“It is said to the good who are growing in grace, and living in this pilgrimage by faith, “bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). In like manner it is said elsewhere, “Warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man” (1 Thessalonians 5:14-15). And in another place, “If a man be overtaken in any fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted” (Galatians 6:1). And elsewhere, “Let not the sun go down upon your wrath” (Ephesians 4:26). And in the Gospel, “If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone” (Matthew 18:15). For this purpose, and that we keep that peace without which no man can see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14), many precepts are given which carefully inculcate mutual forgiveness; among which we may number that terrible word in which the servant is ordered to pay his formerly remitted debt of ten thousand talents, because he did not remit to his fellow-servant his debt of two hundred pence. To which parable the Lord Jesus added the words, “Do likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother” (Matthew 28:35).”
“It is thus the citizens of God are healed while still they sojourn in this earth and sigh for the peace of their heavenly country. The Holy Spirit, too, works within, that the medicine externally applied may have some good result. If He does not by His own inward grace sway and act upon the mind, no preaching of the truth is of any avail. But this God does, distinguishing between the vessels of wrath and the vessels of mercy, by His own very secret but very just providence. When He Himself aids the soul in His own hidden and wonderful ways, and the sin which dwells in our members, and is, as the apostle teaches, rather the punishment of sin, does not reign in our mortal body to obey the lusts of it, and when we no longer yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness, then the soul is converted from its own evil and selfish desires, and, God possessing it, it possesses itself in peace even in this life, and afterwards, with perfected health and endowed with immortality, will reign without sin in peace everlasting.”
“For the possession of goodness is by no means diminished by being shared with a partner either permanent or temporarily assumed; on the contrary, the possession of goodness is increased in proportion to the concord and charity of each of those who share it. In short, he who is unwilling to share this possession cannot have it, and he who is most willing to admit others to a share of it will have the greatest abundance to himself.”
*The City of God by Saint Augustine Translated by Marcus Dods, D.D. with an introduction by Thomas Merton, pages Book one pages 483, 484
1993 Modern Library Edition
Introduction copyright 1950,1978 by Random House, Inc.
ISBN 0-679-60087-6
