Coptic Homilies in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Homilies in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

continued

II. The Explanation of Apa John, Archbishop of Constantinople, concerning Susanna

1 ONCE more we come unto you with great readiness, for we are in debt to you in respect of an address. Not that we shall be able to discharge our obligation completely, as is meet, but only to pay to you such things as we have according to our ability. Our willingness is manifest (or, open) and it giveth help, and it would pay more than we are liable to pay, only the poverty of our speech afflicteth us, and for this reason we appeal to you to accept a very little instead of very much. Now if it be that [each] one [of you] who accepteth the very little, will amplify it by the ready will of his heart, then we shall be [found to be] lacking in nothing whatsoever, and such portion as we lack our own ready mind shall make complete. 2 Now as concerning the little offerings brought by the poor man, and the large offerings of the rich man, when God looketh upon them He receiveth them to Himself with equal honour, nay, perhaps He inclineth more to the gifts of the poor man, for He looketh upon the willingness in the heart rather than upon the abundance of the things offered. Let the proof of these words, moreover, be to you through the words of the poor widow, who threw two lepta into the treasury, for the honour of this offering was far greater in the sight of God than the gold which the rich men gave. For God hath need not of gold, but of the pure heart, and of the upright purpose which is disposed towards that which is good. Now therefore we ourselves will enlarge our hearts in sincerity, and we will bring this address as [an offering] to God, and will set it aside and cast it into the spiritual treasury, and [thus] shall we discharge our debt [of a discourse] to you.

3 For I recall to my mind that I made the promise which I made to you yesterday that I would preach concerning the fortitude and prudence of Susanna, because [this subject] would be of very great advantage to many, just as the [story of the] fight of Joseph in his chastity and in his contending is of very great benefit to man. Let, moreover, Susanna fight now as in a theatre which is filled with the multitude. Let her fight in the place wherein God, and His angels, and men, and women, shall look upon her, and she shall teach young maidens to think scorn of death [if it be incurred] for chastity's sake. 4 Now this blessed woman Susanna was of noble birth and race, and her bodily form was beautiful. She had been carefully secluded in her own chamber from her childhood, and having led a chaste life she had grown to woman's estate (now Satan had watched carefully her youthful beauty), and had joined herself in the bond of marriage according to the Law. And she kept her husband's bed undefiled, and she observed the ordinances of her marriage. Her eyes never rested with pleasure upon the beauty of a strange young man, or searched it out. She neither allowed her ears to listen at any time to the words of lewd speech, nor did she permit her nostrils to snuff sweet scents, nor did she array herself in apparel which had been held over the smoke of burning perfumes. In short, she did not permit any one of her senses to carry her away with sudden swiftness, lest the chastity which she had set firmly in her heart should be destroyed, and her soul glide downwards into obscene pleasures through the deceit of apathy. Now the greater number of the sins which come into being in the soul arise from the senses. For the soul abideth in the heart,

5 C C even as a virgin who liveth quietly in her chamber, and the five senses are the servants which [minister] unto her. Now the senses are the eye, that is to say, the sight, and the hearing, and the smelling, and the taste, and the touch; and if the soul be not led astray by any one of these senses, or corrupted thereby, it remaineth alone, and suffereth no injury whatsoever. If, however, it happen that the eye wandereth about, and doth contemplate the beautiful forms of young men, then do the waves of desire boil up [in the soul], and overcome it, and the winds of passion beat upon it straightway, and it wandereth away from chastity, and goeth into the gulf (?) of sin, and is swallowed up in the vortex wherein David himself was engulfed. Moreover, it was he who cried out concerning himself saying, 'I have come into the abysses of the sea, and the storm hath drowned me.'

6 So also is it in the case of the hearing. If the ear receiveth the pleasant sound (or, voice), and the deceitful words of lewdness which accompany it, then doth the heart incline thereto, and they drag down the heart into destruction. And again, if the taste devoteth itself to continual eating and feasting, and to innumerable winebibbings, then doth it draw the soul downwards, and into darkness and into drunkenness. Yet again in the case of the smell. If the nose be in the habit of taking delight in the things which have sweet smells, that is, in scented unguents, and in aromatic perfumes, and in balsams, it falleth at length into a state of numbness, and it bindeth tightly the soul in that state of numbness along with it. Moreover, if the chaste soul be in [any of] these [conditions], she hath made herself to be like unto a virgin who hath been delivered over into the hands of her servants, and hath slipped down into sin, and hath lost the power of holding herself back. For when once the habit of incontinence hath entered into the soul, it acteth the part of a thief, and it breaketh into the treasury of the heart, which it maketh into a desert, and it strippeth it naked, and leaveth it unchaste.

7 Now this blessed woman, that is to say, Susanna, kept guard over her eyes, and her hands, and her feet, and her tongue, and her nose, and over the whole system of her senses, and she became in very truth, according to the word of the Wise Man, 'like a garden enclosed, and a fountain which hath been sealed,' which no man was able to strip bare, and no man was able to destroy the abiding place of the sweet-smelling flowers of chastity, and to ravage and lay waste that place of beauty wherein was the fountain of discretion. Now there were two elders, who were held in high esteem as men who governed the people, and these men lusted after this woman [Susanna], and though both were being [consumed] by the burning of their lust, they were ashamed to make known to each other concerning the fire which was burning in their hearts. And it came to pass on a certain day that each of them went into a secret place, where they could watch Susanna carefully, and they met each other face to face, and when each had questioned the other, each confessed to the other for what purpose [he had come there]. Then they made an agreement, each with the other, to commit a deed of sin, and to work iniquity together, and they kept watch over her diligently and waited for a time when they should find her alone.

8 And it came to pass that on a certain day Susanna went into her husband's garden, to lie down and rest there, according to her custom during the hottest season [of the day], and she sent away her servants to bring to her the soda and soap [wherewith to wash herself]. And the elders suddenly rushed into the place where she was, even as wolves rush upon a lamb of the sheep, and they laid hold upon her, and then wished to work in her the deed of impurity of their burning lust. Now Susanna was between the two elders, who were far more evilly minded than the lions among which Daniel found himself. There was neither a servant with her, nor a neighbour, nor any person of her acquaintance, nor any young maiden, and there was no one there to render her help in any way whatsoever, God Himself alone excepted, Who was watching her from heaven. Now God had the power to prevent them from gaining the mastery over her, but He permitted them to engage in the contest, in order that the crafty designs

9 which they had devised in secret might be revealed, for then would be made manifest both the chastity (or, prudence) of Susanna and the incontinence of the elders, and in this way women might find through the fortitude of Susanna a house of instruction in that which was good. And moreover, the contending in which she was engaged was very great, and it increased in violence, and became a mighty fight. Now the matter was far more difficult for Susanna than it was for Joseph, for Joseph was a man, and he was contending against one woman only; but this woman Susanna had to contend against two men, who were strong in their endeavour [to do evil]. And it is a matter whereat to marvel that she contended against these [men] in a garden— the place wherein the Serpent succeeded in leading Eve astray. Now this spectacle was both great and profitable. It was a great spectacle because elders, who stated that they were nobles among the people, were those who were contending in the strife; and it was a profitable spectacle also, because the chastity of one weak woman was able to fight successfully against these nobles, even after they had arranged with each other to fight against her together.

