being judged, the rulers, and the Savior saying: These men have despised my word of truth, these men have transgressed my law, these men have annulled my doctrine, these men punished the apostles, these men tortured the martyrs. He says these things, and consider, while the King is speaking, how the angels standing by make dreadful signs, make terrible threats, with their gaze already consuming the sinner; consider the angels being indignant, archangels being moved, the powers being shaken, the Father being indignant, the Holy Spirit being wroth, that one being cast out with great shame, cast out not only from salvation, but also exiled to condemnation. But indeed it is not a fearful thing only not to be saved, nor to reign, but also to be handed over to the fire. Whoever confesses in me, I will confess in him. Consider, how much glory, how much boasting, how great a crown, when the judge says: This one has kept my word, this one has preached my faith, this one has confirmed my word, this one did not overlook my poor man, this one trampled upon covetousness, and preferred righteousness, this one laughed at the world as if it did not exist, and loved the world to come, this one has carried my kingdom across; this one has honored my word; honor him, Father. But when we say these things, describing character, we do not divide the dignity, nor do we dissolve the authority, but by the figure of the accusation the indignation of the Judge is shown; and all these things become for salvation for those who confess, but for condemnation for those who do not believe. But the most fearful thing of all, is when you consider Michael and Gabriel and all the angelic hosts standing, but the sons of Zebedee sitting, Paul and Peter sitting, those from among men, while angels stand by in fear, and men are sitting with boldness. Consider angels standing by and the fishermen and the tax collectors sitting, and let us also say with them. How great is the multitude of Your goodness, O Lord! Zacchaeus is sitting, Paul and Peter are sitting, and Michael stands by. We do not speak strange names, but we conform to what is written; for we have not learned the names of angels, but we follow what is written. There is no envy, no jealousy; for these are not earthly matters; angels are not grieved because they themselves are standing, while men are sitting; for they are partakers of the glory of the saints. Hear the Lord saying: Truly I say to you, that there is joy in the presence of all the angels over one sinner who repents. Let us therefore love the glory of Christ, but the glory that passes away let us despise as a dream. For it was said to you yesterday also, how the prophet called the glory of the world a dream. For the wealth of the ungodly, he says, shall be as a dream. For the present state of affairs in no way differs from phantoms. The one yesterday in health, today in sickness; the one yesterday in authority, today in humiliation; the one yesterday in wealth, today in poverty; the one yesterday in pride, today in contempt. All things are shaken, all things are changed; and I do not speak of human things only, but also Heaven, he says, and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. For this reason blessed are the Christians, who even in dignity are humble-minded. Have you been humble-minded in dignity? Humility does you no wrong; for it finds you such as you ought to be. If you first humble yourself before the humiliation, humiliation will innovate nothing strange against you, but being prepared in mind you will be made ready for the battle. Well therefore did David say, I was prepared, and was not troubled. Let us flee, therefore, arrogance, let us flee vainglory, let us love Christ, and for Christ's sake the poor, so that he who enriches all, who has mercy on all, may grant a multitude to the Church, so as to glory in piety, so as to have the husbandman of righteousness, who yesterday was left behind on account of another dispensation, but who is with us on account of spiritual oversight. For the Jewish people was not, so to speak,

