The Sibylline Oracles

O ye mortal men of flesh who are nought, why do ye so quickly exalt yourselves, having no eye unto life’s end? Do ye not tremble at nor fear God, who overlooks you? the Most High who knows, who looks on all, who witnesses all, who nourishes all? the Creator who has planted his sweet Spirit in all, and made him a guide to all mortals? There is one God, sole Sovereign, excellent in power, unbegotten, almighty, invisible, yet seeing all himself. Yet he himself is beheld by no mortal flesh. For what flesh can see visibly the heavenly and true God, the Immortal, whose abode is the heaven? Nay not even face to face with the sun’s rays are men able to stand, being mortals, mere veins and flesh wedded to bones. Worship him, who is alone Prince of the World, who alone exists from age to age, self sprung, unbegotten, holding all in sway through all time, giving to all men their testing time in the common light. But of your evil counsel ye shall have the fitting reward, for that forsaking the honouring of the true and eternal God, and the offering to him of sacred hecatombs, ye have made your sacrifices to the deities in Hades. In insolence and madness ye walked, and, forsaking the straight high-road, ye turned aside and were wandering through thorns and stakes. Cease, vain mortals, roaming in darkness and in black murky night, and leave the darkness of night and take hold of the light. Behold he is plain unto all and such as cannot be missed. Come, pursue not ever darkness and murkiness! Behold, the sweet-eyed light of the sun shines brightly forth. Conceive wisdom in your hearts and have knowledge. There is one God who sends rain and winds and earthquakes, lightnings, famines, pestilence and sad cares, and snow and hail: why should I detail them one by one? He is Lord of heaven, Sovereign of earth, the one Existence.