30. Do we believe that a man is lamenting with his whole heart, that he is entreating the Lord with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning, who from the first day of his sin daily frequents the bathing-places with women; who, feeding at rich banquets, and puffed out with fuller dainties, belches forth on the next day his indigestions, and does not dispense of his meat and drink so as to aid the necessity of the poor? How does he who walks with joyous and glad step mourn for his death? And although it is written, “Ye shall not mar the figure of your beard,”76    Lev. xix. 27. he plucks out his beard, and dresses his hair; and does he now study to please any one who displeases God? Or does she groan and lament who has time to put on the clothing of precious apparel, and not to consider the robe of Christ which she has lost; to receive valuable ornaments and richly wrought necklaces, and not to bewail the loss of divine and heavenly ornament? Although thou clothest thyself in foreign garments and silken robes, thou art naked; although thou adornest thyself to excess both in pearls, and gems, and gold, yet without the adornment of Christ thou art unsightly. And you who stain your hair, now at least cease in the midst of sorrows; and you who paint the edges of your eyes with a line drawn around them of black powder, now at least wash your eyes with tears. If you had lost any dear one of your friends by the death incident to mortality, you would groan grievously, and weep with disordered countenance, with changed dress, with neglected hair, with clouded face, with dejected appearance, you would show the signs of grief. Miserable creature, you have lost your soul; spiritually dead here, you are continuing to live to yourself, and although yourself walking about, you have begun to carry your own death with you. And do you not bitterly moan; do you not continually groan; do you not hide yourself, either for shame of your sin or for continuance of your lamentation? Behold, these are still worse wounds of sinning; behold, these are greater crimes—to have sinned, and not to make atonement—to have committed crimes, and not to bewail your crimes.

XXX. Lamentari eum putamus ex toto corde, jejuniis, fletibus, planctibus Dominum deprecari, qui ex primo criminis die lavacra quotidie cum feminis celebrat, qui, epulis affluentibus pastus et sagina largiore distentus, cruditates suas postridie ructat, nec cibos et potus suos cum pauperum necessitate communicat? 0489C Qui hilaris ac laetus incedit, quomodo mortem suam deflet? Cumque scriptum sit, Non corrumpetis effigiem barbae vestrae (Levit. XIX, 27), barbam vellit et faciem suam comit? Et placere nunc cuiquam studet qui Deo displicet? An illa ingemiscit et plangit cui vacat cultum pretiosae vestis induere nec indumentum 0490A Christi quod perdidit cogitare, accipere pretiosa ornamenta et monilia elaborata , nec divini et coelestis ornatus damna deflere? Tu, licet indumenta peregrina et vestes sericas induas, nuda es. Auro te licet et margaritis gemmisque condecores, sine Christi decore deformis es. Et quae capillos tuos inficis, vel nunc in doloribus desine; et quae nigri pulveris ductu oculorum liniamenta depingis, vel nunc lacrymis oculos tuos ablue. Si quem de tuis charum mortalitatis exitu perdidisses, ingemisceres dolenter et fleres, facie inculta, veste mutata, neglecto capillo, vultu nubilo, ore dejecto indicia moeroris ostenderes. Animam tuam, misera , perdidisti, spiritaliter mortua supervivere hic tibi et ipsa ambulans funus tuum portare coepisti; et non acriter plangis, non jugiter ingemiscis, 0490B non te vel pudore criminis vel continuatione lamentationis abscondis! Ecce pejora adhuc peccandi vulnera, ecce majora delicta, peccasse nec satisfacere, deliquisse nec delicta deflere.