City of God

I just began reading Augustine's City of God. Augustine wrote this magnificient work over fourteen years due to his friend's, Marcellinius, request. A procounsel of the Roman Empire, Volusianus was in dialogue with Marcellinius and accused the Christians and their ethics for the fall of Rome. Marcellinius sent word to Augustine for a reply against these accusations. Augustine's entire City of God is twenty-two books, about three volumes. I am reading the abridged version. From time to time I will post certain quotes or blocks of text in order to share certain gems of Augustine's great work.

Nevertheless, God's patience is an invitation to the wicked to do penance, just as God's scourge is a school of patience for the good. In like manner, God's mercy embraces the good with love, just as His severith corrects the wicked with punishement. It has pleased Divine Providence to prepare for the just joys in the world to come in which the unjust will have no part; and for the impious, pains which will not afflict the virtuous. But, as for the paltry goods and evils of this transitory world, these He allotted alike to just and unjust, in order that men might not seek too eagerly after those goods which they see even the wicked to possess, or shrink too readily from those ills which commonly afflict the just.

Book 1 chapter 8