Book X. HE DESCRIBES WHAT HE HAD BECOME SINCE HIS CONVERSION: PROFESSING HIS LOVE TO GOD; AND SEEKS AMONG THE FACULTIES OF HIS SOUL THE MEANS BY WHICH WE KNOW GOD. ESPECIALLY HE DISCUSSES THE NATURE OF THE MEMORY WHEREIN GOD DWELLETH. HE EXAMINES HIMSELF WITH REGARD TO THE TRIPLE LUST, OF THE FLESH, OF THE EYES, AND OF THE PRIDE OF LIFE, AND CONFESSES THAT HIS WHOLE TRUST LIES IN CHRIST JESUS, THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MAN. CHAP. I. He desireth to know God II. Though God knoweth the depths of our nature, it is III. With what intent he maketh confession before his present condition PAGE 181 181 men of 182 183 185 IV. He declares what results he hopeth for from his "Con- V. Our confessions cannot but be imperfect for man VI. He searcheth throughout the material creation, wherein 186 188 VIII. He seeketh Him in his memory; and describeth its wonders IX. In what way the liberal sciences may be said to be 188 191 X. Of the channels through which literature has access to XIII. Of the memory of remembrances; and of the memory of the emotions of the mind. 194 XIV. That the recollection of certain emotions doth not awaken similar emotions XV. That images of things present, as well as absent, are XVI. Of the memory of forgetfulness. XVII. Though the power of memory be vast and wonderful, he passeth beyond it in his search after God. XVIII. How what is lost must still remain in the memory, that it may be found again XIX. That forgotten things are not wholly lost by the 196 196 198 199 200 200 XXII. The true joy of the Blessed Life XXIII. That all desire joy in the truth XXIV. He delighteth that he hath found God abiding in XXXIV. Concerning pleasures of the eyes XXXV. Concerning the temptation of curiosity XXXVI. Concerning the love of praise, and fear of blame XXXVII. He confesseth that he loveth praise; but suggests that there may be a right use of it XL. He summeth up his former description of his search after God, and declares the sweetness of complete XLII. Of the deceits of the Devil, which overtake them who seek for Angelic mediation. AFTER AN INVOCATION OF GOD, AUGUSTINE DECLARES THE BEGINNINGS OF HIS LIFE; HIS INFANCY AND BOYHOOD UP TO HIS FIFTEENTH YEAR. HE CONFESSES THAT AT THIS AGE HE WAS MORE FOND OF CHILDISH AMUSEMENTS AND FOLLIES THAN OF LEARNING. CHAPTER I. He declares the greatness of God: and by Him aroused desires to seek and call upon Him. G REAT art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised" (Ps. cxlv. 3); "great is Thy power, and Thy wisdom is infinite" (Ps. cxlvii. 5). And Thee would man praise, though but a fragment of Thy creation; man, that bears about him his mortality, that bears about him the witness of his sin, even the witness, that "Thou resistest the proud" (1 S. Pet. v. 5); yet would man praise Thee though but a fragment of Thy creation. Thou dost arouse us to delight in praising Thee; for Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it find rest in Thee. Grant me, Lord, to know and understand whether to call on Thee be the first thing, or to praise Thee? and again, whether to know Thee or to call on Thee? for who can call on Thee, that knoweth not Thee? for he that knoweth not A Thee may call on Thee as other than Thou art. Or, is it rather, that we call on Thee that we may know Thee? but "how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? or how shall they believe without a preacher?" (Rom. x. 14); and "they shall praise the Lord that seek Him" (Ps. xxii 26); for "they that seek shall find Him" (S. Matt. vii. 7); and they that find shall praise Him. Calling upon Thee, Lord, will I seek Thee; and believing in Thee will I call upon Thee; for to us hast Thou been preached. My faith, Lord, calls on Thee, which Thou hast given me, wherewith Thou hast inspired me, through the Incarnation of Thy Son, through the ministry of the Preacher [i. e., S. Ambrose, Bp. of Milan.-ED.]. A CHAPTER II. That God, upon whom we call, is in us, and we in Him. ND how shall I call upon God, my God and Lord? For when I shall call for Him, I shall be calling Him to myself! and what room is there within me, whither my God may come to me? whither may God come to me, God who made heaven and earth? is there, indeed, O Lord my God, aught in me that can contain Thee? do even heaven and earth, which Thou hast made, and wherein Thou hast made me, contain Thee? or, since without Thee, not anything that is, could be, does it follow that anything that is doth contain Thee? Since, then, I too am of such a nature, why do I crave that Thou shouldest come to me, who were not, wert Thou not in me? For not yet am I gone down to hell, and yet Thou art there also. For "if I go down into hell, Thou art there also" (Ps. cxxxix. 7). I could not then be, O my God, I could not be at all, wert Thou not in me; or is it not rather that I could not be unless I were in Thee, "of whom are all things, by whom are all things, in whom are all things"? (Rom. xi. 36.) Even so, Lord, even so. Whither do I call Thee, since I am in Thee? or whence canst Thou come to me? for whither can I go away beyond heaven and earth, that thence my God should come to me, who hath said, "I fill heaven and earth" (Jer. xxiii. 24). CHAPTER III. God wholly filleth all things: but Him, nor Heaven, nor Earth D° containeth. heaven and earth then contain Thee, since Thou fillest them? or dost Thou fill them and yet more of Thee remaineth, since they do not contain Thee? or whether pourest Thou forth what remaineth of Thyself when the heaven and the earth are full? or hast Thou no need that Thou by aught shouldest be contained, since Thou containest all things, for what Thou dost fill by containing Thou dost fill? for the vessels which are full of Thee uphold Thee not, since, though they were broken, Thou wert not poured out. And when Thou art "poured out upon us (Joel ii. 28), Thou art not Thyself cast down, but Thou upliftest us; neither art Thou scattered, but Thou gatherest us. But Thou who fillest all things, fillest Thou them with Thy whole self? or, since all things cannot contain Thee wholly, do they contain a part of Thee? and all at once the same part? or does each contain its own part, the greater more, the smaller less? And is, then, one part of Thee greater, another less? or, art Thou wholly everywhere, though naught contains Thee wholly ? CHAPTER IV. The Majesty of God is supreme: and His perfections cannot be expressed. WHAT WHAT art Thou then, my God? what, I ask, but the Lord God? "For who is Lord but the Lord? or who is God except our God?" (Ps. xviii. 31, Vulg.). O Thou Most highest, most good, most potent, most omnipotent; most merciful, yet most just; most hidden, yet most present; fairest, yet most strong; firm fixed, yet incomprehensible; who changest not, yet changest all things; never new, never old; yet who makest all things new, and "bringest age upon the proud, and they know it not;" ever working, ever at rest; that gatherest, yet lackest nothing; that bearest, and fillest, and coverest; that createst, and nourishest, and makest perfect; that seekest, and yet possessest all things. Thou dost love without |