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they endure, what then will it be? Or do you think it a small punishment not to be numbered in that chorus? not to be counted worthy of the ineffable glory? to be cast far and away from that festival and the unspeakable good things? But when there is darkness, and gnashing of teeth, and unbreakable bonds, and the undying worm, and unquenchable fire, and tribulation and distress, and tongues being fried, like that of the rich man, and we wail, and no one hears, and we groan, and gnash our teeth from the pains, and no one pays attention, and we look everywhere, and nowhere is there anyone to comfort us; where shall we place those who are in these things? what is more wretched than those souls? what is more pitiful? 5. But if, when we enter a prison, and see some filthy, others bound with iron chains, and others shut up in darkness, we are broken-hearted, we shudder, we do everything so as not to fall into such necessity and affliction; when we are led away bound into the very torture chambers of Gehenna, what will we be? what will we do? For those bonds are not of iron, but of a fire that is never quenched, nor are those set over us some of our equals, whom it is often possible to placate, but terrible and unsympathetic angels, whom it is not possible even to look at, being fiercely angry for the ways in which we have insulted the Master. It is not possible, as it is here, to see some bringing in 56.285 money, others food, others comforting words, and to receive consolation, but all things there are unforgivable. Even if it is Noah, even if it is Job, even if it is Daniel, and they see their own family being punished, they do not dare to stand by and offer a hand. For it happens then that natural sympathy is done away with. For since righteous fathers are found of sinful children, and good children of wicked parents—for evils are not of nature, but of choice—so that their joy may be pure, and that those who enjoy those good things may not be broken by the necessity of sympathy, it is then that this is extinguished, and they themselves are indignant with the Master against their own flesh and blood. For if even now some, when they see their own children are worthless, disown them and cut them off from kinship, how much more will this happen in the judgment. Therefore let no one hope, who has not done good works, for anything good, even if he has ten thousand righteous ancestors. For each one will receive, it says, the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or evil. Let us hear, I beseech you, and let us be sober. If you have the fire of wicked desire, think of the fire of that punishment, and this fire is extinguished and gone. If you wish to utter something improper, think of the gnashing of teeth, and fear will be a bridle for you. If you wish to seize something, hear the judge saying, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the outer darkness,’ and you will cast out this desire. If you are cruel and merciless, remember those virgins who, when their lamps were extinguished because they had no oil, were cast out from the bridal chamber, and you will quickly become philanthropic. If you desire to be drunk and live in luxury, hear the rich man saying, ‘Send Lazarus, that with the tip of his finger he may cool my tormented tongue,’ and not obtaining his request, and you will quickly abstain from the passion. And you will set all other things right in this way; for God commanded nothing burdensome. Whence then do the commandments seem burdensome? From our own indolence. For just as, if we are diligent, even things that seem heavy will be light and easy, so, if we are indolent, even things that are bearable will appear difficult to us. Considering all these things, let us not count blessed those who live in luxury, but let us consider their end. For here there is filth and corpulence, but there the worm and fire. Not those who seize,

