Часть 1. О грехах

Article 1. What you need to know “Search the Scriptures, for through them you think you have eternal life,” says Christ (John 5:39). § 1. The Word of God is contained in the prophetic and apostolic books, which in Greek are called the “Bible,” that is, books. These books are otherwise called “Scriptures,” as Christ says: “Search the Scriptures,” and so on. And the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “You have known the sacred scriptures from childhood,” and so on (2 Tim. 3:15). They are also called books of the Law of God, since they contain the law of God. § 2. The Word of God is called and is God because from God through the prophets and apostles, as messengers, it was announced and transmitted to us, as the holy Apostle Peter wrote: “Never was prophecy uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). And the Apostle Paul says: “When you received the word of God which you heard from us, you received it not as the word of men, but as the word of God, as it truly is” (1 Thess. 2:13). And Timothy says: “All Scripture is inspired by God” (2 Tim. 3:16). Holy Scripture is the message of the Heavenly King to His subjects, His servants, us, unworthy, who through His faithful and Holy Spirit-wise His servants He deigned to send His holy will and reveal His merciful goodwill. Therefore, it has in itself some wondrous and divine power and action, so that in a short time, as we see in the apostolic sermon, not through many, but through twelve people, not wise, but simple and unlearned, it spread throughout the entire universe, as it is written: “Their message went out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” * (Ps. 18:5; Rom. 10:18). And not only did it spread, but it also brought such fruit that the peoples, bogged down in the delusion of idolatry and hardened, abandoned the superstition of idolatry, to Christ crucified, who died such a dishonorable death, and they accepted Him as Savior and God in their hearts. And although the devil’s cunning and intrigues acted in such a way that the wise men and the mighty of the ages strongly opposed their preaching, they did not succeed. And like the wind, like the rays of the sun, so the apostles, like the rays from Christ, the Sun of Truth, sent into heaven, the stormy devilish wind could not hinder anything. And, what is more surprising, many of those who considered these preachers to be boisterous and frantic, wanted to be their disciples, and the teaching, which they laughed at as madness, recognized it as the truest wisdom. Therefore, the word of God can be called “fruitful” (Col. 1:6), for it, sown in human hearts, “bears fruit: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23, 8). Faithful and true is the word of God spoken through the prophet: “Just as rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth and make it capable of giving birth and growing, so that it gives seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats - so is My word that comes from My mouth - it does not return to Me void, but it accomplishes what I please, and accomplishes what I sent it for” ( Isa.55:10–11). From here it follows, Christian: 1) The Word of God, as a great and heavenly gift, we must honor and love, as Saint David did (Ps. 118). 2) Thank the Heavenly Father from the heart for this great gift. 3) Study in it day and night. 4) According to His rule, correct your life and morals. 5) Those who stop reading or listening to it are ungrateful and senseless; who don’t have time to read God’s word, but have time to read funny books; who are trying to find out what is happening in Italy, Rome, Asia, Africa and other places, but do not want to learn from the word of God what is happening in their souls and to what end they are going, to eternal life or eternal torment, which without a doubt is a sign of a lost soul. § 3. The Holy Bible, or the books in which God's word is contained, are divided into the books of the Old and New Testaments. The books of the Old Testament are all those that were written before the coming of Christ, such as the books of Moses, the Prophets and others. The books of the New Testament are those written by the apostles after the coming of Christ; they contain the teaching and holy sermon about the saving coming of Christ, such as the four Gospels, the Apostolic Epistles and others. § 4. The Word of God, contained in the sacred books of the Old and New Testaments, is divided into two main parts: the Law and the Gospel. The Law of God refers to the commandments of God, in which God either commands or forbids us to do something, such as: “turn away from evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15). The Gospel means all His merciful and joyful promises to us, either those that have already been fulfilled, such as: about the coming of Christ the Son of God, Who has already come and accomplished the great work of our salvation, or those that have yet to be fulfilled, such as: the general resurrection and eternal life for those who believe in Christ. The whole power of the Gospel is contained in Christ’s short saying: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). § 5. The Law of God, given to our first parents Adam and Eve in paradise, was written on their hearts, but then, written on two tablets from God, it was handed over to Saint Moses on Mount Sinai and through him it was announced to all people, as it is written in the book of Exodus (Exodus 32 and 34). Christ the Son of God brought the Gospel from the bosom of His Heavenly Father to earth and preached: “And he came and preached peace to us who were far and near” (Eph. 2:17), as He says about Himself: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; For He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor, and He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord” (Luke 4:18-19). About the Law and the Gospel, Saint John the Evangelist wrote briefly: “The Law was given through Moses; But grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). § 6. What the Word of God reveals to us, we must believe it as surely as if we saw it with our eyes, or even more, since our feeling can deceive us more easily than the Word of God, spoken by a false God. We must believe in Him more than in Him who rose from the dead and told. For it is written: “If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, even if someone were raised from the dead, they would not believe” (Luke 16:31). God's testimony, which is declared in the Holy Scriptures and confirmed by signs and wonders, is more reliable than the voice of the whole world. For “the testimony of the Lord is true” (Ps. 18:8). Any person can lie, but God, being Himself the eternal truth, cannot lie. “The Lord is faithful in all His words” (Ps. 144:13). “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33). And therefore, what God revealed to us is certainly true, and what he predicted will certainly happen in due time. There will certainly be a resurrection of the dead, there will be a second coming of Christ, just as the first was, there will be His righteous judgment, there will be reward for the righteous and for the sinner, and so on. § 7. The Word of God was handed down to us from God and written by inspired men so that by holding on to it we would receive eternal salvation. “These are written...,” says Saint John, “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). And St. Paul: “But whatever was written before was written for our instruction, so that through patience and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom. 15:4). Therefore, Christ sends the Jews to study the Scriptures: “Search the Scriptures, for through them you think that you have eternal life” (John 5:39). And although the forefathers and holy patriarchs were saved without Holy Scripture; but they were taught, instructed and consoled by the living voice of God, as we read in the book of Genesis. We should not expect such a voice and instruction from God, but from His written holy word we must seek advice and instruction, according to the word of Christ: “Search the Scriptures.” The Word of God is undoubted, true, firm and unshakable, the God-given rule of holy faith and godly Christian life. For it is a lamp to our feet, as the prophet confesses: “Your law is a lamp to my feet, O Lord, and a light to my ways” (Ps. 119:105). And St. The Apostle Peter teaches: “We have the most sure prophetic word; and you do well to look to him as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). “The law of the Lord is undefiled: it converts souls; The testimony of the Lord is true: He makes children wise; The Lord's justifications are right: they gladden the heart; The commandment of the Lord is bright: it enlightens the eyes of the heart (Ps. 18:8-9). “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Therefore, the gospel of Christ is called and “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16), since “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17), through which we “believe” in Christ (John 17:20); thus, “it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). Therefore, all Christians who want to have a true and living faith, and to preserve it to the end, and thus be saved, need to diligently read or listen to the Word of God. Just as those who walk the path or do something need sensual light, so those who go towards eternal life and remain in the struggle of faith and piety need the lamp of the word of God, so as not to deviate to the path of the wicked. And just as the body is strengthened every day with food, so as not to weaken and, weakened, not to disappear, so it is fitting to strengthen the soul every day with the spiritual food of the word of God, so that, having dried out from hunger, it does not weaken and perish. Man is blind by himself, and therefore requires enlightenment; weak, and therefore needs reinforcement; he is lazy and sad, and therefore he needs encouragement and consolation. And all this comes from the word of God. The Word of God warns us against many wiles of the devil and the charms of the world, which all try to seduce the soul from the path of piety. Consequently, those Christians are mistaken who move away from this Divine rule and, like the blind or those in darkness, walk until they finally fall into the ditch of destruction. § 8. The Word of God, being the truest and most perfect rule of piety, as it is said, is necessary for all Christians, but for pastors, that is, bishops and priests, especially: for they have taken the “key of understanding” (Luke 11:52), which is the word of God, and thus they must open the door to Christ the Living God and the source of life, and eternal bliss, opened by His death, both for themselves and for others. The Holy Apostle wrote to Timothy, and through him to every pastor: “Pay attention to yourself and to the teaching; do this constantly: for by doing this, you will save yourself and those who listen to you.” And a little higher: “Engage in reading, instruction, teaching” (1 Tim. 4:16, 13). Consequently, those shepherds who, according to the apostolic exhortation, do not heed the reading of Holy Scripture are faulty in their calling. How can such a shepherd teach others if he himself is ignorant? How can he enlighten others if he himself is in darkness and blindness? How can he instruct others if he himself is mistaken? Christ likens such shepherds to blind leaders: “They are blind leaders of the blind; and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit” (Matthew 15:14). § 9. The Word of God, both to everyone in general and to everyone in particular, to me, and to you, and to others, was equally transmitted and written. For God does not look at personalities, but “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Therefore, for the sake of everyone and everyone, He commanded His holy word to be written, so that everyone, reading or listening to it, could receive eternal salvation. As God tells me in His word: “I am the Lord your God; love your neighbor as yourself,” and so on, he says the same thing to you (Lev. 19:18). And Christ commands everyone to search the Scriptures: “Search the Scriptures.” And the Apostolic Epistles are addressed to all Christians, as everyone can see from those epistles. And the holy Apostle John wrote in his letter: “I am writing to you, fathers,... I am writing to you, young men,... I am writing to you, young men,” and so on (1 John 2:13). He wrote to fathers, youths and youths, therefore: 1) everyone and everyone, and people of every rank and rank, that is, sanctified and unsanctified, noble and simple, husbands and wives, can and should read and listen to it; 2) obliges everyone and every rank and rank of people to obedience, that is, to avoid evil and do good; 3) those who believe and teach that the Holy Scriptures should not be read by ordinary people, but only by priests and other sanctified persons, sin. And indeed, this opinion is a fiction and a intrigue of the devil, who diverts people from this soul-helping reading, so that, without reading the Holy Scripture, they would not have true and living faith and thus would not be saved. § 10. Since those who hear not only the word of God are blessed, but those who hear and keep it, as Christ says: “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28), then we must try to both hear and keep what we hear with God’s help. Therefore, the apostle exhorts Christians: “Be ye doers of the word, and not merely hearers, deceiving yourselves. For whoever hears the word and does not do it is like a man looking at the natural features of his face in a mirror: he looked at himself, walked away, and immediately forgot what he was like” (James 1:22-24). For God did not declare His word so that it would only lie outside, on the charter, like some kind of dead mark, but so that it would bear fruit inside, in our hearts. For the Word of God is a living, divine seed, which must sprout with spiritual fruits on the earth of our hearts. What good is a seed sown on the ground if it does not bear fruit? Likewise, the word of God, preached and heard, will not benefit us if it does not bear fruit in our hearts, that is, if we do not try to correct our lives according to its rule. The royal decree is published so that his subjects know and carry out his will. So the word of God was published for this purpose, so that we could correct our lives according to its rule. There is no benefit in hearing the word of God, but not living according to its rule; moreover, hearing the word of God and not observing it will result in severe condemnation, as will be said below. §11. God in His holy word says to the human soul: “I am the Lord your God,” and so on; says to the soul: “Turn away from evil and do good; believe, humble yourself, love, endure,” and so on. The soul must listen to the voice of God, obey, repent, believe, love, endure, and so on. And when evil thoughts arise, do not accept them, but when good advice is felt within, follow it. Therefore: 1) There is no benefit in appearing to be in good working order on the outside but being faulty on the inside; to humble yourself in body and be proud of your soul; to have faith and love on the tongue, but unbelief and its fruits in the heart. All this is hypocrisy. 2) Every sin first appears in the soul, and then manifests itself externally and physically and is committed through the body. For example, murder, theft, fornication, etc. happen in the soul. For the hand will not kill, nor snatch away; the tongue will not slander or slander; The eye will not look, the ear will not hear obscene things, the belly will not overeat, the feet will not walk towards evil, if the soul does not want. In the same way, every virtue must be in the soul and, on occasion, appear outwardly and manifest its effect. For example, faith must be in the soul and, on occasion, show itself by confession; love must be in the soul and, on occasion, manifest itself through acts of mercy, and so on. He who has true love for his neighbor will not refuse the one who asks. And God, when he says to a person: “Do not kill, do not steal,” is not speaking to the hands, but to the soul, from which murder and theft occur and are committed through the hands; He also does not say to the tongue: “Do not bear false witness,” but to the soul, which uses the tongue to bear false witness, and so on. Therefore, the apostle calls the bodily members “instruments of righteousness” or “instruments of unrighteousness” (Rom. 6:13). They are “instruments of righteousness” when the soul uses them to do justice; “instruments of unrighteousness” - when the soul uses them to create unrighteousness. 3) Not only the murderer, or the predator, or the adulterer, etc., who sins by deed: does evil, but also the one who wants to do evil. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit,” says Christ (Matthew 7:18). Therefore, in God’s word, murder is attributed not only to the one who kills a person by deed, but also to the one who hates a person. “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer,” says Saint John (1 John 3:15). Also, lust for fornication is called fornication by Christ. “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). And although the civil court does not execute evil lusts, the court of God will execute them, since they were committed against His holy and eternal law: “Thou shalt not covet.” God not only judges external sins, but also internal ones, at least externally, they did not appear before people. § 12. God, commanding us to avoid evil, also commands us to do good: “Avoid evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15); prohibiting stealing and kidnapping, he also commands to give: “Give to him who asks you” (Matthew 5:42). Consequently: 1) We are equally obliged to avoid evil and to create good. 2) From here it follows that both doing what is forbidden and what is commanded not to do is contrary to God’s holy law, and therefore there is sin. For everything that is done against the law of God is sin. “Sin is lawlessness,” according to the testimony of the apostle (1 John 3:4). Christ sends us not only for evil deeds, but also for neglect of good deeds, into eternal fire. “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” He will say to those on the left side on the day of His judgment. Why? For I was hungry, and you did not give me anything to eat,” and so on (Matthew 25:41–42). This is taught by both Saint Basil the Great in his word on the judgment of God, and Saint Chrysostom in the 13th conversation on the 3rd chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. From this it follows that those rich people sin who do not give from their property to the poor who ask them; Likewise, others sin, who hide the gifts of God in themselves and do not benefit their neighbors, although they could. But these gifts are the very “talents” for which we should give an answer to our Lord on the day of His righteous judgment (Matthew 25:14-30). § 13. Anyone who wishes to read or listen to the word of God with spiritual benefit should note the following: 1) Since it is the most precious gift of God, he should read or listen to it with reverence, eagerness and zeal. If we listen to an earthly king or some high man who addresses us and converses with us with attention, diligence and reverence, much more should we listen to God, Who is the King of kings and the Lord of sovereigns, Who in His word addresses us and converses with us. When “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23) we pray to Him, then we turn to Him in this way and talk with Him, in the same way, when we properly read His word or listen to His minister reading, then we hear Him talking to us. 2) One must listen or read the word of God not in order to be witty or eloquent, but in order to know God and Christ the Son of God and His holy will and thus receive eternal salvation. This is the proper purpose of reading or hearing the word of God. For since it was given to us for the salvation of the soul, then for this we should read or listen to it. 3) Hide it in the heart, like an expensive spiritual treasure, like the prophet David: “I have hidden Your words in my heart, O Lord, so that I would not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11); keep and “learn day and night” (Ps. 1:2), and feed the soul with it, just as the body feeds with bread, and even more. For just as the body weakens and disappears without food, so faith without the food of the word of God weakens and then disappears. Or just as a lamp goes out without oil, so faith and all piety without the word of God becomes impoverished and fades away. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Therefore, just as we pour oil into a lamp so that it does not go out, so it is appropriate to kindle and warm faith from the word of God, so that it does not go out, and so we do not lose all the spiritual bliss that consists of faith. 4) To think and not to doubt at all that as for all people, so for me and you, vile, poor, wretched, damned and sinful, the great, omnipotent, holy and terrible God says in His word: “I am the Lord Thy God”: repent, believe, humble yourself, love, endure, be meek, and so on. And this is what God says, Whom, as the righteous, it is scary not to listen to; as a good and benevolent Father, it is pitiful to insult; as a benefactor, do not honor shamelessly; as omnipresent and omniscient, it is impossible to deceive. On the contrary, He turns His gaze to “those who tremble at His word” and shows special “His mercy on those who fear Him” (Is. 66:2; Ps. 103:11). 5) Do not look at what others do, no matter who they are, but adhere to the word of God alone and learn from what it teaches. For day by day, faith and with faith love decrease in people, and temptations multiply, which shake our hearts and want to extinguish the incipient faith. 6) Since our mind is blind without God’s enlightenment, our will is evil without God’s grace, and desire and effort without God’s help are weak, therefore we must earnestly pray to God that He Himself will enlighten our mind, correct our will, and help our desire and effort. Imitating the godly Psalmist, who in Psalm 119 fervently prayed that God would enlighten him and guide him on the path of His commandments, help and lead him along the path of truth. One must approach the Word of God with prayer, read or listen to it with prayer, and end the reading with prayer and thanksgiving. Therefore, in a church meeting, before starting to read the word of God, that is, the Apostle and the Gospel, we pray and at the end of the reading we thank God for this great gift of His. Anyone who begins to read or listen to the word of God can pray like this with the Psalmist: “Open the eyes of my soul, and I will understand the wonders of Your law, O Lord. I am a stranger on earth; hide not Your commandments from me” (Ps. 119:18–19). Or this: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, open my mind to understand your holy word, as you opened it by your apostle” (see Luke 24:45). Or pray, as God bestows grace upon whom. He who reads and listens to the word of God must also pray and stimulate prayer by reasoning about what is being read. For example, the one reading or listening to the word about the beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12) should pray to Christ, the Author of true beatitude, so that the root of the beatitudes, true and living faith, may be planted and strengthened in his heart, for from faith sweet fruits flow, that is, spiritual poverty, tenderness, meekness, thirst for truth, love with fruits, sincerity and simplicity, and other. To the reader or listener of Christ’s word: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord!” Lord!”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21), we must also remember that just as it is true and proper to call on God, so we cannot do the will of God without God: “Without Me you can do nothing,” says God Himself (John 15:5). Reasoning about this, you can add the following prayer to the reading of this word: “Lord, grant me, a sinner, to call on You in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23); “Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God” (Ps. 142:10), yes, by calling upon Thee and following Thy holy will, I will be saved according to Thy false promise: “Whoever... calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). Anyone reading or listening to the word about how Christ opened the eyes of the blind (Matthew 20:34) can add the following prayer: “Son of God, who enlightens the blind with the word, like God, enlighten my spiritual eyes, so that I may see You, the Eternal Light, and follow You with faith and love.” Anyone reading or listening to the apostolic word: “Christ died for all, so that those who live may no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15), you can pray like this: “Jesus, the Son of God, who died for all and for me, a sinner, put to death the wisdom of my flesh, help me to die to sin and the world, that I may live for You, my Redeemer, who died for me and rose again.” You can do the same in other things, and stimulate and reinforce prayer with reasoning, reasoning with prayer. Having finished reading or listening to the word of God, we must thank the merciful God for the fact that it was good for us, who are in darkness, to light the lamp of His Word to enlighten our minds, and also pray that it, like the morning star, would shine in our hearts with the grace of the Holy Spirit, who spoke through the prophets and apostles. § 14. Christians who live fearlessly and violate the law of God, collect for themselves the wrath of God, according to the words of the apostle: “O man! Or do you neglect the riches of God’s goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that God’s goodness leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God” (Rom. 2:3-5). They collect, I say, more than the pagans, who do not know the true God and His holy law. For only the natural law will expose the pagans, but both the natural and the written law will expose and condemn defective and bitter Christians on the day of Christ’s judgment. “He who rejects Me and does not accept My words has one who judges him: the word that I have spoken will judge him at the last day,” says Christ (John 12:48). The words of Holy Scripture, as St. Basil the Great, will appear at the judgment of Christ. For He said: “I will reprove you, and bring your sins before your face” (Ps. 49:21). Then the hardened Christian will be confronted with the commandments he heard and violated, convicting him. Threats and promises of God will appear, actually fulfilled, written in Holy Scripture, which he did not believe, and will expose him. Then a conscience will arise in him, which will remind him of God’s blessings and gracious circumstances, despised by him, such as: Christ’s coming into the world for sinners, suffering, death, etc.; the word of God, so many times heard and despised by him, so many preaching exhortations that were for his salvation and abandoned by him. And he will be greatly tormented by this memory, or rather, remorse, especially because he will no longer have any hope of returning what he lost through negligence. As a result of this, he will begin to condemn himself, reproach himself, but it is useless, he will begin to hate and curse himself, he will abhor himself and will want to turn into nothing, but he will not be able to. To this terrible torment and anguish will be added the most painful feeling of the wrath of God and a flame that scorches, but does not burn, and so on. Those who despise the law of God will not escape this torment, vainly consoling themselves and softening their evil conscience. For “the servant... who knew the will of his master, and was not ready, and did not do according to his will, will be beaten many times,” says Christ (Luke 12:47). That is why Christ proclaims “woe” to those who hear the word of God and do not repent. It will be more tolerable for the inhabitants of Tire, Sidon and Sodom on the day of judgment than for lawless Christians, if they do not repent (Matthew 11:21-24). “God cannot be scolded. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Gal.6:7). Therefore, without fail, those Christians who have retreated from God through a lawless life, if they no longer want to experience the judgment of God on themselves as pagans, must turn to Him with all their hearts and pray to His goodness with tears, so that again in His highest mercy they will be accepted and create the worthy fruits of repentance. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). § 15. A sign of the wrath of God - if in some place the word of God is not preached, as God says through the prophet: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the earth - not a famine of bread, not a thirst for water, but a thirst for hearing the words of the Lord. And they will walk from sea to sea and wander from north to east, seeking the word of the Lord, and will not find it” (Amos 8:11-12). For as bread is to our body, so is the word of God to our soul. Just as the body is nourished and strengthened by food, so the soul is nourished and strengthened in faith by the word of God. Consequently, just as there is hunger for the body when the clouds do not sprinkle, and the parched earth does not produce fruit, so hunger occurs for the souls when they are deprived of hearing the word of God. Because then faith, which is nourished and strengthened by the word of God, becomes impoverished and disappears, and in its place unbelief and superstition appear. This is why it happens that people regard as sin that which contains no sin; and, on the contrary, they do not consider as sin that which contains great sin: virtue is called vice, vice is called virtue. Therefore, many consider it a sin to touch certain foods, which God has not forbidden; but they eat the houses of widows, orphans and other defenseless people, which God forbade under the threat of temporary and eternal execution. Hence there are other lawless fruits that a godless life shows, such as: perjury, extortion, theft, flattery, deception, deceit, unconciliatory malice, all uncleanness and all lawlessness. Man in himself is blind and therefore requires enlightenment; forgetful - and therefore requires frequent reminders; lazy - and therefore he needs encouragement; he was decrepit and sad - and therefore he needed consolation; prone to falling - and therefore requires reinforcement; prone to doubt - and therefore requires guidance. And all this is drawn from Holy Scripture. