Saint Augustine, The City of God, Vol. II

regarding good things, they hear: God loveth a cheerful giver. Likewise, as their weakness and strength may be, they fear to be tempted, they desire to be tempted; they grieve in temptations, they rejoice in temptations. For that they fear to be tempted, they hear: 5If any man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted; but that they may desire to be tempted, they hear a certain strong man of the city of God saying: Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins and my heart; that they may grieve in 10temptations, they see Peter weeping; that they may rejoice in temptations, they hear James saying: Count it all joy, my brethren, when you shall fall into divers temptations.

15Furthermore, they are moved by these affections not only for their own sakes, but also for the sake of those whom they desire to be liberated, and whom they fear will perish, and for whom they grieve if they perish and rejoice if they are liberated. Indeed, that best and strongest man, who glories in his weaknesses, that we may mention him most 20especially, who have come to the church of Christ from the Gentiles, the teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth, who labored more than all his fellow apostles and instructed the peoples of God with many epistles—not only those who were seen by him as present, but also those who were foreseen as future—that man, I say, the athlete of Christ, taught 25by Him, anointed by Him, crucified with Him, glorious in Him, in the theater of this world, where he was made a spectacle to both angels and men, lawfully contending in a great struggle and pursuing the prize of the heavenly calling in the things that are before, they look upon with eyes of faith and very gladly rejoice with those who rejoice...