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Chapter X.—The Nature and Shape of God.

“This is the mystery of the hebdomad.  For He Himself is the rest of the whole who grants p. 321 Himself as a rest to those who imitate His greatness within their little measure.  For He is alone, sometimes comprehensible, sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes limitable, 1341 sometimes illimitable, having extensions which proceed from Him into infinity.  For thus He is comprehensible and incomprehensible, near and far, being here and there, as being the only existent one, and as giving a share of that mind which is infinite on every hand, in consequence of which souls breathe and possess life; 1342 and if they be separated from the body and be found with a longing for Him, they are borne along into His bosom, as in the winter time the mists of the mountains, attracted by the rays of the sun, are borne along immortal 1343 to it.  What affection ought therefore to arise within us if we gaze with our mind on His beautiful shape!  But otherwise it is absurd to speak of beauty.  For beauty cannot exist apart from shape; nor can one be attracted to the love of God, nor even deem that he can see Him, if God has no form.

Footnotes

The words in italics are inserted by conjecture.  “Sometimes incomprehensible, sometimes illimitable,” occur only in onems.

We have adopted Wieseler’s suggestions.

This word is justly suspected.  The passage is in other respects corrupt.