180. And here, again, you must not turn
aside your thoughts to lower things, because there seems to be some
difference between a Fount and a River, and yet the divine Scripture
has provided that the weakness of human understanding should not be
injured by the lowliness of the language. Set before yourself any
river, it springs from its fount, but is of one nature, of one
brightness and beauty. And do you assert rightly that the Holy
Spirit is of one substance, brightness, and glory with the Son of God
and with God the Father. I will sum up all in the oneness of the
qualities, and shall not be afraid of any question as to difference of
greatness. For in this point also Scripture has provided for us;
for the Son of God says: “He that shall drink of the water
which I will give him, it shall become in him a well of water springing
up unto everlasting life.” S. John iv. 14. This
well is clearly the grace of the Spirit, a stream proceeding from the
living Fount. The Holy Spirit, then, is also the Fount of eternal
life.