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And this is clear from the paralytic, who, having been in his infirmity for thirty-eight years, through the length of the illness also put away his sins. That he was in such a state because of sins, hear what Christ says: “See, you have been made well; sin no more, lest something worse happen to you.” That some, therefore, are punished here, and put away their sins, is clear from these things. 2. That some are punished both here and there, when they do not receive here a punishment worthy of the magnitude of their sins, hear what Christ says concerning the Sodomites; for after saying, “Whoever will not receive you, shake off the dust from your feet,” He added, saying, “It will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city.” For by saying “more tolerable,” he indicated this, that they too will be punished, but more lightly, since they also paid the penalty here. That there are some who suffer nothing terrible here, but endure all punishment there, this rich man has shown us, enduring an inexorable punishment there, and enjoying not even a small comfort, because his entire punishment was kept for him there. Just as, therefore, among sinners, those who have suffered nothing terrible here undergo a greater punishment there, so among those who do right, those who have suffered many terrible things here will enjoy great honor there. And just as when there are two sinners, if one is punished here, and the other is not punished, the one who is punished is more blessed than the one not punished; so also when there are two righteous men here, if one endures more tribulations, and the other fewer, more blessed is he who endures more, since He will render to each according to his works. What then? Is there not someone, he says, who enjoys rest both here and there? This is impossible, O man, and one of the impossibilities. For it is not possible, it is not possible for one who enjoys ease and security here, and lives in luxury continually in all things, and lives a life idly and simply, to enjoy honor there. For even if poverty does not trouble him, yet desire troubles him, and he is held by it, and the labor in this is not small; and if sickness does not assail, yet anger inflames, and it is no ordinary pain to overcome anger; and if temptations do not come upon him, yet evil thoughts continually rise up. And it is no small thing to bridle unseemly desire, to put an end to vainglory, to suppress arrogance, to abstain from luxury, to live in hardship; 48.1000 for it is impossible for one who does not do these and such things ever to be saved. And that those who live in luxury are not saved, hear what Paul says about a widow: “But she who lives for pleasure is dead while she lives.” And if this is said about a woman, much more about a man. And that it is not possible for one living a comfortable life to attain the heavens, Christ himself also made this clear, speaking thus: “Narrow and afflicted is the way that leads to life, and few there are who find it.” How then, he says, does he say, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light”? For if the way is narrow and afflicted, how does he again call it easy and light? The one is due to the nature of the temptations, the other to the choice of those who pursue it. For it is possible for something that is by nature unbearable to become light, when we receive it with eagerness; just as, then, the apostles, after being scourged, returned rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of the Lord; and yet the nature of torments is accustomed to produce affliction and pain, but the choice of those who were scourged overcame even the nature of the things. For this reason Paul also says: “And all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” So even if man does not persecute, yet the devil makes war; and we need much philosophy and great perseverance, that in prayers we may be sober and keep watch, that we may not desire what belongs to others, that we may distribute our possessions to those in need, that we may bid farewell to all luxury with groaning and wailing, both that of clothing and that of the table, that we may flee from greed, from drunkenness, from reviling, that we may control our tongue, that we may not even shout

