SERMON  385
[On the Love of Human Beings for Each Other]

AUG. SERMO CCCLXXXV . De amore hominis in hominem .

CAPUT PRIMUM.

 The love of human beings may be proper or perverse

1. Amor hominis alius rectus, alius perversus.

1.WE are admonished in both the Old and the New Testament, dearly beloved, how we should observe perfect charity. Our Lord Himself said in the Gospel: ‘You shall love your neighbor as youirself. (Matt. 22.39) For this reason let us discourse for a little while on the love of one man for another, since the affections of men are perverse. If a man loves himself per­versely, he also loves his neighbor perversely; if he loves himself correctly, he also loves another correctly. There are, indeed, shameful, abominable loves; for example, the affections of adulterers, seducers, or the impure. All laws, both human and divine, detest evil affections; so, remove unlawful ones and let us seek those that are lawful.

Non solum in Novo, sed etiam in Veteri Testamento admonemur, fratres dilectissimi, qualiter perfectam charitatem tenere debeamus. Sic ^[Col.1691] enim ipse Dominus in Evangelio dixit: Diliges proximum tanquam teipsum (Matth. XXII, 39). Tractemus ergo aliquantum de amore hominis in hominem: quia sunt amores hominum perversi. Ipse perverse amat alterum, qui et se perverse amat: qui autem recte se amat, et alterum recte amat. Verbi gratia, sunt amores flagitiosi, detestabiles: amores adulterorum, amores corruptorum, immundi amores. Malos amores detestantur omnes leges humanae, et leges divinae. Remove ergo istos illicitos, quaeramus licitos.

 The Levels [degrees] of Licit Love

2. Liciti amoris gradus.

2. Licit love arises from marriage, although this is still carnal, for you see that it is common to the herds. Moreover, sparrows which sing have mates and make nests; they hatch eggs and nourish their young. Although this lawful love clearly exists in men, you see that it is carnal. The second kind of love is that of one’s children, but this, too, is still carnal. A person who loves his children is not worthy of praise, but one who does not is certainly detestable. Am I to praise as great in a man what I see in a tiger? Serpents love their young; so do lions and wolves. Therefore, do not think it a great thing that you love your sons; in this affection you are still compared to serpents; so, if you did not love, you would be surpassed by the snakes. I am now speaking of honorable loves, for I have excluded those which are shameful. Another kind of love, that of relatives, seems peculiar to men, if not habitual. However, the love which extends beyond kindred is greater than that which is held between them, for, if a man loves his relatives, he still loves his own blood. He should love others who are not his kindred, even adopting the stranger; then his love is much more extensive. It increases so much that it goes from spouse to children, from children to relations, from kindred to strangers, from strangers to enemies. However, that it may reach this point, it has many steps.

Incipit licitus amor a conjugio; sed adhuc carnalis est. Videtis quia communis est cum pecoribus: et passeres illi qui personant, habent conjugia, et nidos faciunt, simul ova confovent, simul pullos nutriunt. Licitus quidem amor iste in hominibus, sed videtis quia carnalis est. Secundus amor filiorum est; sed adhuc ipse carnalis est. Non enim est laudandus qui amat filios, sed detestandus qui non amat. Pro magno enim laudaturus sum in homine, quod video in tigride? Serpentes amant filios suos, leones et lupi amant filios suos. Noli ergo magnum putare, quod amas filios tuos. Adhuc in hoc amore serpentibus compararis. Si non amaveris, a serpentibus vinceris. Honestos amores jam dico: illos enim flagitiosos exclusi. Alius amor qui est propinquorum, jam iste videtur proprius hominum, si non sit consuetudinis. Nam major est amor qui extenditur ultra propinquos, quam qui tenetur inter propinquos. Qui amat propinquos suos, adhuc sanguinem suum amat. Amet alios qui non sunt propinqui, suscipiat peregrinum; jam multum dilatatus est amor iste. Tantum autem crescit, ut a conjuge ad filios, a filiis ad propinquos, a propinquis ad extraneos, ab extraneis ad inimicos perveniat. Sed ut perveniat illuc, multos habet gradus.

CAPUT II.

 Friendship Based on Habit or on Reason

3. Amicitia alia consuetudinis, alia rationis.

3. Therefore consider what I will say concerning friendship. There are friends—excepting the friendship which should not even be called that because it arises from an evil conscience : there are men who commit evil together and seem to be united thus because joined by an evil conscience—but excepting this abominable friendship, there is a kind which is still carnal. Because of the habit of living together, speaking and associating together, a man may become sad if he is deserted by the friend with whom he was accustomed to speak and associate. Two men may come together, walk with each other for several days and then no longer wish to be separated. Now, this pleasure of friendship is certainly fine; let us discuss it further because we are seeking the steps of love. Let us see whether we have arrived at friendship such as I mentioned. This friendship is one of habit, not of reason, and the herds have it, too. Two horses eat together and long for each other. If some day the one should go ahead, the other hurries after, as though desiring his friend. He is with difficulty guided by a rider, and until he arrives urges ahead upon his own impulse. He settles down when he reaches the one who went ahead; he carried his burden, but was urged on by the weight of love; then he came as if to his own place, and stopped. This friendship of habit still exists in herds; let us rise higher than this. There is another higher type of friendship which belongs to reason, not habit, whereby we love a man because of faith and a mutual friendly disposition in this mortal life. Whatever we find higher than this is divine. If a man begins to love God, he will love nothing in man except God.

De amicitia ergo videte quid dicam. Sunt amici, excepta amicitia, quae nec amicitia dicenda est, quam facit mala conscientia. Sunt enim homines qui pariter mala committunt, et ideo videntur sibi conjuncti, quia conscientia mala ligati sunt: excepta ergo ista nefaria amicitia, est quaedam amicitia adhuc carnalis per consuetudinem cohabitandi, colloquendi, simul conversandi; ut contristetur homo, quando deseritur ab amico, cum quo solet colloqui, et habere conjunctiones. Conveniunt duo homines, ambulant secum triduo, et jam nolunt a se recedere. Et ista quaedam amicitiae dulcedo est; honesta quidem; sed adhuc discutiamus illam, quia gradus amoris hujus quaerimus; et videamus quousque pervenerimus, usque ad amicitiam talem qualem dixi. Est ergo ista amicitia consuetudinis, non rationis. Habent illam et pecora. Duo equi manducent simul, desiderant se: si alia die praecedat unus, festinat alter, desiderans quasi amicum suum: vix regitur a sessore; et tamdiu impetu suo provocat, quousque perveniat. Cum pervenerit ad eum qui praecessit, sedatur: pondus illum ferebat, pondere amoris urgebatur; venit tanquam ad locum suum, et conquievit. Adhuc et ista amicitia consuetudinis est in pecoribus: surgamus ^[Col.1692] adhuc et ab ista. Est alia superior amicitia, non consuetudinis, sed rationis, qua diligimus hominem propter fidem et mutuam benevolentiam in ista vita mortali. Hac superius quidquid jam invenerimus, divinum est. Incipiat homo amare Deum, et non amabit in homine nisi Deum.

CAPUT III.

 The Love that is Friendship is Gratuitous

4. Amicitiae amor gratuitus.

4. Now, let your charity first see how spontaneous the love of friendship ought to be. You should not possess or love a friend in order that he may give you something. If you do love him so he will give you money or some temporal advantage, you do not love him, but what he offers. A friend must be loved without recompense, for himself and not for anything else. If, then, the rule of friendship urges you to love without return, how must God be loved without reward, since He orders you to love men? Nothing is more agreeable than God. In a man there are things which offend, but through friendship you force yourself to tolerate what is displeasing in a man on account of friendship. Since, then, you should not destroy friendship with a man because of things which can be tolerated, by what things should friend-ship with God be compelled to be dissolved by you?” You will find nothing more agreeable than God, for in Him there is nothing to offend you, provided you do not offend Him. There is nothing finer, nothing sweeter than God. Now you are going to tell me : I do not see Him; how am I to love one whom I do not see? Behold how you may learn to love one whom you do not see. I will show you how you may try to see what you cannot behold with these eyes. See, now, you love a friend; what do you love in him? You love him without any return. Perhaps that friend of yours, to omit other facts, is an old man; for you can have an old man as a friend. What do you love in the old man? A crooked body, a white head, the wrinkles on his forehead, his drawn jaw? If it is the body which you see, compared with old age nothing is so ugly; yet you love something, even if you do not love the body which you see because it is ugly. How do you see what you love? For if I were to ask you: Why do you love? you would answer me: The man is faithful. Therefore, you love fidelity. If you love fidelity, God is seen with the same eyes with which fidelity is perceived. For this reason begin to love God, and you will love man for His sake.