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). As a result of deprivation of all this, there is nothing more than a disastrous and deplorable state of the soul. Physical hunger is terrible, but mental hunger is worse. Physical hunger causes physical death, but mental hunger causes death to the soul, which is much more terrible than physical death. Just as the soul is more honest than the body, so the misfortune of the soul is more terrible than the body. No one, neither the righteous nor the sinner, can escape physical death, but with God’s help we will avoid spiritual death if we adhere to the words of His saint. And the body, although it dies, however, if the soul lives by faith, it will come to life again at the general resurrection, uniting with the soul. And if the soul dies, then both body and soul will perish forever. Woe to the poor souls who are melting away from this deadly hunger! But great woe to those whose duty is to feed souls with the food of the word of God, but do not feed them, who are wasting away! For in this way they themselves do not enter the kingdom of God and do not allow those who want to enter. But there is even greater grief when the path to all lawlessness is opened by their temptations. Because, looking at them as their leaders, ordinary people imitate their morals and their lives. So, they say, such and such are doing this and that: why don’t we do it too? So they reason madly and blindly, and so faith decreases day by day, and with faith love fades, piety becomes scarcer, and wickedness increases. In this case, according to the word of Christ, we must “pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:38). About this great matter, in which eternal salvation consists: 1) those who have not extinguished the spark of piety in their hearts should sigh and pray; 2) care and diligence must be exerted by those to whom the helm of the churches is entrusted. § 16. It is also a bad sign if the word of God is preached, but people are reluctant and lazy to listen and do not keep it in their hearts, or, worse, move away from it. In the parable of the seed it is written: “Something fell by the wayside, and birds came and devoured it. Some fell on a rocky place where there was little soil, and soon sprang up because the soil was shallow; when the sun rose, it withered and, as if it had no root, withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew, and choked the seed, and it did not bear fruit. And some fell on good ground and produced fruit, which sprang up and grew, and yielded some thirty, some sixty, and some a hundred” (Mark 4:4-8). The seed is the word of God. By good land, which has produced fruit from the sown seed, we mean good people who produce the fruits of repentance, and by land that has not produced fruit, we mean three kinds of careless people, in whom the word of the Gospel teaching does not bear any fruit. People of the first kind are likened to the road, these are those who, while hearing, do not hear the word of God: that is, they hear with their carnal ears only the preached word, but do not allow it inside, into their hearts; They do not think about what they have heard, but are amused in other vain thoughts, and therefore the voice of the word of God only strikes their ears, but does not reach their hearts. And so the devil steals the word of God from them, “so that they do not believe and are saved” (Luke 8:12). People of the second kind hear the word of teaching and “receive it joyfully, as Christ teaches; but since they do not have roots in themselves, during times of sorrow or persecution they destroy them and become fruitless. The third part of people are those who also hear the word of God, but, like the seed of thorns, so the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word they hear... and it becomes unfruitful,” as Christ Himself explains there (Matthew 13:19-22). From this it is clear: 1) that it is useless to hear the word of God, but with negligence. 2) The word of God, heard and joyfully received, but not deepened in the heart, is suppressed like thorns by the sadness of this age and misfortunes, or the vanity of the world, love of glory, love of money and lust, and is also fruitless. 3) If those who hear the word of God, but with negligence, and do not hide it in their hearts, do not bear any fruit, then what fruit will those who move away from the word of God and do not want to hear or read it bear? 4) From this it is clear how small the number of those being saved is. As can be seen from the parable, only a quarter of those who hear the word of God are saved. Exclude those who move away from the word of God, exclude idolaters, Jews, Mohammedans, heretics and other superstitions, and only a small flock of Christ’s sheep will remain, as Christ Himself says: “Do not be afraid, little flock” (Luke 12:32), because few people want to follow the narrow path, which alone leads to life (Matt. 7:14). 5) Christians, let us consider ourselves and try to be not only listeners, but also creators of the law. Let us create fruits worthy of repentance, so that we, as barren, will not be cut by the ax of God’s judgment and thrown into the fire. For it is written: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). Chapter 2. About spiritual wisdom “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). § 17. The beginning of spiritual wisdom is the fear of the Lord, as Saint David says: “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord” (Ps. 111:10). Saint Basil teaches about this: “The fear of the Lord is the purification of the soul, and the prophet also prays: “Nail my flesh to Thy fear” (Ps. 119:120). Where the fear of God is, there is all purity of the soul; from there all evil and inappropriate action flees. For the bodily members, as if nailed by fear, cannot move towards inappropriate deeds. Just as one whose body is nailed to the cross cannot act, so a person, confirmed in the fear of God, cannot turn his eyes to indecent things, nor move his hands to evil deeds, and cannot do anything, neither small nor great, contrary to his calling, overwhelmed by the fear of reproaches, as if by some kind of disease” (In the Word at the beginning of the parables). So the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: for it cleanses the soul from the filth of sin and prepares the place for spiritual wisdom. Just as the beginning of bodily health is when the body is cleansed of harmful juices, so the beginning of mental health is when the soul, through the fear of God, is freed from evil lusts and the heavy oppression of sin, which, like harmful juices, lead it into weakness and powerlessness. §18. Through the fear of God, as cruel healing, a purified and strengthened soul becomes the receptacle of true wisdom, that is, Christian love. For spiritual wisdom requires not only avoiding evil, but also doing good. For it is said: “turn away from evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15). But just as we turn away from evil through the fear of God, as was said above, so we are attracted to good by the love of God. And just as by the fear of God we lay the foundation of spiritual wisdom, so by love we are raised to perfection, as far as possible in this century. § 19. The means through which we come to spiritual wisdom: 1) God's Holy Word, with the help of the Holy Spirit. For the “Holy Scriptures,” according to the apostle, “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:15). 2) Sincere prayer. This is what the apostle says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without doubting at all” (James 1:5-6, etc.). Therefore, Solomon says: “Knowing that I could not master it (wisdom) otherwise than if God bestowed it, and that it was already a matter of reason to know whose gift it was, I turned to the Lord and prayed to Him, and spoke with all my heart” (Wisdom 8:21). We learn the dogmas of spiritual wisdom not in the books of the sages of this age, but in the books of the prophets and apostles, and we receive skill in it in the school of the Holy Spirit, Who through His holy word makes wise the hearts of His faithful. Therefore, if Christians want to find spiritual wisdom, they must diligently study day and night in the word of God and fervently pray to the Giver of wisdom - God. § 20. Spiritual wisdom has its place and seat in the heart, and not in the tongue; inside, not outside; in force, not in words. Not everyone is wise who is so outwardly before people, but he is wise who is so in essence; and not everyone who can speak beautiful speech, but who has such a heart. It often happens that life is not like eloquence; and often under the guise of eloquence lies malice, which cannot be combined with spiritual wisdom. Hence it happens that a rude villager, who does not know the alphabet, but lives in the fear of God, is much more skillful and wiser in Christian matters than the wordsmith and sage of this age without the fear of God. § 21. Signs of spiritual wisdom: 1) careful teaching in the word of God; 2) seeking advice from pious and reasonable people; 3) love for instruction, punishment, useful advice, reproof; 4) reasoning about the wondrous Providence of God, about His truth and mercy; 5) frequent recollection of death and its aftermath, that is, of the Last Judgment of Christ, of a blessed and unhappy eternity; 6) contempt of the world; 7) most of all, prayer, without which spiritual wisdom cannot be acquired, as was said above and will be sufficiently said below. § 22. The fruits of spiritual wisdom are Christian virtues, that is: humility, patience, meekness, truth, chastity, mercy and others. So Solomon teaches: “The fruits thereof are virtues; it teaches chastity and prudence, justice and courage, more useful than which there is nothing for people in life” (Wis.8:7). And the Apostle James says: “But the wisdom that comes from above is first pure, then peaceable, humble, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). She fears God and loves Him; turns away from the vanity of the world and cleaves to God alone; he uses everything allowed, such as food, drink, clothing, etc., with fear, for the sake of need, and not for luxury; He generously endures the misfortunes and misfortunes that come his way. She shows herself to be obedient to God and to people for God’s sake. It is not painful for her to do everything that pleases God, and to shy away from everything that is disgusting to Him. Pride, envy, anger, enmity, impurity, love of money and other spiritual ulcers have no place in it. She loves everyone indiscriminately, treats everyone with sincerity and simplicity. What he declares in words, he has within himself; What he promises in word, he fulfills in deed, unless there is some obstacle. She doesn’t need notes in contracts; a word spoken by her and heard from another is a solid record for her. She sees her brother suffering, and her heart sympathizes with him; helps those who need help; He sympathizes with every misfortune of his neighbor and rejoices in his well-being; he weeps with those who weep and rejoices with those who rejoice; He embraces his friends with his arms and does not take away his love from his enemies. Therefore, she is peaceful, quiet, calm, joyful, cheerful, although the evil spirit and his evil servants cause her trouble. § 23. The consequences of spiritual wisdom arising from it are reproach, contempt, exile and all kinds of troubles. Since she is not of this world, but “descends from above,” as the Apostle James teaches (James 1:17), the insane and evil world considers her madness, scolds, hates and persecutes her. “And all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, which is what spiritual wisdom consists of, will suffer persecution,” says the wise Paul (2 Tim. 3:12). And although she is honest, magnificent and favorable before God on the inside, she remains despised and belittled on the outside. § 24. The goal to which this wisdom of man leads is God and eternal bliss. For just as she herself comes from God, so she turns to God and brings those who love her. § 25. Spiritual wisdom differs in everything from carnal or worldly wisdom. Carnal wisdom is proud - spiritual wisdom is humble. Carnal wisdom is self-loving - spiritual wisdom is God-loving. Carnal wisdom is impatient and malicious; spiritual wisdom is patient and meek. Carnal wisdom is irreconcilable - spiritual wisdom is peaceful. Carnal wisdom is unmerciful - spiritual wisdom is merciful and full of good deeds. Carnal wisdom hates, envies, spiritual wisdom loves. Carnal wisdom is crafty, deceptive, cunning - spiritual wisdom is simple-hearted, true, sincere. Carnal wisdom is untruthful, but spiritual wisdom is truthful. For carnal wisdom, humility, reproach, suffering and the cross of Christ are foolishness; for spiritual wisdom there is great wisdom. So in other things, spiritual wisdom is contrasted with carnal wisdom. § 26. Spiritual wisdom, as can be seen from what has been described above, consists in nothing other than the true knowledge and reverence of God and Christ the Son of God. From this knowledge is born the fear of God, which is the beginning of spiritual wisdom, and the love of God, which leads a person to spiritual perfection, as far as it is possible to achieve in this century. In these two, the fear of God and the love of God, true worship of God lies. The beginning and root of all this is holy faith, as you will see below in the following paragraphs. § 27. This paragraph shows how the seeker of spiritual wisdom can move from a specific case to general spiritual reasoning, the basis of which will be the word of God. The case and spiritual reasoning about it I. You look at the sky, so wonderful, high and vast, decorated with various stars; to the sun and moon, shining and illuminating the whole of heaven; on the clouds, moving back and forth in the air, and like wineskins, pouring rain and watering our fields. Presents to your senses and reason the earth with everything that fills it, with trees, herbs, livestock, animals, seas, lakes, rivers, springs and other decorations. From the visible, move your mind to the invisible, from the creation of the world to the Creator. May this incident be a reason for you to marvel at: 1) the omnipotence of our God, Who created all this out of nothing with one word (Gen. 1); 2) His wisdom, Who so wisely created everything; 3) His goodness, Who created all this for our sake. He who meditates in this way and cognizes from creation the power, wisdom and goodness of the Creator in spirit will joyfully admire and sing with the Psalmist: “How majestic are Your works, O Lord: in wisdom You have created everything” (Ps. 103:24). II. You see that every creature serves everyone equally. The sun, moon, stars illuminate everyone equally; the air saves life for everyone; the earth contains and nourishes everyone equally; the water gives water to everyone equally—everyone, I say, equally, that is, the rich and the poor, the glorious and the ignorant, the master and the slave. From this we learn that all our goodness, given to us by God, should be common to us and our neighbors. Our bread, our clothing, our minds, our homes must be common, serving both us and our neighbors. III. You also see that one creature helps another, the higher elements help the lower ones. The sun enlightens and warms the air and the earth; clouds - irrigate the air and the earth; serves as breathing air for animals; the earth provides food for us and our livestock. All this teaches us that all the more so we, as rational creatures, must help each other: the rich to the poor, the reasonable to the unreasonable, the healthy to the weak, free to the prisoner, strong to the offended, empowered to the defenseless, and so on. Therefore the words: “What do I care about him?” - must be expelled from among Christians. IV. You see a servant standing before his master and fulfilling his command with all obedience. This incident gives you the opportunity to judge with what incomparably greater respect and reverence we must stand before God and walk before Him, our Lord (for God is in every place, and wherever we are, and whatever we do, we do before God, who looks at us), and fulfill His commands with the most zealous obedience. Because a master, no matter how high he may be, is a man, and a man is the same as his slave - but his slave shows him such reverence - and God is the Lord of lords and slaves and the King of kings and subjects, and for Him both masters and their slaves, kings and their subjects are slaves. And the Lord is great and terrible, and the Powers of Heaven stand before Him with fear, and revere Him, and fulfill His commands. Consider also how shamelessly we act and how gravely we sin, when we do not show Him the same respect and reverence that slaves show to their master, a man similar to them, but we act outrageously before Him; and we do not have the kind of obedience that slaves have to a human master, but we boldly and fearlessly dare to break His commandments. The Lord Himself convicts us of this through the prophet: “The son glorifies his father, and the servant of his master fears. And if I am the Father, where is my glory? And if I am the Lord, then where is the fear of Me? - says the Lord Almighty" (Mal. 1:6). Learn from here how great our blindness and insensibility are, and at the same time marvel at the goodness and long-suffering of our God, who deals so meekly and patiently with us, indecent slaves. This teaches you not only not to do or say anything, but also not to think evil or indecent thoughts. After all, before God, who permeates everything, as well as word and deed, so also thought. For He sees our thoughts as clearly as the deed itself; and our evil thoughts offend Him just as much as our bad deeds. And not only the one who does evil is outraged before Him, but also the one who thinks evil. V. You see either in a woman - a mother - for her children, or in a bird for her chicks, or in cattle and animals for her young, ardent love. From this incident, raise your mind to the love of God, which He has for His rational creation - man, created in His image. If in His creatures, for example, mothers for their children, He planted such love, how much greater is the love He Himself has for man, whom He created in His image and likeness. From this source it follows that He shows so many good deeds to man that it is impossible not only to count them, but also to understand them with the mind. His inexpressible love is manifested in the fact that He so thirsts for our salvation, endures us sinners so much, awaits our repentance with such desire, accepts those who repent with such favor and joy, and punishes those who do not repent with such displeasure. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Therefore, He Himself, through the prophet, says: “Shall a woman forget her child, so as not to have mercy on the son of her womb? Even if she forgets, I will not forget you, says the Lord” (Isaiah 49:15). This Fatherly love of the Heavenly Father cheers the righteous, consoles the sinner and exhorts not to despair of His mercy, but rather encourages him to resort to Him with repentance and undoubtedly expect His mercy. VI. You see the sun, pleasantly shining, illuminating the whole of heaven and making us happy. From this sensory sun, raise your mind to the mental, eternal Sun of righteousness, Christ, the Son of God, Who miraculously enlightens the faithful and will forever enlighten and delight so that they themselves “shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” according to His false promise (Matthew 13:43). And from this visible world, which is illuminated by the brilliance of the sun’s rays, move your mind to the city described in Revelation, the highest Jerusalem, which “neither has need of the sun nor the moon for its illumination, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23), - where “there will be no night..., and they will have no need of either a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord is God.” illuminates them; and they will reign forever and ever” (Rev. 22:5). VII. You see that during spring, everything that was dead in winter seems to come to life again and is reborn: the earth produces fruits from its depths, the trees put on leaves, the grass turns green and is decorated with flowers; the waters, bound by ice, melt and flow, and the entire celestial creation is clothed in a new form and, as it were, created anew. From this sensual spring, may faith lead your mind to the beautiful and desired spring, which the all-good God promised in His Holy Scripture, when the bodies from the beginning of the world of the faithful departed from the earth, like seeds, having vegetated by the power of God, will arise and be clothed in a new, beautiful appearance, will be dressed in the robe of immortality, will receive the crown of kindness from the hands of the Lord, will flourish, “like a date, and like a cedar.” Lebanon, will multiply. Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God" (Ps. 91:13-14), "like a bride, they will be adorned with beauty, and like the earth that brings forth its blossom, and like a garden that produces what is sown in it," they will flourish; and eternal joy will be upon their heads, and they will rejoice in the Lord with joy (Isa. 61:10-11). Then “this corruptible will put on incorruptibility and this mortal will put on immortality, then the word that is written will be fulfilled: Death is swallowed up in victory. Death! Where is your sting? hell! Where is your victory? (1 Cor. 15:54–55). So, striving in spirit towards the desired spring, now with faith and hope, with God’s help, the seeds of good labors - and may you then reap them with joy. VIII. You see that a filled vessel or a soaked sponge cannot contain anything else; on the contrary, an empty vessel contains everything. Understand from this that a soul filled with the love of this world, that is, love of fame, ambition, love of money and lust, cannot contain anything spiritual and heavenly: it cannot love God and heavenly blessings, as it should, and cannot have spiritual joy in itself. From this, Christian, learn to cast out worldly love, so that God’s love may enter your heart. Like is placed with like, for example, water with water, but opposite is not placed with opposite, for example, fire with water. There is no God's love in that heart in which there is love for silver, glory, honor and sweetness, just as in a benevolent heart there is no worldly love. For God's and worldly love are opposite things, and therefore cannot be together, but one drives out the other. “No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one and neglectful of the other. You cannot serve God and mammon,” says Christ (Matthew 6:24). IX. You see the sun rising clearly in the morning and making everyone happy. Think how great joy the souls feel in which Christ, the Son of God, the eternal Sun of truth, will shine. May this incident teach you to fervently pray to Him, so that the favorable light of His grace may shine in your heart. X. You see that during the day everything is clearly visible, and everyone distinguishes between harm and benefit, ditch and path, white from black and one thing from another. Understand that in the same way, one enlightened by the light of Christ’s grace sees everything clearly with the eyes of his soul, recognizes good from evil, virtue from vice: he sees spiritual harm and avoids it; recognizes the vices in the soul - and cleanses them with repentance and tears with the help of God. XI. You see that there is darkness and gloom in the sky, when the sun goes down and you can’t see anything, it’s impossible to recognize white from black, and where the ditch is, where it’s level, where it’s dangerous, where it’s safe. Consider what darkness there is in the soul, and what darkness surrounds it when it does not have the grace of Christ in itself. Such a soul does not recognize evil from good, does not recognize harm from its benefit, walks and touches like a blind person. This incident teaches you to pray to Christ, the true Light, so that the light of His grace may shine in your soul. XII. You see the trial being carried out, in which the guilty person, being convicted, stands and trembles with fear and is completely covered in shame; hears a reprimand for breaking the law, is deprived of honor and property, excluded from the number of good and honest people, called an evil and indecent person; then, in shame, he is taken to prison and, according to the laws, accepts execution. From this judgment, may faith turn your spirit to that terrible and universal judgment, at which the Judge is God Himself, who tests our hearts. Imagine in your mind that at that judgment there are sinners, excommunicated from the number of the righteous; stand with shame, fear and trembling unspeakable; they are exposed for transgressing the law of God, they are exposed before the whole world, before Angels and people; they see their sins, which they committed in secret in word, deed and thought, and are revealed to the whole world for knowledge; They see the punishment prepared for themselves according to their deeds. They see those who were reviled here, scolded, ridiculed, persecuted, embittered and trampled underfoot like rubbish - in glory and great joy. The unrighteous see the anger of the righteous Judge, hear a terrible reprimand and definition: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you did not give Me anything to eat,” and so on (Matthew 25:41–42). Finally, with great shame, fear, sadness, crying, sobbing, crying and despair, the unrighteous are rejected from the face of God; drawn by evil angels and imprisoned, “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48). May this incident and reasoning about it teach you to repent, to cry about your sins and now seek mercy from the Judge, so that you will not be put to shame in that universal disgrace, and not hear that terrible reprimand and definition. XIII. You see that fire always goes upward, and no matter how much it is hindered, it does not in any way change its action, but always strives to heights: for such is its nature. This incident shows you that true love for God works the same way. With it, a heart inflamed always strives towards its center, the most amiable Being, and no matter what hinders it in this, it cannot resist. Neither beauty, nor sweetness, nor glory, nor fear, nor sword, nor death can prevent this. The chosen vessel of Christ, Paul, experienced its power, who, with all confidence, said: “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39). For such love, the sweetness of this world is sorrow, beauty is stench, glory is insignificance, the kingdom is bondage and captivity. Such a person is on earth with his feet, but in heaven with his heart; on earth in body, but in heaven in spirit; lives with people, but in spirit stands before God kindly and worships Him; by faith, as “a mirror in fortune-telling,” he sees Him; He eats and drinks with his body, but with his spirit he constantly desires heavenly food, speaking to David: “As a deer eagerly strives for springs of water, so my soul longs for You, O God” (Ps. 41:2). This reasoning teaches you to try to taste and see how good the Lord is, and to pray to Him that He Himself kindle a spark of His love in your heart. For true love, as it comes from God, also turns to God. XIV. You also see that stone, iron, tin and other heavy things, no matter how much they rise and are thrown upward, nevertheless turn towards the earth, their center, with great aspiration and fall. From this incident you learn that this is the state of those who are addicted to the world, who, through exhortations and intimidation, seem to rise up so that, freed from vanity, they strive for heaven, but no matter how much they are excited by the preaching of the word of God, they cannot lag behind custom and addiction. And although sometimes they try and force themselves to tear themselves away from this evil, driven upward by the grace of God, that is, to the love of heavenly blessings, to rise, yet again downward, i.e. they turn to passion with considerable desire. For the passion of the addicted, like a magnet, attracts and attracts iron. This reasoning admonishes you to beware of any addiction, like fire or deadly poison, and to force yourself with all your might to desire and seek the heavenly blessings acquired by the death of Christ. And God helps those who try. XV. You see a wandering man who does not have his own home, but takes temporary shelter in someone else’s house. May this incident remind you that we are strangers and strangers in this world: “for we have no permanent city here, but we are looking for the future,” according to the words of the apostle (Heb. 13:14). This shows that we should soon or not soon finish this journey and come to our fatherland. That is why we must be in this world as strangers and strangers, and remember the apostolic word: “We brought nothing into the world; It’s obvious that we can’t take anything out of it. Having food and clothing, we will be content with this” (1 Timothy 6:7-8). XVI. When you are in a foreign country or on the road, your thoughts always incline and draw you towards your fatherland and your home. Learn from this incident that we, too, wandering in this world, as in a foreign country, must turn our thoughts to the heavenly fatherland, where is our Father, to whom we pray: “Our Father who art in heaven”; where is our home, where is our safe rest, “where Jesus entered as a forerunner for us” (Heb. 6:20), where is our inheritance, prepared for us from our most good and merciful Intercessor, Christ; where the great supper and marriage of the Lamb is prepared; where countless ethereal Powers stand before the throne of Majesty; where the faces of the saints, who lived from the beginning of the world and after their wanderings on earth, their labors, exploits and sorrows, rested in the kingdom of heaven, there they are married and wait for us with desire when we enter that rest. XVII. You see that a merchant is carrying his goods or sending them from a foreign country to his fatherland and his home. This incident teaches you “not to lay up treasures for yourself on earth, in this world where you wander, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but to send your treasure to the heavenly fatherland, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break through and steal” (Matthew 6:19-20). So, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Wherever you send your treasure, there your spirit, your thought, your desire, your diligence and care will always tend and strive. The Christian treasure, which is sent to the heavenly fatherland, is the Christian virtues: faith, love, patience, meekness, chastity, mercy, etc. XVIII. When you are in a foreign country or on the road, you fear all sorts of misfortunes from evil people. This case suggests such reasoning that we, who follow the path of this world, should also or much more be wary of the wiles of the devil, which, like robbers on travelers, and especially those burdened with spiritual goods, attack, surround and expose. Peter, the holy apostle of Christ, exhorts us to this caution and diligence: “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him with firm faith” (1 Peter 5:8–9). XIX. You see a bird sitting, looking around, and fearing that someone might catch it or shoot it. This example teaches you to look around this world in a similar way, fearing the devil’s snares and his arrows. The arrows of this enemy of ours: pride, envy, love of money, covetousness, malice, impurity, etc. He throws these arrows at us and stings the unwary. XX. You see a ship, worried and distressed at sea. From this understand that our life in the sea of ​​this world is in misery and is overwhelmed by many different misfortunes, like waves. And by this you will learn to often and earnestly pray and sigh to the all-wise Ruler Christ, so that he would not let your ship sink in the waves of disasters, but would instruct you how to achieve a quiet and safe haven of eternal life. XXI. You see that the candle burns and then burns out. This example shows you that our life, while we live, is like a candle that burns and then goes out. And we must remember about her death, which is unknown, on what day and hour it will be, and therefore we must always expect it. XXII. You see that some from the glorious become dishonest, some from the rich become beggars, some from the healthy become weak, some from the free