Coptic Homilies in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Coptic Homilies in the Dialect of Upper Egypt

Translated by E. A. Wallis Budge

Manuscript of the 5th–10th century

Ten homilies on repentance, continence, mercy, the end of the world and the soul, in the Coptic form that is preserved in a manuscript in the British Museum, with four related homilies in Syriac and Ethiopic. They bear the names of John Chrysostom, Athanasius, Theophilus, Proclus, Basil and Eusebius, but most of them are not by these authors; the names are as the manuscript gives them.

I. The Discourse of Apa John, Archbishop of Constantinople, on Repentance and Continence

1 If the blessed man Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, who became the Doctor of the Church, who fought in pain and anguish to make himself to be like unto the incorporeal powers in his daily life, who completed his course [and] kept the Faith, who kept his light shining in fastings, and in hunger, and in thirst, and amid dangers, who travelled with patient endurance the road from Jerusalem to Illyricum preaching the Gospel, this angel who belonged to the earth, this man who belonged to the heavens, who possessed Christ Who spake in him, the habitation of the Holy Spirit, who was caught up to the third heaven [and] heard the words of mystery, who was carried away into the Paradise, who was by reason of his love and zeal well nigh the equal of Christ, who bore the care of the Churches, the orator of piety, the sponsor of those who believed on Christ, the herald and teacher of the Gentiles, who hath taught unto us the way whereby to enter into heaven, [if this man, I say] said, 'I subdue my body, and I make it to be a servant, lest having preached unto others I myself shall become a castaway'; and, moreover, if this holy man, who possessed in his own person so great a multitude of spiritual excellences, and who spake out boldly, saying, 'I know not how to do anything of myself,' was afraid, and spake in this manner, what shall we ourselves do, who are miserable creatures, and who are wholly unable to cultivate successfully one spiritual excellence?

2 Is it not then seemly for us to keep watch and to pray at all times, and to make petitions to God neither for gold nor silver, nor for any of the riches of this world, but only for the riches which are in the heavens; and to have gladness in God? Now, there are certain folk who rejoice in [their] wealth; and some rejoice in wine-drinkings in taverns, and in eating at feasts, whilst others rejoice in the beauty and glory of [this] world. As for the virgin, let him rejoice in God, and let him seek after the honour which cometh from His hands, saying, 'My justification is before Thee.' There is nothing which is so poverty-stricken or so contemptible as the soul which is filled with passion. For this reason it is seemly for us to take strict care of our souls at all times, and we must say even as did the holy man David, 'God giveth strength to my beauty,' so that when the Bridegroom looketh upon the beauty of the soul He shall say, 'Thou art wholly beautiful, my love, and there is no blemish in thee.'

3 But even if it be that thy spiritual excellence flourisheth, take good heed that thy heart be not over-exalted because of thy beauty, lest God turn His face away from thee because of thine exaltation of heart (or, pride). For who is there who could make himself worthy of the things which [Christ] endured then patiently on thy behalf? He humbled Himself for thee, and He gave His holy blood to be the price for thee. He Who gave food unto all flesh fasted in the flesh for thy sake. He Who created the sweetness in the honey tasted that which was bitter (gall) for thy sake. He Who ornamented the heavens with the companies of the stars wore a crown of thorns for thy sake; and He became obedient even unto death, the death of the Cross. It is not, then, seemly for us to shew ourselves glad because of these things, nay, we must make ourselves to lament, and we must weep. Let us hearken unto that which [the Book] saith, '[Be] sorrowful in heart upon your beds because of the things which ye have said in your hearts [during the day],' so that we may have in remembrance in the night season the things which we have done during the day, and that we may heave sighs concerning them. This is what Ahab did when he was in sorrow: he fasted and he girded sackcloth about his body. And what did God say concerning him? 'I will not bring the evils upon him in his days.' It was for this same reason that the Saviour proclaimed to be blessed those who weep, not those who weep for the dead, or the loss of property, but those who weep for their sins.

4 Thou thyself shalt say even as did David, 'Night after night I wash my bed, and I soak my cushion[s] with my tears.' And again he saith, 'Mine eyes pour out streams of water because men keep not Thy Law.' Wash thou away the defilement by means of tears, smite upon thy breast, and take to thyself the remembrance of the sins which thou hast committed. [If] thou hast been snared at [any] time through thine eye, if thou hast opened thy window at [any] time wickedly, thou hast done injury to thy soul through thine eye. The eyes which look with wicked intent heal thou now with tears, and shut thou thy window that thou mayest not see again the things of vanity, for otherwise thou wilt fall into an evil habit. Now habit is wont to draw him that clingeth thereto into great sins. [When] thou hast arrayed thyself in splendid apparel take good heed unto thyself not to sit down in any [dirty] place, lest it become spotted. If thou shalt hold to be a light matter the first stain, and the second, and the third, at length thy whole garment shall become dirty. Thou shalt not be careless [and] sit down in any polluted place whatsoever.

5 What are we to do then? [Thou hast] need of fervent prayer, lest thou strike a stone with thy feet. And [thou shalt pray fervently] that the Angel of God shall compass thee round about, and shall deliver thee. And thou thyself shalt be strong and shalt say, 'The Angel who delivered me out of all evil.' And [thou shalt pray fervently] that the Angel may cry out unto thee from heaven, even as [he cried] to Abraham, for the Angels love those who love their own God. He (i.e., the Book) saith moreover, 'Take a psalm, set ye forth a tabret, a sweet psaltery and a harp'; thou art to take one thing, and three are demanded from thee. For we are composed of three things, even as the Apostle [Paul] spake, 'He will keep safe him that is in the spirit, and He will make healthy your souls and your bodies.' Now the psaltery is the spirit, the harp is the soul, and the tabret is the dead skin which covereth it. Therefore put thou to death the flesh, and thus shalt thou make thyself strong to ascribe blessings to God with the tabret and dance.

6 For it is God Himself Who hath filled thee with flesh. Observe, therefore, lest He should say unto thee, 'What profit is there in My blood?' What kind of recompense canst thou possibly make to Him which shall be adequate for all the sufferings which He endured on thy behalf? Be thou a tree which beareth fruit, and thus shalt thou cause the blessing of God to be upon thee. Bring forth fruit according to thy strength. If thou art not able to bring forth an hundredfold, which is the [number of] perfection, then bring forth sixtyfold, which is the half thereof; and if this be difficult for thee, then bring forth thirtyfold, which is one third thereof. Only thou must labour according to thy strength, for if thou art without fruit they will cut thee down and cast thee into the burning. If thou canst not be a vessel of gold, or silver, do not become a log of wood, or grass, or straw, which are merely fuel for the burning. Thou shalt not perform the works which God hateth, for they shall take their stand before thee on the Day of Judgement like solid image[s]. And finally thou wilt have to begin to confess them in that place without witnesses and without an advocate, and without proofs, and thou wilt have to look upon all the deeds which thou hast committed, and upon all the words which thou hast uttered unwittingly, and they shall stand up like statues before thine eyes. Weep before the time, so that thou mayest not hear in that place [the words], 'This is not the time for repentance; for no repentance is possible in this place.'

7 So long then as we have the time let us do work, for if the time slip through our hands, it is unlikely that we shall find another opportunity. Moreover, for this reason the blessed Paul taught us saying, 'So long as we have the time let us do the things which are good.' And again [he saith], 'Behold, now is the time which is accepted.' Let us then weep over the deeds which we have committed unrighteously, and let us make tears to flow down our cheeks in streams, and let us beat our breasts in sorrow, so that we may do away the weeping, and the gnashing of the teeth in that place whereto we must depart. Moreover, let us weep even as did David in order that we may be proclaimed blessed. He did not shed a few tears only as men do when they weep, but he flooded his bed with his tears; and he passed the whole night in vigil. One night only he sinned, [yet] he wept night after night, and never ceased [from crying], and he freely acknowledged his sins in the following words, and in this manner, saying, 'Forgive me these [offences]. Thou didst give me mine eyes, that I might see Thy light with them, but I have seen wickedly with them. Since, therefore, I have gone astray through mine eyes, for this reason do away my sins through [my] tears.'

