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may it suffice for us and for you; and no one was able to lead them into the bridal chamber. Therefore, considering these things, let us also take care of our own lives. For however many labors you may name, and however many punishments you may inflict, all these will be nothing in comparison to the good things to come. Set then, if you will, fire and iron and wild beasts, and whatever is more grievous than these; but still these are not even a shadow compared to those torments. For when these are inflicted more severely, they are then most light, making the release swift, since the body is not sufficient for both severity and length of punishment; but there it is not so, but both come together, both extension and excess, both in the good things and in the painful things. While there is time, therefore, let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, that we may see it then gentle and serene, that we may escape those threat-bearing powers. Do you not see the soldiers here, who serve the rulers, how they drag, how they bind, how they scourge, how they pierce the sides, how they apply torches to the torments? But all these are child's play and laughter compared to those punishments; for these punishments are temporary, but of those, neither does the worm die, nor is the fire quenched; for the body that is raised then will certainly be incorruptible. But may it never happen that we learn these things by experience, but may the terrible things stop for us at the word, and may we not be handed over to those tormentors, but be sobered from this point on. How many things we will then say, accusing ourselves, how many things we will lament? how much we will wail? but there is no benefit anymore. Since neither sailors, when the ship has been broken up and sunk, will be able to help any longer, nor doctors, when the sick person has departed; but they will often say that this and that should have been done, but all in vain and to no purpose. For as long as hopes of correction remain, it is necessary both to say and to do everything; but when we are no longer masters of anything, when all has been destroyed, everything is both said and done in vain. For the Jews also will say then, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,' but they will be able to gain nothing from this voice to escape the punishment; for when they should have said it, they did not. Therefore, that we may not suffer this also, let us change from this point on, and let us be eager to enter into that rest, as the Apostle said. For that is truly rest, where pain, grief, and sighing have fled away, where there are neither cares, nor labors, nor agony, nor fear that strikes and shakes the soul, but only the fear of God, which is full of pleasure. There is no eating bread in the sweat of one's face there, nor thorns and thistles; there is no bearing children in sorrows, nor "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you"; all is peace, joy, gladness, pleasure, goodness, meekness. There is no jealousy there, nor envy, no sickness, no death, neither this of the 63.884 body, nor that of the soul; there is no darkness there, nor night; all is day, all is light, all is bright. There is no weariness, there is no satiety; we will always continue in the desire of good things. Do you wish me to give you some image of the rest that is there? It is not possible; but still, as far as is possible, I will try to give you some image. Let us look up to the sky, when, with no cloud disturbing, it shows its own crown; then, having spent much time on the beauty of its appearance, let us consider that we will also have a floor, and not just such a one, but let us see it becoming as much more beautiful as a golden roof is than one of clay; and after that again the higher roof, then the angels, the archangels, the infinite multitudes of the incorporeal powers, the very kingdoms of God, the paternal throne. But the word is not able, as I said before, to declare the whole; for there is need of experience and of the knowledge that comes through experience. How do you think, tell me, that Adam was in paradise? This way of life is much better than that one, as much as heaven is than earth. But also

