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22. Let us now investigate what are our common conceptions
concerning the Spirit, as well those which have been gathered by us
from Holy Scripture concerning It as those which we have received
from the unwritten tradition of t he Fathers. First of all we ask,
who on hearing the titles of the Spirit is not lifted up in soul, who
does not raise his conception to the supreme nature? It is called
"Spirit of God," "Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the
Father," "right Spirit," "a leading Spirit." Its proper and
peculiar title is "Holy Spirit;" which is a name specially
appropriate to everything that is incorporeal, purely immaterial, and
indivisible. So our Lord, when teaching the woman who thought God
to be an object of local worship that the incorporeal is
incomprehensible, said "God is a spirit." On our hearing, then,
of a spirit, it is impossible to form the idea of a nature
circumscribed, subject to change and variation, or at all like the
creature. We are compelled to advance in our conceptions to the
highest, and to think of an intelligent essence, in power infinite,
in magnitudeunlimited, unmeasured by times or ages, generous of It's
good gifts, to whom turn all things needing sanctification, after whom
reach all things that live in virtue, as being watered by It's
inspiration and helped on toward their natural and proper end;
perfecting all other things, but Itself in nothing lacking; living
not as needing restoration, but as Supplier of life; not growing by
additions; but straightway full, self-established, omnipresent,
origin of sanctification, light perceptible to the mind, supplying,
as it were, through Itself, illumination to every faculty in the
search for truth; by nature un-approachable, apprehended by reason of
goodness, filling all things with Its power, but communicated only to
the worthy; not shared in one measure, but distributing Its energy
according to "the proportion of faith;" in essence simple, in powers
various, wholly present in each and being wholly everywhere;
impassively divided, shared without loss of ceasing to be entire,
after the likeness of the sunbeam, whose kindly light falls on him who
enjoys it as though it shone for him alone, yet illumines land and sea
and mingles with the air. So, too, is the Spirit to every one who
receives lt, as though given to him alone, and yet It sends forth
grace sufficient and full for all mankind, and is enjoyed by all who
share It, according to the capacity, not of Its power, but of their
nature.
23. Now the Spirit is not brought into intimate association with
the soul by local approximation. How indeed could there be a corporeal
approach to the incorporeal? This association results from the
withdrawal of the passions which, coming afterwards gradually on the
soul from its friendship to the flesh, have alienated it from its close
relationship with God. Only then after a man is purified from the
shame whose stain he took through his wickedness, and has come back
again to his natural beauty, and as it were cleaning the Royal Image
and restoring its ancient form, only thus is it possible for him to
draw near to the Paraclete. And He, like the sun, will by the aid
of thy purified eye show thee in Himself the image of the invisible,
and in the blessed spectacle of the image thou shalt behold the
unspeakable beauty of the archetype. Through His aid hearts are
lifted up, the weak are held by the hand, and they who are advancing
are brought to perfection. Shining upon those that are cleansed from
every spot, He makes them spiritual by fellowship with Himself.
Just as when a sunbeam falls on bright and transparent bodies, they
themselves become brilliant too, and shed forth a fresh brightness from
themselves, so souls wherein the Spirit dwells, illuminated by the
Spirit, themselves become spiritual, and send forth their grace to
others.
Hence comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries,
apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the
heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without
end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of
all, the being made God. Such, then, to instance a few out of
many, are the conceptions concerning the Holy Spirit, which we have
been taught to hold concerning His greatness, His dignity, and His
operations, by the oracles of the Spirit themselves.
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