8 Let us come forth from our habits which are evil, and remove ourselves into the city which is in the heavens. Let us subdue our body, and let us make it to be a servant (or, slave), lest peradventure we make our soul to be the servant of the Devil. Let the careful consideration of the words of God reduce to peace the delights of the senses which are engrained in our hearts, and which resemble those that are found in wild animals, and let us bear at all times the death of our Lord Jesus Christ in our bodies, and let us keep in remembrance that which He spake saying, 'Be prudent, be ye vigilant.' The man that slumbereth shall not receive the crown of victory, and the man that is careless and idle shall not receive the prize, but the man who hath borne innumerable buffetings and wounds is he who shall receive honour from the Master of the contest. Now the Enemy is in the habit of taking to flight before him that is prudent (or, cautious), but he plundereth him that slumbereth. Therefore, thou must know that thou hast about thee enemies which are evil. Give, therefore, no sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids, that thou mayest escape like a roe from the snare of the hunter, and like a bird from the net of the fowler.

9 Let us flee at all times from the cares of this world (or, life), and from the burdens thereof. If we would make ourselves to be free from this world, we must not make to ourselves care for the things of the world, for very many have been snared by the guile thereof. For the [Book] saith, 'He who is our Adversary, the Devil, goeth about roaring, like the lions, and seeking after prey,' not, however, prey in the literal sense of the word, but to devour that which is in the soul. Flee from the knavery of the Crafty One, and thou shalt say, 'Through Thee shall I be delivered from a company of thieves, and through my God I shall leap over a wall.' Seek not to excuse thyself from suffering, lest by so doing thou shalt excuse thyself from the crown also. The merchant loseth not courage, but he endureth even the waves of the sea, and he findeth possessions. He who contendeth is wont to fight in pain and suffering even unto wounds, for his heart looketh for the crown of victory.

10 The husbandman doth not find ears of corn [in his tillage] unless he hath first of all sown the seed [thereof] by his own toil. This is what is to be expected from the kingdom which is in the heavens: men must account tribulations as nothing whatsoever, and they must fortify their hearts by means of the hope of the good things which shall come. Let us therefore devote our whole attention to watching at all times, so that when our Bridegroom shall return, and look in the bride-chamber, we may hear His voice, and may rise up, and may meet Him being prepared [to receive Him]. For He said, 'Let your loins be girded up, let your lamps be filled and lighted, and do ye even as do those men who are expecting to see their Lord.' Now behold, the Saviour proclaimed blessed the man who was sober (or, vigilant), saying, 'Blessed is that servant whose master on coming shall find him keeping watch.'

11 And as He proclaimed blessed those who kept watch, so also did He regard him that was careless as a bad servant, for He spake saying, 'That wicked servant shall say in his heart, "My master tarrieth." And he shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat, and to drink, and to become drunken. And the master of that wicked servant shall come on a day which he knoweth not, and in an hour wherein he expecteth him not. And he shall cut him asunder, and shall set his portion with [the portions of] the unbelieving ones.' If they shall cut asunder him that saith, 'My master tarrieth,' what shall they do unto him that doth not expect to see him at all? Therefore, O my beloved, what is meet for us to do is this: We must act in such a way that we may find ourselves prepared at any hour, and we must sail a straightforward course, and always in the same direction; for it is unlikely that we shall be able to turn back again and cultivate successfully that concerning which we have been careless.

12 Let us therefore be prepared at any hour, so that we may say with boldness, 'Lord, my heart is ready, my heart is ready.' In this life we are in a mighty war. The workers of evil, who are the demons, stretch their bows. Then one of them shooteth an arrow into our ears, so that we may listen to slanderous chatterings with pleasure. And another shooteth an arrow into our eyes, so that we may turn our gaze in a wrongful manner towards the things which are unseemly. And another shooteth an arrow into our tongue, so as to make us to revile scornfully our brother. And another shooteth an arrow into our belly, which exciteth in us the appetite of gluttony. And another shooteth an arrow into our hands, which leadeth us on to deeds of rapine, and greed of the most excessive character. And another shooteth an arrow into our feet, which moveth us to walk into wickedness.

13 Because of all these things the blessed man Paul armed us with weapons, for he wrote saying, 'Take unto you the whole armour of God, and the helmet of the Spirit. With these ye shall be able to quench every fiery dart of the Evil One.' Let us hearken unto the voice of the prophet, which saith, 'He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and also that which God seeketh after at thy hands, to make thyself to perform judgement and righteousness. And thou shalt love mercy, and to prepare to follow closely after the Lord thy God.' Therefore let us forget the things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which are before. Let us delight ourselves in the Lord, and let us feed upon His words. Let us not waste our opportunities in emptiness, but as we have a [good] Lord, let us perform service to Him in truth. Consider the great love for man which He sheweth in respect of us! Sometimes He appealeth to us, sometimes He threateneth us with the punishments, and sometimes He teacheth us obedience, and He bestoweth rewards upon those who hearken unto Him.

14 Therefore we must gird up the loins of our heart[s] in truth. Let us perform the service of the Good God, our Saviour. Let us keep in remembrance all the things which He suffered for our sakes. He was made after the manner of a man for our sakes. He was suckled at the breast like a man. He made Himself to be a child in age (or, stature). He received baptism for our sakes. He suffered hunger. He slept, He slumbered for our sakes. He mourned, they made Him the object of plots of treachery, they scourged Him, they treated Him with contumely, and finally they delivered Him over to death for our sakes. 15 Let us, then, think at all times on all these things which He suffered patiently for the sake of our sins, [and] that [the Book] saith, 'Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, [striving against sin].' But ye shall fight against sin, that is to say, although we are not now asked to give our blood for the sake of Christ, that we should earnestly follow after sinlessness is demanded at our hands. Keep in remembrance, moreover, the healings which our Saviour effected. He healed the sick, He cast out the devils, He made the lame to walk, He made the blind to see, besides all these other healings which we put aside and do not attempt and describe one by one. And, as the fulfilment of all these, He bestowed upon us the gracious gift of the way of entering into heaven, so that we ourselves might follow in His footsteps by means of a life of noble and virtuous deeds, and might make for ourselves our citizenship in the heavens, in a manner suitable for the place wherein our names are inscribed. Now the Scripture hath called us 'strangers and sojourners', so that we may think scorn of the things of this place (i. e., world).

16 The pleasure of this world is like unto a day: if we chase him away, he fleeth; and if we feed him, he will abide with thee. It is for this reason that Aiakkōbos (James) said, 'Resist ye the Devil, and he shall flee from you.' Let us not think in our minds that we shall be able to repent in Amente, for the medicine of repentance hath no effect in that place. For although we shall gnash with our teeth, and our tongue shall be on fire, there shall be in that place none who shall dip his finger in water for us; on the contrary, we ourselves shall hear the words which the rich man heard. Let us know, then, O my beloved, that the works of this changing [world] are nothing but phantasms (or, dreams), and that we live in a house wherein travellers are received, out from which we must go forth in any case. Let us take care concerning the road, and concerning the provisions which we must take with us on the road. Let us array ourselves in the garments which appertain to this life, concerning which Paul counselled us, saying, 'Dress yourselves in the bowels of mercies, and in goodness, and in humility.'

17 In that place we shall have no need of gold, but we shall have need of the dropping of water. We shall have no need of the leaves of trees and plants, but of the fruit thereof. We shall have no need of words, but of deeds. For He (i. e., Christ) said, 'It is not every one who shall say unto Me, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who doeth the Will of My Father which [is] in heaven.' Let us therefore by no manner of means deceive ourselves. And if any man shall pass the whole of his life in eating at feasts, and in drinking of wine, [that period of time] will be as nothing compared with the ages which shall follow it without end. For in this world both the good things and the evil things which are therein fulfil themselves. In that world, however, the good things endure, and exist for ever and for ever, and the punishments are endless. In this world, if the body burneth, the soul cometh forth therefrom, and it existeth undestroyed. In that world, even though the body rise up, and exist in an undestroyed form, the soul shall burn for all time. And if it be necessary that sinners shall rise up, and exist in an undestroyed form, this shall not happen in order that they may receive glory, but only that they may be punished with the punishments which are deathless. If a man be unable to bear the heat of the bath which hath been heated to an unwonted degree, what will he do when he is delivered over to the river of fire which floweth before the throne of Christ? It is necessary that every man should make himself to consider the fire which is there.

