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of salvation. For I am weak, he says, For my bones are troubled, for I ask these things from the Lord, For in death there is no one who remembers you; not saying this, that our affairs last only until the present; far from it; for he knows the doctrine concerning the resurrection; but that after the departure from here, repentance would have no opportunity. Since the rich man also confessed and repented, but was not helped at all because it was not the right time. And the virgins also wished to get oil, but no one gave it to them. This, therefore, he too asks, to wash away his sins here, so as to enjoy confidence before the fearful judgment seat. Then, instructing the hearer, that with the love of God for mankind, our own efforts must also follow for whether we put forward our weakness, or our turmoil, or the goodness of God, or this very thing that he said, if our own efforts are not added, it is of no benefit to us, see what he added: I have grown weary with my groaning; every night I will wash my bed; I will drench my couch with my tears. Let those who live in a humble station hear, what sort of repentance the king, clothed in purple, showed; let us hear, let us be pierced to the heart. He did not simply labor, but grew weary with groaning; he did not simply weep, but also washed his bed, not for one, or a second, or a third day, but every night; and he speaks not only of the past, but also of the future. For do not think that, having done these things once, he then gave himself over to rest, but he continued doing this perpetually throughout his whole life. Not like us, who often doing this for one day, or not even one, give ourselves over to laughter and luxury and ease. But not he; but he continued in perpetual tears. Let us too imitate this confession. For if we are unwilling to weep here, it is altogether necessary to lament and weep there; there without profit, but here with gain; and there with shame, but here with much decency. For that this must happen, hear what Christ says: There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But those who weep here are not so; but they will enjoy much comfort For blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Woe to you who are rich, 55.77 for you have received your consolation. Let those who have silver beds hear, what the king's bed was like; not inlaid with precious stones, not sprinkled with gold, but washed with tears. For him, the nights were not nights of rest, but of lamentation and wailing. Since during the day many cares distracted him, the time which all make a time of rest, he made a time of confession, lamenting more fervently then. For it is always good to weep, but especially at the time of night, when there is no one to drive away this wondrous pleasure, but it is possible for one who wishes to be filled with it with all freedom. Those who have experienced it know what I am saying, how much joy these fountains of tears have. These tears are able to quench the unquenchable fire, that river flowing before the judgment seat. For this reason Paul also wept for three years night and day, correcting the passions of others; but we do not even correct our own, but giving ourselves over to laughter and luxury, we bury the night in a deep slumber. And some are riveted to a sleep resembling death; while others keep a vigil more grievous than death, reckoning up interest and loans and plots against others at that time. But not the sober, but they cultivate their own souls, as if using these tears for rain, and making the seeds of virtue grow. A bed receiving such tears is inaccessible to all evil and licentiousness. He who sheds such tears, considers the things on earth as nothing, but delivers the soul from every siege, of the sun

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σωτηρίας. Ὅτι ἀσθενής εἰμι, φησὶν, Ὅτι ἐταράχθη τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ταῦτα αἰτῶ, Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ ὁ μνημονεύων σου· οὐ τοῦτο λέγων, ὅτι μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος τὰ ἡμέτερα· ἄπαγε· οἶδε γὰρ τὸν περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως λόγον· ἀλλ' ὅτι μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν ἡ μετάνοια καιρὸν οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ πλούσιος ἐξωμολογεῖτο καὶ μετενόει, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖτο διὰ τὴν ἀκαιρίαν. Καὶ αἱ παρθένοι δὲ ἠβουλήθησαν λαβεῖν ἔλαιον, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς αὐταῖς ἔδωκε. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ἀξιοῖ καὶ οὗτος, ἐνταῦθα ἀπονίψασθαι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, ὥστε ἐπὶ τοῦ φοβεροῦ βήματος παῤῥησίας ἀπολαῦσαι. Εἶτα παιδεύων τὸν ἀκροατὴν, ὅτι μετὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπίας δεῖ καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα ἕπεσθαι ἄν τε γὰρ τὴν ἀσθένειαν προβαλλώμεθα, ἄν τε τὴν ταραχὴν, ἄν τε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀγαθότητα, ἄν τε αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο, ὃ ἔλεγε, τὰ δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν μὴ προσκέηται, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ὄφελος, ὅρα τί ἐπήγαγεν· Ἐκοπίασα ἐν τῷ στεναγμῷ μου, λούσω καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα τὴν κλίνην μου· ἐν δάκρυσί μου τὴν στρωμνήν μου βρέξω. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ ἐν εὐτελείᾳ ζῶντες, οἵαν ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ πορφυρίδα περικείμενος μετάνοιαν ἐπεδείκνυτο· ἀκούσωμεν, κατανυγῶμεν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἔκαμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκοπίασε στενάζων· οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐδάκρυσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔλουσε τὴν κλίνην, οὐ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν καὶ τρίτην ἡμέραν, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην νύκτα· καὶ οὐ τὸ παρελθὸν μόνον λέγει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ μέλλον. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ νομίσητε, ὅτι ταῦτα ποιήσας ἅπαξ, πρὸς ἄνεσιν ἑαυτὸν λοιπὸν ἀφῆκεν, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς τοῦτο πράττων διετέλει διὰ πάσης τῆς ζωῆς. Οὐ κάθαπερ ἡμεῖς, οἱ μίαν ἐργαζόμενοι τοῦτο πολλάκις ἡμέραν, ἢ οὐδὲ μίαν, εἰς γέλωτα καὶ τρυφὴν καὶ ἄνεσιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδίδομεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκεῖνος· ἀλλ' ἐν δάκρυσι διηνεκέσι διετέλει. Ταύτην δὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς μιμώμεθα τὴν ἐξομολόγησιν. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ βουληθείημεν κλαῦσαι ἐνταῦθα, ἀνάγκη πάντως ἐκεῖ ὀδύρεσθαι καὶ κλαίειν· ἐκεῖ μὲν ἀνόνητα, ἐνταῦθα δὲ μετὰ κέρδους· καὶ ἐκεῖ μὲν μετ' αἰσχύνης, ἐνταῦθα δὲ μετ' εὐκοσμίας πολλῆς. Ὅτι γὰρ ἀνάγκη τοῦτο γενέσθαι, ἄκουσον τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός· Ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οἱ ἐνταῦθα κλαίοντες οὕτως· ἀλλὰ πολλῆς ἀπολαύσονται τῆς παρακλήσεως Μακάριοι γὰρ οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται. Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν τοῖς πλουσίοις, 55.77 ὅτι ἀπέχετε τὴν παράκλησιν ὑμῶν. Ἀκουέτωσαν οἱ τὰς ἀργυρᾶς κλίνας ἔχοντες, οἵα τοῦ βασιλέως ἦν ἡ κλίνη· οὐ λιθοκόλλητος, οὐ χρυσόπαστος, ἀλλὰ δάκρυσι λελουμένη. Τούτῳ αἱ νύκτες οὐκ ἀναπαύσεως, ἀλλὰ θρήνων καὶ ὀδυρμῶν νύκτες ἦσαν. Ἐπειδὴ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολλαὶ περιέσπων αὐτὸν φροντίδες, ὃν ἅπαντες ἀνέσεως ποιοῦνται καιρὸν, τοῦτον ἐκεῖνος ἐξομολογήσεως ἐποιεῖτο, θερμότερον θρηνῶν τότε. Καλὸν μὲν γὰρ ἀεὶ τὸ κλαίειν, μάλιστα δὲ ἐν καιρῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, ὅτε οὐδεὶς ἐκκρούων τῆς θαυμαστῆς ταύτης ἡδονῆς, ἀλλ' ἔνεστιν ἐμφορηθῆναι τῷ βουλομένῳ μετὰ πάσης ἀδείας. Ἴσασιν οἱ πεῖραν λαβόντες ὃ λέγω, ὅσην εὐφροσύνην ἔχουσιν αὗται τῶν δακρύων αἱ πηγαί. Ταῦτα τὰ δάκρυα τὸ ἄσβεστον πῦρ σβέσαι δύνανται, τὸν ποταμὸν ἐκεῖνον τὸν πρὸ τοῦ βήματος ἑλκόμενον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ἐδάκρυε τριετίαν νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν, τὰ ἀλλότρια διορθούμενος πάθη· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ τὰ οἰκεῖα, ἀλλὰ γέλωτι καὶ τρυφῇ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόντες, τὴν νύκτα κάρῳ βαθεῖ καταχωννύμεθα. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ὕπνῳ θανάτῳ προσεοικότι προσήλωνται· οἱ δὲ ἀγρυπνίαν θανάτου χαλεπωτέραν ἀγρυπνοῦσι, τόκους καὶ δανείσματα καὶ τὰς ἑτέρων ἀναλογιζόμενοι κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἐπιβουλάς. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οἱ νήφοντες, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἑαυτῶν γεωργοῦσι ψυχὰς, ὥσπερ ὑετῷ τοῖς δάκρυσι κεχρημένοι τούτοις, καὶ τὰ σπέρματα τῆς ἀρετῆς αὔξοντες. Πάσῃ κακίᾳ καὶ ἀσελγείᾳ ἄβατός ἐστιν εὐνὴ τοιαῦτα δάκρυα δεχομένη. Ὁ τὰ τοιαῦτα δάκρυα σταλάζων, οὐδὲν ἡγεῖται τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀλλὰ πάσης πολιορκίας ἀπαλλάττει τὴν ψυχὴν, τοῦ ἡλίου