For men are so administered and ruled by divine providence that the opportunity of obtaining salvation is not taken from them before this mortal life is taken away. Hence Ephrem addresses each man with these words1:
Watch at least a little, O man; recollect yourself, and recognize as one wise that for you the most high God descended from heaven, that he might raise you from earth into heaven. εἰς τοὺς γάμους ἐκλήθης οὐρανίου νυμφίου, ἵνα τί καταφρονεῖς; You have been called to the nuptials of the heavenly Bridegroom; why do you despise them? And why do you hesitate? How will you be able to go to the nuptials, not having a precious nuptial garment nor holding a burning lamp? And how will you enter? Will you enter through contempt? But soon you will hear2 that formidable voice: “Friend, how did you enter the nuptials without having the nuptial garment of my kingdom? Did you enter through contempt, that by your nakedness you might do injury to my guests?” But the King will command his ministers, saying—
“Having bound his hands and feet, cast this wretch into the furnace of fire, that he may be tormented forever and ever. διότι ἐγὼ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ χρόνων ἱκανῶν ἦλθον, καὶ ἐκάλεσα ἅπαντας εἰς τοὺς γάμους, οὗτος δὲ καταφρονῶν τῆς ἐμῆς κλήσεως, οὐχ ἡτοίμασεν αὐτῷ ἔνδυμα εἰς τοὺς γάμους· διὸ κελεύω ὑμῖν κολάσαι τὸν ἄθλιον, ὅτι κατεφρόνησε τῆς ἐμῆς βασιλείας. For I myself came long ago and called all to the nuptials; but this man, despising my call, did not prepare for himself a garment for the nuptials. Therefore I command you to afflict the wretch with torments, because he scorned and despised my kingdom.”
For no excuse, Ephrem continues3, will be available to anyone, ὅτι ἐν γνώσει ἡμεῖς πάντες ἁμαρτάνομεν, because we all sin knowingly. “Let us all consider divine providence and how many things God bestows upon us according to his goodness. ἡ χάρις αὐτοῦ ἀεὶ ἐπισκέπτεται ἡμῶν τὰς καρδίας συνεχῶς· ἂν εὕρῃ ἀνάπαυσιν, εἰσιοῦσα, κατοικεῖ πάντοτε ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ· ἐὰν δὲ μὴ εὕρῃ καθαρὰν τὴν καρδίαν, εὐθέως ἀφίσταται. πάλιν δὲ οἱ οἰκτιρμοὶ ἀναγκάζουσιν αὐτὴν ἐλθεῖν ἐπισκέψασθαι ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, ἐπειδὴ ἐσμὲν πάντες τρεπτοὶ τῇ προαιρέσει, οὐχὶ δὲ κατὰ φύσιν. His grace always and continually visits our hearts; and if it finds a place where it may rest, it enters and always dwells in the soul; but if it encounters an unclean heart, it immediately withdraws. But again his mercies compel it to come to visit us sinners, because we are all changeable by free will, not by nature.
“We are always found proud and covetous…, rejoicing in depraved and impure thoughts and continually lying in them as in the foulest mire. Hence it comes to pass that, when grace desires to enter in order to visit us, it finds the most foul stench of wicked thoughts in our hearts; therefore it immediately withdraws, since it does not find in us the place of entrance and repose which it willed. πλὴν νύσσει τὴν καρδίαν ἐν γλυκασμῷ φωτεινῷ, ἵνα ἔλθῃ εἰς αἴσθησιν, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο, καὶ οὐχ εὗρεν εἴσοδον, ἵνα οὕτως γλυκανθεὶς ἄνθρωπος τῷ φωτισμῷ ἐπιζητήσῃ αὐτήν. ὅμως αὕτη ἡ χάρις οὐ δύναται παντελῶς ἀποστῆναι ἀφ’ ἡμῶν, διότι βιάζεται ἰδίᾳ εὐσπλαγχνίᾳ ἐλεῆσαι—
—ἅπαντας· εἶδες πρόνοιαν Θεοῦ; εἶδες σπλάγχνα τοῦ Χριστοῦ; πῶς ἡμᾶς ποθεῖ ἀεὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἅγιος, καὶ θέλει ἡμᾶς σωθῆναι; Nevertheless, it strikes our heart with the sweetness of its light, that it may return to its senses, because grace visited it and did not find a place to enter. Thus, attracted by the sweetness of the light, let man seek it; for grace cannot entirely abandon us, since by its innate benignity it is impelled to have mercy upon us all. Do you perceive the providence of God? Do you perceive the bowels of Christ’s piety toward us? With how great a desire the holy God desires us, and how greatly he desires us to be saved?
Therefore it would be a crime, and a most grave one, if anyone should cast away hope on account of the crimes he had contracted. “For our Lord rejoices exceedingly4 over those doing penance and willingly receives our conversion. For he says5: ‘After all these things, return to me.’ And again through the holy Gospels6 he says: ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you.’ μηδεὶς οὖν ἀπελπιζέτω ἑαυτοῦ, ἐὰν καὶ ἥμαρτε· τοῖς γὰρ ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται· τοῖς δὲ ἀθετοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ μὴ μετανοοῦσιν, ἀπότομος ὑπάρχει. Therefore let no one despair of himself, even if he has sinned; for to those who seek him he will be a rewarder, but toward those who reject him and do no penance he will show himself rigid and severe.”
Therefore, “if here7 we have been slothful and negligent, we shall have no excuse on that terrible day. For we shall not find how we may purge our sins. For since our Lord and Savior descended to us, every excuse has been taken away from us. For he bestowed eternal life upon us. We were enemies, and our Lord was reconciled to us. We were terrestrial, and we were made heavenly; mortal, and made immortal; children of darkness, and we became children of light; captives, and we were recalled; servants of sin, and—”
“—we were made free; lost and scattered, and we were found and gathered; infirm, and healed; formerly not having obtained mercy, and we obtained mercy… ἰδοὺ ταῦτα πάντα ἐχαρίσατο ἡμῖν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν κατελθὼν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, σαρκωθεὶς δι’ ἡμᾶς. Behold, our Lord bestowed all these things upon us when, incarnate for us, he descended to earth.”