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  1 Pre|          contemplates God, and seeks to understand what he believes.
  2 Pre|         understand what he believes. To this work he had given this
  3 Pre|              many arguments, I began to ask myself whether there
  4 Pre|              and alone would suffice to demonstrate that God truly
  5 Pre|        earnestly directed my thought to this end, and at some times
  6 Pre|           that which I sought seemed to be just within my reach,
  7 Pre|          last in despair I was about to cease, as if from the search
  8 Pre|             found. But when I wished to exclude this thought altogether,
  9 Pre|             lest, by busying my mind to no purpose, it should keep
 10 Pre|             and shunned it, it began to force itself upon me, with
 11 Pre|      therefore, that what I rejoiced to have found, would, if put
 12 Pre|           put in writing, be welcome to some readers, of this very
 13 Pre|            person of one who strives to lift his mind to the contemplation
 14 Pre|             strives to lift his mind to the contemplation of God,
 15 Pre|      contemplation of God, and seeks to understand what he believes.
 16 Pre|            mentioned above, deserved to be called a book, or to
 17 Pre|              to be called a book, or to bear the name of an author;
 18 Pre|             I thought they ought not to be sent forth without some
 19 Pre|           into whose hands they fell to their perusal. I accordingly
 20 Pre|              Gaul, who instructed me to this effect on his apostolic
 21 Pre|            his apostolic authority --to prefix my name to these
 22 Pre|        authority --to prefix my name to these writings. And that
 23 1  |              Exhortation of the mind to the contemplation of God. --
 24 1  |            seek Him. Man was created to see God. Man by sin lost
 25 1  |           The believer does not seek to understand, that he may
 26 1  |            room for some little time to God; and rest for a little
 27 1  |            my whole heart! speak now to God, saying, I seek your
 28 1  |           light, or how shall I come to it? Or who shall lead me
 29 1  |             it? Or who shall lead me to that light and into it,
 30 1  |             from your face? He pants to see you, and your face is
 31 1  |           too far from him. He longs to come to you, and your dwelling-place
 32 1  |           from him. He longs to come to you, and your dwelling-place
 33 1  |            inaccessible. He is eager to find you, and knows not
 34 1  |           not your place. He desires to seek you, and does not know
 35 1  |               Finally, I was created to see you, and not yet have
 36 1  |            hurled? Whither consigned to ruin? From a native country
 37 1  |       striving? How far have I come? To what did I aspire? Amid
 38 1  |            inmost thoughts. I wished to smile in the joy of my mind,
 39 1  |             mind, and I am compelled to frown by the sorrow of my
 40 1  |            will you restore yourself to us? Look upon us, Lord;
 41 1  |        enlighten us, reveal yourself to us. Restore yourself to
 42 1  |              to us. Restore yourself to us, that it may be well
 43 1  |              Lord, in hunger I began to seek you; I beseech you
 44 1  |             you that I may not cease to hunger for you. In hunger
 45 1  |           you. In hunger I have come to you; let me not go unfed.
 46 1  |               I have come in poverty to the Rich, in misery to the
 47 1  |       poverty to the Rich, in misery to the Compassionate; let me
 48 1  |            close over me.~Be it mine to look up to your light, even
 49 1  |            me.~Be it mine to look up to your light, even from afar,
 50 1  |            from the depths. Teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself
 51 1  |             you, and reveal yourself to me, when I seek you, for
 52 1  |             do not endeavor, O Lord, to penetrate your sublimity,
 53 1  |  understanding with that; but I long to understand in some degree
 54 1  |             loves. For I do not seek to understand that I may believe,
 55 1  |               but I believe in order to understand. For this also
 56 2  |            who do give understanding to faith, give me, so far as
 57 2  |             so far as you knowest it to be profitable, to understand
 58 2  |         knowest it to be profitable, to understand that you are
 59 2  |            he does not understand it to exist.~For, it is one thing
 60 2  |              one thing for an object to be in the understanding,
 61 2  |           understanding, and another to understand that the object
 62 2  |           does not yet understand it to be, because he has not yet
 63 2  |             then it can be conceived to exist in reality; which
 64 3  |              cannot be conceived not to exist. --God is that, than
 65 3  |           which can be conceived not to exist is not God.~AND it
 66 3  |              cannot be conceived not to exist. For, it is possible
 67 3  |           exist. For, it is possible to conceive of a being which
 68 3  |              cannot be conceived not to exist; and this is greater
 69 3  |           which can be conceived not to exist. Hence, if that, than
 70 3  |      conceived, can be conceived not to exist, it is not that, than
 71 3  |             greater can be conceived to exist, that it cannot even
 72 3  |         cannot even be conceived not to exist;. and this being you
 73 3  |             can not be conceived not to exist; and rightly. For,
 74 3  |          alone, can be conceived not to exist. To you alone, therefore,
 75 3  |              conceived not to exist. To you alone, therefore, it
 76 3  |         alone, therefore, it belongs to exist more truly than all
 77 3  |             a less degree it belongs to it to exist. Why, then,
 78 3  |              degree it belongs to it to exist. Why, then, has the
 79 3  |              since it is so evident, to a rational mind, that you
