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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 19
(Sariah continued) – A silence created – The few who set aside their ego – “God is
ever willing to reveal to those who truly seek” – Why say God is silent? – The means
by which faith is increased – Prayer and meditation – Receiving that which you call
forth – No sacred place makes for a withering faith – Being worthy to receive God’s
voice – “The voice of God forever speaks”
1 And Sariah spoke, saying: “Why will you appear as troubled within the heart because of such a silence as others would claim to come from God?
2 Being in themselves unwilling to hear because of pride and vain ambitions, being in their own hearts eager to pervert the words which God would speak, to turn them to their own advantage.
3 For such as these do rightly observe that the voice of God is not found in them, causing that they should reveal their hearts to all who would hear them, believing wrongly within the mind that God does not care for them, and proclaiming likewise that God does not care for you either.
4 Yet have such as these made no room within themselves for the things which come from God and Heaven, having enthroned within their heart a hurtful ego filled with harsh demands, causing that there should remain within the heart no place where God might dwell, being themselves filled up to overflowing with the self, and nothing but the self already.
5 Be wise, therefore, and this truth consider; for there is no silence which comes from God save that which you yourselves create; for the words of both the Father and the Mother are always present, yet are there many among you who have not prepared yourselves to receive them.
6 Being in yourselves filled with hurtful passions, being in your daily actions made too busy and ever grasping, being yourselves ever rushing here and there to seek some worldly gain, making dull your own heart, causing that you should not hear or see or feel the nearness of God within you.
7 For in such a silence as you would claim to come from God are you yourselves revealed, to make apparent for all to see the nature of that inward heart which you would deeply hide, to make exposed the shadows of yourself, which shadows you alone did fashion.
8 Hear, then, and be you wise, that you may know for yourself that inner heart which does but hide away, that you may know what you are like unto.
9 For there are those among you who would seek for themselves the voice of God whereby they might justify themselves against another, and when they hear silence only, then do they curse God to mock and ridicule.
10 Causing that they should withdraw from God, even while they continue to walk among you, becoming themselves as angry and bitter against God.
11 Proclaiming through most subtle words that God is unworthy of such love and devotion as the faithful would give, being in themselves ever quick to mock and ridicule those which do believe.
12 Yet are there others among you which would seek the voice of God, and perceiving instead that great and dreadful silence which dwells within their heart, they are immediately filled with self-doubt and pity and inward loathing.
13 Proclaiming midst heavy sighs that they are not worthy of God, and these likewise turn away, to surrender themselves to dark despair and endless gloom, to be swallowed up within themselves in the midst of all their sorrows.
14 Still are there others among you which would hear the voice of God, and when they hear, even then are they made uncertain, thinking the voice but theirs instead, having themselves not perfected the faith within themselves, becoming in their own minds assailed by many doubts.
15 And again are there among you those which are rare and few; for when these cannot hear the voice of God, then do they grow most inwardly still and thoughtful.
16 And turning not the heart against God, or life, or themselves, they are filled with compassion and tenderness towards even all the children of men, of which many also cannot hear the voice of God because of some inward and outward perplexity.
17 Such a one as this does most humbly vow to assume boldly the voice of God within themselves, committing themselves to live the holy life, and to set aside the ego of the self; surrendering in true humility the common wants of common men, to seek instead that very God whose voice they cannot hear.
18 Being in themselves guided by the spirit of God to immerse themselves in the waters of the soul, which waters are deep and filled with joy abundant, causing that they should be constantly renewed and refreshed because of the desires of that inward heart which God alone can see.
19 And by and by is faith made to increase within the heart through all the good which they should do; and in a bright and shining moment are they made to hear the voice of God at last, being in the mind imbued with great assurance that they are accepted and worthy to receive.
20 Still are there among you also those, who from their youth, do always hear the voice of God, being in their faith filled with all manner of goodly expectations and joyful hope.
21 Being in themselves pure of heart and mind, permitting that they should see God in all and through all, hearing within the joyful heart the voice of the Father and the Mother, to feel in the sighing of the gentle winds the breath of God which would refresh them, or to hear in the singing of the birds the song which God would sing.
