verily said to her, "We are in desire of you, obey us: we are the elders of the people." Those who seemed to govern the people were themselves drowning. "The law is subject to us" (nay, rather the law condemns you, saying: *Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife* [Exod. 20:17]); "but if you do not obey us, we will accuse you of having been with a youth." When she heard this word, she groaned, saying, "Anguish is on every side. It is better to choose death for the sake of chastity than illicit nuptials." But they, having lost the prey, accused her before the people; she, however, remained silent, discerning the reward of patience. They condemned her for violated chastity, B laid hands upon her, and she proceeded to death. The people beheld the condemnation; but God, the knower of all secrets, excited the Holy Spirit upon Daniel, who revealed the hidden counsels, the impurity of the elders, the chastity of Susanna. They were suffused with shame, and she was glorified: they in infamy, she in glory. You know what a morsel patience is. As many of you, therefore, as possess the image of patience, emulate this desire. *For he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved* (Matth. 24:13) in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and empire unto ages of ages. Amen.
ADMONITION TO THE FOLLOWING ORATION
This oration is found under the name of Chrysostom in the Vatican Codex 572, fol. 18. It is also found in two Royal codices, in the Barocci (Bodleian) codex, and in a certain Taurinensian codex. See also Lambecius, Book IV, p. 94. And it was edited by Savile, Vol. 6, p. 968. Everywhere it is carried under the name of Chrysostom; but it contains nothing worthy of Chrysostom, as anyone even moderately experienced will immediately perceive.ON THE SALVATION OF THE SOUL
Beloved, as many of you as have abandoned the vain and fleeting things of this life, struggle that you may not turn your mind back to them again. For riches pass away, and glory perishes, beauty withers, and all things are changed and dissipated like smoke, and pass by like a shadow, and are dissipated like a dream. Therefore Solomon said, *Vanity of vanities, all is vanity* (Eccl. 1:2). But in vain do they struggle with the things of this life; truly they are troubled in vain, they are tumultuous in vain, they are agitated in vain, struggling and gathering things which they will leave behind a little later: which we cannot take away with us; but having left all things, naked as we were born, we shall migrate to the fearful Judge. Even if we have scraped together all the treasures, naked, dark, miserable, sad, cast down, humiliated, contrite, timid, trembling, mournful, grieving, with face cast down to the earth, C covering D it for shame—thus we shall migrate, thus we shall rise again, thus we shall stand before that tribunal, [that] horrendous, bitter [tribunal], where there is no acceptance of persons, where the angels tremble, where the terrible thrones are set, where the books of deeds are opened, where the river of inextinguishable fire [is], where that huge worm, where the darkness without light, where that cold tartar, where the gnashing of teeth, where interminable tears, where the groaning that cannot be suppressed, where the inconsolable lamentation; where there is no laughter, but wailing; where there is no joy, but groaning; where there is no pleasure, but judgment; where there is no voice, but trembling. It is horrible to hear, beloved, it is more horrible to see all creation standing and rendering an account of word, of deed, of the thoughts with which we have sinned by night and by day. Great is the fear then, brothers, great the necessity, such as never was, nor shall be until that day. Then the angels circulate, the trumpets sound, the stars fall, the sun is darkened, the heavens are rolled up, the earth is shaken, the powers run before, the Seraphim cry out, the supernal, the lowest, the terrestrial, the infernal are deranged, the sepulchers are opened, the bodies rise again and are gathered, the judgment is prepared. Much fear, ineffable trembling, incomprehensible necessity which will be then: great is that winter, great the pain, a grave calamity, an incessant tumult, a great wailing. Hear therefore what Daniel says: *I beheld in the vision of the night, until the thrones were set, and the ancient of days sat. His garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head pure as wool: his throne a flame, his wheels a fire kindled. A flaming river was drawing before his face; thousand thousands ministered to him, and ten thousand times a hundred thousand stood before him: the judgment sat, and the books were opened* (Dan. 7:9, 10, 15). Alas! The prophet shuddered at the vision of the future judgment. What are we to suffer when we shall have arrived at the things themselves? When we shall be present, gathered together from the rising of the sun even to the going down, naked, and when we shall show to all the burden of sins placed upon our neck? Then the tongues of the blasphemers shall burn with flames, and there shall be no one who may cool them; then the teeth of the detractors shall be ground by cruel angels; then the hands of the avaricious, hanging down, shall tremble, and flayed, shall bring pain; then the mouths of the babblers shall be obstructed with fire; then the eyes of those who wink shall be gouged out without mercy. Where then are the parents, where the brothers, where the father, where the mother, where the kinsmen, where the friends? Where the fastidiousness of kings, where the power of princes, where the arrogance of tyrants, where the pride of judges? Where the servants, where the maidservants? Where the luxury of garments, where the colors of gems, where the fastidiousness of gold, where the sound of silver? Where the ornament of rings, where the shoe constricting the foot, where the silken garments, where the linen? Where the meats, where the unguents and vain fumigations? Where the recondite treasures, where the adorned beds? Where those who despised the poor? Where those who neglected those who were in necessity? Where those who thought themselves wise? Where those who drank wine with tympans and choirs? Where those who always laughed, and mocked the pious? Where those who treated servants badly, and made no account of the fear of God? Where those who did not believe divine vengeance, and lived as if immortal? Where are those who said, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die"? Where are those who said, "Give me the present day, and take for yourself the morrow"? Where are those who said, "Let us enjoy the present things, and see about those"? Where are those who said, "God is clement, he will not punish sinners"? O how much will they repent who say such things! How much they will lament, and no one will have mercy on them! How much they will groan, and no one will redeem them! How much, macerating themselves, will they say: "Woe! because we played the fool with ourselves; woe! because we destroyed ourselves. We were taught, and gave no heed: we were warned, and we despised: these things testified to us, and we did not believe: while we heard the Scriptures, we led ourselves into error. The judgment of God is just: for we receive what is worthy of the things we have done." Woe to us, because for the sake of temporary pleasure, we are tormented eternally! For the negligence of a short time we are plunged into eternal fire; on account of vain glory we have fallen from the glory of God;SPURIA. IN CATECHUMENOS.
A ...those who strike them, saying: "Woe, woe, that we mocked ourselves! Woe, that we destroyed ourselves! We were taught, and we did not heed; we were admonished, and we despised; they testified to us, and we did not believe; hearing the Scriptures, we led ourselves astray." The judgment of God is just; for we receive what is worthy of the things we have done. Woe to us, that for the sake of temporary pleasure we are punished eternally; for the sake of the negligence of a short time we are plunged into eternal fire; for the sake of vain glory we have fallen from the glory of God; for the sake of poor food we have been deprived of the delight of Paradise; for the sake of perishing wealth we have lost the wealth of the kingdom! In the vain age we enjoyed ourselves, but in that one, those who did not enjoy themselves are gladdened. Now the fasting are feasting, those who labored dance into the heavenly bridal chamber, those who scattered their wealth reap in exultation, those who wept rejoice eternally, those who despised earthly things have received heavenly ones; but we alone, the wretched, have been justly delivered to punishment; and now we cry out, and there is no one who shows mercy; we groan, and there is no one who saves.
