states　establish　the　truth　of　those　theological　affections　in
  which　the　saintly　life　has　its　root？
  In　spite　of　their　repudiation　of　articulate　self…description；
  mystical　states　in　general　assert　a　pretty　distinct　theoretic
  drift。　　It　is　possible　to　give　the　outcome　of　the　majority　of
  them　in　terms　that　point　in　definite　philosophical　directions。
  One　of　these　directions　is　optimism；　and　the　other　is　monism。　We
  pass　into　mystical　states　from　out　of　ordinary　consciousness　as
  from　a　less　into　a　more；　as　from　a　smallness　into　a　vastness；　and
  at　the　same　time　as　from　an　unrest　to　a　rest。　　We　feel　them　as
  reconciling；　unifying　states。　　They　appeal　to　the　yes…function
  more　than　to　the　no…function　in　us。　In　them　the　unlimited　absorbs
  the　limits　and　peacefully　closes　the　account。　　Their　very　denial
  of　every　adjective　you　may　propose　as　applicable　to　the　ultimate
  truthHe；　the　Self；　the　Atman；　is　to　be　described　by　〃No！　no！〃
  only；　say　the　Upanishads＇263＇though　it　seems　on　the　surface　to
  be　a　no…function；　is　a　denial　made　on　behalf　of　a　deeper　yes。
  Whoso　calls　the　Absolute　anything　in　particular；　or　says　that　it
  is　THIS；　seems　implicitly　to　shut　it　off　from　being　THAT　it　is
  as　if　he　lessened　it。　　So　we　deny　the　〃this；〃　negating　the
  negation　which　it　seems　to　us　to　imply；　in　the　interests　of　the
  higher　affirmative　attitude　by　which　we　are　possessed。　The
  fountain…head　of　Christian　mysticism　is　Dionysius　the　Areopagite。
  He　describes　the　absolute　truth　by　negatives　exclusively。
  ＇263＇　Muller's　translation；　part　ii。　p。　180。
  〃The　cause　of　all　things　is　neither　soul　nor　intellect；　nor　has
  it　imagination；　opinion；　or　reason；　or　intelligence；　nor　is　it
  reason　or　intelligence；　nor　is　it　spoken　or　thought。　　It　is
  neither　number；　nor　order；　nor　magnitude；　nor　littleness；　nor
  equality；　nor　inequality；　nor　similarity；　nor　dissimilarity。　　It
  neither　stands；　nor　moves；　nor　rests。　。　。　。　It　is　neither
  essence；　nor　eternity；　nor　time。　　Even　intellectual　contact　does
  not　belong　to　it。　　It　is　neither　science　nor　truth。　　It　is　not
  even　royalty　or　wisdom；　not　one；　not　unity；　not　divinity　or
  goodness；　nor　even　spirit　as　we　know　it；〃　etc。；　ad　libitum。＇264＇
  ＇264＇　T。　Davidson's　translation；　in　Journal　of　Speculative
  Philosophy；　1893；　vol。　xxii。；　p。　399。
  But　these　qualifications　are　denied　by　Dionysius；　not　because　the
  truth　falls　short　of　them；　but　because　it　so　infinitely　excels
  them。　　It　is　above　them。　　It　is　SUPER…lucent；　SUPER…splendent；
  SUPER…essential；　SUPER…sublime；　SUPER　EVERYTHING　that　can　be
  named。　　Like　Hegel　in　his　logic；　mystics　journey　towards　the
  positive　pole　of　truth　only　by　the　〃Methode　der　Absoluten
  Negativitat。〃＇265＇
  ＇265＇　〃Deus　propter　excellentiam　non　immerito　Nihil　vocatur。〃
  Scotus　Erigena；　quoted　by　Andrew　Seth：　　Two　Lectures　on　Theism；
  New　York；　1897；　p。　55。
  Thus　come　the　paradoxical　expressions　that　so　abound　in　mystical
  writings。　　As　when　Eckhart　tells　of　the　still　desert　of　the
  Godhead；　〃where　never　was　seen　difference；　neither　Father；　Son；
  nor　Holy　Ghost；　where　there　is　no　one　at　home；　yet　where　the
  spark　of　the　soul　is　more　at　peace　than　in　itself。〃＇266＇　As　when
  Boehme　writes　of　the　Primal　Love；　that　〃it　may　fitly　be　compared
  to　Nothing；　for　it　is　deeper　than　any　Thing；　and　is　as　nothing
  with　respect　to　all　things；　forasmuch　as　it　is　not　comprehensible
  by　any　of　them。　　And　because　it　is　nothing　respectively；　it　is
  therefore　free　from　all　things；　and　is　that　only　good；　which　a
  man　cannot　express　or　utter　what　it　is；　there　being　nothing　to
  which　it　may　be　compared；　to　express　it　by。〃＇267＇　　Or　as　when
  Angelus　Silesius　sings：
  〃Gott　ist　ein　lauter　Nichts；　ihn　ruhrt　kein　Nun　noch　Hier；
  Je　mehr　du　nach　ihm　greiffst；　je　mehr　entwind　er　dir。〃＇268＇
  ＇266＇　J。　Royce：　　Studies　in　Good　and　Evil；　p。　282。
  ＇267＇　Jacob　Bellmen's　Dialogues　on　the　Supersensual　Life；
  translated　by　Bernard　Holland；　London；　1901；　p。　48。
  ＇268＇　Cherubinischer　Wandersmann；　Strophe　25。
  To　this　dialectical　use；　by　the　intellect；　of　negation　as　a　mode
  of　passage　towards　a　higher　kind　of　affirmation；　there　is
