22.  But now, laying aside lamentation, I will look at myself, and examine my feelings, that I may not unconsciously have in myself anything to be lamented.  O ye sons of men, for the words apply to you, how long will ye be hard-hearted and gross in mind?  Why do ye love vanity and seek after leasing,47    Ps. iv. 3. supposing life here to be a great thing and these few days many, and shrinking from this separation, welcome and pleasant as it is, as if it were really grievous and awful?  Are we not to know ourselves?  Are we not to cast away visible things?  Are we not to look to the things unseen?  Are we not, even if we are somewhat grieved, to be on the contrary distressed at our lengthened sojourn,48    Ib. cxx. 4. like holy David, who calls things here the tents of darkness, and the place of affliction, and the deep mire,49    Ib. xliv. 19 (LXX.); lxix. 2. and the shadow of death;50    Ib. xliv. 20. because we linger in the tombs we bear about with us, because, though we are gods, we die like men51    Ib. lxxii. 6, 7. the death of sin?  This is my fear, this day and night accompanies me, and will not let me breathe, on one side the glory, on the other the place of correction:  the former I long for till I can say, “My soul fainteth for Thy salvation;”52    Ib. cxix. 81. from the latter I shrink back shuddering; yet I am not afraid that this body of mine should utterly perish in dissolution and corruption; but that the glorious creature of God (for glorious it is if upright, just as it is dishonourable if sinful) in which is reason, morality, and hope, should be condemned to the same dishonour as the brutes, and be no better after death; a fate to be desired for the wicked, who are worthy of the fire yonder.

Νυνὶ δὴ ἀφεὶς τοὺς θρήνους εἰς ἐμαυτὸν βλέψω, μή τι θρήνων ἄξιον λάθω φέρων, καὶ τὰ ἐμαυτοῦ περισκέψομαι. Υἱοὶ ἀνθρώπων (μέτεισι γὰρ πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὁ λόγος), ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι καὶ παχεῖς τὴν διάνοιαν; ἵνα τί ἀγαπᾶτε ματαιότητα καὶ ζητεῖτε ψεῦδος, μέγα τι τὸν ἐνταῦθα βίον καὶ τὰς ὀλίγας ταύτας ἡμέρας πολλὰς ὑπολαμβάνοντες, καὶ τὴν διάζευξιν ταύτην, τὴν ἀσπαστὴν καὶ ἡδεῖαν, ὡς δή τι βαρὺ καὶ φρικῶδες ἀποστρεφόμενοι; Οὐ γνωσόμεθα ἡμᾶς αὐτούς; οὐ τὰ φαινόμενα ῥίψομεν; οὐ πρὸς τὰ νοούμενα βλέψομεν; Οὐκ, εἴ τι καὶ λυπεῖσθαι χρή, τοὐναντίον ἀνιασόμεθα τῇ παροικίᾳ μηκυνομένῃ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Δαβίδ, σκηνώματα σκοτασμοῦ καὶ τόπον κακώσεως καὶ ἰλὺν βυθοῦ καὶ σκιὰν θανάτου τὰ τῇδε ἀποκαλοῦντα, ὅτι βραδύνομεν ἐν τοῖς τάφοις οἷς περιφέρομεν, ὅτι ὡς ἄνθρωποι ἀποθνήσκομεν τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας θάνατον, θεοὶ γεγονότες; Τοῦτον ἐγὼ φοβοῦμαι τὸν φόβον, τούτῳ καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν σύνειμι, καὶ οὐκ ἐᾷ με ἀναπνεῖν ἡ ἐκεῖθεν δόξα καὶ τὰ ἐκεῖσε δικαιωτήρια: ὧν τῆς μὲν ἐφίεμαι, μέχρι καὶ τοῦ δύνασθαι λέγειν: »Ἐκλείπει εἰς τὸ σωτήριόν σου ἡ ψυχή μου«, τὰ δὲ φρίττω καὶ ἀποστρέφομαι. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ οὐ δέδοικα, μή μοι τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο διαρρυὲν καὶ διαφθαρὲν παντελῶς οἰχήσεται, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πλάσμα τὸ ἔνδοξον, ἔνδοξον γὰρ κατορθοῦν, ὥσπερ ἄτιμον ἁμαρτάνον, ἐν ᾧ λόγος, νόμος, ἐλπίς, τὴν αὐτὴν τοῖς ἀλόγοις ἀτιμίαν κατακριθῇ, καὶ μηδὲν πλέον ᾖ μετὰ τὴν διάζευξιν: ὡς ὄφελόν γε τοῖς πονηροῖς καὶ τοῦ ἐκεῖθεν πυρὸς ἀξίοις.