Moral. He has closed his Epistle with a prayer. And indeed prayer is a great good, salutary, and preservative of our souls. But it is great when we do things worthy of it, and do not render ourselves unworthy. And thou too, therefore, when you go to the priest, and he shall say to you, The Lord will have mercy on you, my son, do not confide in the word only, but add also works. Do acts worthy of mercy, God will bless you, my son, if indeed you do things worthy of blessing. He will bless you, if you show mercy to your neighbor. For the things which we wish to obtain from God, of those we ought first to impart to our neighbors. But if we deprive our neighbors of them, how can we wish to obtain them? Blessed, He says, are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 For if men show mercy to such, much more will God, but to the unmerciful by no means. For he shall have judgment without mercy to him that has showed no mercy. James 2:13
An excellent thing is mercy! Why then have...
