Virtues and Sins

From Aryez

Book 39 of the Marfat

39: Virtues and Sins

1. O those of you who are good or

2. desire to be good: what are virtues?

3. There are many virtues for which one may strive towards.

4. Prudence, temperance, courage, justice, love,

5. hope, faith, humility, kindness, abstinence,

6. chastity, patience, liberality, diligence, charity,

7. fortitude, and amity are all virtues. What are

8. acts of mercy? They are to feed

9. the hungry, give water to the thirsty,

10. give shelter to those without homes,

11. clothe the naked, care for the sick,

12. minister to prisoners, and respectfully

13. dispose of the dead. What are the sins

14. one can commit? These seven sins are

15. pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth.

16. Remember the seeking counts more than the finding when trying to obtain

17. something. God is Great.

Commentary: This book lists the values that are generally thought of as virtues and sins. Virtues, including acts of mercy, are good actions, approved by God, and people should strive towards these. Sins are bad actions, propagated by the Devil, and should be avoided. The acts of virtue and mercy include: prudence, temperance, courage, justice, love, hope, faith, humility, kindness, abstinence, chastity, patience, liberality, diligence, charity, fortitude, amity, feeding the hungry, watering the thirsty, housing the homeless, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, ministering to those without ministry, and treating the dead respectfully. The acts of sin include: [false] pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, and sloth [laziness]. The book ends with the truth that one can often gain more by seeking something (the experience) that gaining it.