Română

Primasius of Hadrumetum

Late Patristic · AD 500–800

173 passages across 3 books of the Bible · Who was this?

On Revelation

20 of 166
  1. Revelation 16:20
    It is my view that by the terms islands and also mountains the church is signified on account of the greatness of its stability. Isaiah spoke about these: “In [your] teachings give glory to the Lord; in the islands of the sea [give glory] to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel,” and again: “And in the latter days that mountain of the house of the Lord will be established upon the tops of the mountains.” This flight will occur when the society of evil persons is at last avoided to such an extent that there will be no confusion or mixture of the church with the wicked. Therefore, the prophet said, “Flee from the midst of Babylon, let every one save his life.” Babylon will fall at that time when at the end it has received the power to persecute the saints. For this reason [Scripture] says, “The heart is proud before destruction, and the spirit is humbled before glory.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:20

  2. Revelation 16:21
    The hail represents the wrath of [God’s] revenge, of which we read, “The wrath of the Lord descends as hail.” The Lord desires to protect his followers from this, for he says through the apostle, “[Jesus] delivers us from the wrath to come.” Nor is it without reason that he mentions the weight of a talent. For [the punishment] inflicted on each person by the equity of the divine judgment is due to a diversity of sins. Among the Greeks the talent is regarded as a certain weight and among the Romans as a certain different weight. Indeed, some things are sins, while other things are the punishments, and yet other things are both sins and punishments.… In this passage the blaspheming of God for the hail is recognized to be both sin and the punishment of sin by which the impious are so blinded that they do not come to their senses even when corrected, and so by these punishments [they] become even worse and more demented.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 16:21

  3. Revelation 17:1-2
    Isaiah speaks of the devil in a similar manner when he foretells the fall [of the devil] under the figure of the leader of Babylon. “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, who has risen in the morning.” Speaking of the body of all the lost, which he often calls by various yet suitable names, the Holy Spirit considers that it always moves to a greater variety of excesses and is corrupted by its wickedness and is hooked on its errors and is made mad by such a level of impiety that it is opposed by the gentle. And so [the Holy Spirit] depicts this body which is perishing with a suitable description, calling it a “harlot.” For being forsaken by the Creator, she has given herself over to prostitution, allowing herself to be ravished by demons. She is called “great” because of the enormity of her transgressions through which she has offended the saints for a long time. She sits upon many waters, that is, upon many nations.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:1

  4. Revelation 17:3
    The desert refers to the absence of God, for his presence is paradise. [He was led] in the spirit, because these realities can [only] be seen in the spirit. In whose image does the divine word most depict her, if not the image of the woman “from whom is the beginning of sin, and because of her,” as it is written, “we all die.” She is said to sit on a beast, since from it she is raised up high by the pride of presumption. [The beast is] scarlet, since it is a bloody beast, as we said, and it is a body arrayed against the Lamb. At times we are to recognize the devil in this beast, at other times the head which appears as though slain, at other times the people of the beast, which is the whole of Babylon, that is, confusion. And so, it is scarlet because it is bloody in its impiety, and it was drunk by its corruptions as though they were blood. “It was full of blasphemous names.” Although it is worse to perform blasphemy by way of deeds than to be called blasphemous, here he nevertheless says that it fully abounds with names so that it might not be thought that it is lacking in any exce…
    The desert refers to the absence of God, for his presence is paradise. [He was led] in the spirit, because these realities can [only] be seen in the spirit. In whose image does the divine word most depict her, if not the image of the woman “from whom is the beginning of sin, and because of her,” as it is written, “we all die.” She is said to sit on a beast, since from it she is raised up high by the pride of presumption. [The beast is] scarlet, since it is a bloody beast, as we said, and it is a body arrayed against the Lamb. At times we are to recognize the devil in this beast, at other times the head which appears as though slain, at other times the people of the beast, which is the whole of Babylon, that is, confusion. And so, it is scarlet because it is bloody in its impiety, and it was drunk by its corruptions as though they were blood. “It was full of blasphemous names.” Although it is worse to perform blasphemy by way of deeds than to be called blasphemous, here he nevertheless says that it fully abounds with names so that it might not be thought that it is lacking in any excess. And because it is one thing to sin before God and another thing to sin against God, he who blasphemes against God is guilty of the greater offense.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:3

