John of Damascus, Sacred parallels

for the enjoyment of sin, I am eternally tormented. For the pleasure of the flesh, I am delivered to the fire; righteous is the judgment of God. I was called, and I did not obey. I was taught, and I did not pay attention. They warned me, but I scoffed. These and such things you will say, weeping, if you are snatched away beforehand. The painful and gloomy state of Gehenna awaits the toils of sin. It comes upon me to weep for you, O man, when I consider that you prefer the works of shame to the great glory of God, and, because of the pleasure of licentiousness, clinging inextricably to sin, you shut yourself out from the good things in the promises, from seeing the good things of Jerusalem. There are myriads of angels, the festive assembly of the firstborn, thrones of apostles, chief seats of prophets, scepters of patriarchs, crowns of martyrs, praises of the righteous. Desire to be numbered with these, having washed yourself clean, and having been sanctified according to the gift of Christ. O man, either fear Gehenna, or lay claim to the kingdom. Do not dishonor the calling. Wickedness is at hand, even without one drawing it. Impiety is an inventor of evils, and exceedingly bold in its undertaking. How then were they going to spare men, they who did not spare the divinity? Man incurred a first penalty from God, because he removed himself from his Maker, and deserted to the adversary, having become a fugitive from his natural Master, and an apostate. And a second, because he took upon himself the wicked slavery of sin instead of the freedom of self-determination, and preferred being tyrannized by the corrupting power to serving God. 95.1165 The cessation of evil is the beginning of the impulse toward virtue. There is no other substance of evil, except the separation from the good and the better. Sin, as long as it is in labor, has a certain shame. But when it is accomplished, then it makes those who practice it more shameless. It is not being afflicted that is evil, but to sin is evil. This is the harsh affliction. Not only those who are impious, but also those who are able to lead others away from impiety but are not willing, because of hesitation or sluggishness, are punished likewise. Do not pray for this people, says God to Jeremiah, for if Moses and Samuel should stand before me, I will not listen to them. Thus there are sins that surpass all pardon, and are not able to obtain a defense. To be abandoned by God without oversight and without providence is the most destructive of all things, and this greatest punishment for the greatest wrongdoings makes one destitute and orphaned of God. For he who has become a stranger to the helper and Savior, is immediately among enemies and robbers. Then an earthly king is believed to exist, although not seen by all; he is perceived through his laws, and his ordinances, and authorities, and powers, and images, but you do not wish God to be perceived through His works and powers. We shall not harm God by not knowing him, but we shall deprive ourselves of his friendship. Heresy has never conquered the Church, but it always rages, and having advanced a little, it is immediately dissolved. Just as a troubled eye, so also the soul, muddied by unnatural dogmas, is not able to see through to the light of truth accurately, but overlooks even what is at its feet. In muddy water, therefore, they say that even the eels are caught, being blinded. A philosophic sickness is better than unbridled prosperity. Those who stumble much, and are not punished, ought to fear and be afraid. For their punishment is increased for them through the lack of punishment and the long-suffering of God. It is the nature of every evil-doer to call what is just evil. If you do nothing base, fear nothing at all. But if you do evil things, fear the Judge. If we find serpents more terrible than other serpents, it is clear that 95.1168 there are also passions more grievous than other passions, and among wicked demons there exist other demons more wicked and more bitter, and among the base, those who are baser. Since the soul of man is easily slain through sin by the enticing unclean demons, he who said it spoke aptly, that "I am hunted like a lion for the slaughter." By nature the good

ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν ἀθάνατα βασανίζομαι. ∆ι' ἡδονὴν σαρκὸς, τῷ πυρὶ παραδίδομαι· δικαία ἡ κρίσις τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐκαλούμην, καὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουον. Ἐδιδασκόμην, καὶ οὐ προεῖχον. ∆ιεμαρτύραντό μοι, ἐγὼ δὲ κατεγέλων. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐρεῖς ἀποκλαιόμενος, ἐὰν προαναρπασθῇς. Τοὺς τῆς ἁμαρτίας καμάτους τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἐπίπονον καὶ σκυθρωπὸν ἀναμένει. Ἐμοὶ μὲν δακρύειν ἐπέρχεται ἐπὶ σὲ, ἄνθρωπε, ὅταν ἐνθυμηθῶ, ὅτι τὰ ἔργα τῆς αἰσχύνης προτιμᾷς τῆς μεγάλης δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς ἀκολασίας ἡδὺ δυσαποσπάστως ἔχων τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τῶν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις ἀγαθῶν σεαυτὸν ἀποκλείεις, μὴ ἰδεῖν ἀγαθὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐκεῖ ἀγγέλων μυριάδες, πρωτοτόκων πανήγυρις, ἀποστόλων θρόνοι, προφητῶν προεδρίαι, σκῆπτρα πατριαρχῶν, μαρτύρων στέφανοι, δικαίων ἔπαινοι. Τούτοις σεαυτὸν ἐπιθύμησον συναριθμηθῆναι, ἀπολουσάμενος, καὶ ἁγιασθεὶς κατὰ τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἄνθρωπε, ἢ τὴν γέενναν φοβήθητι, ἢ τῆς βασιλείας ἀντιποιήθητι. Μὴ ἀτιμάσῃς τὴν κλῆσιν. Πρόχειρον ἡ κακία, καὶ δίχα τοῦ ἕλκοντος. Εὑρετὶς κακῶν ἡ ἀσέβεια, καὶ λίαν τολμηρὸν εἰς ἐγχείρησιν. Πῶς δὲ ἀνθρώπων ἤμελλον φείδεσθαι, οἱ θεότητος μὴ φεισάμενοι; Πρώτην ὤφλησε τιμωρίαν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἀπέστησεν ἑαυτὸν τοῦ ποιήσαντος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν ἐναντίον ἀπηυτομόλησεν, δραπέτης τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν ∆εσπότου, καὶ ἀποστάτης γενόμενος. ∆ευτέραν δὲ, ὅτι τὴν πονηρὰν τῆς ἁμαρτίας δουλείαν ἀντὶ τῆς αὐτεξουσίου ἐλευθερίας ἠλλάξατο, καὶ προετίμησεν τοῦ δουλεύειν Θεῷ τὸ τυραννεῖσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς καταφθειρούσης δυνάμεως. 95.1165 Ἡ τοῦ κακοῦ στάσις, ἀρχὴ τῆς κατὰ ἀρετήν ἐστιν ὁρμῆς. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλη τις τοῦ κακοῦ ὑπόστασις, εἰ μὴ ὁ χωρισμὸς τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κρείττονος. Ἡ ἁμαρτία, ἕως μὲν ἂν ὠδίνηται, ἔχει τινὰ αἰσχύνην. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ τελεσθῇ, τότε ἀναισχυντοτέρους ποιεῖ τοὺς ἐργαζομένους αὐτήν. Οὐ τὸ θλίβεσθαι κακὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν κακόν. Ἡ χαλεπὴ θλίψις τοῦτό ἐστιν. Οὐχ οἱ ἀσεβοῦντες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ δυνάμενοι μὲν ἀπαγαγεῖν τῆς ἀσεβείας, μὴ βουλόμενοι δὲ, δι' ὄκνον ἢ διὰ νωθείαν, ὁμοίως κολάζονται. Μὴ προσεύξῃ περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, φησὶ πρὸς Ἱερεμίαν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἐὰν στῇ Μωϋσῆς καὶ Σαμουὴλ, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι αὐτῶν. Οὕτως ἐστὶν ἁμαρτήματα πᾶσαν ὑπερβαίνοντα συγγνώμην, καὶ ἀπολογίας τυχεῖν οὐ δυνάμενα. Τὸ ἀνεπισκόπητον καὶ ἀπρονόητον ἐγκαταλειφθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, πάντων ὀλεθριώτατον, καὶ ἡ ἐπὶ τοῖς μεγίστοις ἀδικήμασι μεγίστῃ τιμωρία αὕτη, τὸ ἔρημον καὶ ὀρφανὸν γενέσθαι ποιεῖ Θεοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ ξένος τοῦ βοηθοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος γενόμενος, ὑπὸ τοῖς ἐχθροῖς καὶ τοῖς λῃσταῖς εὐθύς ἐστιν. Εἶτα βασιλεὺς μὲν ἐπίγειος πιστεύεται εἶναι, καίπερ μὴ πᾶσι βλεπόμενος· διὰ δὲ νόμων, καὶ διατάξεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξουσιῶν, καὶ δυνάμεων, καὶ εἰκόνων νοεῖται, τὸν δὲ Θεὸν οὐ βούλει νοεῖσθαι δι' ἔργων καὶ δυνάμεων. Οὐ τὸν Θεὸν βλάψομεν ἀγνοοῦντες αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀποστερήσομεν τῆς αὐτοῦ φιλίας. Οὐδέποτε αἵρεσις τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐνίκησεν, ἀλλὰ ἀεὶ μαίνεται, καὶ κατ' ὀλίγον προελθοῦσα εὐθέως λύεται. Ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμὸς τεταραγμένος, οὕτω καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ τοῖς παρὰ φύσιν θολωθεῖσα δόγμασιν, οὐχ οἷά τε τὸ φῶς τῆς ἀληθείας διιδέναι ἀκριβῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐν ποσὶ παρορᾷ. Ἐν οὖν θολερῷ ὕδατι, καὶ τὰς ἐγχέλεις ἁλίσκεσθαί φασιν ἀποτυφλουμένας. Κρείττων εὐημερίας ἀχαλινώτου νόσος φιλόσοφος. Οἱ πολλὰ πταίοντες, καὶ μὴ κολαζόμενοι, φοβεῖσθαι καὶ δεδοικέναι ὀφείλουσιν. Αὔξεται γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ τῆς τιμωρίας διὰ τῆς ἀτιμωρησίας καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πέφυκεν ἕκαστος τῶν κακουργῶν ἀνδρῶν τὸ δίκαιον λέγων κακόν. Εἰ μηδὲν πράττεις φαῦλον, μηδὲν φοβηθῇς πάμπαν. Εἰ δὲ κακὰ ἐργάζῃ, φοβήθητι τὸν Κριτήν. Εἰ εὑρίσκομεν ὄφεις ὄφεων δεινοτέρους, δῆλον ὅτι 95.1168 καὶ πάθη παθῶν ἐστι χαλεπώτερα, καὶ δαιμόνων πονηρῶν ἕτεροι πονηρότεροι καὶ πικρότεροι ὑπάρχουσι δαίμονες, καὶ φαύλων φαυλότεροι. Τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ῥᾳδίως διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας φονευομένης ὑπὸ τῶν δελεαζόντων ἀκαθάρτων δαιμόνων, εὐστόχως εἶπεν ὁ λέξας, ὅτι ἀγρεύομαι ὥσπερ λέων εἰς σφαγήν. Τῇ φύσει τὸ ἀγαθὸν