Letter 5006: The reverence I owe your holy way of life and the affection I bear you personally have joined forces to compel this...

Ennodius to Abbot Leontius. Beyond my deserving, the fullness of heavenly favor toward me has grown, while I, who am worthy of punishment, exult at having obtained the rewards of the righteous. In vain does despair, the mother of peril, hurl wrongdoers headlong to the utmost ruin. Let those set in the gravest error be restored to a solid hope by my example. I do not know from what work of mine, from what innocence, the fruit of your letters has come to me, and has filled with the honey of heavenly good a soul rich in the abundance of sin, except that He who took our wounds upon Himself and grieved for us, having changed the condition of deserts, chastises with gifts those whom He has seen worthy of the lash, and, the case being reversed, while He fills the souls of the guilty with prosperity, makes them better through shame. By the favor, therefore, of the heavenly mystery I have drawn forth the produce of your converse. He has rendered you anxious for the health of my body, who compels the spiritual physicians to restore the care of my soul to the state of granted soundness. What substance of limbs is in me, you inquire with the searching of devout solicitude—though the state of these limbs, neglecting the part that is of the soul, is weighed down by the whole sway of this world. Bring it about by prayer that I become such as you assert me to be by your kind words, since the brightness of your purpose, knowing no deceit, foretells that the man it proclaims good will soon, before the time of innocence, be so. To my brothers and fellow servants, whom you sent, I did not deny—being apt by wish rather than by means—as much consolation as I was able to show. It remains that you, receiving my services, together with the whole assembly over which you preside, banded together through the mercy of almighty God, persist in prayers to God on behalf of my littleness, so that he who lacks confidence in good things through his own actions may attain it through your support.

VI. LEONTIO ABBATI ENNODIVS. Supra meritum meum summa circa me beneficii caelestis adoleuit, dum qui poena dignus sum iustorum praemia consecutus exulto. frustra delinquentes periculi mater desperatio ad extrema praecipitat. in errore maximo constituti meo ad spem solidam reparentur exemplo. nescio de quo opere mihi, de qua innocentia epistolarum uestrarum fructus accesserit et animam peccati ubertate locupletem caelestis boni melle satiarit, nisi quia ille qui uulnera nostra suscepit et pro nobis doluit mutata meritorum condicione quos flagellis dignos uiderit castigat muneribus et uersa uice noxiorum animas dum secundis replet, pudore meliorat. superni ergo secreti dignatione confabulationis uestrae fruges elicui. uos de corporis mei sanitate sollicitos ille reddidit, qui animae meae curam per Y. 1 deetenatia B praebites B 2 conscius B parta T ut videtur 3 orbanus B 4 ceptie T 6 rebus om. B 8 mihi BL V 9 ddne P, dominae B, dfie LT, donatione b 10 ostendere] finit add. B VL 14 adolinit B 15 diiperatio LV, disaperatio B . 16 precipitat B 17 solidam spem P (spem s. I.) b 19 animam Bb, adimam LV, animam adunam T (animam e. 1. m, 2) T, ad unam P (al. a ι̃ a * 2. I m. alia) uberate B 21 conditione BLT 23 meliorat∗∗ ur eras.) L 25 aollicituB B spiritales medicos ad statum indultae ualitudinis redire conpellit. quae sit in me substantia membrorum, religiosae sollicitudinis inuestigatione perquiritis, quorum status animae partem neglegens toto mundi istius grauatur imperio. agite oratione me talem fieri, qualem adseritis blandimentis, quia fuci nescia propositi uestri claritudo quem bonum esse praedicat ante tempus innocentiae adnuntiat mox futurum. fratribus meis et conseruis, quos direxistis, quantum exhibere solacii potui uoto potius quam re idoneus non negaui. superest ut accipientes obsequia mea cum uniuerso cui praeestis concilio per dei omnipotentis misericordiam coniurati deo pro paruitate mea precibus insistatis, ut cui deest per actiones suas fiducia bonorum per suffragia uestra contingat.