become a slave, and others from a master become a slave. These changes clearly show us that our life on earth is fickle, vain, poor and deplorable, and this is a sign that we were created by our Creator not for this, but for another, better and more blessed life. And thereby we learn and, as it were, are convinced to seek that constant and blissful life. And in this case, we should not only not grumble, as our blind flesh wants, but also greatly thank God, although it seems disgusting to us that His grace thus convinces us to enter eternal life. XXIII. You see a man tormented by fever; or, entering the bathhouse, you feel a great heat; or you see a stove burning with fire. From this fire, move your mind to the fire of Gehenna, in which unrepentant sinners will suffer endlessly. This reasoning teaches you to appease the goodness of God with repentance and tears in order to get rid of that misfortune. XXIV. You see a man imprisoned in a dungeon, bound in chains, all pale and withered. From this prison, also move your mind to that eternal prison of hell, in which those condemned for iniquities will be imprisoned and will never see the light. Therefore, repent of your sins, so that you too do not come to that place of torment. XXV. You see or hear that a father disowns his disobedient and faulty son and deprives him of his inheritance. Learn from this incident that Christ will renounce defective and unrepentant Christians and deprive them of their eternal inheritance. He will say to them, although they were called by His name: “I don’t know you, where you come from; Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity" (Luke 13:25, 27). This admonishes you not only to have a Christian name, but also to try to live according to the name and confession. XXVI. You see the decorated royal palaces and their glory. May faith here delight your heart to the eternal palaces of heaven prepared for the righteous, and to the abodes of the house of the Heavenly Father and the glory of Christ, the heavenly and eternal King, with whom the faithful will be satisfied without satiety for endless ages. At the same time, lift up your soul’s eyes to the Son of God, so that you will not be deprived of your share in the inheritance of His chosen ones. XXVII. You hear consonant and sweet music or singing. May faith take your spirit to the heavenly villages, to the house of the God of Jacob. And there, with your spiritual ears, listen to how the angelic council and the faces of the saints send up consonant singing to the Trinitarian God. This incident serves as a reason for you to earnestly pray to Him, so that you will be worthy to glorify Him here and in the next century with all His elect. XXVIII. Do you see or hear that the earthly monarch rewards his servant abundantly for faithful service. At the same time, think about how Christ, the Heavenly and Eternal King, will reward and glorify His faithful servants in His kingdom, according to the false promise: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9), and again: “then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” ( Matthew 13:43). Then they will truly see and understand “that the sufferings of this present time are not worth anything in comparison with the glory that will be revealed in them” (Rom. 8:18). Then they will see what the eye could not see here, and hear what the ear could not hear here, and feel what could not arise in the heart here. Then “their heart will rejoice, and no one will take their joy away from them” (John 16:22). Then those who now mourn will be comforted; then those who now hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied; then those who are now deprived will be enriched; then those who are now exiled for the sake of righteousness will receive the kingdom; then they will receive from the hand of the Lord everything that they now looked at by faith, like a “mirror in fortune-telling,” and to which, inspired by hope, they aspired. Then everyone will rejoice in the Lord, and in the joy of the spirit will exclaim: “Clothe me with the robe of salvation, and clothe me with the robe of gladness, like a bridegroom, put a crown on me, and like a bride, adorn me with beauty” (Is. 61:10). This reasoning teaches you to despise the glory of this world and always strive for that glory; To serve the Heavenly King, Christ, faithfully, in order to be honored with His chosen ones to inherit that glory by His grace. XXIX. You see a tree, green with leaves and full of fruits, the sight of which pleases everyone. From this incident, turn your mind to the inner state of a benevolent person, whose soul is more or less adorned and filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit. “Like the date, ... it blooms, and like the cedar of Lebanon, it multiplies” (Ps. 91:13). This incident teaches us to diligently decorate ourselves internally and not externally. XXX. You see a tree withered and good for nothing except burning. Understand that such is the sinful soul, which does not have living faith and its fruits, the end of which is beating and the eternal fire of hell. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). This incident serves as a reason for you to turn your eyes to your soul, whether it is not in such a poor state, and to pray to Christ God, Who gives life to the dead, to revive it and water it with the dew of His grace so that spiritual fruits may grow. XXXI. You see a branch cut off from a tree and withered, which is not needed for anything except burning. Understand from this that anyone who is from Christ, Who “is the true... vine,” is cut off through negligence and an evil life, not only will not bear any fruit, but, like a cut off branch, will wither; “And such branches are gathered and thrown into the fire, and they are burned,” as He Himself teaches (John 15:1-6). This exhorts you to hold fast to Him by faith and love, to shun all sin, and to cleave to Christ alone, to imitate Him with humility and patience. XXXII. You see that without rain the earth becomes dry and does not bear fruit. Understand that in the same way the soul, not watered by the dew of God’s word and grace, seems to dry up and become barren. Our body becomes exhausted from hunger and thirst, and then, if it is not refreshed with food, it dies. Likewise, the soul, if it does not feed and drink the word of God, becomes exhausted and then dies. This admonishes you, just as you seek food and drink every day for your body, and for your soul to constantly seek food, drink and consolation from the word of God, so that, exhausted from hunger and thirst, it does not die forever. XXXIII. You see or hear that your neighbor is sinning or has sinned. This incident serves you not to condemn your brother, as some have an evil custom, but to recognize your weakness; not to ridicule your neighbor, but to feel sorry for him and to correct yourself. From him, turn your eyes to yourself, weren’t you yourself in the same or similar sin, and aren’t you now? And if not, then can’t you sin even worse? For our common weakness and damnation are within us: our enemies are our passions; our flesh enslaves us; and Satan, our enemy, is constantly looking for how to devour us. We are all subject to and fall under every calamity and fall; our fall is near if the grace of God does not support us. And so, from this case, consider yourself and, seeing your brother’s fall, try, with God’s help, to act more carefully. XXXIV. You see that the seed that fell on the ground dies and, having vegetated, comes out of the ground. This example clearly shows you that our bodies, although they die and are buried, will in due time be revived again by the power of God and clothed in the clothing of immortality. What the apostle preaches about is this: “It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption; sown in humiliation, raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength; the natural body is sown, the spiritual body is raised” (1 Cor. 15:42–44). And so stand, be established in faith, awaiting the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. XXXV. You see a farmer sowing seeds; but not everything bears fruit. For some, as the parable teaches, fall by the wayside, and the birds of the air eat them, some on stones, and others on thorns. Likewise, the saving seed, God’s word, is equally sown in the fields of human hearts, but only in good hearts does the fruit sprout (Matthew 13:4-23). This example teaches you to earnestly pray to God to give you a good heart, a new spirit and a new heart: and then the seed of the word of God sown on the ground of your heart will not be fruitless. XXXVI. You also see the farmer winnowing his seeds, and gathering the seeds into the barn, and sweeping away the tares. So it will be, as it is written, at the end of this century. Then faithful and pious people, like wheat into a barn, will enter the kingdom of heaven, and the evil ones, like tares, will be cast out “and thrown into the fiery furnace; There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:40–42). This example encourages you to be very concerned about your salvation and to be not unprofitable tares, but wheat. XXXVII. You also see a farmer joyfully gathering the fruits of his labors. Think with what joy those who are now working in the feat of faith and patience will enjoy the fruits of their labors. “Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Those who leave went away and wept, throwing away their seeds, but those who came will come with joy, gathering their sheaves” (Ps. 125:5-6). Looking at this, do not weaken in the feat of piety. XXXVIII. You see a beautiful, angelic person. From this, raise your mind to the inner man, that is, the soul, and think how much more beautiful the soul is - the image and likeness of God, which God settled in such a beautiful abode. From this, learn to recognize and honor the nobility, beauty and splendor of the soul, and adorn it, the immortal, with good deeds, faith, love, patience, chastity, and not the body, dust and ashes. XXXIX. You see a man in rags, half naked, covered in dirt. From him, turn your mind to the sinful soul, which was exposed by the grace of God, like a beautiful garment, and instead became covered with sinful vices, like dirt. A dirty man is vile in the eyes of men; but a soul stained with sinful filth is even more vile in the eyes of God. This incident admonishes you to avoid all sin, by which the soul is defamed and becomes unworthy of the sight of God. XL. You see another man, in wounds, stinking of pus. Turn your eyes to the sinful soul, which emits a much greater stench than the stinking body. As there is pus and wounds on the body, there are sins and iniquities on the soul. Listen to what the prophet says: “My iniquities have exceeded my head, like a heavy burden they have weighed me down; My wounds became stinking and rotten because of my foolishness” (Ps. 37:5-6). The stench of the body is unbearable to us; the stench of the soul is unbearable to God. We turn away from the stench of the body and run away; from the stench of the soul the Spirit of God turns away and departs. This again exhorts you to avoid sin. If you feel that your soul is infected with sinful leprosy, even if it “stops afar,” lift up your voice, as the lepers once did, to Jesus, the Son of God, the Banisher of all mental and physical illnesses, and lift it up with your heart, and not just with your lips, and pray: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me!” (Luke 17:12–13). Thus, He who cleansed those lepers will also cleanse your spiritual leprosy. For he is merciful and listens to the voices of us, the poor. This is why he came into the world, to save us from our sins. There cannot be such a great sinful leprosy that our wise and all-powerful Physician would not want or could not mercifully cleanse. XLI. You see a blind man who does not see the path, does not know where he is going, does not see anything in front of him, does not see the ditch into which he is ready to fall. From this case, turn your reasoning to spiritual blindness, the sinner stricken by which also does not see good and evil, does not know where he is going, does not see his destruction, which he is ready to undergo. Physical blindness is disastrous, but spiritual blindness is even more disastrous! It is better not to have physical vision than not to have mental vision. This incident and reasoning exhorts us to pray to Christ, who gives sight to the blind: “Look, hear me, O Lord my God! Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep into death” (Ps. 12:4). XLII. You see a deaf person who does not listen to what is said or forbidden, and does not do so because he does not hear the speeches and does not understand the order or prohibition. Understand that such is the sinner, whose spiritual ears are stopped by Satan so that he does not hear the voice of the words of God. Such a one has ears to listen, but does not have ears to “hear.” He hears only with his bodily ears, but is deaf with his spiritual ears. The voice of the Word strikes the physical ear, but does not touch the spiritual, and therefore it is as if it were deaf; That is why the word is ineffective. What God’s word says to Him, He does not heed; What he commands or forbids, he does not listen to, like a deaf man. For such a word, exhortation, advice, like music for a deaf person, does not bring any benefit. That is why Christ says in the Gospel: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 11:15). Everyone has ears, but not everyone “has ears to hear.” Hence it happens that although everyone gathered in the church listens to the word of God, not everyone receives the benefit: since not everyone “has ears to hear.” Physical deafness is deplorable, but mental deafness is worthy of greater lamentation. Because a soul that does not hear or listen to God’s voice is subject to all delusion and eternal destruction. This exhorts you to pray to Christ to open the ear of your soul, as He once opened the ear and tongue of the deaf and tongue-tied, and to give you “ears to hear” (Mark 7:32-37). XLIII. You hear that such and such a person, having been captured by an evil enemy, experiences all sorts of suffering. He is chained in iron, forced to live according to the will of the captor, to do whatever the tormentor pleases; endures ridicule, reproach, wounds; in a word, he leads a bitter life and is no better than death itself. From this sensory captivity, turn your mind to invisible captivity. In what bitter captivity does the sinful soul suffer, which was captured by the prince of this world, the devil! Having bound her with the bonds of the lusts of this world, he commits his evil will over her, mocks, mocks her, puts new wounds on her wounds, drags her from trouble to trouble, from lawlessness to lawlessness. Corporal captivity is bitter, but mental captivity is even worse! For the captive, although he works with his body for the tormentor, is free in spirit - no one can captivate or bind the spirit; Moreover, by death the captive will be freed from that disaster. He who is captive in soul, although he may be free in body, is poorer than any slave: for he will be bound forever, unless he is delivered by the grace of Christ. And this captivity is all the more destructive because the sinner does not see it; thinks to himself that he is free, that he serves no one, but in fact he is more unhappy than the one whose body is in chains. To be convinced of the truth of these words, listen to what the Lord says to the Jews. The Jews told him: “We are Abraham’s seed and have never been slaves to anyone; How then do You say: You will be made free? Jesus answered them: “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:33–34). This reasoning gives you, beloved, a reason to look around: are you not serving this vile tyrant in his lusts, that is, in the love of money, covetousness, lust, impurity, pride, malice and the like. If you see what has captivated your heart, sigh to Christ the Son of God, Who alone delivers from this captivity and grants freedom; pray to Him with the Psalmist: “Return, O Lord, my captivity” (Ps. 125:4). “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). XLIV. You see a dead person being buried, or you yourself bury your father, or mother, or brother, or friend. This incident shows you a reason to cry not about what many cry uselessly; but shed tears when discussing the cause of death, that is, about sin, which brought man into such a poor state, created immortal in the image of God. This is a righteous reason for crying - that we have angered God through sin and are therefore subject to death. And when you see your neighbor dead, remember that you yourself are “earth..., and to earth you will return” (Gen. 3:19). But then give thanks to God, that in His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, He gave us the good hope of the resurrection and life of the next century. XLV. You see that a tree sheds its leaves in winter, and in the spring, when the sun warms, it blooms its leaves again. Many people do this. When winter and the cold of troubles and troubles strike them, then they cast aside their whims and seem to try to repent and please God; but when the warmth of well-being warms them again, then their whims, like a tree, continue to unfurl leaves, turn green again, beautify themselves and are consoled with worldly pleasures. Such are those who, if the cold of illness strikes them, repent, stop sinning and promise to live piously and serve God; but when they become healthy, they again turn to their former whims and deeds. Know that such people are not true Christians, but hypocrites. Since true Christians are constant in prosperity and misfortune, in sickness and in health, in poverty and wealth, in contempt and honor, in glory and humiliation, in captivity and in freedom; always and everywhere are in repentance, produce the fruits of repentance, love God and serve God. This reasoning admonishes you not to imitate the above-mentioned people, but to always be constant, in happiness and misfortune, to renounce your whims and please God. And if he himself is the same, then he exhorts you to correct yourself, so as not to hear from Christ with the hypocrites: “I don’t know you, where you come from” (Luke 13:25). XLVI. You see a dead man who does not respond to the cries of his relatives, and is not consoled by praise, and is not offended by reproach. This incident teaches us that whoever wants to be a true Christian should not be exalted by the praise of this world, nor be irritated by dishonor and reproach, nor listen to the lusts of his flesh, as if his sincere relatives, but must be as dead. That is, “die to the world” (Col. 2:20), “die to yourself” (2 Cor. 5:15), “and deny yourself” (Mark 8:34). This is exactly what our Lord requires of us if we want to be His servants and disciples and follow Him: “If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23). By this you learn not to look at those Christians who want to serve Christ, and to please the world and their own whims, and to seek honor, and glory, and wealth in this world; They move away from the mocked, dishonored and belittled Christ, they are ashamed of Him, but they want to be with the risen and glorified One - which is impossible, as He Himself says: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels” (Mark 8:38). We must heed more closely the holy word of God, which teaches us from Christ to learn humility, love, patience, meekness and other good things; but first, renounce your evil morals and follow the good morals of Christ. XLVII. You see that those who have lost the proper path and are lost are looking for a leader who would guide them on the path and bring them to the place they intended and desired. This incident, which is so often repeated with those living in this world, teaches you that we all got lost when, on the advice of an evil spirit, we disobeyed God, and we wander through the desert of this world, moving away from our fatherland - heaven, for which we were created by our God, just as the prophet says: “all, like sheep, have gone astray; man has gone astray from his way” (Is. 53:6). And Saint David prays: “I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant” (Ps. 119:176). And since we ourselves, being lost, cannot reach the heavenly fatherland in any way, we must look for a skillful leader in such an important and necessary matter, which “only... is needed” (Luke 10:42). Such a skillful and wise leader is indicated to us in the Gospel - Jesus the Son of God, about whom the Father from heaven tells us: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; Listen to Him” (Matthew 17:5). That is: I sent Him to you - Teacher, Mentor and Leader. If you want to come to Me and receive the kingdom of heaven that you have lost: “Listen to Him,” what He teaches: Listen to Him. But the Lord also says about Himself: “I am the way and the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). If, dear Christian, we do not want to completely get lost and be eternal captives of the devil, but rather want to come to God and receive eternal life, to which we are called and reborn through the bath of baptism, then we must certainly entrust ourselves to Him, cling to Him with faith and love, listen to His holy and true teaching, follow His footsteps, imitate the pure example of His immaculate life. Let His humility overthrow our pride; Let His patience subdue our anger; Let His meekness drive out our malice and desire for vengeance; Let His poverty turn us away from the love of money, covetousness and theft; Let His love destroy our envy and hatred; Let His shrine teach us to love the purity of soul and body. Let all His holy and divine life be an example for us and a correction of our evil morals with which we were born from the old Adam. So the way, the truth and eternal life will be revealed to us in Him! Thus, following Him, we will not go astray from the right path, but we will come to the desired fatherland and the house of the Heavenly Father, in which “there are many mansions” (John 14:2). This path, beloved Christian, is humble and low, but it leads those who follow it to the high heaven. Follow this path if you want to reach the heavenly fatherland, and you will not get lost into the abyss of hell. XLVIII. It happens to you to see a monarch entering a certain city. Notice with what respect and joy its citizens greet and accept it; They clear the path and the street along which the procession will be, and decorate themselves in various ways, and bow their heads and knees before the marcher, and so on. From this visible sight, turn your mind by faith to the invisible, and from the physical to the spiritual. Christ the Son of God, the Heavenly King, appeared on earth when he was born of the Most Holy Virgin for our sake, and came to this world to us, as to a certain city. We are the city of this vast and miraculous citizenry; He came to us, vile slaves, and “visited us to the East from above, to enlighten those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet on the path of peace,” as the holy prophet Zechariah sings (Luke 1:78–79). And he came in humility and meekness, in the form of a servant: “having taken the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7). How should we meet and receive Him? With what respect and joy? We are ashamed to go out with pomp and pride to meet our King, when He came to us with humility! He doesn't like this meeting. Rebekah, when she was riding on a camel to her fiancé Isaac and saw him in front of her, jumped off the camel, as Scripture says (Gen. 24:64). So we too must jump off with pride, like a tall camel, and go on foot, and meet our Bridegroom with great humility, and bow our knees with our hearts. The prophet calls us to this: “Come, let us worship and fall down before Him!” (Ps.94:6). XLIX. Do you see or hear that an honest and faithful wife does not love anyone except her husband, and does not try to please anyone, only her husband. From this carnal marriage, turn your mind to a spiritual marriage, in which Christians were united by faith with the heavenly Bridegroom, Christ. What Saint Paul says to the faithful Corinthians: “I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you to Christ as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2). Consider how Christians should preserve love for their Heavenly Bridegroom! How we must distance ourselves from the impure love of this world, cleave to Christ alone, please, please, be kind and fulfill His holy will, and love no one but Him and for His sake, if they want to remain faithful to Him! Ambition, love of fame, voluptuousness, love of money and other lusts of this world are like an adulteress, to whom a Christian clings with his soul, if he loves honor, glory, silver, gold, sweetness and other lusts and so leaves Christ, the immortal Bridegroom, and gives his soul to the love of the world, like an unclean harlot. ABOUT! How grievously do Christians sin against Christ, who loved them and gave Himself for them, who do not maintain the loyalty to Him that, upon entering Christianity, they promised to preserve to the end. And so they are deprived of all the spiritual benefits that they were granted in baptism, without permission, to their extreme misfortune. It is not in vain that the holy apostles lead us away from the love of this world. “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world,” says Saint John (1 John 2:15). “Friendship with the world is enmity against God... whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). The love of this world is so harmful that the one who loves it becomes an enemy of God - it’s scary to even think about, although a blind person doesn’t understand it! L. Do you see or hear that a husband renounces his wife if she does not remain faithful to him, but, leaving him, commits unlawful adultery with others. Know for sure that in the same way Christ, the heavenly and most pure Bridegroom, renounces such a soul that clings to this world, carnal lust, lust of the eyes and worldly pride, because he does not remain faithful to Him, which upon entering Christianity she promised to preserve until the end of her life. To such He will say, “I don’t know you where you come from,” when He comes in His glory (Luke 13:25). This reasoning exhorts you, Christian, to look around, whether you have not left Christ, clinging your heart to the world, that is, to the wealth, honor, glory and sweetness of this world. If you notice this, do not hesitate to turn to Christ with repentance and tears, before the time has passed: for He accepts those who turn. May you not be one of those to whom you say: “I don’t know you,” although with them you say to Him: “Lord, Lord!” Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord, Lord!” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). LI. You see that there is a time for everything, as Ecclesiastes says: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every activity under the heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). Birds build nests and hatch chicks in due course; animals come together in due time and give birth to offspring; fish also in due time; trees and grass turn green, bloom and bear fruit in due time; farmers plow, sow and collect fruits in their own time; in a word, our Creator God has determined a time for every thing. By this we learn that God has determined the time for us to seek eternal salvation. This time is the present, “as long as we can say: “today” (Heb. 3:13), while we are in this world, while we live and are travelers. This time has been appointed for us to seek salvation, which Christ the Son of God deserved with His Blood. Hence this time is compared in Scripture to the time of sowing: “Whatever a man sows, this will he also reap: whoever sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, and whoever sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8). “Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Those who leave went away and wept, throwing away their seeds, but those who came will come with joy, gathering their sheaves” (Ps. 125:5-6). There will be a time when no one will receive it, although they will seek it with tears and sighing. Just like foolish farmers, having missed the right time, although they sow, they destroy the seed, because they sow at the wrong time; so foolish sinners will once seek salvation, but will not receive it, for then there will be a time of judgment, not repentance. Now is the time to sow, seek, ask, knock on the doors of God's mercy, when God promised to hear and help, and he listens and helps. For it is said: “In a good time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. Now is the time acceptable, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2). Now “everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened,” says Christ (Matthew 7:8). Then this will not happen. Another objected: I, they say, can repent at death. You can go to hell with such repentance. O man, do you want to repent when the time of repentance ends and the time of judgment and torture begins? Do you then want to turn to God when God calls you to answer? Do you then want to seek when the time is already running out? It is indisputable that one should repent even at death; it is even more important to pray and call upon God diligently, for especially then a great feat awaits the soul. But putting off repentance until death is a deception of the mind, negligence about salvation and the machination of the devil, who puts such a thought in a person’s heart and teaches to destroy the law of God with fearlessness, to anger God and to put off repentance day by day in order to destroy a person with such cunning. Therefore, if you want to die blissfully, now be what you want to be when you die. Talk about worldly things, honor, fame, wealth and luxury now as the dying talk, who then leave everything. Beware of sin and regret what you have done now, just as you were careful and sorry then. Do you then want to receive remission of sins from God in the name of Christ? Now try about that. Do you want to receive mercy from God then? Look for her now. But whoever wants to receive mercy from the merciful God ceases to anger Him and regrets his former fearlessness. And only the one who stops sinning and produces the fruits of repentance stops angering Him. Think about this, sinful soul, and listen to what the Forerunner said: “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). You see where sinners who do not produce the fruits of repentance are determined: they are cut down like barren trees with the ax of God’s judgment and thrown into the eternal fire like firewood. LII. When the warriors of this world are recruited, then those taken into the army leave their homes, their wives, their relatives and their possessions. You see, Christian, what people do who enroll in the service of the earthly king. Know for sure that Christians who have signed up for the service of the heavenly King must do the same. And they are commanded to do what God once commanded Abraham, the father of all the faithful: “Get out from your land, from your kindred, and from your father’s house” (Gen. 12:1). The Old Adam, from whom we were born and whom we carry within, is our father; self-love is the favorable home of our flesh; our relatives and possessions are our passions, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. All this must be abandoned by Christians who, at holy baptism, enlisted in the army of Christ, the heavenly King: “put off the old way