When Christ the cornerstone
moves in the corrupted image of man in his deep conversion and repentance, the Virgin
Sophia appears in the movement of Christ's spirit in the corrupted image in her Virginal
clothing before the soul. Before her the soul is frightened in its impurity so that all its sins
are first awakened and befroe her they are horrified and trembling. Then judgement comes
over the sins of the soul, so that it turns back in its unwortiness ashamed of its beautiful
lover; it turns into itself and rejects itself as altogether unworthy to receive such a
treasure....
O great God, now may my praise, thanks, strength, glory
and honour be to You in Your power and sweetness, because you have redeemed me from
the instigator of anguish. O beautiful Love, my heart grasps You. Where have You been so
long? I thought I was in hell, in God's anger. O gracious Love, remain with me. Be my joy
and revival. Lead me in the right paths. I give myself unto your love. Ah before You I am
dark. Make me light. O noble Love, give me but your sweet pearl, lay it in me.
O great God in Christ Jesus, now do I honour and praise You in Your truth, and in Your great
might and majesty because you have forgiven me my sins and have filled me with Your
power. I rejoice with You in my life. I praise You in Your castle, which no-one can open
but Your Spirit in Your mercy. My bones rejoice in Your power; my heart plays in Your
love. Eternal thanks be to You because You have redeemed me from hell and made death in
me to be life. Now I discover your promised truth, O sweet Love. Let me not bend from
You again. Give unto me your crown of pearls and stay with me. Be my possession that I
may eternally rejoice in You.
Then the Virgin Sophia speaks to the Soul:
My noble bridegroom, my strength and might, be always welcome to me. How have you
forgotten me for so long that I, in great sorrow, had to stand before your door and knock?
Did I not always cry to you and call on you? But you turned your face from me; your ears
had left my land. You could not see my light for you walkedin the dark valley (Ps 23.4). I
was near to you and continually cried to you, but your sins held you captive in death, so that
you did not know me. I came in deep humility to you, and called to you, but you were rich
in the might of God's wrath, and you could not see my humility. You had taken the devil as
a lover, and he had defiled you, and built up his robber's castle of vanity within you, and
turned you completely from my love and faith, towards his hypocritical false kingdom in
which you have done much sin and evil, and broken off your will from my love; you have
broken my marriage, and have had a strange love affair, and lost me, your God-given bride,
and caused me to stand, a crushed being, without the strength of your fire's might. Without
your fire's might, I have not been able to be happy, for you are my husband; by you my own
brightness is revealed.......
