Chapter 34

Seeing these things, king Abenner, coming late and with difficulty to an awareness, condemned the weakness and empty deceit of his falsely-named gods. And calling together again the chief men of the council, he brought to light what he was pondering. And when all confirmed the same things—for the dayspring from on high had visited them, the Saviour having heard the prayer of his servant Josaphat—it seemed good to the king to make these things known to his son. He writes, then, the next day a letter to Josaphat containing the following: "King Abenner to his most longed-for son Josaphat, greeting. Many thoughts, creeping into my soul, dreadfully tyrannize over me, dearest son. For seeing all that is ours fading away, as smoke fades, while the things of your religion shine above the sun, and coming to my senses, I have recognized that what you have always said to me is true, and that a deep darkness of sins and impiety covered us, so that from it we could not even look through to the truth and learn to know the Maker of all; but even when a light so far-shining was shown to us through you, we, closing our eyes, were unwilling to see,

having shown you many evils, and—pitiably, alas—having put to death not a few of the Christians, who, strengthened by the unconquerable power working with them, prevailed in the end over our cruelty. But now, having stripped that thick mist from our eyes, we see some small gleam of the truth, and repentance for the former evils comes upon me. Yet even this gleam another cloud of dreadful despair, rising up, tries to darken, putting forward the multitude of my evils, and that I am already abominable to Christ and unacceptable, as having become an apostate and his enemy. What, then, do you yourself say to this, sweetest child? Make it known to me as quickly as possible, and teach me, your father, what I must do, and lead me by the hand to the knowledge of what is profitable." This letter Josaphat received, and going over what it contained, he was filled in soul with pleasure and wonder together. And entering at once into his own chamber and falling on his face before the image of the Master, he wet the ground with tears, giving thanks at once to the Master and making confession, and moving his lips of exultation to song: "I will exalt you," he said, "my God and my king, and I will bless your name forever and ever; great are you, Lord, and greatly to be praised, and of your greatness there is no end. And who shall tell your mighty acts, and make heard all your praises—you who turned the rock into pools of water and the flint into fountains of water?

For behold, this flint, this heart of my father harder than rock, when you willed it, was softened like wax. For you are able even from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. I give you thanks, Master who love mankind, God of mercy, that you have been long-suffering, and are long-suffering, toward our transgressions, and have until now allowed us to remain unpunished. For we were long ago worthy to be cast away from your face and made an example in this life, like the lawless men who dwelt in the Pentapolis, burned up with fire and brimstone; but your incomparable long-suffering dealt kindly with us. I give you thanks, lowly and unworthy as I am, even though I am not sufficient to glorify your goodness. And I beseech your measureless compassions, Lord Jesus Christ, Son and Word of the invisible Father, who brought all things into being by a word and hold them together by your will, who delivered us, your unworthy servants, from the slavery of the enemy who is the author of evil, who were stretched upon the tree and bound the strong one, and awarded eternal freedom to those bound by him: do you now also stretch out your invisible and all-working hand, and free your servant and my father utterly from that grievous captivity of the devil; and show him most plainly that you are the ever-living God, who does not lie, and the only eternal and immortal king. Look upon, Master,

the contrition of my heart with a merciful and gracious eye; and according to your unfailing promise be with me, who know and confess you as the Maker and Provider of all creation. Let your living water spring up in me; and let a word be given me in the opening of my mouth, and a mind well founded on you, the cornerstone, that I, your unworthy servant, may be able to declare to my begetter, as is fitting, the mystery of your dispensation, and to draw him away by your power from the vain error of the wicked demons, and to bring him to you, the God and Master who does not wish the death of us sinners, but awaits our conversion and repentance; for you are glorified unto the ages. Amen." Having prayed thus and received full assurance that he would not fail of what he longed for, taking courage in the compassion of Christ, he set out from there with the royal bodyguard and reached the palace of his own father. And when the father was told of his son's arrival, he came out at once to meet him, embraced him, kissed him, and made the greatest joy and a public festival at the coming of his son. And what after this? They sat down alone with one another. And who could tell the things the son then discussed with the king, and with how great wisdom? What else but the things

prompted to him by the divine Spirit, through which the fishermen draw the whole world in their net for Christ, and the unlettered are shown wiser than the wise? Made wise by this grace, he too spoke to the king his father, enlightening him with the light of knowledge. For before, having toiled much to draw his father away from his superstitious error—what did he not say, what did he not do, to lead him back—he seemed to be singing in vain, and speaking into the ears of those who do not hear; but when the Lord looked upon the lowliness of his servant Josaphat, and, hearing his prayer, opened the closed gates of his father's heart—for it says, "He will do the will of those who fear him, and will hear their prayer"—the king readily understood the things spoken; so that, finding a fitting moment, the son by the grace of Christ won a victory over the wicked spirits that had taken mastery of his father's soul, and freed him completely from their error, and made known to him plainly the word of salvation, and brought him near to the living God in the heavens. For taking up the discourse from the beginning, he announced to him things great and wonderful which he had not known, which he had not heard with the ears of his heart, speaking much to him about God and showing him true religion,

how there is no other God in heaven above, nor on earth below, except the one God known in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; and making known many mysteries of theology, among which he also declared the things concerning the invisible and visible creation: how the Creator, having brought all things forth from nothing, and fashioned man according to his own image and likeness, and honoured him with free will, made him share in the good things of paradise, commanding him to abstain from this one thing only, which was the tree of knowledge; but when he set aside the commandment, drove him out of paradise; whence, having slipped from his intimacy with him, the human race fell into these many errors, enslaved to sins and subjected to death through the tyranny of the devil; who, having once taken men into his power, made them utterly forget God and the Master, and persuaded them to serve him through the abominable worship of idols. Having compassion, then, God who fashioned us, by the good pleasure of the Father and the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, was pleased to be born like us of a holy Virgin, Mary the Mother of God; and, having taken part in suffering, though himself without suffering, and having risen from the dead on the third day, he ransomed us from the former penalty and counted us worthy of the former glory. For he led us up with him as he ascended into the heavens, from which he had come down;

whom we believe will come again, that he may raise up his own handiwork. And he will repay each according to his works. Upon this he initiated him into the kingdom of the heavens that awaits the worthy, and the unspeakable good things. He set forth the torment laid up for the wicked, the unquenchable fire, the outer darkness, the unending worm, and all the other punishment that the slaves of sin have stored up for themselves. Having gone through all these things at great length, and with words that abundantly bore witness to the grace of the Spirit dwelling in him, then, recounting also the unsearchable sea of God's love for mankind, and how ready he is to receive the repentance of those who turn to him, and that there is no sin that overcomes his compassion, if only we are willing to repent—and showing this from many examples and from the testimonies of Scripture—he at last brought his discourse to an end"