 80 4  |             God can be conceived not to exist; in reality he cannot.~
 81 4  |          heart? since it is the same to say in the heart, and to
 82 4  |             to say in the heart, and to conceive.~But, if really,
 83 4  |             God can be conceived not to exist; but in the latter,
 84 4  |          water are can conceive fire to be water, in accordance
 85 4  |           this is possible according to the words. So, then, no
 86 4  |             that if I were unwilling to believe that you do exist,
 87 4  |             I should not be able not to understand this to be true.~ ~
 88 4  |          able not to understand this to be true.~ ~
 89 5  |             is whatever it is better to be than not to be; and he,
 90 5  |             is better to be than not to be; and he, as the only
 91 5  |            and whatever it is better to be than not to be. For it
 92 5  |             is better to be than not to be. For it is better to
 93 5  |              to be. For it is better to be just than not just; better
 94 5  |           just than not just; better to be blessed than not blessed.~ ~
 95 6  |        passionless; for it is better to be these than not be. He
 96 6  |         improperly said in some sort to feel.~BUT, although it is
 97 6  |        although it is better for you to be sensible, omnipotent,
 98 6  | compassionate, passionless, than not to be these things; how are
 99 6  |              Spirit, who is superior to body? But, if feeling is
100 6  |  inappropriately said, in some sort, to feel.~Therefore, O Lord,
101 7  |           which he is not capable. --To be capable of being corrupted,
102 7  |          make what has been done not to have been done, and the
103 7  |       capable of all things? Or else to be capable of these things
104 7  |             and of what he ought not to do; and the more capable
105 7  |       impotence. For, he is not said to be able because he is able
106 7  |             applied, as when we use "to be" for "not to be," and "
107 7  |              we use "to be" for "not to be," and "to do" for what
108 7  |            be" for "not to be," and "to do" for what is really not
109 7  |               for what is really not to do, "or to do nothing."
110 7  |             is really not to do, "or to do nothing." For, often
111 7  |          nothing." For, often we say to a man who denies the existence
112 7  |      something: "It is as you say it to be," though it might seem
113 7  |            it might seem more proper to say, "It is not, as you
114 7  |             that man does"; although to sit is not to do anything,
115 7  |               although to sit is not to do anything, and to rest
116 7  |              not to do anything, and to rest is to do nothing.~So,
117 7  |             anything, and to rest is to do nothing.~So, then, when
118 7  |               then, when one is said to have the power of doing
119 7  |           good, or what he ought not to do, impotence is understood
120 8  |            wretched ; but this it is to be compassionate. But if
121 8  |           comes so great consolation to the wretched? How, then,
122 9  |             He is better who is good to the righteous and the wicked
123 9  |           wicked than he who is good to the righteous alone. Although
124 9  |        powerful, should be good even to the wicked, and should make
125 9  |        wicked good. If God ought not to pity, he pities unjustly.
126 9  |               But this it is impious to suppose. Therefore, God
127 9  |             Or, what justice is that to give him who merits eternal
128 9  |            then, gracious Lord, good to the righteous and the wicked,
129 9  |          just, yet you are kind even to the wicked, even because
130 9  |            good if you were not kind to any wicked being. For, he
131 9  |            For, he who is good, both to the righteous and the wicked,
132 9  |           better than he who is good to the wicked alone; and he
133 9  |            alone; and he who is good to the wicked, both by punishing
134 9  |           goodness that you are good to those who sin against you;
135 9  |             concept of justice seems to demand. But, when you do
136 9  |            supremely Good has willed to do this, we wonder why the
137 9  |         supremely just has been able to will this.~O compassion,
138 9  |          abundance do you well forth to us! O boundless goodness
139 9  |               For, though it is hard to understand how your compassion
140 9  |            whose light seek; help me to understand what I say.~Truly,
141 9  |            not done justly ought not to be done; and what ought
142 9  |             done; and what ought not to be done is done unjustly.
143 9  |            the wicked, you ought not to pity them. And, if you ought
144 9  |          them. And, if you ought not to pity them, you pity them
145 9  |       unjustly. And if It is impious to suppose this, it is right
146 9  |            suppose this, it is right to believe that you justly
147 10 |           wicked, is just, according to his own nature because he
148 10 |            he is not just, according to our nature, because he does
149 10 |           you are as just, according to your nature, but not according
150 10 |            nature, but not according to ours, as you are compassionate,
151 10 |             compassionate, according to our nature, and not according
152 10 |            nature, and not according to yours; seeing that, as in
153 10 |             it would be just for you to destroy, you are compassionate,
154 11 |             not also just, according to your nature, O Lord, that
155 11 |            you did only render goods to the good, and not evils
156 11 |              the good, and not evils to the evil. For, he who requites
157 11 |              good and evil according to their deserts is more just
158 11 |           therefore, just, according to your nature, O just and
159 11 |          that those whom you do will to punish should be saved,
160 11 |          that those whom you do will to spare should be condemned.