  5. Revelation 17:3
    The Lord taught in the Gospel that we should be on our guard for this plague, saying, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” Did he not speak above of one unclean spirit? Why then did he mention seven others more wicked than himself, unless the unclean spirit is sevenfold in such a way that through his hidden evils he is discovered to be seven times more despicable?And that what we say may be become more plain and clear, it is well that the reader be attentive. The good Spirit is a Spirit of wisdom, to which is opposed the evil spirit who is a spirit of foolishness and who is worse because it feigns wisdom. The good Spirit is a Spirit of understanding, while the evil spirit is a spirit of silliness and is worse because it feigns discipline. The good Spirit is a Spirit of couns…
    The Lord taught in the Gospel that we should be on our guard for this plague, saying, “When the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, he passes through waterless places seeking rest, but he finds none. Then he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And then he goes and brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.” Did he not speak above of one unclean spirit? Why then did he mention seven others more wicked than himself, unless the unclean spirit is sevenfold in such a way that through his hidden evils he is discovered to be seven times more despicable?And that what we say may be become more plain and clear, it is well that the reader be attentive. The good Spirit is a Spirit of wisdom, to which is opposed the evil spirit who is a spirit of foolishness and who is worse because it feigns wisdom. The good Spirit is a Spirit of understanding, while the evil spirit is a spirit of silliness and is worse because it feigns discipline. The good Spirit is a Spirit of counsel, while the evil spirit is a spirit of imprudence and is worse because it feigns prudence. The good Spirit is a Spirit of fortitude, to which is opposed the evil spirit who is spirit of open cowardliness and who is worse because its weakness deceives by the appearance of strength. The good Spirit is a Spirit of knowledge, to whom the spirit of ignorance stands in opposition and is worse because it steals knowledge [for its own use]. The good Spirit is a Spirit of piety, while the evil spirit is a spirit of impiety and is worse because it is covered with a false piety. The good Spirit is a Spirit of the fear of God, to whom the spirit of recklessness is opposed, and this one is worse because it deceives through a fake religiosity. I have extended a little my discussion of the deception of this adversary, so that this exposition might contribute to our understanding of many passages. The apostle too announced this future persecution, which will be so characterized by force and cunning, when he said, “Then the lawless one will be revealed, and the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by his appearing and his coming. The coming of the lawless one by the activity of Satan will be with all power and with pretended signs and wonders, and with every wicked seduction for those who are to perish.” By “power” he indicates its violent force, and by “seduction” he means its lying hypocrisy.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:3

