John Chrysostom, On False Prophets

garment. Bend your knees, beat your breast, bring down tears, groan, mourn, stretch out your hands to heaven, lift your eye to the Master, fast, keep vigil. Every man has these things, and cannot deny it; hasten to offer these to God always. But these things also must be done with purpose and discernment, lest you run to no avail, and labor in vain. 12. Therefore, while performing these virtues, and offering repentance to God, observe carefully and examine, lest you have enmity against someone, and your purpose become likewise in vain; but as the apostle Paul said, Working out your own salvation with fear and trembling, and keeping the commandment of Christ which says: If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive your trespasses. If therefore you pray to God with your whole heart, and not mocking and being distracted, keep this his commandment, and forgive, if you have anything against anyone. Do you wish your own trespasses to be forgiven you? Forgive also your neighbor's. But if you do not forgive your brother's trespasses, neither will the Master forgive yours; for he said, that If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive yours. And we all know that he does not lie; for he is without falsehood, and faithful in all his words. Therefore be ready, expecting each day the one who demands your soul. Do not repent today, and forget tomorrow; do not weep today, and dance tomorrow; do not fast today, and go forth drunk tomorrow, carried about by many; do not keep vigil today, and fall down tomorrow; but be mindful of your salvation, that you may be crowned. Do not adulterate virtue, do not flee from labor, lest you be deprived of the crowns. Hate every joy of this world, and its glory. And say with 59.567 David: I have hated iniquity and abhorred it, but your law I have loved; and, From every evil way I have restrained my feet. I have sworn and I am determined to keep your commandments. Strive therefore to be ready always, so that when the one who demands the soul comes, he may find you ready in repentance; and I guarantee you, that he will not separate you from those who are being saved. Keep always the Lord's commandment, that is, Watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation. And again he says: Be ready, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man is coming. Hear also the Apostle saying: Pray without ceasing. Understand what "without ceasing" is; that is, always, at all times, both by night and by day, and in the evening and morning and at midday, and at every hour, both working and traveling, and shepherding and plowing, both sleeping and rising. Do not wait for Sunday, or a feast, or a difference of place. For the Divine is not circumscribed in a place; For in his hand are the ends of the earth. For this reason also the prophet David, praying each day and night, did not wait for a day, nor a difference of place, but weeping he said, and exhorting his own soul: In every place of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul. And you, beloved, do not wait for an hour, or a day, or a difference of place; but as has been said before, in every place, both in your house pray, and being in the church pray, and wherever you may happen to be, pray, in every place of God's dominion. Give ear, all you who inhabit the world, both rich and poor together, whether male, or female, or mixed company, young men and maidens, old men and young, kings of the earth, and all judges of the earth, hear what is written: The time is short, so that even those who have wives should be as though they had none. Let us deny ungodliness and worldly desires,

