Paraphrasis in Dionysium Areopagitam

of your hands, unless they are spoken of openly but understood secretly. And it is fitting either for things that are more hidden, which are revealed in such a way so that they are not profaned by the multitude, or for our minds and souls, clearly according to the capacity of those who receive them. For the Jews legislate in one way, and we who are in Christ in another, though it is the same legislation. They are in the letter, but we are in the spirit. For the word of the prophets does not merely contain history, but vital perfection. For the goal for the saints through the scriptures is to be perfected in eternal life by those who are taught. He says these things, showing that the ascent in divine words must necessarily happen. Therefore, we too must look into the symbols and contemplate them as offspring of divine and intelligible characters. For it is not only the worshipful hypostases of the holy Trinity that are variegated with symbols. God is called fire, as a consuming fire, and His oracles are called refined. But even the angels are described symbolically. For it is said concerning them:
"Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire."
But still, the types are understood according to their subjects, even if they themselves were to be. The image of fire is taken in relation to God either according to what is beyond understanding, because He is called fire, but is above this. But how is He called fire? As the cause of fire. And since the divine is beyond understanding, He is understood from the things caused as the cause, or according to His providence, as in the Gospels:
"I came to cast fire upon the earth."
For His providential aspect, which is active and discerning in all things, is named fire. Or according to the word as in Jeremiah:
"Are not my words like fire, says the Lord,"
because of their purity and incorruptibility. Just as also in David: the...