Quomodo sit misericors et impassibilis

8 Quomodo sit misericors et impassibilis
Sed et misericors simul et impassibilis quomodo es? Nam si es impassibilis, non compateris; si non compateris, non est tibi miserum cor ex compassione miseri, quod est esse misericordem. At si non es misericors, unde miseris est tanta consolatio?
Quomodo ergo es et non es misericors, Domine, nisi quia es misericors secundum nos, et non es secundum te? Es quippe secundum nostrum sensum, et non es secundum tuum. Etenim cum tu respicis nos miseros, nos sentimus misericordis effectum, tu non sentis affectum. Et misericors es igitur, quia salvas et peccatoribus tuis parcis; et misericors non es, quia nulla miseriae compassione afficeris.

But how even are you at once merciful and impassible? For if you are impassible, you will not have compassion; if you will not have compassion, your heart to itself is not sorrowed by the compassion of the sorrowed, which is to be merciful. And if you are not merciful, whence is such consolation to the sorrowing? Therefore how are you merciful and not merciful, O Lord, unless because you are merciful according to us, and you are not according to thyself? Indeed you are according to our sense, and you are not according to yourself. For even when when you consider us sorrowing, we ourselves are effected by thy mercies, but you do not feel affected. And therefore you are merciful, because you save and spare those which have sinned against you; and you are not merciful, because you will not be affected by any compassion for misery.