Book XIII.
Book XIII.
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Of the goodness of God explained in the creation of things, and of the Trinity as found in the first words of Genesis. The story concerning the origin of the world (Gen. I.) is allegorically explained, and he applies it to those things which God works for sanctified and blessed man. Finally, he makes an end of this work, having implored eternal rest from God.
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Chapter I.-He Calls Upon God, and Proposes to Himself to Worship Him.
1. I Call upon Thee, my God, my mercy, who madest me, and who didst not forget me, though forgetful of Thee. I call Thee into(1) my soul, which by the desire which Thou inspirest in it Thou preparest for Thy reception. Do not Thou forsake me calling upon Thee, who didst anticipate me before I called, and didst importunately urge with manifold calls that I should hear Thee from afar, and be converted, and call upon Thee who calledst me. For Thou, O Lord, hast blotted out all my evil deserts, that Thou mightest not repay into my hands wherewith I have fallen from Thee, and Thou hast anticipated all my good deserts, that Thou mightest repay into Thy hands wherewith Thou madest me; because before I was, Thou wast, nor was I [anything] to which Thou mightest grant being. And yet behold, I am, out of Thy goodness, anticipating all this which Thou hast made me, and of which Thou hast made me. For neither hadst Thou stood in need of me, nor am I such a good as to! be helpful unto Thee,(2) my Lord and God; not that I may so serve Thee as though Thou weft fatigued in working, or lest Thy power may be less if lacking my assistance nor that, like the land, I may so cultivate Thee that Thou wouldest be uncultivated did I cultivate Thee not but that I may serve and worship Thee, to the end that I may have well-being from Thee; from whom it is that! am one susceptible of well-being.
Chapter II.-All Creatures Subsist from the Plenitude of Divine Goodness.
2. For of the plenitude of Thy goodness Thy creature subsists, that a good, which could profit Thee nothing, nor though of Thee was equal to Thee, might yet be, since it could be made of Thee. For what did heaven and earth, which Thou madest in the beginning, deserve of Thee? Let those spiritual and corporeal natures, which Thou in Thy wisdom madest, declare what they deserve of Thee to depend thereon,-even the inchoate and formless, each in its own kind, either spiritual or corporeal, going into excess, and into remote unlikeness unto Thee (the spiritual, though formless, more excellent than if it were a formed body; and the corporeal, though formless, more excellent than if it were altogether nothing), and thus they as formless would depend upon Thy Word, unless by the same Word they were recalled to Thy Unity, and endued with form, and from Thee, the one sovereign Good, were all made very good. How have they deserved of Thee, that they should be even formless, since they would not be even this except from Thee?
3. How has corporeal matter deserved of Thee, to be even invisible and formless,(3) since it were not even this hadst Thou not made it; and therefore since it was not, it could not deserve of Thee that it should be made? Or how could the inchoate spiritual creature(4) deserve of Thee, that even it should flow darksomely like the deep,-unlike Thee, had it not been by the same Word turned to that by Whom it was created, and by Him so enlightened become light, although not equally, yet conformably to that Form which is equal unto Thee? For as to a body, to be is not all one with being beautiful, for then it could not be deformed; so also to a created spirit, to live is not all one with living wisely, for then it would be wise unchangeably. But it is good(5) for it always to hold fast unto Thee,(6) lest, in turning from Thee, it lose that light which it hath obtained in turning to Thee, and relapse into a light resembling the darksome deep. For even we ourselves, who in respect of the soul are a spiritual creature, having turned away from Thee, our light, were in that life "sometimes darkness; "(7) and do labour amidst the remains of our darkness, until in Thy Only One we become Thy righteousness, like the mountains of God. For we have been Thy judgmentS, which are like the great deep.(8)
Chapter III.-Genesis 1. 3,-Of "Light,"-He Understands as It is Seen in the Spiritual Creature.