18 Let us examine carefully the seal which is on our gold and see that it is intact, lest peradventure some come and plunder our treasure. Now all our works may be able to constrain him that hath speech with us [to think us good], but it is impossible that we shall be able to deceive the Judge Who is in the Other World. As long then as we have time, come ye, and let us heal the wound in our souls by means of [our] tears. If the prophet Jeremiah wept over the overthrow of the temple, which had been built throughout with stones of price, saying, 'Leave me alone, let me weep bitterly,' how much more is it right for us to weep over the temple of ourselves, which is exceedingly glorious, and which, though it hath not therein the ark of gold, is, nevertheless, the dwelling-place of the Holy Trinity? If we look upon one who is dead, we weep over him according to custom, what man is there who would be altogether so foolish as not to weep for his own soul if it had died in sin? For this reason it is seemly to weep not over the dead body but over the death of thy soul.

19 Remember thou, then, that the time hath drawn nigh, and that the Judge standeth at the door; the evening approacheth, and the day hath declined. No man remaineth asleep when once the night hath passed away, and the Sun hath risen. Let us rise up out of the slumber of dreams, and let us make (or, bring forth) fruits worthy of repentance, even as it is written. Repentance requireth not a long time, and very many of the martyrs received the crown for [the repentance] of a short time. And if we have committed the sins which lead unto death, let us not fall into a state of despair, for we have with us the medicines of salvation, that is to say, tears. And moreover, it belongeth to the nature of men to go astray in the work, but it is the work of Satan to persist in the going astray. For falling down is not a very evil thing, but the not rising up [again] after the fall is both an evil thing and destruction.

20 For this reason our God cried out to us through the prophet saying, 'Is there no balsam in Gilead? Or is there no physician in that place? Why then hath not the healing of the daughter of my people increased?' If it should happen that any member in our body become diseased, are we not wont to send for the physicians, and to make all the haste possible until we have healed that sick member in our body? When, however, the soul itself is sick we are careless about it, and we take no care whatsoever about the healing thereof. Let us hold in fear Him that hath the power to destroy our soul and our body in Gehenna. Come ye, let us flee into the sea of the mercy of God before the time of the torturings, and let us say with the holy man David, 'Thou shalt wash me throughly therein, and I shall become whiter than the snow.'

21 The Good Shepherd standeth wishing to snatch away our souls from out of the mouth of the lion before he is able to devour them. He crieth out unto us ourselves saying, 'My son, thou hast sinned; do not [sin] again.' And again He saith, 'Shall not he who falleth rise up again? Or shall not he who hath gone astray turn again into the right way?' And again He saith, 'Turn ye yourselves unto Me, O My children (or, sons) who have wandered afar off, and I will heal your wounds of contrition.' He was no liar who said, 'I have not come to judge the world, but in order that the world might have salvation through Me.' The one thing for us to do is to repent. For He saith, 'I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he would turn himself from his evil way, and live.' There is no man among those who love persons, who even if he be consumed with the madness of love for the woman who is his beloved, that can love wholly in the same manner as that in which God loveth the soul which repenteth. For though it hath committed fornication very many times, He crieth out unto it saying, 'And I spake unto her after she had committed fornication with all these (i. e., her lovers) saying, Return thou unto Me.'

22 For the lovingkindness of God towards man is in this wise: He never rejecteth him that setteth forth to come to Him with repentance. And if he hath fallen into the ditch, and into evil, yet will He stretch out widely His hands to him saying, 'Turn thou to Me, and I will save thee.' And again, 'On that day wherein ye shall hear His voice, harden ye not your hearts.' Doth there exist a physician who, supposing it to be his wish to make him that is sick to recover a little, would reproach him? The physician doth not treat him with contempt, neither doth he award him the just retribution for his disgraceful state, but he administereth unto him the medicine with gentleness. How much more then shall God, Who is in truth the Good Physician of our souls [act thus towards us]? Above all things let us not despair of our own salvation. For he who contendeth in the games is wont to fall down often, but in the end he riseth up, and receiveth the crown of victory. So also is it with the soldier. After he hath been wounded [the physicians] heal him, and he wageth war again, and men consider him to be of greater value than those who have not been wounded at all. Similarly also there are very many merchants who, although their ships have foundered, and they have lost their cargoes, do not despair, but they go back again regularly to the markets, and they amass riches.

23 For the burning fire of Gehenna hath not been prepared solely for us, but it was made ready for the Devil and his angels. Above all things let us not kindle that fire for ourselves, and let us not hear besides the words, 'Get ye into the fire which ye yourselves have kindled.' There is no sick man living who cannot be healed by the medicine of the Physician of our souls. But perhaps thou wilt say, 'I certainly cannot attain unto perfection.' If thou art not able to attain unto perfection, and if thou art not able to become like a sun, then make thyself to be like unto a star. In any case transfer thyself from earth to heaven. Make thyself to be like a star which sendeth forth light. It is very much better that thou shouldst do a few works which are good, than that thou shouldst do nothing at all. Thou hast been informed concerning the cup of cold water, and concerning the visiting of those who are sick, and those who are in prison. Moreover, if we shall be punished for our words and for our deeds, how much more shall He give us wages for our good works, even though they be very few? Therefore let us labour for a little time, so that we may at last live the life which is for ever.

24 If it were possible for us to die many, many times, it would be seemly for us to do so, so that we might see Christ coming in His glory. We shall not see Him in a riddle, but we shall see Him as He really is, with our own eyes, according to the testimony of the Apostle John, who preached concerning God. If we look upon the beauty of the human body in this place (i. e., world) we are wont to marvel thereat. Now the beauty of human bodies ariseth from humours and from heat, which after death turn into worms, and ashes, and corruption. How much more, then, shall we admire when we look upon that beauty which is incorruptible, and spotless, and pure? Since Peter, when he saw only the very smallest portion of the light of the glory thereof, said, 'It is good for us to remain in this place,' what shall happen unto us when we shall look upon the fullness of that glory? If we ascribe blessings to those who are nigh unto a king in this world, when we see him advancing upon a chariot of gold, and wearing the crown and apparel of purple, then how greatly blessed shall we be when we are placed on the right hand of the King of All, the Judge of every man.

25 Now supposing that a kingdom had been promised unto thee, and that the road to the country wherein the kingdom was situated was exceedingly difficult, and toilsome, and was a place of desolation and steepness: wouldst thou not endure all these things in order to reach that kingdom? Thou shalt not say, 'I am already snared in my sins, and I am not able to turn myself to God,' for even if the Devil hath first of all cast us down headlong, let us rise up quickly. For our God is a lover of mankind. Whomsoever shall flee unto Him He will receive, even as He did in the case of the young man who had squandered the portion of the riches which had fallen to his share. Let us keep in remembrance the fact that after Solomon became king, and had obtained experience of all the glorious things and delights of life, he said, 'It is vanity, and vanity it is which is in them all.' If the governor [of a city] taketh the greatest pains in order to be praised by those who are sitting in the theatre, notwithstanding the fact that the greater number of those who are sitting in that place are poor men, and men of humble station, and servants, and strangers, how very much more pains ought we to take to cause ourselves to be well spoken of in that theatre of the Other World, wherein are congregated the angels, and the archangels, and all the saints?

26 Let no whoremonger and tax-gatherer be before us to enter into the Kingdom. There are many medicines and many remedies established for us in Holy Scripture which are different each from the other. Ahab sorrowed in his heart because of the sin which he had committed, and he escaped from the wrath of God by means of this medicine. And Nebuchadnezzar (Baltasar) [escaped] through mercy. The inhabitants of Nineveh escaped through the medicine of fasting. The harlot reconciled God to her through her tears. The thief became a citizen of the Paradise through faith. Therefore will we exalt these salves and these medicines. Let us heal our souls of the wounds of sin which we our own selves have caused. Let us ourselves say unto the True Physician, 'Heal me, O God, and I shall become whole,' and 'Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee,' and the True Physician shall receive us to Himself. And He shall say, 'I, even I, am He Who blotteth out thy sin, and I will no more remember it.' Thou seest, then, the vast number of the medicines and salves, each of which is different from the other, which have been transmitted unto us in mercy by the Physician for use on various kinds of sores, and on divers cuts and bruises. Choose thou from among these that which thou wishest for the healing of thy soul.

27 If now thou art not able to perform mercy like Nebuchadnezzar (Baltasar), nor to grieve in thy heart over thy sins like Ahab, and if thou art not able to fast like the inhabitants of Nineveh, and if thou canst not wash away thy sins by means of thy tears like the harlot, flee thou to the foot of the Merciful, and thou thyself shalt say, with David, 'Have mercy upon me, O God, according to the greatness of Thy mercy.' It is not a viper which hath bitten me, or I would have fled to the feet of the man of enchantments, neither am I filthy with the mire, or I would have washed myself clean in water, but it is the Devil who hath cast his venom upon me, and I have been penetrated by the mire of iniquity. For this reason I am in need of the greatness of the mercy of Thy lovingkindness towards man.

28 Thou must, in any case, go to Him, and thou must make supplication to Him, and He will graciously bestow upon thee the mercy of the Father, and the mercy which He spake saying, 'If the unrighteous man will turn from his evil way, I will no longer keep in remembrance all the iniquities which he hath committed.' Nevertheless, thou must certainly shew Him thy wound, and thou shalt say, 'Have mercy upon me. Have mercy upon my body, and upon my soul. Have mercy upon me in this world, and in that which is to come. Have mercy upon me because of the weakness of nature, and because of the sea of Thy goodness.' Do thou desire earnestly healing, and the Physician will be ready to heal thee at the earliest moment with His medicine. For He who seeketh after thy salvation is He who brought back the sheep which had gone astray. And He it is Who sendeth forth His servant into the highways to invite both the wicked and the good to the marriage feast.

29 Behold, He Himself will sell unto thee the kingdom which is in the heavens. If thou art not able to buy it for copper [money], buy it for thyself with a little piece of bread, for He will sell thee the kingdom which is in the heavens for this. Behold, the prophet cried out saying, 'Who is the man who is wishing for life, and who would see the days that are good?' that is to say, to receive for yourselves a fine external appearance and the service of servants. Now he who seeketh after that which is sold may not have with him the means (or, possessions) to give in exchange for it. If [thou hast] not [these things], then give the innocence of thy soul, give fastings, give tears. If thou hast nothing else whatsoever to give, then give the cessation of thy tongue from that which is evil, and the cessation of thy lips from speaking guile. This shall be the beginning of the salvation of thy soul; but take good heed unto thyself.

30 If thou dost fast, guard thyself lest thy heart become proud; if thou doest acts of mercy watch thyself that thou doest them not for the approbation of men. Nay, more [than this]. If the day of fasting shall cause thee to be regarded [by men] with close attention, thou shalt consider what it is which thou hast acquired for thyself through the fasting, lest thou find thyself to be on a lower level than before thou didst fast. Moreover, observe what kind of sin it is which thou hast abandoned, or for what purpose thou hast abandoned it, and what kind of success it is which thou hast acquired for thyself, or what manner of defect it is which thou hast corrected through thy fasting. See if thou hast made wrath to cease in thee, and if thou hast driven anger forth from thee. See if thou hast cured thyself of thinking scorn of thy brother, and of uttering calumnies concerning him, and of feelings of hatred towards thy neighbours. See if thou hast cured thyself of cursing and swearing, and if thou hast laid aside words of obscenity, or words of ribaldry, or words of lewdness. See what manner of good thing it is which thou hast gotten for thyself. If thou hast abandoned [the eating of] bread overmuch, and of other kinds of food, but hast not abandoned passion, nor hast gotten for thyself spiritual excellences, in what way then hast thou benefited by the fasting? Thou shalt not say, 'Who is the man that will hold me up to contempt? I myself will hold him up to contempt. Who is he that will destroy my reputation? I myself will destroy his reputation. Who is he that will do wrong unto me? I myself will wreak my vengeance upon him.' Do not this, but leave the matter to the True Judge Who shall reward to each man according to his works.

31 For all these things shall be made manifest, and they shall all be put to the proof in that theatre wherein the whole world shall be gathered together. In that Other World one man shall not be able to give help to another, and no man shall be able to deliver himself from the decision of the Judge, wherefrom no escape may be obtained by supplication. In that place of judgement neither Moses, nor Noah, nor Daniel, nor even Abraham himself, the lover of children, shall be able to protect one of his children from the punishment. Let us keep in remembrance the fact that we are guilty of very many sins, both of those which are secret and of those which are manifest. Now, he (i. e., David) saith, 'If thou shalt mark carefully every iniquity, who is there that shall stand?' And why need I speak of the sins which are hidden? If He were to judge us only for those which are manifest, what chance of escape would there be for us? If He were to enquire closely into our conduct, or if He were to investigate our remissnesses in prayer, and our faint-heartedness, [what chance of escape would there be for us?] And when we stand in His presence, how do we place ourselves, and on what do we meditate? We do not even pay unto Him the honour which servants pay to their masters, or the respect which soldiers pay to their captains, or the honour which friends pay to their friends.

32 Now when we talk with our friends we are in the habit of addressing them with the greatest respect and deference, but when we pray to God Himself for our sins we habitually do this with carelessness, and although our knees are bent on the ground, our hearts themselves are imagining that they are occupied in the performance of worldly affairs. If God were to enquire carefully into this matter, where should we be able to stand? If, moreover, He were to bring forward (or, into the midst) the charges which we have uttered against each other, and the jealousy, and the hatred, what should we do? If also He were to examine carefully in respect of looking [upon our neighbours] with evil intent (or, maliciously), what should we do? And if He were to search into us carefully in respect of our evil desires, and if He were to demand from us our words of abuse, would any of us be able to open our mouths?

33 Moreover, if He were to judge us for our love of the approbation of men which we have mingled with our prayers, and fastings, and acts of mercy, should we ever be able to look boldly into heaven at all? If He were to look closely into our behaviour in respect of the acts of deceit which we have done to each other, and of how, when our brother was present with us, we held converse with him as a friend, but when he was absent we heaped abuse of every kind upon him as if he had been an enemy [what should we do?]. If He were to make a reckoning with us in respect of our false oaths, and our lies, and our wrath without cause against each other, and our malicious feelings, and our emotions of grief when we saw any one of our friends held in honour by men, or praised more than ourselves, and our feelings of joy when certain folk fell into evil and calamity, should we not be condemned to most severe punishment because of our behaviour in this respect. If He were to exact punishment from us for our carelessness in our assemblies for the Holy Communion, wherein God Himself speaketh to us in the Scriptures, but we pay no attention to Him, and we hold converse with our fellow-servants, should we not then be condemned to a punishment of great severity, because of our behaviour in this respect?

34 For this reason let us set Gehenna before our eyes at all seasons. And even if we had not been threatened definitely with Gehenna, it would have been meet for us to keep our sins in our memory at all times, [and seeing that] this Gehenna is ready for us, how much more are we bound to keep our sins in remembrance? Remember thou the Judge. For behold, he (i. e., the Book) spake unto thee aforetime concerning the punishment so that thou mightest make thy escape from the danger. If He were to command thee saying, 'Fast thou,' thou couldst find an excuse for not doing so in thy weakness. If He were to say unto thee, 'Give money in charity,' thou couldst find an excuse for not doing so in thy poverty. If He were to say unto thee, 'Collect nothing in this world,' thou couldst find an excuse in the necessity for providing for thy son. But if He were to say unto thee, 'Be not angry, bear no malice against, have no hatred for, treat not with contumely him that is thy neighbour,' what wouldst thou reply in respect of these things? Since, therefore, there is no apology for thee whatsoever, and there is no means of escape from these things in this respect, how wilt thou be able to lift up thy hands to heaven seeing that these things are in thy soul?

35 Moreover, on many occasions thou hast said, 'They have treated me unjustly, they have defrauded me of my property, they have done me an injury, and they have spoken evil things against me'; but thou hadst only to wait for the decision of the governor. If a servant were to treat thee with insolence thou wouldst not thyself beat him, but wouldst make an accusation against him to his master. How much more is it meet for thee to leave the matter unto Him Who said, 'Cast the judgement upon Me; I will repay, saith God.' Thou knowest, therefore, that it will be necessary for thee to take thy stand before the Awful Throne, where neither advocate nor possessions shall be able to assist thee, and that thy soul shall come forth on the 'river of flame which floweth before the throne of Christ', even as the fathers say who have been in that place before thee.

36 Let the fountain of thy tears be in size according to the measure of the sins which thou hast committed. If thy sins be few, then a little shedding of tears will suffice. If thy transgression be great, then thou wilt have need of overwhelming torrents of tears. If, however, thou thyself art free from sin, then shed thou thy tears on behalf of thy brother to a suitable degree, and weep with him for his sins. The place through which sin entereth is the eye; let, then, healing come through the eye. Let us repent before the door of repentance be shut in our teeth (or, mouth). For this reason [was said] that which was said, 'Let him that thinketh he standeth look carefully lest he fall.' Let him that is in a slippery place, and hath fallen, make haste to rise up [again], for he must not abandon himself to despair. For it is written, 'God upholdeth those who fall.'

