en him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy
Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the
world to come."--(Matt. 12:31-32)

Answer.--The holy realities of the Manifestations of God have two spiritual
positions. One is the place of manifestation, which can be compared to the
position of the globe of the sun, and the other is the resplendency of the
manifestation, which is like its light and radiance; these are the
perfections of God--in other words, the Holy Spirit. For the Holy Spirit is
the divine bounties and lordly perfections, and these divine perfections
are as the rays and heat of the sun. The brilliant rays of the sun
constitute its being, and without them it would not be the sun. If the
manifestation and the reflection of the divine perfections were not in
Christ, Jesus would not be the Messiah. He is a Manifestation because He
reflects in Himself the divine perfections. The Prophets of God are
manifestations for the lordly perfections--that is, the Holy Spirit is
apparent in Them.

If a soul remains far from the manifestation, he may yet be awakened; for
he did not recognize the manifestation of the divine perfections. But if
he loathe the divine perfections themselves--in other words, the Holy
Spirit--it is evident that he is like a bat which hates the light.

This detestation of the light has no remedy and cannot be forgiven--that is
to say, it is impossible for him to come near unto God. This lamp is a
lamp because of its light; without the light it would not be a lamp. Now
if a soul has an aversion for the light of the lamp, he is, as it were,
blind, and cannot comprehend the light; and blindness is the cause of
everlasting banishment from God.

It is evident that the souls receive grace from the bounty of the Holy
Spirit which appears in the Manifestations of God, and not from the
personality of the Manifestation. Therefore, if a soul does not receive
grace from the bounties of the Holy Spirit, he remains deprived of the
divine gift, and the banishment itself puts the soul beyond the reach of
pardon.

This is why many people who were the enemies of the Manifestations, and
who did not recognize Them, when once they had known Them became Their
friends. So enmity toward the Manifestation did not become the cause of
perpetual banishment, for they who indulged in it were the enemies of the
light-holders, not knowing that They were the shining lights of God. They
were not t