"Whilst thou art yet speaking," says the Scripture, "I will say, Lo, here I am."[1]
Again Diphilus, the comic poet, discourses as follows on the judgment:
"Think'st thou, Niceratus, that the dead,
Who in all kinds of luxury in life have shared,
Escape the Deity, as if forgot.
There is an eye of justice, which sees all.
For two ways, as we deem, to Hades lead—
One for the good, the other for the bad.
But if the earth hides both for ever, then
Go plunder, steal, rob, and be turbulent.
But err not. For in Hades judgment is,
Which God the Lord of all will execute,
Whose name too dreadful is for me to name,
Who gives to sinners length of earthly life.
If any mortal thinks, that day by day,
While doing ill, he eludes the gods' keen sight,
His thoughts are evil; and when justice has
The leisure, he shall then detected be
So thinking. Look, whoe'er you be that say
That there is not a God. There is, there is.
If one, by nature evil, evil does,
Let him redeem the time; for such as he
Shall by and by due punishment receive."[2]
And with this agrees the tragedy[3] in the following lines:
"For there shall come, shall come[4] that point of time,
When Ether, golden-eyed, shall ope its store
Of treasured fire; and the devouring flame,
Raging, shall burn all things on earth below,
And all above." …
And after a little he adds:
And vanished all the abyss of ocean's waves,
And earth of trees is bare; and wrapt in flames,
- ↑ Isa. lxv. 24.
- ↑ These lines are quoted by Justin (De Monarchia), p. 333, but ascribed by him part to Philemon, part to Euripides.
- ↑ Ascribed by Justin to Sophocles.
- ↑ Adopting the reading κεῖνος instead of καινός in the text.
to the preceding. They are also quoted by Eusebius, but differently arranged. The translation adopts the arrangement of Grotius.
