John St. John

THE EQUINOX 4.55. How infinitely subtler and nobler is the contempla— [30 tion of The Utmost God Hid i’ th’ middle 0’ matter, the inscrutable mystery of the nature of common things. With what awe does the wise man approach a speck of dust! And it is this Mystery that I approach! For Thou, Adonai, art the immanent and essential Soul of Things ; not separate from them, or from me; but That which is behind the shadow—show, the Cause of all, the Quintessence of All, the Transcender of all. And Thee I seek insistently; though Thou hide Thy- self in the Heaven, there will I seek Thee out ; though Thou wrap Thyself in the Flames οἵthe Abyss, even there will I pursue Thee; Though Thou make Thee a secret place in the Heart of the Rose or at the Arms of the Cross that spanneth all-embracing Space; though Thou be in the inmost part of matter, or behind the Veil of mind; Thee will I follow; Thee will I over- take; Thee will I gather into my being. So thus as I chase Thee from fastness to fastness of my brain, as Thou throwest out against me Veil after Magic Veil of glory, or of fear, or of despair, or of desire; it matters nothing; at the End I shall attain to Thee— oh my Lord Adonai! And even as the Capture is delight, is not the Chase also delight? For we are lovers from the Beginning, though it pleasure Thee to play the Syrinx to my Pan.