of which he repented. On this account, also, we are bidden to say, “I renounce thee, Satan,” in order that we may never more return to him.535 As therefore happens in the case of painters from life, so let it happen in your case. For they, arranging their boards, and tracing white lines upon them, and sketching the royal likeness in outline, before they apply the actual colors, rub out some lines, and change some for others, rectifying mistakes, and altering what is amiss with all freedom. But when they put on the coloring for good, it is no longer in their power to rub out again, and to change one thing for another, since they injure the beauty of the portrait, and the result becomes an eyesore. Consider that thy soul is the por- trait; before therefore the true coloring of the spirit comes, wipe out habits which have wrongly been implanted in thee, whether swearing, or falsehood, or insolence, or base talking, or jesting, or whatever else thou hast a habit of doing of things unlawful. Away with the habit, in order that thou mayest not return to it, after baptism. The laver causes the sins to disappear. Correct thy habits, so that when the colors are applied, and the royal likeness is brought out, thou mayest no more wipe them out in the future; and add damage and scars to the beauty which has been given thee by God.536 Restrain therefore anger, extinguish passion. Be not thou vexed, be sympathizing, be not exasperated, nor say, “I have been injured in regard to my soul.” No one is injured in regard to the soul if we do not injure ourselves in regard to the soul; and how this is, I now say. Has any one taken away thy substance? He has not injured thee in regard to thy soul, but thy money. But if thou cherish ill-will against him, thou hast injured thyself in regard to thy soul. For the money taken away has wrought thee no damage, nay has even been profitable, but thou by not dismissing thine anger wilt give account in the other world for this cherishing of ill-will. Has any one reviled thee and insulted thee. He has in no way injured thy soul, and not even thy body. Hast thou reviled in return and insulted? Thou hast injured thyself in regard to thy soul, for for the words which thou hast said thou art about to render account there; and this I wish you to know chiefly of all, that the Christian, and faithful man, no one is able to injure in regard to the soul, not even the devil himself; and not only is this wonderful, that God hath made us inac- cessible to all his designs, but that he has constituted us fit for the practice of virtue, and there is no hinderance, if we will, even though we be poor, weak in body, outcast, nameless, bondservants. For neither poverty, nor infirmity, nor deformity of body, nor servitude, nor 535 Alluding to the vow of renunciation made by converts at baptism. A specimen of this vow may be read in the so-called Apostolic Constitutions, vii. c. 42. “I renounce Satan and his works, and his pomps, and his service, and his angels, and his inventions, and all things that belong or are subject to him.” This vow of renun- ciation was uttered by the catechumens in the porch or ante-chamber of the baptistery with outstretched hands, and faces turned westwards. See below in Chapter V. 536 The illustration is that of a portrait-painter making a likeness of the emperor, and there seems to be an allusion also to the divine image in which man was originally made. 232 Second Instruction.