Wuat is it, Lord, that Thou conveyest to the spirit of the man whom Thou makest perfect? Is it not Thy good Spirit, who in His Being is consummately the power of all powers and the perfection of the perfect, since it is He that worketh all things? ’Tis as when the sun’s strength, descending on the spirit of growing things, moveth it toward perfection, so that by the right pleasant and natural mellowing of the heavenly heat it may become good fruit on a good tree: even so Thy Spirit, O God, cometh upon the intellectual spirit of a good man, and, by the heat of divine love, melloweth its latent power toward perfection, that it may become fruit most acceptable unto Him.
Lord, we find that Thy One Spirit, infinite in power, Is received in manifold ways, for It is received in one way by one, in whom It produceth the spirit of prophecy, and in another way by another, in whom It produceth
skill in interpretation, and by yet another, to
whom It teacheth knowledge, and so in divers ways in others. For His gifts are diverse, and they are perfections of the intellectual spirit, even as that same heat of the sun bringeth to perfection divers fruits on divers trees.
I perceive, Lord, that Thy Spirit cannot be lacking unto any spirit, because It is the Spirit of spirits, and motion of motions, and It filleth the whole world: but It directeth all such things as have not an intellectual spirit by means of intellectual nature which moveth the heavens and, by their motion, all things that exist thereunder. But the disposition and distribution of intellectual nature He reserved for Himself alone. For He hath espoused unto Himself this nature, wherein He chose to rest as in an house of abiding and in the heaven of truth: since °tis intellectual nature alone that can grasp truth of itself.
Thou, Lord, who makest all things for Thine , own sake, hast created this whole world for the sake of intellectual nature. Even so a painter mixeth divers colours that at length he may be able to paint himself, so that he may possess his own likeness, wherein his art may rest and take pleasure, and so that, his single self being not to-be multiplied, he may at least be multiplied in the one way possible, to wit, in a
likeness most resembling himself. But the Spirit maketh many figures, because the likeness of His infinite power can only be perfectly set forth in many, and they are all intellectual spirits, serviceable to every spirit. For, were they not innumerable, Thou, infinite God, couldst not be known in the best fashion. For every intellectual spirit perceiveth in Thee, my God, somewhat which must be revealed unto others in order that they may attain unto Thee, their God, in the best possible fashion. Wherefore these spirits, full of love, reveal one unto another their secrets, and thereby the knowledge of the Beloved is increased, and yearning toward Him is aflame, and sweetness of joy.
Yet, O Lord God, Thou couldst not have . brought Thy work to perfect consummation without Thy Son, Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed above His fellows, who is the Christ. In His intellect the perfection of creatable nature is at rest, for He is the final and entirely perfect Image of God who cannot be multiplied, and there can be but one such supreme Image. Howbeit, all other intellectual spirits are, through the medium of that Spirit, likenesses, and the more perfect the more they resemble It. And all rest in that Spirit as in
the final perfection of the Image of God, of whose Image they have attained the likeness, and some degree of perfection.
Wherefore of Thy giving, O my God, I possess this whole visible world and all the Scripture, and all ministering spirits to aid me to advance in knowledge of Thee. Yea, all things stir me up to turn unto Thee: all Scriptures strive only to set Thee forth, and all intellectual spirits exercise themselves only in seeking Thee and in revealing as much of Thee as they have found. Thou hast above all given me Jesus as Master, as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, so that absolutely nothing may be lacking unto me. Thou dost strengthen me by Thy Holy Spirit, through Him Thou dost inspire the choice of life, holy yearnings. Thou dost draw me, by a foretaste of the sweetness of the life in glory, to love Thee, O infinite Good! Thou dost ravish me above myself that I may foresee the glorious place whereunto Thou callest me. For Thou showest me many dainties most delectable, that allure me by their excellent savour: Thou grantest me to behold the treasury of riches, of life, of joy, of beauty. Thou uncoverest the fountain whence floweth all that is desirable alike in nature and in art. Thou keepest naught secret. Thou
hidest not the channel of love, of peace, and of rest. All things dost Thou set before me, a miserable creature whom Thou didst create from nothing.
_ Why then do I delay, why do I not run, in the sweet smell of the unguents of my Christ? Why do I not enter into the joy of my Lord? What restraineth me? If ignorance of Thee, Lord, hath held me back, and the émpty delight of the world of sense, they shall restrain me no longer. For I desire, Lord (since Thou grantest me so to desire) to leave the things _ of this world, because the world desireth to -leave me. I hasten toward the goal, I have all but finished my course, I will be beforehand with it in taking farewell, I who pant for my crown. Draw me, Lord, for none can come unto Thee save he be drawn by Thee; grant that, thus drawn, I may be set free from this world and may be united unto Thee, the absolute God, in an eternity of glorious life.
Amen
Tue END OF THE BOOK OF THE VISION OF GOD
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