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and wondering, we immediately cling to him, and love him as a benefactor; but in the case of God, not only these things, but also these three things are to be seen with such an excess that no word will be able to represent. And first, the beauty of that blessed and incorruptible nature, which is in some way impossible and irresistible, and surpasses all reason, and escapes every thought. But when you hear "beauty," do not suspect anything corporeal, beloved, but some incorporeal glory and ineffable majesty. 4. Therefore, the prophet, revealing this, said: And the Seraphim stood round about him, and with two wings they covered their face, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they did fly, and cried, Holy, holy, holy, from the astonishment, from the wonder, from that comeliness, from the glory. And again David, perceiving this very beauty, and being amazed at the glory of that blessed nature, said: Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, in your comeliness and your beauty. For this reason Moses also desired many times to see him, being wounded by this love, and enamored of that glory. For this reason Philip also said: Show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us. Rather, whatever we may say, we will not be able to represent even a small, not even a faint trace of that comeliness. But do you want us to enumerate the benefactions? But not even these will words be able to represent. For this reason Paul said: But thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift. And again: What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, 55.161 and has not entered into the heart of man, what God has prepared for those who love him. And again: O the depth of the riches, and of the wisdom, and of the knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! But what word will represent the love which he has shown toward us? At least John, being astonished at this, said: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. But if you wish to hear his words as well, and to learn his longing, hear what he says through the prophet: Can a woman forget to have mercy on the children of her womb? Even if a woman should forget these, yet I will not forget you. And just as this one said: As the hart longs for the fountains of waters, so my soul longs for you, O God; so also Christ says: As a hen gathers her own young, so I wanted to gather your children, and you were not willing. And again, As a father has compassion on his sons, so the Lord has had compassion on those who fear him; and again, For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is the Lord’s mercy toward those who fear him. And just as the prophet seeks an example, in order to show his own longing; so also God uses certain examples, in order to declare to us the love which he has for our salvation. And the prophet spoke of a thirsty hart, and a parched land; but God spoke of the affection of birds for their young, and the care of fathers, and the height of heaven from earth, and the compassion of mothers, not because he loves only so much as a mother her child, but because among us there are no other greater proofs of love than these boundaries, and rules and examples. Since he does not love us only so much as an affectionate mother loves her children, but much more, hear what he says: For even if a woman, he says, should forget her children, yet I will not forget you. And he said this, showing that his longing for us is warmer than all affection. Gathering all these things, consider them within yourself, and you will work a fervent love, and you will kindle a brilliant flame. Since, therefore, friendships even among us humans nothing so