4. But what Thou saidst in the beginning of the creation, "Let there be light, and there was light,"(9) I do not unfitly understand of the spiritual creature; because there was even then a kind of life, which Thou mightest illuminate. But as it had not deserved of Thee that it should be such a life as could be enlightened, so neither, when it already was, hath it deserved of Thee that it should be enlightened. For neither could its formlessness be pleasing unto Thee, .unless it became light,-not by merely existing, but by beholding the illuminating light, and cleaving unto it; so also, that it lives, and lives happily,(10) it owes to nothing whatsoever but to Thy grace; being converted by means of a better change unto that which can be changed neither into better nor into worse; the which Thou only art because Thou only simply art, to whom it is not one thing to live, another to live blessedly, since Thou art Thyself Thine own Blessedness.
Chapter IV.-All Things Have Been Created by the Grace of God, and are Not of Him as Standing in Need of Created Things.
5. What, therefore, could there be wanting unto Thy good, which Thou Thyself art, although these things had either never been, or had remained formless,-the which Thou madest not out of any want, but out of the plenitude of Thy goodness, restraining them and converting them to form not as though Thy joy were perfected by them? For to Thee, being perfect. their imperfection is displeasing, and therefore were they perfected by Thee, and were pleasing unto Thee; but not as if Thou wert imperfect, and wert to be perfected in their perfection. For Thy good Spirit was borne over the waters,(11) not borne up by them as if He rested upon them. For those in whom Thy. good Spirit is said to rest,(12) He causes to rest in Himself. But Thy incorruptible and unchangeable will, which in itself is all-sufficient for itself, was borne over that life which Thou hadst made, to which to live is not all one with living happily, since, flowing in its own darkness, it liveth also; for which it remaineth to be converted unto Him by whom it was made, and to live more and more by" the fountain of life," and in His light to "see light,"(13) and to be perfected, and enlightened, and made happy.
Chapter V.-He Recognises the Trinity in the First Two Verses of Genesis.
6. Behold now, the Trinity appears unto me in an enigma, which Thou, O my God, art, since [Thou, O Father, in the Beginning of our wisdom,-Which is Thy Wisdom, born of Thyself, equal and co-eternal unto Thee,-that is, in Thy Son, hast created heaven and earth. Many things have we said of the heaven of heavens, and of the earth invisible and formless, and of the darksome deep, in reference to the wandering defects of its spiritual deformity, were it not converted unto Him from whom was its life, such as it was, and by His enlightening became a beauteous life, and the heaven of that heaven which was afterwards set between water and water. And under the name of God, I now held the Father, who made these things; and under the name of the Beginning,(14) the Son, in whom He made these things; and believing, as I did, that my God was the Trinity, I sought further in His holy words, and behold, Thy Spirit was borne over the waters. Behold the Trinity, O my God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,-the Creator of all creation.
Chapter VI.-Why the Holy Ghost Should Have Been Mentioned After the Mention of Heaven and Earth.
7. But what was the cause, O Thou true-speaking Light? Unto Thee do I lift up my heart, let it not teach me vain things; disperse its darkness, and tell me, I beseech Thee, by our mother charity, tell me, I beseech Thee, the reason why, after the mention of heaven, and of the earth invisible and formless, and darkness upon the deep, Thy Scripture should then at length mention Thy Spirit? Was it because it was meet that it should be spoken of Him that He was "borne over," and this could not be said, unless that were first mentioned "over" which Thy Spirit may be understood to have been "borne?" For neither was He "borne over" the Father, nor the Son, nor could it rightly be said that He was "borne over" if He were "borne over" nothing. That, therefore, was first to be spoken of "over" which He might be "borne;" and then He, whom it was not meet to mention otherwise than as having been "borne." Why, then, was it not meet that it should otherwise be mentioned of Him, than as having been "borne over?"
Chapter VII.-That the Holy Spirit Brings Us to God.
8. Hence let him that is able now follow Thy apostle with his understanding where he thus speaks, because Thy love "is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us;"(15) and where, "concerning spiritual gifts," he teacheth and showeth unto us a more excellent way of charity;(16) and where he bows his knees unto Thee for us, that we may know the super-eminent knowledge of the love of Christ.(17) And, therefore, from the beginning was He super-eminently "borne above the waters." To whom shall I tell this? How speak of the weight of lustful desires, pressing downwards to the steep abyss? and how charity raises us up again, through Thy Spirit which was "borne over the waters?" To whom shall I tell it? How tell it? For neither are there places in which we are merged and emerge.(18) What can be more like, and yet more unlike? They be affections they be loves; the filthiness of our spirit flowing away downwards with the love of cares, and the sanctity of Thine raising us upwards by the love of freedom from care; that we may lift our hearts(19) unto Thee where Thy Spirit is "borne over the waters;" and that we may come to that pre-eminent rest, when our soul shall have passed through the waters which have no substance.(20)
Chapter VIII.-That Nothing Whatever, Short of God, Can Yield to the Rational Creature a Happy Rest.
