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a judge seated in your mind; but if you condemn yourself, although you are a lover of self, and would not endure to bring an unjust judgment, will not God much more have great providence for the just, and bring an incorruptible vote concerning all things, but will he allow all things to be carried on simply and at random? And who would say these things? There is no one. But also Greeks and barbarians, and poets and philosophers, and every race of men agree with us in these things, even if not in the same way, and they say there are certain courts in Hades. So manifest and acknowledged is the matter. And for what reason are we not punished immediately here, he says? In order that He may show His long-suffering, and may grant us salvation from repentance, and neither make our race to be snatched away, nor snatch away from salvation those who are able to be saved from an excellent change. For if He immediately punished at the very sins and destroyed, how would Paul have been saved? How Peter, the chief teachers of the world? How would David have reaped the salvation that comes from repentance? How the Galatians? How many others? For these reasons He does not demand justice from all here, but from some of all; nor all there, but one here, and another there, so that He might rouse up those who are exceedingly insensible through those whom He punishes, and might make them expect future things through those whom He does not punish. Or do you not see many being punished here, like those crushed by the tower; like those whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices; like those among the Corinthians who died an untimely death because of partaking of the mysteries unworthily; like the people of the Jews slaughtered by the barbarians; like many others both then and now continually? And others having sinned much departed without paying the penalty here, like the rich man in the story of Lazarus, like many others. And He does these things, both rousing those who disbelieve in the future, and making the believers more eager, and making the indolent more zealous. For God is a righteous judge and strong and long-suffering, and not bringing on wrath every day. But if we should use His long-suffering for indolence, there will be a time when He will no longer be long-suffering even for a little while, but will immediately bring on the penalty. Let us not then, that we may luxuriate for a single moment (for such is the present life), draw upon ourselves the punishment of infinite ages, but let us labor for a moment, that we may be crowned forever. Do you not see that also in worldly matters most men do this, and choose the little labor for the sake of the long rest, even if the opposite turns out for them? For here there is an equal share of both labors and gains, but often the reverse; but that of the kingdom is the opposite: the labor is little, but the pleasure is great and infinite. But consider: The farmer labors through the whole year, and at the very end of his hope often falls short of the fruit of his many labors; the pilot again and the soldier until extreme old age are in wars and labors, and often each of them departs empty, the one of the wealth of his cargo, the other having fallen short of victory and of life itself. What defense, then, will we have, tell me, when in worldly matters we prefer the laborious things, that we may rest a little, or not even a little, for the hope is uncertain; but in spiritual matters we do the opposite, and draw upon ourselves unspeakable punishment for a little indolence? Therefore I beseech all of you, to recover at long last from this madness. For no one will deliver us 63.883 in that time, not a brother, not a father, not children, not friends, not a neighbor, not anyone else; but if we are betrayed by our works, all will be gone and we shall certainly perish. How much did that rich man lament, and beseech the patriarch, and ask for Lazarus to be sent? But hear what Abraham said to him: A great chasm is between us and you, so that not even those who wish are permitted to cross. How much did those virgins beseech their companions for a little oil, but hear what they also say: Lest there not be enough

