t, "As we forgive our debtors." Do ye
then, who are about to enter in to receive a plenary and entire
remission of your debts, do ye above all things see that ye have
nothing in your hearts against any other, so as to come forth from
baptism secure, as it were, free and discharged of all debts, and
then begin to purpose to avenge yourselves on your enemies, who in
time past have done you wrong. Forgive, as ye are forgiven. God can
do no one wrong, and yet he forgiveth who oweth nothing. How then
ought he to forgive who is himself forgiven, when he forgiveth all
who oweth nothing that can be forgiven him?

"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." Will this
again be necessary in the life to come? "Lead us not into
temptation," will not be said except where there can be temptation.
We read in the book of holy Job, "Is not the life of man upon earth
a temptation?" What, then, do we pray for? Hear what. The Apostle
James saith, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of
God." He spoke of those evil temptations whereby men are deceived,
and brought under the yoke of the devil. This is the kind of
temptation he spoke of. For there is another sort of temptation
which is called a proving; of this kind of temptation it is written,
"The Lord your God tempteth [proveth] you to know whether ye love
him." What means "to know"? "To make you know," for he knoweth
already. With that kind of temptation whereby we are deceived and
seduced, God tempteth no man. But undoubtedly in his deep and
hidden judgment he abandons some. And when he hath abandoned them,
the tempter finds his opportunity. For he finds in him no
resistance against his power, but forthwith presents himself to him
as his possessor, if God abandon him. Therefore, that he may not
abandon us, do we say, "Lead us not into temptation." "For every one
is tempted," says the same Apostle James, "when he is drawn away of
his own lust and enticed. Then lust, when it hath conceived,
bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth
death." What, then, has he hereby taught us? To fight against our
lusts. For ye are about to put away your sins in holy baptism; but
lusts will still remain, wherewith ye must fight after that ye are
regenerate. For a conflict with your own selves still remains. Let
no enemy from without be feared; conquer thine own self, and the
whole world is conquered. What can any tempter from without