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gardens and paradises. But the garden is blessed, in which was the tomb, which received the temporary economy of death in the body of the Lord. Here, however, it is slandered as causing shame to those who desired them. And now he seems to be speaking of the groves planted for the adornment of idols by the deceived, which should be understood as the errant practices and the outward pretenses with which we overshadow our passions. For example, if someone wallowing in pleasures should feign solemnity; and if someone enslaved to money should practice seeming to be magnanimous; for which those who desired them will be ashamed, when the counsels of our hearts are revealed. 1.63 For they will be like a terebinth that has shed its leaves, and like a paradise that has no water. As to the literal meaning, he seems to be speaking of the gardens desired by the idolaters, that they will be more unpleasant than a terebinth stripped bare and a paradise dried up from lack of water. But as to the moral sense, that those who by outward pretense hunt for glory from men, after the manifestation of hidden things, when all things become naked and laid bare and there is no longer any creature that is not manifest, will be a more unseasonable spectacle, when the deceit that now surrounds them has vanished, so that their state is compared to an oak. For thus the others have rendered terebinth, since also in Genesis we have learned that the same is both oak and terebinth. They will be, therefore, like a terebinth, or an oak, after it has shed its foliage, showing forth what was previously covered by the leaves. For it is adorned with thicker foliage of leaves, and by their good color the roughness of its branches is overshadowed. And so (he says) they will be more unpleasant than this, after the reproof of their lives. And like a paradise, that has no water. Such also would be Israel, having leaves similarly to an oak, the shadow from the law, which it cast off from itself in the fullness of time. And like a paradise planted by the Lord, on account of its creation from the beginning, but dried up, on account of having lost the life-giving principle in its doctrines. We must therefore be zealous to believe truly in Christ, so that spiritual rivers may flow from our belly, allowing us to become neither unpleasant nor unfruitful. 1.64 And their strength shall be as the tow of flax, and their works as sparks of fire. From this it is clear that for each person, their works will become the cause of the pains in punishment, as we prepare ourselves and make ourselves fit for burning, and as we bring the passions of the soul like sparks of fire for the kindling of the flame in Gehenna, just as the rich man who was tormented in the flame was scorched by his own pleasures. For according to the proportion of the arrows we receive from the evil one, we will partake of more or less burning. And the lawless and the sinners shall be burned up together, and there shall be no one to quench it. Twice already have the lawless and the sinners been joined to each other by the prophecy; above: And the lawless and the sinners shall be crushed; and here: And they shall be burned up. Let no one deceive himself with uninstructed words, saying that though a sinner, I am still a Christian. Therefore I will not fall into Gehenna, where the idolaters are; the very name of Christian will help me, even if I have transgressed his commandments. For hear that the lawless and the sinners shall be burned up together. For both, the causes of the burning. The tow of flax in both, that is, a life easily burned and susceptible to flame. A spark justly sets a soul on fire, both this one and that one. Now indeed it is covered as in ashes, insofar as it is concealed by the coverings of the flesh; but it will be set on fire by the divine judgment, being fanned and kindled by the reproofs on the day of vengeance.

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κήπους καὶ παραδείσους. Ηὐλόγηται δὲ ὁ κῆπος, ἐν ᾧ τὸ μνῆμα, τὴν πρόσκαιρον τοῦ θανάτου οἰκονομίαν ὑποδεξάμε νον ἐν τῷ σώματι τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι διαβέβλη ται ὡς αἰσχύνην προξενῶν τοῖς ἐπιθυμήσασιν. Καὶ ἔοικέ γε νῦν τὰ ἄλση λέγειν τὰ τοῖς εἰδώλοις εἰς κόσμον παρὰ τῶν ἠπατημένων περιφυτευόμενα, ἅπερ χρὴ νοεῖσθαι τὰς πεπλα νημένας ἐπιτηδεύσεις καὶ τοὺς ἔξωθεν σχηματισμοὺς, οἷς τὰ πάθη ἡμῶν ἐπισκιάζομεν. Οἷον εἴ τις ἐν ἡδοναῖς καλιν δούμενος, σεμνότητα σχηματίζοιτο· καὶ εἴ τις δεδουλω μένος χρήμασι, μεγαλόψυχος εἶναι δοκεῖν ἐπιτηδεύοι· οἷς ἐπαισχυνθήσονται οἱ ἐπιθυμήσαντες, ὅταν αἱ βουλαὶ τῶν καρδιῶν ἡμῶν ἀποκαλύπτωνται. 1.63 Ἔσονται γὰρ ὡς τερέβινθος ἀποβεβληκυῖα τὰ φύλλα, καὶ ὡς παράδεισος ὕδωρ μὴ ἔχων. Ὡς μὲν πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν, δοκεῖ τῶν κήπων λέγειν τῶν ἐπιθυ μητῶν τοῖς εἰδωλολατροῦσιν, ὅτι ἀτερπέστεροι ἔσονται τερε βίνθου γυμνωθείσης καὶ παραδείσου ἀποξηρανθέντος ὑπὸ ἀνυ δρίας. Ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἠθικὸν νοῦν, ὅτι οἱ τῷ ἔξωθεν σχη ματισμῷ τὴν παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δόξαν θηρώμενοι, μετὰ τὴν φανέρωσιν τῶν κρυπτῶν, ὅταν γένηται πάντα γυμνὰ καὶ τε τραχηλισμένα καὶ μηκέτι ᾖ μηδεμία κτίσις ἀφανὴς, ἀωρότερον ἔσονται θέαμα, τῆς νῦν περὶ αὐτοὺς ἀπάτης ἀφανισθείσης, ὥστε δρυῒ τὸ κατ' αὐτοὺς παρεικάζεσθαι. Οὕτω γὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι τὴν τερέβινθον ἐκδεδώκασιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ Γενέσει τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ δρῦν καὶ τερέβινθον μεμαθήκαμεν. Ἔσονται οὖν ὅμοιοι τερεβίνθῳ, ἤτοι δρυῒ, μετὰ τὴν τῆς κόμης ἀπόθεσιν, τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν φύλλων τέως καλυπτόμενα προδεικνύσῃ. Πυκνοτέρᾳ γὰρ τῇ κόμῃ τῶν φύλλων κεκόσμηται, καὶ τῇ ἐκ τούτων εὐχροίᾳ τὸ τραχὺ τῶν κλάδων αὐτῆς συσκιάζεται. Καὶ ταύ της οὖν ἔσονται (φησὶν) ἀτερπέστεροι, μετὰ τῶν βεβιωμέ νων τὸν ἔλεγχον. Καὶ ὡς παράδεισος δὲ, ὕδωρ μὴ ἔχων. Τοιοῦτος δ' ἂν εἴη καὶ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, φύλλα μὲν ἔχων παραπλησίως δρυῒ, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σκιὰν, ἣν ἀπέβαλεν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τῶν καιρῶν. Καὶ ὡς παράδεισος πεφυτευμέ νος παρὰ Κυρίου, διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς κτίσιν, ἀποξηραν θεὶς δὲ, διὰ τὸ ἀπολωλεκέναι τὸ ἐν τοῖς δόγμασι ζωτικόν. Φιλοτιμητέον τοίνυν πιστεύειν ἀληθινῶς εἰς Χριστὸν, ἵνα ποταμοὶ πνευματικοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας ἡμῶν ῥέωσι, μήτε ἀτερπεῖς, μήτε ἀκάρπους ἡμᾶς συγχωροῦντες γενέσθαι. 1.64 Καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν ὡς καλάμη στυππείου, καὶ αἱ ἐργασίαι αὐτῶν, ὡς σπινθῆρες πυρός. Ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον ὅτι ἑκάστῳ τὰ ἔργα αἴτια τῶν ἐν κολάσει πόνων γενήσεται ἑαυτοὺς ἡμῶν καὶ ἐπιτηδείους καύσει παρα σκεβαζόντων, καὶ τὰ πάθη τῆς ψυχῆς ὥσπερ σπινθῆρας πυρὸς εἰς ἔξαψιν τῆς ἐν γεέννῃ φλογὸς ἐπαγομένων, ὡς καὶ ὁ κατα ξηραινόμενος ἐν τῇ φλογὶ πλούσιος ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ἡδονῶν κα τεφρύσσετο. Κατὰ γὰρ τὴν ἀναλογίαν ὧν δεχόμεθα βελῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ, τῆς εἰς πλέον ἢ ἔλαττον καύσεως μεθέξομεν. Καὶ κατακαυθήσονται οἱ ἄνομοι καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἅμα, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ σβέσων. ∆ὶς ἤδη συνήφθησαν ἀλλήλοις ὑπὸ τῆς προφητείας οἱ ἄνομοι καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί· ἄνω μέν· Καὶ συν τριβήσονται οἱ ἄνομοι καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί· ἐνταῦθα δέ· Καὶ κα τακαυθήσονται. Μηδεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξαπατάτω ἀπαιδεύτοις λό γοις, ὅτι εἰ καὶ ἁμαρτωλὸς, ἀλλὰ Χριστιανός. Οὐκ ἐμπεσοῦ μαι οὖν εἰς γέενναν, ὅπου οἱ εἰδωλολάτραι· βοηθήσει μοι αὐτὸ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστιανοῦ, εἰ καὶ τὰς Ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ παρέβην. Ἄκουε γὰρ ὅτι Κατακαυθήσονται οἱ ἄνομοι καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἅμα. Ἀμφοτέροις τὰ τῆς καύσεως αἴτια. Στυππείου καλάμη ἐν ἀμφοτέροις, τουτέστιν εὐκατάπρη στος ζωὴ καὶ φλογὸς δεκτική. Σπινθὴρ δικαίως ψυχὴν ἐμπυ ρεύεται καὶ τούτῳ κἀκείνῳ. Νῦν μὲν ὡς ἐν σποδιᾷ κεκαλυμ μένος, καθόσον ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς σκεπασμάτων περικα λύπτεται· ἀναφθήσεται δὲ ὑπὸ τῆς θείας κρίσεως, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἐκδικήσεως ἐκ τῶν ἐλέγχων ἀναῤῥιπιζόμενος καὶ ἐξαπτόμενος.