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διανοίᾳ σου ἐγκαθήμενον 63.882 δικαστήν· εἰ δὲ σὺ σαυτὸν κατακρίνεις, καίτοι φίλαυτος ὢν, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀνάσχοιο μὴ δικαίαν τὴν κρίσιν ἐνεγκεῖν, οὐ πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς πολλὴν ποιήσεται τοῦ δικαίου τὴν πρόνοιαν, καὶ τὴν ἀδέκαστον περὶ πάντων οἴσει ψῆφον, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς καὶ εἰκῆ πάντα φέρεσθαι ἐάσει; καὶ τίς ἂν ταῦτα εἴποι; Οὐκ ἔστιν οὐδείς· ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἕλληνες καὶ βάρβαροι, καὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι, καὶ πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων συμφωνοῦσιν ἐν τούτοις ἡμῖν, εἰ καὶ μὴ ὁμοίως, καί φασιν εἶναί τινα δικαστήρια ἐν ᾅδου· οὔτω φανερὸν καὶ ὡμολογημένον τὸ πρᾶγμά ἐστι. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ἐνταῦθα οὐκ εὐθέως κολαζόμεθα, φησίν; Ἵνα τὴν μακροθυμίαν ἐπιδείξηται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἐκ μετανοίας ἡμῖν παράσχῃ σωτηρίαν, καὶ μήτε τὸ γένος ἡμῶν ἀνάρπαστον ἐργάζηται, τούς τε ἐκ μεταβολῆς ἀρίστης δυναμένους σωθῆναι μὴ προεξαρπάσῃ τῆς σωτηρίας. Εἰ γὰρ εὐθέως ἐκόλαζε παρ' αὐτὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα καὶ ἀνῄρει, πῶς ἂν ἐσώθη Παῦλος; πῶς δὲ Πέτρος, οἱ κορυφαῖοι τῆς οἰκουμένης διδάσκαλοι; πῶς ἂν ὁ ∆αυῒδ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς μετανοίας ἐκαρπώσατο σωτηρίαν; πῶς οἱ Γαλάται; πῶς ἕτεροι πλείους; ∆ιὰ δὴ ταῦτα οὐδὲ πάντας ἐνταῦθα ἀπαιτεῖ δίκην, ἀλλ' ἐκ πάντων ἐνίους· οὔτε ἐκεῖ πάντας, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν ἐνταῦθα, τὸν δὲ ἐκεῖ, ἴνα καὶ τοὺς σφόδρα ἀναισθήτους διεγείρῃ δι' ὧν κολάζει, καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα προσδοκᾷν ποιήσῃ δι' ὧν οὐ κολάζει. Ἢ οὐχ ὁρᾷς πολλοὺς ἐνταῦθα κολαζομένους, ὡς τοὺς τῷ πύργῳ καταχωσθέντας· ὡς ἐκείνους, ὧν τὸ αἷμα ταῖς θυσίαις ἔμιξεν ὁ Πιλᾶτος· ὡς τοὺς ἀώρῳ θανάτῳ παρὰ Κορινθίοις τελευτήσαντας διὰ τὸ τῶν μυστηρίων ἀναξίως μετασχεῖν· ὡς τὸν δῆμον τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπὸ τῶν βαρβάρων κατασφαγέντα· ὡς ἑτέρους πολλοὺς καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν διηνεκῶς; Καὶ ἕτεροι δὲ πολλὰ ἀμαρτόντες ἀπῆλθον μὴ δόντες ἐνταῦθα δίκην, ὡς ὁ πλούσιος ἐπὶ τοῦ Λαζάρου, ὡς ἕτεροι πολλοί. Ταῦτα δὲ ποιεῖ, καὶ τοὺς ἀπιστοῦντας τοῖς μέλλουσι διεγείρων, καὶ τοὺς πιστεύοντας ἐργαζόμενος προθυμοτέρους, καὶ τοὺς ῥᾳθυμοῦντας σπουδαιοτέρους ποιῶν. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς δίκαιος κριτὴς καὶ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ μακρόθυμος, καὶ μὴ ὀργὴν ἐπάγων καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν. Ἂν δὲ τῇ μακροθυμίᾳ εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν χρησώμεθα, ἔσται καιρὸς, ὅτε οὐδὲ βραχὺ μακροθυμήσει λοιπὸν, ἀλλ' εὐθέως ἐπάξει τὴν δίκην. Μὴ τοίνυν, ἵνα μίαν ῥοπὴν τρυφήσωμεν (τοῦτο γὰρ ὁ παρὼν βίος), ἀπείρων αἰώνων ἐπισπασώμεθα κόλασιν, ἀλλὰ ῥοπὴν πονέσωμεν, ἵνα διηνεκῶς στεφανωθῶμεν. Οὐχ ὁρᾶτε ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς οὕτως οἱ πλείους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ποιοῦσι, καὶ τὸν ὀλίγον πόνον αἱροῦνται ὑπὲρ τῆς μακρᾶς ἀναπαύσεως, εἰ καὶ τοὐναντίον αὐτοῖς ἐκβαίνει; Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ ἰσομοιρία καὶ πόνων καὶ κέρδους, πολλάκις δὲ τὸ ἔμπαλιν· ἡ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ἀντιστρόφως· ὀλίγον μὲν τὸ ἐπίπονον, πολὺ δὲ τὸ ἡδὺ καὶ ἄπειρον. Σκόπει δέ· Ὁ γεωργὸς δι' ὅλου πονεῖται τοῦ ἔτους, καὶ πρὸς αὐτῷ τῷ τέλει τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐκπίπτει πολλάκις τοῦ καρποῦ τῶν πολλῶν πόνων· ὁ κυβερνήτης πάλιν καὶ ὁ στρατιώτης μέχρις ἡλικίας ἐσχάτης ἐν πολέμοις καὶ πόνοις, καὶ πολλάκις ἑκάτερος αὐτῶν ἀπῆλθε κενὸς, ὁ μὲν τοῦ πλούτου τῶν φορτίων, ὁ δὲ πρὸ τῆς νίκης καὶ τῆς ζωῆς αὐτῆς ἐκπεσών. Τίνα οὖν ἕξομεν ἀπολογίαν, εἰπέ μοι, ἐν μὲν τοῖς βιωτικοῖς τὰ ἐπίπονα προτιμῶντες, ἵνα μικρὸν ἀναπαυσώμεθα, ἢ οὐδὲ μικρὸν, καὶ γὰρ ἄδηλος ἡ ἐλπίς· ἐν δὲ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ἀντιστρόφως ποιοῦντες, καὶ ἄφατον κόλασιν ἐπισπώμενοι διὰ μικρὰν ῥᾳθυμίαν; ∆ιὸ παρακαλῶ πάντας ὑμᾶς, ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε ἐκ τῆς παραπληξίας ταύτης ἀνενεγκεῖν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐξαιρήσεται 63.883 ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ, οὐκ ἀδελφὸς, οὐ πατὴρ, οὐ παῖδες, οὐ φίλοι, οὐ γείτων, οὐκ ἄλλος οὐδείς· ἀλλ' ἐὰν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων προδοθῶμεν, πάντα οἰχήσεται καὶ ἀπολούμεθα πάντως. Πόσα ὁ πλούσιος ἐθρήνησεν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ τὸν πατριάρχην παρεκάλεσε, καὶ πεμφθῆναι τὸν Λάζαρον ᾔτησεν; ἀλλ' ἄκουσον τί πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔλεγεν ὁ Ἀβραάμ· Χάος μέγα μεταξὺ ἡμῶν καὶ ὑμῶν, ὥστε μηδὲ βουλομένοις ἐξεῖναι διαβῆναι. Πόσα παρεκάλεσαν αἱ παρθένοι ἐκεῖναι τὰς ὁμήλικας ὑπὲρ ὀλίγου ἐλαίου, ἀλλ' ἄκουσον καὶ ἐκεῖναι τί λέγουσι· Μήποτε οὐκ