37 And it happeneth that a man moveth sometimes a very little, according to that which David spake saying, 'As for me, a very little more and my feet would have moved; and a very little more and my steps would have slipped.' And again, 'I say, My feet move; but Thy grace, O God, helpeth me.' Then again, 'They thrust sore at me to make me fall, but God gave me [His] hand.' He who hath fallen hath, in these ensamples, an encouragement not to allow himself to remain in his fallen state, and he (i. e., the Book) saith, 'Shall not he that is in the habit of falling rise up again?' Watch, however, lest having heard of the goodness of God, thou becomest careless. Verily it is written, 'God, the True Judge, is longsuffering and merciful'; and He receiveth (or, accepteth) the repentance of those who shall turn unto Him, as one Who loveth men. But the Book saith, 'If ye will not turn yourselves He will sharpen His sword.' Listen, for the Book saith 'He will sharpen it'. Now hitherto He hath not made use of it to smite, for He thought that when thou didst see Him sharpening His sword, thou wouldst anticipate the passing of the sentence, and that fear would rouse thee up to repentance. For the Book saith, 'He hath stretched His bow, He hath made it ready.' Because thou hast not yet seen the arrow, presume not on the mercifulness of the Judge.

38 Listen to [the words of] longsuffering of the Saviour Who said, 'Agree thou with him that goeth to law with thee.' Now the adversary, that is to say, he that fighteth with thee, is with thee at all times. And that it is unlikely that thou wilt be able to rid thyself of him Paul teacheth thee saying, 'The flesh lusteth against our spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; these, moreover, war against each other.' Now the spirit warreth against the flesh, and it bringeth into subjection the lust of this world through the hope of the kingdom which is in the heavens. The flesh itself warreth against the spirit, and it inclineth towards the earth and the pleasures thereof. Agree thou therefore with him that goeth to law with thee whilst he is with thee in the way; for when the way hath come to an end, thou wilt no longer find another opportunity for repentance. Watch thou then carefully lest he that goeth to law with thee give thee over into the hand of the Judge, and the Judge give thee over into the hand of the attendant, that is to say, the merciless powers which are over the punishments, and they cast thee into prison, that is to say, the outer darkness, until thou pay the uttermost kontrantés. Moreover, they shall judge thee not only for thy deeds, but also for thy thoughts and for thy motives.

39 Since, therefore, we know all these things, let us help ourselves. When we shall have actual experience of the punishments, then we shall know that bitter is pleasure, and then we shall have good reason for knowing how bitter that bitterness can be. Now therefore, since these things take place in this wise, O my beloved, let us make our appeal to the Merciful God not to deliver us over into the hands of the demons. Let us ourselves say with the holy man David, 'Give thou me not over unto those who would do violence unto me.' For it is they who urge us on into sin straightway, and it is they who shall be our accusers in the Day of Judgement. It is not the Devil only, but all his angels also, who shall make accusations against us saying, 'Were we not those who assisted you in [committing] fornication, and to be wroth, and to love vain glory, and in [utter] malicious calumnies?' Let us, then, be afraid in our hearts of that day, and of that

40 hour wherein our own power of reasoning shall be our sternest judge, and of that moment wherein we shall see them (i. e., our sins) all standing before us, clearly depicted in our sight, as if they were actual images, and let us cry out to our God with all our hearts. For even if the flesh which is on us be weak, yet He Who is ready to help us is mighty, and He will give us salvation in His Kingdom. [Now] we ourselves love a certain man for [one] of three things; either because of his goodness, or because he loveth us ourselves, or because of his beauty. But what other kind of beauty is there which can be compared with that which belongeth to our God? even as David spake saying, 'He is fairer in His beauty than the children of men.' Moreover, who is there that doeth such good that he will prepare for those who love him the good things which the eye hath not seen, nor the ear heard of, nor hath the conception thereof entered into the hearts of men?

41 Moreover, who is there who hath loved us as our God and Father hath loved us? He crieth out saying, 'Doth there exist a mother who forgetteth her son? Or doth there exist a bride who shall forget the bridal adornments which have been given to her? Or doth there exist a virgin who shall forget the girdle wherewith she bindeth herself? Yet I will not forget, saith God.' Consider now the blessed man David and how great was the desire which he had to see God, for he said, 'When shall I come and appear before the face of my God?' He did not wish to wait until the appointed time in his life, but he burned with desire to come forth from this place (or, world), and to see Him Whom he loved. Such desire or such readiness appertained to the soul of the philosopher, which took to itself wings and flew up into the sky. Moreover, thou thyself shalt love this [God] only, and thou shalt pass by all the works (or, affairs) of this life as if they were shadows. Keep thou in remembrance at all times the life which shall be for ever, and the kingdom which shall endure, and the existence with the choirs of angels, and the imperishable glory, and the living of the life with Christ, wherein there shall be no sorrow of heart whatsoever, for the Scripture saith, 'Sorrow of heart, and grief, and sighing, shall flee away.'

42 And continue to remember this life wherein there is nothing but grief, and weeping, and sadness of heart, and contumely, and carelessness, and sin, and suffering, and old age, and death. Now David saw these things, and more than these, that is to say, calumny (or, injustice), and widowhood, and sudden death, and retribution for sin, and the fallings into tribulations of all kinds which are incidental to citizenship in this life, and he earnestly desired to escape from all these [troubles]. And he said, 'When shall I come and appear before the face of my God?' He wished to depart from this place (i. e., world), and to enter into the place (or, world) wherein are peace, and gladness, and love, and splendour, and freedom from care, and all the good things which no words can possibly present to the mind. For this reason, since thou thyself hast the

43 hope of enjoying such great delights as these, do not thou treat the matter [of thy life] with contempt. Let thy lamp be kept burning every day, and be thou prepared to meet the Bridegroom, so that thou thyself mayest hear [the words], 'Enter into the joy of our God.' It is right therefore for us to keep watch, and to pray at all times. For if after God spake unto the Devil saying, 'Lay not thy hands upon My servant Job,' he still continued to hope that he would be able to cast him down, how much more will he fight against us who are under his hand? And if he is not to cast us down, we shall have need of long nights of protracted watching to guard our souls [thereby]. Now the soldier is accustomed to keep watch very many nights when on the march, and the fisherman doth not sleep, but keepeth watch the whole night long until he hath caught a multitude of fishes. Similarly also the husbandman is accustomed to keep watch

44 throughout the night, so that no person may destroy his vineyard, and the shepherd also keepeth watch all night guarding his flocks of sheep, even as the Patriarch Jacob spake saying, 'I was consumed by the fiery heat in the daytime, and by the cold of the night, and sleep departed from my eyes.' And for what reason did he pass such long nights of vigil? He did so because he said, 'Peradventure some wild beast will destroy one of the sheep.' Now if he took all this care for the sake of a sheep which is without reason, it is meet that we should take far greater care of our soul which hath reason, and is far more precious than any other thing whatsoever; and it is the soul which they will place before the Awful Throne, and make to defend itself for all that it hath done. For this reason, moreover, let us set down the burden of our sins from our shoulders before the place of judgement [is made ready], for it is unlikely that we shall be able to repent in that place (i. e., in the world to come). For this same reason we shall be condemned to come forth from the body [which shall] be hidden from us, in order that we may be in terror at all times. For if in a court of justice in this world men are terrified, and become as cold as ice through fear when they hear the voice of the court-crier proclaiming [the names] of those who have been condemned, how much more should those be terrified who are destined to take their stand before the Awful Throne, in the midst of thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands of angels?

45 And consider the blessed man Jacob who, having set a stone under his head, slept and saw a ladder upon the earth, the top whereof reached up into the sky; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it, and they were bearing our prayers up to God, and bringing to us blessings from His hand. It must be, moreover, that all these keep their gaze upon us, nay, more than this, they must be sorry at heart for us. If they have joy concerning us when we repent, in like manner they must be sorrowful in heart concerning our carelessness. For at all times our conscience accuseth us, and chideth us for what we have done, more especially when we speak concerning the judgement which is to come; moreover, the correction which is the result of the words which are good is wholesome. Would that that rich man had been rebuked [on earth], for then his tongue would not have been consumed in the fire which cannot be extinguished! If thou desirest earnestly virginity, and thou dost keep the commandments, God will bestow it upon thee in full measure. And if thou shalt say when thou prayest, 'Keep me, O God, as the apple of [Thine] eye,' He Himself shall say unto thee, 'Keep thou My words and My commandments as the apple of [thine] eye.' When thou keepest His commandments, He Himself shall take care of thy soul, and thou shalt say concerning thyself, 'Whosoever toucheth thee shall be as one who toucheth the apple of His eye.'