  6. Revelation 17:3
    The prophecy of holy Daniel says that as the final persecution approaches, there will be ten kings. This book often symbolizes them in the seven heads and ten horns of the beast, as it does here. Earlier it is said that diadems are worn by them, for when all the kingdoms have been overthrown, they only will reign in the whole world. Indeed, the diadems are signs of the conquered kingdoms, which are displayed as trophies upon the arrogant heads [of these kings]. Therefore, through a mind of wisdom [this book] also says that the seven heads must be understood to be seven hills, so that it might signify Rome, which sits upon seven hills. For since Rome once exercised an absolute monarchy in all the world, [this prophecy] has adduced it as a similitude for the kingdom of those [ten rulers], and in the name of Rome symbolizes the power of the entire earthly kingdom. In the number seven this passage intends to indicate the universality of its domination, since from the number three and from the number four, that is, from an odd and an equal number it is seen to consist of diverse members a…
    The prophecy of holy Daniel says that as the final persecution approaches, there will be ten kings. This book often symbolizes them in the seven heads and ten horns of the beast, as it does here. Earlier it is said that diadems are worn by them, for when all the kingdoms have been overthrown, they only will reign in the whole world. Indeed, the diadems are signs of the conquered kingdoms, which are displayed as trophies upon the arrogant heads [of these kings]. Therefore, through a mind of wisdom [this book] also says that the seven heads must be understood to be seven hills, so that it might signify Rome, which sits upon seven hills. For since Rome once exercised an absolute monarchy in all the world, [this prophecy] has adduced it as a similitude for the kingdom of those [ten rulers], and in the name of Rome symbolizes the power of the entire earthly kingdom. In the number seven this passage intends to indicate the universality of its domination, since from the number three and from the number four, that is, from an odd and an equal number it is seen to consist of diverse members and so its universality is suggested.… In the seven churches we have indicated that [this universality] is indicated in the good sense, since it is foretold that the one church of Christ will possess the whole world. In this passage the same number is used in the contrary sense to refer to those seven heads that are in opposition and in which that universal power is said to have everywhere dominion. For holy Scripture frequently uses the number seven in both a good and in a bad sense. In view of his sevenfold work, the prophet Isaiah testifies that the Holy Spirit is to be regarded as sevenfold, and here seven is used in the good sense. Similarly, however, an evil spirit is often described as sevenfold. Since the monarchy of these kings, which is often placed in opposition to the church of Christ, not only assails the faithful by way of open aggression but also desires to ensnare them by a bogus form of the truth, this passage indicates its manifest power by the ten horns and its fraudulent truth by the seven heads. Therefore, this future persecution is predicted to be violent, during which the practice of this deceiving power is supported and what is lacking to the deceit is supplemented by power. The illusory nature of this fraud was earlier indicated when it was said that “one head of the seven heads seemed to have been wounded unto death, but its mortal wound was healed.” That is to say, one head from that universal rule of the worldly kingdom that opposes the church, namely the antichrist, who seeks to be received as though he were the Christ, will claim that he is resurrected, as though he had been dead, for he impiously seeks to separate the incautious from Christ, who really did die and truly did rise again. Concerning this [head] it has already been said that the dragon, that is, the devil, has given to him his own power and throne and authority, and so it says that he is full of blasphemous names, even as it said that “a blasphemous name was upon its head.” And there cannot be a more grievous blasphemy than as one who is opposed to Christ, which is what the name antichrist indicates, to wish to be regarded as Christ, so that he might seduce by a skewed truth those whom he was unable to break by violent terrors, and that he might lead those to adopt an imitation of the truth who had refused manifest error.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:3

  7. Revelation 17:8
    He is referring to those very same people from whose members the body destined to damnation is built up. And should the names make for some ambiguity, in his epistle [John] has spoken of the same thing in the singular: “As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now there are many antichrists.” And shortly thereafter he says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” Therefore, those whose names are not written in the Book of Life and who will still be living at the end of the world and who will experience the destruction of their own damnation, these will realize too late that he whom they had thought to be the Christ is not. And they will be amazed, for they had been deceived by the hidden seduction of the beast. Rather, when they have been most justly condemned, they [will realize that the Christ] is our Christ whom they will realize is indeed the judge. Therefore, since the foundation of the world, as “the Lord knows those who are his,” so he has also promised that he would say to them, “Come, blessed of…
    He is referring to those very same people from whose members the body destined to damnation is built up. And should the names make for some ambiguity, in his epistle [John] has spoken of the same thing in the singular: “As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now there are many antichrists.” And shortly thereafter he says, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us.” Therefore, those whose names are not written in the Book of Life and who will still be living at the end of the world and who will experience the destruction of their own damnation, these will realize too late that he whom they had thought to be the Christ is not. And they will be amazed, for they had been deceived by the hidden seduction of the beast. Rather, when they have been most justly condemned, they [will realize that the Christ] is our Christ whom they will realize is indeed the judge. Therefore, since the foundation of the world, as “the Lord knows those who are his,” so he has also promised that he would say to them, “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” And so also, those who are not his, he has not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. But as those unknown to him and foreknown from afar he will condemn to the punishment of that eternal fire “which is prepared for the devil and his angels.” “For the Lord is high and regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar,” and so he says, “I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:8

