barlaam and ioasaph-第56章

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　soul　upon　the　ocean　of　thy　mercies。　　Be　thou　the　pilot　of　my　soul；　thou　that　steerest　all　creation　with　the　unspeakable　forethought　of　thy　wisdom；　and　shew　thou　me　the　way　that　I　should　walk　in；　and；　as　thou　art　a　good　God　and　a　lover　of　men；　save　me　by　the　prayers　and　intercessions　of　Barlaam　thy　servant；　for　thou　art　my　God；　and　thee　I　glorify；　the　Father；　the　Son；　and　the　Holy　Ghost；　world　without　end。　　Amen。〃

Thus　prayed　he；　and　sat　him　down　nigh　the　sepulchre；　a…weeping。　And　as　he　sat；　he　fell　asleep；　and　saw　those　dread　men；　whom　he　had　seen　before；　coming　to　him；　and　carrying　him　away　to　the　great　and　marvellous　plain；　and　bringing　him　to　that　glorious　and　exceeding　bright　city。　　When　he　had　passed　within　the　gate；　there　met　him　others；　gloriously　apparelled　with　much　light；　having　in　their　hands　crowns　radiant　with　unspeakable　beauty；　such　as　mortal　eye　hath　never　seen。　　And；　when　Ioasaph　enquired；　〃Whose　are　these　exceeding　bright　crowns　of　glory；　which　I　see？〃　〃Thine；〃　said　they；　〃is　the　one；　prepared　for　thee；　because　of　the　many　souls　which　thou　hast　saved；　and　now　made　still　more　beautiful　because　of　the　religious　life　that　thou　leadest；　if　thou　continue　therein　bravely　until　the　end。　　And　this　other　crown　is　thine　also；　but　it　must　thou　give　unto　thy　father；　who；　by　thy　means；　turned　from　his　evil　way　unto　the　Lord；　and　was　truly　penitent。〃　　But　Ioasaph　was　as　one　sore　vexed；　and　said；　〃How　is　it　possible　that；　for　his　repentance　alone；　my　father　should　receive　reward　equal　to　mine；　that　have　laboured　so　much？〃　Thus　spake　he；　and　straightway　thought　that　he　saw　Barlaam；　as　it　were；　chiding　him　and　saying；　〃These　are　my　words；　Ioasaph；　which　I　once　spake　unto　thee；　saying；　‘When　thou　waxest　passing　rich；　thou　wilt　not　be　glad　to　distribute；'　and　thou　understoodest　not　my　saying。　　But　now；　why　art　thou　displeased　at　thy　father's　equality　with　thee　in　honour；　and　art　not　rather　glad　at　heart　that　thine　orisons　in　his　behalf　have　been　heard？〃　　Then　Ioasaph　said　unto　him；　as　he　was　ever　wont　to　say；　〃Pardon！　father；　pardon！　　But　shew　me　where　thou　dwellest？〃　　Barlaam　answered；　〃In　this　mighty　and　exceeding　fair　city。　　It　is　my　lot　to　dwell　in　the　mid…most　street　of　the　city；　a　street　that　flasheth　with　light　supernal。〃　　Again　Ioasaph　thought　he　asked　Barlaam　to　bring　him　to　his　own　habitation；　and；　in　friendly　wise；　to　shew　him　the　sights　thereof。　　But　Barlaam　said　that　his　time　was　not　yet　come　to　win　those　habitations；　while　he　was　under　the　burden　of　the　flesh。　　〃But；〃　said　he；　〃if　thou　persevere　bravely；　even　as　I　charged　thee；　in　a　little　while　thou　shalt　come　hither；　and　gain　the　same　habitations；　and　obtain　the　same　joy　and　glory；　and　be　my　companion　for　ever。〃　　Hereupon　Ioasaph　awoke　out　of　sleep；　but　his　soul　was　still　full　of　that　light　and　ineffable　glory；　and　greatly　wondering；　he　raised　to　his　Lord　a　song　of　thanksgiving。

And　he　continued　to　the　end；　verily　leading　on　earth　the　life　of　an　angel；　and　after　the　death　of　his　aged　friend　using　himself　to　severer　austerity。　Twenty　and　five　years　old　was　he　when　he　left　his　earthly　kingdom；　and　adopted　the　monastic　life；　and　thirty　and　five　years　in　this　vast　desert　did　he；　like　one　dis…fleshed；　endure　rigours　above　the　endurance　of　man；　but　not　before　he　had　delivered　the　souls　of　many　men　from　the　soul…devouring　dragon；　and　presented　them　to　God；　saved　for　aye；　winning　herewith　the　Apostolic　grace。　　In　will　he　had　proved　a　martyr；　and　had　with　boldness　confessed　Christ　before　kings　and　tyrants；　and　had　proved　himself　the　mighty…voiced　preacher　of　his　greatness；　and　had　overthrown　many　spirits　of　wickedness　in　the　desert；　and　had　overcome　all　in　the　strength　of　Christ。　　Partaking　richly　of　the　gift　of　grace　from　above；　he　kept　his　mind's　eye　purified　from　every　earth…born　cloud；　and　looked　forward　to　the　things　that　are　to　come；　as　though　they　were　already　come。　　Christ　was　his　recompense　for　all：　Christ　was　his　desire：　Christ　he　ever　saw　as　present　with　him：　Christ　and　his　fair　beauty　everywhere　met　his　sight；　according　to　the　saying　of　the　prophet；　〃I　have　set　God　always　before　me；　for　he　is　on　my　right　hand；　therefore　I　shall　not　fall。〃　　And　again；　〃My　soul　cleaveth　to　thee；　thy　right　hand　hath　upholden　me。〃　　For　verily　Ioasaph's　soul　clave　to　Christ；　being　knit　to　him　in　indissoluble　union。　　From　this　marvellous　work　he　never　swerved；　never　altered　the　rule　of　his　ascetic　life；　from　beginning　to　end；　but　maintained　his　zeal　from　his　youth　even　until　old　age；　or　rather；　he　daily　advanced　higher　in　virtue；　and　daily　gained　purer　power　of　vision。