22 Becoming in themselves that joyful presence which would lift you up again midst smiles and cheerful heart, becoming in their presence even as a light in the midst of darkness, and a shining hope in the midst of great despair.
23 Choose, therefore, which of these you are like unto; for this I say again that you might know, for there is no silence which comes from God save what you, yourselves, permit.
24 For God is ever willing to reveal to those who truly seek the presence of the Father and the Mother, to fill you up to overflowing with the mysteries and wonders of heavenly things, causing that you should hear in the mind and feel in the heart the voice of things eternal.
25 For even the very angels which walk in light beside you, even they do daily speak, striving through all their love to touch the weary heart, to bear you up when storms swiftly come to steal away your joy.
26 Yearning themselves to lift you higher still, above the rushing storm, to whisper into your heart the happy frain: ‘Peace, be still, for God is near.’
27 Why then will you say that God is silent, being in their heart without care or consideration for the children they love? For I tell you truly that no sparrow can fall from the sky except that your Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother be made all aware because of it; and you are more precious in the eyes of God than a heaven filled with sparrows.
28 Yet have you alone not permitted yourself to hear, neither will you be patient in receiving such words as God would speak; neither have you made for yourself that sacred place filled with prayer where God might softly hear; neither have you prepared well the sacred moment where God is quick revealed, but have busied yourself instead with the cares of this life above all other things.
29 Proclaiming always with your lips that you believe, but in your heart being empty of faith, being always anxious for the bread you eat, or for the clothes you wear, or the house wherein you live;
30 Trusting always in the strength of your arm, or in the cunning of your mind, but towards God are you without trust altogether, ever winking with the eye at those who would cast themselves into the arms of God because of faith, yet boasting always that you do likewise believe even as the faithful do.
31 Come then and be you wise, for if you would add strength and power to such faith as you have already, then give most careful heed; for I will tell you the means by which faith is increased within the heart and mind together, to increase in you such patience as you do need to know the soul of God, to feel it stir within you.
32 For there are many among you already who desire with anxious breath to hear the voice of God, yet are you without such patience as you do need to acquire; for with anxious breath you speak your prayers, and when you are done, you walk quickly away;
33 To yield yourselves to the burdens of the day, causing that God should find you absent and full distracted in the moment when she would speak; for you have surrendered yourselves again to all manner of fret and worry, to fill your days with heaviness and burdens of every kind.
34 Hear then, and in your heart know deeply well, for if you would increase such faith as you do have, then must you pray and meditate daily; creating through your prayers and meditations a time and place where you alone might draw nigh to God.
35 And in that sacred place and moment shall God come softly forth to whisper within the mind of things sublime and filled with wonder; causing that you should see with the eye and hear with the ear and feel with the heart, the mystery and joy of God.
36 For in that moment when you would pray, or in the quietness of your mind be filled with meditations, even then do you gather the sum of all your soul, being found yourself in a time which is not a time, in a place which is not a place, upon a day which is not a day.
37 For in the moment of your prayers and meditations do you stand before the whole creation as one eternal and without limitations; becoming yourself as one with God, being yourself endless and filled with wonders and mysteries of every kind.
38 Pray, therefore, oft throughout your day, that you might make of all your life a living prayer to God; revealing always the true desires of the heart and soul together, weaving gently through words of faith, psalms of gratitude and thanksgiving, of supplication and of trust.
39 Seeking always through the words you speak, to bless the Father and Mother which love you so; for if you would seek for yourself the blessings of God, then must you also bless the God from which you came; giving to God such tender affections as you would have from God.
40 For the God of Heaven does give to you a true devotion, being anxious and ever quick to hear the prayers of the humble heart; be you, therefore, likewise devoted unto God, being yourself likewise anxious to seek your God in prayer and meditation always.
41 Make of yourself, therefore, a ready vessel to receive from God, being found yourself worthy and acceptable, being possessed within your heart of love and wisdom and goodly expectations.
42 For the true blessings of God should you rightly expect, being yourself always prepared to receive from God with a grateful heart; for it is the thing which you expect that does most often come.
