XL. Forgiveness of past sins, then, God gives; but of future, each one gives to himself. And this is to repent, to condemn the past deeds, and beg oblivion of them from the Father, who only of all is able to undo what is done, by mercy proceeding from Him, and to blot out former sins by the dew of the Spirit. “For by the state in which I find you will I judge,”79    Quoted with a slight variation by Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, ch. xlvii., vol. i. p. 219, and supposed by Grabe to be a quotation from the Apocryphal Gospel to the Hebrews. also, is what in each case the end of all cries aloud. So that even in the case of one who has done the greatest good deeds in his life, but at the end has run headlong into wickedness, all his former pains are profitless80    Ἀνόνητοι, for which the text has ἀνόητοι. to him, since at the catastrophe of the drama he has given up his part; while it is possible for the man who formerly led a bad and dissolute life, on afterwards repenting, to overcome in the time after repentance the evil conduct of a long time. But it needs great carefulness, just as bodies that have suffered by protracted disease need regimen and special attention. Thief, dost thou wish to get forgiveness? steal no more. Adulterer, burn no more. Fornicator, live for the future chastely. Thou who hast robbed, give back, and give back more than [thou tookest]. False witness, practice truth. Perjurer, swear no more, and extirpate the rest of the passions, wrath, lust, grief, fear; that thou mayest be found at the end to have previously in this world been reconciled to the adversary. It is then probably impossible all at once to eradicate inbred passions; but by God’s power and human intercession, and the help of brethren, and sincere repentance, and constant care, they are corrected.

40.1 Τῶν μὲν οὖν προγεγενημένων θεὸς δίδωσιν ἄφεσιν, τῶν δὲ ἐπιόν των αὐτὸς ἕκαστος ἑαυτῷ. καὶ τοῦτ' ἔστι μεταγνῶναι τὸ καταγνῶ ναι τῶν παρῳχημένων καὶ αἰτήσασθαι τούτων ἀμνηστίαν παρὰ πατρός. ὃς μόνος τῶν ἁπάντων οἷός τέ ἐστιν ἄπρακτα ποιῆσαι τὰ πεπρα γμένα ἐλέῳ τῷ παρ' αὑτοῦ καὶ δρόσῳ πνεύματος ἀπαλείψας τὰ 40.2 προημαρτημένα. "ἐφ' οἷς γὰρ ἂν εὕρω ὑμᾶς", φησίν, "ἐπὶ τούτοις 40.3 καὶ κρινῶ·" καὶ παρ' ἕκαστα βοᾷ τὸ τέλος πάντων· ὥστε καὶ τῷ τὰ μέγιστα εὖ πεποιηκότι κατὰ τὸν βίον, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ τέλους ἐξο κείλαντι πρὸς κακίαν, ἀνόνητοι πάντες οἱ πρόσθεν πόνοι, ἐπὶ τῆς καταστροφῆς τοῦ δράματος ἐξάθλῳ γενομένῳ, τῷ τε χεῖρον καὶ ἐπισεσυρμένως βιώσαντι πρότερον ἔστιν ὕστερον μετανοήσαντι πολλοῦ χρόνου πολιτείαν πονηρὰν ἐκνικῆσαι τῷ μετὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν χρόνω· 40.4 ἀκριβείας δὲ δεῖ πολλῆς, ὥσπερ τοῖς μακρᾷ νόσῳ πεπονηκόσι σώμασι 40.5 διαίτης χρεία καὶ προσοχῆς πλείονος. ὁ κλέπτης, ἄφεσιν βούλει λαβεῖν; μηκέτι κλέπτε· ὁ μοιχεύσας, μηκέτι πυρούσθω· ὁ πορνεύσας, λοιπὸν ἁγνευέτω· ὁ ἁρπάσας, ἀποδίδου καὶ προσαποδίδου· ὁ ψευδο μάρτυς, ἀλήθειαν ἄσκησον· ὁ ἐπίορκος, μηκέτι ὄμνυε· καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάθη σύντεμε, ὀργήν, ἐπιθυμίαν, λύπην, φόβον, ἵνα εὑρεθῇς ἐπὶ τῆς 40.6 ἐξόδου πρὸς τὸν ἀντίδικον ἐνταῦθα διαλελύσθαι φθάνων. ἔστιν μὲν οὖν ἀδύνατον ἴσως ἀθρόως ἀποκόψαι πάθη σύντροφα, ἀλλὰ μετὰ θεοῦ δυνάμεως καὶ ἀνθρωπείας ἱκεσίας καὶ ἀδελφῶν βοηθείας καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς μετανοίας καὶ συνεχοῦς μελέτης κατορθοῦται.