in which Adam was created, and which is restored in Christ.
176 SAINT A UGUSTINE - SERMONS
Expositions of the Psalms 127, 15—Optas ut crescant [filii], ut accedat aetas optas. Sed vide quia veniente pueritia moritur infantia, veniente adolescentia moritur pueritia, veniente juventute moritur adolescentia, veniente senectute moritur juventus, veniente morte moritur omnis aetas ... Nati pueri tamquam hoc dicunt parentibus: "Eja, cogitate ire hinc; agamus et nos mimum nostrum." Mimus est generis humani tota vita tentationis. (English translation: You want your children to grow, to come of age. But notice that when boyhood comes infancy dies, when adolescence comes boyhood dies, when youth comes adolescence dies, when old age comes youth dies, when death comes every age dies ... It's as if what children say to their parents when bom is this: "Hey, think about moving on; we too must perform our farce." The human race's whole life of trial is just a farce.)
I compared the two texts in an article on "St. Augustine as a Preacher" in Blackfriars, November 1954, a number devoted to commemorating the centenary of his birth. 34. This almost meaningless sentence would have been far better left out. 35. See Ps 77:10, Vulg. 36. See Col 3:12; Rom 8:30. 37. See Ps 2:3. He rather slips up here in this endless daisy chain of psalm texts, because this is what the kings of the earth are saying against the Lord and his anointed. I have the feeling that this plethora of quotations is the fruit of his study leave of absence, which he had asked Bishop Valerius for when he was ordained presbyter (Letter 21); and that this is the first sermon he ever preached.
38. See Ps 69:11.10. 39. See note 25 above. 40. See Mt 25:33. 41. See Lk 15:11-14. The first robe is interpreted as meaning the robe of innocence and grace in which Adam was created, and which is restored in Christ.
42. The meaning, I imagine, is that their bodies betrayed no signs of possession by evil spirits.