46 And, O beloved, now that thou hast set thy hand to the plough, do not turn back, and thou shalt not become like a pillar of salt. Let thy tongue speak at all times concerning the judgement which is to come, and make thou thyself to be useful, and thou shalt become a chosen man, through the fear of the place of judgement in the Other World. Let neither anger have dominion over thee, nor grief, nor any feeling of passion whatsoever; and utter not vain words without consideration. On the contrary, let the Law of God be at all times in thy mouth, so that thine eye shall pass through all these things, and thy speech shall be according to the Law of God. Set thou the Giver of the Law before thine eyes at all times, and let Him continue to abide with thee, and let Him be unto thee a counsellor. And if thou shalt see one who fareth delicately, and who enjoyeth himself in great riches, know thou that he shall wither suddenly like the grass of the field. Let him fare delicately in his eatings and feastings, but do thou [nourish] thyself on the words of God.

47 Many of the virgins have become martyrs, and since they conquered death, even though some of them were women, is it not meet that thou, who art a man, shouldst gain the victory over desire? Strive thou with all thy might to make thy members creatures of sacrifice, so that thou mayest conquer not only thy desire, but also that thou mayest have rule over pride and wrath. Let there be a measure set for [thy] tongue, and take heed that thou dost not make thy conscience to pass sentence upon thee before the condemnation (or, judgement). Remember thou that of necessity all our works shall be made manifest. No man desireth that even one person shall see us in this world if we are to be put to shame; then where shall we hide ourselves in that Other World, among the thousands of thousands, and tens of thousands of tens of thousands [of angels]?

48 Now John, because he was a holy virgin, reclined upon the breast of Jesus. Let that soul which wisheth to become the bride of Jesus Christ guard carefully its innocence; for the tree is known by its fruit, and 'the righteous man declareth the faith which is manifest'. Remember thou at all times the good confession of Christ which hath entered into thy heart. Remember thou the last day. Make thou thyself secure on every side, especially in the matter of thy tongue, for the Scripture saith, 'The tongue is that which polluteth the whole body'; when the body is polluted it is a necessity that the heart also should be corrupt therewith. Therefore well hath Paul said, 'Men whose hearts are evil,' and 'evil words corrupt the hearts which are col. good'. Seek thou after Paul, even as did the blessed woman Thekla, so that thou mayest hear the words of Paul. Thou hast need of wings, and if thou hast no wings thou wilt find it vain to attempt to fly.

49 Let thine eyes look downwards upon the ground, but let thy heart be in the height of the heavens. Thou hast need of great soberness (or, caution), for thine Adversary standeth against thee, and he is wary. He was cast forth from the Paradise which was upon the earth, and he seeth thee now [as] thou enterest into heaven, and is not unmindful of it. Hearken unto the word of him that saith, 'I wish that ye may be without care.' Let there be no care whatsoever to thee about anything, except only that which concerneth the kingdom which is in the heavens. If thou wishest to enter into heaven with the body, from the earth, subdue thou the flesh by means of fasting, and then thou shalt be able to make it to enter into the height with ease. If a horse be accustomed to eat large quantities of food, he is able neither to gallop quickly nor to make long marches, and he is unable to do regular work. Had Israel not eaten and waxed fat, he would not have kicked.

50 Lift up thine eyes to the heavens, wherein is He Whom thou lovest, and thou shalt overcome passion by means of the love which is holy. Prayer and faith shall help thee, and the Holy Scriptures shall give thee instruction, and thou shalt have from this world, according to [His] pledge to us, the rest which is in the heavens. Abide not with a woman who shall make thee to offend, have no care for a child, and avoid thou the care which appertaineth to the rearing of a child. Follow thou after thy God Who shall be the guide of thy heart into the kingdom which is in the heavens. Follow thou after Him Who saith unto thee, 'If ye shall come to Me in rectitude, I Myself will come to you in rectitude.' If thou wishest to be like unto Christ, follow thou in His footsteps; narrow is the gate and difficult, and it is [only] the righteous who enter in through it. Hearken unto the blessed man Daniel, who saith, 'I Daniel was in sore grief for three weeks. I ate no bread with desire, and neither flesh nor wine entered into my mouth.' And John who dwelt in the desert did not cultivate a vineyard for himself, in order that he might not make himself to be a being attached to the earth. Let these be unto thee [examples] which have been prepared to instruct thee. Thou shalt choose for thyself the citizenship which appertaineth to heaven. Fight thou the good fight of faith, and look eagerly beyond it to thy crown of righteousness, and let thy career be strenuous.

51 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. Hast thou noto bserved the statues of the emperors, and noticed that some of them are large and beautifully adorned, whilst others have become black through [the lapse of] time, and have decayed, and have become objects of derision? Thus shall all our works appear in that other world which is to come, even as the statues. Let us flee from that shame which shall be for ever, and let us say, 'Guard me, O God, for in Thee have I set my hope; Thou hast no need of good gifts.' For He hath no need whatsoever of anything that belongeth to us, except only the salvation of our souls. Therefore, let us offer ourselves as a living, holy sacrifice, as it is written, 'I am not to be propitiated with a burnt offering, but with mercy and patient endurance'; for He spake saying, 'He that shall endure patiently to the end shall be saved.' And again [the Book saith], 'He hath suffered for ever, he shall live to the end.'

52 Therefore, as we would choose for ourselves a life free from care, and free from disturbance, let us run wisely so that we may obtain, even as it is written. It is not a few dangers which should make us to break the agreement which we have made with God. For this reason let us teach our tongue, let us teach our eyes, let us lift up in prayer our hands, which shall be clean, and let us make our feet to walk in rectitude. Create for thyself a citizenship which shall be good, and without blemish, by means of humility, and shamefacedness, and calmness of mind and body, and temperance in eating, and the continence which is effective, and the love of strenuous toil, and sympathy, and brotherly love, and the sharing of our possessions with our neighbours, and the faith which is perfect. Now these are only a very few [of the qualities] of which we may make mention in this case, and they need great striving to make them to flourish.

53 The Book saith, 'The kingdom which is in the heavens is like unto the [ten] virgins.' It doth not say that it is like unto the sun, or the moon, or the beautiful hosts of the stars, or the gold which is incorruptible, or the beauty which fadeth away, or even the sky itself. Observe the exalted reputation of purity, for it entereth into everything. And it is this of which Paul, the sponsor, spake saying, 'I would that ye should be without carefulness.' Therefore what is seemly for us to do is to pray, so that those who are strong among the virgins may remain permanent in their healthy state, and that those who are sick, who have actually fallen into sin, may receive healing. Now it is seemly that we ourselves should weep in such a manner that we may wash out our eyes which have been seeing badly; thou seest the wound, and thou knowest what will heal it. Fortify thou the windows of thy soul, and not only thine ears, and thine eyes, and thy mouth, for these are the entrances through which the Evil One is wont to come in, even as it is written, 'Death hath entered in through your windows.' Let the commandments of holiness be upon thine eyes, and upon thine ears. Let the Psalms be in thy mouth, and meditation on the Scriptures [in thy heart]. Therefore it is seemly for us to open our windows, that is to say, our senses (or, feelings) to God, and to shut them fast against the Adversary. Say thou, moreover, with that holy soul, 'I will go up into the palm tree, and I will lay hold of the height thereof,' that is to say, 'I will lift up my mind into the heavens, I will lay hold upon the right faith, and I will not concern myself with the things of the earth.'

