in unbreakable bonds, to a dark and gloomy land, to the lower parts, in the subterranean prisons and guards of Hades; where the souls of sinners are shut up, of those who have fallen asleep since the beginning of time, as Jacob says; to a dark and gloomy land, to a land of eternal darkness without light, nor the life of mortals, but eternal pain, and unending grief, and unceasing weeping, and unsilenced gnashing of teeth, and sleepless groans; there is woe forever, there is alas, alas! there they cry out, and there is no one to help; they shout, and there is no one to deliver; it is not possible to describe that distress; it is not possible to speak with the tongue the pains of the souls 77.1077 lying and shut up there; every mouth of man is unable to reveal that fear and trembling; there are no human lips strong enough to speak of their circumstance and their weeping; they groan continually and unceasingly, but there is no one to have mercy; they cry out from the depths, but there is no one who hears; they lament, but there is no one who delivers; they call out and beat their breasts, but there is no one who has compassion. Then where is the boasting of this world? Where is the vainglory? Where the luxury? Where the enjoyment? Where the wastefulness? Where the pageantry? Where the rest? Where the world? Where the money? Where the noble birth? Where then is the delight? Where the courage of the flesh? Where the false and useless beauty of women? Where then is the impudent and shameless boldness? Where then the adornment of garments? Where the unclean and foul pleasure of sin? Where is the one who considers the abominable bed of men a pleasure? Where are those who anoint and perfume themselves with myrrh and ointments? Where are those who drink wine with timbrels and lyres? Where then is the contempt of those living without fear? Where is the love of silver, and the love of money, and the mercilessness from them? Where then is the inhuman pride that detests all things, and considers itself to be something? Where then is the empty and vain glory of men? Where is lust and intemperance? Where is power and tyranny? Where then is the king? Where the ruler? Where the leader? Where those in authority? Where are those who exult in the abundance of wealth, and do not pity the poor, and despise God? Where are the theaters and the hunts? Where then are those who are puffed up, and live moderately, and live without care? Where are the soft garments, and the soft and delicate beds? Where are the lofty buildings, and the breadth of the porticoes? Where are those who lived without fear?

Then seeing, they will wonder and shudder, and being astounded they will cry aloud, being troubled they will be shaken; trembling will seize them, and pangs as of a woman in labor, in a violent wind they will be shattered, vanishing. Where then is the wisdom of the wise? Where the eloquence of the orators, and their vain subtleties? Woe, woe! they were troubled, they were shaken like a drunken man, and all their wisdom was swallowed up. Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? O brethren, consider what manner of men we ought to be, giving an account for each one of the things we have done, whether great or small; for even for an idle word, we will give an account to the righteous judge. What manner of men ought we to be in that hour? But if we find grace before God, what joy awaits us, being set apart at the right hand of the King! What manner of men ought we to be for that unspeakable joy, when the King of kings shall say to those on his right hand with cheerfulness: Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Then we shall inherit those good things, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love him. Then, therefore, we are without care, no longer fearing any fear. Let us consider 77.1080 these things, and the unending of sinners

