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  1 Pre|        single argument the existence of God, and whatsoever we believe
  2 Pre|            and whatsoever we believe of God. --The difficulty of
  3 Pre|             of God. --The difficulty of the task. --The author writes
  4 Pre|          author writes in the person of one who contemplates God,
  5 Pre|            the solicitous entreaties of certain brethren, a brief
  6 Pre|            Monologium) as an example of meditation on the grounds
  7 Pre|            meditation on the grounds of faith, in the person of
  8 Pre|              of faith, in the person of one who investigates, in
  9 Pre|            investigates, in a course of silent reasoning with himself,
 10 Pre|      reasoning with himself, matters of which he is ignorant; considering
 11 Pre|              together by the linking of many arguments, I began
 12 Pre|          itself upon me, with a kind of importunity. So, one day,
 13 Pre|    importunity, in the very conflict of my thoughts, the proof of
 14 Pre|            of my thoughts, the proof of which I had despaired offered
 15 Pre|             welcome to some readers, of this very matter, and of
 16 Pre|             of this very matter, and of some others, I have written
 17 Pre|              treatise, in the person of one who strives to lift
 18 Pre|            mind to the contemplation of God, and seeks to understand
 19 Pre|            book, or to bear the name of an author; and yet I thought
 20 Pre|              be known as, An Example of Meditation on the Grounds
 21 Pre|            Meditation on the Grounds of Faith, and its sequel as,
 22 Pre|              the reverend Archbishop of Lyons, who discharges the
 23 1  |               CHAPTER I.~Exhortation of the mind to the contemplation
 24 1  |            mind to the contemplation of God. --It casts aside cares,
 25 1  |      excludes all thoughts save that of God, that it may seek Him.
 26 1  |             that he might be mindful of him, think of him, and love
 27 1  |             be mindful of him, think of him, and love him. The believer
 28 1  |              Enter the inner chamber of your mind; shut out all
 29 1  |           out all thoughts save that of God, and such as can aid
 30 1  |              do, anxious in his love of you, and cast out afar from
 31 1  |             was made.~O wretched lot of man, when he has lost that
 32 1  |           Man once did eat the bread of angels, for which he hungers
 33 1  |              he eateth now the bread of sorrows, of which he knew
 34 1  |            now the bread of sorrows, of which he knew not then.
 35 1  |               Alas! for the mourning of all mankind, for the universal
 36 1  |            the universal lamentation of the sons of Hades! He choked
 37 1  |              lamentation of the sons of Hades! He choked with satiety,
 38 1  |           what purpose did he rob us of life, and inflict death
 39 1  |          into exile, from the vision of God into our present blindness,
 40 1  |              blindness, from the joy of immortality into the bitterness
 41 1  |            the bitterness and horror of death. Miserable exchange
 42 1  |            death. Miserable exchange of how great a good, for how
 43 1  |              wretched that I am, one of the sons of Eve, far removed
 44 1  |           that I am, one of the sons of Eve, far removed from God!
 45 1  |           wished to smile in the joy of my mind, and I am compelled
 46 1  |     compelled to frown by the sorrow of my heart. Gladness was hoped
 47 1  |          hoped for, and lo! a source of frequent sighs!~And you
 48 1  |            unburden me, that the pit of iniquities may not close
 49 1  |          order that I may be mindful of you, may conceive of you,
 50 1  |         mindful of you, may conceive of you, and love you; but that
 51 1  |            and obscured by the smoke of wrong-doing, that it cannot
 52 2  |             very fool, when he hears of this being of which I speak --
 53 2  |          when he hears of this being of which I speak --a being
 54 2  |              painter first conceives of what he will afterwards
 55 2  |        conceived. For, when he hears of this, he understands it.