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ὑπομένουσι, τί τότε ἔσται; Ἢ μικρὰν εἶναι νομίζετε κόλασιν τὸ μὴ κατατάττεσθαι ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ χορῷ; τὸ μὴ καταξιοῦσθαι τῆς ἀποῤῥήτου δόξης; τὸ τῆς πανηγύρεως ἐκείνης καὶ τῶν ἀφράστων ἀγαθῶν πόῤῥω που καὶ μακρὰν ἀπεῤῥῖφθαι; Ὅταν δὲ καὶ σκότος ᾖ, καὶ βρυγμὸς ὀδόντων, καὶ δεσμὰ ἄλυτα, καὶ σκώληξ ἀτελεύτητος, καὶ πῦρ ἄσβεστον, καὶ θλίψις καὶ στενοχωρία, καὶ γλῶσσαι τηγανιζόμεναι, καθάπερ ἡ τοῦ πλουσίου, καὶ ὀλοφυρώμεθα, καὶ μηδεὶς ἀκούῃ, καὶ στένωμεν, καὶ βρύχωμεν ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλγηδόνων, καὶ μηδεὶς προσέχῃ, καὶ πανταχοῦ βλέπωμεν, καὶ μηδαμοῦ μηδεὶς ὁ παραμυθούμενος ᾖ· ποῦ τάξομεν τοὺς ἐν τούτοις ὄντας; τί δὲ ἐκείνων ἀθλιώτερον τῶν ψυχῶν; τί δὲ ἐλεεινότερον; εʹ. Εἰ δὲ εἰς δεσμωτήριον εἰσιόντες, καὶ τοὺς μὲν αὐχμῶντας ὁρῶντες, τοὺς δὲ σιδηραῖς ἁλύσεσι δεδεμένους, τοὺς δὲ σκότῳ κατακεκλεισμένους, κατακλώμεθα, φρίττομεν, πάντα πράττομεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τοιαύτην ἀνάγκην καὶ θλίψιν· ὅταν ἀπαγώμεθα εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ τῆς γεέννης βασανιστήρια δεδεμένοι, τίνες ἐσόμεθα; τί δὲ πράξομεν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ σιδήρου τὰ δεσμὰ ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πυρός εἰσιν οὐδέποτε σβεννυμένου, οὐδὲ ὁμότιμοί τινες οἱ ἐφεστῶτες ἡμῖν, οὓς καὶ ἐκμειλίξασθαι πολλάκις ἔνι, ἀλλ' ἄγγελοι φοβεροὶ καὶ ἀσυμπαθεῖς, οἷς οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι δυνατὸν, σφοδρῶς ὑπὲρ ὧν τὸν ∆εσπότην ὑβρίσαμεν ὀργιζόμενοι. Οὐκ ἔστι, καθάπερ ἐνταῦθα, τοὺς μὲν ἀργύ56.285 ριον, τοὺς δὲ τροφὰς, τοὺς δὲ λόγους εἰσάγοντας παρακλητικοὺς ἰδεῖν, καὶ παραμυθίας τυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκεῖ ἀσύγγνωστα. Κἂν Νῶε ᾖ, κἂν Ἰὼβ, κἂν ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ἴδωσι κολαζομένους, οὐ τολμῶσι παραστῆναι, καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέξαι. Καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἐκ φύσεως συμπάθειαν ἀναιρεῖσθαι τότε συμβαίνει Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εὑρίσκονται δίκαιοι τέκνων ἁμαρτωλῶν πατέρες, καὶ παῖδες ἀγαθοὶ γονέων πονηρῶν οὐ γὰρ φύσεώς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ γνώμης τὰ κακὰ, ὥστε καθαρὰν αὐτοῖς εἶναι τὴν εὐφροσύνην, καὶ μὴ τῇ τῆς συμπαθείας ἀνάγκῃ κατακλᾶσθαι τοὺς ἀπολαύοντας τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ ταύτην σβέννυσθαι τότε ἐστὶ, καὶ αὐτοὺς συναγανακτεῖν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ κατὰ τῶν οἰκείων σπλάγχνων. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ νῦν τινες, ὅταν ἴδωσι φαύλους τοὺς αὐτῶν παῖδας, ἀποκηρύττουσι, καὶ τῆς συγγενείας ἀποτέμνουσι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τῇ κρίσει τοῦτο γενήσεται. Τοιγαροῦν μηδεὶς ἐλπιζέτω, χρηστὰ μὴ ἐργασάμενος, τὶ χρηστὸν, κἂν μυρίους ἔχῃ προγόνους δικαίους. Ἕκαστος γὰρ κομίσεται, φησὶ, τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος, πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν, εἴτε κακόν. Ἀκούσωμεν, παρακαλῶ, καὶ σωφρονῶμεν. Ἂν πῦρ ἔχῃς ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς, ἐννόησον τῆς κολάσεως ἐκείνης τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τοῦτο κατασβεσθὲν οἴχεται. Ἂν βουληθῇς φθέγξασθαί τι τῶν ἀτόπων, ἐννόησον τὸν βρυγμὸν τῶν ὀδόντων, καὶ χαλινὸς ἔσται σοι φόβος. Ἂν ἁρπάσαι θελήσῃς, ἄκουσον τοῦ δικαστοῦ λέγοντος, ∆ήσατε αὐτοῦ χεῖρας καὶ πόδας, καὶ βάλετε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον, καὶ ταύτην ἐκβαλεῖς τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν. Ἂν ὠμὸς καὶ ἀνελεήμων ᾖς, ἀναμνήσθητι τῶν παρθένων ἐκείνων, αἳ, τῶν λαμπάδων αὐτῶν σβεσθεισῶν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ἔλαιον, τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐξέπεσον, καὶ ταχέως ἔσῃ φιλάνθρωπος. Ἂν μεθύειν καὶ τρυφᾷν ἐπιθυμῇς, ἄκουσον τοῦ πλουσίου λέγοντος, Πέμψον Λάζαρον, ἵνα ἄκρῳ τῷ δακτύλῳ καταψύξῃ τὴν τηγανιζομένην γλῶσσαν, καὶ οὐ τυγχάνοντος τῆς αἰτήσεως, καὶ ταχέως ἀποστήσῃ τοῦ πάθους. Καὶ τὰ ἄλλα δὲ πάντα τούτῳ κατορθώσεις τῷ τρόπῳ· οὐδὲν γὰρ φορτικὸν ἐπέταξεν ὁ Θεός. Πόθεν οὖν φορτικὰ φαίνεται τὰ ἐπιτάγματα; Ἀπὸ τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας τῆς ἡμετέρας. Ὥσπερ γὰρ, ἐὰν σπουδάζωμεν, καὶ τὰ δοκοῦντα βαρέα κοῦφα ἔσται καὶ ῥᾴδια, οὕτως, ἐὰν ῥᾳθυμῶμεν, καὶ τὰ φορητὰ φανεῖται δύσκολα ἡμῖν. Ἅπερ ἅπαντα λογισάμενοι, μὴ τοὺς τρυφῶντας μακαρίζωμεν, ἀλλὰ τὸ τέλος αὐτῶν ἐννοῶμεν. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ κόπρος καὶ πολυσαρκία, ἐκεῖ δὲ σκώληξ καὶ πῦρ. Μὴ τοὺς ἁρπάζοντας,