Nevertheless, when I perceived that I could not otherwise obtain her, except God gave her me; and that was a point of wisdom also to know whose gift she was; I prayed unto the Lord, and besought him, and with my whole heart I said,
Read Chapter 8
Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Continence is commanded of us. Where is this command? The apostle writes to Timothy, "Be continent!" It is a command, a precept"we must listen to it and put it into practice. But if God does not help us, we are unable to. We try to do something about it with our will, and the will engages in the attempt. Do not presume to do it without someone to help you in your weakness! You have certainly been commanded to be continent, but listen now to another passage of Scripture: "Knowing that no one can be continent unless God grants it to him, and that it was a gift of wisdom itself to know who was the giver of this gift." So what did he do? He says, "I turned to the Lord and implored him." What need is there, my brothers and sisters, to cite many passages? Whatever command is given us, we must pray so as to be able to carry it out. Clearly not in the sense that we must go off and, as lazy people do, lay on the ground on our backs, saying, "God will rain food in our faces, so we"ll have to do ...
"And this also was wisdom: to know whose gift it was." Therefore, if you have something from God and do not know from whom you have it, you will not receive a reward, since you will be ungrateful for it. If you do not know who gave it to you, you will not give thanks. And if you do not give thanks, you will also lose what you have. Indeed, "to him who has, more will be given." What is it to possess fully? To know from whom it comes. "But the one who does not have," that is, who does not know from whom it comes, "will lose even what he has." Finally, as it also says, "And precisely this was wisdom: to know from whom the gift came." The apostle Paul says this also when he exhorts us to give thanks to God in the Holy Spirit. And almost as if to respond to the question, How will we know the difference? he adds, "that we may know all that has been given to us by God." - "Sermon 283.2–3"
"I said, "Have mercy on me, O Lord. Heal me, for I have sinned against you." " So""I said." I do not, to excuse my sin, look for who sinned through me or who forced me to sin. I do not say that it was by chance or that Fate wanted it. And finally, I do not say that it was the devil. Certainly the devil has power to suggest, even to cause fear and even, if he is allowed, to seriously harass. But we must ask the Lord for strength, so that the seductions do not captivate us and the difficulties do not break us. Against the seductions and threats of the enemy he gives us two virtues: continence and patience. To curb pleasures, so that prosperity does not seduce us, and to endure fears, so that difficulties do not break us. "But knowing," it is written, "that no one can be continent unless it is granted him by God," we see that he asked him, "Create a pure heart in me, O God." And also, "Woe to those who have lost the strength to endure." - "Sermon 20.2"
There is a gift of God the Father, a gift of the Son and also a gift of the Holy Spirit. Concerning the Father the apostle says, "By grace you are saved through faith. And this is not from you, but it is the gift of God." About the Son, in Solomon, "Because no one can be continent without the gift of God, and it was precisely intelligence to know from whom this gift comes." The Holy Spirit, in Acts, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." - "Against Varimadus 3.86"
