How ample is that truth, in which is everything that is true, and outside of which is nothing but nothingness and falsehood! How immense is it, which sees with a single glance whatsoever things have been made, and by whom and through whom and how they were made out of nothing! What purity, what simplicity, what certitude and splendor is there! Surely more than can be understood by a creature. That God is greater than can be conceived. Therefore, Lord, Thou art not only that than which nothing greater can be conceived, but Thou art something greater than can be conceived. For since it is possible to conceive that there is such a being: if Thou art not this very being, then something greater than Thee could be conceived; which cannot be.
That this is the unapproachable light wherein He dwells. Truly, O Lord, this is the "unapproachable light, in which Thou dwellest" [1 Tim 6:16]. For truly there is nothing else that can penetrate it, so as to behold Thee fully there. Truly for this reason I do not see it, because it is too great for me; and yet whatever I see, I see through it, just as a weak eye sees what it sees through the light of the sun, which it cannot look upon in the sun itself. My understanding cannot reach to it. It shines too brightly, my understanding does not grasp it, nor can the eye of my soul bear to gaze long upon it. It is beaten back by the splendor, overcome by the vastness, overwhelmed by the immensity, confounded by the capaciousness. O highest and unapproachable light, O whole and blessed truth, how far art Thou from me, who am so near to Thee!
How remote art Thou from my sight, who am thus present to Thy sight! Everywhere Thou art wholly present, and I do not see Thee. "In Thee I move and in Thee I am" [Acts 17:28], and I cannot draw near to Thee. Thou art within me and around me, and I do not perceive Thee. That in God there is harmony, fragrance, savor, gentleness, beauty, after His own ineffable manner. Still Thou liest hidden, O Lord, from my soul in Thy light and Thy blessedness, and therefore it still dwells in its own darkness and wretchedness. For it looks about and does not see Thy beauty. It listens and does not hear Thy harmony. It smells and does not perceive Thy fragrance. It tastes and does not know Thy savor. It touches and does not feel Thy gentleness.
For Thou hast these things, O Lord God, in Thyself after Thine own ineffable manner, Thou who hast given them to the things created by Thee after their own perceptible manner; but the senses of my soul have grown stiff, have grown numb, have been stopped up by the ancient languor of sin. That in God, and in His eternity, which He Himself is, there are no parts. And again, "behold, trouble" [Jer 14:19]; behold, again sorrow and grief confront the one seeking "joy and gladness" [Ps 51:8]! Already my soul was hoping for satisfaction, and behold, again it is overwhelmed with want! Already I was striving to eat, and behold, all the more I hunger! I was attempting to rise up to the light of God, and I have fallen back into my own darkness. Nay, I have not merely fallen into it, but I feel myself wrapped up in it. I fell before "my mother conceived me".
Surely in those darknesses "was I conceived" [Ps 51:5], and with their wrapping I was born. Surely long ago in him we all fell, "in whom we all sinned" [Rom 5:12]. In him we all lost that which, when we wish for it, we know not how to seek; when we seek it, we do not find it; when we find it, it is not that which we seek — he who held it easily, and to his own and to our hurt lost it for himself and for us. Help Thou me "for Thy goodness' sake, O Lord" [Ps 25:7]. "I have sought Thy face; Thy face, O Lord, will I seek; turn not Thy face from me" [Ps 27:8f]. Lift me up from myself to Thee. Cleanse, heal, sharpen, "enlighten" [Ps 13:3] the eye of my mind, "that it may behold Thee" [Song 6:13]. Let my soul gather again its strength, and with its whole understanding strain once more toward Thee, O Lord.
What art Thou, O Lord, what art Thou; what shall my heart understand Thee to be? Surely Thou art life, Thou art wisdom, Thou art truth, Thou art goodness, Thou art blessedness, Thou art eternity, and Thou art every true good. These are many things, and my narrow understanding cannot see so many at once with a single glance, so as to delight in all of them together. How then, O Lord, art Thou all these things? Are they parts of Thee, or rather is each one of them the whole of what Thou art? For whatever is joined together of parts is not wholly one, but in some manner several and diverse from itself, and can be dissolved either in fact or in understanding; which things are alien to Thee, than whom nothing better can be conceived.
There are therefore no parts in Thee, O Lord, nor art Thou several, but Thou art so one and the same as Thyself, that in nothing art Thou unlike Thyself; nay, Thou art unity itself, divisible by no understanding. Therefore life and wisdom and the rest are not parts of Thee, but all are one, and each one of them is the whole of what Thou art and of what all the rest are. Since therefore neither Thou hast parts, nor Thine eternity, which Thou art: nowhere and never is there a part of Thee or of Thine eternity, but everywhere Thou art whole, and Thine eternity is wholly always. That He is not in place or in time, but all things are in Him. But if through Thine eternity Thou hast been and art and shalt be, and to have been is not to be about to be, and to be is not to have been or to be about to be:
how is Thine eternity wholly always? Or is it that nothing of Thine eternity passes away, so as no longer to be, nor is anything future, as though it did not yet exist? Therefore Thou wast not yesterday nor shalt be tomorrow, but yesterday and today and tomorrow Thou art. Nay, neither yesterday nor today nor tomorrow art Thou, but simply Thou art outside all time. For yesterday and today and tomorrow are nothing else than within time; but Thou, although nothing exists without Thee, art nevertheless not in place or time, but all things are in Thee. For nothing contains Thee, but Thou containest all things. That He is before and beyond all things, even eternal things. Thou therefore dost fill and embrace all things; Thou art before and beyond all things. And indeed Thou art before all things, because "before they were made, Thou art" [Ps 90:2]. But how art Thou beyond all things?
