11

does he depart? When you see a righteous man suffering evils, remember this example; for you could not tell me of anyone more righteous than he; for it is clear from his patience, clear from his rewards; for he has obtained the first place of rest, honored with the patriarch Abraham; nor one who suffered greater evils, nor one so overlooked. For what could you say, when he could not even be filled with the crumbs that fell? When therefore you see extreme wickedness; for what is more cruel than running past one in such a great misfortune? to speak of wickedness not itself joined together; what then could be richer than that table, and the clothing, extreme luxury, and prosperity? again when you see extreme righteousness; for what could be 50.762 more beloved of God than a soul suffering such things, and nobly bearing extreme misery? for what could be more wretched than hunger and a disease so incurable? what excuse do you have, tell me, being scandalized in other cases? For do matters stand only for the present life? Wait for the end, and then you will see what is according to the worth of each one's life; do not make a disturbance before the prizes, before the crowns. When therefore you see both entering into the judgment court, and receiving their sentence, then you yourself also pronounce judgment concerning each. How many now lie in wait on the roads, how many dig through walls, how many break open the tombs of the departed, how many have plotted against the marriages of others, how many have destroyed many with poisonous drugs? Do we then accuse the judge on account of these things? By no means. For if, having taken them for judgment, he lets them go, and punishes the one who suffered evil, but honors the one who did it, and sends him out crowned, he is truly worthy of accusation, and of the ultimate charges; but when they have not yet been handed over, nor has the time for the verdict arrived, nor has he yet demanded the accounts, do you anticipate and condemn beforehand? But, he says, it was necessary to pay the penalty for sins right from here. Consider the things you have lived, O man, enter into your own conscience, and you will change your mind; you will not praise this verdict, but you will approve of the philanthropic God for His long-suffering. For if each one were to be required to pay the penalty for his transgressions right at the time of the sins, our race would not have survived, having been snatched away long ago. For who will boast that he has a pure heart, or who will be confident that he is clean from sins? But when you are pained at the long-suffering of God, consider your own transgressions with exactness, and you will be grateful for the forbearance, marveling at His patience. You are disturbed and distressed, and you fill all things with confusion, because so-and-so is rich beyond his worth, and enjoys the service of the many; then do you not hear the psalmist saying, "Be not afraid when a man becomes rich, because when he dies he will not take everything, nor will his glory go down with him"? Do you not hear the prophet crying with a great voice, "All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass"? do you not see the very truth of things bearing witness to the declarations of the prophets? do you not see experience and the outcome voting for what was said, "When he dies he will not take everything"? Listen to Job saying this very thing, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I depart," because "when he dies he will not take everything." Listen to Paul philosophizing the same things. "We brought nothing into the world; it is clear that we can carry nothing out." But you call blessed a man who can carry away from here nothing of those things which ought to stand by him on the day of judgment. And what other definition of misery, tell me, and of being pronounced wretched, is there, than when he who has lived in great luxury departs from here more dishonored than all? But you, if any of these rich and swaggering men in the marketplace