43 And if you should rightly expect within your heart and mind and soul to receive in abundance the blessings of God, then shall you receive the goodly portion, for you have prepared yourself to receive through many prayers and meditations.
44 But if instead you are filled with gloom, and there is made to haunt the heart and mind and soul all manner of hurtful expectations, then do you likewise receive the things which you yourself have called forth unto you; for by the words of your own mouth, do you make real and ever present the things which bless or hurt.
45 For you are the children of God, having in yourselves the power to make of your life the things you will, being made within yourself both the creator or the destroyer of good and happy things.
46 If, therefore, you would hear the voice of God, then prepare well the heart and mind together, letting go the ego which does but push and goad; and in a time and place made sacred through prayers and meditations, yield your soul to God.
47 For meditation is the gateway to the soul within; and prayer the path which leads to God; and if you will give your life to prayer and meditation, then shall faith increase within you; and there shall come in a soft and sudden moment, the voice of God, saying:
48 “Speak, my child, and I shall hear, to fill you up to overflowing with good and happy things; and if there should fall upon you any trial or grievous burden, then shall we, together, turn them to your good.”
49 Thus in prayer and meditation do you yourselves prepare the way where God might speak, revealing in yourselves the eternal and divine.
50 For in prayer and meditation is all your faith gathered as one within the very soul of you; which faith you send forth into the very ethers upon the wings of prayer, carrying within itself the breath of your breath, and the life of your life.
51 And in the moment of your meditation, when the heart and mind are made as one within the soul, then does your faith return again unto you; finding in your many devotions a place of calm and happy refuge, and there shall follow upon the wings of all your faith, the voice which comes from God.
52 For in your prayers do you, yourselves, reach forth to God to sing to the Father and the Mother the fullness of all your hopes and joys and sorrows also; believing always within your faith that God shall surely come.
53 That in your meditations God might likewise draw near to the very doors of all your heart, and there most gently knock; and if you should hear to let her in, then are you both made richly blessed.
54 How then shall you cause your faith to live and grow within you, except that you pray and meditate daily? But if you will not do these things, then shall your faith wither away day by day, while yet there shall increase within your mind a great many burdens.
55 How great then shall be the silence of God within you, seeing that you have made for God no sacred place where she might speak unto your soul; having yourself crowded the hours of all your days with the cares of this life only?
56 Causing that God should find in you no room or place for things eternal and sublime; for you have made yourself to become as common and filled with burdens of every kind, ever grasping and filled with want, yet never able to satisfy the soul which in you dwells.
57 And think not to yourselves that God will answer the prayers of those who would heap scorn and ridicule or judgment upon some other; for God will not consent to the unrighteousness of any man, neither will she partake in such sins as you would commit against another.
58 For every man and every woman are the children of God and if you should wound in the heart or soul one of these dear ones, then have you yourself compelled that God should be silent within you, lest you think yourself justified in the wounding of another.
59 Make yourself, therefore, worthy to receive, banishing from your heart and mind and speech such anger and hate as would take you captive, and turn your heart to love instead, being ever guided by the wisdom which comes from God.
60 Being yourself filled to overflowing with benevolence and faith; seeking always through prayer and meditation the way which you should go.
61 And if you would turn to God in prayer, to repent the sins which wound you so, then shall God most quickly hear, and will day by day, heal you of all your hurt, to restore the soul within.
62 Causing that you should hear at last the voice of God within and without, even till it should fill up the whole creation with light and joy.
63 Pray, therefore, without ceasing, and in your meditations prove yourself both quick and ready to receive the voice of God, that you might strengthen the faith which lies within.
64 For the voice of God forever speaks, filling the airs round about you with songs of hope and joy together, being found itself in the singing of the birds and in the sighing of the wind, causing that even the trees and grass should dance before it.”
65 These then are but a small part of the words which Sariah spoke; and the scribes did write down all which she had taught, to compile it in a book of sayings; which book was called: The Teachings of Sariah.
66 And for sixty years did Sariah continue to speak of faith and hope and godly trust; and when she was old and bent with years, then was the book added to the teachings of Adamilus and Evelah, and Noaeya too, to become as one in the hand, filled with wisdom and benevolence and faith.