of life of the old man” forever and “put off” the old Adam (Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9); “crucifying the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal.5:24); self-love, ambition, love of fame, lust and love of money, with which the flesh is consoled, as if it were one’s relatives, leave and so serve Christ the King. All Christians are called Christians because they believe in Christ, have signed up for work and service with Christ, and are thus called soldiers of Christ. Is it proper for soldiers to fulfill their own will, and not their king’s? It is a shame for Christians to spend their days in the luxury and joy of this world, when Christ, their King, bore the cross and fought against his enemies with the cross. It is a shame for soldiers to lie down, much less to return, when the king himself fights until blood is shed. It is a shame for Christians to lose heart when they see that their King Christ fought so hard that He did not spare His Blood for them; and even more so go back to your home and leave the abuse! It is disastrous for soldiers who have enlisted in the service of their Sovereign to leave him and go to another, his opponent, and this is nothing more than a clear betrayal of the Sovereign. It is disastrous and obvious destruction for Christians, who are warriors of Christ the Heavenly King, to leave Him and serve the world; call themselves Christians, but do not want to obey Christ; To be called His servants, but not to serve Him! This is what Saint Peter wrote about: “For if, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome by them, then the latter is worse for them than the first. It would be better for them not to know the path of righteousness than, having learned it, to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them. But what happens to them is according to the true proverb: a dog returns to his vomit, and a pig that has been washed goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Peter 2:20-22). Christians act similarly, who, having been cleansed in baptism from the filth of sin and promising to serve Christ faithfully, deviate into corruption and serve the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, and so they want to be Christ’s and children of this world, and to please Christ and to serve the world, and to be Christians and to have fun with the world - which is just as impossible as looking forward and backward at once. How whole and indestructible the warriors of this world, faithful to their Sovereign, keep the oath given to him, how they fight for his honor and the integrity of the fatherland! They go to distant countries, are exposed to mortal danger, are not afraid of the deadly weapons of the enemy, get wounded and fall wounded. This is what their oath requires of them. And such is the one temporary hope and oath taken to a person that so strongly encourages them. Christians, having taken an oath to the Heavenly King and God, do not want to fight like that for the honor of the Heavenly King, who fought for them before shedding His Blood and accepting death, death on the cross, and promised to give them not temporary, but eternal glory in heaven for their feat, but, throwing down their weapons, they give way to their enemy or run back. Therefore, the warriors of this world will be judges for Christians on the day of judgment. The Christian feat, which is not against flesh and blood, but against the spirits of evil, consists of humility, contempt of vain glory, patience and meekness, denial of oneself, crucifying the flesh with passions and lusts and courageous patience with temptations. When Christians do this, then they do not give up their place in battle to their enemy, the devil. This is how all the saints fought and received the crown of righteousness from the Hero of Jesus Christ. We, too, must imitate them, beloved Christian, if we want to take part with them in the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise they will not recognize us that we are Christians; Christ does not recognize us as His own, for we do not have His sign, that is, the patience of the cross, under which His faithful servants fight. ABOUT! Do not allow us, God, to hear that terrible sentence: “I do not know you” (Luke 13:27), which will be heard by those who say to Him: “Lord, Lord!”, but do not do what He says (Matt. 7:21; Luke 6:46). LIII. You see or hear that a slave, whom a master bought for himself from another or in some other way appropriated, no longer knows the former master; but he knows the one who bought it, serves that one and fulfills his will. Note what happens among the sons of this age, and what man renders to man, by virtue of the rights common to all nations. Satan, the evil one, cunningly and unrighteously took possession of us and captured us into his dark power; but Christ the Son of God redeemed us from his power and appropriated us to Himself; and He redeemed you not with silver or gold, but with His precious Blood, as the Apostle says: “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, silver or gold, from the vain life handed down to you from your fathers, but with the precious Blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18–19); and another apostle says: “You were bought with a price” (1 Cor. 7:23). Therefore, Christians, we must certainly serve Christ the Son of God, Who bought us with the priceless price of His Blood, as the Apostle says: “You were bought with a price”; We must fulfill His holy will, obey Him and show all obedience to Him from the heart, just as faithful servants show their masters. In a word, we must live for Him, and not for ourselves, as the Apostle teaches: “Christ died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for them” (2 Cor. 5:15). The duty of truth itself requires that the slave whose master he is serve. Consequently, how gravely those Christians who are called servants of Christ sin against the Lord Jesus Christ, but do not serve Christ, do not listen to His commands, but live according to their own will. What will happen to such Christians? What Christ says about the worthless slave: “Throw the worthless servant into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). For even the master—man—correctly punishes his disobedient and disobedient slave. But if the slave comes to his senses and repents, admits his guilt, and humbles himself before his master, and acts as a slave should, that is, faithfully serve his master, he will be awarded his mercy. So Christ, the man-loving Lord, accepts a Christian into His mercy if he, having sincerely admitted his sins, repents and shows the fruits of repentance, without which there can be no true repentance. Liv. You see that the creditor tortures the debtor and puts him in prison so that he can pay off the debt. Thus, God will punish sinners for sinful debts that they have not erased through repentance. And the more someone sins and adds sins to sins, the more sinful debt he is burdened with: therefore he is subject to greater torture and the judgment of God. “Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God” (Rom. 2:5). The creditor imprisons the debtor in order to repay the debt. Thus, God will imprison His debtors in eternal prison, where His righteousness will forever be repaid with torment, but will never be repaid. How can sinners be freed from these heavy debts that plunge debtors into hell? The Lord answers: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). The merciful God for the sake of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who paid for all our sinful debts with His Blood and death, forgives those who zealously repent and believe in Him: and so, having been freed from debts, they are also freed from the subsequent execution. Therefore, anyone who wants to be freed from sinful debts, which imprison debtors in eternal prison, must repent and resort to the merciful Intercessor Jesus Christ. And the repentant must certainly renounce his sins. You must first leave them yourself, so that God will leave them too. How can one ask for forgiveness of debts who does not cease to multiply them and burden himself with them? There cannot be, beloved Christian, true repentance there, where sins are not forgiven; but such repentance is feigned and false. ABOUT! There are so many people, especially in this century, who want to repent and do not want to give up their sins, but they are deceived. Such people cannot free themselves from their sinful debts until they sincerely forsake their sins. Moreover, we ourselves must forgive the debts of our debtors if we want to receive forgiveness of our debts from God; otherwise they will not be forgiven to us, as the Lord says: “If you forgive people their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). LV. You see that water flows from high mountains to low places. From this learn that God the Most High looks down upon the humble from His heights and pours out rivers of His gifts into their hearts, as we read: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Therefore, we must humble ourselves in order to be worthy of His mercy. “How,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “will anyone find grace before God? How could it be otherwise, if not by humility? For God “resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”; and “a sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, and God will not despise a humble heart” (Ps. 50:19) (Conversation 1 on the First Epistle to the Corinthians). And what humility consists of, there, a little lower, the father teaches: “If you annoy a humble person, if you humiliate him or say something, he will remain silent and meekly endure. And he has such peace with everyone that it is impossible to say.” LVI. When you see a subject standing before his king and asking him for mercy, notice what he does then? He stands with reverence, bows his head and falls to his knees; his mind and heart are all present here; does not think about anything else, but in that one petition his mind deepens. From this incident we, Christians, must learn how to approach the King of Heaven with a petition; think about who we are and who we are approaching. “I am dust and ashes,” Abraham said to God in prayer (Gen. 18:27). How much more should we, who are far removed from Abraham, think of ourselves this way, with what humility, reverence, humiliation of ourselves, before His Majesty we should fall, bow our heads and hearts, and cast down the whole composition of soul and body before Him: for only the humble do God look upon. “He respected the prayer of the humble and did not reject their prayer,” says the Psalmist (Ps. 101:18). But then we must think both about His greatness and about His great mercy towards us: “As is His greatness, such is His mercy,” says Scripture (Sir. 2:18). Moreover, when we approach our Righteous and Holy King and God, we must depart from unrighteousness, according to the teaching of the holy Apostle: “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness” (2 Timothy 2:19). For “the evil one shall not dwell with You, and the wicked shall not abide in Your sight; You have hated all who commit iniquity” (Ps. 5:5-6). And when we ask for forgiveness of sins, we ourselves must forgive our neighbors, according to the teaching of Christ: “Forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). From this it is clear: 1) Prayers and singing read as fast as the tongue can be controlled, or, worse, sent in two voices from senseless priests and clergy and others, are nothing more than noise in churches and air shaking and voices of the larynxes, and not prayers; and from this it follows that in life there is no correction for such people, but only corruption and temptation; that although they seemingly pray to God every day, they actually never pray: without which it is in no way possible for a Christian to correct his life, for he is weak and is constantly attacked by the devil. 2) A sinner who approaches God in prayer and does not want to correct his life will not succeed in anything; but if he wants to receive mercy from God, he must correct himself. 3) Those who are angry with their neighbors and those who plot revenge on them are also denied access to God. What kind of mercy can one hope for from God, who does not want to show mercy to a person like himself, and a sinner does not want to forgive a sinner? “If you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins,” says the Lord (Matthew 6:15). 4) Without humility, it is also futile to try to get closer to God and begin prayer. If we humble ourselves before a person, wanting to receive something from him, how much more before God, Who “resists the proud” (James 4:6), we must humble ourselves, fall and show zeal. LVII. You see that the clay vessel emits the same smell as it was originally saturated with; and no matter how you wash and clean it, it does not lose that smell. Understand from this that this also happens to a person who is like an earthen vessel. What he learns from a young age, he will continue to stick to in life. If he is brought up in goodness and in the fear of the Lord, he will live like that. If he learns evil, he will emit an evil smell of evil morals in life. But since a person is inclined to evil, it is convenient for him to learn all kinds of evil from a young age, if he is not restrained from it by the bridle of fear and punishment and does not tame the ferocious flesh. This example teaches you to raise your children well and keep them in the fear and admonition of the Lord, as the apostle teaches: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). LVIII. When a candle is shining in the house or daylight is shining, then you see everything clearly and you recognize one from the other, what is harmful and what is harmless. The same thing happens to those for whom the lamp of God’s law always shines and enlightens the eyes of their intelligence, as the Psalmist says: “Your law is a lamp to my feet and a light to my ways” (Ps. 119:105). If this divine candle always shines before us and enlightens us day and night, then we will always walk as by day, and recognize good from evil, benefit from harm, virtue from vice, and thus, with the help of God, we will not be harmed. This admonishes you, Christian, “to study day and night in the law... of the Lord” (Ps. 1:2) and to “hide the words of God in your heart, so as not to sin” before Him (Ps. 119:11). To this God admonishes: “Do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth; but study in it day and night, so that you may do exactly everything that is written in it: then you You will prosper in your ways and act wisely” (Joshua 1:8). LIX. You see that the vessel is saturated with what it smells like. So is the human heart. If he has love for God and his neighbor, these are the signs he shows, such are his plans, undertakings, words, deeds and thoughts. And just as an apple is good by taste, so a person’s heart is known by deeds, words and behavior. And just as a stove heated by fire emits warmth, and is known from the warmth, so a heart warmed by the fire of love of God and neighbor emits the warmth of mercy, mercy, patience and meekness, and is known from them. On the contrary, whoever has a heart filled with the love of this world shows signs similar to that, thinks about that, learns about that, talks about that, and does that. Whoever loves wealth, or honor, or glory, or sweetness and luxury, thinks about that, and seeks that. The Lord speaks about this: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). And although many try to hide their undertakings and deeds, however, what lies inside cannot be hidden, but comes out and appears, nothing less than a bubble of water, which shows the air hidden under the water, or like a belch from the stomach. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit,” says the Lord (Matthew 7:18). LX. You see that the mirror reflects such an image in itself, what it addresses. Whether he turns to heaven, the image of heaven is depicted in him; will turn to the earth, reflect the earthly image in itself. So is the human soul: what it turns to with love and cleaves to, it is seen in it. If she turns to God, God’s image is depicted in her by the power of the Holy Spirit; if one inclines towards earthly and worldly things, an earthly image is drawn. And what image he carries within himself, such is his wisdom. If he has the image of God - he loves God and man, created in the image of God - he thinks about heavenly, heavenly things, and not about earthly things. If she wears an earthly and bestial image, she thinks about earthly things, does what she does and follows what is pleasing to her feelings, which is characteristic of senseless brutes. This reasoning teaches you, through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus, to “put off the old man” (Col. 3:9) and his bestial image and to seek and put on the image of God, which is the most precious and excellent adornment of the soul. And what is now depicted in your soul will appear on the day of judgment; and so then, seeing His image in you, the Lord recognizes you as His own. Of the others, who do not have that splendor, but carry a bestial image and sinful ugliness, like a terrible monster, he will deny and say to them: “I don’t know you,” although they say to Him: “Lord, Lord!” (Luke 13:25–27). LXI. You see that a tree belongs to its owner, who plucks it and cleans it, and gives its fruit to strangers; or the well gives water to those who cleanse it, and those who fall asleep and spit into it; or the sun shines on both those who marvel at him and those who dishonor him. Such are true Christians who, like “a good tree, bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:17); or “as the lights shine in the world” (Phil. 2:15), they do good to everyone, good and evil, friends and enemies, imitating their Heavenly Father, who “commands His sun to rise on the evil and the good” (Matthew 5:45). This teaches you, Christian, to become like true Christians and with them the Heavenly Father, and not to the sons of this age, who love no one, only themselves and for their own sake. LXII. You see that a weak person who wants to be healed admits and shows his weakness to the doctor, and earnestly asks him for healing. This incident teaches you that we, if we want to be cured of our spiritual weakness, must acknowledge it from the heart and declare it to Christ, the Son of God, the Physician of souls and bodies, and ask Him with humility to help. For we are all by nature weak, poor and wretched. We read in the Holy Gospel that the blind, deaf, dumb, and lepers came to Christ and declared their infirmities to Him, and with humility and faith asked for mercy - and were healed. We are blind from birth, blind in the divine, spiritual and proper spiritual salvation, and therefore, with the blind, we must pray to Him: “Lord, let our eyes be opened” (Matthew 20:33). We are deaf by nature to hear the word of God and the commandments of His saints; and therefore we must ask Him for ears, of which He says: “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:9). We are tongue-tied and dumb by nature to invoking, glorifying, praising and singing His holy name; and therefore we must sigh to Him, so that our tongue and mouth may be opened, and pray to Him: “Lord! teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). We are lepers by nature with the incurable leprosy of sin; and therefore, together with the lepers, we must lift up a voice from the depths of our hearts and say to Him: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13). We are relaxed and cannot get up and come to Him; and therefore we must pray to Him to stretch out His almighty hand to us and lift us from our sinful bed. Our evil flesh is raging, and therefore we must cry out with the Canaanite wife: “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David!” and repeat your request: “Lord, help me!” and think of ourselves not as children worthy of the kingdom, but as dogs who “eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table” (Matthew 15:22–27). Then the poor, as the Gospel testifies, received mercy and healing from the Physician Christ. We too will receive if we ask Him with recognition of our weaknesses and faith. For this is why He came into the world, to heal our infirmities, to take away curses from us, and to give us bliss. If he healed the corruptible and mortal bodies of those who ask, how much more will he heal the immortal souls. LXIII. You see that a dusty or sooty mirror does not show anything, although you look into it; but if you want to see your face in it and the defects on your face, you must wipe it away. So is the human conscience: if it is stained with many sinful vices and a lawless life, a person does not see in it the vices that have stuck to his soul, and so he walks around completely soiled, like an Ethiopian, and falls from sin to sin without fear. This is a disastrous and deplorable state of affairs! Such a one does not see his filth and abomination, but he will see when the books are opened to the shame of the whole world, Angels and people, and his sins are presented before his face, as God says: “I will reprove you and bring your sins before your face” (Ps. 49:21). Then he will see himself as a black Ethiopian and as a terrible monster. For the abomination of the soul, which is now hidden within, will then appear without; and also the beauty of righteous souls will appear, and “they will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). Then the poor sinner will begin to abhor himself, to hate himself, to run away from himself, and will want to turn into nothing, but will not be able to, for forever and without end this vileness will be on him to expose him that he spent his life on earth in such abomination. Oh, if I could now look at this abomination and see it, I would cry incessantly and seek to get rid of it by the grace of Christ; but to his misfortune he is blinded and does not see her. But if the mirror is clean, then everything clearly shows whatever is in front of it; and we see defects on the face, not only great ones, but also small ones. So is a clear conscience: it sees even the “smallest” vices, and a person washes them away with repentance, tears and faith. This reasoning teaches you to feel yourself, to delve into the law of God, which shows and exposes our sins, and to repent and cleanse your conscience by diligent consideration, repentance and faith, and so begin a new life, so that at the Last Judgment your sins do not appear to the whole world in knowledge, which now you yourself do not want to consider and know in private and so cleanse. LXIV. Walking through the garden, you realize that trees are recognized only by the taste of their fruits - think the same about people. Many call themselves Christians. But a true Christian is known only through true faith and love. The signs of a true Christian are: he is full of love, humble, patient, merciful and supportive. And just as in the garden many trees produce fruits that look pleasant, but as soon as you taste them, you immediately realize that they are worthless - so many people only seem to be kind: they speak smoothly, kindly and quietly, fast a lot and pray a lot; but as soon as you touch them, then from their fruits they are known to be bitter, since they are filled with hatred, malice, envy and unmercifulness, and therefore, in essence, they are likened to bad trees that bear evil fruits. This is what the Lord says: “There is no good tree that bears bad fruit; and there is no bad tree that bears good fruit, for every tree is known by its fruit” (Luke 6:43–44). Fasting and prayer are not condemned here, but without Christian love they are nothing; A smooth, affectionate and quiet word in itself is not discredited, but without the fruit of love it is nothing but hypocrisy and deceit. Not just words, but deeds, combined with smooth, gentle and quiet words, show a good Christian. Therefore, we must have and try to have Christianity within ourselves. And thus, if there is good inside, then good will appear externally. Thus, according to the word of Christ, “a good man brings forth good things from the good treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45). LXV. You see that the tree gives fruit to everyone, but is silent; the well waters, but is silent; Likewise, other creatures of God bring us benefit, but are silent. For this is how they were created by the Creator and, silently, preach the glory and praise of God, giving us an opportunity to glorify and praise the goodness of God - to us, who use them for our benefit. By this we, rational creatures, learn to do good to each other, but to remain silent, not to trumpet before ourselves, not to seek our own glory, but to seek the glory of our Creator, from Whom we ourselves and all good come. This is what Christ our Savior teaches us: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). LXVI. You see that in a single body all members are loving, peaceful, and help each other: the hand helps the hand and the other members of the body; leg to leg and others, eye to eye and others, ear to ear and others help. So are true Christians, whom Christ, the Son of God, their Head, rules. They are loving, peaceful, meek among themselves, help each other, and benefit each other in every way, that is, spiritually and physically. If one is in need, the other tries to help him. If one is begging, the other will fill his poverty. If one is sick, the other serves him. If one suffers, the other sympathizes with him and sympathizes with him. If one wavers and is poor in faith, the other strengthens him. When one is faint-hearted and exhausted, the other consoles him and gives him a helping hand, and so on. For they are to each other as members of one body, having one blessed Head - Christ, according to the words of the Apostle: “We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Rom. 12:5). This teaches you to love everyone, according to the admonition of the Apostle: “Serve one another through love” (Gal. 5:13), - and to have peace with everyone: “Strive to have peace with everyone and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14), - if you want to be a Christian. There is no Christianity in those people, therefore, those who have no love for their neighbors and do not want to live peacefully with them are excluded from the number of true Christians. LXVII. You hear one asking the other who created such and such a house or such and such a city; and you see that nothing happens by itself, but has its beginning and existence from something else. From this case, turn your reasoning to the world and everything that exists in the world, and ask from whom it, with all its fulfillment and decoration, originated. And silently, the world will answer you: “He created me.” Heaven answers you: “We “preach the glory of God” (Ps. 18:2). The sun, moon and stars answer you: “He created us and gave us light for your enlightenment, for He is “clothed with light as with a robe” (Ps. 103:2). The clouds answer you: “He created us and commanded us to rain on you and on your fields.” The earth answers you: “He created me and commanded me to create fruits for you.” The water answers you: “He created me and commanded me to water you and your livestock.” Pisces answers you: “He created us and gave you food.” Trees, grass and everything that grows answer you: “He created us and commanded us to serve your needs.” The cattle and beasts answer: “He created us and commanded us to work for you.” The fire answers you: “He created me and commanded me to warm you, give you light and cook your food.” His people answer you: “He created us, and not we, but we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Ps. 99:3), - He created us and commanded us to “serve one another with love” (Gal. 5:13), and “to praise His name. For the Lord is good, His mercy endures forever, and His truth endures forever” (Ps. 99:5). And the Holy Spirit through the prophet teaches you: “He spoke and they appeared, He commanded and they were created. He established them forever, and forever and ever. He gave a command, and it will not pass” (Ps. 149:5-6). From this you learn, Christian: 1) that there is God the Creator, Whom creatures demonstrate as masters of skill. 2) that everything has its origin and existence from Him. 3) that everything serves man by the command of God. 4) that a person, using God’s creation, is certainly obliged to thank God, praise His name and diligently serve Him. 5) that those who do not fulfill this duty are mistaken, like blind people, and are convicted by their conscience as ungrateful. 