Sunsets Into Sunrises
Bishop Martin - The Progress of a Soul in the Beyond
- Chapter 195 -
SATAN REPLIES TO MARTIN AND REPROACHES HIM WITH ARROGANCE.
1
(Says Satan): "Friend, at least you present your shortsightedness concerning me in a nice and calm manner; otherwise, your understanding of these things and circumstances is still extremely backward.
2
I now see that you have not really understood a word of what I told you. Therefore, it would be futile to endeavor to reveal to you the deeper relation between God and me in more detail. You would comprehend it even less than what I have told you so far.
3
So I think we should part in peace and each attend to his own important business. For, without understanding each other, our futile discussions will never bring results. I do understand what you want, but you do not and you cannot understand what is possible and what is not.
4
But, because of your very nice attitude, I shall tell you something that you will find very useful. You, like all your world, regard me as the basis for all principal evil originating in my extreme arrogance. If self-confidence, the awareness of your existence, self-determination of your power, and the activity resulting from it, deserve this insulting term, I accept it. But what is that within you, friend Martin, if you want to accomplish my conversion in order to be praised by the Lord and make for yourself the greatest name in all the heavens?
5
With your tongue, you have gained a victory over the dwellers in this world, and the Lord has highly praised you for it. He has treated you with distinction before all your brothers of equal or even greater merit, and now, by winning a victory over me, you probably want to attaint for yourself the greatest fame in heaven. You want to hear yourself praised thus: 'Look, what myriads of the mightiest spirits and even God Himself have failed to achieve, there, the weak Martin has gloriously succeeded!'
6
Do you think, Martin, that such an aspiration is anything but the greatest hidden arrogance, compared with which mine is nothing? Abandon this from deep within you, and only then we might be able to continue our discussion. For, in my true shape, I am light, and we can only talk with each other effectively if you are quite pure. So go and cleanse yourself of all impurity and then return to talk to me, the original light from eternity!"