Where is what you said: "I defer to tomorrow and tomorrow to another tomorrow, because God promised me forgiveness saying: On whatever day the sinner turns; for He did not say: If he turns today, but: On whatever day he turns"? God answers you: "I promised you forgiveness, I did not promise you tomorrow." Or do you perhaps wish to combine and unite two promises, what God promised, and what the astrologer promised? For God promised forgiveness, the astrologer perhaps promised you tomorrow. Observe, wretch: the astrologer is deceived, and God condemns you.
How many have been suddenly taken and were not allowed to make satisfaction to God nor to accuse the astrologers.
He who perishes by despair perishes badly.
Let him who has perished by despairing hear what he said: "I have already committed so many evils that I hope for no forgiveness. It remains to fulfill my lusts, to satiate my delights, so that I may at least have rest here, which I will not have there." Listen also to the voice of God, not your own: "Despairing one, return to hope." Hear Paul saying: "Therefore I obtained mercy - who persecuted the Church of God - so that in me Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, for the information of those who would believe in Him unto eternal life." Therefore you have the pattern: do not despair, heed the admonition that was recently quoted with ill hope, and let the despairing be corrected by it. What did you hear? From where he was flattering himself, because he was delaying from day to day? "God is to me, God, on whichever day the wicked and the impious turns, I will forget all his iniquities." Read and return. You were sitting over the bank, or you were carrying a noose by despairing, wishing to bring death upon yourself, perhaps not having any means to live, you wished to die: return, you have the means to live: behold the bread of God. I do not desire the death of the wicked, but that he should return and live.
"There is no reason for us to complain about God."
Therefore, brothers, there is no reason for us to complain about God; there is nothing for the perverse to dislike, although it cannot displease anyone except the perverse. The right does not please the perverse, and the distorted cannot be adjusted to the right. For there is nothing to be said. You were saying: "Behold, Christians grant impunity: they make sin abound." I have given the reason, because more people would perish in despair if no harbor of mercy were offered to those in turmoil. Thus, God has not abandoned either the poorly hopeful or the poorly despairing. For the poorly despairing, He provided a harbor of mercy; for the poorly hopeful, He made the day of death uncertain. There is nothing to be said, but there is something to be done. So let them say to me: "What are we to do?" Those who are moved by the word of truth; let them say not with their voices, but with their hearts: "What then are we to do?" What else should I answer, except what we have heard: Repent? What more can I say? Repent. You are a catechumen: repent and you will be renewed; you have been baptized badly, not badly baptized: repent and you will be healed. I do not find anything for you to say to this; you know what you must do. Converted...