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(249) I was weeping, I was lamenting vehemently, not seeing him at all from without. For I was seeking him, the very one whom I desired, of whom I was enamored, by the beauty of whose loveliness I was wounded, I was inflamed, I was burning, I was entirely set on fire. As I was thus spending my time, thus also weeping, and at the same time wasting away and being terribly scourged and crying out grievously, having heard my cry, peering down from an unimaginable height and seeing me, he had pity on me and again deemed me worthy to see him who is invisible to all, as far as is possible for a human. When I saw him I was utterly astonished, shut up in a house and enclosed in a jar and being in the midst of darkness, of heaven and earth I tell you. For I call perceptible things darkness, since these heavily conceal all human beings and their minds that are mingled with them. (250) Nevertheless, being in these things, I saw the one who pre-exists, as I said, and who now exists intelligibly outside of all things, and I marveled, I was amazed, I was afraid and I rejoiced. And contemplating the wonder, how I, being inside all things, see alone him who is outside all things seeing me, not knowing where he is, how great he is, or of what kind

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(249) ἔκλαιον, ἐθρήνουν σφόδρα ἔξωθεν ὅλως μή βλέπων. Ἐξεζήτουν γάρ ἐκεῖνον, ἐκεῖνον ὅνπερ ἐπόθουν, οὗ ἠράσθην, οὗ τῷ κάλλει ὡραιότητος ἐτρώθην, ἐφλεγόμην, ἐκαιόμην, ὅλος ἐνεπυριζόμην. Οὕτως οὖν διάγοντά με, οὕτω καί δακρύοντά με, ἐκτηκόμενόν τε ἅμα καί δεινῶς με μαστιζόμενον καί βοῶντα κατωδύνως, τῆς κραυγῆς μου ἐπακούσας, ἀπό ἀνεικάστου ὕψους διακύψας καί ἰδών με κατηλέησε καί αὖθις κατιδεῖν ἠξίωσέ με τόν ἀόρατον τοῖς πᾶσιν, ὅσον ἐφικτόν ἀνθρώπῳ. Ὅν ἰδών ἐξεθαμβήθην ἐν οἰκίᾳ καθειργμένος καί ἐν πίθῳ κεκλεισμένος καί τοῦ σκότους ὤν ἐν μέσῳ, οὐρανοῦ καί γῆς σοι λέγω. Αἰσθητῶς καλῶ γάρ σκότος, ἐπεί ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους καί τάς τούτων διανοίας αἰσθητοῖς συγκεκραμένας ἐν τούτοις ὄντας ταῦτα συγκαλύπτουσι βαρέως. (250) Ὅμως ὤν ἐν τούτοις εἶδον τόν προόντα, καθώς εἶπον καί νῦν ὄντα πάντων ἔξω νοερῶς, καί ἐθαύμασα, ἐξέστην, ἐφοβήθην καί ἐχάρην. Καί κατανοῶν τό θαῦμα, πῶς τόν ἔξω πάντων ὄντα ἔνδον ὤν ἐγώ τῶν πάντων βλέπω μόνος βλέποντά με, μή γινώσκων, ποῦ ὑπάρχει, πόσος ἔστι, ποταπός δέ