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and I have become a light in the night, being in the midst of darkness. Neither has the darkness completely overcome your light, (203) nor has the light chased away the visible darkness, but mixed, unconfused, everywhere divided far from each other, as is fitting, not mingled at all, yet in the same place they fill all things, as I think. Thus I am in the light, being in the midst of darkness, thus in darkness again but spending my time in the midst of light, behold, also in the midst of light, behold, also in the midst of darkness; and I say: who will grant me to find light in the midst of darkness, which it cannot contain to receive? For how will darkness contain light within and not flee, but darkness remain in the midst of light? O fearful wonder, seen doubly by the two eyes, of body and of soul! Listen now: I tell you the fearful things of the twofold God and how they have happened to me, a twofold man! He took up my flesh and gave me spirit, and I too have become a god by divine grace, a son by adoption except to God, O the worth, O the glory! As a man, being grieved, I count myself wretched and I perceive my weakness and I groan, and I am altogether unworthy to live, as I well know, but trusting in his grace, and perceiving the beauty, which he has given me, I delight in seeing. As a man, then, I know that I see none of the divine things, and I am completely separated from the invisible things, but by the adoption of sons I have become a god and I both see and become a partaker of the intangible things. As a man having none of the high and divine things, but as one now pitied by the goodness of God I have Christ, the Lord, the benefactor of all. Therefore again, Master, praying I fall before you: may I not fail at all in my hopes in you, (204) of life and of honor, of glory and of kingdom, but just as you have now deemed me worthy to be seen, Savior, so also after death grant me to see you. I do not say how much, O merciful one, but kindly, mercifully with your gracious eye, as you also now see me and fill me with your joy and divine sweetness. Yes, my maker and my fashioner, cover me with your hand, and do not abandon me, yes, do not hold a grudge! My great ingratitude, Master, do not weigh,

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καί γέγονα φῶς ἐν νυκτί, μέσον σκότους τυγχάνων. Οὔτε τό σκότος τό σόν φῶς κατέλαβεν εἰς ἅπαν, (203) οὔτε τό φῶς ἐδίωξε τό ὁρώμενον σκότος, ἀλλ᾿ ἀναμίξ, ἀσύγχυτα πάντῃ μεμερισμένα μακράν ἀλλήλων, ὡς εἰκός, οὐ κεκραμένα ὅλως, πλήν ἐν ταὐτῷ τά σύμπαντα πληροῦσιν, ὡς νομίζω. Οὕτως εἰμί ἐν τῷ φωτί, μέσον τυγχάνων σκότους, οὕτως ἐν σκότει πάλιν δέ μέσον φωτός διάγων, ἰδού καί μέσον ἐν φωτί, ἰδού καί μέσον σκότους˙ καί λέγω˙ τίς ἐν σκότει μοι φῶς εὑρεῖν μέσον δώσει, ὅ οὐ χωρεῖ εἰσδέξασθαι; Πῶς γάρ χωρήσει σκότος φῶς ἐντός καί μή φεύξεται, ἀλλά μενεῖ ἐν μέσῳ φωτός τό σκότος; Ὤ φρικτοῦ θαύματος,ὁρωμένου διττῶς διττοῖς τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, σώματος καί ψυχῆς τε! Ἄκουε ἄρτι˙ τά φρικτά διττοῦ Θεοῦ σοι λέγω καί ὡς πρός ἄνθρωπον διττόν ἐμέ γεγενημένα! Ἀνέλαβε τήν σάρκα μου καί δέδωκέ μοι πνεῦμα, καί γέγονα κἀγώ Θεός τῇ χάριτι τῇ θείᾳ, θέσει υἱός πλήν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὤ ἀξίας, ὤ δόξης! Ὡς ἄνθρωπος λυπούμενος ἐμαυτόν ταλανίζω καί τήν ἐμήν ἀσθένειαν κατανοῶ καί στένω, καί ζῆν ὅλως ἀνάξιος ὑπάρχω, ὡς εὖ οἶδα, ἐκείνου δέ τῇ χάριτι θαρρῶν, κατανοῶν τε τό κάλλος, ὅ μοι δέδωκεν, ἐπιτέρπομαι βλέπων. Ὡς μέν οὖν ἄνθρωπος οἶδα μηδέν ὁρᾶν τῶν θείων, καί ἀοράτων παντελῶς εἰμί κεχωρισμένος, τῇ δέ υἱοθεσίᾳ με Θεόν γεγενημένον καί καθορῶ καί κοινωνός γίνομαι τῶν ἀψαύστων. Ὡς ἄνθρωπος οὐδέν ἔχων τῶν ὑψηλῶν καί θείων, ὡς δέ Θεοῦ χρηστότητι νυνί ἐλεημένος ἔχω Χριστόν, τόν Κύριον, τῶν πάντων εὐεργέτην. ∆ιό καί πάλιν, ∆έσποτα, δεόμενος προσπίπτω˙ μή ἀποτύχω τῶν ἐν σοί ἐλπίδων μου μηδόλως, (204) διαγωγῆς τε καί τιμῆς, δόξης καί βασιλείας, ἀλλ᾿ ὥσπερ νῦν ὁρᾶσθαί μοι κατηξίωσας, Σῶτερ, οὕτω καί μετά θάνατον παράσχου μοι σε βλέπειν. Οὐ λέγω πόσον, εὔσπλαγχνε, ἀλλ᾿ εὐμενῶς, εὐσπλάγχνως ἱλέῳ σου τῷ ὄμματι, ὡς καί νῦν καθορᾷς με καί τῆς χαρᾶς σου ἐμπιπλᾷς καί γλυκύτητος θείας. Ναί, ποιητά καί πλάστα μου, σκέπασόν με χειρί σου, καί μή ἐγκαταλίπῃς με, ναί, μή μνησικακήσῃς! Ἀγνωμοσύνην μου πολλήν, ∆έσποτα, μή σταθμίσῃς,