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ἀπὸ τοῦ παραλελυμένου δὲ τοῦτό ἐστι δῆλον, ὃς τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη ἔχων ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ, διὰ τοῦ μήκους τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀπέθετο. Ὅτι δὲ ἐξ ἁμαρτημάτων οὕτω διέκειτο, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός· Ἴδε, ὑγιὴς γέγονας· μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε, ἵνα μὴ χεῖρόν τί σοι γένηται. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν τινες ἐνταῦθα κολάζονται, καὶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀποτίθενται, δῆλον ἐκ τούτων. ʹ. Ὅτι δέ τινες καὶ ἐνταῦθα καὶ ἐκεῖ κολάζονται, ὅταν μὴ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ μεγέθους τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐνταῦθα ἀπολάβωσι τιμωρίαν, ἄκουσον περὶ τῶν Σοδομιτῶν τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός· εἰπὼν γὰρ, ὅτι Ὃς ἂν μὴ δέξηται ὑμᾶς, ἀποτινάξετε τὸν κονιορτὸν τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· Ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤῥας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, ἢ τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ. Τῷ γὰρ εἰπεῖν ἀνεκτότερον, τοῦτο ἐδήλωσεν, ὅτι κἀκεῖνοι κολασθήσονται μὲν, κουφότερον δὲ, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἔδωκαν δίκην. Ὅτι δέ εἰσί τινες οἱ ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὐδὲν πάσχοντες δεινὸν, ἐκεῖ δὲ πᾶσαν ὑπομένοντες τιμωρίαν, ἐδήλωσεν ἡμῖν ὁ πλούσιος οὗτος, ἀπαραίτητον ἐκεῖ κόλασιν ὑπομένων, καὶ μηδὲ μικρᾶς ἀπολαύων παραμυθίας διὰ τὸ πᾶσαν ἐκεῖ τηρηθῆναι αὐτῷ τὴν τιμωρίαν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων οἱ μηδὲν παθόντες ἐνταῦθα δεινὸν, μείζονα ὑφίστανται τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐκεῖ, οὕτως ἐπὶ τῶν κατορθούντων οἱ πολλὰ παθόντες ἐνταῦθα δεινὰ, πολλῆς ἀπολαύσονται τιμῆς ἐκεῖ. Καὶ καθάπερ ἁμαρτωλῶν ὄντων δύο, ἂν ὁ μὲν ἐνταῦθα κολασθῇ, ὁ δὲ μὴ κολασθῇ, μακαριώτερός ἐστιν ὁ κολασθεὶς τοῦ μὴ κολασθέντος· οὕτω δὴ καὶ δικαίων ἐνταῦθα ὄντων δύο, ἂν ὁ μὲν πλείους, ὁ δὲ ἐλάττους ὑπομείνῃ τὰς θλίψεις, μακαριώτερος ὁ τὰς πλείους ὑπομένων ἐστὶν, ἐπειδὴ ἑκάστῳ ἀποδώσει κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. Τί οὖν; οὐκ ἔστι τις καὶ ἐνταῦθα, φησὶ, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἀνέσεως ἀπολαύων; Ἀμήχανον τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἄνθρωπε, καὶ τῶν ἀδυνάτων ἕν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστι τὸν ἐνταῦθα ῥᾳθυμίας καὶ ἀδείας ἀπολαύοντα, καὶ τρυφῶντα συνεχῶς ἐν πᾶσι, καὶ τὸν εἰκῆ καὶ ἁπλῶς ζῶντα βίον, τιμῆς ἀπολαῦσαι ἐκεῖ. Κἂν γὰρ πενία μὴ ἐνοχλῇ, ἀλλ' ἐπιθυμία ἐνοχλεῖ, καὶ διὰ ταύτης κατέχεται, καὶ οὐ μικρὸς ἐν τούτῳ ὁ πόνος· κἂν νόσος μὴ ἐπηρεάζῃ, ἀλλὰ θυμὸς ἐκκαίει, καὶ οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα ὀδύνη περιγενέσθαι ὀργῆς· κἂν πειρασμοὶ μὴ ἐπενεχθῶσιν, ἀλλὰ λογισμοὶ πονηροὶ συνεχῶς ἐπανίστανται. Οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τὸ τυχὸν χαλινῶσαι ἐπιθυμίαν ἄτοπον, παῦσαι κενοδοξίαν, καταστεῖλαι ἀπόνοιαν, τρυφῆς ἀποστῆναι, ἐν σκληραγωγίᾳ διάγειν· 48.1000 τὸν γὰρ μὴ ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ποιοῦντα ἀμήχανον σωθῆναί ποτε. Καὶ ὅτι οἱ τρυφῶντες οὐ σώζονται, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Παῦλος περὶ γυναικὸς χήρας· Ἡ δὲ σπαταλῶσα, ζῶσα τέθνηκεν. Εἰ δὲ περὶ γυναικὸς τοῦτο εἴρηται, πολλῷ μᾶλλον περὶ ἀνδρός. Καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τινὰ ἄνετον ζῶντα βίον ἐπιτυχεῖν τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦτο αὐτὸ δῆλον ἐποίησεν, οὕτως εἰπών· Στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν, καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν. Πῶς οὖν λέγει, φησὶν, Ὁ ζυγός μου χρηστός ἐστι, καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν; Εἰ γὰρ στενὴ ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ τεθλιμμένη, πῶς πάλιν αὐτὴν ἐλαφρὰν καὶ κούφην καλεῖ; Τὸ μὲν διὰ τὴν φύσιν τῶν πειρασμῶν, τὸ δὲ διὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν τῶν μετιόντων. Ἔστι γάρ τι καὶ τὸ ἀφόρητον τῇ φύσει γενέσθαι κοῦφον, ὅταν μετὰ προθυμίας αὐτὸ δεχώμεθα· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι μαστιγωθέντες ὑπέστρεφον χαίροντες ὅτι κατηξιώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Κυρίου ἀτιμασθῆναι· καίτοι ἡ φύσις τῶν βασάνων θλῖψιν εἴωθεν ἐμποιεῖν καὶ ὀδύνην, ἀλλ' ἡ προαίρεσις τῶν μαστιγωθέντων καὶ τὴν φύσιν τῶν πραγμάτων ἐνίκησε. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλός φησι· Πάντες δὲ οἱ θέλοντες ζῇν εὐσεβῶς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διωχθήσονται. Ὥστε κἂν ἄνθρωπος μὴ διώκῃ, ἀλλ' ὁ διάβολος πολεμεῖ· καὶ πολλῆς ἡμῖν δεῖ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ μεγάλης τῆς καρτερίας, ἵνα ἐν ταῖς εὐχαῖς νήφωμεν καὶ ἀγρυπνῶμεν, ἵνα τῶν ἀλλοτρίων μὴ ἐπιθυμῶμεν, ἵνα τὰ ὄντα πρὸς τοὺς δεομένους διανεμώμεθα, ἵνα πάσῃ τρυφῇ στένειν καὶ οἰμώζειν εἴπωμεν, καὶ τῇ διὰ τῶν ἱματίων, καὶ τῇ διὰ τῆς τραπέζης, ἵνα πλεονεξίαν φύγωμεν, ἵνα μέθην, ἵνα λοιδορίαν, ἵνα γλώττης κρατῶμεν, ἵνα μηδὲ βοῶμεν