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ἀρκέσῃ ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν· καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτὰς ἴσχυσεν εἰς τὸν νυμφῶνα εἰσαγαγεῖν. Ταῦτα δὴ λογιζόμενοι καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπιμελώμεθα τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς. Ὅσους γὰρ ἂν εἴπῃς πόνους, καὶ ὅσας ἂν προσενέγκῃς τιμωρίας, οὐδὲν ἅπαντα ταῦτα ἔσται πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα ἀγαθά. Τίθει γοῦν, εἰ βούλει, πῦρ καὶ σίδηρον καὶ θηρία, καὶ εἴ τι τούτων χαλεπώτερον· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ σκιὰ ταῦτα πρὸς ἐκεῖνα τὰ βασανιστήρια. Ταῦτα μὲν γὰρ ὅταν ἐπιτεθῇ σφοδρότερον, τότε μάλιστα κοῦφα, ταχεῖαν ποιοῦντα τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν, τοῦ σώματος οὐκ ἀρκοῦντος καὶ εἰς σφοδρότητα καὶ εἰς μῆκος κολάσεως· ἐκεῖ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' ἀμφότερα συνέρχεται, καὶ παράτασις καὶ ὑπερβολὴ καὶ ἐν τοῖς χρηστοῖς καὶ ἐν τοῖς λυπηροῖς. Ἕως οὖν ἐστι καιρὸς, προφθάσωμεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει, ἵνα ἥμερον αὐτὸ ἴδωμεν τότε καὶ γαληνὸν, ἵνα τὰς ἀπειληφόρους δυνάμεις ἐκείνας διαφύγωμεν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς τοὺς ἐνταῦθα στρατιώτας, τοὺς τοῖς ἄρχουσι διακονουμένους, πῶς ἕλκουσι, πῶς δεσμοῦσι, πῶς μαστιγοῦσι, πῶς τὰς πλευρὰς διορύττουσι, πῶς τὰς λαμπάδας ταῖς βασάνοις προσάγουσιν; Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα πάντα παίγνια καὶ γέλως πρὸς ἐκείνας τὰς τιμωρίας· καὶ γὰρ πρόσκαιροι αὖται αἱ κολάσεις, ἐκείνων δὲ οὔτε ὁ σκώληξ τελευτᾷ, οὔτε τὸ πῦρ σβέννυται· καὶ γὰρ τὸ σῶμα πάντως ἄφθαρτον ἔσται τὸ ἀνιστάμενον τότε. Ἀλλὰ μὴ γένοιτό ποτε πείρᾳ ταῦτα ἡμᾶς μαθεῖν, ἀλλὰ μέχρι ῥήματος στῆναι ἡμῖν τὰ φοβερὰ, μηδὲ παραδοθῆναι τοῖς βασανισταῖς ἐκείνοις, ἀλλ' ἐντεῦθεν σωφρονισθῆναι. Πόσα τότε ἐροῦμεν ἑαυτῶν κατηγοροῦντες, πόσα ὀλοφυρούμεθα; πόσα οἰμώξομεν; ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὄφελος λοιπόν. Ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ναῦται, τοῦ πλοίου διαλυθέντος καὶ καταδύντος, ὠφελῆσαι δυνήσονται λοιπὸν, οὔτε ἰατροὶ, τοῦ κάμνοντος ἀπελθόντος· ἀλλ' ἐροῦσι μὲν πολλάκις, ὅτι τὸ καὶ τὸ ἐχρῆν ποιῆσαι, πάντα δὲ εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς διορθώσεως ἐλπίδες μένουσι, καὶ λέγειν ἅπαντα καὶ ποιεῖν χρή· ἐπειδὰν δὲ μηκέτι κύριοι μηδενὸς ὦμεν, τοῦ παντὸς διαφθαρέντος, εἰκῆ καὶ λέγεται πάντα καὶ γίνεται. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι ἐροῦσι τότε, Εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ἀπὸ ταύτης ἀπόνασθαι δύνανται τῆς φωνῆς εἰς τὸ τὴν κόλασιν διαφυγεῖν· ὅτε γὰρ ἔδει εἰπεῖν, οὐκ εἶπον. Ἵν' οὖν μὴ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῦτο πάθωμεν, ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη μεταβαλώμεθα, καὶ σπουδάσωμεν εἰς ἐκείνην εἰσελθεῖν τὴν κατάπαυσιν, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Ὄντως γὰρ ἐκείνη ἐστὶν ἀνάπαυσις, ἕνθα ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη, λύπη καὶ στεναγμὸς, ἔνθα οὔτε φροντίδες, οὕτε πόνοι, οὔτε ἀγωνία, οὔτε φόβος καταπλήττων καὶ σείων τὴν ψυχὴν, ἀλλὰ μόνος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβος, ἡδονῆς πλήρης ὤν. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἱδρῶσι τοῦ προσώπου φαγεῖν τὸν ἄρτον ἐκεῖ, οὐδὲ ἄκανθαι καὶ τρίβολοι· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν λύπαις τεκεῖν τέκνα, οὐδὲ Πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα ἡ ἀποστροφή σου, καὶ αὐτός σου κυριεύσει· πάντα εἰρήνη, χαρὰ, εὐφροσύνη, ἡδονὴ, ἀγαθωσύνη, πραότης. Οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ ζηλοτυπία, οὐδὲ βασκανία, οὐ νόσος, οὐ θάνατος, οὐχ οὗτος ὁ τοῦ 63.884 σώματος, οὐκ ἐκεῖνος ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ σκότος, οὐδὲ νύξ· πάντα ἡμέρα, πάντα φῶς, πάντα λαμπρά. Οὐκ ἔστι καμεῖν, οὐκ ἔστι κόρον λαβεῖν, ἀεὶ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν διατελέσομεν. Βούλεσθε δώσω τινὰ εἰκόνα ὑμῖν τῆς ἐκεῖ καταπαύσεως; Οὐκ ἔστι δυνατόν· πλὴν ἀλλ' ὅμως, ὡς δυνατὸν, πειράσομαι δοῦναι ὑμῖν τινα εἰκόνα. Ἀναβλέψωμεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὅταν, μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος νέφους, φαίνῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ στέφανον· εἶτα πρὸς τὸ κάλλος τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοῦ πολλὴν διατρίψαντες χρόνον, ἐννοήσωμεν ὅτι καὶ ἔδαφος ἕξομεν, καὶ οὐ τοιοῦτον μόνον, ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον γινόμενον κάλλιον ἴδωμεν, ὅσον τῶν πηλίνων ὀρόφων ἐστὶν ὁ χρυσοῦς· καὶ μετ' ἐκεῖνον πάλιν τὸν ἀνώτερον ὄροφον, εἶτα τοὺς ἀγγέλους, τοὺς ἀρχαγγέλους, τοὺς ἀπείρους δήμους τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων, αὐτὰ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βασίλεια, τὸν θρόνον τὸν πατρικόν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἰσχύει, ὅπερ ἔφθην, ὁ λόγος δηλῶσαι τὸ πᾶν· πείρας γὰρ χρεία καὶ τῆς διὰ πείρας γνώσεως. Πῶς οἴεσθε, εἰπέ μοι, τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ εἶναι; Πολὺ ἐκείνης βελτίων ἐστὶν ἡ διαγωγὴ αὕτη, ὅσῳ τῆς γῆς οὐρανός. Πλὴν καὶ