For, in fact, what is man in nature? A Nothing in comparison with the
Infinite, an All in comparison with the Nothing, a mean between nothing and
everything. Since he is infinitely removed from comprehending the extremes,
the end of things and their beginning are hopelessly hidden from him in an
impenetrable secret; he is equally incapable of seeing the Nothing from
which he was made, and the Infinite in which he is swallowed up.
What will he do then, but perceive the appearance of the middle of things,
in an eternal despair of knowing either their beginning or their end. All
things proceed from the Nothing, and are borne towards the Infini
456. It is a perverted judgement that makes every one place himself above
the rest of the world, and prefer his own good, and the continuance of his
own good fortune and life, to that of the rest of the world!
457. Each one is all in all to himself; for he being dead, all is dead to
him. Hence it comes that each believes himself to be all in all to
everybody. We must not judge of nature by ourselves, but by it.
458. "All that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the
eyes, or the pride of life; libido sentiendi, libido sciendi, libido
dominandi."[73] Wretched is the cursed land which these three rivers of fire
enflame rather than water! Happy they who, on these rivers, are not
overwhelmed nor carried away, but are immovably fixed, not standing but
seated on a low and secure base, whence they do not rise before the light,
but, having rested in peace, stretch out their hands to Him, who must lift
them up, and make them stand upright and firm in the porches of the holy
Jerusalem! There pride can no