6) that this will be their reproof at the judgment of Christ, because they used the good of God while living in the world, but did not want to thank God, the Giver of good, and serve Him. 7) From this you can also consider whether you are trying to fulfill this duty, so that you do not appear ungrateful to your Creator and do not be judged with ungrateful slaves on the day of judgment of Christ. LXVIII. You see that neither the sun is darkened, nor sweet water turns into bitter, nor a good tree becomes evil if they are blasphemed; and neither the sun is brighter, nor the sweet water is sweeter, nor the good tree is made better by human praise. So are good people: they are neither worse because of human blasphemy, nor better because of praise; Neither human praise gives them kindness, nor does blasphemy take away from them, but whatever they are in the heart, they always remain such. By this you learn not to be upset by blasphemy, nor to be exalted by praise, much less to seek it: since blasphemy will not take away, and praise will not give you inner kindness. For he is not good whom people praise, and he is not evil whom people blaspheme, but everyone has kindness or anger inside, and does not come from people; it matters who God praises or condemns. What do you care about that praise that only rings in your ears when your conscience condemns you inside? And what will that blasphemy do to you, which attacks you in vain, if your conscience justifies you inside? Since inside a person there is either good or evil, bliss or damnation, then inside there should be consolation or grief, joy or sadness. Just as external blasphemy does not take away inner bliss from a good person and therefore does not upset him, so external praise does not give inner bliss to an evil person. For an evil person inside is disturbed and saddened by an evil conscience, although he is outwardly pleased, but a good person inside is praised and cheered by a good conscience, although outwardly he is condemned. Conscience is like a faithful witness to every person, who either justifies him or condemns him; it justifies for innocence, condemns for guilt: what is written in it, it shows correctly. This witness cannot lie, no matter how you soften him up. LXIX. Do you see that grapes bear fruit to the one who planted them, as the apostle says: “Who, having planted grapes, does not eat its fruit?” (1 Cor. 9:7). Every Christian is like a planted vine in the vineyard of the Holy Church, fenced in by the stronghold of God’s law, and is fed with the word of God and fattened with the Holy Mysteries, for he must bring to God, his Planter and Nourisher, the fruit of good deeds, that is, the fruit of love, patience, meekness, “the fruit of lips that glorify His name” (Heb. 13:15). If anyone does not bear good fruit, he must beware of the cutting about which the Forerunner speaks: “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). This incident and reasoning about it exhorts you to true repentance and the fruits of repentance, without which there cannot be true repentance. LXX. You see an apple that is beautiful on the outside, but rotten and stinking on the inside. So it is with many people: outwardly they show off and boast of nobility, but inside, in their souls they are rotten and stinking; Outwardly they dominate and command others, but internally, with their souls, they serve their passions and whims and, in essence, are slaves, and lower than their own slaves. For it is better to serve man than to serve his own whims and sin: since man is God’s creation, and sin is the work of the devil. Such are those who are called masters, but allow themselves to be dominated by anger, malice, mammon, love of money, pride, untruth, envy, lust, uncleanness, gluttony and other vile tormentors. That is why St. John Chrysostom says: “Let someone be rich and noble, but he is, in fact, baser than the vile if he is captivated by sin” (Discourse 9 on the Epistle to the Corinthians). Also like an apple, outwardly beautiful, but rotten inside, all those Christians who are outwardly good, but inside are filled with hatred and malice and other rottenness and stench, which is hypocrisy and wickedness. LXXI. You see that from heat some things soften and melt, such as wax, lard, oil and others; others harden or dry out, such as clay, wood, grass and others. Thus, the various effects that occur from heat depend on the things that receive the heat, and not on the heat itself, because heat warms everything - both of them - equally. So it is with people: others are softened by the warmth of God’s goodness and long-suffering, become warmer, humbled and moved into repentance and “sorrow for God’s sake” (2 Cor. 7:10); others become hardened and become more and more stagnant in evil; to such the apostle says: “O man! Or do you neglect the riches of God’s goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that God’s goodness leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God” (Rom. 2:4-5). And such different actions in hearts also happen not from the goodness of God, but from the human heart, which abuses the goodness of God and does not want to repent: the goodness of God leads everyone equally to repentance. So Pharaoh, who had seen so many miracles of God, became hardened, and did not correct himself, and died. So now many are becoming hardened - those who put off repentance day after day, but death befalls them unexpectedly and sends them to that age without hope of salvation. By this you learn, Christian, not to put off repentance, but immediately, having risen from the fall, to correct yourself and repent, according to the admonition of the Holy Spirit: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Ps. 95:7-8). LXXII. You see that dirty or smoked glass does not accommodate natural light. Likewise, the human soul, stained and blackened by sins, cannot accommodate the light of God’s grace until it remains in sins. Sins are like a dark darkness or even like an obstacle that does not allow the light of God to reach the soul and divides God and the soul, as the prophet says: “Your sins have created a separation between you and your God, and your sins have turned His face away from you” (Is. 59:2). Glass, as it begins to be cleansed, will begin to let in light into itself, and the more it is cleansed, the more light it contains. So is the human soul, as it turns from sins to God, he begins to repent and cleanse his sins through repentance and faith in Christ, and he will be enlightened by the grace of God; and the more diligently he repents, the more enlightened he becomes. LXXIII. You see that the earth, although the seed is sown on it, will not grow anything if there is no moisture. So is the human heart: although it hears the word of God, it cannot produce fruit worthy of the word of God if it does not have the moisture of God’s grace. Therefore, we are commanded to pray so earnestly about this: “Ask... seek... knock,” says the Lord (Matthew 7:7). This convinces us to earnestly pray to God and ask Him for grace to give us “ears... to hear His word and a heart to understand” His will (Is. 6:10). Without this we cannot do anything, since we have a deeply corrupted heart, so that even having heard the word of God, we cannot understand and deepen it in our hearts, and having understood, we cannot create, therefore at every moment we demand the grace of God, helping us in the work of piety. LXXIV. You see that glass not only receives light itself, but also lets it into the house; the oven warms itself not only for its own sake, but also for the sake of your peace. The same is noticeable in the physical composition: the eyes see not only for themselves, but also for the sake of the whole body; the ears hear not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of the whole body; the nostrils smell not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of the whole body; the stomach accepts food not only for its own sake, but also for the sake of the whole body; the hands do not only for themselves, but also for the sake of the whole body; legs walk not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of other members. Also in other nature we note: the sun shines in the sky, but for other creatures; clouds do not hold water in themselves, but pour them out onto the earth; The earth does not hold fruit within itself, but produces it for everyone. Think the same about other things. By this we learn that from the gifts God has given us, we must give something for the benefit of our neighbors, for God’s gifts are, as it were, common to everyone. A reasonable person must use his reason not only for himself, but also for his neighbor; wealth should serve not only the richest person, but also others; so in other things: all these are the talents of our Lord, for which we will give an answer to Him on the day of His coming (Matthew 25:14-30). For everything that we have is God’s, and not our good, and it is given to us from God not only for our own sake, but also for the sake of our neighbors. If someone does not give to others from the good of God given to him, he sins against God, who gave him His blessings, for which he will be tortured on the day of judgment of Christ. LXXV. You see that a weak stomach takes in food, but does not digest it as it should, and therefore does not distribute nutritious juice to other members of the body, and as a result, the whole body and itself become more powerless, while a healthy stomach digests food well and imparts nutritious juice to other members; thereby making both the whole body and yourself stronger. This is what happens to a rich man when he either hides the wealth that he receives from God, or spends it on indecent expenses, and does no good to anyone or himself, but rather creates destruction for himself, not giving to his neighbors what he should give, according to God’s command: “Give to him who asks you” (Matthew 5:42). Thus, by depriving one’s neighbor of bodily good, one deprives oneself of spiritual fruit, does not fulfill God’s commandments, is ill with self-love and unmercifulness, and thus, without showing mercy to one’s neighbor, closes the doors of God’s mercy to oneself. On the contrary, a generous rich man, like a strong stomach, is content with wealth for the glory of God, thanking God, and is content with others for the glory of the same God, and thus brings spiritual benefit to himself while bringing physical benefit to others. Keep this in mind also about other gifts given to us by God: if we give them to our neighbors, then they bring us benefit, and if we don’t give them, then they harm us - not on their own, but because of us, because we do not use them as we should, and not for what we should. Just as burning our neighbor’s things is an abuse of fire, which is given to us for cooking food, warming our chambers, etc., we abuse the sword to kill our brother, although the sword was designed to protect the fatherland; we abuse the tongue for slander, slander, and foul language, although the tongue was given to us to communicate the advice of our hearts and to praise God; We abuse our hands for theft, beating, although they were given to us for doing and helping ourselves and our neighbors, and so on. Thus, a person can use God’s gifts for evil, and therefore to the detriment of himself and his neighbor. LXXVI. You see that a crooked tree is not good for anything. So is an evil person whose heart is wrong. He, like a crooked tree, is no good. Will he be a slave? It is not true, but it works feignedly, lazily and slyly. If he is punished, he grumbles and is indignant. If they show him mercy, he does not value it. In happiness he becomes self-willed and ferocious; in misfortune he is indignant and blasphemes. In a word, it is neither bowed down by mercy nor corrected by punishment, like a crooked tree that is not corrected by either heat or frost. The reason for this is a wrong heart, on which everything depends. Likewise, a free person, if he is evil, shows the same thing: he only plans what he sees as pleasing to himself, even if it were disgusting to God, it is harmful to himself and others. What kind of honor or rank will he be in? He seeks only his own self-interest, and not that of his subordinates. He becomes furious with honor; Having lost the honor, he is indignant, grumbles and blasphemes; He cannot be softened by anything, because he has a crooked, corrupted heart. On the contrary, just as a straight tree is suitable for any task, so is a good man with a right heart. The right heart is the one that follows God, its Creator, and His holy will. God does everything for our benefit - so the right heart tries to do everything for the glory of God and for the benefit of its brethren. What God wants is what it wants. God wants and does only good to everyone, without any of His own selfishness - so it wants and tries to do good to everyone without its own benefit. For “love does not seek its own,” says the apostle (1 Cor. 13:5). Where there is true love, there is a right heart. Such a heart, no matter what rank or rank it may be in, always and everywhere acts right and is suitable for every task and rank. By this we learn, dear Christian, to seek and ask God for a pure heart and a right spirit. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb” (Ps. 50:12)! And when the heart is right, then our deeds, words and thoughts will be right. From this it is clear: 1) that all external affairs depend on the heart. What kind of heart a man has, such is his outward work. 2) And the most external good deed, apparently good, is discredited if it comes from a wrong heart. For example, alms given to one's neighbor for the sake of one's own self-interest or vanity, although done by a judge not for the sake of God, but for the sake of avoiding civil court - all these are apparently good deeds, but are discredited because they do not come from a right heart. For a good deed is only truly good when it is done as commanded. “A bad tree... cannot... bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). LXXVII. You see that either a son before his father, or a slave before his master, acts outrageously and does not show worthy honor. It seems obscene to you to deal with such outrageous people. Understand that this is how Christians act outrageously before God, who watches everything and looks at every deed and thought of ours - when they sin secretly or openly. A father is saddened by the outrageousness of his son, and a master by the outrageousness of his servant. God, the Father and Lord of all, is much more saddened by the outrages of faulty Christians. This case and reasoning teaches you: 1) In words, deeds and thoughts, act carefully and be careful from ungodly deeds, words and thoughts, which offend His Holy Spirit. 2) To be amazed at His goodness and the long-suffering of God, who endures so much of us who are outrageous before Him in words, deeds and thoughts. 3) Forgive your neighbor any offense inflicted on them, for the sake of such goodness of God, which you experience for yourself every day and hour. 4) Heartily regret your past sins and atrocities and humbly fall before Him, be ashamed and ask for forgiveness. 5) Diligently thank Him that in such atrocities and bad deeds He did not strike you with righteous judgment. LXXVIII. You see that the flower soon fades either from the heat or from the frost, or the smoke and bubble on the water soon disappears. So is the wealth, honor and glory of this world: before they have time to appear and appear, when they find or a storm of troubles, or death, everything disappears, as if it never happened. Look at the graves and you will see that after death the rich and famous are no different from the poor and simple. All, like the dust of the earth, returned to the earth and were converted. They left the world - both fame and wealth left them; and the rich became as beggars, and the glorious as simple, and masters were compared with their slaves, the rich with the poor, so that it was impossible to know where the master was and where his servant was, where the rich man was and where the beggar lay. This case and reasoning teaches us to seek true spiritual wealth and glory, which will not depart from us if we acquire them; and don’t chase after the joys of this world, for they, like smoke and a bubble, disappear and, instead of imaginary joy, they leave us with true sorrow. LXXIX. You see that iron or stone, although hot, does not emit a voice until water or something similar is spilled on it; when it spills, then they show their ardor by making noise. So do many people: they seem humble and meek until they are offended; and when they feel the insult inflicted, then they become angry, and rage, and make noise, like hot iron doused with water. For the offense inflicted shows what lies in the heart - anger or meekness. And this is, among others, the reason why God allows attacks and slanderous lips to come upon us: this is how He shows us ourselves what is hidden in our hearts - anger or meekness, so that, having thus recognized our weakness, we would try to heal it with His grace. This incident and reasoning teaches you to know your heart, which is “deceitful... and desperately wicked” (Jer. 17:9). LXXX. You see that a warm stove warms everyone, no matter who approaches it. So is a loving person, whose heart is warmed with love for God and neighbor: he warms everyone with the warmth of his love, whoever touches him. And just as the furnace gives its warmth to those who demand it, so he gives from God’s gifts to the demanding brethren: he covers some nakedness, brings others into the house and gives him shelter, others in illness, serves others in prison, consoles others in sorrow; in a word, he extends a helping hand to everyone in whatever way he can. Yet this stems in him from the warmth of Christian love. On the contrary, a cold stove does no one any good, and although someone touches it, he is deceived and leaves unwarmed. So are unloving people, whose hearts are not warmed by Christian love. Many consider themselves to be something, read prayers a lot and often, fast often, build churches of God and decorate them (which in itself is commendable and shows the appearance of piety); but when they are touched by one of the poor who require help, he is deceived, just like someone who touches a cold stove, wanting to warm up from it, and so leaves with the same sadness and misfortune with which he came. This incident and reasoning teach you to learn Christian love, without which every deed is dead, even if it seems like something before human eyes. True love is the source and soul of all good deeds and Christian virtues. Just as an animal cannot live without natural warmth, so any good deed without true love cannot be alive, but only shows a certain false appearance. The holy apostle says about false lovers: “If a brother or sister is naked and does not have daily food, and one of you says to them: “Go in peace, be warmed and fed,” but does not give them what they need for the body, what good is it?” (James 2:15–16). This kind of “love” is often found in today’s Christians; such people are greeted affectionately, but in reality they turn out to be completely different. And many are not ashamed, seeing their brother’s need, to utter such words: “What do I care about his need?” And others send those who demand to God: “God will give.” And if with this word they wanted God to give to the one who asks, since they themselves do not have anything to give!.. But they send them away from themselves to God, since they themselves do not want to give from God’s gifts to the one asking. So, dear reader, the more the world approaches the end, the more true love becomes scarce, and with love true piety is diminished, instead hypocrisy and lies multiply. LXXXI. You see an apple or a flower that is beautiful on the outside, but damaged on the inside by a poisonous worm, which is not only not useful to humans, but also harmful. So it is with human affairs: although on the outside it seems good, but if it comes from the heart, filled with pride, vanity and pride, it not only does not benefit him, but also harms him. For such a one does not give glory to God, from whom all good things come; and what belongs to God alone, he appropriates to himself; He uses God's gifts not for God's glory, but for his own evil, and so in the place in which he should place God, he places himself as an animated idol - and so he falls away from God and retreats in heart and falls into the godless vice of spiritual idolatry. Such are those who give abundant alms, build churches of God, almshouses, but from there they seek human glory and praise; who teach and instruct people in order to be considered wise and reasonable, and so on. And this is the devil’s intrigue and self-love of a senseless and blind heart. What God gives to man for His glory and for the benefit of his neighbor, he, blinded by pride, turns into his own glory. But what does a person have of his own, except sin? Truly nothing. Possession, wealth, intelligence, our wisdom and so on are God's gifts. How shameful is it to turn God’s goodness to one’s own, and not to God’s, glory? Oh, how much we sin before God and in our supposed “good deeds”! Where we think to be good, there true evil is hidden, so that “who can understand the fall” (Ps. 18:13)? This case and reasoning teaches you not to seek your glory and praise in good deeds, but to render “the things of God to God” (Matthew 22:21), and not to appropriate them to yourself. If you are looking for glory for yourself, then know that, just as a flower is beautiful on the outside, but stinking on the inside is good for nothing, so your deeds outwardly seem to be something, but on the inside they are good for nothing, but moreover, they are abominable before God, who looks at your heart and intention, and not at your deeds. LXXXII. You see that a person who has someone else’s wealth, which is his due, is not proud of it, does not call himself rich, does not boast about it. This is what we should do if we have God’s gifts: consider them not our own, but as if they were strangers; not to be proud of them, but to use them for the glory of God - for they come from God - and for our benefit and our neighbor, for which they were entrusted to us. Let wealth, intelligence, wisdom and so on be for our benefit and that of our neighbor, not for our praise, but for the glory and praise of the One from Whom we came, for just as He, by His mercy, gave them to us, so, because of our ingratitude, He can take them away from us as His own. Then we will truly know how poor, poor, wretched, naked we are and have nothing of our own except sin. LXXXIII. You see a dry branch on a tree, which is dry because it has no juice to revive it. Understand that a Christian can be like this, like a withered branch, who does not have living faith, showing his life through love and other fruits. Such a person has no participation with Christ, Who is the “true vine” (John 15:1), nor with true Christians, for they are spiritual “members of His body” (Eph.5:30); alien to the hope of eternal life while he remains so. God threatens such a person with His judgment. “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). This incident and reasoning teaches you, Christian, to look around whether you have faith, which shows itself by its fruits, that is, by good deeds. LXXXIV. You see that when a son returns to his father’s house from a foreign country, the father over his son and the son over his father rejoice exceedingly, for they see each other and are mutually comforted. From this incident, by faith, lift your mind to the house of the Heavenly Father, where true Christians, children of God, return from the country of this world, where because of our sins we remain as exiles. Oh, how will the faithful soul rejoice, which now burns with love for God, its Heavenly Father, and says with the prophet: “When will I come and appear to the face of God?” (Ps. 42:3) When, after a disastrous wandering in this world, as a foreign country, he returns to the house of the Heavenly Father and appears to the face of God, he will see Him “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12), “he will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2), and will bow to the throne of His glory! The Heavenly Father will also see His son returning from this deplorable vale, and will look at him with His merciful eyes, and will rejoice over him with all His heavenly family, will delight him with the favorable sight of His face, will repose him after labors and deeds, will comfort him after crying and tears. This incident teaches us to “set our minds on things above, and not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2) and by faith lift up our hearts to God, so that we too may be worthy of that true joy through the grace of our Redeemer Jesus Christ. LXXXV. You see two apples, on the outside they are equally beautiful and pleasant, but on the inside they are not the same: one is rotten and stinking on the inside, the other is the same on the inside as on the outside. Understand that this is how human affairs are. For many, deeds seem equally commendable on the outside, but differ on the inside, since they do not come from equal hearts and intentions. For example, one judge does not accept bribery and does the truth, and another also avoids bribery and acts righteously. And so their external deeds are equally commendable, but internally they can be unequal, if one does it, fearing the wrath of God, which will follow because of unrighteousness, while the other, fearing civil judgment and the fear of man, or being ashamed of honest people, shuns evil: such a judge is a politician and a hypocrite, but he who fears God is a true Christian. One gives alms for the sake of the love of God and neighbor, the other - for the sake of pride and vanity: the latter is vain and self-loving, but the one who loves God and neighbor is truly merciful. One asks the offended person for forgiveness, regretting that he has saddened his neighbor; and the other also asks for forgiveness from the offended one, but in order to do so, he asks that he not be brought to justice and thus cause no harm to him: such a person is ill with pride, but he who regrets the sadness of his neighbor has true love. One treats his neighbor kindly and courteously, not wanting to offend him, and the other does the same, but in his heart he thinks to deceive him: the first loves truly and sincerely; the latter is cunning and of the same disposition as the devil, who tries in every possible way to deceive a person. One cries that he has either lost wealth or honor, or cannot take revenge on his enemy; another cries that he has angered God, his Creator and Benefactor: such sadness is Christian and saving; the other’s sorrow is worldly and destructive (2 Cor. 7:10). So in other respects, human deeds may be equal outwardly, but internally, in the heart, they are not equal. We, in our opinion, judge them as equals, since we only look at the external; but God, Who sees and tests the depths of the heart, judges differently, as the Lord says to Samuel, when he came to Bethlehem to anoint one of the sons of Jesse as king, and wanted to anoint Eliab: “Do not look at his appearance and at the height of his stature; I rejected him; I don't look the way a person looks; For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). This case and reasoning teaches you that your deeds, which seem praiseworthy outwardly, should be good inside, in your heart, and every outward good deed should come from a good heart, if you want to please God. LXXXVI. You see that a weak person who wants to be healed surrenders himself to the doctor and keeps his written rules so that there is no obstacle to the action of the medicine. We are all spiritually weak by nature, moreover, we are mortally wounded by the robber devil, and we lie wounded on the path of this world, and we cannot help ourselves in any way, as is shown in the parable of the Good Samaritan, who helped the man wounded by the robbers (Luke 10:30-35). If we want to be healed from the wounds of sin, we must surrender ourselves to the will of that merciful Samaritan, not from Samaria, but from Mary the Virgin Mother of God who came, Jesus Christ, to do with us as he wishes; We must also preserve His rules, written in the Holy Gospel, although it seems sad to our flesh. The weak accept everything for good and endure whatever the doctors prescribe if they want to be healed. So we too must accept and endure for our good everything that our Physician Christ wants and commands us. Otherwise, His saving healing will not help us in any way, just as medicinal healing will not help the weak if he does not follow the written rules; His weakness will only become even worse. It is sad for our flesh to abandon its pride and follow the will of Christ, but this is certainly required by the work of healing and salvation of ours. We conclude from this that there is no true conversion and repentance in those who do not want to leave self-love, ambition, love of glory and other carnal pleasures, and so remain and remain spiritually weak, incurable, although the saving healing of Christ is offered to everyone. LXXXVII. You see that two things are always alternately before your eyes: darkness at night, light during the day; and by nature we all avoid darkness (for no one wants to sit in darkness) and seek light. So two things must be before our spiritual eyes: sin, spiritual darkness; and God, the eternal Light. And just as we turn away from sensual darkness towards sensual light, so we must turn away from sinful darkness and turn to the Light, seek It and be enlightened. Just as those who move away from the natural light are in darkness, and stumble, and do not recognize anything, and fear everything, so those who move away from the Ever-present Light, God, are enveloped in spiritual darkness, stumble, and fall from sin into sin, and so they perish, if they do not feel it, according to the Scripture: “For behold, those who remove themselves from You will perish” (Ps. 73:27). For from this spiritual darkness into eternal and “utter darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth,” like worthless slaves, “they will be cast” (Matthew 25:30); but those who seek God and hold fast to Him, as sons of light and day, will inherit eternal light; and the Light, which they now see by faith, will then see “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12), “and they will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). This reasoning teaches you to turn away from sin, as you turn away from darkness, and to seek God, the true and spiritual Light, with all your heart, while you have the opportunity to seek and find, as the prophet exhorts us: “Seek the Lord and be strong, seek His face always” (Ps. 104:4). LXXXVIII. You see that a wound clock is constantly running, and although we are asleep or awake, doing or not doing, they have an incessant flow until the mechanism stops. So is our life: from birth to death it constantly flows and diminishes. Whether we rest or work, whether we are awake or asleep, whether we talk with someone or remain silent, our life continually moves on and approaches its end; and is already closer to the end today than it was yesterday and the day before; at this hour than she was an hour ago. So, unbeknownst to us, our life is shortening! Hours and minutes pass like this! And we don’t know when the mechanism will stop and the pendulum will stop striking. The providence of God hid from us the fact that we would always be ready for the outcome, whenever our Lord God calls us to him. “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, finds watching” (Luke 12:37). Damned are those whom he finds immersed in a sinful sleep! This incident and reasoning teaches you, Christian: 1) that the time of our life is constantly running out. 2) that it is impossible to return the past tense. 3) that the past and the future are not ours, but only that which we now have. 4) that our death is unknown to us. 5) Therefore, we must always, at any hour, be prepared for the outcome if we want to die blissfully. 6) From here we conclude that a Christian must be in constant repentance, the struggle of faith and piety. 7) What he wants to be at the end, he must try to be like this at any time of his life: since he does not know in the morning whether he will wait until evening, and in the evening whether he will wait until morning. For we see that those who were healthy in the morning, by evening lie lifeless on their deathbed; and those who fall asleep in the evening will not get up in the morning and will sleep until the Arkhangelsk trumpet. And what happens to others can happen to you and me, for we are all subject to every eventuality. LXXXIX. You see a sleeping man. This incident presents you with two images: 1) The likeness of death. Just as a dead person does not see, does not hear, does not talk and does nothing, so does a sleeping person - except that in the sleeping person, life shows itself through breathing. And no matter how many times we fall asleep, so many times we become like a dead man. 2) In the sleeping person you see an image of the future life. For as a person sleeping, he is freed from all affairs, labors, worries; then he forgets troubles, misfortunes, sorrows, illnesses and does not feel anything from them, just as if he had not had them, so those who are worthy to receive eternal life are delivered from all labors, troubles, misfortunes and sorrows. Therefore, eternal life in Holy Scripture is called rest (Heb. 4, etc.); and the Apocalypse says: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; to her, says the Spirit, they will rest from their labors, and their works will follow them” (Rev. 14:13). This incident teaches you: 1) How many times do you go to sleep, so many times remember about death, which sleep is like, and by faith raise your mind to eternal life, that sweet and endless peace in which God’s chosen ones rest; and with faith let out a robber cry to Christ: “Remember me, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). 