 56 3  |              is possible to conceive of a being which cannot be
 57 3  |             if a mind could conceive of a being better than you,
 58 3  |          exist in the highest degree of all? Why, except that he
 59 4  |           accordance with the nature of the facts themselves, although
 60 5  |           that which, as the highest of all beings, alone exists
 61 5  |         thing which can be conceived of. But this cannot be conceived
 62 5  |             this cannot be conceived of you. What good, therefore,
 63 6  |           cognition, or for the sake of cognition, --for he who
 64 6  |            with the proper functions of his senses; as through sight,
 65 6  |            senses; as through sight, of colors; through taste, of
 66 6  |            of colors; through taste, of flavors, --whatever in any
 67 6  |            highest degree in respect of this, that you do cognise
 68 7  |       although there are many things of which he is not capable. --
 69 7  |             capable. --To be capable of being corrupted, or of lying,
 70 7  |       capable of being corrupted, or of lying, is not power, but
 71 7  |             can do nothing by virtue of impotence, and nothing has
 72 7  |               if you are not capable of all things? Or, if you can
 73 7  |          like. --how are you capable of all things? Or else to be
 74 7  |        things? Or else to be capable of these things is not power,
 75 7  |               For, he who is capable of these things is capable
 76 7  |              these things is capable of what is not for his good,
 77 7  |             is not for his good, and of what he ought not to do;
 78 7  |             do; and the more capable of them he is, the more power
 79 7  |              able because he is able of himself, but because his
 80 7  |            over him. Or, by a figure of speech, just as many words
 81 7  |             who denies the existence of something: "It is as you
 82 7  |            is said to have the power of doing or experiencing what
 83 7  |    omnipotent, since you are capable of nothing through impotence,
 84 8  |              compassionate, in terms of our experience, because
 85 8  |             we experience the effect of compassion. God is not compassionate,
 86 8  |              compassionate, in terms of his own being, because he
 87 8  |    experience the feeling (affectus) of compassion.~BUT how are
 88 8  |           are compassionate in terms of our experience, and not
 89 8  |           not compassionate in terms of your being.~Truly, you are
 90 8  |           Truly, you are so in terms of our experience, but you
 91 8  |              you are not so in terms of your own. For, when you
 92 8  |             we experience the effect of compassion, but you do not
 93 9  |           supremely just, the source of his compassion is hidden.
 94 9  |             sinners by the authority of justice. God spares the
 95 9  |            God spares the wicked out of justice; for it is just
 96 9  |        deepest and most secret parts of your goodness is hidden
 97 9  |           fountain whence the stream of your compassion flows.~For
 98 9  |         guilty toward you.~The depth of your goodness, O God! The
 99 9  |          goodness, O God! The source of your compassion appears,
100 9  |             it is from the abundance of your goodness that you are
101 9  |        against you; and in the depth of your goodness is hidden
102 9  |             the evil with evils, out of goodness, yet this the concept
103 9  |       goodness, yet this the concept of justice seems to demand.
104 9  |             us! O boundless goodness of God how passionately should
105 9  |             do free by the authority of justice. Those by the help
106 9  |           justice. Those by the help of their deserts; these, although
107 9  |           then, your compassion born of your justice? And do you
108 9  |           the wicked, therefore, out of justice? If this is true,
109 9  |          wicked, and make good souls of evil.~Finally, what is not
110 11 |         CHAPTER XI.~How all the ways of God are compassion and truth;
111 11 |            We cannot comprehend why, of the wicked, he saves these
112 11 |           Truly, then, all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth (
113 11 |              your compassion is born of your justice.~For it is
114 11 | consideration can we comprehend why, of those who are alike wicked,
115 12 |             whereby he lives; and so of other like attributes. ~
116 12 |     righteous and the wicked; and so of other like attributes.~ ~
117 13 |          less than that which no law of place or time limits. Since,
118 13 |           And since this can be said of you alone, you alone are
119 13 |              this is seen to be true of corporeal things alone.
120 13 |             is understood to be true of you alone. But circumscribed,
121 13 |           this is recognised as true of created spirits. For, if
122 13 |              in the separate members of the body, it would not feel
123 14 |           being which is the highest of all beings, a being than
124 14 |           understand anything at all of you, except through your
125 14 |         renewer, speak to the desire of my soul, what you are other
126 14 |            it does not see darkness, of which-there is none in you;
127 14 |          cannot see farther, because of its own darkness.~Why is
128 14 |              why is this? Is the eye of the soul darkened by its
129 16 |            it sees through the light of the sun, which in the sun
130 16 |      comprehend it, nor does the eye of my soul endure to gaze upon
131 16 |              dazed by the largeness, of the light.~O supreme and
132 17 |        manner; but the sinful senses of my soul have grown rigid
133 18 |                 Whatever is composed of parts is not wholly one;
134 18 |        either in fact or in concept, of dissolution. In God wisdom,
135 18 |           tried to rise to the light of God, and I have fallen back
136 18 |          conceived, and in the cover of darkness I was born. Truly,
137 18 |           sharpen, enlighten the eye of my mind, that it may behold
138 18 |         these things? Are they parts of you, or is each one of these
139 18 |         parts of you, or is each one of these rather the whole,
140 18 |            For, whatever is composed of parts is not altogether
141 18 |             or in concept is capable of dissolution. But these things
142 18 |              better can be conceived of. Hence, there are no parts
143 18 |           and the rest are not parts of you, but all are one; and
144 18 |            but all are one; and each of these is the whole, which
145 18 |             nowhere and never a part of you or of your eternity.
