Chapter 9, Section 1b

Dante passes outwards through the concentric spheres of space to the Empyrean which is beyond space and encloses it. There he sees the Empyrean as a point and his whole journey from sphere to sphere as a journey inwards instead of outwards. (Canto xxviii. 16.) The Mystics often speak of “seeing God in a Point.” God is in all things as the source of their existence and natural life; and in us as the Source of our existence and spiritual life. This Smallness is without Quantity or Quality; 443 443 The Potentiality of all quality is without particular quality. Cf. p. 155, n. 2. It is Irrepressible, Infinite, Unlimited, and, while comprehending all things, is Itself Incomprehensible. 164 4. And Sameness is attributed to God as a super-essentially Eternal and Unchangeable Quality, resting in Itself, always existing in the same condition, present to all things alike, firmly and inviolably fixed on Its own basis in the fair limits of the Super-Essential Sameness; not subject to change, declension, deterioration or variation, but remaining Unalloyed, Immaterial, utterly Simple, Self-Sufficing, Incapable of growth or diminition, and without Birth, not in the sense of being as yet unborn or imperfect, nor in the sense of not having received birth from this source or that, nor yet in the sense of utter nonexistence; but in the sense of being wholly or utterly Birthless and Eternal and Perfect in Itself and always the Same, being self-defined in Its Singleness and Sameness, and causing a similar quality of Identity to shine forth from Itself upon all things that are capable of participating therein and yoking different things in harmony together. 444 444 It causes each thing (1) to be a thing, (2) to co-exist harmoniously with other things. For It is the boundless Richness and Cause of Identity, and contains beforehand in Itself all opposites under the form of Identity in that one unique Causation which transcends all identity. 445 445 It contains the potential existence of all things, however different from each other, as the air contains the potential life of all the various plants and animals. 5. And Difference is ascribed to God because He is, in His providence, present to all things and becomes all things in all for the preservation of them all, 446 446 Since He is the Super-Essence of all things, their life is ultimately His Life—i. e. He is, in every case, the underlying Reality of their individual existence. while yet remaining in Himself nor ever going forth from His own proper Identity in that one ceaseless act wherein His life consists; and thus with undeviating power He gives Himself for the Deification 165 of those that turn to Him. 447 447 Because He is the underlying Reality of our separate personalities, which have their true being outside themselves in Him, therefore in finding our true selves we find and possess His Being. Cf. St. Bernard: Ubi se mihi dedit me mihi reddidit. And the difference of God’s various appearances from each other in the manifold visions of Him must be held to signify something other than that which was outwardly shown.