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angels of the dead present myriads for judgment, when the judgment seat is set for me, and I mount up to the powers above, when principalities and powers attend me as I come, when the luminaries of my kingdom illuminate the whole world, when the books of what each has lived are opened, when there is the precision of laws, and the precise accounting of demons, when the one being judged 50.724 stands, having only his deeds present with him, when thoughts accuse, and conscience convicts, when evil spirits heed the words of the one judging, when the furnace of the judge awaits the decision, when the word, "Have mercy," is henceforth useless to the one crying out. Come therefore, before I shut the doors of my compassion, before the festival of life is finished, before the theater of life passes away; for the deadline of the end is at the doors. Come before I begin to judge; for if I begin to sit in judgment, I no longer show favor. For these reasons I have made manifest the example of the foolish virgins, whose lamps of life, having no oil of righteousness, were extinguished, and how the doors of the bridechamber were shut to them, and how to those knocking they answered from within, "I do not know you," hinting at the voice to sinners in the judgment.

If therefore, brothers, we have been taught the Lord's goodness from the words of the Savior, let us not despise a judge speaking kindly before the judgment, let us not lose the time for repentance; let us clothe our own souls with good deeds and alms; let each of us now provide the things necessary for eternal life, let us keep ourselves from wicked deeds. For if we keep our faith unshaken in good works, creation will also be unshaken with us. Let us adorn our souls with moderation, and let us surely acquire the priceless pearl of pure faith; before the time of our life is extinguished, before the form of the world, and the flower of glory, and all the pleasures of the whole are destroyed, let us serve the impartial judge. For he is the one who says: As I live, says the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should turn and live. If he desired to punish the sinner, he would be silent; he wishes to have mercy, for this reason he exhorts; he spares, for this reason he encourages; he frightens you by foretelling, in order to prevent the experience of the danger. For God in threatening wishes to save, but in being silent chooses to punish. We have the lesson from the facts. He threatened the Ninevites, and he spared them; he was silent concerning the Sodomites, and he punished them; he has prepared crowns, if we do not bring tortures upon ourselves. He wishes Gehenna to be idle, he wishes to close the prison of darkness, he wishes all his wrath to be reserved for the devil alone, he wishes to sit as judge, not to punish some, but to crown all.

Having therefore such a Master, let us seize the voice full of goodness, let us obey him saying: Come, learn from me, for I am meek and humble in heart, so that we may also be deemed worthy to hear that desirable and blessed voice which says: Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you; may we all come to enjoy it, 50.725 by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father be glory 50.726 together with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever, Amen.

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ἄγγελοι τῶν νεκρῶν τὰς μυριάδας παριστῶσιν εἰς κρίσιν, ὅτε μοι βῆμα τεθῇ, καὶ ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσιν ἐπιβῶ, ὅτε ἀρχαὶ καὶ ἐξουσίαι δορυφοροῦσιν ἐρχόμενον, ὅτε μου τῆς βασιλείας οἱ φωστῆρες τὸν πάντα καταλάμπουσι κόσμον, ὅτε βίβλοι τῶν ἑκάστῳ βεβιωμένων ἀνοίγονται, ὅτε νόμων ἀκρίβεια, καὶ δαιμόνων ἀκριβὲς λογοθέσιον, ὅτε ὁ κρινόμενος 50.724 ἵσταται, μόνα ἔχων αὐτῷ παρεστῶτα τὰ ἔργα, ὅτε λογισμοὶ κατηγοροῦσι, καὶ ἐλέγχει συνείδησις, ὅτε πνεύματα πονηρὰ τοῖς τοῦ δικάζοντος προσέχοντα ῥήμασιν, ὅτε κάμινος τοῦ κριτοῦ περιμένουσα τὴν ἀπόφασιν, ὅτε τὸ, Ἐλέησον, ῥῆμα τῷ βοῶντι λοιπὸν ἀνωφέλητον. ∆εῦτε οὖν, πρὶν ἀποκλείσω μου τὰς θύρας τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν, πρὶν φθάσῃ λυθῆναι τῆς ζωῆς ἡ πανήγυρις, πρὶν παρέλθῃ τοῦ βίου τὸ θέατρον· ἐπὶ θύραις γὰρ ἡ προθεσμία τοῦ τέλους. ∆εῦτε πρὶν ἄρξωμαι κρίνειν· ἂν γὰρ φθάσω καθίσας δικάζειν, οὐκέτι χαρίζομαι. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα κατάδηλον ἐποιησάμην τὸ τῶν μωρῶν παρθένων ὑπόδειγμα, ὧν αἱ λαμπάδες τῆς ζωῆς μὴ ἔχουσαι δικαιοσύνης ἔλαιον ἀπεσβέσθησαν, καὶ ὅπως ἀπεκλείσθησαν αὐταῖς τοῦ νυμφῶνος αἱ θύραι, ὅπως τε κρουούσαις ἀντέλεγον ἔνδοθεν, Οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐν τῇ κρίσει φωνὴν αἰνιττόμενος.

