　them　a　complete　and　cloudless

intuition　of　THE　WORD　and　THE　TRUE　LIFE。



They　comprehended　the　nakedness　of　their　souls；　they　were　able　to

measure　the　poverty　of　their　light　by　comparing　ita　humbling　task

with　the　halo　of　the　SERAPH。



A　passionate　desire　to　plunge　back　into　the　mire　of　earth　and　suffer

trial　took　possession　of　them；trial　through　which　they　might

victoriously　utter　at　the　SACRED　GATES　the　words　of　that　radiant

Seraph。



The　Seraph　knelt　before　the　SANCTUARY；　beholding　it；　at　last；　face　to

face；　and　he　said；　raising　his　hands　thitherward；　〃Grant　that　these

two　may　have　further　sight；　they　will　love　the　Lord　and　proclaim　His

word。〃



At　this　prayer　a　veil　fell。　Whether　it　were　that　the　hidden　force

which　held　the　Seers　had　momentarily　annihilated　their　physical

bodies；　or　that　it　raised　their　spirits　above　those　bodies；　certain　it

is　that　they　felt　within　them　a　rending　of　the　pure　from　the　impure。



T