The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 111 -
The World Is A Stage Of Deceit
WHEN CYRENIUS with Tullia came over to Eudokia who still held the Baby on her arm, he said to the Baby,
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'O my Life, o my all! To You alone do I owe this my great, wonderful happiness.
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I did only little for You, and You reward me so unspeakably and make me the happiest man on earth.
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Oh how shall I, a poor sinner, ever be able to thank You enough for that?'
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Here the Baby sat up, raised His right hand and replied:
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'O My dear Cyrenius Quirinus, I now bless you and your wife Tullia so that you shall live together happily in the world.
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But I also tell you this: never consider yourself too fortunate in the happiness of the world but hold the world as well as its happiness to be a stage of deceit, and you will enjoy the life of the world in the right measure of wisdom.
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See, everything in the world is exactly the opposite of what it appears to be! Only love alone, when it comes from the bottom of the heart, is just and true.
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Wherever you see life without love, there is only death, not life.
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But where you suppose death to be because of the repose of true love, there life dwells, and no one can destroy it.
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You do not know how weak the ground is where you stand, but I know, therefore I tell you all this.
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Dig here only a thousand fathoms deep, and you will have a mighty chasm before you which will devour you.
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Therefore do not bore too deeply into the world, and do not rejoice at the discoveries in the depths of the world,
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for wherever anyone digs too deeply into the world, he there prepares his own downfall.
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Do not trust the spot where you stand, for it is infirm and can swallow you if you dig there and tunnel a mine into the ground.
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Consider: Everything in the world can kill you because everything carries death within itself - only love alone does not, if you preserve it in its purity.
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But if you mix it with worldly things, it becomes heavy and can also kill you in body as well as in spirit.
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Hence remain in pure, unselfish love, love the one God as your Father and Creator above all things and men as your brothers like yourself, and you will have eternal life in such a love. Amen.'
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These the Baby's words of superior wisdom instilled such deep respect into Cyrenius as well as all those present that they trembled all over.
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Joseph then went over to Cyrenius and said, 'Brother, get hold of yourself and with the blessing of this house go into the city. But keep everything that you heard and received here hidden for the time being. And tomorrow come and keep the wedding feast here.' - Cyrenius thereupon went into the city with Tullia and his company.