33. Of the Gift of Wisdom

THE seventh gift of the Holy Spirit is sweet savoured Wisdom, which is attained on the supreme summit of the introverted mind, and penetrates the intellect and the will, in so far as they betake themselves within to the very apex of the mind. That Wisdom or savour is immeasurable, and inexhaustible, and flows forth outwardly from the innermost, penetrating the body itself and the mind as the singular powers are capable of, as far as the remotest sense, that is to feel even the bodily touch. Other senses, to wft, seeing and hearing, receive their delighting outwardly from the marvellous and stupendous creation of things, which God, the Artificer of the world has established to His own honour and the necessary uses of men. For this incomprehensible taste beyond the mind is indeed boundless in the space or vastness 171 of the soul, and here is the Holy Spirit Him self, the incomprehensible love of God. But beneath the mind it is limited and bounded, but because the powers are suspended and inherent they therefore all surge back and overflow. Moreover since the Eternal Father has adorned the introverted mind with the fruition of unity, He has also distinguished it in order that He may both embrace it and it may be embraced in the casting away of its very self, and be the throne and the rest of God. For the Son the Eternal Truth it self, has adorned the introverted understanding with the very clearness of His Own Self, that he who enjoys what is of Him, may gaze upon His Face, for the Holy Spirit Himself has determined to adorn the introverted will from time to time, and the suspended and inherent unity of its powers, whereby the soul may taste, perceive and experience how good God is. And this taste is so immense and boundless that to the soul which per ceives Him, the heaven and earth, and what soever in them is seem to melt and to be reduced to nothing before His immensity. For the joys of this taste, above and below, are perceived outwardly and beyond, and have embraced and penetrated the entire kingdom of the mind. Therefore the under standing contemplates this simplicity whence all these delights flow forth. And hence arises the consideration of the enlightened reason ; although it knows these things full well — that it is not able to understand and to know these incomprehensible joys, since indeed it considers them by a created light ; but that joy is boundless ; and thus it happens that the reason itself fails in its own consideration. Moreover the under standing, transformed by this boundless clearness, contemplates without intermission these incomprehensible joys of blessedness, and upon these it fixes and bends its own glances.