9. The angels fell, the soul of man fell(21) and they have thus indicated the abyss in that dark deep, ready for the whole spiritual creation, unless Thou hadst said from the beginning, "Let there be light," and there had been light, and every obedient intelligence of Thy celestial City had cleaved to Thee, and rested in Thy Spirit, which unchangeably is "borne over" everything changeable. Otherwise, even the heaven of heavens itself would have been a darksome deep, whereas now it is light in the Lord. For even in that wretched restlessness of the spirits who fell away, and, when unclothed of the garments of Thy light, discovered their own darkness, dost Thou sufficiently disclose how noble Thou hast made the rational creature; to which nought which is inferior to Thee will suffice to yield a happy rest,(22) and so not even herself. For Thou, O our God, shalt enlighten our darkness;(23) from Thee are derived our garments of light,(24) and then shall our darkness be as the noonday.(25) Give Thyself unto me, O my God, restore Thyself unto me; behold, I love Thee, and if it be too little, let me love Thee more strongly. cannot measure my love, so that I may come to know how much there is yet wanting in me, ere my life run into Thy embracements, and not be turned away until it be hidden in the secret place of Thy Presence.(26) This only I know, that woe is me except in Thee,-not only without, but even also within myself; and all plenty which is not my God is poverty to me.(27)
Chapter IX.-Why the Holy Spirit Was Only "Borne Over" The Waters.
10. But was not either the Father or the Son "borne over the waters?" If we understand this to mean in space, as a body, then neither was the Holy Spirit; but if the incommutable super-eminence of Divinity above everything mutable, then both Father, and Son, and Holy Ghost were borne "over the waters." Why, then, is this said of Thy Spirit only? Why is it said of Him alone? As if He had been in place who is not in place, of whom only it is written, that He is Thy gift?(28) In Thy gift we rest; there we enjoy Thee. Our rest is our place. Love lifts us up thither, and Thy good Spirit lifteth our lowliness from the gates of death.(29) In Thy good pleasure lies our peace.(30) The body by its own weight gravitates towards its own place. Weight goes not downward only, but to its own place. Fire tends upwards, a stone downwards. They are propelled by their own weights, they seek their own places. Oil poured under the water is raised above the water; water poured upon oil sinks under the oil. They are propelled by their own weights, they seek their own places. Out of order, they are restless; restored to order, they are at rest. My weight is my love;(31) by it am I borne whithersoever I am borne. By Thy Gift we are inflamed, and are borne upwards; we wax hot inwardly, and go forwards. We ascend Thy ways that be in our heart,(32) and sing a song of degrees; we glow inwardly with Thy fire, with Thy good fire, and we go, because we go upwards to the peace of Jerusalem; for glad was I when they said unto me, "Let us go into the. house of the Lord."(33) There hath Thy good pleasure placed us, that we may desire no other thing than to dwell. there for ever.
Chapter X.-That Nothing Arose Save by the Gift of God.
11. Happy creature, which, though in itself it was other than Thou, hath known no other state than that as soon as it was made, it was, without any interval of time, by Thy Gift, which is borne over everything mutable, raised up by that calling whereby Thou saidst, "Let there be light, and there was light." Whereas in us there is a difference of times, in that we were darkness, and are made light;(34) but of that it is only said what it would have been had it not been enlightened. And this is so spoken as if it had been fleeting and darksome before; that so the cause whereby it was made to be otherwise might appear,-that is to say, being turned to the unfailing Light it might become light. Let him who is able understand this; and let him who is not,(35) ask of Thee. Why should he trouble me, as if I could enlighten any "man that cometh into the world?"(36)
Chapter XI.-That the Symbols of the Trinity in Man, to Be, to Know, and to Will, are Never Thoroughly Examined.
