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If you have the fire of wicked desire, consider the fire of that punishment, and this, having been extinguished, 63.745 will be gone. But consider, even if there were no fire, to fall away from God and to depart in dishonor, what a punishment! It is not possible, believe me, to represent the suffering in word, it is not possible. For if those who do not see the light of the sun endure a life more bitter than any death, what are we likely to suffer, having been deprived of that light? Why do we live and breathe and exist, if we fail to attain that vision? if then no one permits us to see our Master? If a person of noble birth, cast into prison here, considers merely the stench, and lying in darkness, and being bound with murderers, to be worse than any death; consider what it will be, when we are burned there with the murderers of the world, neither seeing, nor being seen, but in so great a multitude thinking we are alone. For the darkness and the lack of light does not permit us even to distinguish those near us, but as if each one were suffering this alone, so will he be disposed. For although it is called fire, yet it is dark and has no light. And this is what most alarms and disturbs us, that while burning fiercely, it is not extinguished, and has no light. But if darkness alone so afflicts and disturbs our souls by itself, what then will it be, when with the darkness there are also such great pains and conflagrations? For do not, because Gehenna is called fire, think that the fire is of such a kind; for this fire, whatever it takes hold of, has consumed and made an end of it; but that fire burns those once seized by it continually and never ceases. For this very reason it is also called unquenchable; for He wills to clothe sinners with incorruption, not for honor, but so that it may have a perpetual supply for that punishment. But these things are in Gehenna, and things more bitter than these; but the falling away from good things has so much pain, so much affliction and anguish, that even if no punishment were laid up for those who sin here, it would suffice by itself to bite and disturb our souls more bitterly than the torments in Gehenna. But if, when we enter a prison and see some filthy, others bound with iron chains, and others shut up in darkness, we are broken down, we shudder, we do everything not to fall into such necessity and affliction, when we ourselves are led away bound to the very torments of Gehenna, what shall we be? what shall we do? For those bonds are not of iron, but of a fire that is never quenched; nor are those set over us some of our own rank, whom it is often possible to appease, but fearsome and unsympathetic angels, whom it is not possible even to look at, being fiercely angry on account of the insults we have offered the Master. It is not possible, as it is here, to see some bringing in silver, others food, others comforting words, and to receive comfort, but everything there is unforgiving; even if it be Noah, even if Job, even if Daniel, and they see their own kinsmen being punished, they do not dare to stand by and hold out a hand; for natural sympathy is then abolished. 63.746 For since righteous men are found to be fathers of sinful children, and good children of wicked parents, and their joy must be pure, and those enjoying those good things must not be broken down by the necessity of sympathy, I say that this sympathy too is extinguished, and they themselves share the Master's indignation against their own flesh and blood. Therefore let no one hope for good things, who has not done anything good, even if he has ten thousand righteous ancestors. For when we have spent the time given to us on nothing of consequence, we will all depart there, to pay the ultimate penalty for the ill-timed expense. For if he who received money to trade with, and then squandered it, will be called to account by the one who entrusted it to him and will pay the penalty; how much more he who has spent this life in vain? And just as we our servants, making them give an account not only of the outflow of money, but also of the inflow

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πῦρ ἔχῃς ἐπιθυμίας πονηρᾶς, ἐννόησον τῆς κολάσεως ἐκείνης τὸ πῦρ, καὶ τοῦτο κατασβεσθὲν 63.745 οἰχήσεται. Σκόπει δὲ, εἰ καὶ πῦρ μὴ ἦν, τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀποστῆναι καὶ ἄτιμον ἀναχωρῆσαι, πόση κόλασις· οὐκ ἔστι, πιστεύσατε, παραστῆσαι λόγῳ τὸ πάθος, οὐκ ἔστιν. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἡλιακὸν μὴ θεώμενοι παντὸς πικροτέραν θανάτου ὑπομένουσι ζωὴν, τί παθεῖν εἰκὸς ἡμᾶς ἀποστερηθέντας τοῦ φωτὸς ἐκείνου; Τί δὲ καὶ ζῶμεν καὶ ἀναπνέομεν καὶ ἐσμὲν, ἂν τῆς θεωρίας ἀποτύχωμεν ἐκείνης; ἂν τὸν ∆εσπότην τὸν ἡμέτερον μηδεὶς ἡμῖν τότε συγχωρήσῃ θεάσασθαι; Εἰ εἰς δεσμωτήριόν τις ἐμβληθεὶς ἐνταῦθα τῶν εὐγενῶς τεθραμμένων, τὴν δυσωδίαν μόνον, καὶ τὸ ἐν σκότῳ κεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸ μετὰ ἀνδροφόνων δεδέσθαι, παντὸς θανάτου χαλεπώτερον εἶναι δοκεῖ· ἐννόησον τί ἔσται, ὅταν μετὰ τῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀνδροφόνων ἐκεῖ κατακαιώμεθα, μήτε ὁρῶντες, μήτε ὁρώμενοι, ἀλλ' ἐν πλήθει τοσούτῳ νομίζοντες εἶναι μόνοι. Τὸ γὰρ σκότος καὶ τὸ ἀλαμπὲς οὐκ ἀφίησιν οὐδὲ τοὺς πλησίον ἡμᾶς διαγινώσκειν, ἀλλ' ὡς μόνος τοῦτο πάσχων ἕκαστος, οὕτω διακείσεται. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πῦρ εἴρηται, ἀλλὰ σκοτεινόν ἐστι καὶ φῶς οὐκ ἔχον. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ μάλιστα θορυβοῦν ἡμᾶς καὶ ταράττον, ὅτι καὶ σφοδρῶς ἐκκαῖον οὔτε σβέννυται, καὶ φῶς οὐκ ἔχει. Εἰ δὲ σκότος μόνον οὕτω θλίβει καθ' ἑαυτὸ τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχὰς καὶ θορυβεῖ, τί ἔσται ἄρα, ὅταν μετὰ τοῦ σκότους καὶ ὀδύναι τοσαῦται ὦσι καὶ ἐμπρησμοί; Μὴ γὰρ, ἐπειδὴ πῦρ ἡ γέεννα λέγεται, τοιοῦτον εἶναι νομίσῃς τὸ πῦρ· τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ, ὅπερ ἂν λάβῃ, κατέκαυσε καὶ ἀπήλλαξεν· ἐκεῖνο δὲ τοὺς ἅπαξ κατασχεθέντας καίει διαπαντὸς καὶ οὐδέποτε παύεται. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἄσβεστον εἴρηται· καὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας ἀφθαρσίαν ἐνδῦσαι θέλει. οὐ πρὸς τιμὴν, ἀλλ' ὥστε διηνεκὲς ἐφόδιον τῆς τιμωρίας ἔχειν ἐκείνης. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ, καὶ τὰ τούτων πικρότερα· ἡ δὲ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπόπτωσις τοσαύτην ἔχει τὴν ὀδύνην, τοσαύτην τὴν θλῖψιν καὶ τὴν στενοχωρίαν, ὡς εἰ καὶ μηδεμία τιμωρία τοῖς ἐνταῦθα ἁμαρτάνουσιν ἀπέκειτο, αὐτὴν καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἀρκέσαι τῶν ἐν τῇ γεέννῃ βασανιστηρίων πικρότερον δάκνειν καὶ συνταράσσειν τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχάς. Εἰ δὲ εἰς δεσμωτήριον εἰσιόντες καὶ τοὺς μὲν αὐχμῶντας ὁρῶντες, τοὺς δὲ σιδηραῖς ἁλύσεσι δεδεμένους, τοὺς δὲ σκότῳ κατακεκλεισμένους, κατακλώμεθα, φρίττομεν, πάντα πράττομεν ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς τοιαύτην ἀνάγκην καὶ θλῖψιν, ὅταν ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἀπαγώμεθα εἰς αὐτὰ τὰ τῆς γεέννης βασανιστήρια δεδεμένοι, τίνες ἐσόμεθα; τί δὲ πράξομεν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ σιδήρου τὰ δεσμὰ ἐκεῖνα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πυρός εἰσιν οὐδέποτε σβεννυμένου· οὐδὲ ὁμότιμοί τινες οἱ ἐφεστῶτες ἡμῖν, οὓς καὶ ἐκμειλίξασθαι πολλάκις ἔνι, ἀλλ' ἄγγελοι φοβεροὶ καὶ ἀσυμπαθεῖς, οἷς οὐδὲ ἀντιβλέψαι δυνατὸν, σφοδρῶς ὑπὲρ ὧν τὸν ∆εσπότην ὑβρίσαμεν ὀργιζομένοις. Οὐκ ἔστι, καθάπερ ἐνταῦθα, τοὺς μὲν ἀργύριον, τοὺς δὲ τροφὰς, τοὺς δὲ λόγους εἰσάγοντας παρακλητικοὺς ἰδεῖν καὶ παραμυθίας τυχεῖν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ἐκεῖ ἀσύγγνωστα· κἂν Νῶε ᾖ, κἂν Ἰὼβ, κἂν ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ τοὺς οἰκείους ἴδωσι κολαζομένους, οὐ τολμῶσι παραστῆναι καὶ χεῖρα ὀρέξαι· καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἐκ φύσεως συμπάθειαν ἀναιρεῖσθαι τότε συμβαίνει. 63.746 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εὑρίσκονται δίκαιοι τέκνων ἁμαρτωλῶν πατέρες, καὶ παῖδες ἀγαθοὶ γονέων πονηρῶν, δεῖ δὲ καθαρὰν αὐτοῖς εἶναι εὐφροσύνην, καὶ μὴ τῇ τῆς συμπαθείας ἀνάγκῃ κατακλᾶσθαι τούτους ἀπολαύοντας τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ ταύτην σβέννυσθαί φημι, καὶ αὐτοὺς συναγανακτεῖν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ κατὰ τῶν οἰκείων σπλάγχνων. Τοιγαροῦν μηδεὶς ἐλπιζέτω χρηστὰ, μὴ ἐργασάμενός τι χρηστὸν, κἂν μυρίους ἔχῃ προγόνους δικαίους. Ὅταν γὰρ τὸν δοθέντα ἡμῖν χρόνον ἀναλώσωμεν εἰς οὐδὲν δέον, ἀπελευσόμεθα πάντες ἐκεῖ, τῆς ἀκαίρου δαπάνης δίκην δώσοντες τὴν ἐσχάτην. Εἰ γὰρ ὁ χρήματα ἐμπορεύσασθαι λαβὼν, εἶτα καταφαγὼν, ἀπαιτηθήσεται παρὰ τοῦ πιστεύσαντος καὶ δώσει δίκην· ὁ ζωὴν ταύτην δαπανήσας μάτην, πόσῳ μᾶλλον; Καὶ καθάπερ ἡμεῖς τοὺς οἰκέτας τοὺς ἡμετέρους, οὐχὶ τῆς ἐξόδου μόνον τῶν χρημάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς εἰσόδου ποιουμένους τὸν λόγον