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to be under his yoke, as he orders and regulates us by the laws of truth, and we shall willingly accept the friendship sent to him; willingly bringing him tributes and taxes, the fruits of righteousness brought to completion in us through virtues according to the commandment. Delighting in these for our salvation, he who alone is without need, will grant us all things as one who is true to his word, as many things as he has promised us. These are the things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, which God has prepared for those who love him. For he has also made us for this purpose, that we might become partakers of the divine nature, and participants in his same eternity; and that we might appear like him according to the deification which is from grace; for which is both the constitution and the permanence of all existing things; and the production and generation of non-existing things.

(15Β_434> Let us then become worthy of peace, my blessed master, by manfully cutting off from ourselves the passions within us that rebel against God. Let us mortify the body with all our strength, through which, when it is vigorous, the entrance of the devil to the soul is wont to occur. Let us steady the wandering mind with divine readings, and bring it back again to God. Let us prudently restrain desire, which is dissolutely corrupted into many things according to appetite, with the disciplines of continence and vigils. Let us wisely calm anger, when it seethes and is troubled, with prayers and supplications and alms; let us make the senses cease from being moved and acting intemperately, through the fear of God and the threat of things to come. Above all and before all things, let us remember death and the fearful departure of the soul from the body; and how the principalities and authorities and powers of darkness meet it throughout this air; each one tearing at it and cutting it apart for itself in proportion to the evil familiarity it has with it through the medium of passion. Let us remember the bitter pain in the soul that occurs in Hades according to conscience, at the memory of the evil things it has done through the body. Let us remember the 0641 final consummation of the whole world, in which this all is consumed by the great and immeasurable fire; the elements being terribly shaken by the melting of the conflagration; and heaven, being rolled up, hastily fleeing in fear from the face of the fire that purifies creation beforehand for the presence of the pure one; the sea disappearing, the earth boiling and being shaken from its foundation, and providing undiminished the infinite myriads of human bodies. Let us remember the dreadful hour of giving an account before the fearful and dreadful judgment seat of Christ; when all the power of the heavens, and all the creation of men from the foundation of the age, look upon the things belonging to each person, down to a mere thought; when for some, on account of the brilliance of their works, the ineffable light will receive them, and the radiance of the holy and blessed Trinity, shining more clearly upon those able to see and receive (15Β_436> it because of the purity of their soul; but for others, on account of the wickedness of their works, the outer darkness will receive them, and the sleepless worm and the unquenchable fire of Gehenna; and what is heaviest of all, the endless shame in their conscience. Let us remember all these things, so that we may become worthy of the former, and not be condemned to experience the latter; and that we may become our own and God's; or rather, wholly of God alone and entirely; and bearing nothing earthly in ourselves, that we may draw near to God, and having become gods, having received from God the being gods. For not yet are the divine gifts honored, nor is the presence of divine peace cherished.

And this much concerning this; but may the God of peace, who reconciled us to himself through the cross, and redeemed us when we were enemies by his own blood from the power of darkness, himself grant his peace, which surpasses all understanding, to my blessed master, and deem him worthy of his heavenly kingdom; where the dwelling of all who rejoice is, and the choir of those who keep festival.

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αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι ζυγόν, νόμοις ἀληθείας τάσσοντος ἡμᾶς καί ῥυθμίζοντος, καί τήν πρός αὐτόν ἑκουσίως στείλασθαι φιλίαν καταδεξόμεθα· φόρους αὐτῷ δασμούς ἑκουσίως προσάγοντες, τούς διά τῶν ἀρετῶν κατ᾿ ἐντολήν τελεσφορουμένους ἐν ἡμῖν τῆς δικαιοσύνης καρπούς. Οἷς ὑπέρ τῆς ἡμῶν σωτηρίας ἡδόμενος ὁ μόνος ἀπροσδεής, πάντα ἡμῖν χαρίσεται ὡς ἀψευδής, ὅσα ἡμῖν ἐπηγγείλατο. Τά δ᾿ ἔστιν ἅ ὀφθαλμός οὐκ ἴδεν, καί οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, ἅ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεός τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν. Εἰς τοῦτο γάρ ἡμᾶς καί πεποίηκεν, ἵνα γενώμεθα θείας κοινωνοί φύσεως, καί τῆς αὐτῆς ἀϊδιότητος μέτοχοι· καί φανῶμεν αὐτῷ ὅμοιοι κατά τήν ἐκ χάριτος θέωσιν· δι᾿ ἥν, πᾶσά τε τῶν ὄντων ἡ σύστασίς ἐστι καί ἡ διαμονή· καί ἡ τῶν μή ὄντων παραγωγή καί γένεσις.