For in what manner art Thou beyond those things which will have no end? Is it because they can in no way exist without Thee, while Thou art in no way less even if they return into nothingness? For thus in some manner Thou art beyond them. Or is it also because they can be conceived as having an end, but Thou by no means? For thus they indeed have an end in some manner, but Thou in no manner. And surely that which in no manner has an end is beyond that which in some manner is brought to an end. Or dost Thou also in this manner surpass all things, even eternal things, because both Thine eternity and theirs is wholly present to Thee, whereas they do not yet have of their eternity that which is to come, just as they no longer have that which is past?
Thus indeed Thou art always beyond them, since Thou art always present to Thyself, or since that is always present to Thee to which they have not yet attained. Whether this is the age of the age, or the ages of the ages. Is this then the age of the age, or the ages of the ages? For just as the age of times contains all temporal things, so Thine eternity contains even the very ages of times. This is indeed an "age" because of its indivisible unity, but "ages" because of its boundless immensity. And although Thou art so great, O Lord, that all things are full of Thee and are in Thee: yet Thou art so without all extension that neither middle nor half nor any part is in Thee.
That Thou alone art that which is, and He who is. Thou alone therefore, O Lord, art that which Thou art, and Thou art He who is. For that which is one thing in the whole and another in its parts, and in which there is something mutable, is not wholly that which it is. And that which has begun from non-being and can be conceived not to be, and, unless it subsists through another, returns into non-being; and that which has a past that no longer is, and a future that not yet is: that is not, properly and absolutely. But Thou art that which Thou art; for whatever Thou art at any time or in any manner, that Thou art wholly and always. And Thou art He who properly and simply is; for Thou hast neither a past nor a future, but only a present being, nor canst Thou be conceived ever not to be.
And Thou art life and light and wisdom and blessedness and eternity, and many such good things, and yet Thou art nothing but one and supreme good; Thou, wholly sufficient unto Thyself, needing nothing, whom all things need in order to be, and in order to be well. That this good is at once the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: and that this is the one necessary thing, which is the whole and the entire and the sole good. This good art Thou, O God the Father; this is Thy Word, that is, Thy Son. For there cannot be anything in the Word by which Thou speakest Thyself, other than what Thou art, nor anything greater or less than Thee; since Thy Word is so true as Thou art truthful, and therefore it is Truth itself, even as Thou art, no other than Thou;
and Thou art so simple, that there cannot be born of Thee anything other than what Thou art. This very thing is the one Love common to Thee and to Thy Son, that is, the Holy Spirit proceeding from both. For this same Love is not unequal to Thee or to Thy Son; for Thou lovest Thyself and Him, and He loveth Thee and Himself, as much as Thou art and He is; nor is that other than Thee and Him, which is not unequal to Thee and Him; nor can there proceed from the supreme simplicity anything other than that from which it proceeds. But that which each single one is, this is the whole Trinity together, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; for each single one is nothing other than the supremely simple unity and the supremely one simplicity, which can neither be multiplied nor be this and that.
"Moreover, one thing is necessary" [Luke 10:42]. Moreover, this is that one necessary thing, in which is every good, nay, which is every and one and whole and sole good. A conjecture as to what and how great this good is. Rouse thyself now, O my soul, and lift up thy whole understanding, and consider, as much as thou canst, what and how great is that good. For if individual good things are delightful, consider intently how delightful is that good which contains the pleasantness of all good things; and not such as we have experienced in created things, but as much differing as the Creator differs from the creature. For if created life is good: how good is the creating Life? If made salvation is so pleasant: how pleasant is the salvation that makes all salvation?
If wisdom is lovely in the knowledge of created things: how lovely is the Wisdom that created all things out of nothing? Finally, if there are many and great delights in delightful things: what kind and how great is the delight in Him who made the very delightful things? What and how great are the good things for those who enjoy Him. O, he who shall enjoy this good: what shall be his, and what shall not be his! Surely whatever he wills shall be, and what he wills not shall not be. There indeed shall be good things of body and soul, such as "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man" [1 Cor 2:9]. Why then dost thou wander through many things, O little man, seeking the good things of thy soul and of thy body? Love the one good, in which are all goods, and it suffices.
