On Prayer 29.13

I know well that these things will greatly trouble them, since they fashioned another God besides the maker of heaven and earth for this very reason, that finding many such things in the law and the prophets they took offense at the one who utters such words, as not good. But we, because of the difficulties raised about “Do not bring us into temptation,” for which we have also set out the apostle's words, must now consider whether we too find worthy solutions to these incongruities. I think that God governs each rational soul with a view to its eternal life, since it always has free will, and by its own responsibility either comes to be among the better things, ascending step by step to the summit of goods, or descends in various ways through carelessness into this or that flood of wickedness. Since, then, a quick and shorter cure makes some despise the diseases into which they have fallen, as easily cured, so that after being healed they might fall into the same things a second time, he will reasonably, in such cases, overlook the wickedness as it increases to some point, and overlook it as it spreads very far in them, even incurably; so that, by lingering in evil and being filled with the sin they desire, they may be sated and perceive the harm, and, hating what they formerly welcomed, may, once healed, enjoy more firmly the health of their souls that comes from being healed. So, for example, “the mixed multitude” once among the sons of Israel “lusted with a lust, and sat down and wept, and the sons of Israel too, and said: Who will feed us with meat? We remember the fish we used to eat freely in Egypt, and the cucumbers and melons and leeks and onions and garlic; but now our soul is dried up; there is nothing but the manna before our eyes.” Then a little after it is said: “And Moses heard them weeping by their clans, each at the door of his tent.” And again a little after, the Lord says to Moses: “And you shall say to the people, Purify yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you wept before the Lord, saying, Who will feed us with meat? For it was good for us in Egypt. And the Lord will give you meat to eat, and you shall eat meat. You shall not eat one day, nor two, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days; for a whole month you shall eat, until it comes out of your nostrils; and it shall be loathsome to you, because you disobeyed the Lord, who is among you, and wept before him, saying, Why did we come out of Egypt?”