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9. Haste, Lord, and act; stir us up, and call us back; inflame
us, and draw us to Thee; stir us up, and grow sweet unto us; let us
now love Thee, let us "run after Thee." Do not many men, out of
a deeper hell of blindness than that of Victorinus, return unto
Thee, and approach, and are enlightened, receiving that light,
which they that receive, receive power from Thee to become Thy sons?
But if they be less known among the people, even they that know them
joy less for them. For when many rejoice together, the joy of each
one is the fuller in that they are incited and inflamed by one another.
Again, because those that are known to many influence many towards
salvation, and take the lead with many to follow them. And,
therefore, do they also who preceded them much rejoice in regard to
them, because they rejoice not in them alone. May it be averted that
in Thy tabernacle the persons of the rich should be accepted before the
poor, or the noble before the ignoble; since rather "Thou hast
chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are
mighty and base things of the world, and things which are despised,
hast Thou chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught
things that are." And yet, even that "least of the apostles," by
whose tongue Thou soundest out these words, when Paulus the
proconsuls his pride overcome by the apostle's warfare was made
to pass under the easy yokes of Thy Christ, and became a provincial
of the great King, he also, instead of Saul, his former name,
desired to be called Paul, in testimony of so great a victory. For
the enemy is more overcome in one of whom he hath more hold, and by
whom he hath hold of more. But the proud hath he more hold of by
reason of their nobility; and by them of more, by reason of their
authority? By how much the more welcome, then, was the heart of
Victorinus esteemed, which the devil had held as an unassailable
retreat, and the tongue of Victorinus, with which mighty and cutting
weapon he had slain many; so much the more abundantly should Thy sons
rejoice, seeing that our King hath bound the strong man? and they saw
his vessels taken from him and cleansed, and made meet for Thy
honour, and become serviceable for the Lord unto every good work?
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