Page:Aelfric's Lives of Saints Vol 1.djvu/285

 abstaining from  evil,  washeth  us  again  from  the  sins  which  we  have committed after  our  baptism. The merciful  God  speaketli,  concerning all  sinful  men,  two  very  profitable  words,  Declina  a  medo et  fac  honum  that  is,  '  Turn  from  evil,  and  do  good.'  It  is  not enough that  thou  turn  from  evil,  unless  thou  ever,  according  to  thy measure, do  good. Penance, with  abstaining  from  evil,  and  alms-deeds,  and  holy  prayers,  and  faith,  and  hope  in  God,  and  the  true love of  God  and  men,  heal  and  cure  our  sins,  if  we  diligently  use those medicines. God said  that  He  desired  not  the  death  of  the sinful, but  He  willeth  rather  that  he  should  turn  from  his  sins and live.

Again saith  the  Almighty  God,  '  If  the  wicked  man,  and  the sinful do  penance  for  all  his  sins,  and  keep  my  commandments,  and follow after  righteousness,  he  shall  live,  and  shall  not  die  an  evil death, and  I  will  not  remember  any  of  his  sins  which  he  hath  committed.' There  is  no  sin  so  great  that  a  man  may  not  atone  for  it  if he  cease  from  evil,  and  with  true  contrition  repent  of  his  guilt,  according to  the  teaching  of  the  doctors. The man  who  desires  to  weep for his  sins,  and  make  satisfaction  for  them  with  good,  then  must  he diligently  beware  that  he  repeat  not  afterward  the  evil  deeds. The man who  after  his  penance  reneweth  his  evil  deeds,  he  so  angereth God, that  he  is  like  the  dog  who  spueth,  and  again  eateth  that which he  before  spued  up. Nor must  any  man  delay  to  amend  his sins, for  God  hath  promised  to  every  penitent  the  forgiveness  of  his sins, but  He  hath  promised  to  no  procrastinator  certain  life  until to-morrow. Let no  man  be  ashamed  to  make  known  his  sins  to  a teacher;  for  he  who  will  not  confess  his  sins  in  this  world  with  true contrition, he  shall  be  shamed  before  God  Almighty,  and  before  the