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καὶ θαυμάζων, εὐθέως αὐτῷ συγκολλώμεθα, καὶ στέργομεν ὡς εὐεργέτην· ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ δὲ οὐχὶ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τρία ταῦτα ἔστιν ἰδεῖν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς τοσαύτης, ὅσην οὐδὲ λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται. Καὶ πρῶτον, τὸ κάλλος τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης καὶ ἀκηράτου φύσεως, ὅτι ἀμήχανον οὕτω πώς ἐστι καὶ ἄμαχον, καὶ πάντα ὑπερβαῖνον λόγον, καὶ πᾶσαν ἐκφεῦγον διάνοιαν. Κάλλος δὲ ὅταν ἀκούσῃς, μηδὲν σωματικὸν ὑποπτεύσῃς, ἀγαπητὲ, ἀλλὰ ἀσώματόν τινα δόξαν καὶ μεγαλοπρέπειαν ἄφραστον. δʹ. Ταύτην οὖν ὁ προφήτης ἐκφαίνων ἔλεγε· Καὶ τὰ Σεραφεὶμ εἱστήκεισαν κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῖς μὲν δυσὶ πτέρυξι κατεκάλυπτον τὸ πρόσωπον, ταῖς δὲ δυσὶ κατεκάλυπτον τοὺς πόδας, ταῖς δὲ δυσὶν ἐπέτοντο, καὶ ἔκραζον, Ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκπλήξεως, ἀπὸ τοῦ θαύματος, ἀπὸ τῆς εὐπρεπείας ἐκείνης, ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ ∆αυῒδ κατανοήσας αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ κάλλος, καὶ τὴν δόξαν ἐκπλαγεὶς τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης φύσεως, ἔλεγε· Περίζωσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου, δυνατὲ, τῇ ὡραιότητί σου καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐπεθύμει πολλάκις αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν, τῷ φίλτρῳ τρωθεὶς τούτῳ, καὶ τῆς δόξης ἐκείνης ἐρῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Φίλιππος ἔλεγε· ∆εῖξον ἡμῖν τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ ἀρκεῖ ἡμῖν. Μᾶλλον δὲ ὅσα ἂν εἴπωμεν, οὐδὲ μικρὸν, οὐδὲ ἀμυδρὸν ἴχνος τι τῆς εὐπρεπείας ἐκείνης παραστῆσαι δυνησόμεθα. Ἀλλὰ τὰς εὐεργεσίας βούλῃ καταλέξωμεν; Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ταύτας λόγος παραστῆσαι δυνήσεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Χάρις δὲ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπὶ τῇ ἀνεκδιηγήτῳ αὐτοῦ δωρεᾷ. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, 55.161 καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὦ βάθος πλούτου, καὶ σοφίας, καὶ γνώσεως Θεοῦ! ὡς ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστοι αἱ ὁδοὶ αὐτοῦ! Ἀλλὰ τὸ φίλτρον ὃ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπεδείξατο ποῖος παραστήσει λόγος; Τοῦτο γοῦν ἐκπληττόμενος ὁ Ἰωάννης ἔλεγεν· Οὕτω γὰρ ἠγάπησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν κόσμον, ὅτι τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἔδωκεν. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ ἀκοῦσαι αὐτοῦ τῶν ῥημάτων, καὶ τὸν πόθον μαθεῖν, ἄκουσον τί φησι διὰ τοῦ προφήτου· Μὴ ἐπιλήσεται γυνὴ τοῦ ἐλεῆσαι τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιλάθοιτο ταῦτα γυνὴ, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαί σου. Καὶ καθάπερ οὗτος ἔλεγεν· Ὃν τρόπον ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς σὲ, ὁ Θεός· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστός φησι· Ὃν τρόπον ἐπισυνάγει ὄρνις τὰ ἑαυτῆς νεοσσία, οὕτως ἐθέλησα ἐπισυνάξαι τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἐθελήσατε. Καὶ πάλιν, Καθὼς οἰκτείρει πατὴρ υἱοὺς, οὕτως ᾠκτείρησε Κύριος τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν· καὶ πάλιν, Ὅτι κατὰ τὸ ὕψος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐκραταίωσε Κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς φοβουμένους αὐτόν. Καὶ καθάπερ ὁ προφήτης ὑπόδειγμα ζητεῖ, ἵνα τὸν πόθον ἐνδείξηται τὸν ἑαυτοῦ· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὑποδείγμασί τισι κέχρηται, ἵνα ἡμῖν δηλώσῃ τὸν ἔρωτα, ὃν περὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας σωτηρίας ἔχει. Καὶ ὁ μὲν προφήτης ἔλαφον εἶπε διψῶσαν, καὶ γῆν ἐκκεκαυμένην· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ὀρνίθων περὶ νεοττοὺς φιλοστοργίαν, καὶ πατέρων κηδεμονίαν, καὶ ὕψος οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ γῆς, καὶ εὐσπλαγχνίαν μητέρων, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ τοσοῦτον φιλεῖ μόνον, ὅσον μήτηρ παῖδα, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τούτων τῶν ὅρων, καὶ τῶν κανόνων καὶ ὑποδειγμάτων οὐκ ἔστι παρ' ἡμῖν ἕτερα μείζονα φιλίας τεκμήρια. Ἐπεὶ οὐ τοσοῦτον φιλεῖ ἡμᾶς μόνον, ὅσον παιδία μήτηρ φιλόστοργος, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ πλέον, ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐπιλάθοιτο, φησὶ, γυνὴ τῶν ἐκγόνων αὐτῆς, ἀλλ' ἐγὼ οὐκ ἐπιλήσομαί σου. Τοῦτο δὲ ἔλεγε δεικνὺς, ὅτι πάσης φιλοστοργίας θερμότερος ὁ περὶ ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ πόθος ἐστίν. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα συλλέγων ἀναλογίζου πρὸς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ θερμὸν ἐργάσῃ τὸν ἔρωτα, καὶ λαμπρὰν ἀνάψεις τὴν φλόγα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰς φιλίας καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲν οὕτως