not even wait for the Day of Communion. The actual day of oblation, when we shall be assisting together — or even alone — at the Holy Sacrifice, ought to be preceded by reconciliation.
But we must carry the love of peace yet farther, for St Paul says, ' Let not the sun go down upon your anger.’ [1] The darkness would increase our vexation, our anger would return as we woke, and become more bitter. Dark and melancholy passions — amongst which are hate, revenge, and jealousy — grow stronger in the night hours, just as wounds and some kinds of diseases do.
In quarrels, law-suits, and every kind of dissension, we ' deliver ’ one another to ' the officer,’ because we mutually offend each other: — therefore we have reason to fear lest we be cast into that ' prison ’ whence we shall not go out 'till we re-pay the last farthing,’ [2] according to the strictest justice. We should therefore come to some voluntary agreement, rather than appeal to a verdict which will serve to increase our bitterness. This is a point to be seriously considered.
St Augustine says that this ' adversary ’ with whom we are ' to be at agreement betimes,’
