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Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo, 354-430

"The Confessions of St. Augustine"

I
confess unto Thee Thy gifts, O Lord my God, Creator of all, and
abundantly able to reform our deformities: for I had no part in that
boy, but the sin. For that we brought him up in Thy discipline, it was
Thou, none else, had inspired us with it. I confess unto Thee Thy
gifts. There is a book of ours entitled The Master; it is a dialogue
between him and me. Thou knowest that all there ascribed to the person
conversing with me were his ideas, in his sixteenth year. Much
besides, and yet more admirable, I found in him. That talent struck
awe into me. And who but Thou could be the workmaster of such wonders?
Soon didst Thou take his life from the earth: and I now remember him
without anxiety, fearing nothing for his childhood or youth, or his
whole self. Him we joined with us, our contemporary in grace, to he
brought up in Thy discipline: and we were baptised, and anxiety for
our past life vanished from us. Nor was I sated in those days with the
wondrous sweetness of considering the depth of Thy counsels concerning
the salvation of mankind.


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