10 And now the heavens are open, the trumpets send forth their blasts, the contest is prepared, and the true Master of the contest watcheth from heaven, and the multitudes of the angels gaze out from the heights of heaven on the spectacle. The Serpent worketh diligently in these sinful elders, but Faith herself is strong to prevail in this chaste woman. And there is great anxiety among them on both sides. The elders are afraid lest a woman vanquish them, whilst Susanna herself is afraid lest she fall from her state of chastity. And the devils make ready their rich banquet for these sinful men, and the angels prepare the honour which they have to bestow on Susanna from heaven. And these lawless men laid hold upon Susanna, and they strove with her first of all in words saying, 'We are elders among the people. We are they to whom the people have entrusted the Law, and the Power to unbind and to bind in every matter whatsoever. There is no one at all in this place to see us. Be persuaded and [lie] with us, for we desire thee eagerly. If thou wilt not be persuaded to lie with us, we will bear false witness against thee, and declare that there was a young man with thee, and that it was on account of him thou hadst sent away thy servants.'

11 Observe now how exceedingly difficult were the circumstances in which Susanna, this woman who was all alone, was involved! There were the disgrace of an act of unchastity, and the penalty of death wherewith she would be threatened, and the contemptuous opinion of the people which would make all of them to scoff at her, and the hatred wherewith her husband and her kinsfolk would hate her, and the grief of all her neighbours and of every member of her household; and, finally, there was the destruction of all her house. But none of these thoughts overcame this chaste woman, for both her hope and her heart were strong in the God of heaven. Then Susanna sighed heavily and said, 'I am surrounded by tribulation on every side. If I do this thing I shall suffer death, and if I do not do it I shall not be able to escape from your hands; but it is preferable not to do this thing and to fall into your hands rather than to commit sin before God. Woe is me! The shepherds, whom I have considered to be men who would direct and guide me, I now see are wolves round about me. And those whom I have regarded as a haven wherein the ship of my soul might take refuge, are those who would wreck me, and they are far more

12 dangerous for me than a mighty storm. Think not that I am afraid of you, and that I shall be persuaded by you [to do your will], and that I shall pollute my chastity. I will not disgrace my parents. I will not cause my noble birth to be held in derision. I will not give my husband occasion to grieve. I will not put an end to my lawful intercourse with my husband for the sake of an improper union with you. I will not hearken to your senseless words, and I choose to die by a violent death rather than accept a polluted couch. Though my husband be not here with me in the body, yet is he here in the desire of my heart, and the faces of my parents are with me at all times. 'Besides this, have ye in fear God Who is looking at you. Take shame to yourselves before the angels who are round about us by night and by day. Know ye yourselves, and know who ye are. Know ye also the Law which ye read, for the Law saith, "Ye shall not lust to know [the wife of] thy neighbour."'

13 And having said these words she cried out, wishing to make witnesses come so that they might testify concerning their lawless behaviour, and the elders also cried out. And behold, the servants of Susanna and her handmaidens rushed into [the garden], and they saw the elders reviling her. And when the elders had uttered their charges [against her], the servants were exceedingly ashamed, for they had never at any time heard words of this kind spoken against Susanna. And it came to pass on the morrow, that a very great multitude of people gathered together, for as yet the struggle [awaited] decision, and [the award of] the crown had not been given by the judge. And all the people were gathered together into [the synagogue], men and women, and young men and maidens. Now the spectacle was very great indeed. Men who were on the earth knew not at all what they were about to see, but those who were in heaven, that is to say [the angels], had knowledge of everything which concerned the matter.

14 And the elders came in, being filled with wickedness, and they called unto Susanna as unto a woman whom they considered to have been already called unto disgrace and death; but the true Judge considered her to be as a woman who hath already been called unto life, and unto the glory which is for ever. And the elders said unto the people, 'Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkias'; and they sent for her. And Susanna, and her parents, and all her kinsfolk, and her son came, and Susanna herself came as a woman who hath been held to be worthy of death for the sake of her chastity which was great. And she heaved bitter sighs, not because she was about to die, but because she was going to leave behind her a bad name to her parents, and all her kinsfolk would become objects of derision unjustly, and because she had not there one who could bear witness concerning the matter which had happened to her in the paradise.

15 And there were very many folk who sighed for her, her parents, and her friends and acquaintances, and her kinsfolk, and the people of her native town; and her husband wept, and all the members of his house lamented for her. And Susanna, being sorely grieved and afflicted in heart, and suffering bitterly, and weeping, and being in a state of abject abasement, came and took her stand in the midst of the whole assembly. And the whole multitude rose up on their feet to see her, both angels and men. And the two elders rose up in their garb of shepherds, being however wolves, and the Serpent, the Calumniator, was speaking in them, and they laid their hands upon her, and they said, 'Yesterday we were walking in the garden by ourselves, and this woman came in with two servants, and she sent the servants away and closed the door of the garden. Then there came in to her the young man who hath disappeared, and he had intercourse with her. When we saw the sinful act (now we were hidden in a corner in the garden), we ran to them, but we were not able to lay hold upon the young man, for he was stronger than we were, and he opened the door and fled. Now we laid hold of this woman, and we questioned her saying, "Who is this young man that was with thee?" but she did not wish to tell us. And these things concerning which we bear witness we did actually see.'

16 And the whole synagogue believed them, seeing that they were elders and judges [of the people], and they condemned Susanna to death. And they took her forth to slay her. And there was there no one whatsoever to avenge the truth, God alone excepted, Who, however, allowed these things to take place, in order that through both sides the work of each might be made manifest and fulfil itself; on the one side wickedness, and incontinence, and calumny, and lawlessness, and on the other the perseverance of Susanna even unto death. And up to what point doth it appear to thee that God remaineth oblivious of the believing ones? He remaineth unmindful until He hath tried them even as gold [is tried] in the smelting-house, and He scareheth thoroughly the righteous by means of temptations of various kinds. For this is what He did in the case of Abraham, who took Isaac to offer him up as a burnt offering. He built an altar, and there was no sheep there; he heaped up wood upon the altar, and there was no ram there. He took the slaughteringknife in his hand, and he went to Isaac to slay him, when straightway by a word God made him to hold his hand.

17 And moreover, these things have happened in this wise so that each one of us, when temptation cometh upon him, and when he draweth nigh unto death, may not despair of the help of God, but may expect it until at length it shall come unto him. Now they took Susanna forth to destroy her, and there was no man about her to help her. And having seen that there was no help whatsoever to be had from men, she fled to the Helper, Who is in heaven, the Witness Who is faithful, the Eye Which never sleepeth, and she said, 'O God Who art for ever, Who knowest the things which are hidden in the heart, and Who knowest everything that shall happen before it taketh place, Thou alone art He Who knoweth that these [elders] have borne false witness against me. And behold, I am going to die without having committed any of these [offences] concerning which these [elders] have borne false witness against me.' And He Who said, 'Whilst thou yet speakest I will speak, and behold I am in this place,' heard her.

18 Now whilst they were taking her forth to destroy her, behold God made the Holy Spirit to move in a certain young man whose name was Daniel, and he cried out with a loud voice saying, 'I am innocent of the blood of this woman.' And the people turned towards him, and spake unto him saying, 'What is the meaning of this word which thou hast spoken?' And he took his stand in the midst of them, and said, 'Be ye not such fools as to act in this manner, O House of Israel! Get ye back to the hall of judgement, for these [elders] have borne false witness against her'; and all the people went back in haste. And Daniel said unto them, 'Separate [the two elders] from each other, and I will ask them questions.' And he said unto each one of them, 'O thou who hast lived a long life of evil days, now have come upon thee thy sins which thou hast committed from the beginning. Tell me now, Under what kind of tree was it that thou didst see [Susanna and the young man] talking together?' And he said, 'Under a mastick tree.'

