This quote hit home with me. As a lost sinner at an earlier time in my life, I prayed to God to have mercy on me. I wasn't praying to be saved or freed from sin but that God would have mercy and not let me perish in sin. I was not "ready" for salvation, as I thought it would be a dull and borning life but knew that one day I would want to live God's way and not my own. I knew that God was always willing and ready to take my sin away but it took me praying a different prayer to change. After years of the "have mercy on me" prayer, I began to pray, "Lord, take away my desire for worldy things." He did and my life was more exciting than ever before. Maybe Saint Augustine wasn't ready for self-restraint or chasity when he said this quote. Just a thought...