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narrating the things of God! I have sinned against Him as no other person in the world has; let no one suppose that I say these things out of humility, for in truth I have sinned beyond all people in every deed of sin, to tell you in short, and I have worked wickedness. Nevertheless He called me, I know, and I obeyed immediately. But where did you suppose I meant He called me? Was it to the glory of the world or to luxuries or comforts, or was it at all to wealth or the friendship of rulers or to any other of the things seen here in this life? Away with the blasphemy! Rather, I said that He called me to repentance, and immediately I followed the Master who was calling; (227) so as He ran, I ran after Him; as He fled, I pursued like a dog after a hare. But when the Savior went far from me and was hidden, I for my part did not despair, nor did I turn back as though having lost Him, but in the place where I was, sitting down I would lament, I would weep and call back to the Master who was hidden from me. So then as I was writhing and crying out, He appeared to me, drawing very near. Seeing Him I would leap up, and I rushed to seize Him, but He would flee with speed, I would run vigorously, so often catching up I would grasp His fringe, He would stand for a little, I would rejoice greatly, and He would fly away, and again

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τοῦ Θεοῦ διηγούμενον! Ἥμαρτον αὐτῷ ὡς ἄλλος ἄνθρωπος οὐδείς ἐν κόσμῳ˙ μή με ταπεινώσει ταῦτα ὑπολάβῃς τις τοῦ λέγειν, ἀληθείᾳ ἥμαρτον γάρ ὕπερ ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους πᾶσαν πρᾶξιν ἁμαρτίας, ἵνα συνελών σοι εἴπω, καί κακίας εἰργασάμην. Πλήν ἐκάλεσέ με, οἶδα, καί ὑπήκουσα εὐθέως. Ποῦ δέ κεκληκέναι τοῦτον ὑπενόησας εἰπεῖν με; Μή πρός δόξαν τήν τοῦ κόσμου ἤ τρυφάς με ἤ ἀνέσεις, ἀλλά μή πρός πλοῦτον ὅλως ἤ φιλίαν με ἀρχόντων ἤ πρός ἄλλο τι τῶν ὧδε ἐν τῷ βίῳ ὁρωμένων; Ἄπαγε τῆς βλασφημίας! Πρός μετάνοιαν δέ εἶπον, ὅτι κέκληκέ με μᾶλλον, καί εὐθέως τῷ καλοῦντι ἠκολούθησα ∆εσπότῃ˙ (227) τρέχοντι οὖν κατέτρεχον, φεύγοντι οὖν ἐδίωκον ὡς τόν λαγωόν ὁ κύων. Μακρυθέντος ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ δέ καί κρυβέντος τοῦ Σωτῆρος οὐκ ἀπήλπιζον ἔγωγε, οὐδ᾿ ὡς ἀπολέσας τοῦτον ἐστρεφόμην εἰς τοὐπίσω, ἀλλ᾿ ἐν ᾧ εὑρέθην τόπῳ καθεζόμενος ἐθρήνουν, ἔκλαιον καί ἀντεκάλουν τόν κρυβέντα μοι ∆εσπότην. Οὕτως οὖν κυλινδομένῳ καί βοῶντί μοι ὡρᾶτο, ἔγγιστά μου πλησιάσας. Τοῦτον βλέπων ἀνεπήδων, ὥρμων δράξασθαι αὐτοῦ δέ, ἔφευγεν ἐκεῖνος τάχος, ἔτρεχον ἐγώ εὐτόνως, ἐδρασσόμην οὖν πολλάκις τοῦ κρασπέδου τούτου φθάνων, ἵστατο μικρόν ἐκεῖνος, ἔχαιρον ἐγώ μεγάλως, καί ἀφίπτατο, καί πάλιν