19 And Daniel said unto him, 'Thou hast directly lied; on thine own head [be it]. For the Angel of God, with the sword in his hand, hath now taken his stand [by thee], and he shall cleave thee in twain.' And having set this man on one side, he cried out to the other, and he said unto him, 'O seed of Canaan, and not of Judah, the beauty of the body hath led thee astray, and carnal desire hath stupefied thy heart. Tell me now, Under what kind of tree was it that thou didst see Susanna and the young man talking together?' And he said, 'Under an evergreen oak.' Then Daniel said unto him, 'Thou also hast lied; on thine own head [be it]. For behold the Angel of the Lord standeth [by thee] with his sword in his hand, and he shall cleave thee in twain.' And all the people cried out with a loud voice saying, 'Blessed be the Lord God Who delivereth every one that putteth his trust in Him'; and on that day He delivered innocent blood. And there was fulfilled on Susanna that

20 which David spake saying, 'My soul cleaveth to Thee, and it is Thy right hand which hath received it.' And these [two] elders, who had hunted after the soul of Susanna, 'shall descend into the depths of the earth, and shall be delivered over to the sword, and they shall become portions for foxes,' that is to say, for the devils. Moreover, the King, that is to say Susanna, shall rejoice in God. And 'every one who sweareth by Him shall be honoured', that is to say, every one who believeth on Him, 'for the mouth which speaketh violence hath been stopped,' that is to say, these two wicked elders. Then was the grief of the parents of Susanna turned into gladness, and her husband rejoiced and ascribed glory to God, and all her kinsfolk were glad, and all the people of her village and all the members of her household rejoiced greatly. In short, there was gladness before God, and the angels, and men. Seest thou the strength of Susanna's soul? Seest thou the chastity which was in this weak vessel? The soul which is chaste shall endure, and shall conquer in deathlessness. It shall continue to bear fruit which flourisheth and decayeth not, and it shall continue unfailingly in the virtue which is without blemish by the help of God. This woman, moreover, was glorified by men, and was magnified by the angels, and was crowned by God. Imitate therefore this woman Susanna, O ye women, and follow her example, in order that ye yourselves may be held to be worthy of the exceedingly great honour that was paid to her by God in Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom be glory for ever and for ever. Amen.

III. The Discourse of Saint Athanasius, Archbishop of Rakote, on Mercy and Judgement

1 The world which hath no remembrance of God, O my brethren, is governed by the injustice which appertaineth to cruelty, and by the inhumanity which appertaineth to weakness, even as the holy Apostle spake saying, 'According as God did not think fit to let them remain in a state of rectitude, God gave them over to hardheartedness, and to the doing of the things which were unseemly. And they worked injustice of every kind; and wickedness, and evil, and deeds of avarice; and they were filled with calumnies and murder, and with contention, and the cunningness of the evil heart of the informer and of the tale-bearer; and with the works of the debaucher, which are hateful to God; and with the pride of the babbler of foolish things, and of him that seeketh to find out the things which are evil; and they hearkened not to the words of their parents; and were fools, and men without belief; and were arrogant, without mercy.'

2 These are they whom God converted to the worship of God, and He teacheth them also to depart from that which is evil, and to have merciful care for him that is his neighbour, according to that which Isaiah taught us, saying in the character of God, 'Cease ye from the things which are evil, learn to do that which is good.' 3 Now the Law containeth a very large number of precepts which do injury to him that is our neighbour, but there are also therein commandments concerning charity (or, the love of men), and the doing of deeds of mercy to each other. Now if it happen that a man omitteth [to keep] one of these precepts, it will not be sufficient for him to put another in its place; neither will the man be acceptable before God who doeth good with that which is gained from the profits of injustice, if he give nothing of the things which he himself possesseth, because even the men who do unjust things make the attempt to offer up gifts of their own goods to God. For it is written, 'The sacrifice of wicked men is an abomination unto God.' Therefore concerning him that sheweth himself to be without mercy doth He (i.e., the Book) say, 'Unto him that shutteth his ears, and hearkeneth not unto the poor, God will not hearken when he maketh his appeal to Him.' Therefore hath the Book of Proverbs counselled us saying, 'Give thou to God of thy labour in truth, and thou shalt give Him the firstfruits of thy righteousness.' Now supposing thou didst give a gift to God of a part of something which had been obtained by thee through injustice or plunder, thy gift would not be very acceptable to Him, either because thou hadst obtained that something by injustice or plunder, or because thou wast giving a portion of it to Him as a gift. For thou must bring as thine offering the gift which is pure, even as it is written, 'The offerings of the upright are acceptable unto Him.'

4 And moreover, if thou dost acquire possessions through thine honest labour, thou shalt bring unto God offerings from the same, whereon the poor shall feed themselves. Yet they shall be accounted unto you as things plundered, according to that which He spake by the prophet Malachi saying, 'The firstfruits, and the tithes, are stolen by you, and the plunder shall be in your houses.' Now it is meet for us to mingle mercy with judgement, and we must acquire the faculty of judging, but we must speak in mercy, according to that which is written, 'Keep mercy and judgement, and do thou draw nigh unto thy God at all times.' For God loveth mercy and judgement, and let him draw nigh unto God Who careth [for the poor] in mercy. Finally, let each one of us now in this place (i. e., world) examine himself. Let the rich man consider most carefully concerning the things which he hath gotten, and among which he considereth the gifts of God to be, whether he hath acted unjustly towards the poor man, or whether he hath taken advantage of his weakness, or whether he hath claimed more than his share of that which belongeth to him, [or whether] he hath employed force [in his dealing with him] instead of righteousness.

5 Now we are commanded, in respect of our servants, to keep strict justice when dealing with them, and to treat them equitably. Because thou hast the power [to deal unjustly], do not practise injustice; and because thou art able [to defraud], do not claim more than thy share; on the contrary, because thou hast the works of power, do thou make manifest the works of righteousness, for it is not a matter which it is impossible for thee to perform. Thou art obliged to give a proof of the obedience and fear which are in thee in respect of God, but in that wherein thou hast the power to transgress, thou shalt not transgress. Supposing thou didst carry off the tools of certain poor men, and didst give them to other poor men, thou wouldst be acceptable neither for thy theft nor for thy gift. Why shouldst thou pollute thy riches and bring upon them works which are unrighteous? Why shouldst thou make thine offering to be an abomination [to God] by undertaking to offer up an offering of injustice, because thou thinkest to do a kindness to other poor men with it? Be merciful unto that man who hath suffered injustice. Do deeds of kindness and charity to this man, and act with gracious goodness to that man, and thou shalt thereby perform mercy and judgement.

6 For God doth not make Himself a partner in greediness, neither doth He share with thieves and robbers. It is not impossible for Him to feed the poor whom He hath committed unto us, but He requireth the fruitfulness of righteousness, and the love of men, at our hands, whereby we shall be both of use to others, and do good to ourselves. Mercy hath no existence in injustice, neither hath blessing any existence in cursing, nor doth the doing of acts of kindness spring from the tears of those who weep. For God spake concerning the tears that moved Him of those who were treated unjustly, saying, 'These are the things that ye do which I hate. Ye cover over (or, dress) My altar with tears, and weeping, and sighings which arise from sufferings.' Acts of this kind performed in this manner are works of vanity, and they are performed for the sake of the approbation of men, and not for the approbation which is from God. It was for this reason that the Lord rightly said, 'Do not your acts [of charity] in order that men may see you.' For if thou wouldst do thy works of charity so that it shall be God alone Who knoweth thereof, thou wilt guard thyself from doing them in greediness (or, avarice), for thou knowest that thou wilt not please in this manner God, Who watcheth us. Let us perform our acts of charity in such a manner that we may receive the reward therefor from God.

