Confessions

⁴⁶ But as for those who through Your Spirit see these things, You see in them. When therefore, they see that these things are good, You see that they are good; and whatsoever things for Your sake are pleasing, You are pleased in them; and those things which through Your Spirit are pleasing unto us, are pleasing unto You in us. “For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.

Now we,” says he, “have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” And I am reminded to say, “Truly, 'the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God;' how, then, do we also know 'what things are given us by God?'?” It is answered unto me, “Because the things which we know by His Spirit, even these 'knows no man, but the Spirit of God.' For, as it is rightly said unto those who were to speak by the Spirit of God, 'It is not you that speak,' so is it rightly said to them who know by the Spirit of God, 'It is not ye that know.'

None the less, then, is it rightly said to those that see by the Spirit of God, 'It is not ye that see;' so whatever they see by the Spirit of God that it is good, it is not they, but God who 'sees that it is good.'” It is one thing, then, for a man to suppose that to be bad which is good, as the fore-named do; another, that what is good a man should see to be good (as Your creatures are pleasing unto many, because they are good, whom, however, Thou pleasest not in them when they wish to enjoy them rather than enjoy You); and another, that when a man sees a thing to be good, God should in him see that it is good—that in truth He may be loved in that which He made, who cannot be loved unless by the Holy Ghost, which He has given.

“Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us;” by whom we see that whatsoever in any degree is, is good. Because it is from Him who Is not in any degree, but He Is that He Is.