(15Β_434> Γενώμεθα τοίνυν ἄξιοι τῆς εἰρήνης, δέσποτά μου εὐλογημένε, τά ἐν ἡμῖν πρός Θεόν στασιάζοντα πάθη ἑαυτῶν ἀνδρικῶς περιελόντες. Τήξωμεν ὅση δύναμις τό σῶμα, δι᾿ οὗ σφριγῶντος, ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου πρός τήν ψυχήν γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν εἴσοδος. Ἀναγνώσμασι θείοις πλανώμενον στήσωμεν τόν νοῦν, καί πρός Θεόν πάλιν αὐτόν ἐπανάγωμεν. Ἐγκρατείας τόνοις καί ἀγρυπνίας κατ᾿ ὄρεξιν εἰς πολλά φθειρομένην ἀτάκτως τήν ἐπιθυμίαν, σωφρόνως καταστείλωμεν. Εὐχαῖς καί δεήσεσι καί ἐλεημοσύναις τόν θυμόν ζέοντα καί ταρασσόμενον σοφῶς κατευνάσωμεν· φόβῳ Θεοῦ καί ἀπειλῇ τῶν μελλόντων ἀκολάστως κινούμενά τε καί ἐνεργοῦντα τά αἰσθητήρια παύσωμεν. Ἐπί πᾶσι καί πρό πάντων μνησθῶμεν τοῦ θανάτου καί τῆς φοβερᾶς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκ τοῦ σώματος ἐξόδου· καί πῶς ἀπαντῶσιν αὐτῇ κατά τόν ἀέρα τοῦτον αἱ ἀρχαί καί ἐξουσίαι καί δυνάμεις σκότους· πᾶσα πρός ἑαυτήν διέλκουσά τε καί κατατέμνουσα κατ᾿ ἀναλογίαν τῆς σχετικῶς πρός αὐτήν διά τοῦ μέσου πάθους γενομένης κακῆς οἰκειότητος. Μνησθῶμεν τῆς ἐν ᾅδῃ κατά συνείδησιν γινομένης τῇ ψυχῇ πικρᾶς ὀδύνης, ἐπί τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν αὐτῇ κακῶς διά τοῦ σώματος πεπραγμένων. Μνησθῶμεν τῆς 0641 τελευταίας τοῦ παντός κόσμου συντελείας, καθ᾿ ἥν τῷ πολλῷ καί ἀπλέτῳ πυρί τό πᾶν καταφλέγεται τοῦτο· στοιχείων φοβερῶς κλονουμένων τῇ τήξει τῆς καύσεως· καί οὐρανοῦ τῇ εἰλήσει τῷ φόβῳ κατ᾿ ἔπειξιν φεύγοντος ἀπό προσώπου πυρός τοῦ προκαθαίροντος τήν κτίσιν διά τήν τοῦ καθαροῦ παρουσίαν· θαλάσσης ἀφανιζομένης, γῆς βρασσομένης, καί ἐκ πυθμένος σειομένης, καί τάς ἀπείρους τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων σωμάτων ἀμειώτως παρεχούσης μυριάδας. Μνησθῶμεν τῆς φρικτῆς ὥρας τῆς ἀπολογίας τῆς ἐπί τοῦ φοβεροῦ καί φρικτοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἡνίκα πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις τῶν οὐρανῶν, καί πᾶσα ἡ ἀπό καταβολῆς τοῦ αἰῶνος κτίσις τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐφορᾷ τά ἑκάστῳ προσόντα μέχρι καί ψιλοῦ ἐνθυμήματος· ἡνίκα τούς μέν διά τήν τῶν ἔργων λαμπρότητα, τό ἄφραστον φῶς διαδέξεται, καί ἡ τῆς ἁγίας καί μακαρίας Τριάδος ἔλλαμψις τρανότερον ἐπιλαμπούσης, τοῖς ὁρᾷν καί ὑποδέχεσθαι (15Β_436> διά καθαρότητα ψυχῆς, αὐτήν δυναμένοις· τούς δέ, διά τήν τῶν ἔργων ἀτοπίαν τό σκότος ὑποδέξεται τό ἐξώτερον, καί ὁ ἀκοίμητος σκώληξ καί τό πῦρ τῆς γεέννης τό ἄσβεστον· καί τό πάντων βαρύτατον, ἡ ἐν τῷ συνειδότι αἰσχύνη πέρας οὐκ ἔχουσα. Μνησθῶμεν τούτων ἁπάντων, ἵνα τῶν μέν ἄξιοι γενώμεθα, τῶν δέ πεῖραν λαβεῖν μή κατακριθῶμεν· καί γενώμεθα ἑαυτῶν καί τοῦ Θεοῦ· μᾶλλον δέ, μόνου καί ὅλου τοῦ Θεοῦ ὅλοι· καί μηδέν ἐπίγειον ἐν ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς φέροντες, ἵνα Θεῷ πλησιάσωμεν, καί θεοί γενόμενοι, ἐκ Θεοῦ τό θεοί εἶναι λαβόντες. Οὕπω γάρ τιμᾶται τά θεῖα δωρήματα, καί ἡ τῆς θείας εἰρήνης φιλοφρονεῖται παρουσία.

Καί ταῦτα μέν περί τούτου· ὁ δέ Θεός τῆς εἰρήνης, ὁ καταλλάξας ἡμᾶς ἑαυτῷ διά τοῦ σταυροῦ, καί ἐχθρούς ὄντας ἐξαγοράσας τῷ ἰδίῳ αἵματι τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους, αὐτός τήν εἰρήνην αὐτοῦ τήν ὑπερέχουσαν πάντα νοῦν χαρίσηται τῷ εὐλογημένῳ μου δεσπότῃ, καί ἀξιώσοι αὐτόν τῆς οὐρανίου αὐτοῦ βασιλείας· ἔνθα πάντων εὐφραινομένων ἡ κατοικία καί ὁ τῶν ἑορταζόντων χορός.