That we, therefore, may not also speak such words as those foolish ones in the age to come, come let us anticipate the thief of our souls; let us run, while we have time; let us groan, let us repent, let us arise, I beseech you, from the sleep of our sloth, from the weight of our sins and our negligence; let us lift up our hands to Him who is able to save us, and say: "Lord, save us, we are perishing." Let us hasten only before the sun sets, before the door is shut, before night overtakes us. For when the festal assembly is dissolved, no one does business; when the theater is emptied, no one is crowned, no one competes. Therefore let us run; for there is need of a race, brothers, and a vigorous race, that we may arrive, that we may not also, when we knock, hear: "I do not know you." Let us be quick-footed, let us be ashamed even a little. How often do we dishonor the Master? How often do we provoke the Benefactor to anger? He does good, and we are ignorant of it daily; He has compassion, and we set [Him] at naught; He feeds [us], He provides for [us] with shelter, and we daily transgress His commandments, and we are not ashamed. Let us be ashamed, then; for the time has drawn near, and the day has arrived, and we must render an account for our whole life. Let us cease, then, henceforth from excessive luxury and shameful laughter, that we may not weep bitterly there; let us cease reviling, hating, and wronging our brothers; let us cease hoarding, squandering, and committing adultery; let us devote ourselves to prayers, to supplications, to readings, to fastings, to repentances; let us demonstrate a new life, let us confess, let us turn back; for the time is for repentance. Let us repent, let us weep, let us show God a prayerful repentance, and let us hate sin; let us suffer here, I beseech you, a little, that we may not be punished there much; let us compete before the time [runs out], brothers, that we may not be tormented eternally. The time is short, but the judgment is long, and the end is near, and the fear is great, and there is no one who shows mercy. For each one will seek the time which he spent in vain, and will not find it. B Woe to the gossip, for he will seek a drop of water being scorched, and will not find it! Woe to the disbelieving, for he will be punished eternally! Woe to the negligent, for he is going to a severe judge! Woe to those who do not compete, for they are delivered to harsh angels! The one who loses gold finds other; but he cannot find other time for repentance. Let us not spare, brothers, our own bodies, but let us wear them out, since blessed are those who hunger and thirst, blessed are those who mourn. For the body is clay; and the hour and the day will come, fearful and evil and inevitable, and it will go into the earth, and the dust becomes dust again. Let us be sober, beloved, I beseech you; let us travel [the road], let us renew [ourselves]; for the hour will come, and it will truly come, of our departure; and let us not deceive ourselves.
Let it be, beloved, that we enjoy ourselves, let it be even that we are rich for fifty or even a hundred years; and after these things, sickness and old age, and after these things what? Weakness and death, and that terrible hour which is awaited and trembled at and neglected. Great fear comes then, brothers; and it is a great thing to see a soul separated from the body; there is great necessity at that hour, when the tongue cannot clearly speak a word, when we turn our eyes hither and thither continuously, and we recognize the friends and brothers standing by us, and we are not able to speak to them. We hear those who are mourning over us, and we are not able to comfort them; we see children wailing and weeping, and we depart having their pain. And why do I speak of children? For at that hour there is no concern for children, nor for brothers, nor does any other worry hold us, except the thought of our own transgressions, and how we might meet the Judge, and what verdict we might receive, and what place might receive us. Then, as we dwell on these things, suddenly harsh angels stand over us. Then, as we behold them, if we are found unprepared, how we are about to be troubled, and trying to flee from the bed, but not being able, looking toward them with pitiable eyes and with a gloomy face, pleading, entreating, beseeching, and saying: "Have mercy on me, fearful angels and ministers of the throne of God, and do not carry me, barren and unclean, before the Judge; do not separate me, a sinner, from the body; do not, I pray, I beseech, be moved, be persuaded, and allow me a little time to repent, to groan, to mourn, to do alms, since I have spent and consumed my life badly." Hearing these things, the angels say to us: "O wretched soul, you lived all your days in negligence, and now do you wish to repent? O miserable soul, your sun has set, your time is finished; God has commanded [us] to separate you from your body. Come and be judged in eternal fire according to your deeds; for there is no longer for you hope of salvation, but eternal punishment." Hearing these things, beloved, and believing that they are true and not myths, let us compete before that hour; and even if we have been accustomed to sinning, but let us cut these [sins] away through repentance. Let us not be led astray, brothers, there is judgment and eternal punishment, fire unquenchable and a worm that never dies, outer darkness and tartarus, gnashing of teeth and great weeping, as the Lord remembered in the Gospels; for He is truthful who said: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Therefore let us fear and tremble, all who have lived in sins, and let us hasten to be found with the saints through repentance. Do not say, "I have stolen, I have murdered, I have committed adultery, and God does not receive me"; say none of these things; for He receives all, as the robber, as the tax collector, and as the harlot; only let us not despair, I beseech you, let us not be overcome. Let us knock through repentance and say: "Open to us, Lord, the unworthy and sinners; for the sake of Your holy name do not turn us away, but be moved, and do not deprive us of Your kingdom." For You are the God of the hopeless, and the salvation of all who take refuge in You; and Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory with the unoriginate Father and the all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and always, and to the ages of ages. Amen.