Unexpected Ends

Caeterum legimus in libro Sapientia quosdam in die judicii habituros quidem poenitentiam, non tamen indulgentiam divinitus accepturos. Scriptum denique sic habetur: Tunc stabunt justi in magna constantia adversus eos qui se angustiaverunt, et qui abstulerunt labores eorum. Videntes turbabuntur timore horribili, et mirabuntur in subitatione insperatae salutis, dicentes inter se, poenitentiam habentes, et per angustiam spiritus gementes: Hi sunt quos habuimus aliquando in derisum, et in similitudinem improperrii; nos insensati vitam illorum aestimabamus insaniam, et finem illorum sine honore. Quomodo computati sunt inter filios Dei, et inter sanctos sors illorum est?  Nemo autem cum legit dictum quia mali mirabuntur in subitatione insperatae salutis, existimet illis qui in criminibus praesentem finiunt vitam, quandoque insperatam salutem divino munere conferendam. Justorum namque insperata salus, quae licet desperatur ab inquis danda, tamen permanet sperantibus justis. Unde beatus David unam psalmi loco spem justorum cecinit et salutem, dicens: Salus autem justorum a Domino, et protector eorum est in tempore tribulationes: et adjuvabit eos Dominus, et liberabit eos, et eripiet eos a peccatoribus, et salvos faciet eos, quoniam speraverunt in eum. Hinc est quod iniqui aeternis deputandi tormentis dicturi sunt de justis: Hi sunt quos habuimus aliquando in derisum et similitudinem improperii; nos insensati vitam illorum aestimabamus insaniam, et finem illorum sine honore. Haec est insperata salus, quoniam vitam justorum insaniam aestimabant; et cum ipsa essent insani, sanos se esse credebant, nec sperabant retributionem divinae justitiae, et propterea vitam suam corrigere negligebant. Etenim delecticantur hic luxuriose vivere diebus paucis, nec se credebant postmodum aeternis cruciandos esse suppliciis. Propterea cum justos viderint in illa gloria filiorum Dei de qua dicit beatus Paulus: In qua stamus et gloriamur in spe gloriae filiorum Dei'; tunc iniqui mirabuntur in gloria justorum, hoc est filiorum Dei; quia ipsi justi sunt filii Dei. Propterea iniqui poenitentiam steriliter quia intemporaliter habentes, et per angustiam spiritus gementes: Quomodo computati sunt inter filios Dei, et inter sanctos sors illorum est? Insperata ergo salus, id est quae sperata non est ab iniquis, profecto justis dabitur, non iniquis. Non enim dabitur illis qui eam desperando male vivunt, sed illis qui eam bene sperando, et a desideriis carnalibus abstinendo, beati Petri salubria mandata custodiunt, dicentis: Carissimi, obsecro tanquam advenas atque peregrinos abstinere vos a carnalibus desideriis, quae militant advesus animam; conversationem vestram inter gentes habentes bonam. Per ipsam bonam conversationem justi exhibent corpora sua hostiam viventem, sanctam, Deo placentem, quia per bonam conversationem ipsi sunt etiam templum Dei. Quod esse fideles testatur Apostolus dicens: Nescitis quia templum Dei estis, et spiritus Dei habitat in vobis?. Hoc templum ne malis operibus polluatur, non solum diligenter praemonet, sed etiam vehementer nostros animos terret, dicens: Si quis autem templum Dei violaverit, disperdet illum Deus. Templum enim Dei sanctum est, quod estis vos. Nemo se seducat. Quis enim, rogo, male vivens, cum audit ab Apostolo, quia si quis templum Dei violaverit, disperdet illum Deus, si conversus in hoc tempore non fuerit, aliquam sibi spem remissionis futurae promittere audeat? Quis non tremefactus concidat? Quis non ante finem vitae praesentis ad poenitentiam compunctus et humiliatus accurrat? Clamat Apostolus: Quia si quis templum Dei violaverit, disperdet illum Deus, et vanus homo seducit sese cogitatione nequissima, dicens: Etiamsi templum Dei violavero, et usque in finem male vixero, salvus ero. Nunquid non talibus dicit Apostolus, quia dicunt: Faciamus mala, ut veniant bona, quorum damnatio justa est. Nonne hi sunt quos sancta Scriptura infelices appellat, spemque illorum vacuam omnino pronuntiat, dicens: Sapientiam et disciplinam qui abjicit infelix est, et vacua est spes illorum, et labores sine fructu. Fulgentius Ruspensis, De Remissione Peccatorum, Lib II, Cap III Source: Migne PL 65.553a-554b