δεσμοῖς ἀλύτοις, εἰς γῆν σκοτεινὴν καὶ ζοφερὰν, εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη, ἐν τοῖς καταχθονίοις δεσμωτηρίοις, καὶ φυλακαῖς τοῦ ᾅδου· ἔνθα τυγχάνουσιν ἀποκεκλεισμέναι αἱ ψυχαὶ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, τῶν ἀπ' αἰῶνος κεκοιμημένων, καθώς φησιν ὁ Ἰακώβ· εἰς γῆν σκοτεινὴν καὶ ζοφερὰν, εἰς γῆν σκότους αἰωνίου οὐκ ἐπίφεγγος, οὐδὲ ζωὴ βροτῶν, ἀλλ' ὀδύνη αἰώνιος, καὶ λύπη ἀτελεύτητος, καὶ κλαυθμὸς ἄπαυστος, καὶ βρυγμὸς ὀδόντων ἀσίγητος, καὶ στεναγμοὶ ἀκοίμητοι· ἐκεῖ οὐαὶ διαπαντὸς, ἐκεῖ οἴμοι, οἴμοι! ἐκεῖ κράζουσι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ βοηθῶν· βοῶσι, καὶ οὐδείς ἐστιν ὁ ῥυόμενος· οὐκ ἔστι διηγήσασθαι τὴν ἀνάγκην ἐκείνην· οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν διὰ γλώττης τὰς ὀδύνας τῶν ἐκεῖσε 77.1077 κατακειμένων καὶ ἀποκεκλεισμένων ψυχῶν ἀδυνατεῖ πᾶν στόμα ἀνθρώπου φανερῶσαι τὸν φόβον καὶ τὸν τρόμον ἐκεῖνον· οὐκ ἕνι χείλη ἀνθρώπου ἰσχύοντα εἰπεῖν τὴν περίστασιν, καὶ τὸν κλαυθμὸν αὐτῶν· στενάζουσι διηνεκῶς καὶ ἀπαύστως, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ὁ ἐλεῶν· κράζουσιν ἐκ βάθους, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ὁ εἰσακούων· ἀποδύρονται, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ὁ ῥυόμενος· ἀνακαλοῦνται, καὶ κόπτονται, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ὁ σπλαγχνιζόμενος. Τότε ποῦ ἡ καύχησις τοῦ κόσμου τούτου; ποῦ ἡ κενοδοξία; ποῦ ἡ τρυφή; ποῦ ἡ ἀπόλαυσις; ποῦ ἡ σπατάλη; ποῦ ἡ φαντασία; ποῦ ἡ ἀνάπαυσις; ποῦ ὁ κόσμος; ποῦ τὰ χρήματα; ποῦ ἡ εὐγένεια; ποῦ τότε ἡ τερπνότης; ποῦ ἡ ἀνδρεία τῆς σαρκός; ποῦ τὸ κάλλος τῶν γυναικῶν τὸ ψευδὲς καὶ ἀνωφελές; ποῦ τότε ἡ παῤῥησία ἡ ἀναιδὴς καὶ ἀναίσχυντος; ποῦ τότε ὁ καλλωπισμὸς τῶν ἱματίων; ποῦ ἡ ἡδονὴ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ ἀκάθαρτος καὶ σιφνή; ποῦ ὁ τὴν βδελυρὰν τῶν ἀνέρων κοίτην, ἡδονὴν ἡγούμενος; ποῦ οἱ τὰ μύρα καὶ τὰ ἀλείμματα ἀλειφόμενοι καὶ καπνιζόμενοι; ποῦ οἱ μετὰ τυμπάνων καὶ κιθάρας τὸν οἶνον πίνοντες; ποῦ τότε ἡ καταφρόνησις τῶν ἐν ἀφοβίᾳ ζώντων; ποῦ ἡ φιλαργυρία, καὶ ἡ φιλοχρηματία, καὶ ἡ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀσπλαγχνία; ποῦ τότε ἡ ἀπάνθρωπος ὑπερηφανία ἡ πάντα βδελυσσομένη, καὶ ἑαυτὴν λογιζομένη εἶναί τι; ποῦ τότε ἡ κενὴ καὶ ματαία τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξα; ποῦ ἡ λαγνεία καὶ ἡ ἀκολασία; ποῦ ἡ δυναστεία, καὶ ἡ τυραννίς; ποῦ τότε βασιλεύς; ποῦ ἄρχων; ποῦ ἡγούμενος; ποῦ οἱ ἐπ' ἐξουσιῶν; ποῦ οἱ γαυριῶντες ἐπὶ πλήθει πλούτου, καὶ πτωχοὺς μὴ ἐλεοῦντες, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ καταφρονοῦντες; ποῦ τὰ θέατρα, καὶ τὰ κυνήγια; ποῦ τότε οἱ μετεωριζόμενοι, καὶ μετριάζοντες, καὶ ἀμερίμνως βιοῦντες; ποῦ τὰ μαλακὰ ἐνδύματα, καὶ αἱ στρωμναὶ αἱ μαλακαὶ, καὶ ἁπαλαί; ποῦ αἱ ὑψηλαὶ οἰκοδομαὶ, καὶ τὸ εὗρος τῶν στοῶν; ποῦ οἱ ἐν ἀφοβίᾳ ζήσαντες;

Τότε ἰδόντες, θαυμάσουσι καὶ φρίξουσι, καὶ καταπλαγέντες ὀλολύξουσι, ταραχθέντες σαλευθῶσι· τρόμος αὐτοὺς ἐπιλάβοι, καὶ ὠδῖνες ὡσεὶ τικτούσης, ἐν πνεύματι βιαίῳ συντριβήσονται ἀφανιζόμενοι. Ποῦ τότε ἡ σοφία τῶν σοφῶν; ποῦ τῶν ῥητόρων ἡ εὐγλωττία, καὶ τὰ μάταια αὐτῶν πανουργεύματα; Οὐαὶ, οὐαί! ἐταράχθησαν, ἐσαλεύθησαν ὡς ὁ μεθύων, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ σοφία αὐτῶν κατεπόθη. Ποῦ σοφός; ποῦ γραμματεύς; ποῦ συζητητὴς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου; Ὦ ἀδελφοὶ, ἀναλογίσασθε ποταποὺς δεῖ ὑπάρχειν ἡμᾶς διδόντας λόγον καθ' ἒν ὧν ἐπράξαμεν, εἴτε μεγάλων εἴτε μικρῶν· μέχρι γὰρ τοῦ ἀργοῦ λόγου, ἀπολογίαν δώσομεν τῷ δικαίῳ κριτῇ. Ποταποὺς δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἶναι ἐν τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐκείνῃ; Ἐὰν δὲ εὕρωμεν χάριν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, οἵα χαρὰ δέχηται ἡμᾶς ἀφοριζομένους ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Βασιλέως! Ποταποὺς δεῖ εἶναι ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν χαρὰν ἐκείνην τὴν ἀνεκλάλητον, ὅτ' ἂν εἴπῃ ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῶν βασιλευόντων, τοῖς ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ μετὰ ἱλαρότητος· ∆εῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου.

Τότε κατακληρονομήσομεν ἐκεῖνα τὰ ἀγαθὰ, Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Τότε λοιπὸν ἀμέριμνοί ἐσμεν, μηκέτι πτοούμενοι μηδεμίαν πτόησιν. Ἀναλογισώμεθα 77.1080 δὲ ταῦτα, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀτελεύτητον