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- confessions
- text
- It is one thing then for a man to think that to be ill which is good,
as the forenamed do; another, that that which is good, a man should see
that it is good (as Thy creatures be pleasing unto many, because they
be good, whom yet Thou pleasest not in them, when they prefer to enjoy
them, to Thee); and another, that when a man sees a thing that it is
good, God should in him see that it is good, so, namely, that He should
be loved in that which He made, Who cannot be loved, but by the Holy
Ghost which He hath given. Because the love of God is shed abroad in our
hearts by the Holy Ghost, Which is given unto us: by Whom we see that
whatsoever in any degree is, is good. For from Him it is, who Himself Is
not in degree, but what He Is, Is.
Thanks to Thee, O Lord. We behold the heaven and earth, whether the
corporeal part, superior and inferior, or the spiritual and corporeal
creature; and in the adorning of these parts, whereof the universal pile
of the world, or rather the universal creation, doth consist, we see
light made, and divided from the darkness. We see the firmament of
heaven, whether that primary body of the world, between the spiritual
upper waters and the inferior corporeal waters, or (since this also
is called heaven) this space of air through which wander the fowls of
heaven, betwixt those waters which are in vapours borne above them, and
in clear nights distill down in dew; and those heavier waters which flow
along the earth. We behold a face of waters gathered together in the
fields of the sea; and the dry land both void, and formed so as to be
visible and harmonized, yea and the matter of herbs and trees. We behold
the lights shining from above, the sun to suffice for the day, the moon
and the stars to cheer the night; and that by all these, times should
be marked and signified. We behold on all sides a moist element,
replenished with fishes, beasts, and birds; because the grossness of
the air, which bears up the flights of birds, thickeneth itself by the
exhalation of the waters. We behold the face of the earth decked out
with earthly creatures, and man, created after Thy image and likeness,
even through that Thy very image and likeness (that is the power of
reason and understanding), set over all irrational creatures. And as
in his soul there is one power which has dominion by directing, another
made subject, that it might obey; so was there for the man, corporeally
also, made a woman, who in the mind of her reasonable understanding
should have a parity of nature, but in the sex of her body, should be in
like manner subject to the sex of her husband, as the appetite of doing
is fain to conceive the skill of right-doing from the reason of
the mind. These things we behold, and they are severally good, and
altogether very good.
Let Thy works praise Thee, that we may love Thee; and let us love Thee,
that Thy works may praise Thee, which from time have beginning and
ending, rising and setting, growth and decay, form and privation. They
have then their succession of morning and evening, part secretly, part
apparently; for they were made of nothing, by Thee, not of Thee; not of
any matter not Thine, or that was before, but of matter concreated (that
is, at the same time created by Thee), because to its state without
form, Thou without any interval of time didst give form. For seeing
the matter of heaven and earth is one thing, and the form another, Thou
madest the matter of merely nothing, but the form of the world out of
the matter without form: yet both together, so that the form should
follow the matter, without any interval of delay.
We have also examined what Thou willedst to be shadowed forth, whether
by the creation, or the relation of things in such an order. And we have
seen, that things singly are good, and together very good, in Thy Word,
in Thy Only-Begotten, both heaven and earth, the Head and the body of
the Church, in Thy predestination before all times, without morning
and evening. But when Thou begannest to execute in time the things
predestinated, to the end Thou mightest reveal hidden things, and
rectify our disorders; for our sins hung over us, and we had sunk into
the dark deep; and Thy good Spirit was borne over us, to help us in due
season; and Thou didst justify the ungodly, and dividest them from the
wicked; and Thou madest the firmament of authority of Thy Book between
those placed above, who were to be docile unto Thee, and those under,
who were to be subject to them: and Thou gatheredst together the society
of unbelievers into one conspiracy, that the zeal of the faithful might
appear, and they might bring forth works of mercy, even distributing to
the poor their earthly riches, to obtain heavenly. And after this didst
Thou kindle certain lights in the firmament, Thy Holy ones, having the
word of life; and shining with an eminent authority set on high through
spiritual gifts; after that again, for the initiation of the unbelieving
Gentiles, didst Thou out of corporeal matter produce the Sacraments, and
visible miracles, and forms of words according to the firmament of Thy
Book, by which the faithful should be blessed and multiplied. Next
didst Thou form the living soul of the faithful, through affections well
ordered by the vigour of continency: and after that, the mind subjected
to Thee alone and needing to imitate no human authority, hast Thou
renewed after Thy image and likeness; and didst subject its rational
actions to the excellency of the understanding, as the woman to the man;
and to all Offices of Thy Ministry, necessary for the perfecting of the
faithful in this life, Thou willedst, that for their temporal uses, good
things, fruitful to themselves in time to come, be given by the same
faithful. All these we see, and they are very good, because Thou seest
them in us, Who hast given unto us Thy Spirit, by which we might see
them, and in them love Thee.
O Lord God, give peace unto us: (for Thou hast given us all things;) the
peace of rest, the peace of the Sabbath, which hath no evening. For
all this most goodly array of things very good, having finished their
courses, is to pass away, for in them there was morning and evening.
But the seventh day hath no evening, nor hath it setting; because Thou
hast sanctified it to an everlasting continuance; that that which Thou
didst after Thy works which were very good, resting the seventh day,
although Thou madest them in unbroken rest, that may the voice of
Thy Book announce beforehand unto us, that we also after our works
(therefore very good, because Thou hast given them us), shall rest in
Thee also in the Sabbath of eternal life.
For then shalt Thou rest in us, as now Thou workest in us; and so shall
that be Thy rest through us, as these are Thy works through us. But
Thou, Lord, ever workest, and art ever at rest. Nor dost Thou see in
time, nor art moved in time, nor restest in a time; and yet Thou makest
things seen in time, yea the times themselves, and the rest which
results from time.
We therefore see these things which Thou madest, because they are: but
they are, because Thou seest them. And we see without, that they are,
and within, that they are good, but Thou sawest them there, when made,
where Thou sawest them, yet to be made. And we were at a later time
moved to do well, after our hearts had conceived of Thy Spirit; but in
the former time we were moved to do evil, forsaking Thee; but Thou, the
One, the Good God, didst never cease doing good. And we also have some
good works, of Thy gift, but not eternal; after them we trust to rest in
Thy great hallowing. But Thou, being the Good which needeth no good, art
ever at rest, because Thy rest is Thou Thyself. And what man can teach
man to understand this? or what Angel, an Angel?