  correlated　the　subtlest　of　moral　counterparts　in　the　sphere　of
  the　personal　will。　　Since　denial　of　the　finite　self　and　its
  wants；　since　asceticism　of　some　sort；　is　found　in　religious
  experience　to　be　the　only　doorway　to　the　larger　and　more　blessed
  life；　this　moral　mystery　intertwines　and　combines　with　the
  intellectual　mystery　in　all　mystical　writings。
  〃Love；〃　continues　Behmen；　is　Nothing；　for　〃when　thou　art　gone
  forth　wholly　from　the　Creature　and　from　that　which　is　visible；
  and　art　become　Nothing　to　all　that　is　Nature　and　Creature；　then
  thou　art　in　that　eternal　One；　which　is　God　himself；　and　then　thou
  shalt　feel　within　thee　the　highest　virtue　of　Love。　。　。　。　The
  treasure　of　treasures　for　the　soul　is　where　she　goeth　out　of　the
  Somewhat　into　that　Nothing　out　of　which　all　things　may　be　made。
  The　soul　here　saith；　I　HAVE　NOTHING；　for　I　am　utterly　stripped
  and　naked；　I　CAN　DO　NOTHING；　for　I　have　no　manner　of　power；　but
  am　as　water　poured　out；　I　AM　NOTHING；　for　all　that　I　am　is　no
  more　than　an　image　of　Being；　and　only　God　is　to　me　I　AM；　and　so；
  sitting　down　in　my　own　Nothingness；　I　give　glory　to　the　eternal
  Being；　and　WILL　NOTHING　of　myself；　that　so　God　may　will　all　in
  me；　being　unto　me　my　God　and　all　things。〃＇269＇
  ＇269＇　Op。　cit。；　pp。　42；　74；　abridged。
  In　Paul's　language；　I　live；　yet　not　I；　but　Christ　liveth　in　me。
  Only　when　I　become　as　nothing　can　God　enter　in　and　no　difference
  between　his　life　and　mine　remain　outstanding。＇270＇
  ＇270＇　From　a　French　book　I　take　this　mystical　expression　of
  happiness　in　God's　indwelling　presence：
  〃Jesus　has　come　to　take　up　his　abode　in　my　heart。　　It　is　not　so
  much　a　habitation；　an　association；　as　a　sort　of　fusion。　　Oh；　new
  and　blessed　life！　life　which　becomes　each　day　more　luminous。　。　。
  。　The　wall　before　me；　dark　a　few　moments　since；　is　splendid　at
  this　hour　because　the　sun　shines　on　it。　　Wherever　its　rays　fall
  they　light　up　a　conflagration　of　glory；　the　smallest　speck　of
  glass　sparkles；　each　grain　of　sand　emits　fire；　even　so　there　is　a
  royal　song　of　triumph　in　my　heart　　because　the　Lord　is
  there。　　My　days　succeed　each　other；　yesterday　a　blue　sky；　to　day
  a　clouded　sun；　a　night　filled　with　strange　dreams；　but　as　soon　as
  the　eyes　open；　and　I　regain　consciousness　and　seem　to　begin　life
  again；　it　is　always　the　same　figure　before　me；　always　the　same
  presence　filling　my　heart。　。　。　。　　Formerly　the　day　was　dulled　by
  the　absence　of　the　Lord。　　I　used　to　wake　invaded　by　all　sorts　of
  sad　impressions；　and　I　did　not　find　him　on　my　path。　　To…day　he　is
  with　me；　and　the　light　cloudiness　which　covers　things　is　not　an
  obstacle　to　my　communion　with　him。　　I　feel　the　pressure　of　his
  hand；　I　feel　something　else　which　fills　me　with　a　serene　joy；
  shall　I　dare　to　speak　it　out？　　Yes；　for　it　is　the　true　expression
  of　what　I　experience。　　The　Holy　Spirit　is　not　merely　making　me　a
  visit；　it　is　no　mere　dazzling　apparition　which　may　from　one
  moment　to　another　spread　its　wings　and　leave　me　in　my　night；　it
  is　a　permanent　habitation。　　He　can　depart　only　if　he　takes　me
  with　him。　　More　than　that；　he　is　not　other　than　myself：　　he　is
  one　with　me。　　It　is　not　a　juxtaposition；　it　is　a　penetration；　a
  profound　modification　of　my　nature；　a　new　manner　of　my　being。〃
  Quoted　from　the　MS。　of　an　old　man　by　Wilfred　Monod：　II　Vit：
  six　meditations　sur　le　mystere　chretien；　pp。　280…283。
  This　overcoming　of　all　the　usual　barriers　between　the　individual
  and　the　Absolute　is　the　great　mystic　achievement。　　In　mystic
  states　we　both　become　one　with　the　Absolute　and　we　become　aware
  of　our　oneness。　　This　is　the　everlasting　and　triumphant　mystical
  tradition；　hardly　altered　by　differences　of　clime　or　creed。　　In
  Hinduism；　in　Neoplatonism；　in　Sufism；　in　Christian　mysticism；　in
  Whitmanism；　we　find　the　same　recurring　note；　so　that　there　is
  about　mystical　utterances　an　eternal　unanimity　which　ought　to
  make　a　critic　stop　and　think；　and　which　brings　it　about　that　the
  mystical　classics　have；　as　has　been　said；　neither　birthday　nor
  native　land。　　Perpetually　telling　of　the　unity　of　man　with　God；
  their　speech　antedates　languages；　and　they　do　not　grow　old。＇271＇