Thus　did　Ioasaph　spend　his　days；　and　render　unto　him　that　called　him　labour　worthy　of　his　calling；　having　crucified　the　world　to　himself；　and　himself　unto　the　world；　and；　at　the　last；　departed　in　peace　unto　the　God　of　peace；　and　passed　to　that　Master　whom　he　had　alway　longed　for。　　There　he　appeared　in　the　immediate　presence　of　the　Lord；　and　was　crowned　with　the　crown　of　glory　already　prepared　for　him：　there　it　is　granted　to　him　to　behold　Christ；　to　be　with　Christ；　to　rejoice　for　ever　in　the　fair　beauty　of　Christ；　into　whose　hands　he　commended　his　spirit；　when　he　departed　to　walk　in　the　land　of　the　living；　where　is　the　song　of　them　that　feast；　the　dwelling…place　of　them　that　rejoice。

As　for　his　venerable　body；　it　befell　thus；　about　the　very　hour　of　Ioasaph's　death；　there　came　by　divine　revelation；　from　one　of　the　neighbouring　cells；　a　certain　holy　man。　　It　was　the　same　that　once　pointed　out　to　Ioasaph　his　way　to　Barlaam。　　This　man　honoured　the　corpse　with　sacred　hymns；　and　shed　tears；　the　token　of　affection；　over　him；　and　performed　all　the　last　Christian　rites；　and　laid　him　in　the　sepulchre　of　his　father　Barlaam；　for　it　was　only　meet　that　their　bodies　should　rest　side　by　side；　since　their　souls　were　to　dwell　through　eternity　together。

In　obedience　to　the　strict　command　of　a　dread　Angel　that　appeared　to　him　in　a　dream；　this　hermit；　who　had　performed　the　last　rites；　journeyed　to　the　kingdom　of　India；　and；　entering　in　to　King　Barachias；　made　known　unto　him　all　that　had　befallen　Barlaam；　and　this　blessed　Ioasaph。　　Barachias；　making　no　delay；　set　forth　with　a　mighty　host；　and　arrived　at　the　cave；　and　beheld　their　sepulchre；　and　wept　bitterly　over　it；　and　raised　the　gravestone。　There　he　descried　Barlaam　and　Ioasaph　lying；　as　they　had　been　in　life。　　Their　bodies　had　not　lost　their　former　hue；　but　were　whole　and　uncorrupt；　together　with　their　garments。　　These；　the　consecrated　tabernacles　of　two　holy　souls；　that　sent　forth　full　sweet　savour；　and　showed　naught　distressful；　were　placed　by　King　Barachias　in　costly　tombs　and　conveyed　by　him　into　his　own　country。

Now　when　the　people　heard　tell　of　that　which　had　come　to　pass；　there　assembled　a　countless　multitude　out　of　all　the　cities　and　regions　round　about；　to　venerate　and　view　the　bodies　of　these　Saints。　　Thereupon；　sooth　to　say；　they　chanted　the　sacred　hymns　over　them；　and　vied　one　with　another　to　light　lamps　lavishly；　and　rightly　and　fitly；　might　one　say；　in　honour　of　these　children　and　inheritors　of　light。　　And　with　splendour　and　much　solemnity　they　laid　their　bodies　in　the　Church　which　Ioasaph　had　built　from　the　very　foundation。　　And　many　miracles　and　cures；　during　the　translation　and　deposition　of　their　relics；　as　also　in　later　times；　did　the　Lord　work　by　his　holy　servants。　　And　King　Barachias　and　all　the　people　beheld　the　mighty　virtues　that　were　shown　by　them；　and　many　of　the　nations　round　about；　that　were　sick　of　unbelief　and　ignorance　of　God；　believed　through　the　miracles　that　were　wrought　at　their　sepulchre。　　And　all　they　that　saw　and　heard　of　the　Angelic　life　of　Ioasaph；　and　of　his　love　of　God　from　his　childhood　upward；　marvelled；　and　in　all　things　glorified　God　that　alway　worketh　together　with　them　that　love　him；　and　granteth　them　exceeding　great　reward。

Here　endeth　this　history；　which　I　have　written；　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　even　as　I　heard　it　from　the　truthful　lips　of　worthy　men　who　delivered　it　unto　me。　　And　may　God　grant　that　all　we　that　read　or　hear　this　edifying　story　may　obtain　the　heritage　of　such　as　have　pleased　the　Lord；　by　the　prayers　and　intercessions　of　blessed　Barlaam　and　Ioasaph；　of　whom　this　story　telleth；　in　Christ　Jesu　our　Lord；　to　wh