We read in the book of Wisdom that on the Day of Judgement there will be certain ones who though penitent will not receive Divine forgiveness. It is written: 'Then the righteous shall stand in great constancy against those who tormented them and those who made away with their labours. Seeing they shall be troubled with horrible fear and they shall be amazed suddenly at unexpected salvation, saying among themselves, in penance and in anguish of spirit groaning, 'These are those we held in derision and as a type of reproach. We insensibly judged their lives insane and their end without honour. How are they now reckoned as among the sons of God and to be with the saints is their lot?' 1 No one when he reads this which says that the evil shall be amazed suddenly at unexpected salvation, judges that those who in criminality ended their present lives shall receive the Divine gift of unexpected salvation. For unexpected salvation is of the righteous, and though it is allowed to the iniquitous one to despair, however it remains  the hope of the just. Whence blessed David in a certain Psalm sings of the hope of the just and their salvation, saying, 'The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord, and He is their protector in the time of tribulations and the Lord shall help them, and He shall free them and He shall seize them from sinners and save them, because they have hoped in Him.' 2 So it is that the wicked, having been sent into eternal torment, shall say concerning the righteous: 'These are those we once held in derision and as a type of reproach. We insensibly judged their life to be insane and their end without honour.' 1 This is unexpected salvation, because they judged the life of the just insane, but they themselves were insane believing themselves sane, nor were they expecting the retribution of Divine justice, and on account of that they were negligent in the correction of their lives. Thus they delighted to live luxuriously here for a few days, not believing that after they would suffer eternal punishment. Therefore when they see the righteous in that glory of the sons of God, of which the blessed Paul says, 'In which we stand and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God,' 3 then the iniquitous are astonished at the glory of the righteous, that is the sons of God, because the righteous themselves are the sons of God. Thus the iniquitous are sterile in their penance because the time for that has passed and with anguished spirits they groan, 'How are they reckoned among the sons of God and among the saints is their lot? 1 Unexpected salvation then is not for the iniquitous, but truly it is given to the righteous, not to the iniquitous. It shall not be given to those who hopeless of it lived wickedly but to those who hoping for it lived well, and abstaining from worldly desires, kept the life giving commandments of Saint Peter, who said, 'Dearest, I beg that as strangers and pilgrims you abstain from worldly desires, which war against the soul, your life among the people being good. 4 Through a good life the righteous exhibit their bodies as 'a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God,' 5 because through a good life they themselves are a temple of God. And to this the faithful Apostle bears witness, saying, 'Do you not know you are a temple of God and the spirit of God dwells in you? 6 Lest this temple be polluted by evil works, not only does he warn us to be careful, but he would even terrify our souls, saying, 'If someone violates the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple is the holy place of God, which you are. Let no one lead themselves astray.' 7 For who, I ask, living wickedly, when he hears the Apostle, that if someone violates the temple of God that God shall destroy him, if not converted in this time, would hope for future forgiveness of sin? Who is not struck by trembling? Who before the end of this present life would not be stung by compunction and humility? The Apostle cries out, 'Because if someone violates the temple of God, God will destroy him,' and vain the man, led astray by most wicked thought, who says: 'Even if I have violated the temple of God, and lived badly until the end, I shall be saved.' The Apostle says it is not so, because he says, 'That we do evil that good might come of it, of such is the condemnation just.' 8 Is it not these that Sacred Scripture calls unhappy and pronounces their hope to be utterly empty, saying, 'They are wretched who reject wisdom and discipline, and empty is their hope and their work is without fruit.' 9 Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, On the Forgiveness of Sinners, Book 2, Chap 3 1 Wis 5.1 2 Ps 36.39-40 3 Rom 5.2 4 1 Pet 2.11 5 Rom. 12.1 6 1 Cor 3.16 7 1 Cor 3.17-18 8 Rom 3.8 9 Wis 3.11