Chapter XXIV. Of the Saint's splendour, and of our ignorance

54. It should seem strange to none if the prophet of our time shone with such privileges as these; in fact, being loosed from the darkness of earthly things and not subdued by the pleasure of the flesh, his mind being free flew to the highest, and being pure entered into the light. Thus, illumined by the flashes of eternal light, he derived from the Word that which sounded in [his own] words. Ah! how unlike him are we to-day who are wrapped in darkness and ignorant even of necessary things! Wherefore, think you, unless because we, being friends of the flesh, are ourselves also planted in the dust of worldliness? But if we would "lift up our hearts with our hands to heaven," if we would choose to hang on the things that are eternal, we should perhaps know what now we do not know — God and ourselves. He who dwells in the mire must needs see the mire: he whose eye is fixed on heaven cannot but see heavenly things.