54 Take thou, however, good heed unto thyself, lest there be thorns in the palm tree, that is to say, admonishings, when thou art driven to follow after sin, for the Book saith, 'The words of the wise are as ox-goads, and as the nails which are sharp'—so that whilst these remain fixed in thy heart thou shalt abstain from every sin. Now the Book saith, 'Lay hold upon the height thereof,' in order that thou mayest be above the sky, and be able to bear the temptations which shall come upon thee. From time to time, and at all times, rehearse the Holy Scriptures, for as the wine which men drink assuageth grief, and changeth the sadness of the heart into joy, even so doth the spiritual wine which is distributed throughout the Scriptures make the soul which hath partaken thereof to rejoice. Let the remembrance of God be in thy heart at all times, and thou thyself shalt say with David, 'I see God face to face at all times; He is on [my] right hand, therefore shall I never be moved.' Let these words be written on thy hands, and fixed firmly before thine eyes. If thou wilt ascribe glory

55 to God by reason of His commandments, He shall be on thy right hand; if thou treat Him with contempt through thy transgressions, the Devil shall be on thy right hand. For thus doth the Scripture bear witness concerning Judas who made himself to be an assistant [of the Devil]: 'Let the Devil stand on his right hand.' Ascribe thou glory unto God at all times, and say, 'I will exalt Thee, O my God and King'; thou shalt glorify Him through thy works, and not through thy words only. In this wise did David ascribe glory to God, and he said, 'I will bless Thee for ever, and for ever and ever.' [He did not glorify Him] for a day, neither for a month, nor for a year, but throughout his life, for he well knew that if a man made perfect his glorification of God he would be only beginning. But thou wilt say often, 'What manner of heart is it that is able to ascribe glory to God at all times?' Now the heart is even as the blessed man Paul wrote, 'I know not how to do anything whatsoever.' And again, it is even as David spake saying, 'Cleanse me, O God, from my secret [sins].' And our heart must be like unto that which the Saviour commanded us to make for ourselves saying, 'Blessed are those who are pure in their hearts, for they shall see God.'

56 Thus is it with the man who committeth no sin against God, and who ascribeth glory to God through his words and through his works. And if there cometh upon such a man who doeth such things sickness, or poverty, or death, he shall not fall into despair, but he shall say with Paul, 'Who shall separate us from the love of God?' and the words which follow these. Remember thou the day, that Awful Day, which shall be filled with quaking, and that moment when we shall take our stand before the Holy Throne, and shall have to defend every deed which we have done in this world, and when all the sins which we have committed shall be made to appear before the eyes of every one, and when there shall be revealed again to us those things which we had forgotten. In that place shall there be the river of fire, and the worm which is deathless. Remember that moment when the books of our hearts shall be opened, when they shall unroll them and read them aloud in the midst of the theatre of that Other World. Then shall all the works which we have done be laid bare, those which we have done openly, and those which we have done in secret, and the things which have been done in the night season, and those which have been done in the daytime, and those which we have done inadvertently, and the faults of forgetfulness, and those which we have done with the members in the body, and those which we have performed at the dictates of our hearts; and in that hour everything which we have done during our whole lives, and every sin which we committed in secret, shall be revealed.

57 Remember that it is necessary for us to transfer ourselves from this world, and that we must appear before the Judge Whom it is impossible to deceive, Who shall reveal the things which are hidden in the darkness, Who shall make manifest the counsels of hearts, and Who shall try our works, and our thoughts, and our words. In [that] hour we shall receive a great punishment for the sins which we have committed, and which we imagined were few. Keep thou in thy remembrance at every hour the flame of Gehenna which cannot be quenched, and forget it not. And set thou at all times before thine eyes the Judge, Who shall come to judge those who are living and those who are dead. Think, moreover, of the thousands of thousands, and the tens of thousands of tens of thousands, of angels who stand before the Judge at all times. Let thine ears hear beforehand the sound of the trumpets, and the awful voice of that Judge, and let thine eyes see beforehand the things which are

58 ordained to take place. Now there shall be some whom they will cast forth into the outer darkness, and there are others who even after the fight, and the suffering, which [they have endured for the sake of] virginity, shall have the door of the bridal chamber, which is in the heavens, shut against them. Look at certain of them, and observe how they are tied up in bundles, like garden waste, and cast into the furnace of fire. And see how they bind the hands and the feet of others and cast them forth into the outer darkness, and how certain of them are delivered over to the worm which sleepeth not, and to the gnashing of the teeth. On one they pass the sentence of condemnation because he laughed the laugh of the scoffer, and out of season; and on another because he offended his brother, or because he

59 behaved unjustly towards his neighbour; and they judge another because of the sins which he committed in secret. To another they assign retribution because of the idle words which he spake. On another they pass sentence of doom because of his evil mind. In the face (or, mouth) of another the door of the kingdom is shut because of the words of infamy which he hath spoken. Another they deliver over to the punishment which is without healing, because he did not hate the things which are evil. Another they deliver over to derision and shame for ever. And others who have shewn themselves to be entirely destitute of the understanding of God shall hear [spoken the words], 'I know you not; whence are ye?' because they did in the course of their works things which were an abomination to Christ. These things then being thus, in what manner is it meet for us to live? We must devote ourselves daily to the shedding of torrents of tears, and we must say with the prophet, 'Who will set a stream of water upon my head, and a fountain of tears in mine eyes?' I will weep for my sins by day and by night, so that I may be able to flee from the punishment which shall take place. Let us confess beforehand our sins, before [we come to] that awful place of judgement. Let us cry out to the mercy of God, so long as we are in this habitation, for the Scripture saith, 'Who shall give thanks unto Thee in Amente?'

60 Moreover, let us consider this, O beloved. God hath made for us all the members of our material body double, for He hath bestowed upon us two eyes, two ears, two hands, and two feet. If it should happen that one of these [pairs] becometh disabled through sickness, we are able to relieve our wants by [using] the other. The soul, however, which hath been made for us is one only, and if we destroy it through carelessness, by what manner of means shall we live? Let us take exceedingly great care that we do not permit anything whatsoever to become of more importance than the health of the soul, for it is the soul which will be set up to be judged, and it is the soul which will have to defend [the body] before that Throne. If thou shalt say at that time to the Judge, 'The possessions of this world outwitted me,' He Who judgeth shall make answer unto thee saying, 'Didst thou then not hear Me when I cried out to thee, In what shall a man be benefited if he gain the whole world and soffer the loss of his soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' And He shall say unto thee, moreover, 'Eve profited nothing when she said, "The serpent deceived me."'

61 Further, O my brethren, let us set these things in our hearts. Come ye, let us rise up of ourselves with glad readiness. Come ye, let us ascribe glory to God, before the darkness cometh, and before there cometh upon us that great and shining day, concerning which the Prophet spake saying, 'Behold, God cometh! Who shall be able to abide the day in which He cometh?' That day shall be a day of terror, a day of darkness and blackness, a day of cloud and gloom, a day of blasts of the trumpet. Peradventure thou wilt say, 'Who shall be able to escape all these things?' Hearken, it is I who will tell thee. Now thou must not imagine that thou wilt escape merely by keeping thy body in a state of purity; on the contrary [these things also must thou do]. Whensoever any man doeth unto thee that which is evil thou must do unto him that which is good in return. Whensoever men make false accusations against thee thou must continue to lead a well-ordered life. Whensoever men curse (or, revile) thee, thou must bless them in return. Whensoever thou shalt fast thou shalt not be puffed up thereby, for it is not thine abstinence from eating only which is true fasting, but also thine abstinence from sin.

62 It is meet for us to search carefully the Scriptures. For observe that it was a staff of wood of the almond tree which the prophet saw at the beginning, but afterwards it was a brazen vessel of fire which actually appeared to him, which indicated that he who will not lay hold on the rod of correction in this world, is he whom the fire of Gehenna shall put to the test in the next. Moreover, in this same manner did Moses teach the people, with a pillar of light and a pillar of fire. He cried out unto every one saying, 'He who will hearken to the Law shall have the enjoyment of the light which is true and pleasant, and he who will not hearken shall be delivered over to the fire.' 63 Read ye the Gospels, and ye shall know that when we shall go forth from this world there is nothing whatsoever which will help us. No brother shall be able to set free [another] brother from the punishment which never endeth, and no friend shall be able to help his friend; neither shall fathers be able to help their children, nor children their fathers. But why should I speak of ordinary men in this manner? For neither Noah, nor Daniel, nor Job, would be able to set free either son or daughter. Now many times thou wilt say to me, 'What is the proof of these words?' [I will tell thee.] Consider the man who had not on him the wedding garment, and observe that, after they had cast him forth from the bridal chamber, there was not one of those that sat at meat who interceded for him. Consider, moreover, the servant unto whom the talent was given, and observe that, after he had been cast forth into the outer darkness, there was no man who made an appeal on his behalf. Consider, moreover, the five virgins, and observe that after the door of the bridal chamber had been shut in their faces (or, mouths), none of their fellow-virgins asked the bridegroom for a recompense for those whom Christ called 'foolish'. Although they had trampled under foot the flame of pleasure, and had extinguished the fire of desire, and had kept protracted fasts, and had passed whole nights in vigil, and had slept on the ground, although, I say, they had done all these things, He called them 'foolish', and in very truth rightly did He call them by this name, because, though they had observed the great commandment to guard their virginity with success, they had forgotten to observe the little commandment which inculcated charity.