7 Now though God giveth His good gifts unto these whom He honoureth, He honoureth in no way whatsoever him that seizeth more than his share. Refrain from making an offering unto God if thou causest grief to thy brother, for he (i. e., the Book) saith, 'If thou goest to offer up an offering upon the altar, thou shalt remember in that place if thy brother hath any matter against thee. [If he hath], go forth first of all and make thyself to be at peace with thy brother, and then come in and offer up thy gift.' Remember then Zacchaeus, the tax-gatherer, who determined to restore to him that had been defrauded his property twofold, and in this way he divided his possessions among the poor. For he knew that he wished to receive Christ into [his house], and that Christ would only receive unto Himself those who gave gladly unto the poor, [and that He would not receive him] unless he

8 did away with his avariciousness, and the things which he had acquired unjustly. And in this manner did the Lord receive in integrity Zacchaeus, who said, 'Salvation is in this my house this day.' And these things we would say unto those who do works of charity, but who do not take care to be scrupulously fair and just. And we would also say them unto him that keepeth strict watch on himself in respect of committing acts of injustice, but is careless in respect of doing works of charity. The tree which beareth not fruit they cut down and cast into the fire. In this manner this tree will never give pleasure to the Husbandman Who appertaineth to heaven, Who spake saying, 'I came seeking for fruit on this fig-tree, and I have found none; and He commanded [them] to cut it down so that it might not make the ground to be without value also.' And they are also wont to condemn him that giveth no pledge to the poor, and there is a threat of punishment because of this in the following [words], for He saith, 'He who forgetteth to give a pledge to the poor

9 shall cry out to God, and He will not hearken unto him.' And God saith, 'For I am the Merciful One.' Now, it is a terrible thing, and a matter wholly outside the Law, for thee to come back and reap thy fields a second time, or for thee to come back and gather grapes a second time from thy vineyard, or for thee to come back and gather fruit a second time from thine olive trees; for it is meet that thou shouldst leave these for the poor. If now these commandments were given unto those who were under the Law, what shall we say in respect of these who are under Christ? These are the [words] which the Lord spake saying, 'Except your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall not enter into the kingdom which is in the heavens.' Therefore [we must give] not only from our fields, and from that which cometh in to us, but also of the work of our hands. And the Apostle taught us that we must give unto those who have nothing at all, for he spake saying, 'Ye shall accept the good things in order that ye may find the wherewithal to give gifts to him that is needy.' Unto him that wisheth to follow in the steps of the Saviour will the Lord reveal His Divine Person, and He will make him to give of all his substance, and to do that which is good to the poor; and in this wise he shall follow in His footsteps. Now, those who follow in His footsteps, and those who are perfect, give effect wholly to the great and perfect readiness [to give] which is in charity.

10 He gave them this commandment in order that they should perform service by means of [their] possessions, and should convert the remnant also to the service by the Word and the Spirit. He gave them this commandment in order to make them do acts of beneficence, and to give gifts for the common good, and to continue to do so with what they had, so that through these things they might find themselves to be like unto the love which God hath for man, and might do works of charity, and give thanks. For He spake saying, 'Give and it shall be given unto you. Be merciful and mercy shall be shewed unto you.' Through the things of this earth, moreover, He promised to them a share in those things which are with Him. For these are they who shall take their stand at the right hand of God, and these are they unto whom the King, when He shall come, shall speak saying, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, and ye shall inherit the kingdom which hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, [and] ye gave Me food. I was thirsty, [and] ye gave Me water to drink. I was a stranger, [and] ye took Me to yourselves. I was naked, [and] ye clothed Me. I was sick, [and] ye visited Me. I was in prison, [and] ye came unto Me.' Then the righteous, having marvelled [at these words], shall say, 'Lord, at what time did we ever do these things unto Thee?' And He shall say unto them, 'Amen. I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these few little ones, it is to Me that ye have done these things.'

11 For ready kindness [shewn] to the saints is piety [shewn] to Christ, and ready kindness [shewn] towards those who belong to Christ, maketh him that sheweth it to be a minister of Christ. Not only if he hath many possessions, but also if he hath very few; whatsoever he hath this shall he offer. And if a man shall give only a cup of cold water to a disciple, in the name of a disciple, Amen, I say unto you he shall not lose his reward. He will give unto thee, O rich man, the occasion for true liberty. For through these things thou shalt find thyself to be a fellow-worker with God. Thou shalt feed with the soldiers of Christ, and thou shalt feed with them at thy will, and thou shalt be constrained in no wise; for the King of heaven neither setteth restraint nor maketh demands upon the perfect. He receiveth to Himself those who give willingly, in order that those who give may also receive, and that those who pay honour may themselves be honoured, and that those who make themselves partners with the poor in the things which are temporal shall be invited to take their share with them in the things which are for ever.

12 These things, let us remember, are for ever and for all time. And let them be before our eyes, [and] they shall be in our souls, in order that we may make use of the time (or, opportunity), and not allow it to escape from us. And we must not forget the things which are. Now let us await after them that which is to come, lest through our expectation we thrust the matter behind us, and there come upon us our end. Now the Lord gave this unto us that we might find ourselves keeping watch. And we must produce fruit, and labour in the remembrance of His commandments; and we must make ourselves ready for His glorious rest, and then nothing whatsoever shall give us offence; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, to Whom be the glory, and with Him the Father, and the Holy Spirit, for all ages of ages. Amen.

IV. The Discourse of Archbishop Theophilus on Repentance and Continence

1 The discourse of our holy father, apa theophilos, the archbishop, which he pronounced concerning repentance and continence, and also how a man must not neglect to repent before the last times come upon him. The prophet spake saying, 'My tears have been unto me bread by day and by night'; and again, 'The heart which is contrite and abased God will not reject.' Now therefore, O my brethren, let us afflict our souls with fastings, and let us give our bodies unto death by means of manifold sufferings, until we make ourselves companions of the Angel of Repentance, in order that he may divert his path from us. The saints delivered their bodies over unto death until they vanquished that which was opposed to them, according to what is written, 'For Thy sake they put us to death all the day long, they accounted us as the sheep for the slaughter.' And again the Apostle taught us saying, 'Put to death that which is in the members which are upon the earth, that is to say, fornication, uncleanness, passion, [and] evil lust.'

2 Now when we deliver ourselves over to misery through fastings, and prayers, and long nights of vigil, we crucify both our bodies and our souls. Let us apply to ourselves that which the Psalmist David spake saying, 'Thou hast consumed …wickedness of heart.' Then the Angel of Repentance shall come, and he shall root out the plants which are evil, those which the Devil hath sent into our hearts. And he shall plant in their place the fruits of the Spirit, according to that which the Apostle spake saying, 'The fruit[s] of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, gentleness of heart, purity,' and the [others] which come after these. Then, O brethren, straightway Repentance shall enter quickly into us, and it shall fill all our members, and it shall cleanse us from all our sins, and it shall burn up in us all pride of heart, and all anger, and all wickedness, and everything which is evil, and every thought (or, remembrance) of the Evil One, and shall compel the spiritual excellences to come, and to enter quickly into our souls, and it shall plant each one of them in its proper place. And straightway it shall root out wrath, and plant in its place gentleness of heart; and it shall root out pride of heart, and plant humility in its place; [and] it shall root out enmity, and plant peace in its place. It shall make hatred to flee from us, and shall drive it forth out of our hearts; and it shall make peace and love to become a crown upon our heads. It shall carry away from us carelessness and slothfulness, and it shall rouse us up to prayer, and to nights of vigil, and to meditation on the Psalms, and to the singing of spiritual hymns.

3 Consider further, O my brethren, this Repentance, and observe what a great abundance of fruit it is wont to produce in the man who repenteth, and how it maketh all the members to shoot forth and to blossom, even as the tree which is planted by the waters. O Repentance, how great are thy consolations! Thou art the joy which hath its being in grief, and the merriment which hath its being in tears. The fruits of Repentance ripen fully in the strength of the Spirit. For even if the man who hath repented holdeth his peace, the fruits of the Spirit are manifest in his face. O Repentance, in thy gracious gentleness, and in thy soft speech, and in thy quiet behaviour, thou art a rebuke to every man; for thou art that which hath pointed out the way for all the saints into the fight and into suffering.