  8. Revelation 17:8
    The holy Scriptures teach that from the beginning of the world there has been the rise and the advance to the present time of two cities. Of these, one is of God and the other is of the devil, and in this passage [the city of the devil] is indicated by the beast as [representing] altogether the whole body of the wicked. And so it says that it was and is not, because in the passing away of generations that succeed one another, it is built up and supplemented. And, therefore, it follows that it is going to ascend from the abyss as well as go to destruction. For by the hidden yet just judgment of God, it is brought to its end, so that the psalm says, “Your judgments are like the great deep.” Or it claims that [the beast] will come forth from the hearts of the impious, of which the psalm speaks, “The deep calls forth the deep.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:8

  9. Revelation 17:10
    As we have said frequently, in each member of a species the whole genus is indicated. Hence when we indicate what the whole beast is, there are the seven heads, and again the heads are called seven mountains and seven kings. That is to say, they are the entire reality of wicked people, which consists in the leaders as well as in kings and their subjects. It is called by the various names on account of the different actions by which it either exercises force or deceives by fraud. For whenever it creeps with smooth movements, it seizes people by the delights of sensual things. As we read in the Scripture, “Death has entered through our windows.” And I think that this can rightly be understood to refer to our fivefold senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. And for that reason, the Lord said to the Samaritan woman, “You have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband.” What there is called “husbands,” understand here as the “kings,” by whose governance, as we know, the basic realities of human life are guided and administered. And the beasts appear to have t…
    As we have said frequently, in each member of a species the whole genus is indicated. Hence when we indicate what the whole beast is, there are the seven heads, and again the heads are called seven mountains and seven kings. That is to say, they are the entire reality of wicked people, which consists in the leaders as well as in kings and their subjects. It is called by the various names on account of the different actions by which it either exercises force or deceives by fraud. For whenever it creeps with smooth movements, it seizes people by the delights of sensual things. As we read in the Scripture, “Death has entered through our windows.” And I think that this can rightly be understood to refer to our fivefold senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste. And for that reason, the Lord said to the Samaritan woman, “You have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband.” What there is called “husbands,” understand here as the “kings,” by whose governance, as we know, the basic realities of human life are guided and administered. And the beasts appear to have these things in common with us. And what is said there, “And he whom you now have is not your husband,” namely, that she was not living with a legitimate husband, that is, [she was living with] error, here is expressed in this way, “Five have fallen, one remains.” And when it says, “Another has not yet come,” he means that there remains outstanding another part of that same evil body that will succeed the generation that is passing away, and … it will similarly possess the same malignant spirit that we have noted consists in a sevenfold form. For it says that five have fallen, and that one still is, and that another is yet to come, and that makes seven in all.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:9

  10. Revelation 17:11
    Lest we should think him of a different kind, it adds that the one whom it calls the eighth is from the seven and goes to perdition. In this way it shows that he is of the same evil genus, and by going beyond the number seven, it indicates that he is even a worse hypocrite. As the Lord was speaking of one unclean spirit and mentions seven, he suddenly adds, “And he brings with him seven other spirits more evil than himself.” So in this passage, beginning with seven it indicates the other seven in one of the same genus, that is, in the eighth. Therefore, it says that he is from the seven and goes to perdition, in order to show that he merits the same punishment due to his singular genus.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:11

  11. Revelation 17:12
    He is speaking again of every kingdom of the world, which just above he indicated in the kings and their subjects. “The kings receive power with the beast for one hour.” Here the hour is to be interpreted as referring to the time from the passion of the Lord, as the apostolic voice says, “It is the last hour.” Therefore, until all the future is fulfilled, it says that they have not yet received the kingdom. For although they indeed now rule over many, yet the insane power of that arrogance will be more intense when it also deceives many by signs.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:12