κρινομένους, τοὺς δυνάστας, καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα λέγοντα· Οὗτοί μου τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας διέπτυσαν, οὗτοί μου τὸν νόμον παρεγράψαντο, οὗτοί μου τὸ δόγμα ἠκύρωσαν, οὗτοι τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐκόλασαν, οὗτοι τοὺς μάρτυρας ἐβασάνισαν. Ταῦτα λέγει καὶ ἐννόησον, Βασιλέως φθεγγομένου, πῶς οἱ παρεστῶτες ἄγγελοι νεύουσι φοβερὸν, ἀπειλοῦσι φρικτὸν, τῷ βλέμματι ἤδη τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν ἀναλίσκοντες· ἐννόησον τοὺς ἀγγέλους ἀγανακτοῦντας, ἀρχαγγέλους κινουμένους, τὰς δυνάμεις σαλευομένας, τὸν Πατέρα ἀγανακτοῦντα, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὀργιζόμενον, ἐκεῖνον μετὰ μεγάλης αἰσχύνης ἐκβαλλόμενον, ἐκβαλλόμενον δὲ οὐ τῆς σωτηρίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς κατάκρισιν ἐξοριζόμενον. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ φοβερὸν τὸ μὴ σωθῆναι μόνον, μηδὲ βασιλεῦσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πυρὶ παραδοθῆναι. Ὃς δ' ἂν ἐξομολογήσῃ ἐν ἐμοὶ, ὁμολογήσω ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἐννόησον, πόση δόξα, πόσον καύχημα, πόσος στέφανος, ὅταν εἴπῃ ὁ κριτής· Οὗτός μου τὸν λόγον ἐτήρησεν, οὗτός μου τὴν πίστιν ἐκήρυξεν, οὗτός μου τὸν λόγον ἐβεβαίωσεν, οὗτός μου τὸν πτωχὸν οὐ παρεῖδεν, οὗτος τὴν πλεονεξίαν ἐπάτησε, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην προετίμησεν, οὗτος κατεγέλασε τοῦ κόσμου ὡς μὴ ὄντος, καὶ ἠγάπησε τὸν μέλλοντα κόσμον, οὗτός μου τὴν βασιλείαν διεπόρθμευσεν· οὗτός μου τὸν λόγον ἐτίμησε· τίμησον αὐτὸν, Πάτερ. Ὅταν δὲ ταῦτα λέγωμεν ἠθοποιοῦντες, οὐ μερίζομεν τὴν ἀξίαν, οὔτε λύομεν τὴν ἐξουσίαν, ἀλλὰ τῷ σχήματι τῆς κατηγορίας δείκνυται ἡ ἀγανάκτησις τοῦ Κριτοῦ· καὶ γίνεται ταῦτα πάντα εἰς σωτηρίαν μὲν τῶν ὁμολογούντων, εἰς κατάκρισιν δὲ τῶν ἀπιστούντων. Τὸ δὲ πάντων φοβερώτερον, ὅταν ἐννοήσῃς ἑστῶτα μὲν τὸν Μιχαὴλ καὶ Γαβριὴλ, καὶ πάσας τὰς ἀγγελικὰς στρατιὰς, καθεζομένους δὲ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ζεβεδαίου, καθεζόμενον Παῦλον καὶ Πέτρον, τοὺς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων, ἀγγέλους δὲ φόβῳ παρεστῶτας, καὶ ἀνθρώπους παῤῥησίᾳ καθεζομένους. Ἐννόησον παρεστῶτας ἀγγέλους καὶ τοὺς ἁλιεῖς καὶ τοὺς τελώνας καθεζομένους, καὶ εἴπωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς μετ' αὐτῶν. Ὡς πολὺ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς χρηστότητός σου, Κύριε! Κάθηται Ζακχαῖος, κάθηται Παῦλος καὶ Πέτρος, καὶ παρέστηκεν ὁ Μιχαήλ. Οὐκ ὀνόματα ξένα λέγομεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις στοιχοῦμεν· οὐ γὰρ ἀγγέλων ὀνόματα μεμαθήκαμεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἀκολουθοῦμεν. Οὐδεὶς φθόνος, οὐδεὶς ζῆλος· οὐ γάρ ἐστι γήϊνα πράγματα· οὐ λυποῦνται ἄγγελοι διότι μὲν αὐτοὶ ἑστήκασιν, ἄνθρωποι δὲ καθέζονται· κοινωνοὶ γάρ εἰσι τῆς δόξης τῶν ἁγίων. Ἄκουε τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι χαρά ἐστιν ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν ἀγγέλων ἐφ' ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι. Ἀγαπήσωμεν οὖν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τὴν δὲ δόξαν τὴν παρερχομένην ὡς ὄναρ διαπτύσωμεν. Εἴρηται γὰρ καὶ χθὲς ὑμῖν, πῶς ὁ προφήτης τὴν δόξαν τοῦ κόσμου ἐνύπνιον ἐκάλεσεν. Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ πλοῦτος τῶν ἀσεβῶν ὡς ἐνύπνιον. Οὐδὲν γὰρ διαφέρει φαντασμάτων ἡ παροῦσα κατάστασις. Ὁ χθὲς ἐν ὑγείᾳ, σήμερον ἐν νόσῳ· ὁ χθὲς ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ, σήμερον ἐν ταπεινώσει· ὁ χθὲς ἐν πλούτῳ, σήμερον ἐν πενίᾳ· ὁ χθὲς ἐν ὑπερηφανίᾳ, σήμερον ἐν ἐξουθενώσει. Πάντα σαλεύεται, πάντα μεταβάλλεται· καὶ οὐ λέγω τὰ ἀνθρώπινα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ὁ οὐρανὸς, φησὶ, καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύ59.609 σονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μακάριοι οἱ Χριστιανοὶ, οἱ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἀξίᾳ ταπεινοφρονοῦντες. Ἐταπεινοφρόνησας ἐν τῇ ἀξίᾳ; Ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη οὐδέν σε ἀδικεῖ· τοιοῦτον γὰρ εὑρίσκει, οἷος ὀφείλεις γενέσθαι. Ἐὰν προλαβὼν ταπεινώσῃς σεαυτὸν πρὸ τῆς ταπεινώσεως, οὐδὲν ξένον καινοτομήσει κατὰ σοῦ ἡ ταπείνωσις, ἀλλ' ἑτοιμασθεὶς τὴν διάνοιαν παρασκευάζῃ πρὸς τὴν μάχην. Καλῶς οὖν ἔλεγεν ὁ ∆αυΐδ, Ἡτοιμάσθην, καὶ οὐκ ἐταράχθην. Φύγωμεν οὖν ἀλαζονείαν, φύγωμεν κενοδοξίαν, ἀγαπήσωμεν Χριστὸν, καὶ διὰ Χριστὸν πένητας, ἵνα ὁ πάντας πλουτίζων, ὁ πάντας 59.610 ἐλεῶν, χαρίζηται πλῆθος τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ὥστε κομᾷν ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ, ὥστε ἔχειν τὸν γεωργὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, τὸν χθὲς ἀπολειφθέντα δι' ἑτέραν οἰκονομίαν, μεθ' ἡμῶν δὲ ὄντα διὰ τὴν πνευματικὴν ἐπιστασίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ὁ λαὸς Ἰουδαῖος, ἵνα εἴπω,