Caesarius of Arles : Let us, then, devoutly think over these truths, dearest brothers, while it is still within our power to do so with the help of God. As we shudder at the wounds of our sins as at deadly poisons, let us apply ourselves to almsgiving, prayer and fasting. Above all, by a charity that loves not only friends but even enemies, let us have recourse to the mercy of that heavenly Physician to recover the health of our souls as if by spiritual remedies. For he himself said, "I take no pleasure in the death of the sinner, but rather in the wicked man's conversion, that he may live"; and again: "When you groan and are converted, you shall be saved." In his goodness may he lead us to this salvation, who together with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen. — SERMON 150:5 Cyril of Jerusalem : Would you know the power of repentance? Would you understand this strong weapon of salvation and the might of confession? By confession Hezekiah routed 185,000 of the enemy. That was important, but it was little compared to what shall be told. The same king's repentance won the repeal of the sentence God had passed on him. For when he was sick, Isaiah said to him, "Give charge concerning your house, for you shall die, and not live." What expectation was left? What hope of recovery was there when the prophet said, "For you shall die"? But Hezekiah did not cease from penitence, for he remembered what was written: "In the hour that you turn and lament, you shall be saved." He turned his face to the wall, and from his bed of pain his mind soared up to heaven—for no wall is so thick as to stifle reverent prayer—"Lord," he said, "remember me." "For it is sufficient for my healing if you remember me. You are not subject to circumstances but are yourself the legislator of life. For not on birth and conjunction of stars, as some vainly say, does our life depend. No, you are the arbiter, according to your will, of life and the duration of life." He whom the prophet's sentence had forbidden to hope was granted fifteen further years of life, the sun turning back its course in witness thereof. Now while the sun retraced its course for Hezekiah, for Christ it was eclipsed, the distinction marking the difference between the two, I mean Hezekiah and Jesus. Now if even Hezekiah could revoke God's decree, shall not Jesus grant the remission of sins? Turn and lament, shut your door and beg for pardon, that God may remove from you the scorching flames. For confession has the power to quench even fire; it can tame even lions. — Catechetical Lecture 2:15 Fulgentius of Ruspe : So useful are trials for Christians that through them, our spirit becomes a sacrifice to God. For it is written in the psalm: "The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." Enlightened by this and innumerable other texts of this type, let us hasten as rapidly as possible to be converted to God absolutely.… Converted, let us never despair of the forgiveness of sins, holding on to the faithful promise of the Lord who says, "In returning and rest, you will be saved." Let us put up with the pressures and trials of the present time with patient courage, and let us never depart from the fear of the Lord. For the apostle commands us to "endure in affliction." He bears witness that the correction of the present time is of great avail to us for avoiding the punishment of the future judgment, saying, "But since we are being judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world." — LETTER 7:20-21 Jerome : (Verse 15 and following) For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: If you return and rest, you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. But you were unwilling, and you said, 'No! We will flee upon horses'; therefore you shall flee away, and, 'We will ride upon swift steeds'; therefore your pursuers shall be swift. One thousand at the threat of one; at the threat of five you shall flee. LXX: Thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: When you turn to me and groan, then you shall be saved, and you shall know where you have been: for you trusted in idols, your strength became vain; and you were unwilling to hear, but you said, 'We will flee upon horses'; therefore you shall flee; and, 'We will ride upon swift steeds'; therefore those who pursue you shall be swift. A thousand will flee at the threat of one, and at the threat of five, many will flee. The Holy One, whom I had kept silent about his name, is the Lord God, who speaks to you and through me and through Jeremiah (Jeremiah XII): If you repent and either abandon vices or the error of evil counsel, and remain in Judah, fearing not the attack of the Babylonians, but my commandments, you will be saved. Rest and hope in the Lord, and take hold of the strength of faith in my promises. You, who have despised the commandments of life and have said in despair, it will not be as you speak; instead, we will flee to the Egyptian horses and go swiftly to them in haste. Since you have said these things, you will indeed flee and enter Egypt with destructive haste; but the Babylonians will be faster, as they will pursue you all the way to Egypt, and such great terror and fear will hold Egypt that a thousand Egyptians will not be able to resist a single Chaldean, and the multitude of fleeing enemies, five against one, as we read in Deuteronomy: The Lord will cause you to fall before your enemies' eyes. By this passage, you will depart from them and flee through seven ways from their presence, and you will be scattered among all the kingdoms of the earth (Deut. XXVIII, 25, 32). According to the allegorical and Septuagint edition, the divine word encourages all sinners, especially heretics, to repent, so that when they have turned away from vices and have repented, they may be saved; and then they will understand where they were before, and that they had hoped in vain things. And when they are encouraged to repent, on the contrary, they trust in false teachers and in the uncertainties of the world: not wanting to hear the words of God, they long for Egyptian horses and rejoice in their swiftness, which the Lord has forbidden to be multiplied (Deuteronomy 17). Therefore, the men of the church will pursue them swiftly, and one warrior's voice, or five fighters (which we should understand to refer to the mind and the five senses), will not be able to withstand a thousand men and an undisciplined crowd fleeing. — Commentary on Isaiah Jerome : It is never too late to repent. You may have gone down from Jerusalem and may have been wounded on the way; yet the Samaritan will set you upon his beast and will bring you to the inn and will take care of you. Even if you are lying in your grave, the Lord will raise you though your flesh may stink. At least imitate those blind men for whose sake the Savior left his home and heritage and came to Jericho. They were sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death when the light shone upon them. For when they learned that it was the Lord who was passing by, they began to cry out, saying, "You son of David, have mercy on us." You too will have your sight restored, if you cry to him and cast away your filthy garments at his call. "When you shall turn and repent then shall you be saved, and then shall you know where you have been." — LETTER 147.9 Pacian of Barcelona : The Apocalypse also threatens the seven churches unless they should repent. Nor would he, indeed, threaten the impenitent unless he pardoned the penitent. God himself also says, "Remember then from where you have fallen, and repent." And again, "When, having returned, you shall mourn, then shall you be saved and know where you have been." Let no one so despair of the vileness of a sinful soul that he believe that God has no need for him anymore. The Lord wishes that not one of us should perish. Even those of little worth and the humblest are sought after. If you do not believe it, consider this. Behold, in the Gospel the single piece of silver is sought after, and when [it is] found [it] is shown to the neighbors. The little sheep, although it has to be carried back on his supporting shoulders, is not burdensome to the shepherd. Over a single sinner who repents, the angels in heaven rejoice and the celestial choir exults. Come then, you sinner. Do not cease your entreaties. You see where there is rejoicing over your return! — ON PENITENTS 12:3