The Last Judgement

by St. Nil Sorsky (+1508)

St. Nil Sorsky

Let us reflect, brethren, upon the second coming of Christ, upon our resurrection, and the last judgment. Then, by the words of the Lord, shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matt. 24:29-32).

The hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation (John 5:2-29). When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal (Matt. 25:31-34; 41;46).

Brethren! What can be more painful and frightening than that sentencing and spectacle, when we shall see all the unrepentant sinners sent to eternal tortures, trembling and weeping bitterly? How can we not begin to weep and to sob when only the thought comes to us of those dreadful and ferocious tortures which are listed in the Scripture: eternal fire, hellish darkness, the cruel, indefatigable worm, gnashing of teeth, and other tortures, awaiting those who have angered the All-Good God by their evil morals! Brethren! What fear shall overcome us then, when the thrones shall be placed, the books opened, when God shall sit in judgment with glory, when even the angels themselves shall stand before God with trembling? What shall we men, guilty of many sins, do, what shall we say in our defence then, when all our deeds shall come to light, when all our secret sins, committed by us in day and at night, in word, deed, and in thought, shall reveal themselves? What shame shall overcome us then!

Brethren! What can express the fear and horror with which the second coming of the Lord and His terrible and impartial judgment shall be accompanied? So great shall this fear be that a certain father said: if it were possible to die then, then the whole world would die from fright. Therefore, let us also fear and be terrified, let us always remember this; even though we may not want to, let us constrain ourselves towards such meditation, saying thus to our soul: O darkened soul! Why do you not abandon evil deeds? Why do you not think of the hour of death? Why do you not tremble before the terrible judgment seat of the Savior? Look, your deeds stand before you, exposing and accusing you. And so, while there is still time, soul, leave your stinking deeds and begin a good life; hurry, hasten, and call out with faith: I have sinned, Lord without count have I sinned before Thee, but I know Thy compassionate love for man. That is why I fall down and beseech Thy goodness, that Thy mercy, O Master, may come upon me, because my soul is troubled and ails over its separation from my cursed and filthy body. Master be merciful to me! Let my soul not see the dark gaze of the evil demons, but may Thy holy and ever-radiant angels receive it. Having the power to forgive sins, forgive Thou mine also, that I may stand before Thee without any blemish on the face of my soul. May the dark hand of the prince of this world not snatch me a sinner, in order to plunge me into the depths of hell; but come thou before me, be my deliverer and defender. Have mercy, Lord, on my soul, defiled by the passions of this life; receive it, having cleansed it by repentance and confession. O God! when Thou wilt come on the earth with glory, and wilt sit, Merciful One, on Thy throne in order to deliver Thy righteous judgment; while we all, naked like convicts, shall stand before Thy impartial trial; then, All-Gracious One, do not reveal my secret sins, do not humiliate me before the angels and men; but spare me, God, and have mercy on me. For I tremble and fear the judgment day, being convicted by my conscience; I bitterly regret my evil deeds and am perplexed: what shall I answer to Thee, Immortal King? I have angered Thee unspeakably. How shall I, defiled and prodigal as I am, dare to look upon Thee, the Terrible Judge? But, Lord of glory, Compassionate Father, Only-Begotten Son, and Holy Spirit! have mercy on me, deliver me then from the fire unquenchable, and vouchsafe me to stand at the right hand of Thee, the most just Judge! Amen.

SOURCE:

Sorsky, St. Nil, “The Last Judgement” Orthodox Life 115, no. 1 (1969), pp. 3-4.