4 Moreover, come ye, O my brethren, and adorn ye Repentance with the adornments of your fastings, and anoint her with the sweet unguents of your prayers, and put a crown upon her head with the abasement of your tears, so that if there be any other spiritual excellences which do not appear in the beauty of the adornments wherewith ye have adorned her, they shall then be gathered together, and shall come and make merry with those which are [already] in the soul. Further, when these take up their abode in your hearts they shall make you to be without sin. Where, moreover, are now the carelessness and heaviness of the body? Where are the disturbing emotions which are in passion, and the profane thought, and every thing which is evil? Where are envy, and hatred, and contentiousness? Where are wrath and wickedness? Where are pride of heart and the words which are cruel? Where are fornication, and impurity, and adultery? Where are the things of vain glory and the apparel of splendour? Where are luxury, and eating, and feasting, and winebibbings, and lewd drunkenness? Where are the idle words and the filthy jests? Who is there that

5 would not wish to be a companion of Repentance, and to make himself a stranger unto all these evil things, which blind the eyes of our hearts so that they are unable to see the marvellous light? For Repentance maketh a man to spread out his wings like the eagle, and maketh him to penetrate into the heights of heaven through her spiritual excellences. Now, he who hath repented, and hath been exercised in endurance, and in hunger, and in thirst, awaiteth eagerly the good things of heaven which shall continue for ever and ever. Therefore also, O my beloved, let us bring into subjection our bodies by fastings, and by prayers, and by nights of vigil, in order that we may enjoy His promise [of the things] which are in the heavens, according to what He spake saying, 'Ye are those who have endured patiently with Me in My temptations, and I, even I, will stablish with you the kingdom, even as My Father hath stablished the kingdom with Me, and ye shall eat, and ye shall drink with Me at My table in My kingdom.'

6 Moreover, we must understand, O my brethren, how honourable is the condition of Repentance, and we must understand the gifts of grace which she hath given unto us. O Repentance, who art the food of those who suffer hunger, and a fountain of the waters of life unto those who are athirst! O Repentance, who art the consoler of those who are passing their nights in vigil, who adornest them with the fruits of their sufferings! O Repentance, whose tears are the pleasure and the sweet perfume of the angels of God! O Repentance, who art the helper of those who have given themselves over to despair! Let us consider the fellowship which she made with the men of Nineveh, when she invited them to her in her love for man, and when they made haste to open unto her in great abasement, and in tears and sackcloth. Now, it was not only men who put on sackcloth, but also the cattle and sheep. And when the Almighty, the Good, and Merciful, and Man-loving God, saw such great fruits as these in the hand of Repentance which she laid down before the throne of mercy, not only did He reverse His sentence of doom, but He also made His word to the prophet Jonah to be a lie, and He did not destroy the city.

7 And now, O my beloved, abandon ye not Repentance, for what shall ye find which will adorn you in your sufferings like Repentance? Nay, on the contrary, let us give unto her honours in the place of the good things which she hath brought unto us from on high. And, moreover, of what kind are the good things which she hath brought unto us from on high? Again, of what kind are the good things which we shall give unto her? They are fasting, and the prayer which is pure, and our hands shall be stretched out in prayer, and our hearts shall be in the height of heaven. Give unto her humility, and sighings, through which the angels become the counterparts of men. Give unto her the tears which shall be abundant through the threat of [the fire of] Gehenna. Give unto her the faith, and the hope, which make a man to draw nigh unto God. Give unto her mercifulness, and the love [which we must shew] towards each other, and the works of charity which cover

8 entirely a multitude of sins, and blot them out at the judgement. Moreover, after all these good things which are thus, let not any one of us be deceived, and turn a second time to the filthiness of sin after repentance, like the dog which is wont to return to his vomit, wherefor he is held in abomination. Now I call upon you, O my beloved, in order that ye may guard yourselves with exceedingly great care, and that ye may not omit to do anything which can benefit (?) our treasures. For our Enemy taketh counsel against us at all times, and the Thief in his lair is wont to make plots [against us] at all times. This being so, O my beloved, and as the Comforter and the Spirit are looking upon us with merciful kindness, let us give our tears to God each and every day, in order that they may act for us as messengers before our faces, before we depart from the body. Let us repent as much as we are able, and the saints shall be

9 fellow-petitioners with us in our supplications. Let us not restrain ourselves, but let us seek after Repentance and fail not to find her. Let us not permit ourselves to fall into tribulation, [for] He will not hearken unto us in that Other World. Let us not allow ourselves to come into the hands of those who are without mercy, whereby we shall endure suffering, for even if we cry out, they will not hearken unto us. Let us not allow them to cast us into Gehenna. Let us follow after Repentance [in this world], for there is no repentance in that Other World. And the avenging angels shall answer and say unto us, in anger and with threatenings, 'Wherefore do ye cry out for nothing? This is not the place in which to cry out.' And they will chide us for the [offences] which we have committed, and they will rebuke us because of the things to which we have listened, and the saints, in despair (?), will make complaint to God concerning us saying, 'We endured, and we cried out [until] our throats could cry no longer.'

10 Straightway in that hour the angels of wrath, who are [set] over the punishments, shall bind in chains the souls of the sinners, and shall cast them into the Tartaros of Amente, and shall inflict upon them their punishments to their utmost strength. And if we suffer pain, and weep there, who will hearken unto us? Or who will shew compassion upon us in that Other World? Or who will take our tears from us and carry them to the place of compassion? Or who among the Saints is there that will make entreaty before God on account of our tribulation and the necessity wherein we shall find ourselves, supposing that we die before we have repented of our sins? The things which we have left undone in this world, whilst we were in the body, where shall we find them to give us help in that Other World? Neither gold, nor silver, nor vineyards, nor [any] possession shall afford us help in that Other World. Neither shall the father have the power to seek out his son in that Other World, nor shall the mother have the power to seek out her daughter, nor shall a son have the power to give help to his parents, nor shall a brother have the power to give help to his brother. No one of these shall become the redeemer of our miserable souls, but each man

11 shall himself bear his own burden of punishments whereto he shall be condemned. And moreover, the Saviour proclaimed saying, 'Whosoever shall love father and mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whosoever will not forsake son and daughter, and take up his cross, and follow Me, is not worthy of Me, and he shall not inherit the kingdom which is in the heavens.' And O how awful and terrible a thing is it to fall into the hands of the Living God in the hour of our visitation! Now the holy Apostle explained unto us these words when he spake saying, 'I am indeed a wretched man! Who is he that shall deliver me from the body of this death?' O what great terror, O what great tribulation shall come upon all souls in that moment wherein they shall bring them forth from our members! 12 In [that] hour the deepest darkness shall enshroud us, and the blackness of the night shall be upon our eyes, and it shall spread itself over all the light. And our hearts shall be disturbed exceedingly by reason of those beings who shall come for us, and by the horror of their forms which shall benumb us, and by the terrifying aspect of their faces, and by the gnashing of their teeth, and by the wrath of their eyes, and by the quakings of their limbs, and by the stridings of their legs, and by the roarings of their lips, and by all the forms which they have, and by their rushing in upon us because they wish to devour us. When we see all these things before us, what shall we say? Or what words shall we utter? Or what shall our mouths declare? And whither shall we flee? Or in what place shall we hide ourselves? Now it will be impossible to escape from their hands, and it will be impossible to flee into any place, where the face of God is not. For it is written, 'Whither can I flee from Thy face, or whither can I flee from Thy mercy? Now therefore let us know what is the medicine whereby we may cure ourselves of this great sickness, or with what we may cover (or, protect) ourselves during an affliction which is so exceedingly great. Neither silver, nor gold, nor possessions, nor riches [can do so], for none of these is able to work our healing; and neither the whole world, nor what therein is shall be able to render us help. And we shall find no medicine which will cure us except prayer, and fasting, and humility, for it is these which have the power to cover (or, protect) ourselves in the hour of our necessity.