ἱμάτιον. Κλῖνον τὰ γόνατα, τύψον τὸ στῆθος, κατάγαγε τὰ δάκρυα, στέναξον, πένθησον, ἔκτεινον τὰς χεῖράς σου εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἆρον τὸ ὄμμα σὸν πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην, νήστευσον, ἀγρύπνησον. Ταῦτα ἔχει πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἀρνήσασθαι οὐ δύναται· ταῦτα σπούδασον προσάγειν τῷ Θεῷ πάντοτε. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῦτα μετὰ σκοποῦ καὶ διακρίσεως δεῖ ποιεῖν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ἀνόνητα τρέχῃς, καὶ εἰς κενὸν κοπιᾷς. ιβʹ. Ταύτας οὖν τὰς ἀρετὰς ποιῶν, καὶ τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρων τὴν μετάνοιαν, τήρησον ἀκριβῶς καὶ ἐρεύνησον, μήποτε ἔχῃς ἔχθραν κατά τινος, καὶ ὁ σκοπός σου ἅμα εἰς κενὸν γένηται· ἀλλὰ καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος, Μετὰ φόβου καὶ τρόμου τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν ἐργαζόμενοι, καὶ τηροῦντες τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐντολὴν τὴν λέγουσαν· Ἐὰν ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν. Ἐὰν οὖν προσεύχῃ τῷ Θεῷ ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ, καὶ οὐ χλευάζων καὶ μετεωριζόμενος, τήρησον αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην, καὶ ἄφες, εἴ τι ἔχεις κατά τινος. Βούλει ἀφεθῆναί σοι τὰ ἴδια παραπτώματα; Ἄφες καὶ σὺ τὰ τοῦ πλησίον. Ἐὰν δὲ σὺ οὐκ ἀφίῃς τὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ παραπτώματα, οὐδὲ τὰ σὰ ἀφήσει ὁ ∆εσπότης· εἶπε γὰρ, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ ἀφήσητε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, οὐδὲ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ἀφήσει τὰ ὑμέτερα. Καὶ οἴδαμεν πάντες, ὅτι οὐ ψεύδεται· ἀψευδὴς γάρ ἐστι, καὶ πιστὸς ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ. Γίνου οὖν ἕτοιμος προσδεχόμενος καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τὸν ἀπαιτοῦντα τὴν ψυχήν σου. Μὴ σήμερον μετανοήσῃς, καὶ αὔριον ἐπιλάθῃ· μὴ σήμερον κλαύσῃς, καὶ αὔριον χορεύσῃς· μὴ σήμερον νηστεύσῃς, καὶ αὔριον μεθύων προέλθῃς, περιφερόμενος ὑπὸ πολλῶν· μὴ σήμερον ἀγρυπνήσῃς, καὶ αὔριον ἀναπέσῃς· ἀλλὰ τὴν σωτηρίαν σου μερίμνησον, ἵνα στεφανωθῇς. Μὴ νοθεύσῃς τὴν ἀρετὴν, μὴ περιφύγῃς τὸν κόπον, ἵνα μὴ στερηθῇς τῶν στεφάνων. Μίσησον πᾶσαν χαρὰν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, καὶ τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εἰπὲ μετὰ τοῦ 59.567 ∆αυΐδ· Ἀδικίαν ἐμίσησα καὶ ἐβδελυξάμην, τὸν δὲ νόμον σου ἠγάπησα· καὶ, Ἐκ πάσης ὁδοῦ πονηρᾶς ἐκώλυσα τοὺς πόδας μου. Ὤμοσα καὶ ἔστησα τοῦ φυλάξασθαι τὰς ἐντολάς σου. Σπούδασον οὖν πάντοτε ἕτοιμος εἶναι, ἵνα ὅταν ἔλθῃ ὁ ἀπαιτῶν τὴν ψυχὴν, εὕρῃ σε ἕτοιμον ἐν τῇ μετανοίᾳ· κἀγὼ ἐγγυῶμαί σοι, ὅτι οὐ μή σε χωρίσῃ τῶν σωζομένων. Τήρησον ἀεὶ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἐντολὴν, τὸ, Γρηγορεῖτε καὶ προσεύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ εἰσέλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν. Καὶ πάλιν λέγει· Γένεσθε ἕτοιμοι, ὅτι ᾗ ὥρᾳ οὐ δοκεῖτε, ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται. Ἄκουσον καὶ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου λέγοντος· Ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε. Νοεῖτε τί ἐστι τὸ, Ἀδιαλείπτως· τουτέστι, πάντοτε, ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ, καὶ ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἑσπέρας καὶ πρωῒ καὶ μεσημβρίας, καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ὥραν, καὶ ἐργαζόμενος καὶ ὁδεύων, καὶ ποιμαίνων καὶ ἀροτριῶν, καὶ κοιμώμενος καὶ ἀνιστάμενος. Μὴ ἀναμείνῃς Κυριακὴν, ἢ ἑορτὴν, ἢ τόπου διαφοράν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τόπῳ περιγράφεται τὸ Θεῖον· Ἐν γὰρ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης ∆αυῒδ καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν καὶ νύκτα προσευχόμενος, οὐκ ἀνέμενεν ἡμέραν, οὐδὲ τόπου διαφορὰν, ἀλλὰ δακρύων ἔλεγε, καὶ παραινῶν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν· Ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ τῆς δεσποτείας αὐτοῦ εὐλόγει ἡ ψυχή μου Κύριον. Καὶ σὺ, ἀγαπητὲ, μὴ ἀναμένῃς ὥραν, ἢ ἡμέραν, ἢ τόπου διαφοράν· ἀλλὰ καθὼς προείρηται, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ, καὶ ἐν οἴκῳ σου προσεύχου, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ γενόμενος προσεύχου, καὶ ὅπου δ' ἂν τυγχάνῃς, προσεύχου, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ τῆς δεσποτείας Θεοῦ. Ἐνωτίσασθε, πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πλούσιος καὶ πένης, εἴτε ἄρσεν, εἴτε θῆλυ, εἴτε μιγάδες, νεανίσκοι καὶ παρθένοι, πρεσβῦται καὶ νέοι, βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ πάντες κριταὶ γῆς, ἀκούσατε τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ὁ καιρὸς συνεσταλμένος ἐστὶν, ἵνα καὶ οἱ ἔχοντες γυναῖκας, ὡς μὴ ἔχοντες ὦσιν. Ἀρνησώμεθα Τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας,