Needs then must God, by his own ways, renew man's proper life, and reinstate him so his ways I say - by one, or both of two.

Man from his finite assets never could make satisfaction ne'er could he abase him so low, obey thereafter all he would, as he'd by disobedience sought to raise him and for this cause man might not pay his due himself, nor from the debtor's roll erase him. Within the Eternal Counsel's deep abyss rivet thine eye, and with a heed as good as thou canst give me, do thou follow this. Now, when your nature as a whole did sin in its first root, it lost these great awards, and lost the Eden of its origin nor might they be recovered afterwards by any means, as if thou search thou'lt see, except by crossing one of these two fords either must God, of his sole courtesy, remit, or man must pay with all that's his, the debt of sin in its entirety. Ne'er can he win back dignities so high till the void made by guilt be all filled in with just amends paid for by illicit joy. Sin only can disenfranchise him, and veil his likeness to the Highest Good whereby the light in him is lessened and grows pale. All these prerogatives the human creature possesses, and if one of them should fail, he must diminish from his noble stature. “.Because the sacred fire that lights all nature liveliest of all in its own image glows.

Dante divina