13 Let us keep in remembrance the Lord of All, Jesus, the Son of the Living God, Who fashioned every being which breatheth, and the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the rivers, the Lord of whatsoever is in the heavens, and of whatsoever is on the earth, unto Whom alone belongeth Power. He hath His being in the Father, and the Father hath His being in Him. He cried out saying, 'My Father, deliver Me from this hour.' And again, 'My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass away from Me, nevertheless let Thy will be done, and not Mine.' And He prayed until the third time saying, 'If this be Thy will, let it come to pass.' Observe ye and consider these awful words which the Lord of All spake, the Lord Who was not afraid of death, for it is He Who hath the power over death, and it is He Who is the Lord thereof. On the contrary, it is because He is God, and because He liveth in the glory which is exalted, that He took the lowly form of man, in order that He might taste death on behalf of all; and it was fitting that He should do so, and that they should deliver Him over into the hands of sinners. For this reason He made known unto every one, that the necessity for the death, which had to come upon every soul of man in the hour of their visitation, was very great. Now that day shall be a day of tribulation, and of necessity, and of sighing until we shall have passed by this great danger which is full of terror.

14 Now if we shall have set Repentance to be a fellow-worker with us, we shall find it straightway, and we shall proclaim it at the feet of God, the Father of Good, Who shall deliver us from all these necessities, and from the tribulations which shall come upon us, and it shall lift us out of the hands of these angels who are our pitiless adversaries. And if we shall have set humility to be a fellow-worker with us, it shall never cease to make supplication to God, until He hath scattered these adversaries and hath taken us in gladness to the bosom of the saints in the Country of the Living. And if we shall have set love to be a fellow-worker with us, it shall never cease to cry out to the Merciful One, the Father of Compassion, until He hath driven these adversaries from us, and hath taken us with gladness into the glorious sanctuary of the Jerusalem of heaven, and hath given us as gifts to the Beloved One.

15 If, however, we have none of these things with us as fellow-workers, then know ye that when we are in torture, and cry out under the punishments, and weep in misery, no mercy of any sort whatsoever shall be to us [there]. On the contrary, the avenging angels shall be wroth against us, and they shall revile us mercilessly, and they shall inflict most just punishments upon us. Moreover, in that Other World there shall be no mercy wherewith to shew compassion to souls, but the appointed work of those pitiless adversaries shall be to inflict torments on the souls of sinners. 16 O what a terrible thing it will be to fall into a place wherefrom there is no delivery, even as it is written, He who feareth not shall be in the places which he deserveth for ever, and he shall never be delivered therefrom. O what a wretched state! And in what manner will ye take your stand, O ye who have borne the sacred names of priests and monks, and have, nevertheless, treated with contempt the commandments of God? The sinners who shall be enduring punishment there shall revile you, and shall say unto you, 'It was necessary for us to commit sin because we were involved in the cares of the business of life, and we were led astray through the error of the matter of our bodies. But as for you, what do ye do in this place? And why are ye suffering these punishments, which are endless? Are ye not those who wore the garb of piety (i. e., of the ascetic life) in the world?' O how great shall be the disgrace in that World, for to it no end hath been assigned, and it shall continue for ever. O my beloved, God forbid that this great state of misery shall come upon us. But let us strive against it with all our might, in order that we may obtain for ourselves the great glory which is in that Other World, wherein all the saints are arrayed. Pray, O my brethren, that we may attain unto this glory, for it is the glory which endureth for ever.

17 Let us repent then, O my beloved, and, O my brethren, let us weep at all times before the Saviour until His voice come to us in joy saying, 'Your sins are forgiven to you.' For the shedding of tears of repentance maketh the compassion of God to have regard unto thee, and to shew mercy unto thee. The shedding of tears of repentance maketh the Holy Spirit to enter quickly into a man, and to take up His abode in him. By the shedding of tears of repentance God maketh thee to become a new creature a second time, and He bringeth back to thee the fruit of thy health-giving suffering. For the shedding of tears taketh not place without the turning of the heart, and the turning of the heart doth not take place in those who pass their lives in lewdness and in jesting. Neither doth repentance flourish in the man who is sated with sluggishness; but through the suffering of fasting, and the vexing (?) of the flesh, thy heart shall be in a state of humility, and thou shalt seek after repentance, and thou wilt sigh by reason of thy sins.

18 And now, O my beloved, let us take the greatest care of our lives at all times, so that we may make supplication, and that, through God, we may become faithful. See how very many sufferings our Lord and Saviour Christ endured on our behalf! For what evil thing did He do, and who in all creation is there who shall rebuke Him for sin? Nay, He endured all these sufferings on behalf of us sinners in order that He might bestow upon us this great salvation of repentance. 19 Let the eyes of our heart contemplate the nails which were driven through His holy hands; and His hanging upon the wood of the Cross for our sins; and His side, which they pierced with a spear, and there flowed forth blood and water; and the reed wherewith they smote Him on His head; and the shameless servant who spat in His face, and He was silent. And when He was athirst on the Cross, they had no compassion upon Him, but they gave Him to drink vinegar mixed with gall in His thirst. In fulfilling all these things He bore Himself in patience and in love to man, [for] He wished to make us partakers with Him in His sufferings, in order that we might inherit with Him the kingdom which is in the heavens. And He spake saying, 'He who loveth Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.' And moreover, the Apostle Paul himself knew the honour of the Cross, and therefore he cried out saying, 'Let it not be to me that I should boast myself except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherein the world is crucified unto me, and I myself also am crucified unto the world.' And again he spake saying, 'I myself am crucified with Christ, but I do not live, for it is Christ Who liveth in me.' And again, 'Without sufferings a man is not able to please God.' And again, 'If it be that we receive sufferings with Him, then we shall reign with Him.'

20 Therefore, also, O my beloved, let us be prudent, and let us watch, for our Adversary the Devil goeth about roaring like the lions, seeking to devour our souls, and wishing to make us strangers to these great good things. Blessed, then, are those who shall resist him firmly in the faith, for they are those who shall receive glory with Jesus, according to that which He said, 'Ye are those who have endured patiently with Me in My temptations. And I will stablish you in the kingdom even as My Father hath established Me in the kingdom. Ye shall eat and ye shall drink with Me at My table in the kingdom.' Blessed is he who hath endured sufferings in fastings, and in prayers, and in nights of vigil, and in sighings! For Christ shall magnify him, and he shall eat and shall drink at the feasts of the saints with openness of face.

21 Blessed is he who hath shewed himself to be a compassionate man, and a lover of his neighbour in the love of God, for he shall enjoy consolation in the bosom of Abraham, in the kingdom which is in the heavens. Blessed is he who is soaked with tears which he hath shed for his sins that he hath committed, for he shall escape the place of weeping, and the gnashing of teeth. Blessed is he who hath sorrowed for his sins, for he shall rejoice with God and His angels in the kingdom of light. Blessed is he who hath given his bread to him that is an hungered, for he shall be filled full of the Bread of Life in the heavens. Blessed is he who hath clothed him that is naked, for his sins shall be covered on the Day of Judgement. Blessed is he who hath shewn mercy to the poor, for mercy shall be shewn unto him, and he shall be held worthy to hear these gladsome and joyful words, 'Come, ye who are the blessed of My Father, and ye shall inherit the kingdom which they have prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' And again He saith, 'Who-soever shall give one of these little ones a cup of cold water to drink, Amen, I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.'

