A.D. 427
Seventy-two years have I lived now. Praise be to you, My Life, for every one of them. And here I sit with my many books before me. What are they to you, O Lord? I have written them for you, and now I give them to you once more, one last time. If you give me days enough, before my body fails me, before the Vandals come and burn them, I will read them once again and I will measure them against the rule of faith and the Truth which You are, as you give me strength and wisdom so to do.
In these books is my best, O Lord: My sharp swords against the heresies of the Donatists and against Pelagius, who blasphemed your grace. And my City of God, by which I made apologia for those who blamed you for the demise of all the greatness of Rome. And my sweet Confessions, by which I sought to honor you for how you sought and found me. And all the teachings and sermons and letters I have penned in your service. Through the fire of your perfect law will these be refined, and now I hold them up and pray You: May the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
So I will take it back, what I have said, if I have said it against the truth. And I will hope that I may lead none astray. Such as I have give I Thee, O my Perfect God and Savior of my Soul.
Seventy-two years have I lived now. Praise be to you, My Life, for every one of them. And here I sit with my many books before me. What are they to you, O Lord? I have written them for you, and now I give them to you once more, one last time. If you give me days enough, before my body fails me, before the Vandals come and burn them, I will read them once again and I will measure them against the rule of faith and the Truth which You are, as you give me strength and wisdom so to do.
In these books is my best, O Lord: My sharp swords against the heresies of the Donatists and against Pelagius, who blasphemed your grace. And my City of God, by which I made apologia for those who blamed you for the demise of all the greatness of Rome. And my sweet Confessions, by which I sought to honor you for how you sought and found me. And all the teachings and sermons and letters I have penned in your service. Through the fire of your perfect law will these be refined, and now I hold them up and pray You: May the words of my mouth and meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
So I will take it back, what I have said, if I have said it against the truth. And I will hope that I may lead none astray. Such as I have give I Thee, O my Perfect God and Savior of my Soul.
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