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16. And being thence warned to return to myself, I entered into my
inward self, Thou leading me on; and I was able to do it, for Thou
wert become my helper. And I entered, and with the eye of my soul
(such as it was) saw above the same eye of my soul, above my mind,
the Unchangeable Light? Not this common light, which all flesh may
look upon, nor, as it were, a greater one of the same kind, as
though the brightness of this should be much more resplendent, and with
its greatness fill up all things. Not like this was that light, but
different, yea, very different from all these. Nor was it above my
mind as oil is above water, nor as heaven above earth; but above it
was, because it made me, and I below it, because I was made by it.
He who knows the Truth knows that Light; and he that knows it
knoweth eternity. Love knoweth it. O Eternal Truth, and true
Love, and loved Eternity! s Thou art my God; to Thee do I sigh
both night and day. When I first knew Thee, Thou liftedst me up,
that I might see there was that which I might see, and that yet it
was not I that did see. And Thou didst beat back the infirmity of my
sight, pouring forth upon me most strongly Thy beams of light, and I
trembled with love and fear; and I found myself to be far off from
Thee, in the region of dissimilarity, as if I heard this voice of
Thine from on high: "I am the food of strong men; grow, and thou
shalt feed upon me; nor shall thou convert me, like the food of thy
flesh, into thee, but thou shall be converted into me." And I
learned that Thou for iniquity dost correct man, and Thou dost make
my soul to consume away like a spider? And I said, "Is Truth,
therefore, nothing because it is neither diffused through space,
finite, nor infinite?" And Thou criedst to me from afar, "Yea,
verily, 'I AM THAT I AM'" And I heard this, as things
are heard in the heart, nor was there room for doubt; and I should
more readily doubt that I live than that Truth is not, which is
"clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made."
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