Out of the iron furnace of sin into freedom

From the iron furnace, which corresponds to sin, he brings us in through many exercises, through many wonders, through heavenly bread, and through water from the rock—the rock being Christ—upon the holy promise. Therefore, it is great for me, if, having perceived the sea of life and its waves, and the bitter and briny surge of earthly things, I might be able, having been benefited by God, to see the intellectual Egyptians submerged and the intellectual Pharaoh; but myself being in the light of day, I might be sheltered by a light cloud and by the illumination of fire.

If ever at some time dark and difficult things arise, and indeed the world has been darkened and all things filled with ignorances, yet I turn toward the spiritual things of wickedness in light, through the true light Christ, through the cloud, in which the standing was not from some vapors according to common nature, but deepened by the vapors of the air through homogeneous composition, and toward himself being filled with the spirits; but something better and higher than human perception, so that, and the warm rays of the sun shining upon, having a partition, shading the underlying, and by fine dew moistening the flaming of the air; and Through the night fire, which burned from evening until morning, guiding the Israelites with its own light.

If in the wilderness of life, where much folly of things prevails, having broken through his most solid reason called rock, abundantly and for satisfaction he might give me to drink, so that the flowing water might be compared to the abyss, and the rivers of the spiritual belly. I however provoke the Most High in some doing, if after the teaching.

I sin again, forgetting the teachings that sustained me and the water that flowed from the rock, which symbolizes Christ. Christ is represented by the rock due to its unyielding and steadfast nature, for the divine and exalted essence finds its rest in inherent goodness. In that same context, as if speaking through Moses, the congregation accused him before Pilate, shouting, "Take him, crucify him!"; they also afflicted him with two wounds, mirroring how Moses struck the rock twice. Having killed the source of life, and noting that he remained among the dead, they sought to convince others of his demise. Yet the rock poured forth its name abundantly and provided drink to the entire assembly, for Christ has inundated the world with holy and life-giving waters. The one who bestows divine water upon the thirsty, who pours water from his side, having united this vein like iron, and who transformed the bitterness of myrrh and the harshness of the punished law into sweetness through the mystery of the cross and its wood—for the written law brings death, but the Spirit and spiritual worship in the gospel grant life. God, in his profound care for humanity, opens heaven to him, provides heavenly nourishment, and guides him personally, becoming light to travelers and leading them along paths unknown to unaided human nature. Indeed, in the evening the quail feeder appears, and at dawn the manna descends, presented to us askew as a sign that the lover is not found in the intelligible light of earthly things; this is symbolized by the quail feeder, which represents God reaching out to those who seek him—not drawing himself into desire, nor yet bestowing the full gift.

To grow young through sufferings is the path described. The manna symbolizes the teachings and grace-gifts that come through Christ, which are heavenly and not of this earth, while earthly things instead produce carnality and abomination. Thus, spiritual nourishment consists of correct and unshakable knowledge found in these heavenly realities, whose provision, as it becomes evident in light and day, draws from the sun of the Lord’s righteousness, sustaining us toward incorruptible life. Whoever receives this divine manna surpasses corruption and is exalted above death. It will be gathered to the tabernacles, and nothing of it will be left until morning. Believers must unite with those of like faith—the inhabitants of the Church’s tent—to be filled with divine words and not cling to the shadow after truth has been revealed. Those who seek justification through the law fall from grace. Yet, having entered through faith into Christ’s Sabbath rest—meaning freedom from sin’s labor—we do not dismiss the law’s earlier training as useless, since it guides us to Christ. For we attain to the realities that come through Christ.