RECONCILIATION WITH YOUR ADVERSARIES 5. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him: lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing (Matthew, 5:25 & 26).
6. In the act of pardon, as in general practice of good, there is not only a moral effect but also a material effect. As is already known, death does not liberate us from our enemies; vengeful Spirits in the after life frequently pursue with great hate all those for whom they bear rancour. From this we understand the falsity of the proverb: The poison dies with the beast, when it is applied to mankind.
The evil Spirit waits for the other whom he does not like to return to a physical body, where he or she is partially captive, in order to more easily torment, hurt interests or harm affections. The cause of the majority of cases of obsession lies within this fact, especially those cases which present some gravity, such as subjugations and possession. The person who is either obsessed or possessed is almost always a victim of vengeance. The motive will be found in their past lives, in which the one who is suffering gave cause for this result. God allows this to happen in order to punish the evil which was originally committed or, if this is not the case, for the lack of indulgence and charity through the refusal to grant a pardon. Consequently, from the point of view of future tranquility, it is important that each person makes amends for all grievances which may have been caused to neighbours as soon as possible.
Before death reaches us, it is necessary that we pardon all our enemies, thereby eradicating all motives for dissension, as well as all causes for ulterior animosity. In this manner it is quite possible to make a friend in the next world out of an enemy in this world. At least all those who proceed in this manner put themselves on the right side of the Law. God will not consent to anyone who has pardoned being made to suffer from vengeance.
When Jesus recommends that we should reconcile ourselves with our adversaries as soon as possible, this is not merely with the object of pacifying any discords during the actual existence, but principally to avoid their perpetuation into the future life. Jesus said: " No one can leave this prison until the last cent of their debt has been paid," that is to say, not until God's justice has been completely satisfied.
