Chapter XIV. On the Manner in which the Length and Breadth and Height and Depth of God can be comprehended

These things are known to us. But are we therefore to believe that we also comprehend them ? Surely not. It is by sanctity of life, not by discourse of reason, V that we must attain to a comprehension of the things of God : if yet it is possible in any sense to comprehend the incomprehensible. But unless this were in some sense possible, the Apostle would not have said, " That you may be able to comprehend with all the saints.' ■ For his words imply that the saints have arrived at comprehension. In what way, dost thou ask ? If thou art a saint, thou also hast arrived at this and knowest the way. If thou art not a saint, make thyself one, and so thou shalt know by the experience. A man is made a saint by two holy affections, the holy fear and the holy love of the Lord. The soul that possesses these virtues in their perfection can employ them as two arms to comprehend God, to embrace Him, to draw Him close to herself, and to hold Him fast, so that she can say with the Spouse in the Canticle, " I held Him and I will not let Him go" (Cant, iii. 4). Holy fear corresponds to Height and Depth, holy love to Length and Breadth. What is there so terrible as that Power Which thou canst not resist ? as that Wisdom from Which thou canst nowhere conceal thyself ? It would not be necessary to fear God so much if either power or wisdom were wanting to Him. As the case is, however, thou must stand in i ON CONSIDERATION supreme awe of that Being Whose eye nothing escapes and Whose arm is omnipotent. On the other hand, what is so amiable as Love Itself by Which thou lovest and by Which thou art loved (Amor ipse quo amas et quo amaris) ? * Nevertheless, It is rendered still more amiable by Its union with eternity, because as It V never falleth away " (i Cor. xiii. 8) It " casteth out fear " and all suspicion (i John iv. 18). Therefore, love with constancy and perseverance and thou hast attained to Length ; widen thy love so that it may embrace even thine enemies, and thou hast reached Breadth ;,walk in fear and with all wariness and thou hast comprehended Height and Depth.

But if thou preferrest to correspond to these four attributes of the Deity by four sentiments of thine own, thou mayest do so by admiration, by fear, by fervour, and by constancy. Admirable in truth is the loftiness of the Divine Majesty, and fearful the abyss of the divine judgments. The charity of God obliges thee to fervour, whilst His eternity calls for constancy and perseverance. WTiat is so well calculated to excite our admiration as the contemplation of the glory of God ? What can so inspire us with fear as to ponder on the profound depths of His wisdom ? What can so inflame us with love as the consideration of His charity ? What can so ensure our constancy and perseverance in loving as the desire to emulate the eternity of His love ? Perseverance is an image (so to speak) of eternity. It is the only virtue by which eternity can be merited, or rather it is the only virtue which can bring men to a happy eternity, according to the words of the Lord, M He that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved " (Matt. x. 22).

Observe now that to these four attributes of God, there correspond as many different kinds of contemplation. The first and loftiest contemplation is admiration of the Divine Majesty. This requires a purified soul, which, as being free from vices and unburdened of sin, it may easily lift up to things supernal, yea, and sometimes hold suspended — even though but for a short space — in a very transport and ecstasy of delighted wonder. Indispensable to this first kind of contemplation is the second, which has its gaze fixed upon the judgments of God. For whilst it grievously troubles the soul by this most terrifying prospect, it extinguishes vices, implants virtues, leads the way to wisdom, preserves humility. Now humility is the true and firm foundation of all the virtues, and the result of its shaking would be the ruin of the whole spiritual edifice. The third species of contemplation occupies itself, or rather takes its repose, in the memory of the divine benefits ; and, lest we should remain ungrateful, it not only represents to our minds the favours we have received, but also inspires us with love for our

Benefactor. It is of souls devoted to this that the Psalmist says, " They shall publish the memory of the abundance of Thy sweetness " (Ps. cxliv. 7). The fourth kind, "forgetting the things that are behind " (Philipp. iii. 13), rests only in the expectation of the promises ; and as this is nothing else but a meditation on eternity — inasmuch as the things promised are eternal — it at the same time nourishes patience and gives us the strength required for perseverance. It is now easy, as I think, to correlate these four kinds of contemplation with the four attributes mentioned by the Apostle : for by meditation on the promises we attain to Length, by recollection of the divine benefits we comprehend Breadth; the contemplation of God's Majesty brings us. to Height, and we reach Depth by pondering His judgments.

We must still go on seeking Him Who has not yet been sufficiently found and Who can never be too much sought. But perhaps it will be more becoming to seek Him, yea, and more easy to find Him, by fervent prayer than by argumentation. Therefore let me now put an end to the book, although not to the seeking.