demand, and after going forth, met with no forgiveness; thou, both stirring up the Master
to (exacting) this forbidden payment, and doing this before his eyes, what sort of penalty
will thou have to pay? tell me. But thy mind is inflamed by the memory of the enmity, and
swells, and thy heart rises,796 and when recurring in memory to him who has caused pain,
thou art unable to reduce the swelling of thy thought. But set against this inflammation the
memory resulting from thine own sins committed the fear resulting from the punishment
to come. Recall to memory for how many things thou art accountable to thy master, and
that for all those things thou owest Him satisfaction; and this fear will surely overcome that
anger; since indeed this is far more powerful than that passion. Recall the memory of hell
and punishment and vengeance during the time of thy prayer; and thou wilt not be able
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even to receive thine enemy into thy mind.797 Make thy mind contrite, humble thy soul by
the memory of the offences committed by thee, and wrath will not be able even to trouble
thee. But the cause of all these evils is this, that we scrutinise the sins of all others with great
exactitude; while we let our own pass with great remissness. Whereas we ought to do the
contrary—to keep our own faults unforgotten; but never even to admit a thought of those
of others. If we do this we shall both have God propitious, and shall cease cherishing immortal
anger against our neighbours, and we shall never have any one as an enemy; and even if we
should have at any time we shall both quickly put an end to his enmity, and should obtain
speedy pardon for our own sins. For just as he who treasures up the memory of wrong
against his neighbour does not permit the punishment upon his own sins to be done away;
so he who is clear of anger will speedily be clear of sins also. For if we, wicked as we are and
enslaved to passion, on account of the commandment of God overlook all the faults com-
mitted against us, much more will He who is a lover of mankind, and good, and free from
any passion, overlook our delinquencies, rendering to us the recompense of our kindly
spirit towards our neighbour in the forgiveness of our own sins: which God grant that we
may attain, by the grace and lovingkindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory
and the dominion, to the ages of the ages. Amen.
796 Possibly “stomach.” Comp. Thuc. ii. 49, ὁπότε ἐς τὴν καρδίαν οτηρίξαι. Lat. stomachor. A medical sense,
and the metaphor here is medical throughout. So “cardiacus.” Juvenal.
797 Because it is filled with better thoughts. No room for him.
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