22 Blessed is he who shall forgive his neighbour when he sinneth against him, for if he doth, the note of hand which hath been written against him, and the deed of obligation which he hath to every one shall be destroyed. Blessed are those who shall frequent the church both morning and evening daily, and especially at the time of the receiving of the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. For by means of these shall a man become united unto the angels who are in the heavens, and he shall see them face to face, and he shall answer with them mouth to mouth in their salutation of 'Alleluia'. Therefore, O my beloved, we must not give sleep to our eyes, or slumber to our eyelids, either by day or by night, so that we may escape all evil. For the Enemy lieth in wait for us, and he cometh against us in a multitude of crafty sins. If he cometh not in carelessness, he will come in ignorance; if he cometh not in pride of heart, he will come in wrath; if he cometh not in vain glory, he will come in fornication; if he cometh not in remissness, he will come in hatred; if he cometh not in fornication, he will come in complaining; if he cometh not in theft, he will come in false swearing and robbery; if he cometh not in the passions he will come in evil thoughts. In short, Satan will never cease from us. He layeth a snare for us with error of heart, he leadeth us craftily to a perverted judgement, and he sendeth carelessness therein; now Amente is filled through carelessness.

23 Let us therefore keep in mind when [fighting] these battles the various forms of craft and deceit which the Enemy spreadeth out before us. Let us gird on the armour of righteousness, that is to say, prayer, and fasting, and purity, and peace, and love, and humility, and charity, and love towards each other, and courteous converse with every man in the fear of God; for by means of these we shall be able to do battle against the loose and foolish talk of deceit. Especially let us fear the awful judgement hall of God. Let us cast away from us the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, in order that we may inherit the habitation of the saints which is in the heavens, and of the sons of the light, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to Whom be glory, and with Him the Father and the Holy Spirit for [all] ages and for ever. Amen.

24 t

V. The Discourse of Saint Athanasius on the Kingdom of Heaven

1 The Discourse Which SAINT ATHANASIUS, ARCHBISHOP OF RAKOTE, PRONOUNCED CONCERNING THE PASSAGE IN THE GOS-PEL OF SAINT MATTHEW, 'THE KINGDOM WHICH IS IN THE HEAVENS IS LIKE UNTO A RICH MAN, WHO CAME OUT IN THE MORNING TO HIRE LABOURERS FOR HIS VINEYARD.' The Lord saith in the Gospel of Matthew: The kingdom which is in the heavens is like unto a certain rich man, who came out in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the labourers [to pay them] a stater a day, [and] he sent them into his vineyard. He came out [again] at the third hour, and he saw others standing in the market, and they were idle. He said unto these others, 'Go ye into my vineyard, and that whereof ye are worthy I will give unto you'; and they went in. He came out again at the sixth hour, and again at the ninth hour [and saw other labourers], and he did the same with these. When, however, he came out again at the eleventh hour, he saw others standing [in the market]. He said unto them, 'Wherefore do ye stand in this place the whole day doing nothing?' They said unto him, 'Because no man hath hired us.' He said unto them, 'Go ye into my vineyard.'

2 Now let us enquire carefully, and let us learn what are these kinds of labourers, and what this vineyard is, and who is this master. In the first place, the Master in this vineyard is God the Father, Who hath governed His creatures (or, creation) from the beginning. And moreover, He speaketh with them through the prophet who hath made known to us that the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel, and the men of Judah are the new and beloved plant. The labourers whom He hired in the beginning are Moses, and Aaron, and Jesus the son of Nun. He called unto Moses in the land of Midian, saying, 'Come thou, get thee down into Egypt, and thou shalt bring out My people from that land. And thou shalt labour in My vineyard in commandments, and decrees, and ordinances.' And He covenanted with them for a stater, that is, Moses was to have the honourable rank of prophet, and Aaron was to hold the office of high priest over His people, and they were to serve [him].

3 Those who were hired at the third hour were the Judges, whom He appointed to be over His people; 'him of whom ye are worthy will I give unto you.' They were not prophets, and they were not apostles, but they were those who were worthy of the title of 'judge'. Those who were hired at the sixth hour, and at the ninth hour, were Samuel, and David, and all the [other] Prophets. Samuel worked in the vineyard with a horn. David transplanted a slip of the vine from the land of Egypt, and he cultivated it with the psaltery. Hosea found Israel to be like a vine in the desert in some respects, for he said, 'Israel is a branch of a vine which is good, and his fruit is abundant.' 4 Those who were hired at the eleventh hour were the Apostles, whom He found to be idle the whole day. And they were idle in respect of the works of iniquity of all kinds, because no one had hired them, and the Devil could not hire them for the service of idols. He could not hire John the Baptist for the peddlers in the place of eating and drinking. Peter he could not hire for the service of unbelief. Andrew he could not hire in polluted marriage, and he could not make him to become the servant of a woman. For this reason he was called 'Boanerges', that is to say, 'Son of the thunder of heaven.' Therefore could no one hire them on earth to make them to work for him, and to give them wages according to what they were worth. Therefore were their wages abundant in the heavens. Therefore doth the Saviour say concerning all the Apostles, 'O My Father, the men whom Thou hast given unto Me from the world have I found to be chosen vessels.' And again, 'Of those whom Thou hast given unto Me have I lost none'; and, 'No man is able to come unto Me except through My Father, Who hath sent Me to draw him.'

5 Behold, these words make us to know that it is the Father Who hireth the labourers for His vineyard. Who is this Governor? I say, It is the Lord Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God, in Whose hand are all the possessions of God, which is a mystery. His power is in Israel and in the other nations, for He Himself said, 'The Father loveth the Son, and hath given everything into His hand.' The Son saith, 'To Him belongeth the inheritance.' The Governor saith, 'It is He Who giveth wages unto those who labour, and the whole world is under His rule.' Therefore is the key of David in His hand, and He is the vine. Therefore it is He Who rejoiceth in all His creatures. He is the Bread. Therefore it is He Who giveth meat and drink to all His creation. 6 Now when the evening had come the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, 'Call the labourers, give them their wages; begin with the last and continue until thou comest to the first; give unto each a stater.' The Father saith unto the Son, 'Either at the last day or to-day, Thou knowest [best], call the labourers and give them their wages, all the labourers who have laboured for the race of men, give them the wages of their work.' Paul saith, 'Now certain men God placed in the Church, the first being the Apostles,' unto whom He began to give [their] wages; and the second were the Prophets, et cetera. The first [labourers] came, thinking that they would receive more [than the others]. Hearken unto Him, for He said, 'I say unto you, very many of the Prophets and Kings have desired eagerly to see the things which ye see, and have not seen them.' The stater which He gave unto them was the honour of Apostleship, and the Holy Offering.

7 And, the Scripture saith, when they had taken the stater, they murmured against the lord of the vineyard and said, 'Why is it? These last have only laboured for one hour, and yet thou hast paid them the same amount as thou hast paid to us.' Now, who are these who murmured and were envious of the labourers who came in last except the scribes and the Pharisees, who had themselves been sent to labour in the vineyard? It is against these that the Scripture crieth out saying, 'Why have ye burned up My vineyard? And why are the possessions plundered from the poor in your houses?' For they themselves received the Law as the commands of angels, but they did not keep it, and they murmured against the Lord saying, 'The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but Thy disciples do not fast.' Why do Thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? They wash not their hands when they eat their bread, they eat, they drink, they make merry. Even the Apostles cut down the ears of corn and eat before Thy very face, and they wander about at large in the world.' It was these very men that murmured saying, 'Why have Thy disciples made the Sabbath to be of none effect?' who were envious of these last who were the labourers in truth.