  12. Revelation 17:13-14
    It now says clearly that that power that they had received with the beast they will hand over to the beast, that is, to that head that seemed to have died and to have come to life again. For by a common consent and will they will give to him every worship of their desire and effort and exhibit their servitude.… Although it is describing the power of this adversarial body, it now rightly foretells the victory of the Lamb. And to indicate that he will triumph in his followers, it adds, “And those with him, the elect, the faithful and the called.” And with good reason does it mention the elect first, for the Lord said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:13-14

  13. Revelation 17:15-18
    What the apostle said, “God gave them up to a base mind to do what they ought not,” that is also now said. For God has placed in their hearts to do that which is pleasing to him. Righteousness is pleasing to God, through which we know that retribution is visited upon the impious. Moreover, [it is according to God’s will] that they who have given their kingdom to the beast pay their just penalties with the beast, until the words of God be fulfilled, which, to be sure, consist of justice and mercy. For “all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:17

  14. Revelation 17:15-18
    This woman is the very one who was given over to the corruptions of flesh and blood and who had prospered through the power of the earthly kingdom. And since she consists of those very kings over whom she is said to reign according to her habit, [the text] has divided the very same one into parts, as though separating a genus into its species, so that the words of the Lord will be fulfilled in the woman, in the city, in the kings, on the kings and on [the woman], when he redeems his own by his mercy and by his justice condemns the insolent.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:18

  15. Revelation 18:1
    This angel possesses great power. For it is speaking of the destruction of the world’s wisdom, which is also signified by the destruction of Jericho, and of the ruin of the earthly kingdom. By indicating that a stronger one has come against the strong one in order to expel the false appearance of truth and by covering over the faintness of the world’s wisdom, it gives witness that now the true light of wisdom has come. Moreover, to the wise of this world and to the kings of the earth who rely upon their own strength it further demonstrates that [this light] is unconquered in both power and wisdom.… I think that this signifies the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who in Isaiah is called the angel of great counsel. In his first advent, he said, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and brought to naught the work of worldly power. And the earth was made bright by his splendor, for he is himself “the true Light that enlightens everyone coming into this world.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:1

  16. Revelation 18:2
    If [the city] has fallen, how can it be said to be a habitation and refuge for demons and for unclean spirits and birds? Because by collapsing from the great heinousness of its transgressions, it showed itself to be worthy as a habitation for demons. … In addition, that city that in the sea of this world repeatedly rose up against the faith of Christ through the forceful waves of persecutions, now groans in the restraint of more narrow limits and growls as though enclosed in a wineskin. For this reason, we sing in the psalm, “He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses.” … That iniquitous spirits can be symbolized by birds is indicated in that passage of the book of Genesis, which reports that Abraham drove away birds that were swooping down upon the carcasses [of sacrificial animals].

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:2

  17. Revelation 18:3
    This passage refers to three kinds of sins, and it also mentions the same number of those persons who transgress by them. It refers to avarice, which according to the apostle is also called a “servitude of idols”; licentiousness by the word fornication; and gluttony in that which pleases. Against this the Lord forewarned, saying, “Do not allow your hearts to be weighed down in dissipation and drunkenness.” It says that the kings of the earth have committed fornication with it. For merchants are enriched, as it says, by avarice, although some [interpreters] prefer to interpret this to mean that they are rich in sins rather than in wealth. By nations it designates that promiscuous multitude of the lewd crowd; by kings it refers to those among them who appear for a time to succeed; and by merchants it refers to those who in their desire for earthly riches trade their souls by an unhappy barter for temporal abundance. Such persons act wholly contrary to the words of the Lord: “What shall a man give in return for his life?”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 17:3

  18. Revelation 18:4-5
    What the heavenly voice said was this, “Those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son,” and, “The Lord knows those who are his,” or something similar to this. There follows, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins.” To this point I think that [the narrative] has been of the first coming, when until the end of the world the good [people] allow the wicked to be intermingled with them, so that [the wicked] do not think that the good are to be abandoned on their behalf or that they are to be followed by a noxious imitation. For the prophecy, “Go out from her, my people, lest you touch any unclean thing,” is fulfilled in this way—when the righteous no longer commingle with the sinful, not so much by the separation of the body but by the difference of their fully sound will.

