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they were crying out, saying, Have you come here before the time to torment us? How then are you not afraid and shuddering, when even the demons confess it, while you yourself deny it? And how do you not see the teacher of these wicked doctrines? For the one who deceived man from the beginning, and by the proposal of greater hopes cast him out even from the good things in his hands, this is the one who even now suggests these things to say and to think; and for this reason he persuades some to suspect that there is no Gehenna, so that he may cast them into Gehenna. Just as God, on the contrary, threatens Gehenna, and has prepared Gehenna, so that learning this you might live in such a way as not to fall into Gehenna. And yet if the devil persuades you of these things while Gehenna exists, how would the demons have confessed it if it did not exist, for whom it is a matter of great concern that we suspect no such thing, so that becoming more careless through impunity, we might fall with them into that fire? How then, he says, did they confess it then? By not bearing the necessity laid upon them. Therefore, considering all these things, let those who say these things cease deceiving both themselves and others; since they will also give an account for these words, for disparaging those dreadful things, and weakening many of those who truly wish to be diligent, and not even imitating the barbarian Ninevites. For they, although ignorant of all things, on hearing that the city would be overthrown, not only did not disbelieve, but even groaned and put on sackcloth and were confounded, and did not cease from doing everything until they had averted the wrath. But you, who have had so much experience of things, do you make light of what has been said through words? Therefore the opposite will happen. For just as they, fearing the words, did not suffer the punishment from the deeds; so you also, despising the threat from the words, will undergo the punishment from the deeds. And if the words seem to you to be a myth now, they will not when the deeds persuade you then. Do you not see what he has done here also? how having taken two thieves he did not deem them worthy of the same things, but brought one into the kingdom, and sent the other away into Gehenna? And why do I speak of a thief and a murderer? For He did not spare even the apostle, when he became a traitor, but even seeing him rushing to a halter, and being hanged and bursting asunder in the middle (for he did burst in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out); but nevertheless foreseeing all these things, He allowed him to suffer all these things, assuring you from present things about all the things there. Do not, therefore, deceive yourselves by obeying the devil; for these are his thoughts. For if judges and masters and teachers and barbarians honor the good, but punish the wicked, how could it be reasonable for the opposite to happen with God, and for both the good and the not so good to be deemed worthy of the same things? And when will there be a release from wickedness? For those 60.637 who now expect punishment, and are amidst so many fears from judges, from laws, and do not desist from wickedness; when they have gone there and put away this fear, and not only do not fall into Gehenna, but even obtain the kingdom, when will they stop doing evil? Is this then philanthropy, tell me, to increase wickedness, to set a prize for evil, to deem worthy of the same things the temperate and the intemperate, the faithful and the impious, Paul and the devil? But 60.638 for how long shall we also talk nonsense? Therefore I beseech you, being delivered from this madness, and having come to your senses, persuade your soul to fear and to tremble, that it may be delivered from the Gehenna to come, and having lived this life temperately, may also obtain the good things to come, by the grace and loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

HOMILY XXVI.