Εἰ ἐδιδάχθημεν τοιγαροῦν, ἀδελφοὶ, ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος λόγων ∆εσποτικὴν ἀγαθότητα, μὴ καταφρονήσωμεν δικαστοῦ πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως φθεγγομένου φιλάνθρωπα, μὴ ἀπολέσωμεν μεταμελείας καιρόν· ἀγαθαῖς πράξεσι καὶ ἐλεημοσύναις τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς ἀμφιάσωμεν· ἕκαστος ἡμῶν ἤδη πραγματευσάσθω τὰ πρὸς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωὴν ἐπιτήδεια, τῶν χαλεπῶν πράξεων ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστήσωμεν. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἡμεῖς τὴν πίστιν ἀσάλευτον ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις φυλάξωμεν, ἔσται σὺν ἡμῖν καὶ ἡ κτίσις ἀσάλευτος. Σωφροσύνῃ κοσμήσωμεν τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν, καὶ τῆς καθαρᾶς πίστεως τὸν ἀτίμητον μαργαρίτην βεβαίως ἐπικτησώμεθα· πρὶν ὁ χρόνος τῆς ζωῆς σβεσθῇ τῆς ἡμετέρας, πρὶν τὸ σχῆμα τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος τῆς δόξης, καὶ πάντα τὰ τῆς ὅλης τερπνὰ διαφθαρήσηται, τὸν ἀδέκαστον κριτὴν θεραπεύσωμεν. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ λέγων· Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος, οὐ βούλομαι τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν. Εἰ ἐφίετο τιμωρεῖσθαι τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν, ἐσιώπα· ἐλεεῖν θέλει, διὰ τοῦτο παρακαλεῖ· φείδεται, διὰ τοῦτο προτρέπεται· φοβεῖ σε τῷ προειπεῖν, ἵνα τοῦ κινδύνου προαναστείλῃ τὴν πεῖραν. Θεὸς γὰρ ἀπειλῶν μὲν σώζειν βούλεται, σιωπῶν δὲ προαιρεῖται κολάζειν. Ἔχομεν ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν μάθησιν. Ἠπείλησεν ἐπὶ Νινευϊτῶν, καὶ ἐφείσατο· ἐσίγησεν ἐπὶ Σοδομιτῶν, καὶ ἐκόλασεν· στεφάνους ηὐτρέπισεν, ἐὰν μὴ καθ' ἑαυτῶν βασάνους ἐνέγκωμεν. Θέλει ἀργῆσαι τὴν γέενναν, θέλει τοῦ σκότους τὸ δεσμωτήριον κλεῖσαι, θέλει πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὀργὴν μόνῳ τῷ διαβόλῳ φυλάττεσθαι, θέλει καθίσαι κριτὴς, οὐχ ἵνα κολάζῃ τινὰς, ἀλλ' ἵνα στεφανώσῃ πάντας.

Ἔχοντες τοίνυν τοιοῦτον ∆εσπότην, ἁρπάσωμεν φωνὴν ἀγαθότητος γέμουσαν, ὑπακούσωμεν λέγοντι· ∆εῦτε, μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, ἵνα καὶ τῆς εὐκταίας ἐκείνης καὶ μακαρίας φωνῆς ἀξιωθῶμεν ἀκοῦσαι τῆς λεγούσης· ∆εῦτε, οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ Πατρός μου, κληρονομήσατε τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν· ἧς πάντες ἐν ἀπο 50.725 λαύσει γενοίμεθα, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα 50.726 ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, Ἀμήν.