146 18 |           and never a part of you or of your eternity. But everywhere
147 19 |              is it true that nothing of your eternity passes away,
148 19 |            not now; and that nothing of it is destined to be, as
149 20 |       eternal things. --The eternity of God is present as a whole
150 20 |        things have not yet that part of their eternity which is
151 20 |           and do transcend all. And, of a surety, you are before
152 20 |          they have not yet that part of their eternity which is
153 21 |         CHAPTER XXI.~Is this the age of the age, or ages of ages? --
154 21 |              age of the age, or ages of ages? --The eternity of
155 21 |              of ages? --The eternity of God contains the ages of
156 21 |             of God contains the ages of time themselves, and can
157 21 |            and can be called the age of the age or ages of ages.~
158 21 |           the age of the age or ages of ages.~Is this, then, the
159 21 |               Is this, then, the age of the age, or ages of ages?
160 21 |              age of the age, or ages of ages? For, as an age of
161 21 |              of ages? For, as an age of time contains all temporal
162 21 |      eternity contains even the ages of time themselves. And these
163 21 |           are indeed an age, because of their indivisible unity;
164 21 |             unity; but ages, because of their endless immeasurability.
165 21 |             that all things are full of you, and exist in you; yet
166 22 |          blessedness, and many goods of this nature. And yet you
167 23 |         which what they are is good. Of supreme simplicity nothing
168 23 |           except that which is this, of which it is born, or from
169 23 |          truth than you; and you are of so simple a nature, that
170 23 |             so simple a nature, that of you nothing can be born
171 23 |         himself, to the whole extent of your being and his. Nor
172 24 |          character and the magnitude of this good. --If the created
173 24 |         conceive, so far as you can, of what character and how great
174 24 |            contains the pleasantness of all goods; and not such
175 24 |              wisdom in the knowledge of the created world is lovely,
176 25 |              the blessedness and joy of others.~WHO shall enjoy
177 25 |             be his. For, these goods of body and soul will be such
178 25 |         heard, neither has the heart of man conceived (Isaiah Ixiv.
179 25 |            your search for the goods of your soul and your body?
180 25 |             or endurance, or freedom of body, which naught can withstand,
181 25 |              they shall be as angels of God, --because it is sown
182 25 |               15), and the salvation of the righteous is of the
183 25 |        salvation of the righteous is of the Lord (Psalms xxxvii.
184 25 |            39) If it is satisfaction of hunger, they shall be satisfied
185 25 |             satisfied when the glory of the Lord has appeared (Psalms
186 25 |              15). If it is quenching of thirst, they shall be abundantly
187 25 |           satisfied with the fatness of your house (Psalms xxxvi.
188 25 |             melody, there the choirs of angels sing forever, before
189 25 |            you shall make them drink of the river of your pleasures,
190 25 |              them drink of the river of your pleasures, O God (Psalms
191 25 |        delights you, the very wisdom of God will reveal itself to
192 25 |            they shall be called sons of God, and gods; and where
193 25 |          shall be also, heirs indeed of God, and joint-heirs with
194 25 |           that they will not lose it of their own accord; and that
195 25 |             great is the good! Heart of man, needy heart, heart
196 25 |          over so great a blessedness of its own.~Yet assuredly,
197 25 |          Hence, in that perfect love of innumerable blessed angels
198 25 |           one shall rejoice for each of the others as for himself.~
199 25 |         himself.~If, then, the heart of man will scarce contain
200 25 |            reckoning in the felicity of God, more than in his own
201 25 |             than in his own and that of all the others with him.~
202 25 |           suffice for the worthiness of this love; doubtless they
203 25 |              suffice for the fulness of their joy.~ ~
204 26 |            Lord, my hope and the joy of my heart, speak unto my
205 26 |              whether this is the joy of which you tell us through
206 26 |            and all the man, are full of that joy, joy beyond measure
207 26 |         still remain. Hence, not all of that joy shall enter into
208 26 |             shall enter into the joy of their Lord. But that joy,
209 26 |            it entered into the heart of man (Isaiah lxiv. 4; i Corinthians
210 26 |           greatly those blessed ones of yours shall rejoice. Doubtless
211 26 |            it entered into the heart of man in this life, how far
212 26 |              full. Let the knowledge of you advance in me here,
213 26 |              made full. Let the love of you increase, and there
214 26 |             you do promise by virtue of your truth, that my joy
215 26 |              it; let my tongue speak of it. Let my heart love it;
216 26 |           love it; let my mouth talk of it. Let my soul hunger for