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ἐβόων λέγοντες, Ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς; Πῶς οὖν οὐ δέδοικας καὶ φρίττεις, καὶ τῶν δαιμόνων ὁμολογούντων, αὐτὸς ἀρνούμενος; πῶς δὲ οὐ συνορᾷς τὸν διδάσκαλον τῶν πονηρῶν τούτων δογμάτων; Ὁ γὰρ τὸν ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀπατήσας ἄνθρωπον, καὶ προτάσει μειζόνων ἐλπίδων καὶ τῶν ἐν χερσὶν ἐκβαλὼν ἀγαθῶν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ καὶ νῦν ταῦτα ὑποβάλλων λέγειν τε καὶ νοεῖν· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πείθει τινὰς ὑποπτεύειν μὴ εἶναι γέενναν, ἵνα ἐμβάλῃ εἰς γέενναν· ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεναντίας ἀπειλεῖ γέενναν, καὶ ἡτοίμασε γέενναν, ἵνα μαθὼν οὕτω βιώσῃς ὡς μὴ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς γέενναν. Καίτοι εἰ γεέννης οὔσης ὁ διάβολός σε ταῦτα ἀναπείθει, πῶς ἂν μὴ οὖσαν ὡμολόγησαν οἱ δαίμονες, οἷς περισπούδαστόν ἐστι μηδὲν τοιοῦτον ὑποπτεύειν ἡμᾶς, ἵνα τῇ ἀδείᾳ γενόμενοι ῥᾳθυμότεροι, μετ' αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ πῦρ ἐκεῖνο ἐμπέσωμεν; Πῶς οὖν, φησὶ, τότε ὡμολόγουν; Τὴν ἀνάγκην οὐ φέροντες τὴν ἐπικειμένην αὐτοῖς. Ἅπερ οὖν ἐννοοῦντες ἅπαντα, παυέσθωσαν καὶ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ ἑτέρους ἀπατῶντες οἱ ταῦτα λέγοντες· ἐπεὶ καὶ τῶν ῥημάτων τούτων δώσουσι δίκην, τὰ φοβερὰ διασύροντες ἐκεῖνα, καὶ πολλοὺς τῶν ὄντως σπουδάζειν βουλομένων ἐκλύοντες, καὶ οὐδὲ τοὺς βαρβάρους Νινευίτας μιμούμενοι. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ καίτοι πάντων ὄντες ἄπειροι, ἀκούσαντες ὅτι ἡ πόλις καταστραφήσεται, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἠπίστησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐστέναξαν καὶ σάκκον περιεβάλοντο καὶ συνεχύθησαν, καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστησαν πάντα ποιοῦντες, ἕως ἂν ἔλυσαν τὴν ὀργήν· σὺ δὲ ὁ τοσαύτην λαβὼν πεῖραν πραγμάτων, διὰ ῥημάτων ἐξουθενεῖς τὰ εἰρημένα; Οὐκοῦν ἔσται τὰ ἐναντία. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι φοβηθέντες τὰ ῥήματα, οὐχ ὑπέμειναν τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τιμωρίαν· οὕτω καὶ σὺ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ῥημάτων καταφρονῶν ἀπειλῆς, τὴν ἀπὸ πραγμάτων ὑποστήσῃ κόλασιν. Καὶ εἰ νῦν μῦθός σοι δοκεῖ εἶναι τὰ ῥήματα, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὅταν σε τὰ πράγματα πείθῃ τότε. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς καὶ ἐνταῦθα τί πεποίηκε; πῶς δύο λῃστὰς λαβὼν οὐ τῶν αὐτῶν ἠξίωσεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσήγαγε, τὸν δὲ εἰς γέενναν ἀπέπεμψε; Καὶ τί λέγω λῃστὴν καὶ ἀνδροφόνον; Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ ἀποστόλου ἐφείσατο, ἐπειδὴ προδότης ἐγένετο, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ βρόχον ὁρῶν ὁρμῶντα αὐτὸν, καὶ ἀγχόμενον καὶ μέσον ῥηγνύμενον (καὶ γὰρ Ἐλάκησε μέσος, καὶ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἐξεχύθη πάντα)· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἅπαντα ταῦτα προειδὼς, εἴασε πάντα αὐτὸν ταῦτα παθεῖν, ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων σε καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐκεῖ πιστούμενος πάντων. Μὴ τοίνυν φενακίζετε ἑαυτοὺς τῷ διαβόλῳ πειθόμενοι· ἐκείνου γὰρ ταῦτα τὰ νοήματα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ δικασταὶ καὶ δεσπόται καὶ διδάσκαλοι καὶ βάρβαροι τοὺς μὲν ἀγαθοὺς τιμῶσι, τοὺς δὲ πονηροὺς κολάζουσι· πῶς ἂν ἔχοι λόγον παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ τἀναντία γίνεσθαι, καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιοῦσθαι τόν τε ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸν οὐ τοιοῦτον; Πότε δὲ καὶ ἀπαλλαγὴ ἔσται τῆς κακίας; Οἵ τε γὰρ 60.637 νῦν προσδοκῶντες κόλασιν, καὶ μεταξὺ τοσούτων ὄντες φόβων τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν δικαστῶν, τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων, καὶ οὐκ ἀφιστάμενοι τῆς πονηρίας· ὅταν ἀπελθόντες ἐκεῖ καὶ τὸν φόβον τοῦτον ἀπόθωνται, καὶ μὴ μόνον εἰς γέενναν οὐκ ἐμπέσωσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βασιλείας ἐπιτύχωσι, πότε πονηρευόμενοι στήσονται; Τοῦτο οὖν φιλανθρωπίας, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ τὴν πονηρίαν ἐπιτρίβειν, τὸ τῇ κακίᾳ ἆθλον τιθέναι, τὸ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀξιοῦν τὸν σώφρονα καὶ τὸν ἀκόλαστον, τὸν πιστὸν καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ, τὸν Παῦλον καὶ τὸν διάβολον; Ἀλλὰ 60.638 μέχρι τίνος καὶ ἡμεῖς ληροῦμεν; ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ, τῆς μανίας ἀπαλλαγέντες ταύτης, καὶ ὑμῶν αὐτῶν γενόμενοι, πείσατε τὴν ψυχὴν δεδοικέναι καὶ τρέμειν, ἵνα καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἀπαλλαγῇ γεέννης, καὶ σωφρόνως τὸν ἐνταῦθα ζήσασα βίον, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτύχῃ, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ, ἅμα τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, δόξα, κράτος, τιμὴ, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ΚΣΤʹ.