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84 That, rightly, for the same good deeds the same reward is not laid up for us and for those in the Old Covenant. Why then for the same good deeds is not the same reward laid up for us and for those in the Old Covenant, but we must display a greater virtue if we are to obtain the same things as they did? Because the grace of the Spirit has been poured out abundantly now, and great is the gift of Christ's coming; for it has made perfect men out of infants. Therefore, just as we demand much greater achievements from our children when they reach maturity, and what we praised them for doing before in their early age, we no longer admire in the same way when they have become men and accomplish these things, but we command them to display other, much greater things, so too God in the early times did not demand great achievements from human nature, since it was in a more infantile state. But since it has heard prophets, apostles, and has obtained the grace of the Spirit, He has increased for it the magnitude of its achievements—and rightly so. For He has also established greater rewards and the prizes are much more splendid now. For it is no longer the earth and the things on the earth, but heaven and the good things that surpass the mind that are laid up for those who do right. How then is it not absurd, having become men, to remain still in the same littleness? For then human nature was divided against itself and there was an implacable war. And Paul, describing this, says something like this: “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.” But now these things are not so. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” And giving thanks for these things, Paul said: “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ.” For this reason we are rightly punished, because we who are unbound are not willing to run as fast as those who were fettered; or rather, even if we were able to run as fast, not even so would we be delivered from punishment. For those who enjoy deep peace must set up much greater and more splendid trophies than those who are heavily burdened by war. But if we are to be occupied with money and luxury and women and the care of affairs, when shall we be men, when shall we live by the Spirit, when shall we be anxious for the things of the Lord? When we have departed from here? But it is no longer the time for toils or struggles, but for crowns and punishments. Then even if one is a virgin not having oil in her lamps, she will not be able to receive it from others, but will remain outside; even if someone arrives dressed in filthy garments, he will not be able to go out and change his robe, but will be led away into the fire of Gehenna; even if he calls upon Abraham himself, there will be nothing more for him then. For when the last day has come and the judgment seat is set and the judge is seated, and the river of flame is drawn forth and the examination of our deeds takes place, we are no longer permitted to put off our offenses, but we are dragged, willingly and unwillingly, to the punishment due for them, not only with no one being able to propitiate for us then, but even if someone should have the same boldness as the great and wondrous men, even if Noah or Job or Daniel should entreat on behalf of sons and daughters, there will be no more advantage. But it is necessary then for the sinners to be punished immortally, just as it is for the righteous to be honored. For Christ declared that there will be an end neither for these nor for those, saying that just as life is eternal, so also is the punishment eternal. For when He had accepted those on His right and had condemned those on His left, He added, saying: “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Therefore it is necessary to manage all things here, and for him who has a wife to be as though he had none, and for him who truly does not

