THE FIRST PART.

I.

An intricate etching within a rectangular frame. The scene shows a man in humble, worn clothing seated at a table outdoors under a leafy vine-covered trellis. He gestures with one hand while looking toward a figure across the table. This second figure, possibly representing a demon or the personification of vice, has pointed wings or ears and is eating from a dish. The table is set with bread and fruit. In the foreground sit two large wooden barrels and a tall ceramic pitcher. A distant landscape with trees is visible in the background. The initials "I.L." are engraved in the bottom right corner of the image.

I will arise and go to my Father, and
I will say to him, Father, I have sinned.
original: "Ik zal opstaan en tot mynen Vader gaan, en ik zal tot hem zeggen, Vader, ik hebbe gezondigd."
Luke 15:18.
O God, be merciful to me a Sinner.
original: "O God, zyt my Zondaar genadig."
Luke 18:13.

Key terms: Father, sinned, Sinner, merciful, Luke 15, Luke 18, Jan Luyken

JESUS AND THE SOUL.

The Soul Awakened by the Drawing drawing; original: "trek." A theological term describing the "inner pull" or divine influence God exerts on the human heart. of the FATHER.

Decorative woodcut initial A featuring floral and foliage motifs.
ALTHOUGH in this land, there is such a mild abundance
For the external fire of life,
A surplus to burn without a care,
And flesh and blood—that coarse beast—
To give full rein to its earthly lusts;
Yet I often feel, within my heart,
A sparking fire, a deeply hidden life,
That hungers for a higher good;
And says: We are not at home on this earth;
I thirst for my Fatherland,
And the Father who birthed me from His essence,
Against which the Donkey The "donkey" or "ass" (original: "Ezel") was a common 17th-century emblem representing the stubborn, animalistic nature of the human body which resists spiritual impulses. opposes itself:
"There is still time enough; away with all too deep concerns:
Fulfill yet this one last desire."
This drives the Flesh, from one morning to the next,
And lulls the Spirit into a false rest.
Now no longer. Now is the time for waking:
Before the Soul becomes a thistle,
And may never reach grace again,
O Lord! give me another heart.

Divine Answer.

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous
man his thoughts, and let him return to the
Lord, and He will have mercy on him. Isaiah 55:7.
Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden
your hearts. Hebrews 3:15.