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| Chapter II.—That the Eyes of the Soul Must Be Purged Ere God Can Be Seen.
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Chapter II.—That the Eyes of the Soul Must Be Purged Ere God Can Be Seen.
But if you say, “Show me thy God,” I would
reply, “Show me yourself,527
| 527
Literally, “your man;” the invisible soul, as the noblest
pat of man, being probably intended. | and I will show you my
God.” Show, then, that the eyes of your soul are capable of seeing,
and the ears of your heart able to hear; for as those who look with the
eyes of the body perceive earthly objects and what concerns this life, and
discriminate at the same time between things that differ, whether light
or darkness, white or black, deformed or beautiful, well-proportioned and
symmetrical or disproportioned and awkward, or monstrous or mutilated;
and as in like manner also, by the sense of hearing, we discriminate
either sharp, or deep, or sweet sounds; so the same holds good regarding
the eyes of the soul and the ears of the heart, that it is by them we are
able to behold God. For God is seen by those who are enabled to see Him
when they have the eyes of their soul opened: for all have eyes; but in
some they are overspread,528
| 528 The
techincal word for a disease of the eye, like cataract. | and do
not see the light of the sun. Yet it does not follow, because the blind
do not see, that the light of the sun does not shine; but let the blind
blame themselves and their own eyes. So also thou, O man, hast the eyes of
thy soul overspread by thy sins and evil deeds. As a burnished mirror, so
ought man to have his soul pure. When there is rust on the mirror, it is
not possible that a man’s face be seen in the mirror; so also when
there is sin in a man, such a man cannot behold God. Do you, therefore,
show me yourself, whether you are not an adulterer, or a fornicator, or
a thief, or a robber, or a purloiner; whether you do not corrupt boys;
whether you are not insolent, or a slanderer, or passionate, or envious,
or proud, or supercilious; whether you are not a brawler, or covetous,
or disobedient to parents; and whether you do not sell your children;
for to those who do these things God is not manifest, unless they have
first cleansed themselves from all impurity. All these things, then,
involve you in darkness, as when a filmy defluxion on the eyes prevents
one from beholding the light of the sun: thus also do iniquities, man,
involve you in darkness, so that you cannot see God.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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