to see what I had read: I showed him; and he looked even further
than I had read, and I knew not what followed. This followed, him that
is weak in the faith, receive; which he applied to himself, and
disclosed to me. And by this admonition was he strengthened; and by
a good resolution and purpose, and most corresponding to his
character, wherein he did always very far differ from me, for the
better, without any turbulent delay he joined me. Thence we go in to
my mother; we tell her; she rejoiceth: we relate in order how it
took place; she leaps for joy, and triumpheth, and blesseth Thee,
Who are able to do above that which we ask or think; for she perceived
that Thou hadst given her more for me, than she was wont to beg by her
pitiful and most sorrowful groanings. For thou convertedst me unto
Thyself, so that I sought neither wife, nor any hope of this world,
standing in that rule of faith, where Thou hadst showed me unto her in
a vision, so many years before. And Thou didst convert her mourning
into joy, much more plentiful than she had desired, and in a much more
precious and purer way than she erst required, by having grandchildren
of my body.
BOOK IX
O Lord, I am Thy servant; I am Thy servant, and the son of Thy
handmaid: Thou hast broken my bonds in sunder. I will offer to Thee
the sacrifice of Let my heart and my tongue praise Thee; yea, let
all my bones say, O Lord, who is like unto Thee? Let them say, and
answer Thou me, and say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Who am I,
and what am I? What evil have not been either my deeds, or if not my
deeds, my words, or if not my words, my will? But Thou, O Lord, are
good and merciful, and Thy right hand had respect unto the depth of my
death, and from the bottom of my heart emptied that abyss of
corruption. And this Thy whole gift was, to nill what I willed, and to
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