161 11 |             any way why you can will to save the wicked, yet by
162 11 |            and whatever it is better to be than not to be.~ ~
163 11 |             is better to be than not to be.~ ~
164 12 |        goodness whereby you are good to the righteous and the wicked;
165 13 |              not only does not cease to be, but also does not begin
166 13 |              but also does not begin to be.~BUT everything that
167 13 |          other spirits also are said to be uncircumscribed and eternal?~
168 13 |         beings not only do not cease to be but also do not begin
169 13 |             be but also do not begin to be.~But how are you alone
170 13 |            another. And this is seen to be true of corporeal things
171 13 |               And this is understood to be true of you alone. But
172 14 |              God. You have found him to be a being which is the
173 14 |         which you have conceived him to be, with so certain truth
174 14 |              found him whom it found to be light and truth? For
175 14 |           creator and renewer, speak to the desire of my soul, what
176 14 |          what it desires. It strains to see you more; and sees nothing
177 14 |         every truth that gives light to the rational mind? How great
178 16 |            the eye of my soul endure to gaze upon it long. It is
179 16 |              from me, who am so near to you! How far removed are
180 16 |          vision, though I am so near to yours! Everywhere you are
181 16 |             being; and I cannot come to you. You are within me,
182 17 |              sweetness, pleasantness to the touch, beauty, after
183 17 |          manner, who hast given them to objects created by you,
184 18 |             with need. I desired now to feast, and lo, I hunger
185 18 |               I hunger more. I tried to rise to the light of God,
186 18 |         hunger more. I tried to rise to the light of God, and I
187 18 |            easily, and wickedly lost to himself and to us that which
188 18 |         wickedly lost to himself and to us that which when we wish
189 18 |              that which when we wish to seek it, we do not know;
190 18 |          shall my heart conceive you to be?~Assuredly you are life,
191 18 |           But these things are alien to you, than whom nothing better
192 19 |            and are, and will be; and to have been is not to be destined
193 19 |              and to have been is not to be destined to be; and to
194 19 |           been is not to be destined to be; and to be is not to
195 19 |            to be destined to be; and to be is not to have been,
196 19 |              to be; and to be is not to have been, or to be destined
197 19 |              is not to have been, or to be destined to be; how does
198 19 |              been, or to be destined to be; how does your eternity
199 19 |            nothing of it is destined to be, as if it were not yet?~
200 20 |              eternity which is still to be, and have no longer that
201 20 |          less, if they should return to nothingness? For so, in
202 20 |        because they can be conceived to have an end; but you by
203 20 |              their eternity which is to come, just as they no longer
204 20 |             yourself, and since that to which they have not yet
205 22 |             and can be conceived not to exist, and unless it subsists
206 22 |              something else, returns to non-existence; and what
207 22 |               you are all-sufficient to yourself, and need none;
208 23 |          from Father and Son unequal to the Father or the Son, for
209 23 |          good is the one love common to you and to your Son, that
210 23 |           one love common to you and to your Son, that is, the Holy
211 23 |             this love is not unequal to you or to your Son; seeing
212 23 |             is not unequal to you or to your Son; seeing that you
213 23 |             and he, you and himself, to the whole extent of your
214 23 |            him, which is not unequal to you and to him. Nor can
215 23 |            is not unequal to you and to him. Nor can anything proceed
216 24 |          CHAPTER XXIV.~Conjecture as to the character and the magnitude
217 25 |          goods and how great, belong to those who enjoy this good. --
218 25 |          good? And what shall belong to him, and what shall not
219 25 |            and what shall not belong to him? At any rate, whatever
220 25 |            of God will reveal itself to them. If friendship, they
221 25 |            they shall have all power to fulfil their will, as God
222 25 |            fulfil their will, as God to fulfil his. For, as God
223 25 |               as God will have power to do what he wills, through
224 25 |             have power, through him, to do what they will. For,
225 25 |            he shall will cannot fail to be. If honor and riches,
226 26 |            that life.~I pray, O God, to know you, to love you, that
227 26 |            pray, O God, to know you, to love you, that I may rejoice
228 26 |               And if I cannot attain to full joy in this life may
229 26 |            at least advance from day to day, until that joy shall
230 26 |            until that joy shall come to the full. Let the knowledge
231 26 |               nay, you do counsel us to ask; and you do promise