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:4

  19. Revelation 18:6-8
    All of these future events are appropriate for the second advent, when upon the inquiry of the final judgment the society of the impious will be excluded and will suffer its just reward, so that those who sinned in time might be punished in perpetuity. This is what is meant when it says, “Repay her double” and “a double draught is mixed for her,” that whoever took pleasure in transient delights might suffer eternal torments. By way of the psalm the Lord foretells that he frees his own from such payments: “From usury and injustice he will redeem their souls.” In addition, they are said to burn in a perpetual fire and to be afflicted by a famine, namely, then when those who now hunger and thirst after righteousness shall receive an incorruptible abundance. Moreover, they suffer death, since God has abandoned them. For just as when the soul leaves, the body dies, so when God abandons the soul, it is thought to die. This mourning is that of which Christ speaks in the Gospel, “Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” To show that God desires to keep his followers unharmed…
    All of these future events are appropriate for the second advent, when upon the inquiry of the final judgment the society of the impious will be excluded and will suffer its just reward, so that those who sinned in time might be punished in perpetuity. This is what is meant when it says, “Repay her double” and “a double draught is mixed for her,” that whoever took pleasure in transient delights might suffer eternal torments. By way of the psalm the Lord foretells that he frees his own from such payments: “From usury and injustice he will redeem their souls.” In addition, they are said to burn in a perpetual fire and to be afflicted by a famine, namely, then when those who now hunger and thirst after righteousness shall receive an incorruptible abundance. Moreover, they suffer death, since God has abandoned them. For just as when the soul leaves, the body dies, so when God abandons the soul, it is thought to die. This mourning is that of which Christ speaks in the Gospel, “Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” To show that God desires to keep his followers unharmed by these plagues, it says, “Lest you share in her plagues.” This is as though it said, since you were turned away from their will and were not like them in their sins, you will not receive an equal punishment. Nor can we by our own strength avoid these plagues, since this can be granted to us only by the goodness of God. But keeping to the proper order, the Holy Spirit declares that those who were not made captive in their heart by an assent to impiety would in no way suffer the torments of the impious, saying, “The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:6-8

  20. Revelation 18:15-19
    “They threw dust on their heads.” This means that they reproached their leaders by whom they were led astray and so were lost.… “They wept and mourned.” … To be sure, we know that many are often stricken by such contrition, and so it is not false to refer to the person these distances from which they are removed. That is, they will stand afar off and cry out when they see the smoke of its burning, since to stand afar off is not to fall with those who are lost but rather to acquire a stability from submitting to conversion. For “before one’s own master does one stand or fall.” One ought not understand this standing in a bodily sense but as the conversion of a firm soul in faith, so that when they are said to weep over others who are perishing, they are themselves understood to be making a fruitful penance. For this reason the apostle says, “When you were dead through trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in t…
    “They threw dust on their heads.” This means that they reproached their leaders by whom they were led astray and so were lost.… “They wept and mourned.” … To be sure, we know that many are often stricken by such contrition, and so it is not false to refer to the person these distances from which they are removed. That is, they will stand afar off and cry out when they see the smoke of its burning, since to stand afar off is not to fall with those who are lost but rather to acquire a stability from submitting to conversion. For “before one’s own master does one stand or fall.” One ought not understand this standing in a bodily sense but as the conversion of a firm soul in faith, so that when they are said to weep over others who are perishing, they are themselves understood to be making a fruitful penance. For this reason the apostle says, “When you were dead through trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience, among whom we all once lived in the passions of the flesh, following the desires of the flesh and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath like the rest,” or things like this. According to these words of the apostle, I think that this passage can be rightly referred to the persons who convert. For no one can be found to be good who was not formerly evil. Therefore, the psalm says, “I have reckoned all the sinners of the earth as transgressors.”

    COMMENTARY ON THE APOCALYPSE 18:17-19

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