I acknowledge Thee, Lord of heaven and earth, and praise Thee
for my first rudiments of being, and my infancy, whereof I remember
nothing; for Thou hast appointed that man should from others guess
much as to himself; and believe much on the strength of weak females.
Even then I had being and life, and (at my infancy's close) I could
seek for signs whereby to make known to others my sensations. Whence
could such a being be, save from Thee, Lord? Shall any be his own
artificer? or can there elsewhere be derived any vein, which may stream
essence and life into us, save from thee, O Lord, in whom essence
and life are one? for Thou Thyself art supremely Essence and Life.
For Thou art most high, and art not changed, neither in Thee doth
to-day come to a close; yet in Thee doth it come to a close; because
all such things also are in Thee. For they had no way to pass away,
unless Thou upheldest them. And since Thy years fail not, Thy years
are one to-day. How many of ours and our fathers' years have flowed
away through Thy "to-day," and from it received the measure and the
mould of such being as they had; and still others shall flow away,
and so receive the mould of their degree of being. But Thou art still
the same, and all things of tomorrow, and all beyond, and all of yesterday,
and all behind it, Thou hast done to-day. What is it to me, though
any comprehend not this? Let him also rejoice and say, What thing
is this? Let him rejoice even thus! and be content rather by not discovering
to discover Thee, than by discovering not to discover Thee.