11

ἀφίσταται; Ὅταν ἴδῃς δίκαιον πάσχοντα κακῶς, ἀναμνήσθητι τούτου τοῦ παραδείγματος· οὔτε γὰρ ἂν δικαιότερον ἐκείνου τινὰ ἔχοις μοι νῦν εἰπεῖν· καὶ γὰρ δῆλον ἀπὸ τῆς ὑπομονῆς, δῆλον ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπάθλων· τὸν γὰρ πρῶτον εἴληχε τῆς ἀναπαύσεως τόπον, μετὰ τοῦ πατριάρχου τιμώμενος Ἀβραάμ· οὔτε μείζονα παθόντα κακὰ, οὔτε οὕτως ὑπεροφθέντα. Τί γὰρ ἂν ἔχοις εἰπεῖν, ὅταν μηδὲ τῶν ἀποπιπτόντων ψιχίων ἐμφορεῖσθαι ἔχῃ; Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς ἄκραν κακίαν· τί γὰρ ὠμότερον τοῦ τὸν ἐν συμφορᾷ τοσαύτῃ παρατρέχοντος; κακίαν εἰπεῖν μὴ αὐτὴ συνεζευγμένη· τί τοίνυν εὐπορώτερον γένοιτο ἂν τῆς τραπέζης ἐκείνης, καὶ τῆς ἀμφιάσεως ἄκραν τρυφὴν, καὶ εὐπραγίαν; πάλιν ὅταν ἴδῃς ἄκραν δικαιοσύνην· τί γὰρ ἂν γέ 50.762 νοιτο θεοφιλέστερον ψυχῆς τοιαῦτα πασχούσης, καὶ φερούσης γενναίως ἄκραν ταλαιπωρίαν; τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο ἀθλιώτερον λιμοῦ καὶ νοσήματος οὕτως ἀνιάτου; ποίαν ἔχεις, εἰπέ μοι, συγγνώμην, ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις σκανδαλιζόμενος; μὴ γὰρ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὰ πράγματα ἕστηκεν; Ἀνάμεινον τὸ τέλος, καὶ τότε ὄψει τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν τῆς ἑκάστου ζωῆς· μὴ πρὸ τῶν βραβείων, μὴ πρὸ τῶν στεφάνων θορυβοῦ. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδῃς εἰς τὸ δικαστήριον ἀμφοτέρους εἰσελθόντας, καὶ τῆς ψήφου τυχόντας, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν περὶ ἑκάστου κρίσιν ἐξένεγκε. Πόσοι νῦν ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐφεδρεύουσι, πόσοι διορύττουσι τοίχους, πόσοι θήκας τῶν κατοιχομένων ἀναῤῥήσσουσι, πόσοι γάμοις ἐπεβούλευσαν ἀλλοτρίοις, πόσοι δηλητηρίοις φαρμάκοις πολλοὺς ἀπώλεσαν; ἆρ' οὖν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἐγκαλοῦμεν τῷ δικαστῇ; Οὐδαμῶς. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ λαβὼν αὐτοὺς ὑποψήφους ἀφῇ, καὶ τὸν μὲν παθόντα κακῶς κολάσῃ, τὸν δὲ ποιήσαντα τιμήσῃ, καὶ στεφανώσας ἐκπέμψῃ, κατηγορίας ὄντως ἄξιος, καὶ ἐγκλημάτων ἐσχάτων· ὅταν δὲ μηδέπω ὦσι παραδοθέντες, μηδὲ ὁ καιρὸς ἐπιστῇ τῆς ψήφου, μήπω δὲ αὐτὸς τὰς εὐθύνας ἀπαιτῇ, προλαβὼν προκαταγινώσκεις; Ἀλλ' ἔδει, φησὶν, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη δοῦναι δίκην τῶν ἡμαρτημένων. Ἐννόησον τὰ σαυτῷ βεβιωμένα, ἄνθρωπε, εἰς τὸ σὸν εἴσελθε συνειδὸς, καὶ μεταθήσῃ τὴν γνώμην· οὐκ ἐπαινέσεις ταύτην τὴν ψῆφον, ἀλλ' ἀποδέξῃ τῆς μακροθυμίας τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ ἤμελλεν ἕκαστος παρ' αὐτὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα δίκην ἀπαιτεῖσθαι τῶν πεπλημμελημένων, οὐκ ἂν ἡμῶν ἔφθασε τὸ γένος πάλαι ἀναρπασθέν. Τίς γὰρ καυχήσεται ἁγνὴν ἔχειν καρδίαν, ἢ τίς παῤῥησιάσεται καθαρὸς εἶναι ἀπὸ ἁμαρτιῶν; Ἀλλ' ὅταν ἀλγῇς ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίᾳ, λογίζου τὰ πεπλημμελημένα σοι μετὰ ἀκριβείας, καὶ χάριν εἴσῃ τῆς ἀνοχῆς, θαυμάσας τῆς ἀνεξικακίας αὐτόν. Θορυβῇ καὶ ἀλύεις, καὶ πάντα ταραχῆς πληροῖς, ἐπειδὴ ὁ δεῖνα παρ' ἀξίαν πλουτεῖ, καὶ ἀπολαύει θεραπείας τῆς παρὰ τῶν πολλῶν· εἶτα οὐκ ἀκούεις τοῦ ψαλμωδοῦ λέγοντος, Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν αὐτὸν λήψεται τὰ πάντα, οὐδὲ συγκαταβήσεται αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ; Οὐκ ἀκούεις τοῦ προφήτου βοῶντος μετὰ μεγάλης τῆς φωνῆς, Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου; οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἐπιμαρτυροῦσαν ταῖς τῶν προφητῶν ἀποφάσεσιν αὐτὴν τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν ἀλήθειαν; οὐχ ὁρᾷς τὴν πεῖραν καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν ἐπιψηφιζομένην τοῖς εἰρημένοις, Οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν αὐτὸν λήψεται τὰ πάντα; Ἄκουσον τοῦ Ἰὼβ τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο λέγοντος, Γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρὸς, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν αὐτὸν λήψεται τὰ πάντα. Ἄκουσον τοῦ Παύλου τὰ αὐτὰ φιλοσοφοῦντος. Οὐδὲν εἰσηνέγκαμεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον· δῆλον ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐξενεγκεῖν τι δυνάμεθα. Σὺ δὲ μακαρίζεις ἄνθρωπον οὐδὲν ἐντεῦθεν δυνάμενον ἀπενεγκεῖν ἐκεῖ τῶν ὀφειλόντων αὐτῷ παραστῆναι κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς κρίσεως. Καὶ τίς ἄλλος ἀθλιότητος ὅρος, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ ταλανισμὸς, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅταν ὁ ἐν πολλῇ τρυφῇ ζήσας ἀπέρχηται πάντων ἐντεῦθεν ἀτιμότερος; Σὺ δὲ εἴ τινα τούτων τῶν εὐπορούντων καὶ σοβούντων ἐπὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς