4. But nevertheless thou art bidden to say,
with arm outstretched towards him as though he were present, “I
renounce thee, Satan.” I wish also to say wherefore ye
stand facing to the West; for it is necessary. Since the West is
the region of sensible darkness, and he being darkness has his dominion
also in darkness, therefore, looking with a symbolical meaning towards
the West, ye renounce that dark and gloomy potentate. What then
did each of you stand up and say? “I renounce thee,
Satan,”—thou wicked and most cruel tyrant! meaning,
“I fear thy might no longer; for that Christ hath overthrown,
having partaken with me of flesh and blood, that through these He
might by death destroy death Heb. ii. 14, 15., that I might
not be made subject to bondage for ever.” “I
renounce thee,”—thou crafty and most subtle serpent.
“I renounce thee,”—plotter as thou art, who under the
guise of friendship didst contrive all disobedience, and work apostasy
in our first parents. “I renounce thee,
Satan,”—the artificer and abettor of all
wickedness.