Videat enim Charitas vestra primum amicitiae amor qualiter debeat esse gratuitus. Non enim propterea debes habere amicum, vel amare, ut aliquid tibi praestet. Si propterea illum amas, ut praestet tibi vel pecuniam, vel aliquod commodum temporale; non illum amas, sed illud quod praestat. Amicus gratis amandus est, propter sese, non propter aliud. Si hominem te hortatur amicitiae regula, ut gratis diligas; quam gratis amandus est Deus, qui jubet ut hominem diligas? Nihil delectabilius Deo. Nam in homine sunt quae offendant; per amicitiam tamen cogis te, ut etiam illa quae offendunt in homine toleres propter amicitiam: si ergo non debes propter quaedam toleranda dissolvere hominis amicitiam; Dei amicitia quibus rebus debet cogi, ut dissolvatur a te? Nihil invenis delectabilius Deo. Deus non est unde te offendat, si tu eum non offendas: nihil illo pulchrius, nihil illo dulcius . Sed dicturus es mihi: Non illum video; quomodo sum amaturus quem non video? Ecce quomodo discis amare quem non vides: modo ostendo unde coneris videre, quod istis oculis non potes videre. Ecce amas amicum; quid in illo amas? Gratis eum amas. Sed forte amicus iste tuus, ut alia omittam, senex homo est: fieri enim potest ut habeas amicum senem. Quid amas in sene? Incurvum corpus, album caput, rugas in fronte, contractam maxillam? Si corpus quod vides, nihil deformius prae senectute: et tamen aliquid amas, et corpus quod vides non amas, quia deforme est. Unde vides quod amas? Si enim quaeram a te, Quare amas? responsurus es mihi, Homo est fidelis. Ergo fidem amas. Si fidem amas; quibus oculis videtur fides, ipsis oculis videtur Deus . Incipe ergo amare Deum, et amabis hominem propter Deum.

CAPUT IV.

 God is to Be Loved Gratuitutously

5. Deus gratis diligendus.

5. Listen to a great testimony. The Devil certainly is the accuser of the saints. Since in the presence of such a Judge he cannot force Him to make a mistake, he is unable to bring false charges against us. He knows to whom he is talking. Therefore, since he cannot say anything false against us, he looks for something true to say. For this reason, our Adversary, who envies us the kingdom of heaven and does not want us to be there where he was thrown down, says : ‘both Job worship God in vain’? (Job 1,9)We are urged by our Adversary to worship God without hope of reward, for, when he was looking for something to accuse, he thought he had found something great when he said: ‘both Job worship God in vain?’ He did not see Job’s heart, but only his riches. We ought to be careful not to love God for the sake of a reward. What reward is there for which you are going to love God? What kind of a reward is it that God will give you? Whatever else He gives is always less than Himself. You do not worship spontaneously in order that you may receive something from Him. Worship Him without hope of return and you will receive Himself, because God is reserving Himself for you to enjoy. Now, if you love what He made, what must He be who made it? If the world is beautiful, what must be the Author of the world? Therefore, tear your heart away from the love of creatures so that you may cling to the Creator, and then you may say what is written in the psalm : ‘But it is good for me to adhere to God.’(Ps. 72.28)

Audite magnum testimonium. Diabolus certe accusator sanctorum est: et quia non apud talem judicem cogit quem fallat, non potest in nos crimina falsa dicere. Novit apud quem dicat. Quia ergo falsa contra nos non potest dicere, quaerit vera quae dicat. Ideo tentat ut habeat quod dicat. Hic ergo adversarius noster, qui nobis invidet regnum coelorum, qui non vult ut ibi simus, unde ipse dejectus est: Numquid, inquit, Job gratis colit Deum (Job. I, 9)? Adhuc ad hoc provocamur ab adversario, ut gratis Deum colamus, quando ille quaerens quod objiciat, pro magno se putavit invenisse quia dixit, Numquid gratis Job colit Deum? Non quia viderat cor ipsius, sed quia videbat divitias ejus. Cavere debemus ne ad praemium diligamus ^[Col.1693] Deum. Quid enim? Propter praemium dilecturus es Deum? Quale praemium est quod tibi daturus est Deus? Quidquid tibi aliud dederit, minus est quam ipse. Colis non gratis, ut aliquid ab ipso accipias. Gratis cole, et ipsum accipies. Se enim servat tibi Deus, quo fruaris. Et si amas quae fecit, qualis est ille qui fecit? Si pulcher est mundus, qualis est artifex mundi? Evelle ergo cor tuum ab amore creaturae, ut inhaereas Creatori, et dicas quod in Psalmo scriptum est, Mihi autem adhaerere Deo, bonum est.

