108

and having seen the unattainable beauty of the light. Knowing these things, do not ask me at all to speak or explain such things to you in detail! For by nature they are unutterable, in every way unspeakable, forbidden to men, unknown also to angels and to every other created being whatsoever, incomprehensible. But know only your own things, or rather yourself more, and then you will know, how I am entirely incomprehensible, being present only with, loving only those who love me and are ever warmly mindful of my commandments and in no way preferring any of the fleeting things to them; with whom I, conversing, will be, now and unto the ages, amen.

23.

An precise theology concerning the incomprehensible and uncircumscribable Godhead; and that the divine nature, being uncircumscribed, is neither within nor without the universe, but both within and without as the cause of all things; and that the Divine is apprehended by man's mind alone, in an unapprehended way, as the rays of the sun are by the eyes. (171)

O Trinity, creator of all, O my God alone, uncircumscribed in nature, incomprehensible in glory, inexpressible in works, unchangeable in essence. O life, God of all, O above all good things, O beginning of the unoriginate Word, my God beyond all beginning, who has not yet come to be, but was, having no beginning. How shall I find you who carry me whole within? Who will give me to possess you, whom I carry within me? How also outside of creatures, how also within them again

108

καί κατιδόντα τοῦ φωτός τό ἀμήχανον κάλλος. Ταῦτα εἰδώς μηκέτι μου περί τοιούτων λέγειν ἤ ἑρμηνεύειν σοι λεπτομερῶς δεηθῇς ὅλως! Φύσει γάρ ἄφθεγκτά εἰσιν, ἀνεκλάλητα πάντῃ, ἀνθρώποις τε ἀπόρρητα, ἄγνωστα καί ἀγγέλοις καί κτιστῇ πάσῃ ἄλλῃ τινί οὐσίᾳ ὅλως ἀκατανόητα. Γνῶθι δέ μόνον τά σαυτοῦ ἤ σαυτόν μᾶλλον πλέον καί τότε γνώσεις, ὡς ἐγώ ἀκατάληπτος πάντῃ μόνοις συνών, μόνους φιλῶν τούς ἐμέ ἀγαπῶντας καί τῶν ἐμῶν ἀεί θερμῶς ἐντολῶν μεμνημένους καί μηδαμῶς προσκρίνοντας αὐτῶν τι τῶν ῥεόντων˙ οἷς ὁμιλῶν συνέσομαι νῦν καί εἰς τούς αἰῶνας, ἀμήν.

ΚΓ'.

Περί τῆς ἀκαταλήπτου καί ἀπεριγράπτου Θεόητος ἀκριβής θεολογία˙ καί ὅτι ἀπερίγραπτος οὖσα ἡ θεία φύσις οὔτε ἐντός οὔτε ἐκτός ἐστι τοῦ παντός, ἀλλά καί ἐντός καί ἐκτός ὡς τῶν ὅλων αἰτία˙ καί ὅτι μόνον κατά νοῦν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ληπτόν ἀλήπτως τό Θεῖον ὡς τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αἱ τοῦ ἡλίου ἀκτῖνες. (171)

Ὦ Τριάς, ἡ κτίστις πάντων, ὦ Θεέ μου μόνῳ, ἀπερίγραπτε τῇ φύσει, ἀκατάληπτε τῇ δόξῃ, ἀνερμήνευτε τοῖς ἔργοις, ἀναλλοίωτε οὐσίᾳ. Ὦ ζωή, Θεέ, τῶν πάντων, ὦ καλῶν ἁπάντων ἄνω, ὦ ἀρχή ἀνάρχου λόγου, ὑπεράναρχε Θεέ μου, ὅς οὐ γέγονας οὐδέπω, ἀλλά ἦς ἀρχήν μή ἔχων. Πῶς εὑρήσω τόν ἐντός με περιφέροντά σε ὅλον; Τίς μοι δώσει κατασχεῖν σε, ὅν ἐντός μου περιφέρω; Πῶς καί ἔξω τῶν κτισμάτων, πῶς καί ἔσω τούτων πάλιν