2) Getting up from sleep, thank God. 3) In this century, work in the feat of faith in order to calm down after death. HS. You see that a filled vessel cannot contain anything else. So is the human heart, which is like a vessel. If it is filled with the love of this world and care for worldly things, it does not contain the word of God within itself and thus becomes fruitless. Hence, “the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches” is likened to thorns, with which the seed of God’s word is crushed, “and it becomes unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). From here we read that those invited to the great supper of the heavenly kingdom “all began, as if by agreement, to apologize. The first said to the Caller: I bought land and I need to go and look at it; please forgive me. Another said: I bought five pairs of oxen and am going to test them; please forgive me. The third said: I got married and therefore cannot come” (Luke 14:18-20). This means nothing more than an addiction to temporary and worldly things with which the heart is filled, and does not accept and does not contain the words of God. And so a person, filled with worldly vanity, although he hears the word of God preached and calling him, does not listen to it, does not obey it, and so makes himself unworthy of that great supper, that is, the kingdom of heaven, although the servants of God, prophets and apostles and preachers call him there. This incident and reasoning teaches you to beware of the love of this world, which captivates the human heart, and to pray for this to God and David: “Turn away my eyes from seeing vanity” ( Ps. 119:37 ) And if you are entangled in that vanity, try in every possible way to get rid of it by the grace of God - so that you, too, may not appear with those who have denied yourself unworthy of that sweet supper. “Many are called, but few are chosen,” the Lord concludes this parable (Luke 14:24). XCI. You see that even an empty vessel cannot accept anything until it opens. So the human heart, although it will be freed from the vanity of this world, but bound by cruelty, negligence, despondency, cannot accept the word of God. Therefore, Christ, the Hypostatic Word of God, says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). His divine and sweet voice always strikes our hearts through the holy word, but not everyone hears it; He does not hear because he does not have open ears of the heart, about which He says: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:9). He who wants to receive the word of God in his heart must receive fruit from it, open his heart, and just as the parched earth thirsts for rain in order to create fruit, so our heart must open its mouth and thirst for God’s word, that is, insatiably want and desire to hear the word of God, not for any other reason, but so that the spiritual soul may acquire creation. And just as our stomach daily desires food and drink, so it becomes our heart, as a spiritual stomach, to always desire God’s word, which is spiritual food. Saint David says about this: “I opened my mouth and drew the Spirit into me, for I desired Your commandments” (Ps. 119:131). And we must pray to God Himself for this, so that He will open the mouth of our heart and give us this saving thirst. XXII. You see that whoever diligently desires something, seeks it diligently. For example, whoever wants to receive the honor or wealth of this world, strives for it, has it in his heart and thinks about it. So, whoever desires a pious Christian life has concern for this, studies day and night in the word of God and prays to God about it. For the mirror of a pious life is God’s holy word, in which true piety and ungodliness are presented, the way of the ungodly and the pious. By this you learn to test yourself whether you diligently desire to “live godly in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:12) or whether you do not have this saving desire. If you don’t and don’t try to do so, then you certainly don’t have any piety in your heart and are outside the number of the faithful, you don’t have any participation with Christ, and the Christian name will not help you in any way. XCIII. You see that those who want to reach a certain city or some other place do not stand, but walk and follow the path that leads to that place. So those who want to reach the heavenly city, the heavenly Jerusalem, do not stand, but walk and walk along the path that leads to that city, that is, the pious path, on which the Leader is Christ, Whom His faithful servants follow with faith and love. Why do you, a faulty sinner, if you want to be saved and reach that heavenly fatherland, do you stand and not follow Him? Or, what’s worse, having left the pious path and taken the path of the wicked, you follow it, leading to the hell of eternal destruction? – You ask, what is the path of the pious and the wicked? “Our Lord shows it to you in His Gospel, commands you to avoid the latter and to go first. “Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many go in through it; for strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13–14). The narrow path is the path of humility, obedience, patience, meekness, and denial of oneself, that is, one’s will. The broad path is the path of pride, disobedience, impatience and self-love. This one leads to hell, that one leads to heaven. Choose which way you want to go: either narrow and low to heaven, or wide and high to hell - but we don’t see a third in the Holy Scriptures. Because in the next century, where we are all going, we see only two places revealed by God: eternal life, which will be in heaven, and eternal torment, which will be in hell. This, dear reader, suggests that many, even all, want to be saved, but few do what the work of salvation requires of us. Even murderers, kidnappers, robbers, fornicators, robbers, crafty, deceitful, drunkards, slanderers, blasphemers, slanderers and others want to be saved. None of them will renounce salvation: but since they do not follow the path that leads to eternal salvation, but follow the destructive path that leads to hell, then they have no real desire for salvation. Philosophers fairly and firmly teach: whoever wants to achieve a goal, wants and seeks a means suitable for that goal. For example, if you want, as stated above, to reach some city, you look for the path that leads to that city; If you want to get health in your weakness, you call for a doctor and so on. For whoever really and diligently desires something, and as was also said above, he diligently and truly seeks it. So, whoever wants to earnestly and truly be saved, seeks the means to salvation. The only means of eternal salvation appears to us in the holy word—holy, evangelical faith. But that faith must be living, not dead. The vitality of faith is known from good deeds. Since this faith is a great good and a treasure in man, then, just as goodness, good fruits are born, just as a good tree produces good fruits. From here we conclude that where there are no good deeds, but instead evil ones, there is no true faith, but delusional and false faith. Those who have such false faith are just as deceived as those who walk in the night and think that they are following the path that leads to the intended place, but when the dawn breaks, they recognize their error and regret it. Likewise, those who have a false faith, dead and fruitless, think that they are Christians, follow a pious and saving path, but later they will recognize their error and repent. And blessed are those for whom, while still on the way, the dawn of grace will shine in their hearts; Blessed are those who, before their end, see their error and repent. Such knowledge is the beginning of salvation: for in this way they can leave the path of destruction and ascend by faith onto the path of salvation, which leads to eternal life. XCIV. You see that those who want to look at the sun turn their faces to the sun, which is natural about every thing. For example, if we want to see a person or some other thing, we turn our face to that person. Thus, those who wish to see the eternal and spiritual Sun - God, to see now by faith, in that century face to face, must certainly turn to Him with the face of their hearts. God is in every place, and therefore, wherever we walk, we walk before His face. But people, if they do not listen to God’s commands and commit lawlessness, turn away from Him and, as it were, instead of their face, turn their back to Him, as God says about the lawless: “They turned their back to Me, and not their face” (Jer. 32:33); and in the Psalms we read: “and they did not present God before them” (Ps. 53:5); and also: “and they did not present You,” God, “before themselves” (Ps. 85:14), which means nothing more than a heart that has turned away from God, does not listen to God, does not honor and despises. Just as, wanting to honor someone, we turn our face to him, and by turning away our face we show disrespect and contempt for him, so, turning away from obedience to God, we show great disrespect and contempt for Him, although we do not notice it, blinded. So, instead of a face, we turn our back to Him. But when a person, having recognized his lawless rudeness, which he showed to God and his Creator, feels and, having stopped sinning, repents, and heartily regrets that he acted so disorderly and lawlessly against his Creator and Lord, then he will turn to God. And when he stands in this, and tries to show Him the fruits of obedience, then, as it were, he stands facing Him and what He commands in the holy word, listens and tries to fulfill. Thus, he who is converted both here “by faith” and in the next century “face to face” will be worthy to see God. From this it is clear: 1) how lawlessly and disorderly we act when we sin voluntarily. For in this way, instead of a face, we turn our backs to God, which is a sign of contempt for the great and terrible God. 2) What a terrible and godless delusion - an unrepentant and godless life! For in this way people, as if turning their backs to God and not their faces, walk and commit lawlessness, which is scary to write and think about. But truly it is, as God himself says through the prophet: “They turned their backs to Me, and not their faces.” 3) How great is God’s goodness towards sinners, which endures such contempt and disrespect for sinners and awaits their repentance! 4) True repentance is a change of heart and morals from evil to good morals. 5) True repentance is certainly caused by shame and regret in the heart of the repentant that he acted so shamelessly and disorderly with God. 6) There cannot be true repentance if a person renounces his sins and does not want to show obedience to God, but such repentance is delusional and false, and therefore there will be no benefit from it to the repentant. For repenting and sinning out of will are opposite things and cannot be together. XCV. You see the sun rising and the day beginning. Here you have rich material for thinking about the goodness of God and marveling at it. 1) When the sun sets underground and night falls, it seems as if it is no longer there; when it rises again, as if created anew by the Creator, it brings to your memory the great Luminary and the fact that both it and you received their existence from the Creator. 2) The righteous Sun brings to your memory, Christ the Son of God, who died and rose from the dead. Just as the sensual sun walks and rises, so Christ, having appeared on earth and completed the great work of our salvation, went into the tomb and rose again. And just as the sun, having risen, enlightens the whole under heaven, makes everyone happy and warms, so Christ, having risen from the dead, enlightened the entire universe and spread His light through the apostles, like spiritual rays, warmed and made everyone’s hearts happy. 3) Shows you the future resurrection of the dead. Just as the sun, having gone underground, rises again, so the bodies of the dead, buried in the earth, will rise, and “the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). 4) The sun rises and the morning is renewed. The bounties of God are renewed and poured out on us; the goodness and mercy of God is that we did not perish. The sun rises and enlightens and warms everything. The goodness of God also appears, it pleases, cheers, enlightens, attracts and warms the righteous; He strikes the sinner with the rays of His love and “leads to repentance” (Rom. 2:4); and “enlightens every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9), “opens His hand, and satisfies every living thing according to His good pleasure” (Ps. 145:16). From this incident we learn, dear Christian, to thank God from the heart for His three great benefits to us - for creation, redemption and His wondrous Providence for us, and to say to Him with a joyful spirit: “Glory to You, God, who created us! Glory to You, who redeemed us! Glory to You, who provides for us, the unworthy! XCVI. At sunrise, people go out to do their work, as the Psalmist sings: “A man goes out to his work and to his work until the evening” (Ps. 103:23). By this, Christians also learn to go out to do their own deeds, pleasing to God, “to reject the works of darkness, and to put on the weapons of light,” and to do good (Rom. 13:12), “for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Eph. 2:10). XCVII. Do you see what happens when the sun leaves us: darkness comes and covers the whole of heaven; a person cannot do anything, touches like a blind person, wanders, stumbles and falls, and is afraid of everything. This is what happens with the human soul, which Christ, the righteous Sun, leaves; then she can no longer do any godly deeds, as He Himself says: “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Since spiritual darkness covers her, she goes astray, feels like a blind person, stumbles and falls from sin to sin until she falls into the ditch of eternal destruction, unless she corrects herself through repentance. Christ leaves the soul that first leaves Him - otherwise Christ does not leave anyone, but “enlightens every person who comes into the world” (John 1:9). This incident teaches us to hold on to Christ and follow Him with faith and love - so that spiritual darkness and disaster do not overwhelm us. XCVIII. You see that a certain person who has received a benefit from someone, although he shows courtesy in front of him and thanks him before the eyes of his benefactor, does not have true gratitude and love for him in his heart. This politeness of his is nothing more than hypocrisy, which anyone can admit. So are false Christians: they think of thanking God when they go to church, sing and praise Him; but since they have no fear of Him and do not love Him (which is evident from their evil deeds and the transgression of His holy commandments, which cannot be combined with the fear of God and love), then going to church, their songs and praises is nothing more than hypocrisy, which God, “who tests hearts and bellies” (Ps. 7:10), clearly sees, and therefore does not accept their songs, praises and prayers and turns away from them until their hearts are corrected. his. Such Christians are similar to those Israelites about whom the Psalmist wrote: “They expressed love for Him with their lips and lied to Him with their tongue. But their heart was not right with Him, and they were not faithful to His covenant” (Ps. 77:36-37); - and God says through the prophet: “These people draw near to Me with their lips, and with their lips they honor Me; but their heart is far from Me” (Is. 29:13). And by doing this, they do not show any gratitude or reverence to God. This teaches you to seek piety within, in the heart, and not in appearance, and to honor God not only with your lips and ceremonies, but also with your heart - which is faith, fear of God, love for God and neighbor, without which there can be no true worship of God. XCIX. Do you know, Christian, what sailors do during a great storm? Then they, having no hope of salvation, throw an anchor into the depths of the sea and anchor it in the ground, in order to thus save the ship and themselves with the ship; This is how they save themselves from drowning. This is also appropriate for Christians who sail in the sea of ​​this world in the ship of the Holy Church, and in this they should imitate the shipmen. When Satan raises a storm of temptations, troubles and misfortunes against them, they must abandon all human hope and resort to God, affirming their wavering and distressed hearts in the love of God. Is it out of God’s love that the enemy wants to tear them away and drown them in the depths of sins and transgressions? We must strengthen the boat of our heart in the love of God. Does he want to plunge you into despair? In the same love, we must strengthen the anchor of our hope and salvation, remembering what is written: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" ​​(John 3:16-17), - and holding to God's merciful promises, confirmed by His oath to strengthen our wavering heart: "As I live, says the Lord God, I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that the wicked should turn from his way and live" (Ezek. 33:11); and again: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has eternal life, and will not come into judgment, but will pass from death to life” (John 5:24); and again: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me has eternal life” (John 6:47); and again: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever keeps My word will never see death” (John 8:51). In these “immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we have strong consolation... having fled to take hold of the hope that is set before us, which is like an anchor for the soul, safe and strong, and enters into the innermost being behind the veil” (Heb. 6:18–19). If a storm of demonic temptation arises against you, beloved Christian, then imitate the sailors and, in times of adversity, strengthen your wavering heart in the love of God, with which God loved us in His beloved Son. May this love support us with the love of God, when Satan confuses us with the love of this world and plots to tear us away from the love of God, and to attract us to the love of carnal lust, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. May this love support us and strengthen us in hope when the same enemy begins to shake our hearts with a storm of despair and through evil thoughts tell us: “There is no salvation for you in your God” (Ps. 3:3). S. You see a sheep that has been separated from its flock, which still runs, screams and looks for the flock until it finds it again. This is what it is appropriate for that Christian to do, who through negligence and disobedience has separated himself from the flock of Christ’s sheep: until then, seek, ask, knock and cry until he joins them again; ask and pray to God with David: “I have gone astray, like a lost sheep, seek Thy servant!” (Ps.119:176). Every lawbreaker, fornicator, adulterer, predator, thief, covetous, usurer, harasser, evil one, slanderer, drunkard, sensualist, slanderer, malicious, and others is separated from the flock of Christ; each of these is a lost sheep, separated from the flock of Christ. For the sheep of Christ listen to the voice of Christ, as He Himself says: “My sheep listen to My voice” (John 10:3). And although such think that they are also in the flock of Christ, in essence they are strangers to it, strangers to Christ Himself, strangers to eternal life, until they truly turn and join the flock of Christ. This case and reasoning exhorts you to look around, whether you have been absent. and you are from the flock of Christ by your neglect. And if you notice this disaster in your conscience, do not hesitate to turn to repentance, weeping and sighing, before time has passed and the doors are open to the blessed fold of Christ’s sheep, into which we enter through true repentance and faith. CI. You see that a young man and a virgin entering into marriage, or a person entering into a friendship with a person, establish a covenant between themselves and promise to remain faithful to each other until death. In this case, remember the covenant that was established between God and you in holy baptism. Then the merciful God accepted you into His highest mercy through faith in Christ; and you promised to serve Him faithfully until the end of your life. From this incident you can: 1) Think and be amazed at the ineffable goodness of God, that He accepts a rejected man, a lawbreaker and His enemy, into such high mercy that in Christ our Lord He makes Him His son and determines him to be the heir of the eternal kingdom in the same Christ, if He keeps faith to the end, as the Apostle says: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:26–27). 2) Look around, are you faithfully serving your Lord, who accepted you into His mercy? He is faithful and always abides: “The Lord is faithful in all His words and holy in all His works” (Ps. 144:13). He promised to support His faithful in love and mercy - and does; He promised to give them the kingdom of heaven - and he does. Have you remained and are you maintaining your loyalty to Him? Have you not forsaken Him, although you confess His name? Have you not turned your heart away from Him and clung to the love of this world? Do you not love riches, gold, silver, honor, glory, the sweetness of this world instead of your Lord? Are you showing Him the obedience that He requires of you? “You were justified in holy baptism in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11): do you show the fruits of that justification? Are you telling the truth? Sanctified by the same great name and Spirit: do you keep yourself from all defilement of the flesh and spirit? If you perceive in yourself unfaithfulness to God, turn to Him with all your heart with repentance, regret and faith, before time runs out, for God accepts those who convert - so that you will not be separated from Him forever to your extreme disaster. If you turn to Him with true regret and faith, He will also turn to you with His mercy, as He says through the prophet: “Return to Me, says the Lord Almighty, and I will turn to you” (Zech. 1:3). For the very life-giving Blood of Christ, shed for sinners, cries out to God for such a sinner who turns away from sins with all his heart and turns to God; but it will not bring any justification to the unrepentant, but will result in even greater condemnation for them, for they have despised such high and great grace. CII. You see that every seed produces the same fruit as it is: from rye comes rye, from wheat comes wheat, from barley comes barley. It’s the same with animals: from a man a man, from a wolf a wolf, from a bear a bear, from a sheep a sheep, from a goose a goose. And certainly in the fruit born from the seed, the similarity is seen. For example: a wolf gives birth to a wolf like itself in theft, a fox like itself a fox in deceit, a pig like itself a pig in gluttony and uncleanness. So is spiritual birth, by which Christians are born again. They are born of God, and in them must certainly appear fruit similar to God, from Whom they were spiritually born. We must be like our Heavenly Father in our morals, from whom we were born by water and the Spirit: “to imitate God, as beloved children” (Eph. 5:1); be holy, for He is holy, as He Himself says: “Be holy, because I am Holy” (1 Peter 1:16); be merciful, loving, patient, meek, righteous, etc. For from a holy, righteous, merciful, patient, meek God such children are born. For the morals of the father are passed on to the children. Thus, in carnal birth, sinful children are born from the sinner Adam; From the sin-loving, proud, unmerciful, unclean, unrighteous, evil, angry, such children are born; As children, we imitate our father according to the flesh with our morals. But whoever was born again from God, he portrays God as a child of the Father with good morals: “for His seed (that is, grace) abides in him” (1 John 3:9) - creates the fruits of the new birth, the fruits of truth, holiness, love, mercy, patience, meekness, and so on. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). From this it is clear that Christians who live lawlessly are in the old birth; and although they are baptized, they have lost the gift of holy baptism, and so remain removed from Christ, although they confess His name, but “by works they deny” Him (Titus 1:16) - they remain without hope of eternal life while they are in this state. For the new birth brings two greatest fruits: the first is the remission of sins, as the apostle says: “You were washed... sanctified..., justified by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. 6:11); the second is the renewal of the heart and spirit to obedience, to the creation of good deeds: for the regenerate one willingly and diligently tries to show obedience to God, fights against sin, does not allow it to reign over him, crucifies the flesh with passions and lusts, imitating Christ. Just as from the evil snake seed, which the enemy poured into the hearts of our first parents (and in carnal birth we are all born with the same poison), evil fruits come - love of money, love of glory, self-love, lust and, if a person is not reborn again, their subsequent disaster, curse and eternal condemnation - so spiritual fruits will follow, that is, the fruits of good morals, from the spiritual God a seed that is conceived and acts by God’s word through the Holy Spirit and in a spiritual new birth regenerates man, that is, makes man willing from evil, and from a son of wrath a son of God’s blessing. For from like comes like, and an evil seed can only give birth to evil fruit, and a good seed can only give birth to good fruit. As is the seed from which the tree conceived and grew, so is the fruit born from it, as Christ says: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). From this we correctly conclude that there is no Christianity, faith, repentance, piety in that Christian who does not have the fruits of Christianity, the fruits of faith, repentance and piety. But his Christianity, faith, repentance, piety are false, delusional and dreamy. His condition is essentially pagan, or rather bestial and bestial. For whatever morals are in someone, such is the state within his heart. What kind of Christianity is there in him who is likened to a wolf by theft, by cunning to a fox, by pride to a peacock, by gluttony to a pig, by lust to a horse? Poisonous, like a echidna. Fierce like a lion. No good morals means there is no root of good morals. There are no good fruits, which means there are no good seeds. No Christian deeds means no Christianity. There are no fruits worthy of repentance, which means there is no repentance. By this incident and reasoning, do you learn, Christian, to test yourself to see if you are in the faith and among the faithful? From this you can know that many, especially in the present century, under the name of Christians are pagans, like wolves under sheep's clothing. CIII. You see someone sentenced to death or a sick person near death. Reason and see what he does then? There is no concern for wealth, honor, glory; does not seek judgment against anyone, forgives everyone, no matter what he is offended by; does not think about luxury or anything that belongs to this world. One death is before his spiritual eyes, and the fear of it shakes his heart. This incident, dear Christian, exhorts us to remember our death. What we see of our brethren, we expect from hour to hour, and we do not know whether they, whom we see at the gates of death, will depart first, or we, who hope to still live in the world. It often happens that those who hope to continue their lives immediately fall lifeless and those who were previously on their deathbed are placed in the coffin. For we are all sentenced to death; God says to everyone in His holy word that He said to our forefather: “You are earth and to earth you will return” (Gen. 3:19). Why don’t we have that sentence in memory? Why don’t we prepare for the outcome? Why do we promise ourselves long days - which is not in our power, but only in God’s? Why do we collect so much wealth, build so many houses, create so many pleasures, as if we hope to live forever in this world? Why are we chasing after the honor and glory of this world, which today or tomorrow will leave us and make us pitiful, worse than a living dog? Why do we fill the courts with sarcastic and vindictive petitions against each other? Why are we angry and cursing at each other? Why do we steal each other’s goods, slander each other, deceive each other? Why do we unlawfully touch someone else’s bed and defile our soul and body? Today or tomorrow the voice of God will call us from here, which always thunders to everyone: “You are earth and to earth you will return.” Oh, woe to us if we leave here with this heavy burden! It will certainly plunge those burdened to the bottom of hell: “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). This incident and reasoning exhorts you to have an everlasting remembrance of death. She will teach you to always be repentant; she will not allow you to collect wealth, seek honor and glory, and console yourself with voluptuousness; quench the flame of unclean lust; will tame the anger that is smoking in your heart; exhorts you to forgive your neighbor all debts of sin; turn away your hands from theft and your tongue from profanity, slander, slander and condemnation, and put your lips under guard; will inspire you to fervent prayer, sighing and warm tears. For the fear of future judgment and the fear of torment binds the heart, and does not allow us to want what is disgusting to God and leads to eternal judgment, and holds back and restores the wavering and falling soul, for what God finds us in at the end, that is what He judges (Ezek. 18:20-24, 33:20). Blessed and wise is he who always remembers death! Civ. You see people summoned to court: notice what they do? They prepare, think, try, ask and consult with those skilled in judicial matters; They often do not spare money, so as not to be ashamed and condemned at the trial. You see, dear Christian, what the sons of this age are doing; What shame and fear of temporary condemnation does in them, how it touches their hearts, what care, effort and work it prompts them to! May this incident encourage you to remember the future judgment of Christ. Christ will call us all to His judgment: “He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness” (Acts 17:31); “He has prepared His throne for Judgment” (Ps. 9:8). “We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what he has done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). And when this Judgment comes, God hid it from us, so that we would always be ready and expect it any day. “Already “the time is at hand,... the day of the Lord is near” (Rev. 1:3, 22:10, Isa.13:6, Joel.1:15, James 5:8–9). “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (2 Peter 3:10). “When they say, ‘Peace and safety,’ then destruction will suddenly come upon them” (1 Thess. 