CAPUT V.

The Love that Forsakes the Creator for a Creature is Adultery

6. Creaturam deserto Creatore diligere, adulterare est.

6. Now, if you desert the One who made you and love the things He made, by this desertion you are an adulterer. Thus the Epistle of James proclaims, calling men adulterers. Why adulterers? You ask why? ‘Adulterers,’ he says, ‘do you not know that the friendship of this world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of this world becomes an enemy of God.’(James 4.4) He explained why he said ‘adulterers.’ The soul that deserts its Creator to love a creature is an adulterer. Nothing is more chaste or more delightful than love of Him; if He is abandoned and another embraced, you become unclean. O soul, in order that you may be worthy of His embrace, let go of those other things and cling to Him without expectation of reward. Then it is that the Psalmist says:’ ‘But it is good for me to adhere to my God.’ In the previous verse he spoke thus : ‘Thou hast destroyed all them that are disloyal to thee.’(Ps. 72.27,28) Then, as if he would show what fornication is, he added: ‘But it is good for me to adhere to my God.’ I desire nothing else but Him; to cling to Him is my good, my good without any hope of return. For this reason grace is so named, because it certainly is gratis. Therefore, when you have begun to love God spontaneously, there is reason for assurance that you love your friend thus and that, moreover, you love him so that with you he may love God. Notice that ordinary friendship with which we began, and note, too, the progress we have made through it. A husband loves his wife, and the wife her husband; doubtless, he wants her to be well and she him. She wants to keep him safe and happy. In addition, she loves him because she herself wants to be safe and happy; what she wishes for herself she also desires for him. She loves her children; in fact, who wants to have her children anything but well? She loves a friend, and who wants a friend to be anything but safe? For this reason, if anything happens to him she trembles with fear, becomes sad, is disturbed, and hurries so it will not happen; if it does, she loudly bewails it. What does she want, then? To have him well. Therefore, since everyone wants the object of his affection to be well, if only he understands what true well-being is, he will begin to love it in himself and be compelled to love it also in his friend.

Si autem deseris eum qui te fecit, et amas illa quae fecit, deserto illo qui te fecit, adulter es. Sic clamat Epistola Jacobi, adulteros appellans, Adulteri. Et unde adulteri? Quaeris unde? Nescitis, inquit, quia amicitia hujus mundi inimica est Dei? Quicumque ergo voluerit amicus esse saeculi hujus, inimicus Dei constituitur (Jacobi IV, 4 et 5). Expressit quid dixit, Adulteri. Anima, deserto Creatore, amans creaturam adultera est. Illius enim amore nihil castius, nihil delectabilius. Illo deserto, hoc amplectendo, efficeris immunda. O anima, ut illius amplexibus digna sis, dimitte ista, et illi inhaere gratis. Nam inde dixit Psalmus: Mihi autem adhaerere Deo, bonum est. Versu priore sic dixit: Perdidisti omnes qui fornicantur abs te (Psal. LXXII, 28, 27). Et quasi ostenderet quae sit fornicatio, subjecit: Mihi autem adhaerere Deo, bonum est. Nihil aliud volo, sed ipsum. Adhaerere illi, hoc est bonum meum, hoc gratuitum bonum meum. Ideo et gratia dicitur, quia gratis constat. Cum ergo coeperis Deum amare gratis, securitas est: quia et amicum gratis amas, et ad hoc eum amas, ut tecum amet Deum. Attendite enim ipsam amicitiam vulgarem, unde coepimus, per quam gradus fecimus; attendite illam. Amat maritus uxorem, et uxor maritum: sine dubio et ille illam, et illa illum salvum vult. Vult illum habere incolumem, vult illum habere felicem. Ad hoc amat, quia ipsa vult incolumis esse et felix: quod sibi vult, hoc illi vult. Amat filios: quisnam vult, nisi salvos habere filios suos? Amat amicum: quis nisi incolumem habere vult? adeo ut, si forte contingat illi aliquid, contremiscat, contristetur, conturbetur, currat, accedat: cum accesserit, plangit. Quid ergo vult? Salvum habere. Si ergo omnis qui amat, salvum vult habere quod amat; si intelligat quae sit vera salus, incipit illam amare in se, et ipsam cogitur veram amare et in amico.

CAPUT VI.

