A Spiritual Psalter
or Reflections on God

from the writings of
Saint Ephraim the Syrian

110
Weep, for shame and disgrace await the careless.

A trumpet will sound from the heavens, say­ing: Awake, ye beloved of Christ. Lo, the heavenly King has come to give you repose and joy in eternal life in return for your ascetic labors. Awake and behold Christ the King, the immortal Bridegroom, whom you have loved. Behold His kingdom that He has prepared for you. Come and rejoice together with Him in inexpressible joy.

And those righteous and worthy of God shall soar high in the air in unutterable glory, and all the lawless will remain below with great shame. Those who have labored here shall receive bliss and joy; all the sinners shall receive shame and chastisement.

Blessed is he who has labored here to render himself worthy in that hour, and pitiful is he who has made himself unworthy in that hour. The clouds will gather all the saints from the earth and carry them to heaven, but angels will snatch away the lawless and cast them into the oven that burns with unquenchable fire.

Who shall give my head abundant waters and mine eyes a fountain ever gushing tears, that I might weep for myself day and night, entreating God that I might not be found unworthy in the hour of His coming, and not hear from my Master the terrible sentence: go away from Me, O worker of iniquity; I know not from whence thou art.

O God on high, only Immortal One! Show this sinner Thy great compassion in that hour, that my hidden deceit might not be made known to the witnesses there: the angels, archangels, prophets, apostles, righteous, and saints. Save this lawless one by Thy grace and compassion, and lead him into the sweet paradise together with the righteous who are perfect. Accept the supplication of Thy servant, according to the prayers of the saints who have been pleasing to Thee!

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From A Spiritual Psalter or Reflections on God, compiled from the works of Saint Ephraim the Syrian.

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