5:3). “As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man: for as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and thought not until the flood came and destroyed them all, so will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39). If, as you see, people are preparing for human judgment, just as we should prepare, since from hour to hour we can appear before the court of God, and we do not know the day and hour at which the Judge will come and call us to judgment. If shame before a few confuses a person so much, how great will be the shame and embarrassment before the whole world, before all the Angels and people! If the fear of temporary execution shakes the hearts of people so much, how much more should the fear of eternal torment shake! For every temporary punishment, no matter how great or long, passes away; the eternal has no end; once it begins, it never ends. You see how cunningly people prepare themselves for human judgment, but this is not how one should prepare for God’s judgment. A human judge does not know human affairs and judges what he sees and hears; often, looking at the face, he carries out judgment, and the gifts of many judges can do a lot. God the Judge is not like that. He knows not only our external deeds and words, but also our heart thoughts. Therefore, he does not require witnesses and accusers of human sins, but he himself will convict the sinner: “I will reprove you and bring your sins before you” (Ps. 49:21). He does not look at faces, does not look at either the rich or the beggar; neither master nor slave; He judges everyone by deeds, not by persons. Therefore, preparation for His judgment should not be the same as for human judgment. But which one? One must in advance, while He is not yet calling, to humble oneself, admit one’s sins and guilt before Him, to expose oneself before Him and admit from the heart that one is worthy of any execution, to promise henceforth to serve Him with faith and truth, and to stand motionless in this, and so to expect His mercy without a doubt. For this reason, the merciful God declared His righteous judgment, so that we would repent and, having repented, avoid condemnation. The righteous Judge will condemn those who have sinned not because they sinned, but because they sinned and did not repent. This incident and reasoning exhorts you, Christian, to give up your sins, begin a new, God-pleasing life and be constant in it with God’s help. May you be worthy to stand with His chosen sheep on His right side at His glorious coming. But don’t look at the current world, which lives in insane and destructive fearlessness without fear. May you not die with him. CV. You see that when we walk towards the sun, the shadow follows us; and the faster we run away from the shadow towards the sun, the faster the shadow runs after us and becomes larger. So are pious people. As they draw closer to God, glory will follow; and the closer they come to God, the more glory follows them. And although they run away from glory, glory runs after them, and they cannot escape it. On the contrary, when we walk in the direction opposite to the sun, the shadow seems to run away from us; and the further we move from the sun, the more the shadow recedes from us. And although we run after the shadow, we cannot reach it: it always runs away from those who catch up with it, no matter how much they chase it. So are peace-loving people: the more they move away from God, the more glory moves away from them; and the more they chase glory, the more glory flees from them. This teaches you to seek and approach God through humility, prayer, teaching Christian virtues and teaches you to despise the glory of this world. And then you will have glory, although you do not desire it. For he is not glorious whom the world praises; but the one whom God will glorify. God glorifies the one who glorifies Him, as the Lord says: “I will glorify those who glorify Me, but those who dishonor Me will be put to shame” (1 Samuel 2:30). CVI. You also see that the shadow has nothing in itself: no life, no body, no movement, but only the likeness of a body; and immediately disappears when the sun goes down. So is man; and he is nothing without God. While God supports, guides and enlightens him, considers himself to be something and seems to be so; but when God hides His light and takes away His life force, it immediately disappears. The prophet speaks about this: “Man walks like a ghost” (Ps. 38:7), “and his days pass away like a shadow” (Ps. 143:4). This incident teaches you to recognize your insignificance and humble yourself, which is the beginning of Christian wisdom. CVII. You also see that the closer the sun approaches, the more the shadow decreases. So is a pious heart: the closer God comes to it with His light and gifts, the more it recognizes its insignificance and humbles itself before God and people, considering itself the least. On the contrary, the further the sun recedes, the greater the shadow; as the sun sets, a great shadow becomes; When the sun sets, the great shadow also disappears. So it is with man: to the extent that God moves away from him, to the extent that he is exalted and magnified in his heart; the more a person ascends, the more he moves away from God, and God from him; and just as a shadow disappears when the sun is hidden, so those who consider themselves great disappear when God hides from them. From this incident we learn, Christians: 1) True humility is inseparable from true piety and is always associated with it. 2) The more pious the heart, the more humble it is. For the more a person is enlightened by the grace of God, the more he sees his unworthiness, just as the more we are enlightened by natural light, the more we see vices on the face, hands and rubbish in the house. Hence, seeing his unworthiness, a person humbles himself. 3) If there is no humility in the heart, but even pride, then there is no piety in it. For such a person does not recognize his unworthiness, and therefore piety does not fit into him. For true piety cannot exist without God: “God opposes the proud,” according to Scripture (1 Peter 5:5). 4) Such a heart, which does not try to recognize its unworthiness and remains in its pride, ultimately disappears and perishes, like a shadow disappears after sunset. 5) By this we learn to seek true piety from the knowledge of our unworthiness, that is, if we want to have true piety in our hearts, we must in every possible way recognize our unworthiness and insignificance and humble ourselves in such a way that the Lord, “who looks upon the humble,” will look upon us and give His grace. 6) Since we have a deeply corrupt heart and by nature have blindness of spiritual eyes, and therefore cannot see our poverty and wretchedness, we must sigh to God, so that He Himself will enlighten us and show us our wretchedness. Then we recognize that we ourselves are like a shadow moving behind the body, which then moves when the body moves; then it stands when the body stands; the body retreats, she retreats too. CVIII. You see that the son, who treated his father rudely and insulted him, weeps bitterly and scolds himself, regretting that he angered and insulted his father, from whom he was born and raised. From this incident we, Christians, must learn true repentance: to have “sorrow for God’s sake,” which “produces unchangeable repentance leading to salvation” (2 Cor. 7:10). If we regret and cry that we insulted our father according to the flesh, from whom we were just born and raised, and we do it righteously, how much more should we regret, grieve and cry inconsolably because we anger God, the Heavenly Father, from Whom our fathers and we were created, honored in His image, restored after our fall and endowed with countless blessings. Truly great blindness and malice to insult Him Who is all Love! This is a satanic intrigue, breathing malice against the Creator and His image, which, being unable to do anything to God, rushes towards His image and thereby wants to offend Him! A blind man, like a fish on a fishing rod, grabs the enemy’s charm and deigns to do so; and so, listening to the advice of the enemy, God, his Creator, does not listen and insults. What hasn't God done for us? What good did you not show? He created us, He honored us in His image, He created this beautiful world for us; He commands His sun to shine for us and sends rains, nourishes, clothes, preserves us. But we insult Him, do not listen to Him, do not love such a great Benefactor. Isn’t this great demonic malice and deception of our mind? We perished by demonic cunning and lost His mercy; but even then He did not abandon us, did not tolerate seeing us lying in destruction, did not reject us forever from Himself as indecent; but he had mercy on us, sending us salvation to the lost, and deliverance to the captives, and restoration to the fallen. How? Not through an Angel, not through a person, but through whom? Through “His Only Begotten Son. He gave us this for our salvation and deliverance; He did not spare Him for our sake, but gave Him up for us,” the holy Apostle cries to the whole universe (Rom. 8:32). He wants to give us the “Spirit” of His “Holy One” and “gives it” to believers and “those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13). What else can God do for us more than this? What good and blessing should we give? But we still don’t love Him, we don’t love Him who loved us so much; We do not honor Him, who honored us so highly. Truly there cannot be greater malice and blindness! All the holy angels worship Him with fear, honor Him and sing to Him (Isa. 6:2-3), but a blinded man, “dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27), who has experienced so many of God’s blessings and mercies on himself, does not do this, but shamelessly irritates Him!.. So the demonic cunning has blinded our mind! If someone, a Christian, fed you, clothed you, warmed you, took care of you, preserved you and loved you like your child; and you would not honor him, despise him and show him all rudeness: wouldn’t your madness and shamelessness be great? Truly, everyone who sees would be amazed at your madness. Know for sure that we show such shamelessness to our God when we do not listen to Him, sin and irritate Him. Oh, it is truly better to lose the light, to lie in rot and wounds, to be imprisoned in prison, to be shackled, to die a hundred times, than to anger God, eternal Love, Grace, Goodness, Holiness, Truth, Truth, Mercy, the Beginning and Source of all good things, even if only a little!.. CIX. You know, Christian, that when we want to use someone else’s goods, for example, or taste food, or get drunk, or take something else out of necessity, we ask the owner and ask permission, and having accepted his goods, we thank him: this is how honest people usually act everywhere, and this is how it should be. This is what Christians should do when they want food, drink and other blessings of this world. Everything of God is there: food, drink, clothing, etc. God is the ruler and master of the world and everything that exists in the world. Therefore, with His blessing, we must accept everything we want to use and ask for it in prayer, if we do not want to sin against Him. For it is sinful to use someone else’s property without the owner’s permission, as anyone can admit. It is indisputable that God does not deny anyone the blessings of this world and gives them to the most wicked. But Christians must know the Giver, and ask Him for blessings for their use, and for that, as the Benefactor, thank Him from the heart. It follows from this: 1) What bad things are done by those Christians who, without prayer and God’s blessing, begin to eat, drink and consume other good things. Such people do not know where all good comes from, and, not knowing the Giver, they do not thank Him. Thus, they become like pagans who do not know the true God and Creator of all good things, or even dumb cattle who, without any reasoning, eat and drink what they see in front of them. 2) Those who are content with the blessings of God and do not thank the Benefactor show their ingratitude towards God the Benefactor, which is a great sin. 3) It is bad to ask for blessings on overeating and drunkenness, as well as on clothes for ostentation and grandeur, for God allows us to consume food and drink, but forbids overeating and drunkenness. He also gives us clothes for our needs, and not for the love of fame. To cover our nakedness and warm our wretched body, and not for self-praise and glorification. In a word, it allows you to please the flesh, allows you to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, warm, give rest to the weary, but not in its lust, as the apostle teaches: “Do not turn care for the flesh into lust” (Rom. 13:14). 4) It is lawless and shameless to ask for blessings from God for something that has been collected from untruth and theft. God does not command us to do injustice and forbids theft. There is no blessing of God there, where there is untruth and theft, but instead there is a curse: for the law of God is ruined and the Lawgiver is despised. SH. You see that those who want to learn the arts, sciences and worldly wisdom enter schools and study with skilled teachers, listen to their instructions and listen to the rules, acting according to them: otherwise they cannot learn if they do not act according to the instructions and rules of the teachers. This is how it becomes for Christians - disciples of Christ - to learn from Christ, Who is the Hypostasis of God, “Who became wisdom from God for us” (1 Cor. 1:30), if they want to learn spiritual and heavenly wisdom, as He Himself says: “Learn from Me” (Matthew 11:29), they must heed His holiest and truest dogmas, His instructions and rules, which are given to us in His holy Gospel, the divine and heavenly school. His holy dogmas and rules teach us true repentance, faith, humility, love, patience, meekness, and so on. This is what Christian spiritual wisdom consists of, which is despicable and belittled before the world, but honorable and exalted before God. Skilled teachers, teaching the rules of science, also show an image of how to act according to the rules; for the rule itself, without a visual image and action, brings little benefit, and almost none. Wanting to teach their students, teachers show them in practice what the rules teach, so that, looking at the rules and practice, they better learn to act according to the rules. So, Christian, Christ, our heavenly and wise Teacher, created. He not only offered us the dogmas of His heavenly wisdom, but also gave us an image, as he says: “I have given you an example, so that you should do the same as I have done to you” (John 13:15). He taught humility, patience, love, meekness and other virtues - and was pleased to show this himself by deeds, when for our sake he humbled himself even to the point of washing the disciples’ feet (John 13:5); endured and was “obedient even to death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8); loved his enemies and prayed for them: “Father! Forgive them” (Luke 23:34); and so he showed us a perfect and living image of a life pleasing to God, in which there is true wisdom. We must learn this wisdom from our Teacher Christ, if we want to be His disciples, that is, Christians. For a Christian is nothing other than a disciple of Christ. Therefore, at the beginning of Christianity, Christians were called “disciples,” as we read in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 6:1–2, 9:1, 11:26, 29, etc.). If we are called disciples of Christ, then we must certainly learn from Him - what then? What He teaches in word and deed: otherwise it is in vain that we are called disciples if we do not learn. For a student learns from his teacher what he teaches. Look, Christian, are you learning from Christ Christian wisdom, without which all wisdom is madness? You learn to speak correctly and beautifully: but do you learn from Christ to live correctly and beautifully? You learn to know the nature of things, to measure the earth, to count the stars: but do you learn to recognize your weakness and the poverty of your nature, to measure the shortness of your days and to cleanse your heart corrupted by sin? You learn to speak French, German, Italian: but do you learn to live like a Christian? If this is not the case, then know that all your efforts are vain and your wisdom is madness, and will not bring you any benefit, and will not make you blessed, although you are consoled by it. But perhaps you oppose Christ or His holy teaching, although you are called His disciple? What is the use of a name without the thing itself? None at all. What is a Christian name without Christian training? For an image without the thing itself is nothing other than charm and deception. Christ humbled himself for your sake - see if you are proud? Christ became poor for your sake - look, don’t you insatiably seek the riches of this world, don’t you want to be glorified on earth? Christ did not spare Himself for your sake - look, don’t you regret giving a piece of bread or clothing to your neighbor? Christ prayed for His enemies - look, are you not angry with those who insulted you and do you love those who have not offended you in any way? Christ was bitten to death and spat upon for your sake - look, are you not taking revenge on someone for a nasty and reproachful word? Christ had sorrow and illness - look, are you not living in voluptuousness? Christ wore a crown of thorns - look, don’t you want to be crowned with the glory of this world? Christ cried for our sins - look, are you crying for yours? Oh, how far you are from Christian society and Christ Himself, if you not only do not learn from Christ, what He teaches by His word and example, but you also resist Him! Not only does he oppose Christ who teaches contrary to His holy word, but also he who lives contrary to His teaching and lives His life. If you do not teach contrary to His word, it is good; but look, are you not acting against Christ in your life? For He not only teaches us heavenly dogmas, but also heavenly and holy life and gives us an image of Himself in this. So, although we do not teach contrary to Him, we do not want to act according to His rules and the image of His holy life—we resist Him. Look around, beloved Christian, before time runs out, and sigh to Him, so that He Himself will correct your heart and guide you on His path. Do not look at what the present light is doing, but look at what Christ teaches in word and deed, if you do not want to be lost forever and perish. Believe that day by day the sons of the kingdom of God are diminished and the sons of hostility are multiplied; sin is increasing from hour to hour, and temptation is multiplying more and more. Remember that Christ in the Gospel says to everyone: “I am the Light of the world; Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). From here, without a doubt, we conclude that those who do not follow in the footsteps of Christ, that is, do not imitate His humility, love, patience and meekness, certainly walk in darkness, even if they seem wise. For the word of Christ is not false, but true and, as it is said, so it is, because He Himself “is... the truth” (John 14:6). CXI. You see that someone who has fallen into error before the monarch and is subject to mortal condemnation according to the laws, having no hope, resorts to the monarch’s dear friend, entrusting himself to whose intercession, he hopes to receive mercy from the monarch; and as he hopes, he receives mercy from him through his intercessor. From here, in the one who receives mercy, it follows: 1) consolation and joy in the heart; thanksgiving and love for one’s benefactor; 2) hope in a benefactor so strong and merciful; 3) fear of offending and angering him, and thus losing his mercy. Note, beloved Christian, what the sons of this age do when they want to get rid of temporary misfortune and receive temporary mercy from people like themselves. From this incident we, Christians, learn that there is an evangelical holy faith that true Christians have in our Lord Jesus Christ. We all, that is, the entire human race, have sinned before our King God, according to Scripture: “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” and so “every mouth is stopped, and the whole world becomes guilty before God” (Rom. 3:23, 19). Thus, according to the law of God’s unchangeable truth, everyone was subject to eternal condemnation and eternal execution for their guilt. But the goodness of God, which wisely arranges everything, has miraculously invented a way of salvation for us. The Son of God, by the good pleasure of His Heavenly Father, became man for the sake of people, and by death satisfied the righteousness of God in our place, and so between the righteous God and us who have sinned, He became the Intercessor. If someone entrusts himself to this omnipotent and merciful Intercessor, gives his heart to Him and has his name written in heaven (Luke 10:20), he receives mercy from God, is freed from sins and the execution that follows sins, is designated righteous as if he had not committed any sin: for by the justification of Christ, which He deserved for those who believe in His name by His innocent death and suffering, as a royal scarlet, dresses, and so becomes pure, righteous and holy before the purest eyes of God, as the wise Paul says about this in the person of all the faithful: “Who (Christ) became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). A Christian receives this great and incomprehensible mercy from God as a gift, by faith alone, without any merit of his own, but for the sake of Christ’s merits alone. For what can one who has sinned and been righteously condemned deserve except wrath and curse? From here, in one who so heartily believes in Christ and feels such the mercy of God in his heart, the following will certainly follow: 1) Consolation and joy, for faith does not exist without it. For how can one who was subject to the eternal wrath of God and condemnation, but received such mercy as a gift from Him, not be comforted and rejoice? 2) Gratitude and heartfelt love. For how can one not thank such a Benefactor and not love Him for such great goodness? 3) Humility. Since one is awarded such mercy from God not according to one’s own dignity, but according to His goodness alone and the merits of the merciful Intercessor. 4) Fear of God, so as not to anger God again and thus lose His mercy. 5) Prayer that God in His grace would support him and with His grace would preserve him from sin, the devil and other things. 6) High respect for Christ’s saving vision, incarnation, suffering and death: for by this alone he was delivered from a great disaster and was rewarded with the great mercy of God. 7) The undoubted hope of eternal life: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not with Him also freely give us all things” (Rom. 8:32)? This is how a faithful soul reasons with the apostle and concludes: what if I sin, having received such mercy from God and having been justified without any merit, I again lose that justification? The Apostle Saint John answers this: “And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the Righteous; He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). That is: the one who has sinned should not despair, but immediately turn and resort to the merciful Intercessor Jesus Christ, admit his sin with humility and ask Him for forgiveness and mercy, so that he will again accept His faithful into the community. For His compassions are not exhausted, and the doors of His mercy are opened to those who repent and knock. However, we must be extremely careful from sin: although God’s mercy is incomprehensibly great for sinners, we will not sin against God’s mercy, so that, instead of mercy, we do not recognize His justice on ourselves. Without a doubt, God is merciful, but also righteous: and whoever, trusting in the mercy of God, does not cease to sin, must be afraid, lest he experience His righteous judgment. For “God is not mocked” (Gal.6:7). From here we conclude that in whom there are no fruits of faith, that is, good deeds, especially in whom there are evil deeds, a life that is fearless and contrary to the law of God, there is no true heartfelt faith, but only an oral, false and deceptive one, even if he preaches and teaches faith. With such faith, especially in the present century, the lips of many Christians are filled, who confess and preach God with their lips, but have godlessness in their hearts and “deny” Him by their works (Titus 1:16). SHP. You see the image of Christ crucified on the tree of the cross. How much edification is here for you, Christian, how much teaching in the matter of Christian piety. For this reason, the Holy Church presents us with this terrible and saving spectacle, so that, looking at it, we look with faith at Christ, for us crucified, and remember what we were and what we became through the power of the crucified Christ. It presents to us: 1) God's unchanging truth. We see here that the truth of God cannot be violated, but it certainly requires that the eternal and holy law of God be preserved intact and not be violated, or that the lawbreaker be adequately punished. 2) The severity of sin and the wrath of God for our sins. A person can easily sin, but through all eternity he will cleanse his sin in the fire of Gehenna if he is not cleansed of it here through repentance and faith in Christ. Sin is grave, for no one could take it away from us except the innocent Christ, the Son of God. The wrath of God for sins is inexorable, for to appease Him it was necessary for Christ the Son of God to die for us, and so for us to pacify the truth of God, which we had irritated with our sins - which no one but Him could do. Hence, Christian, learn to recognize the wrath of God for sins and thus avoid sin, for you see in the image of the crucifixion of Christ and His other saving passions and hear from the history of the Gospel how Christ, the innocent Son of God, was terribly tormented for our sins. If you are in any sin, try to get away from it, so as not to fall into the eternal judgment and wrath of God and not suffer for all your sins in the fire of Gehenna without any relief. From the terrible suffering of Christ, know how great the wrath of God will kindle against unrepentant sinners who despised such God’s grace and did not want to repent, stop sinning and turn to God - and especially against those who confess God, hear His law and know His will, but deny Him by their deeds. Not only can the word depict, but even the mind cannot understand this calamity, beloved Christian! The ineffable and incomprehensible mercy of God appeared to us in that He did not spare His Only Begotten Son for the sake of our salvation. But this mercy will turn into terrible anger for those who did not want to accept that mercy and use it for salvation: “God cannot be mocked,” teaches the apostle. Christ the Son of God and God in His flesh was so mocked, ridiculed, dishonored, wounded and tormented for our sins that it is terrible to even think about it. How can those who despise this great work of His observation, for their sins, with which they have irritated the truth of God, will be tormented in the fire of Gehenna! God is merciful, and everywhere in Holy Scripture His mercy is preached, but for those who repent and turn from sins to Him. And those who do not repent will certainly experience His truth and His righteous wrath. And the more someone sins, the more he recognizes the wrath of God on himself, according to the true teaching of the apostle: “Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:5-6). 3) This spectacle presents to us the immeasurable goodness of God and His unparalleled mercy towards us: for for the sake of saving our Son He did not spare His Only Begotten, but gave Him up to death. Since we ourselves, having sinned, could not be saved, we could not reward the truth of God, irritated by our sins, with any sacrifice, to cleanse our sins and justify ourselves, therefore, to accomplish this great work, He sent His Son into the world, so that by His grace we would be cleansed from our sins, believing in Him, and so would receive the salvation that we lost in Adam. “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Looking at the image of the crucifixion of Christ, Christian, think about the incomprehensible goodness and love of mankind of the Heavenly Father and from the bottom of your heart thank Him for this great look of His towards us. Look with faith at the crucified Christ, risen and sitting at the right hand of the Father, and ask Him for healing of sinful ulcers, just as the Israelites once looked at the ascended snake in the desert and were healed from snake bites. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14, 15). From here draw consolation for your sad heart, which is crushed by conscience and fear due to many sins. If God did not spare His Son for the sake of our salvation, will He not spare and have mercy on us, who have sinned and repent and ask for forgiveness? By this affirm your faith and, without a doubt, trust in the mercy of God, if truly, having turned from your sins, you repent. 4) In the crucified Christ, Christians, we see the immeasurable wisdom of God: for there she invented the way to our salvation, where, it seemed, there was no salvation. For a person who sinned against the eternal God certainly should have been executed forever, according to the power of God’s righteousness. But God’s wisdom invented a means by which God’s truth satisfied its demand, and His mercy over sinned man was fulfilled. Christ, the sinless Son of God and God in the flesh, suffered and died for sinners, and thus rewarded the irritated truth of God for them, and so the door to God’s mercy was opened for sinners. The truth of God was satisfied with this most holy sacrifice, and His mercy took its place for the salvation of man. From now on, a person who has sinned is saved by the grace of God and His mercy; and the truth of God remains unchanged. Thus, through the wisdom of God, both the truth of God and His mercy were fulfilled in the suffering and crucifixion of Christ. By the tree of the forbidden the oath took root in us (Gen. 3), and by the tree of the Cross we were redeemed from the oath and received a blessing (Gal. 3:13–14): “by the stripes of Christ we were all healed” (1 Peter 2:24) and by His death we were made alive; by His sorrow we were comforted and by His dishonor we received glory; by His suffering our suffering was taken away, and by His death our death was put to death; By His blood our debts were atoned, and by His perfect truth we were justified. Thus all things are possible to our Almighty, wise and good God, in all ages, glory to Thee! 5) In this saving image we see, beloved Christian, the free obedience of the Son of God, the deepest humility, the greatest patience and meekness for our sake. until death,... death on the cross" (Phil. 2:8); By will, for our sake, the Lord of glory humbled himself so much that there could be no greater humility; willingly for our sake he endured such dishonor and suffering, which cannot be greater; and not only endured, but also prayed for his enemies: “Father! Forgive them” (Luke 23:34). Yet He did this out of love for His Heavenly Father and for us, His vile servants, so that He, irritated and saddened by our sins, with His free suffering would appease us, who had irritated and upset us, into His mercy, to satisfy His truth for us and to earn us mercy, to remove the curse from us and to give us a blessing. Thus He became the Intercessor between God who was angry and us who were angry. From His obedience, humility, patience and meekness, we must also learn diligent obedience, humility, patience and meekness, if we do not want to bear the Christian name in vain and be Christ’s (Gal. 5:22-26). SHS. You see that a person, having lost gold, silver, a precious stone or honor - his treasure, with which he was consoled, searches for it with all diligence and desire in order to find what was lost again. Note what the sons of this age do when they want to find their treasures, which they search for with great difficulty, keep with great care, but do not maintain for long and soon leave with indescribable sadness, leaving this light. Notice, I say, beloved Christian, how people seek the temporary, perishable and, to tell the truth, deceptive treasure in which their heart abides. From this incident and the example of the sons of this age, we Christians must learn to seek the Christian treasure, which is God with all His blessings. Where should we look for Him? In the city, or in the field, or in the desert? No! God is not contained in any place, and is not separated from any place, but is everywhere. Where can we look for Him? Christ says: “Behold, the kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). And where the kingdom of God is, there God is with His blessings. How to look for this unappreciated treasure? Many are inventing many means to achieve this. Let us heed the following: 1) Renounce self-love, since it removes everyone from God. Through self-love, our ancestors fell away from God when they disobeyed God’s commandments, followed their own will, and wanted the honor that was due to God alone, and so they lost that honor with which they were highly exalted from God. 2) We must submit our will to the will of God and surrender ourselves to His holy and wise Providence, so that He may do with us as He pleases, and whichever way He wants, leads us - smooth or uneven, cheerful or sad - as a skilled healer does with the weak, who surrenders to his will and is thus healed. 