 How Vain is Health in the Present World

7. Salus vitae hujus quam vana.

7. If you are looking for God with bodily eyes, behold the three children freed from fire; if you seek Him with the eyes of faith, see the Machabees crowned in fire. The one kind of safety is to be loved; the other, enjoyed. The latter must be used, for it is transitory. What doctors call well-being, brethren, is not the true kind. We are soothed in a way, but sickness is perpetual in the frailty of our flesh. Do you think a man is sick when he has a fever and is well when he is hungry? He is well, it is said. Do you want to see how great an evil it is to hunger? Leave him without medicine for seven days, and he dies; but, because you daily supply a remedy, he lives. Now, the remedy for hunger is food; for thirst, drink; for weariness, rest; for sitting too much, walking around; for excessive walking, sitting down; for fatigue, sleep; for too much sleep, staying awake. Now, consider how weak the human body is; if a man makes use of the assistance I mentioned and continues to do so, he becomes weak. Hunger­ing, you sought the help of food. Here is the food. You eat and are refreshed; the more you are refreshed, the weaker you become. You were looking for assistance in thirst; if you drink much, you who were bothered by thirst are choked from drinking a great deal. You have become tired from walking and want to sit down; sit down forever, and see whether you will not grow weary. Therefore, no matter what a man applies for the purpose of driving away something_, else, if he continues in it he grows weak.

Si oculis carneis quaeris Deum, vide tres pueros de igne liberatos (Dan. III). Si fide quaeris Deum, vide Machabaeos in igne coronatos (II Machab. VII). Salus ergo illa amanda est, ista utenda. Haec enim ad usum necessaria est: nam transitura est. Non enim vera salus est, fratres, quam dicunt medici. Aegrotamus quodam modo: nam aegritudo perpetua est in ista fragilitate carnis. Putatis enim tunc hominem aegrotare, quando frebricitat; et sanum esse, quando esurit? Sanus est, dicitur. Vis videre quantum malum est esurire? Dimitte illum sine medicamento septem diebus, occiditur. ^[Col.1694] Sed quia ponis quotidie medicamentum, vivit. Medicamentum autem famis, cibus est; medicamentum sitis, potus est; medicamentum lassitudinis, somnus est; medicamentum sessionis, deambulatio est; medicamentum deambulationis, sessio est; medicamentum fatigationis, dormitio est; medicamentum dormitionis, vigilatio est. Et vide quam imbecille sit corpus humanum: hoc ipsum adjutorium, quod dixi, qui assumit, si in eo perseveraverit, deficit. Esuriendo cibi quaerebas adjutorium: ecce adest adjutorium cibi; manducas, reficeris; si plus feceris, plus deficis. Adjutorium sitis quaerebas potum: multum bibendo offocaris, qui sitiendo urgebaris. Lassasti ambulando, sedere vis: sede perpetuo, vide si non lassabis. Quidquid ergo assumpserit, ut aliud pellat, in eo ipso si perseveraverit, deficit .

CAPUT VII.

 True Health is Eternal Life

8. Vera salus vita aeterna.

8. What kind of well-being is this, brethren, if it is transitory, frail, perishable, and empty? Truly, as it is said: ‘For what is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while.’(James 4.15) Therefore, ‘He who in this life loves his soul loses it; and he who hates his soul in this world keeps it unto life everlasting.’(Cf. John 12.25) What is life everlasting? True well-being. If you see the friend you loved in this world in order that he might be well, love him now because of that well-being which is eternal since you now long for it. Moreover, whatever you wish to give your friend now wish to give for this purpose, that he may possess salvation with you. For you love justice and you want him to be just; you love to be near God and want him to be there, too; you love eternal life, and desire him to reign there with you forever. You see that enemy of yours persecuting you; the fact that he does so is wrong. You should temper your anger toward him, for he has a fever in his soul. Now, a friend in the world loves a man like his own life and wants to drive a fever from this friend whom - he loves like himself for the sake of present health. Thus, you should love whomever you do for the sake of eternal life. When you find anger, indignation, hatred, or iniquity in him, try to drive out this disease of the soul as a worldly friend removes bodily disease. Indeed, love him for this very purpose, to make him what you are, and there will be perfect charity in you. If you discover it, love your spouse, your child, your relative, your neighbor, the stranger, your enemy, for this same purpose, and you will have perfect charity. If this is true, you conquer the world, and the prince of this world is driven away. You have heard what the Lord said : (John 12.31; 15.13) ‘The prince of the world has been cast out,’ because He was to suffer and through His passion bring love to men; ^‘Greater love than this no one has, that one lay down his life for his friends.’ Therefore, He first loved us in order that He might be loved in return; He died first for all men so that no one might fear to die in His name. He cast out the Devil in order that He might build up charity in the hearts of men. Out where? Out of the hearts of men. Ambition brought him in, so charity threw him out.