64 Think of the Judge Who setteth the sheep on His right hand, and the unfruitful goats on His left. Unto those who are on His right hand He saith, 'Come ye, and inherit the kingdom,' and those who are on [His] left He Himself casteth forth into the outer darkness, and none of those who are on the right hand is able to help them. Verily, true is that proverb which saith, 'Behold the man and his work.' Behold, hast thou not heard concerning that rich man, between whom and Lazarus a gulf had been made, who wished him to sprinkle water [on his tongue] as he was burning in the place of punishment? And thou sawest also that Abraham was not able to set the rich man free from the place of punishment, although the rich man entreated him [to do so]. Ought we not, then, to help ourselves in this world, and to ascribe glory to God before the darkness cometh, that is to say, before we are banished into the darkness?

65 It is far better to have our tongue parched in this world by fasting than for us to wish to have water sprinkled [upon it] in that place where water will not be given unto us. Let us put forth our utmost endeavour to free ourselves from this great torture through a few sufferings in this world. Remember when the fever of sickness cometh upon us, or a few disasters (or, calamities), or when we look upon those who are punished by the judge in [this] world, whereupon horror and quaking seize upon us, notwithstanding the fact that both the punishment and the place of judgement [endure] only for a very short space of time, remember, I say, what manner of punishment it shall be in the place of judgement in the Other World which is to come, wherein we shall be punished for endless ages. Ought we not, therefore, to make haste to enter in through the narrow gate, and not to walk about in the broad way? Now we know that all the works of the world are like unto dreams, and that they all pass away into destruction. For sickness bringeth to nought the strength of the body, and even the beauty of the bodily form decayeth through old age. And even if we enjoy [the sight of] a table heaped high with food, when the evening cometh we forget the pleasures thereof. And in short, everything which is in this world becometh like unto the web of the spider, and like unto dreams. Rightly, therefore, did the Saviour ascribe blessing to those who afflict themselves so that the pleasures of this world may not prevail over them.

66 Should not, then, we ourselves do as did Abraham, who hearkened unto [the words], 'Get thee forth from thy country,' and come forth from our iniquity? And let us pray with the holy man David, and say unto God, 'I will bless Thee seven times in the day because of the judgement of Thy righteousness.' Now it is a good occupation to hold converse with God at all times by means of prayer. If the friendship of a good man converteth him that meeteth with him to that which is excellent, how much more will he be benefited who holdeth converse with God, by night and by day, by means of prayer? Now, no man ever sinned who remembered that God was before him. Therefore ought we not to remember that which he said, 'Pray at all times,' in order that sin may not discover a way whereby to enter into our hearts through the practice of forgetfulness? Ponder beforehand upon the death which thou shalt die in thy members which are upon the earth, and [remember] that the day of God shall come like a thief. When those who are to bear away thy soul shall come after thee thou wilt say, 'Be merciful unto me, for I will fast, I will do deeds of mercy, I will repent.' And they shall say unto thee, 'Didst thou, then, not hear God Who cried out saying, "The kingdom which is in the heavens hath drawn nigh?" Didst thou, then, not hear Him when He spake saying, "Shew mercy, and I will shew mercy unto you?" Didst thou, then, not hear Paul saying, "Whilst we have time with us let us do the thing which is good?"

67 He who desireth salvation hath no need of a long time [for repentance]. The thief had no need of a long time for repentance; he believed earnestly, and he gained Paradise. And the holy martyrs in a very little time inherited the kingdom which is in the heavens; they gave their blood, do thou give thy tears. He Who said, 'I would that all men should be saved,' is no liar; for this reason He teachethr us not only by the Holy Scriptures, but also by the misfortunes and sufferings of others. Moreover, we see physicians inflicting pain on men, and we also see the governors who sit on the seat of judgement inflicting righteous punishments on the thieves, and this they do in order that through the sufferings of others we may be admonished. And now, O my beloved, since we are rooted in the faith, let us increase in knowledge; from knowledge [let us proceed] to love, and from this to the inheritance which is in the heavens. Let us persist obstinately in prayer, as it is written.

68 Shepherds, even if there be no wolves about them, keep watch all night over their flocks of sheep, and even if there be no wild animals [about them] their dogs keep watch for them. For this reason is it good that we should continue to exercise ourselves in our work at all times, and even if no temptations come upon us, the exercise will certainly do thee no harm whatsoever, nay, on the contrary, thou wilt benefit thyself exceedingly. For who is the man who did not benefit himself by watching all night in prayer? Therefore it is meet for us to keep watch on every side, so that evil may not break into our souls. When once the soul hath tasted sin, it will continue in a state of unconsciousness, and will go on adding greatly to the sickness of sin. For as when thou hast once kindled a fire it burneth up quickly through the fuel [above it], and flames burst out in all directions, even so is it in the case of the natural disposition of sin, which finally obtaineth the mastery over the reasoning power of the soul, and then destroyeth the whole soul itself, and the body also with it. For this reason what we ought to do is to drive back once and for all the beginnings of sin, just as we should drive back a horse which is uncontrolled. If we take heed [that we speak not] idle words, how much more ought we to do so in the case of the sins which lead to death? Let not the pleasure of the works of [this] life lead us astray.

69 For the works of men are in no wise different from dreams and shadows, and they are like the rushing torrent which floweth swiftly away. Hold not to be marvellous things the possessions and the riches of this world, but observe how they are transferred from this man to that, and how they pass from that man to another; for this reason it is right that we should despise them. For very right is the word which is written that saith, 'The things which are seen are those that are for a time, whilst the things which are not seen are those which are for ever.' The latter things are incorruptible and indestructible, and they abide without change. Let us therefore do our utmost to acquire these things for ourselves. Let us strive eagerly for these things, for otherwise it is unlikely that we shall be able to acquire any of these for ourselves, when we shall go forth from this life. For he who striveth in the contest receiveth not the crown if he abandoneth the contest; therefore let us seize and carry off the crown, and we shall thus escape disgrace and loss. Now the Scripture saith, 'He whose possessions are consumed with fire shall suffer loss.' Now what kind of burning with fire is that which shall be to us? And what kind of thing is the outer darkness? And what kind of things are the place of weeping and the gnashing of teeth? Take these things into thy heart, and guard thou thy soul and keep in virgin state until the Bridegroom cometh in His glory.

70 And do thou sing psalms saying, 'My soul is in thy hands at all times,' 'I do not forget Thy Law.' And say, 'Thou art He Who doth deliver me from the snare of the hunter.' Let thy lamp be burning, and permit not thyself to fall asleep. And if slumber be sweet to thee in the night season, yet know thou that there is nothing sweeter than the Psalms. For the holy man [David] said, 'Thy words are sweeter in my throat than honey in the mouth.' The martyrs gave their own souls for the Name of God: let us bring as an offering [to Him] our life of self-denial. Remember that some of the martyrs were laid upon coals of fire: let not, therefore, the matter seem to thee to be a hardship if thou hast to sleep upon the ground. If thy mouth is wont to become foul and bitter through fasting, [remember that] He Who created the sweetness in the honey tasted gall for thy sake. Although thou mayest weep occasionally for thy sins, thou hast not as yet done as Paul did, who wept for the

71 salvation of others. Let us address each other in these words: 'Suffering endureth only for a short time, but the Resurrection (or, Rest) is for eternity.' Vanquish suffering by means of hope. For the Scripture saith, 'Tribulation worketh patience, and patience hope, and hope giveth birth to shamefacedness.' Consider, moreover, that pleasure [endureth] only for a short time, and that punishment lasteth for ever. Excuse thyself from the delight of pleasure, because of the tribulation of the punishment [thereof]. Cause not the Devil to make use of our members as arrows [against us], and guard thyself and let him not transfix thee with the arrow of the appetite of the belly. For thou knowest that, after the people [of Israel] had passed over the sea, without being drowned, Moses himself became master of the land through the appetite of the belly. Take good heed thyself to the sufferings of those who were there, and flee thou from their fall. If God did not give His people who were there [water] to drink, He will not give thee [water] to drink if thou practise carelessness. If thou shalt strive in the contest with thy whole heart, in perfect faith, thou shalt be happy in joy and in gladness for ever. Lay fast hold, therefore, at all times upon these teachings which are full of salvation, and keep thou them, and fulfil thou them, so that the Holy Trinity may be glorified through thee, Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, henceforward, and always, for all ages of ages. Amen.