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by presence. Therefore God is not in a place; for if he is everywhere, he is not moving from one place to another, nor is he limited by each, nor is he circumscribed by all places at once. clearly by a creative and providential presence he passes through all things, being over all and through all and in all, according to apostolic philosophy. 1214 Ps 138,9.10 I considered, he says, whether perhaps using the wings of understanding, having crossed the sea and the ocean itself and come to the uttermost parts, I will be able to go from your spirit and flee your face, and there I have seen your active and providential hand and your exceeding right hand itself at work, so that this very thing, my having dwelled in the uttermost parts of the sea with the aforementioned sequence, has been accomplished for me, your hand guiding me and your right hand holding me. For even if the ocean is boundless, still also the worlds beyond it are directed by the commands of the master; for all things that have come to be from him, wherever they are, being administered by the commands of his providence, are directed for me. 1215 Ps 138,11-14a Since, having been enlightened by the knowledge of the Lord and having thought myself to be at dawn at the beginning of the day, I considered being lifted up on the intelligible wings with which every rational nature is winged so as to be far away and beyond the ocean, but I knew that this too was not to go from the spirit of God and so on, I went to seek another way, by which it is possible to go from the spirit and to flee from the face of God, lest perhaps, having come under darkness, I might be able to escape this notice. Therefore I say, Perhaps darkness will trample me down, that is, will cover me. For as the ground that is trodden upon is hidden, so I would be hidden below, if the great darkness that has come around me and upon me should trample me down. Then, when I thought to delight in having obtained what was sought, I immediately saw that even this night and the deep darkness is light, none of the darkness itself being darkened, with God illuminating it just as all other things. For with us who use sight there is a difference between night and day, seeing and being seen in the day, but in the night neither being seen nor seeing; but with God the night is lighted as the day, those in darkness and night being comprehensible to him just as those in light and day, since the night is lighted as day by God himself. The righteous man applies all these things to his own person, having chosen to teach those who do not have a right conception of God that it is not possible to escape God. For there are those who think these things about God, so that God himself said, Will anyone hide himself in secret places, and I will not see him? For I am a God who draws near to all, and not a God from afar. Cain became the father of this evil opinion, saying to God, If you cast me out from the face of the earth today, I will also be hidden from your face. And another, through exceeding foolishness, sinning in a lightless and gloomy house and at night, said, Darkness covers me on all sides, and the walls cover me; who sees me? The most High will not remember my sins; as good as saying, Since I sin in darkness and inside the house with no one present, I escape the notice of all; not even the most High himself would know my sins. But consider if also one who has gone beyond the saying about darkness will be able to behold mysteries, so that the division of what is said may be such: will I then, having become wicked and base, be able to flee God, so as to be under the darkness to be trampled by it? But having thought this, I knew immediately that the night too is illumined in the day, that is, in the delight of the rational creature; for a true feast and a delight suitable to the rational creature is the illumination from virtue and knowledge. Therefore, even if I come under darkness, having striven to be a son of night and darkness through the evil things I do and think, still, since the darkness is not darkened by God himself