Amicus ad salutem aeternam diligendus. Charitas perfecta. Qualis est ergo ista salus, fratres, transitura, fragilis, peritura, vana? Vere quomodo dictum est, Quae enim est vita vestra? Vapor est, ad modicum parens (Jacobi IV, 15). Qui ergo in vita ista amat animam suam, perdet eam. Qui autem in hoc saeculo odio habuerit animam suam, in vitam aeternam custodit eam (Joan. XII, 25). Quae est vita aeterna? Vera salus. Et si amicum tuum videris, quem amabas in hoc saeculo ut salvus esset, quia tu jam talem salutem desideras quae aeterna est, ad ipsam salutem diligis amicum tuum; et totum quidquid vis amico tuo praestare, ad hoc vis praestare, ut illam tecum teneat salutem. Amas enim justitiam, vis illum esse justum: amas sub Deo esse, vis et illum esse sub Deo: amas vitam aeternam, illic eum vis tecum regnare in aeternum. Inimicum tuum vides illum persequi te, iniquitas est quae te persequitur. In illo irasci debes misericordia, febrit in anima. Quomodo ergo amicus hujus saeculi secundum saeculum amans animam suam, febrem vult expellere de amico suo, quem similiter amat ut se, propter praesentem salutem: sic tu quemcumque diligis, propter vitam aeternam dilige; cum inveneris iram, indignationem, odium, iniquitatem, sic coneris expellere morbum animi, quomodo amicus saeculi morbum corporis: ad hoc enim amas, ut facias quod et tu es: et erit in te perfecta charitas. Hoc si inveneris, ad hoc ama conjugem, ad hoc ama filium, ad hoc ama propinquum, vicinum, ignotum, inimicum, et erit in te perfecta charitas. Quae si fuerit in te, vincis mundum, et pellitur foras princeps mundi. Audistis enim quod ait Dominus, Princeps hujus mundi missus est foras (Ibid. 31): quia ipse passurus erat, et per passionem suam facturus in hominibus dilectionem. Majorem hac dilectionem nemo habet, quam ut animam suam ponat pro amicis suis (Id. XV, 13). Ut ergo amaretur, prior amavit: ut in nomine ejus nemo mori timeret, prior ^[Col.1695] pro omnibus mortuus est. Ad hoc ergo ut aedificaret in cordibus hominum charitatem, misit diabolum foras. Quo foras? De cordibus hominum. Cupiditas intro illum mittit, charitas foras eum mittit.

CAPUT VIII.

 Conclusion

9. Conclusio.

9. As we very carefully think over the steps of charity mentioned above, brethren, let us not return evil for good to the Lord. By His coming Christ fettered the strong one, that is, the Devil, and removed from his power all of us who were his vessels. Now that we have been cleansed from all evil by His grace, let us strive to be filled with all virtues, fearing what the Lord Himself said: ^‘When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he roams through waterless places in search of a resting place and finds none. Returning after this and finding the house which he had left empty, he takes with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and the laststate of that man becomes worse than the first.* Therefore, in order that we may not suffer such a fate, let us labor as much as we can to introduce virtues in place of our vices, so that we may be able to obtain God’s mercy.

Nos vero, fratres, supra scriptos charitatis gradus cum grandi diligentia cogitantes, non reddamus Domino pro bonis mala. Et quia ille veniens alligavit fortem, id est diabolum, et nos omnes qui vasa ejus fuimus de potestate illius abstulit, per gratiam ipsius evacuati omnibus malis, studeamus repleri abundantibus bonis, timentes illud quod ipse Dominus dixit : Cum immundus spiritus exierit ab homine, ambulat per loca arida, quaerens requiem, et non invenit; post haec reversus inveniens domum, unde exiit, vacuam, adduxit secum septem spiritus nequiores se: et facta sunt hominis illius posteriora pejora prioribus (Luc. XI, 21-26). Ne ergo et nos tale aliquid patiamur, quantum possumus elaboremus, in locis vitiorum virtutes inducere, ut possimus ad Dei misericordiam pervenire.