he is; and yet if he does not remember, and the divine Scriptures concerning the love of
192 THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN. [Book XIV.
worthy of credit. But if you do remember him, then no doubt you return to your own memory, and find in it that which had not been altogether blotted out by forgetfulness. Let us return to that which led us to adduce this instance from the intercourse of men. Among other things,the 9th Psalm says, '* The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God;''4 and again the 22d Psalm, and going about to establish their own wisdom, they are not subject to the wisdom of God.
16. There is, then, a nature not made, which made all other natures, great and small, and is without doubt more excellent than those which it has made, and therefore also than that of which we are speaking; zzz. than the rational and intellectual nature, which is the mind of man, made after the image of Him who made it. And that nature, more excellent than the rest, is God. And indeed
the ends of the world shall be reminded, and turned unto the Lord.''5 These nations, then, will not so have forgotten God as to be
He is not far from every one of us,'' as the apostle says, who adds, '* For in Him we live, and are moved, and have our being.''* And if this were said in respect to the body, it might be understood even of this corporeal world; for in it too in respect to the body, we live, and are moved, and have our being. And therefore it ought to be taken in a more excellent way, and one that is spiritual, not visible, in respect to the mind, whichis made after His image For what is there that is not in Him, of whom it is divinely written, '' For of Him, and through Him, and in Him, are all things''?? If, then, all things are in Him, in whom can any possibly live that do live, or be moved that are moved, except in Him in whom they are? Yet all are not with Him in that way in which it is said to unable to remember Him when reminded of Him; yet, by forgetting God, as though forgetting their own life, they had been turned into death, z.e. into hell. But when reminded they are turned to the Lord, as though coming to life again by remembering their proper life which they had forgotten. It is read also in the 94th Psalm, '' Perceive now, ye who are unwise among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wise? He that planted the ear, shall He not hear?"' etc.? For this is spoken to those, who said vain things concerning God through not understanding Him.
CHAP. 14.—-THE MIND LOVES GOD IN RIGHTLY
LOVING ITSELF; AND IF IT LOVE NOT GOD, IT MUST BE SAID TO HATE ITSELF, EVEN A WEAK AND ERRING MIND IS ALWAYS STRONG IN REMEMBERING, UNDERSTANDING, AND LOVING ITSELF, LET IT BE TURNED TO GOD, THAT IT MAY BE BLESSED BY REMEMBERING, UNDERSTANDING, AND LOVING HIM.
Him, "'I am continually with Thee.''3 Nor is He with all in that way in which we say, The Lord be with you, And so it is the especial wretchedness of man not to be with Him, without whom he cannot be. For, beyond a doubt, he is not without Him in whom he is; and yet if he does not remember, and understand, and love Him, he is not with Him. And when any one absolutely forgets a thing, certainly it is impossible even to remind him of it.
18. But there are yet more testimonies in the divine Scriptures concerning the love of God. For init, those other two [namely, memory and understanding] are understood by consequence, inasmuch as no one loves that which he does not remember, or of which he is wholly ignorant. And hence is that well known and primary commandment, '' Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.''® The human mind, then, is so constituted, that at no time does it not remember, and understand, and love itself. But since he who hates any one is anxious to injure him, not undeservedly is the mind of man also said to hate itself when it injures itself. For it wills ill to itself through ignorance, in that it does not think that what it wills is prejudicial to it; but it none the less does will ill to itself, when it
CHAP. 13. —- HOW ANY ONE CAN FORGET AND REMEMBER GOD.
17. Let us take an instance for the purpose from visible things. Somebody whom you do not recognize,says to you, You knowme; and in order to remind you, tells you where,when, and how he became known to you; and if, after the mention of every sign by which you might be recalled to remembrance, you still do not recognize him, then you have so come to forget, as that the whole of that knowledge is altogether blotted out of your mind; and nothing else remains, but that you take his word for it who tells you that you once knew him; or do not even do that, if you do not think the person who speaks to you to be wills what would be prejudicial to it. }hence it is written, '' He that loveth iniquity,
And hateth his own soul.''9 He, therefore, who knows how to love himself, loves God; but
4 Ps, ix. 17. 5 Ps. xxii, 6 [Augustin here understands " § eol, "» to denote the place of retribution for the wicked. pet. G. T t Acts xvii. 27, 28. 2 Rom. xi. 36. 3 Ps, Ixxiii. 23.
7 Ps. xciv. 8, 9. 8 Deut. vi. 5. 9 .Psixios.