The Vanishing of the Ungodly

He is judged. Even if he is laid upon, he will not abandon him into their hands. We speak of a difference in the meaning of the word 'abandon'. Even if Naboth (1 Kings 21) was taken by those who attacked him not abandoned into their hands; for then, it was called abandonment if they achieved what they intended. The martyrs were taken by some, but they were not abandoned into their hands. For then, they were being abandoned if they were being sacrificed.

When a sinner is judged by a righteous man, the righteous man is not condemned. The elders were judging with Sosannas, and she was not condemned in the judging of them; for they were shown to be false informers. 'Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will lift you up to inherit the land' (Psalm 37:34). Therefore he exhorts: even if there are many things troubling, even if many are the enemies wanting to harm and take away, but 'wait for the Lord and keep his way', so as to say: 'I have finished the race'; for then he will lift you up and you will inherit the land. The contest of endurance showed that: he will make you high, he will take you up, he will lead you into heaven.

You shall see the sinners being destroyed (Psalm 37:34). This says: you shall see the sinners being destroyed and you will know yourself that you have inherited the land, because you waited for the Lord and kept his way, you did not fall with them. 'I saw the ungodly being lifted up and exalting himself like the cedars of Lebanon; and they passed by, and behold, he was not, and I sought him, and the place of him was not found' (Psalm 37:35-36). Often the ungodly think themselves great and elevate themselves like the cedar in Lebanon.

And it is possible, since it is said after a clause, even the devil himself to take this way: I saw him exalting himself among all the others, saying: 'I will seize the whole inhabited world with my hand, as if I were taking up abandoned things', as if he were taking a plague; you know that he who encounters beautiful things easily takes them. Even if they were just newly born, it has happened again to them to have a strong and elevating wind. From much arrogance and insolence, he thought he had such an inhabited world, that is, all the people, towards...

Not even according to the soulless breaths, according to the sicknesses having been made, was he able to be exalted, but he remains still in the pit. Thus 'I saw' the ungodly, this one saying: 'With my strength I will do, and with the understanding of wisdom, I will remove the borders of the nations and with their strength I will provide care' (Ps 71:3), I saw him being highly exalted.

I passed through in thought into the life after these things, into the account of providence, and I no longer saw him, nor was his place found even when sought. Ungodliness has ceased; there is no longer ungodliness. He is not among the immortals, just as concerning righteousness he says: 'Righteousness is immortal.'

For, 'like the cedars of Lebanon' (Ps 92:12)? Often he signifies the haughty ones by this wood: 'And the Lord will break the cedars of Lebanon.' There are also praiseworthy cedars. But concerning the great ones in this life, he signifies by this name: 'Open, O Lebanon, your gates; fire consumes your cedars' (Ps 104:33). Then he interprets: 'Because the giants have greatly afflicted me.' He said the giants are the cedars. So there are also praiseworthy cedars, but the word is not concerning these now.

'And they passed by, and behold, he was not.' They passed by in thought, and I saw him not existing. I saw him acting insolently because of wealth, because of human rule. They passed by in thought, and I saw that the ungodly is not among those existing. He is still highly exalted according to Lebanon and its cedars; for I searched among the existing things for his place and I did not find it.

God has made all things 'very good' (Gen 1:31). 'From the mouth of the Lord neither the good nor the evil shall come forth' (Isa 27:2). He does not say that neither the good nor the evil, but rather that the good shall come forth from the mouth of the Lord, and the evil not. Thus, the good are in the plural. For this reason, there is no place for the evil among the existing things; for God has made all things 'very good.'

And 'He does not delight in the destruction of living things' (Ps 115:6). 'The generations of the world are salvific; there is no medicine of destruction nor a kingdom of Hades upon the earth' (Ps 145:9). Guard innocence and see uprightness, for it is a remnant for a peaceful man. Therefore he says these things: 'Turn away from evil and do good, and dwell for an age of ages' (Prov 3:7). He says: 'Guard innocence, see uprightness,' having become outside of all evil. But he is innocent according to the present.