Desire the simple good, which is every good and is enough. For what dost thou love, O my flesh, what dost thou desire, O my soul? There it is, there it is, whatsoever ye love, whatsoever ye desire. If beauty delights you: "the just shall shine forth as the sun" [Matt 13:43]. If swiftness or strength or freedom of body, which nothing can withstand: "they shall be like the angels of God" [Matt 22:30]; for "it is sown a natural body, and shall rise a spiritual body" [1 Cor 15:44] — in power, that is, not in nature. If long and healthful life: there is sound eternity and eternal soundness; for "the just shall live for evermore, and the salvation of the just is from the Lord" [Ps 37:39]. If satiety: they shall be satisfied, "when the glory of God shall appear" [Ps 17:15]. If intoxication:
"they shall be inebriated with the plenty of the house of God" [Ps 36:8]. If melody: there the choirs of angels sing together unto God without end. If any pleasure that is not impure but pure: God "shall make them drink of the torrent of His pleasure" [Ps 36:8]. If wisdom: the very Wisdom of God shall show itself to them. If friendship: they shall love God more than themselves, and one another as themselves, and God shall love them more than they love themselves; for they love Him and themselves and one another through Him, and He loves Himself and them through Himself. If concord: all of them shall have one will, because they shall have none but the sole will of God. If power: they shall be omnipotent over their own will, as God is over His. For just as God shall be able to do what He wills through Himself, so shall they be able to do what they will through Him;
for just as they shall will nothing other than what He wills, so He shall will whatsoever they will; and what He shall will cannot fail to be. If honor and riches: God shall set His "good and faithful servants over many things" [Matt 25:21, 23]; nay, they shall be called and shall be "sons of God" and gods [Matt 5:9; Ps 82:6]; and where His Son shall be, there shall they also be, "heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs with Christ" [Rom 8:17]. If true security: surely they shall be as certain that this — or rather this good — shall never and in no way fail them, as they are certain that they will not of their own accord lose it, nor will the God who loves them take it away from His lovers against their will, nor shall anything more powerful than God separate God and them against their will.
But of what kind and how great is the joy, where there is so good and so great a good? O human heart, needy heart, heart that hast known hardships, nay, art overwhelmed with hardships: how much wouldst thou rejoice, if thou didst abound in all these things? Ask thine inmost self, whether it could contain its own joy at so great a blessedness of its own. But surely, if some other person, whom thou shouldst love altogether as thyself, possessed the same blessedness, thy joy would be doubled, because thou wouldst rejoice for him no less than for thyself. And if two or three or many more possessed the very same, thou wouldst rejoice as much for each as for thyself, if thou didst love each as thyself.
Therefore in that perfect love of innumerable blessed angels and men, where no one shall love another less than himself, each shall rejoice for each of the others no otherwise than for himself. If then the heart of man shall scarcely contain its own joy at its own so great good: how shall it be capable of so many and so great joys? And surely, since each one rejoices over the good of another in proportion as he loves him: just as in that perfect felicity each shall love God beyond comparison more than himself and all the others with himself, so shall he rejoice beyond all estimation more over the felicity of God than over his own and that of all the others with himself.
But if they shall so love God "with their whole heart, with their whole mind, with their whole soul" [Matt 22:37], that nevertheless the whole heart, the whole mind, the whole soul shall not suffice for the worthiness of that love: assuredly they shall so rejoice "with their whole heart, with their whole mind, with their whole soul", that the whole heart, the whole mind, the whole soul shall not suffice for the fulness of that joy. Whether this is the full joy which the Lord promises. My God and my Lord, my hope and the joy of my heart, tell my soul, whether this is the joy of which Thou tellest us through Thy Son: "Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" [John 16:24]. For I have found a certain joy that is full, and more than full. For when heart is full, mind full, soul full, the whole man full of that joy:
even then joy shall remain over beyond measure. Therefore not all that joy shall enter into those who rejoice, but those who rejoice shall wholly enter into joy. Say, O Lord, say to Thy servant inwardly in his heart, whether this is the joy into which Thy servants shall enter, who shall enter "into the joy of their Lord" [Matt 25:21]. But surely that joy, wherewith Thine elect shall rejoice, "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man" [1 Cor 2:9]. Not yet therefore have I told or conceived, O Lord, how greatly those blessed ones of Thine shall rejoice. Surely they shall rejoice as much as they shall love; they shall love as much as they shall know. How much shall they know Thee then, O Lord, and how much shall they love Thee?
Surely 'neither has eye seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man' in this life how greatly they will know You and love You in that life. I pray, O God, that I may know You, may love You, that I may rejoice in You. And if I cannot do so to the full in this life, may I at least advance day by day, until that fullness comes. May the knowledge of You grow in me here, and there be made complete; may Your love increase, and there be made full, so that here my joy may be great in hope, and there be full in reality. Lord, through Your Son You command—nay, You counsel us to ask—and You promise that we shall receive, 'that our joy may be full.' I ask, Lord, what You counsel through our 'wonderful Counsellor';
that I may receive what You promise through Your truth, 'that my joy may be full.' O God of truth, I ask that I may receive, 'that my joy may be full.' Meanwhile let my mind meditate upon it, let my tongue speak of it. Let my heart love it, let my mouth discourse of it. Let my whole soul hunger for it, let my flesh thirst for it, let my entire substance long for it, until I 'enter into the joy of my Lord,' who is the triune and one God, 'blessed forever. Amen.'