penitence.02 Chapter 1

Agree thou therefore with him that goeth to law with thee whilst he is with thee in the way;

for when the way hath come to an end, thou wilt no longer find another opportunity for repentance.

Watch thou then carefully lest he that goeth to law with thee give thee over into the hand of the Judge, and the Judge give thee over into the hand of the attendant, that is to say, the merciless powers which are over the punishments, and they cast thee into prison, that is to say, the outer darkness, until thou pay the uttermost kontrantes

Moreover, they shall judge thee not only for thy deeds, but also for thy thoughts and for thy motives.

Since, therefore, we know all these things, let us help ourselves.

When we shall have actual expei'ience of the punishments, then we shall know that bitter is pleasure, and then we shall have good reason for knowing how bitter that bitterness can be.

Now therefore, since these things take place in this wise, O my beloved, let us make our appeal to the Merciful God not to deliver us over into the hands of the demons.