8 And the lord [of the vineyard] made answer, and said unto one of them, 'Friend, I have done thee no injustice. Did I not agree with thee for one stater? Take what is thine and depart.' And who was it who made all these complaints? I say that it was none other than he unto whom it was said, 'Friend, that wherefor thou hast come, do,' that is to say, it was Judas, who betrayed the Saviour, and who spake with great murmurings saying, 'Why did they not sell the unguent for three hundred staters and give them to the poor?' If thou didst care for the poor, O betrayer, why didst thou steal their property from the coffer of the treasury? Or was thine eye evil because I am good? Now because he was a wicked man he stole the money which was cast into it (i.e., the coffer). And the Saviour Himself was good to him, and He shewed Himself longsuffering in respect of him, for He said unto him, 'I have not the power to do that which I wish with the offerings which they bring.' This was God's defence of him: 'I, Who am God, have not the power to pay more wages than those which a man shall earn, and I judge those who shall work wickedness.' These are the testimonies, and the murmurings of Judas; he murmured with his tongue, and he was cruel and merciless in his heart. He was a wicked man in his soul, he was a thief with his hands, and he was shameless in respect of his eyes.

9 And when they were eating, the Apostles watched that they might not let their hands touch those of the Saviour in the bowl, for they were afraid, and said, 'Who are we that we should eat with God?' But Judas, the man with no right perception, did not hesitate to put his hand into the bowl with the Saviour, and he was eager to dip his piece of bread at the same time, and to eat before the Saviour. The Saviour said nothing in order that we might understand. When the disciples had asked Him, 'Who, then, is it that shall betray Thee?' He gave them a sign of the want of right perception in Judas saying, 'He who shall dip his hand with Me into the bowl first is he who shall betray Me'; and He said unto him, 'That which thou shalt do, do quickly.' For the Saviour made haste to work out the salvation of His creation on the Cross, according to the wish and commandment of His Father. Thou wilt not find that He put out of the way, or was careless about that for which He had come, or that He was afraid of death; but He made manifest His readiness for the Cross like a valiant martyr, and like God Who is without fear.

10 Therefore did He urge Judas onward saying, 'That which thou shalt do, do quickly.' Haste thee onward, for all these created beings are hindered; they await thee, and moreover, they await Me. Those beings who are in the heavens await Me, and those beings who are in the abyss and chaos await thee. My Father is with Me, and He will help Me; the Devil is with thee, and he standeth by thy side, on the right hand of thee, and he will help thee. Those who are in the gates which are in the heavens, that is, the holy angels, will crown Me, and the avenging powers are making Amente ready for thee.' And He urged him onward with these words, 'Haste thee, for I am ready for the whips (or, scourgings).' Rightly therefore did Esdras say, 'The creature may not haste more than the Creator.' Now since Judas was he who should betray Him, why did He cry out to him, 'Friend, I do thee no injustice'? Though He said to him, 'Thine eye is evil, but I Myself am good,' the Saviour did not withhold the speech of friendship from him until the hour in which he betrayed Him. He called him 'friend', but He thought of enmity. He gave him the bag that held the money, and he became a thief.

11 He chose him as a disciple, but he meditated guile. He chose him as a man, but he became a devil. O Judas, what is it thou didst do? And what didst thou gain when thou didst betray the Lord? Thou didst waste thy life, and didst lose this great honour, the glory of Apostleship. For who is above his lot? After the appellation of 'Angel' cometh the title of 'Apostle'. Now a man hardly considereth his son to be worthy to eat with him, yet it was a helpless servant who was made to eat with his God, and Jesus, our Lord, considered him to be worthy to do so. He ate with the tax-gatherers, and He drank with Judas the lawless man, and a pestilent man reached out his hand with [that of] God. This wretched man lost his life, and accepted death for himself; he exalted himself above his worth, and he fell down on to the ground according to his worth. Jesus chose him with the Apostles, and he lost his Apostleship. He was chosen to be an heir, and he himself abandoned Thine inheritance. Now the Apostles were the heirs of the Saviour, and they were the light of the world, but Judas did not wish to give forth light. They were the salt of the earth, but Judas did not wish to purge away what was polluted. They were those whom God set in the Church, but Judas did not wish to continue with them. Therefore was he removed from the measure of manhood, and he became the portion of the Devil.

12 Woe be unto thee, O Judas! In what didst thou benefit thyself? Better Cain, who killed a man, than Judas, who killed God. Better Saul, who hated a man, than Judas, who hated God. Better the hardheartedness of Pharaoh towards the people than the hardheartedness of Judas towards God. Better the deceit of Balaam than the wickedness of Judas. Better the rebellious speech of Korah in the desert than the stiffneckedness of Judas in Jerusalem. Better Achar (Achan), who stole the accursed thing, than Judas who stole the gifts of charity. Better the arrogance of Absalom in respect of David than the contumacy of Judas in respect of God. Better the evil counsel to David of Ahitophel, who hanged himself and died, than the condemnation of Judas, who hanged himself and is in Tartaros, against the Saviour. Better, by far, the cursings by Shimei of David than the scorn of the Saviour by Judas. Of far less evil was the bloody murder by Joab, which he committed in sheer wickedness, than the murder by Judas, which he committed in pitilessness. Better the love of money by Gehazi, who became a leper, than the avariciousness of Judas who went to destruction. The sin of Jeroboam was less than the wickedness of Judas, for Jeroboam [only] made false gods, but Judas rejected the True God.

13 'Friend, I do thee no injustice; take that which is thine [and] depart.' O evil friend Judas, it was not the Saviour Who did thee an injustice, but thou thyself; take thou thy curse, and depart thou into Amente! Now Judas being in this state, Matthias entered in and received the blessing, and became a disciple of the Master in his stead. He became an Apostle, he preached, and he sent forth light into the countries [round about]. He made himself salt, and purified souls; he made himself a servant, and was in subjection unto God; he became a beloved son of the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of All, the Lord of All, the Glory of All, Who ruleth All, Who shall judge All, Who sheweth compassion upon All, Who doeth acts of mercy to All, Who sustaineth All, Who destroyeth All, Who transformeth All, Who maketh All new, Who maketh All glad, and through Whom All endureth.

14 And now, O man, come and embark in the ship of salvation which is the faith of the Church. It hath two steering oars, wherewith it is guided, and these are the Testaments, whereon if thou shalt meditate they will bring thee unto a good place for tying up thy boat. It hath a mast, which is the Cross of the Lord, and a rudder; these are thy hands which are stretched out in prayer to God. It hath a sail which beareth it onwards, that is the Power of God, which directeth thee into every good course. It hath a guiding pole, which is the Bishop in the Church. It hath a helmsman to steer it, Who is Jesus, Who directeth the course of the universe. The sailors on board are the clergy who are in the Church and who minister. There is a cargo borne upon it, and these are the Christian peoples. Thou shalt arrive in port, in a haven which is fair, that is to say, the harbour of Jesus, which is the heavenly Jerusalem. Thou shalt inherit the things promised by God, that is to say, His good things, and thou shalt rest thyself with thy fellow-citizens, who are the angels and all the saints.

15 And now behold, O my brethren, we have passed the whole day in exercising ourselves in the word, so that we might at length set the matter, whereto we put our hands, upon its feet. And now, let us give thanks unto God, and unto the Holy Spirit, Who hath opened for us our mouth in speech, and hath put into our mouth the words, in order that we may say the things which the Logos hath bestowed upon us, which will benefit greatly our own souls and the souls of those who hear us. Let us ascribe blessing to the Logos, Who hath blessed us with the Holy Spirit. It is He, moreover, Who spake saying, 'When they speak with you, take no thought as to what ye shall say, for it shall be given unto you in that hour what ye shall say. For it shall not be you who shall speak, but the Spirit of our Father Who shall speak in you.' And now let us ascribe glory to God, God Almighty, Who hath sent unto us the King, the Christ, through Whom we bless and praise the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the consubstantial Trinity, from all ages to all ages. Amen.