Augustine 400 AD

“And it was now a joy to put away what I formerly feared to lose.For thou didst cast them away from me, O true and highest Sweetness. Thou didstcast them away, and in their place thou didst enter in thyself–sweeter than allpleasure, though not to flesh and blood; brighter than all light, but more veiled thanall mystery; more exalted than all honor, though not to them that are exalted intheir own eyes. Now was my soul free from the gnawing cares of seeking andgetting, of wallowing in the mire and scratching the itch of lust. And I prattled likea child to thee, O Lord my God–my light, my riches, and my salvation.”