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παρουσίᾳ. διὸ οὐκ ἐν τόπῳ θεός· εἰ γὰρ πανταχοῦ ἐστιν, οὐ μεταβαίνων ἐξ ἑτέρου εἰς ετερον τόπον οὐδ' αυ ὑφ' ἑκάστου περιοριζόμενος οὐδὲ ὑπὸ αμα πάντων τῶν τόπων περιγραφόμενος δηλονότι παρουσίᾳ δημιουργικῇ καὶ προνοητικῇ διὰ πάντων χωρεῖ, ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ὑπάρχων κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν ἀποστολικήν. 1214 Ps 138,9.10 ̓Εσκόπησα, φησί, μὴ αρα ταῖς πτέρυξι τῆς νοήσεως χρησάμενος ὑπερβὰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὸν ὠκεανὸν αὐτὸν ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις γεγενημένος δυνήσομαι πορευθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός σου καὶ φυγεῖν σου τὸ πρόσωπον, κἀκεῖ τὴν δραστήριον καὶ προνοητικήν σου χεῖρα καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν δεξιάν σου ἐνεργοῦσαν τεθέαμαι, ὡς αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ κατεσκηνωκέναι με προειρημένῃ ἀκολουθίᾳ ἐν τοῖς ἐσχάτοις τῆς θαλάσσης κατορθῶσθαί μοι, τῆς χειρός σου ὁδηγούσης με καὶ κατεχούσης με τῆς δεξιᾶς σου. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὠκεανὸς ἀπέραντος, ἀλλ' ουν καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτὸν κόσμοι ταῖς τοῦ δεσπότου διαταγαῖς διϊθύνονται· πάντα γὰρ τὰ πρὸς αὐτοῦ γεγενημένα, οποι ποτ' εστι, ταγαῖς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ προνοίας διοικούμενά μοι ἰθύνεται. 1215 Ps 138,11-14a ̓Επεὶ φωτισθεὶς ὑπὸ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ κυρίου ἐν ορθρῳ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς ἡμέρας γεγονέναι δόξας διενοήθην ταῖς πτέρυξι ταῖς νοηταῖς καθ' ας ἐπτέρωται πᾶσα λογικὴ φύσις μετεωρισθῆναι ὡς μακρὰν γενέσθαι καὶ περαιτέρω τοῦ ὠκεανοῦ, εγνων δὲ καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μὴ ειναι πορευθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, μετῆλθον ὁδὸν αλλην ζητῆσαι, καθ' ην πορευθῆναι ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ οιόν τέ ἐστι, μήπως αρα ὑπὸ σκότος γεγονὼς διαλαθεῖν τοῦτο δυνήσομαι. διό φημι Αρα σκότος καταπατήσει με, τουτέστιν ἐπικρύψει με. ὡς γὰρ τὸ εδαφος τὸ πατούμενον κρύπτεται, ουτω κρυβείην κάτω, εἰ καταπατήσει με τὸ σκότος πολὺ περὶ ἐμὲ καὶ ἐπ' ἐμὲ γεγονός. Ειτα, οτε εδοξα τρυφᾶν ἐπὶ τῷ τετευχέναι τοῦ σπουδαζομένου, εὐθέως ειδον οτι καὶ αυτη ἡ νὺξ καὶ τὸ κατακορὲς σκότος φωτισμός ἐστιν, οὐδὲν αὐτοῦ τοῦ σκότους σκοτιζομένου ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καταλάμποντος αὐτὸ ωσπερ καὶ τὰ αλλα πάντα. παρ' ἡμῖν μὲν γὰρ τοῖς οψει χρωμένοις διαφορὰ νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας, ὁρῶσι καὶ ὁρωμένοις ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ἐν δὲ τῇ νυκτὶ μηδὲ βλεπομένοις μηδὲ βλέπουσι· παρὰ μέντοι τῷ θεῷ ἡ νὺξ ὡς ἡμέρα φωτίζεται, καταληπτῶν αὐτῷ τυγχανόντων τῶν ἐν σκότῳ καὶ νυκτὶ ὡς τῶν ἐν φωτὶ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ, ἐπείπερ ἡ νὺξ ὡς ἡμέρα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ φωτίζεται. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα τῷ ἑαυτοῦ προσώπῳ ὁ δίκαιος προσάπτει, διδάξαι προελόμενος τοὺς μὴ ὀρθὴν περὶ θεοῦ διάληψιν εχοντας οτι διαδράναι θεὸν οὐκ εστιν. εἰσὶ γὰρ οἱ ταῦτα περὶ θεοῦ διανοούμενοι, ὡς αὐτὸν τὸν θεὸν εἰπεῖν Μὴ κρυβήσεταί τις ἐν κρυφαίοις, κἀγὼ οὐκ οψομαι αὐτόν; πᾶσι γὰρ ἐγγίζων θεός εἰμι καὶ οὐ θεὸς πόρρωθεν. ταύτης τῆς κακοδοξίας πατὴρ γέγονε Κάϊν εἰπὼν πρὸς θεὸν Εἰ ἐκβάλλῃς με ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς σήμερον, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι. καὶ ετερος δὲ δι' ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἠλιθιότητα ἐν ἀφεγγεῖ καὶ ζοφερῷ οικῳ καὶ νυκτὶ ἁμαρτάνων, Σκότος καλύπτει με πάντοθεν, ειπε, καὶ οἱ τοῖχοί με καλύπτουσι· τίς με ὁρᾷ; τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν μου οὐ μνησθήσεται ὁ υψιστος· μονονουχὶ λέγων ̓Επεὶ ἐν σκότῳ καὶ ενδον τοῦ οικου ἁμαρτάνω οὐδενὸς παρόντος, λανθάνω πάντας οὐδ' αὐτὸς ὁ υψιστος εἰδείη τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου. ̓Επίστησον δὲ εἰ καὶ περαιτέρω τῆς περὶ σκότους λέξεως γενόμενός τις δυνήσεται μυστήρια θεάσασθαι, ιν' ῃ τῶν λεγομένων ἡ διαίρεσις τοιαύτη· αρά γε δυνήσομαι θεὸν φυγεῖν πονηρὸς καὶ φαῦλος γεγονώς, ὡς ὑπὸ τὸ σκότος γενέσθαι ἐπὶ τῷ καταπατεῖσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ; ἀλλὰ τοῦτο διανοηθεὶς εὐθέως εγνων οτι καὶ ἡ νὺξ φωτίζεται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τουτέστι τοῦ λογικοῦ ζῴου τρυφῇ· εὐωχία γὰρ ἀληθῶς καὶ κατάλληλος τῷ λογικῷ ζῴῳ τρυφὴ ὁ ἐξ ἀρετῆς καὶ γνώσεως φωτισμός. καν ουν ὑπὸ σκότους γένωμαι νυκτὸς καὶ σκότους σπουδάσας υἱὸς ειναι δι' ων πράττω καὶ φρονῶ κακῶς, ἀλλ' ουν ἐπεὶ τὸ σκότος οὐ σκοτίζεται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ θεοῦ