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of poverty according to God? have you seen how formidable to demons is the one clothed in humility? He is an imitator of the Lord, as has been said before, desired by the angels, honored by the apostles, counted among the martyrs, formidable to demons, a conqueror of the world, an heir of the eternal and incorruptible good things. Fear never touches him, every legion of demons withdraws from him and cowers, seeing in him Christ, the conqueror of the world, who trampled them down and cast down their vain power.

7. Therefore, little children, having learned the way and been taught the art, let us not be negligent, but let us imitate our Lord, and through humility and virtues be made like him, and let us conquer with the Lord working with us; and especially as desirers of those good things about which you have often heard, let us not hesitate, let us not give sleep to our eyes, let us not be conquered by the terrible ruler of this world, lest he should ever say, "I have prevailed against him." See, then, beloved, that you do not slumber with your eyelids; see, then, that he who guards you does not slumber; the ungodly walk on every side; Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, seeks whom he may devour. Knowing these things, little children, let us arouse ourselves, let us prepare for wars, and again after a short while let us be ready for a defense. For how long will we not pay attention to the words of the Lord who says, "Be ready," that is, for the departure from here? Then when the judge opens the books, not other strange ones which we have not known, but these which we carry about and read and hear every day, showing us for every cause the safe and working of every commandment; what then shall we answer? how then shall we escape the notice of those persecuted by us, and others who were scorned and suffered many terrible things, especially when they are standing near the judge and crying out, "Avenge us, Lord, at last"; for you are a God of vengeance, Master. What then ought to be done? tell me, if you know anything; for as the word has shown, it is impossible to escape the hands of the judge; and we have known that nothing escapes his notice; that even hades will appear naked, and all things are naked to his eyes, we know, and that every work and every deed, whether good or evil, whether small or great, is read out in the midst of that theater before angels and all powers and every human breath. And we were taught this, that "Then praise will come to each from God," and that "each will bear his own burden" we have learned, and that "the ready enter with him into the eternal tabernacles" we have been assured, and that "the door is shut to the slothful" has not escaped our notice; that I may say the more fearful thing, that the punishments have no end, but extend to infinite ages, has been declared to us; and that "we shall all stand naked before the judgment seat of Christ, that each may receive for what he has done," this too we have heard; and that "the judgment is without mercy," we have not disbelieved; and that "he comes to judge the living and the dead and to give to each according to his works," we carry on our lips every day; and that "every one who has sinned 60.695 and neglected repentance is sent away to eternal punishment," we all know.

Knowing all these things for certain, how do we not tremble? how do we not lament? how do we not arouse one another, and take counsel that saves and is pleasing to God? Come then together, all you faithful and God-loving, come, let us be gathered in harmony; even if it is impossible for all the ends of the earth to be gathered to the same place, yet region with region; and if this too is difficult, at least a city and its surroundings; and when many have come together, let us question one another about those fearful judgments; let us begin and see if we are ready, let us see concerning each transgression, what kind of written judgment the Lord has made.

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τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν πτωχείας; εἶδες πῶς φοβερὸς ὑπάρχει τοῖς δαίμοσιν ὁ τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐνδεδυμένος; Τοῦ μὲν Κυρίου, καθὼς προείρηται, μιμητής ἐστι, τῶν ἀγγέλων ποθητὸς, τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τίμιος, τοῖς μάρτυσι συναρίθμιος, τοῖς δαίμοσι φοβερὸς, τοῦ κόσμου νικητὴς, τῶν αἰωνίων καὶ ἀφθάρτων ἀγαθῶν κληρονόμος. Τούτου οὐδέποτε φόβος ἅπτεται, τοῦτον πᾶς λεγεὼν δαιμόνων ὑποχωρεῖ καὶ πτήσσει, βλέποντες ἐν αὐτῷ τὸν τοῦ κόσμου νικητὴν Χριστὸν καταπατήσαντα αὐτοὺς, καὶ καθελόντα αὐτῶν τὸ μάταιον κράτος.

ζʹ. Λοιπὸν, τεκνία, τὸν τρόπον μαθόντες καὶ τὴν τέχνην διδαχθέντες, μὴ ἀμελήσωμεν, ἀλλὰ μιμησώμεθα τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν, καὶ διὰ τῆς ταπεινώσεως καὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν ὁμοιωθῶμεν αὐτῷ, καὶ νικήσωμεν τοῦ Κυρίου συνεργοῦντος· καὶ μάλιστα ἐπιθυμηταὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, περὶ ὧν πολλάκις ἠκούσατε, μὴ ὀκνήσωμεν, μὴ δῶμεν ὕπνον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, μὴ νικηθῶμεν ὑπὸ τοῦ δεινοῦ κοσμοκράτορος, μήποτε εἴπῃ, ὅτι Ἴσχυσα πρὸς αὐτόν. Ὅρα οὖν, ἀγαπητὲ, μὴ ἐπινυστάξῃς σοῖς βλεφάροις· ὅρα οὖν μὴ νυστάξῃ ὁ φυλάσσων σε· κύκλῳ οἱ ἀσεβεῖς περιπατοῦσι· Ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος ζητεῖ τίνα καταπίῃ. Ταῦτα εἰδότες, τεκνία, διεγείρωμεν ἑαυτοὺς, ἑτοιμασθῶμεν πρὸς πολέμους, καὶ πάλιν μετὰ μικρὸν ἕτοιμοι γενώμεθα πρὸς ἀπολογίαν. Ἕως πότε οὐ προσέχομεν τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ Κυρίου λέγοντος, Γίνεσθε ἕτοιμοι, δηλονότι πρὸς τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν; Εἶτα τοῦ κριτοῦ τότε ἀνοίγοντος τὰς βίβλους, οὐκ ἄλλας ξένας, ἃς οὐκ ἔγνωμεν, ἀλλὰ ταύτας, ἃς περιφέρομεν καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην ἀναγινώσκομεν καὶ ἀκούομεν, δεικνυούσας ἡμῖν κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν τὴν ἀσφαλῆ καὶ πάσης ἐντολῆς ἐργασίαν· τί δὴ ἀποκριθῶμεν; πῶς δὴ λάθωμεν τοὺς παρ' ἡμῶν διωχθέντας, καὶ Ἑτέρους περιφρονηθέντας καὶ πολλὰ δεινὰ παθόντας, μάλιστα δὲ πλησίον τοῦ κριτοῦ παρεστῶτας καὶ βοῶντας, ἐκδίκησον, Κύριε, ἡμᾶς λοιπόν· Θεὸς γὰρ ἐκδικήσεων ὑπάρχεις, ∆έσποτα. Τί λοιπὸν ἔδει ποιῆσαι; εἴπατε, εἴ τι οἴδατε ὡς γὰρ ὁ λόγος ἀπέδειξεν, ἀδύνατον τὰς χεῖρας τοῦ κριτοῦ διαφυγεῖν· καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν αὐτὸν λανθάνει ἔγνωμεν· ὅτι καὶ ὁ ᾅδης γυμνὸς φανήσεται, καὶ πάντα γυμνὰ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτοῦ, οἴδαμεν, καὶ ὅτι πᾶν ἔργον καὶ πᾶσα πρᾶξις, κἄν τε ἀγαθὴ κἄν τε φαύλη, εἴτε μικρὰ εἴτε μεγάλη, εἰς μέσον τοῦ θεάτρου ἐκείνου ἐπὶ ἀγγέλων καὶ πασῶν δυνάμεων καὶ πάσης πνοῆς ἀναγινώσκεται ἀνθρωπίνης. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐδιδάχθημεν, ὅτι Τότε γενήσεται ὁ ἔπαινος ἑκάστῳ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὅτι ἕκαστος τὸ ἴδιον φορτίον βαστάξει μεμαθήκαμεν, καὶ ὅτι οἱ ἕτοιμοι εἰσέρχονται μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς αἰωνίους σκηνὰς ἐπιστώθημεν, καὶ ὅτι τοῖς ῥᾳθύμοις ἡ θύρα ἀποκέκλεισται οὐκ ἔλαθεν· ἵνα τὸ φοβερώτερον εἴπω, ὅτι τέλος αἱ κολάσεις οὐκ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀπείρους αἰῶνας παρατείνουσιν, ἐδηλώθη ἡμῖν· καὶ ὅτι πάντες γυμνοὶ παραστησόμεθα τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος εἴ τι ἔπραξεν, καὶ τοῦτο ἠκούσαμεν· καὶ ὅτι ἡ κρίσις ἀνέλεος, οὐκ ἠπιστήσαμεν· καὶ ὅτι ἔρχεται κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκροὺς καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ, καθ' ἑκάστην ἐπὶ στόματος φέρομεν· καὶ ὅτι πᾶς ἁμαρτήσας 60.695 καὶ ἀμελήσας τῆς μετανοίας, εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον ἐκπέμπεται, πάντες οἴδαμεν.

Ταῦτα πάντα ἀσφαλῶς ἐπιστάμενοι, πῶς οὐ τρέμομεν; πῶς οὐκ ὀδυρόμεθα; πῶς οὐ διεγείρομεν ἀλλήλους, καὶ συμβουλευόμεθα βουλὴν σώζουσαν καὶ ἀρέσκουσαν Θεῷ; ∆εῦτε οὖν ὁμοῦ, πάντες οἱ πιστοὶ καὶ φιλόθεοι, δεῦτε, συμφωνίᾳ συναχθῶμεν εἰ καὶ τὰ πέρατα ὅλα συναχθῆναι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀδύνατον, ἀλλὰ χώραν πρὸς χώραν· εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δύσκολον, κἂν πόλις καὶ τὰ περίχωρα αὐτῆς· καὶ συνερχομένων πολλῶν, ἀνακρίνωμεν ἀλλήλους περὶ τῶν φοβερῶν ἐκείνων κριτηρίων· ἀρξώμεθα καὶ ἴδωμεν εἰ ἕτοιμοί ἐσμεν, ἴδωμεν περὶ ἑκάστου σφάλματος, ὁποῖον κρῖμα ἔγγραπτον ὁ Κύριος ἐποίησεν.