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84 Ὅτι εἰκότως τῶν αὐτῶν κατορθωμάτων οὐχ ὁ αὐτὸς κεῖται μισθὸς ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ. Τί δήποτε οὖν τῶν αὐτῶν κατορθωμάτων οὐχ ὁ αὐτὸς κεῖται μισθὸς ἡμῖν καὶ τοῖς ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ, ἀλλὰ μείζονα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι δεῖ τὴν ἀρετὴν εἰ μέλλοιμεν τῶν αὐτῶν ἐκείνοις τυγχάνειν; Ὅτι πολλὴ ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος χάρις ἐκκέχυται νῦν καὶ μεγάλη τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας ἡ δωρεά· ἄνδρας γὰρ αὕτη τελείους ἀντὶ νηπίων ἐποίησεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἡμεῖς τοὺς παῖδας τοὺς ἡμετέρους ὅταν ἡβήσωσι, πολλῷ μείζονα ἀπαιτοῦμεν τὰ κατορθώματα καὶ ἃ ποιοῦντας πρότερον ἐπῃνοῦμεν κατὰ τὴν πρώτην ἡλικίαν, ταῦτα γενομένους ἄνδρας καὶ κατορθοῦντας οὐκέτι ὁμοίως θαυμάζομεν, ἀλλ' ἕτερα πόλλῳ μείζονα ἐκείνῳ κελεύομεν ἐπιδείκνυσθαι, οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς πρώτοις χρόνοις οὐ μεγάλα ἀπῄτει τὰ κατορθώματα, ἅτε νηπιωδέστερον διακειμένην. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ προφητῶν ἤκουσεν, ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῆς τοῦ πνεύματος ἐπέτυχε χάριτος, ἐπέτεινεν αὐτῇ τῶν κατορθωμάτων τὸ μέγεθος-εἰκότως. Καὶ γὰρ μισθοὺς μείζονας ἔθηκε καὶ τὰ ἔπαθλα πολλῷ λαμπρότερα νῦν. Οὐκέτι γὰρ γῆ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἀλλ' οὐρανὸς καὶ τὰ νοῦν ὑπερβαίνοντα ἀγαθὰ τοῖς κατορθοῦσιν ἀπόκειται. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔτι μένειν σμικρότητος ἀνδρωθέντας; Τότε μὲν γὰρ ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη καθ' ἑαυτῆς ἔσχιστο φύσις καὶ πόλεμος ἄσπονδος ἦν. Καὶ τοῦτον ὁ Παῦλος διηγούμενος οὑτωσί πώς φησιν· «Βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί μου ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντά με τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῷ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς μέλεσί μου.» Ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκ ἔστι ταῦτα. «Τὸ γὰρ ἀδύνατον τοῦ νόμου ἐν ᾧ ἠσθένει διὰ τῆς σαρκός, ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱὸν πέμψας ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας κατέκρινε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐν τῇ σαρκί.» Καὶ περὶ τούτων εὐχαριστῶν ὁ Παῦλος ἔλεγε· «Ταλαίπωρος ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος, τίς με ῥύσεται ἐκ τοῦ σώματος τοῦ θανάτου τούτου; Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κολαζόμεθα εἰκότως ὅτι τῶν συμπεποδισμένων ἴσα τρέχειν οὐ βουλόμεθα οἱ λελυμένοι, μᾶλλον δὲ κἂν ἴσα δυνηθῶμεν οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπηλλάγμεθα τῆς κολάσεως. Τοὺς γὰρ βαθείας ἀπολαύοντας εἰρήνης τῶν σφόδρα βαρυνομένων πολέμῳ πολλῷ μείζονα δεῖ καὶ λαμπρότερα ἱστᾶν τὰ τρόπαια. Εἰ δὲ μέλλοιμεν περὶ χρήματα καὶ τρυφὴν καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ πραγμάτων ἐπιμέλειαν στρέφεσθαι, πότε ἄνδρες ἐσόμεθα, πότε πνεύματι ζήσομεν, πότε τὰ τοῦ κυρίου μεριμνήσομεν; Ὅταν ἀποδημήσωμεν ἐντεῦθεν; Ἀλλ' οὐκέτι πόνων οὐδὲ ἀγώνων ὁ καιρὸς ἀλλὰ στεφάνων καὶ κολάσεων. Τότε κἂν παρθένος ᾖ τις οὐκ ἔχουσα ἔλαιον ἐν ταῖς λαμπάσιν, οὐ δυνήσεται παρ' ἑτέρων λαβεῖν, ἀλλ' ἔξω μενεῖ· κἂν ῥυπαρά τις ἱμάτια ἐνδεδυμένος παραγένηται, οὐ δυνήσεται ἐξελθὼν ἀμεῖψαι τὴν στολήν, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ τῆς γεέννης ἀπαχθήσεται πῦρ· κἂν αὐτὸν παρακαλῇ τὸν Ἀβραάμ, οὐδὲν αὐτῷ πλέον ἔσται λοιπόν. Τῆς γὰρ κυρίας παραγενομένης καὶ τοῦ βήματος προτεθέντος καὶ τοῦ δικαστοῦ καθίσαντος, καὶ τοῦ ποταμοῦ συρομένου τῆς φλογὸς καὶ τῆς ἐξετάσεως γινομένης τῶν πεπραγμένων ἡμῖν, οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ἀποδύσασθαι τὰ πλημμελήματα συγχωρούμεθα, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἀπὸ τούτων δίκην καὶ ἑκόντες καὶ ἄκοντες ἑλκόμεθα, οὐ μόνον οὐδενὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξιλάσασθαι δυναμένου τότε, ἀλλὰ κἂν τύχῃ τὴν αὐτὴν τοῖς μεγάλοις καὶ θαυμαστοῖς ἀνδράσι παρρησίαν ἔχων τις, κἂν Νῶε κἂν Ἰὼβ κἂν ∆ανιὴλ κἂν ὑπὲρ παίδων δέηται καὶ θυγατέρων, οὐδὲν ἔσται πλέον. Ἀλλ' ἀνάγκη λοιπὸν ἀθάνατα κολάζεσθαι τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ τιμᾶσθαι τοὺς κατωρθωκότας. Ὅτι γὰρ οὔτε τούτων οὔτε ἐκείνων τέλος ἔσται ὁ Χριστὸς ἀπεφήνατο, ὥσπερ τὴν ζωὴν αἰώνιον οὕτω καὶ τὴν κόλασιν αἰώνιον εἶναι λέγων. Ὅτε γὰρ τοὺς μὲν ἐκ δεξιῶν ἀπεδέξατο, τοὺς δὲ ἐξ εὐωνύμων κατεδίκασεν, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· «Καὶ ἀπελεύσονται οὗτοι εἰς κόλασιν αἰώνιον, οἱ δὲ δίκαιοι εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον.» ∆ιὸ χρὴ πάντα ἐνταῦθα πραγματεύεσθαι καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα γυναῖκα ὡς μὴ ἔχοντα εἶναι καὶ τὸν ὄντως οὐκ