12. Which of us understandeth the Almighty Trinity?(37) And yet which speaketh not of It, if indeed it be It? Rare is that soul which, while it speaketh of It, knows what it speaketh of. And they contend and strive, but no one without peace seeth that vision. I could wish that men would consider these three things that are in themselves. These three are far other than the Trinity; but I speak of things in which they may exercise and prove themselves, and feel how far other they be.(38) But the three things I speak of are, To Be, to Know, and to Will. For I Am, and I Know, and I Will; I Am Knowing and Willing; and I Know myself to Be and to Will; and I Will to Be and to Know. In these three, therefore, let him who can see how inseparable a life there is,-even one life, one mind, and one essence; finally, how inseparable is the distinction, and yet a distinction. Surely a man hath it before him; let him look into himself, and see, and tell me. But when he discovers and can say anything of these, let him not then think that he has discovered that which is above these Unchangeable, which Is unchangeably, and Knows unchangeably, and Wills unchangeably. And whether on account of these three there is also, where they are, a Trinity; or whether these three be in Each, so that the three belong to Each; or whether both ways at once, wondrously, simply, and vet diversely, in Itself a limit unto Itself, yet illimitable; whereby It is, and is known unto Itself, and sufficeth to Itself, unchangeably the Self-same, by the abundant magnitude of its Unity,-who can readily conceive? Who in any wise express it? Who in any way rashly pronounce thereon?
Chapter XII.-Allegorical Explanation of Genesis, Chap. I., Concerning the Origin of the Church and Its Worship.
13. Proceed in thy confession, say to the Lord thy God, O my faith, Holy, Holy, Holy, O Lord my God, in Thy name have we been baptized, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in Thy name do we baptize, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,(39) because among us also in His Christ did God make heaven and earth, namely, the spiritual and carnal people of His Church.(40) Yea, and our earth, before it received the "form of doctrine,"(41) was invisible and formless, and we were covered with the darkness of ignorance. For Thou correctest man for iniquity,(42) and "Thy judgments are a great deep."(43) But because Thy Spirit was "borne over the waters,"(44) Thy mercy forsook not our misery,(45) and Thou saidst, "Let there be light," "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."(46) Repent ye, let there be light.(47) And because our soul was troubled within us,(48) we remembered Thee, O Lord, from the land of Jordan, and that mountain(49) equal unto Thyself, but little for our sakes; and upon our being displeased with our darkness, we turned unto Thee, "and there was light." And, behold, we were sometimes darkness, but now light in the Lord.(50)
Chapter XIII.-That the Renewal of Man is Not Completed in This World.
14. But as yet "by faith, not by sight,"(51) for "we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope."(52) As yet deep calleth unto deep(53) but in "the noise of Thy waterspouts."(54) And as yet doth he that saith, I "could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal,"(55) even he, as yet, doth not count himself to have apprehended, and forgetteth those things which are behind, and reacheth forth to those things which are before,(56) and groaneth being burdened;(57) and his soul thirsteth after the living God, as the hart after the water-brooks, and saith, "When shall I come?"(58) "desiring to be clothed upon with his house which is from heaven;"(59) and calleth upon this lower deep, saying, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."(60) And, "Be not children in understanding, howbeit in malice be ye children," that in "understanding ye may be perfect;"(61) and "O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you?"(62) But now not in his own voice, but in Thine who sentest Thy Spirit from above;(63) through Him who "ascended up on high,"(64) and set open the flood-gates of His gifts,(65) that the force of His streams might make glad the city of God.(66) For, for Him doth "the friend of the bridegroom"(67) sigh, having now the first-fruits of the Spirit laid up with Him, yet still groaning within himself, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of his body;(68) to Him he sighs, for. he is a member of the Bride; for Him is he jealous, for he is the friend of the Bridegroom;(69) for Him is he jealous, not for himself; because in the voice of Thy "waterspouts,"(70) not in his own voice, doth he call on that other deep, for whom being jealous he feareth, lest that, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so their minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in our Bridegroom, Thine only Son.(71) What a light of beauty will that be when "we shall see Him as He is,"(72) and those tears be passed away which "have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?"(73)
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