因此，我的上帝是什么？我问：除了是主，上帝外，是什么呢？“除主之外，谁是上帝？除了我的上帝外，谁是上帝？” 至高无上、尽善尽美、最有权能、无所不能、最怜悯人、最公义、最隐秘、最真实存在，最强劲、最稳定、无需其他支持，自己不变，但可使万有改变，自己无新旧之分，但可使万有更新，使骄傲者在不知不觉中衰残，总在工作，从不休息；凝聚万有，但一无所需；托住万有，充满万有，保护万有，创造万有，养育万有，发展万有；虽然拥有一切，仍在寻找迷途羔羊，你爱人，但不偏待人，忌邪，但不忧虑，领人悔改，而不是让人悔恨；有义怒，但依然保持安祥。你改变方法，但不改变计划；你恢复的那些东西是你从未失去的。你从不缺乏什么，但会因有所收获而喜乐；你不贪婪，但要回报。若人们付给你的比他们应给你的多时，你便成了欠债的；但谁能有任何不属于你的东西呢？所以你不欠人什么，你还为他们付出，像是欠了受造物的债。当你免了人的债，你并无损失。啊，我的上帝，我的生命，我圣洁的喜乐，我还能说什么呢？谈到你，人能说什么呢？那默不作声的固然有祸，即使那说的最多的人也和没说一样。
4. What, therefore, is my God? What, I ask, but the Lord God? "For who
is Lord but the Lord himself, or who is God besides our God?" [13] Most
high, most excellent, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful and
most just; most secret and most truly present; most beautiful and most
strong; stable, yet not supported; unchangeable, yet changing all
things; never new, never old; making all things new, yet bringing old
age upon the proud, and they know it not; always working, ever at rest;
gathering, yet needing nothing; sustaining, pervading, and protecting;
creating, nourishing, and developing; seeking, and yet possessing all
things. Thou dost love, but without passion; art jealous, yet free from
care; dost repent without remorse; art angry, yet remainest serene.
Thou changest thy ways, leaving thy plans unchanged; thou recoverest
what thou hast never really lost. Thou art never in need but still thou
dost rejoice at thy gains; art never greedy, yet demandest dividends.
Men pay more than is required so that thou dost become a debtor; yet
who can possess anything at all which is not already thine? Thou owest
men nothing, yet payest out to them as if in debt to thy creature, and
when thou dost cancel debts thou losest nothing thereby. Yet, O my God,
my life, my holy Joy, what is this that I have said? What can any man
say when he speaks of thee? But woe to them that keep silence--since
even those who say most are dumb.