3) If we want to seek God, then we should not seek honor, wealth and glory in this world. Because it is impossible to seek God and honor, or glory, or worldly wealth together. For the human heart cannot be divided, but only cleaves either to the creature or to the Creator; and when it cleaves to a creature, it falls away from the Creator; and when he pesters the Creator, he is excommunicated from the creation. Just as, although we have two eyes, we cannot look together at heaven and earth, and back and forth, much less, having one heart, we cannot cleave to God and to creation. One must certainly either leave God and seek creation, or leave creation and seek God; either to look to God at heaven or to look at creation on earth; either to have God before you and look at Him with faith, or to turn away from Him and look to creation - one of the two must be chosen and sought. The word of Christ is true and true: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Whoever considers the honor of this world, or fame, or wealth, or anything else from this world to be his treasure, puts his heart into it, plans it, cares about it, tries, thinks, desires and seeks diligently. He who has God as his only treasure, leaves behind everything that exists besides God, and strives towards Him alone with his heart, thought, diligence, care and desire, and although there are many obstacles to him from the world, the flesh and the devil, however, like fire, he always strives upward and towards his desired treasure with all his might he forces himself to ascend and ascends. For no one and nothing can hold back, stop and turn away the Spirit. 4) There is no more convenient way to seek and find the great and highest God than true and heartfelt humility. God, being good and merciful, does not bow down to anything so much and nothing is more merciful than a humble and contrite heart. “A sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: a contrite and humble heart God will not despise” (Ps. 50:19). This is evidenced in many places in Holy Scripture that God attracts a humble heart to Himself with His grace. Inseparable from humility of heart is spiritual poverty, that is, the knowledge and recognition of one’s unworthiness, insignificance, meanness and wretchedness in all things, physical and spiritual: for the poor in spirit recognizes himself as completely unworthy for his insignificance. True patience and meekness are also inseparable: for he recognizes himself as worthy of any misfortune and does not take revenge on those who do evil, considering himself worthy of it. God comes to such a humble heart and fills it with His grace. 5) This means includes fervent prayer, which does not consist of words alone and the reading of prayers, but consists of “spirit and truth” (John 4:23). Let us search, dear Christian, for this eternal and priceless treasure with all our diligence and diligence, so that having found it here in this century, we may have it endlessly in the future. If people are so diligently looking for a temporary, perishable, deceptive and soulless treasure; how much more should we diligently seek God, Who is eternal life, joy and everlasting gladness? If we seek Him, we will find Him; if we leave Him, then He will leave us forever, as King David says to Solomon, his son: “If you seek Him, you will find Him, and if you leave Him, He will leave you forever” (1 Chronicles 28:9). Only here is He sought and found by those who seek Him, and after death there is no longer any way to do this. Whoever does not find it here will forever remain without God, without Whom, as Life and the Source of life, there will be nothing less than eternal destruction and death. CXIV. You see that whoever is worthy to enter into friendship with the king of the earth has everything except his crown, scepter and purple; for he receives from him whatever he asks for according to his will. No one, as a friend of the Tsar, can offend, embitter or dishonor him, but, moreover, everyone honors him and seeks mercy from him and through him from the Tsar, as we see many such examples in history. Understand that this, or even incomparably more blessed, is a person who by faith finds the King of Heaven and is worthy to enter into His most holy fellowship. To such a one God will be his God, his strength, his strength, his refuge, his deliverer, his helper, his protector and his intercessor. And with God everything will be his. Leaves honor, glory, wealth, the consolation of this world; but in God he finds incomparably better honor, glory, wealth and consolation through faith. Runs away from honor, glory, wealth and luxury; but everything follows him in an excellent manner, just as a shadow follows one walking towards the sun. The reason for all this is that God is the beginning and source, from Whom all goods, visible and invisible, flow, and whatever good is contained in creatures came from God and exists in God in an excellent way. For no one can give what he himself does not have, as philosophers truly teach. God gives everyone existence, beauty, meaning, reason and other blessings - He Himself has them in an excellent way. God gives light to the sun, moon, stars and fire - and He Himself is the most excellent Light. He gives life to all animals - and He Himself is the most excellent Life. He plants love in the hearts of men - and He Himself, by His superiority, has love in Himself. So in God everything is hidden that is scattered in the smallest part in creatures; and what is hidden in Him is excellent and incomparably better and more. Thus, since the air is illuminated by the sun, there is greater and more excellent light in the sun itself. Since fire gives us heat, it has much more heat in itself. Think about other natural things in the same way. So in God there are all the good things that are in creatures. And so, whoever finds God, finds all good things with God and in God in the most excellent way. Blessed and loving is the heart in which the Treasure of all blessings resides! The whole world with all its treasure, amusement, joy, joy, glory and honor is nothing to him: he is content with only what he has inside. What in wealth, honor, glory, worldly joy to him who has the Source of all good things within himself! Why should he seek consolation outside when he has the Source of all comfort within himself? This is just like someone who, having drunk from the source of living water, leaves streams flowing from it. Those who have sanctification from the sun do not require light from a candle. Anyone who has enough and plenty of all sorts of things has no need to beg for alms. Who, dressing in royal purple, does not require other simple attire. Who, having royal glory, does not seek the lower rank of glory. Who, being healthy, does not require help from medicine. So, whoever has God, all the blessings of the Source, what need does he have for the other blessings of this world? And since he has God, in whose hand is all the light, then to him who has God all things are subject. Such a one truly “has nothing, but possesses everything” (2 Cor. 6:10). Has no wealth; but the whole world serves him, as we read in sacred and church history about those who were the house and dwelling of God. And although “many are the sorrows of the righteous” (Ps. 33:20), but “all things... work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28), for their sorrows increase their bliss and do not take away from them. They are deprived of external property; but no one can deprive them of their inner treasure. They darken their glory; but she, like a light in a dark place, shines even more. They insult the body, but they rejoice in soul; they beat their body, but they ignite with a great fire of love and zeal for God, in the likeness of flint, which, the more it is cut, the greater the sparks it emits. Oh, the blissful state of such a heart! It still feels a particle of heavenly joy on earth. It is appropriate for us Christians to seek this wealth and consolation, something that not even death itself can take away from us, and not to seek this world’s treasure, which, as soon as it comes, will soon leave us. CXV. You see that when the fire touches incense or some other fragrant powder, smoke immediately appears and a pleasant aroma rises. This is exactly what happens when the grace of the Holy Spirit touches the human heart: then sighing and true prayer awakens in such a heart, like a fragrance excited by fire, and ascends to the heights of the Heavenly Father, and finds grace and mercy from Him. This incident teaches us to ask God for the Holy Spirit, so that He will stir up true prayer in our hearts - “the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry: “Abba, Father!” (Rom.8:15). CXVI. You see that every created thing is good and bestows its goodness on those who wish to use it. The sun, moon, stars, fire have light and communicate their light to us; water is cooling and quenches our thirst; the earth is fertile and gives us bread and satisfies our flesh; animals, livestock, birds and fish bring us various benefits. And there is no such thing in all of nature that does not have kindness in itself and does not provide benefit. From here we conclude, Christian, that if creatures are good and “very good,” according to the testimony of Holy Scripture (Gen. 1:31), how much more so is the Creator Himself. For all creatures are only traces of the goodness of God, which appears in them; and witnesses of that goodness that they silently testify and preach to us, let us taste and see “how good the Lord is” (Ps. 33:9), Who created these blessings. For “the heavens proclaim the glory of God” (Ps. 19:2), not by voice, but by representation and testimony of their glorious Creator, who created such wondrous and glorious deeds out of nothing. Thus, all creation preaches and proves the goodness of God, its good Creator, Who created such good things. If the deed is good, how much greater is He who does it. If the air becomes bright from the sun, how much more bright is the sun itself; If honey makes things sweet, how much more is the honey itself sweet for those who taste it. This truth is indisputable for a common mind. If created things are good, and “very good,” how much greater is their Creator Himself. From here it follows, dear Christian: 1) Creatures point to the Creator like a finger to us, rational creatures, and, as if taking us by the hand, lead us to the knowledge of the goodness of God, just like streams to the very source of living water; and they give us the opportunity to taste and see “how good the Lord is.” It’s as if they are telling us: look at us, we are all created good by the Creator, we all bring and serve you with benefits - “taste and see, since the Lord Himself is good”, who created us! 2) Thus, they teach us to love Him, the Source of good, and to seek Him alone as the essential and eternal Good, from Whom all good things come. 3) By the fact that they preach the goodness of God, they take us away from ourselves, that is, from our love, and lead us to the love of God; They turn our hearts away from ourselves and attract us to the love of the highest Good, from Which we ourselves received our beginning and existence. Just as flowing streams point to the source of water itself, so that they drink water from it itself, and not from streams. 4) They teach us to thank God for the fact that we use the blessings He has created, are content with them, and save our lives with them: for without what has been created we cannot live even for a single minute. 5) from here we understand that we ourselves are meager, poor, poor and wretched: for everything that we have is God’s good, and not ours, just as we ourselves are not our own, but God’s. 6) From here we learn to recognize our insignificance, poverty and wretchedness, and thus humble ourselves. 7) When we have all someone else’s goods, that is, God’s, and not ours, then we must touch and use everything with God’s blessing and prayer, so as not to sin against the Creator by using His creation without His blessing. 8) Consume not for carnal pleasure and luxury, but out of necessity: food to strengthen weak flesh, drink to quench thirst, clothing to keep warm and cover nakedness, and so on. 9) Since we do not have our own goods, but God’s, whatever we have, according to His will and command, must be given to our demanding brethren for His glory - may there be glory to Him alone, from Whom all good comes. 10) Since we ourselves are not our own, but God’s, therefore we must not live as we want, but as God commands, and with other creatures, to serve Him, as His servants, unremittingly: for all His creatures serve Him relentlessly, as He commanded and established. 11) From here it follows that those who do not fulfill these duties are irresponsible: their very conscience and the natural law will condemn them for this. CXVII. You see that in the spring the water flows with great aspiration and noise, but soon subsides; or smoke and fire rise high, but immediately disappear. This is exactly the state of proud and wicked people: they become fierce and noisy in their pride, but are destroyed like flowing water; they rise high like flame and smoke, but disappear just like flame and smoke, so that not a trace of them is visible. The prophet of God, an obvious and faithful witness of the truth, testifies to this: “I saw the wicked, exalted and high as the cedars of Lebanon, and I passed by, and behold he was not: and I sought him, and his place was not found” (Ps. 37:35-36). On the contrary, it is said about the one who fears God: “A good man will never be shaken. The righteous will be a righteous man for eternal memory: he will not be afraid of evil rumors. His heart is ready to trust in the Lord; his heart is unshakable, he will not fear, looking at his enemies” (Ps. 112:5-8), which is also evidenced in Psalm 36. This incident and reasoning teaches you, Christian, not to follow the example of those who are fearless and proud of the wealth, glory and honor of this world - lest you perish with them; but “humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and fear His name - so that he may exalt you with the humble and those who fear God (1 Peter 5:6), “for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted,” according to the teaching of the eternal Truth - Christ (Luke 18:14). CXVIII. You see traces, either human or animal, and from them you recognize their movements and the people whose traces you see; for example, from the trace of a human you will know human walking. In this case, remember that the prophet of God sings: “Your procession, O God, was seen, the procession of my God the King” (Ps. 67:25). The works of our God are like His traces, from which we recognize His divine procession and God Himself. When we look at the sky and its beauty, at the sun, moon, stars and their light, at the earth and its fulfillment, we recognize in them the procession of our God and we recognize God Himself, who showed the procession in them. And so we are convinced to glorify His almighty power: for He created all this out of nothing with one word; His wisdom: for He has so wondrously arranged and decreed everything in His order; His goodness: for He created all this for our sake. For He Himself does not require anything of this for His own sake: but as before the ages, so now He is content and blessed in Himself. Creatures are like traces of our God, from which we are convinced to know God Himself, for they, being wondrous, show the glory of God: “the heavens proclaim the glory of God” (Ps. 18:2). It is impossible not to be amazed at the omnipotence, wisdom and goodness of God, if you consider it carefully. Just as the sun, for the benefit of the heavens, rises and sets, and rises again and flows around the entire immeasurable expanse of heaven in twenty-four hours. And when it approaches us, it brings spring and summer, and when it moves away from us, it leaves us autumn and winter. As in the air - the subtlest element - clouds, like bellows filled with water, hold on and do not fall, move from place to place, carry water and lower it to the ground. Like the earth, the great and heaviest element, in the midst of the air, it is established and does not retreat from its place. How he produces various and countless fruits from the depths, like his treasures. How the same fire softens some things, but hardens others and seems to consume everything. Like a fish, it lives in water, but does not suffocate or die, which is something other animals cannot endure. As in the human composition there is one soul, but it shows various actions - it understands, desires, remembers, is surprised, horrified, and so on; sees, hears, smells, etc. As senses are inherent in a single body, but one does what the other cannot do. For example, the eye sees, but the ear does not see, but only hears. How can such a great and abundant fruit be hidden in a small seed, and so on. And truly this is nothing more than traces of God’s omnipotent wisdom, which invents, accomplishes and arranges everything in its order. Psalm 103 tells us wonderfully about these wise and wondrous deeds of God, in which the prophet of God marvels at the power and wisdom of God, worships, sings and glorifies the Creator in admiration of the spirit, repeating: “Bless the Lord, my soul!” But when we look at the sacred history of Scripture, we will see the glorious procession and footprints of our God. His miraculous deeds written there are for us as traces and witnesses of Him, for we see that the same God who miraculously created the world out of nothing also creates in the created world deeds that are characteristic of Him alone. The terrible executions revealed to the wicked are traces and witnesses of His righteousness, which manifests its effect on the lawless and His enemies. His poured-out mercies and blessings are traces and witnesses of His goodness, which presents itself for the consumption of His worthy servants who seek it. During the global flood, the truth of God appeared to us, for we see how the wicked perished in the waters; But righteous Noah was preserved with his house in the midst of such terrible waters, and in this the goodness of God appeared to us (see Gen. 7). Sodom and Gomorrah, burned with the surrounding cities, what, if not the truth of God, testify? But Lot the righteous, preserved from this, preaches His goodness and mercy to us (see Gen. 19). In the exodus of Israel from Egypt we also see traces of the truth, wisdom and mercy of God. The proud and embittered Pharaoh with his army learned the work of God's truth firsthand, for he did not want to understand His mercy, which had been revealed so many times (see Exodus 14). God's faithful Israel, having freed itself from slavery to Pharaoh, sings and preaches the mercy of God to us: God's almighty wisdom there invented a way for him to salvation, where there seemed to be no way; and where a man despaired of being saved, there she showed him the way of salvation, so that Israel, who, in the opinion of man, should have perished, was miraculously saved, and he saw the one from whom he expected his destruction to perish in the sea. We see the same “procession” of God and His traces in the following times and places. We see in the desert how the Psalmist sings: “O God, when You went out before Your people, when You passed through the desert, the earth shook” (Ps. 67:8). And again: “The earth moved from the presence of the Lord, from the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned a stone into a lake of water and an unmovable stone into springs of water” (Ps. 114:7-8). We see terrible traces of His righteous anger, when “the earth opened up and swallowed up Dathan and covered the crowd of Abiron; and a fire kindled in their congregation, the flame consumed the sinners” (Ps. 105:17-18). We see traces of His merciful Providence on people, when people, bitten by snakes in the desert, looked at the snake, ascended at His command, and thereby were healed: it was not the snake that healed them, but His divine providential power. We see His people entering the promised land, when they crossed the Jordan River like dry land; when the way was opened for them, where there was no way; when the walls of Jericho fell before them from the sound of a trumpet, and so on. In the New Testament, when God appeared in the flesh, we see the same, even more miraculous procession of God. The entire Church, scattered throughout the universe, but united by one Spirit and faith, knows and recognizes Christ, dishonored, ridiculed, wounded, tortured, crucified and died among the villains. But she joyfully confesses Him, her risen and glorified King, dares about Him, boasts about Him, and takes credit for believing in Him. He places hope, consolation, joy, gladness and eternal life in Him. Finally, He confesses Him as His God, honors, glorifies and worships Him. What is this if not a trace of God's almighty power? What if not the Divine power on the cross of the crucified Christ? “The power of God brings salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16). Who can expect salvation and deliverance from someone who was martyred and hanged on a cross? But the power of God, which is for the salvation of everyone who believes, makes it possible that in Christ crucified we, who believe in His name, lay down our salvation and eternal life, and we know and do not recognize any other Deliverer and Savior except Him alone, and although we die, and are laid in graves, and are corrupted, and like the dust of the earth we return and are converted to the earth, yet we firmly and without any doubt hope with power Him, who died and rose again, will rise, come to life, receive a new, better and eternal life. And, what multiplies the miracle, not through the wise men and teachers of eloquence, not through the glorious and noble ones of this age, the universe submitted in heart to the Crucified One, but through the simple, the unlearned, the artistic, the artisans, the fishermen, and the tax collectors. How many of them were there who accomplished such a great, unheard-of and incomprehensible deed? Twelve. Such a small number had to go through the whole of heaven, according to what was said: “Go, teach all nations” (Matthew 28:19); and again: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). These few, ignorant according to human understanding, had to stand against the many wise men of this age and stop their mouths; these few simple, noble and unarmed should have armed themselves against countless glorious, noble nobles, princes and kings of the whole earth and defeated them. And they did this: “they went and preached everywhere” (Mark 16:20); “Their broadcast went out into all the land” (Ps. 18:5); the unlearned stood against the wise scribes and questioners of this age, and the armed without weapons prevailed. It was necessary for them to pluck out the world, immersed and ossified in idolatry, from the depths of destruction and implant true worship of God; the charm of the devil to expose and teach the truth; through malice, renew the dilapidated people and lead to true repentance; to refute old statutes, laws, and customs and to establish and approve new ones; unbelief from human hearts, deeply rooted, can be taken away and faith implanted; the deception of polytheism to destroy and the one God, but in three Persons of the Worshiped One, to bring into knowledge. All this is human intelligence and strength. They brought it to life and perfection. They had to preach Jesus Christ crucified, and prove and assure unfaithful hearts that Jesus, Whom they preach, is the same Christ, the Messiah, Who was preached by the prophets and promised by God that He is the Redeemer, Deliverer and Savior of the world; to assure that the crucified Jesus was crucified not for His sins, but for ours, suffered and died, according to His will and according to the good pleasure of God; to assure that in the crucified Christ our life and blessedness and eternal glory are hidden; that just as He suffered, was crucified and died by His will, so He rose from the dead by His power; that He is the Only Begotten Son of God and is the true God, born in the flesh of a Virgin unmade, and without Him and besides Him there is no means to obtain eternal life and bliss; to assure that the bodies of the dead, rotten and turned to the ground, will rise, uniting with their souls, and those who have died in the Lord will be clothed with incorruptibility, immortality and the beautiful appearance of eternal glory. Just as the human mind cannot accommodate all this, it is beyond human strength to do. But the twelve unlearned and simple ones did this and proved that “there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved, except Jesus Christ of Nazareth” (Acts 4:10–12). It was necessary for them, finally, to turn the hearts of people away from this world, to which they had clung and become addicted, and to turn them to Christ, who was belittled, dishonored, wounded, nailed to the cross, hanged among evildoers, and died a dishonorable death, so that they would not be ashamed that they believed in the crucified One, revered Him, confessed Him as King and their God, but even in this they boasted, rejoiced, and before the enemies of the truth confessed and testified fearlessly. It was necessary for them to admonish everyone so that for His sake they would not be afraid not only of poverty, dishonor, reproach, exile, wounds, bonds, prisons, but also of death itself; turn away from love the temporary and earthly blessings that they see and feel, and turn to the desire and search for eternal ones, which “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and has not entered the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9); to prove and assure that there is no other way to this, but only the path of the cross, regrettable and narrow, and to instruct them on that path, confirm them and encourage them to go downstream. All this was beyond human possibility and strength. But the twelve apostles of Christ did what human power could not and cannot do. What did the Jews, the enemies of Christ, do? What efforts were not made from the beginning to darken the glory of the crucified and risen Christ? The hands of the guarding soldiers were filled with bribes, so that His resurrection would be covered with lies. What prohibitions, threats, and anger were not given to the apostles, so that they would not teach in the name of the crucified Christ, as we read in the Acts? But they achieved nothing. The name of Jesus flashed to all the ends of the earth, and like the light of the rising sun, the glory of the risen Christ filled all the heavens. Scattered throughout the universe, these unlearned and simple ones, no matter how much the scribes, questioners and sages of this age resisted, no matter what controversies they invented against them; but finally they recognized their word as truth and, what they considered madness, they accepted as true wisdom: they rejected their imaginary and intricately woven wisdom and stuck to the simplest, not in words, but in the power of the wisdom of the simple and unlearned; and they wanted to learn true wisdom from those whom they laughed at as ignoramuses. How the nobles and princes and their people were embarrassed and noisy! What did you do? What weapons have they invented against these unarmed people? They expelled them, embittered them, beat them, wounded them, tortured them, imprisoned them in prisons and chains, and invented every kind of torment for them; but achieved nothing. The strong were defeated by the powerless, the armed by the unarmed, the glorious by the inglorious, the noble by the simple, defeated by those whom they themselves held in prison, embittered, beat, wounded and tormented, but soon they were surprised by them, and submitted with all their people, gave themselves and their hearts to them, or rather, through them - to Christ crucified. What human power could do this? Truly “this is the change of the right hand of the Most High” (Ps. 76:11). What a fire of love kindled for the Crucified One in the hearts of every sex and rank, husbands and wives, old and young, youths and virgins, masters and slaves - in hearts, I say, frozen by the cold of idolatry and unbelief, so that “nothing could turn them away from the love of God in Christ Jesus” ( Rom.8:38–39) What weapons did not the embittered princes and kings of this world, and other servants of the devil, invent in order to quench this divine fire and turn away from the confession and love of the crucified Jesus! They wounded and killed with swords, they imprisoned them in dungeons and shackles, they burned and burned them with fire, they threw them into heated copper cauldrons, they baked them in hot iron pans and grates, like meat into food; they were tied to wheels and turned, their flesh was torn with tridents and other instruments, their skin was torn off, they were stripped to the bones, they were put in boots filled with nails, they were shod and driven like cattle; they were thrown to fierce beasts, drowned in water, nailed to crosses, and other terrible torments they imagined, but they could not do anything. They could not overcome faith, which “is the victory that has overcome the world” (1 John 5:4); “Many waters” could not extinguish the flame of love (Ps. 31:6). What could human malice do where the power of God was at work? And, what is more surprising, the most tender age, boys and girls, leaving idols, also left their parents, idolaters, and preferred to endure everything and leave life rather than renounce Christ. How wisely and boldly they all fought against princes and kings, whose mere appearance could frighten them, one cannot help but be amazed! If a monarch, and especially a tormentor, burns with anger and rage, who can dare anything against him, much less a simple one who has never seen him? But the holy martyrs - some unlearned, some inglorious, born and raised in villages and hamlets, others in their tender and adolescent years - so dared against the terrible tormentors, the high royal power, whose anger, rage and bestial appearance could frighten and make them voiceless; and they denounced and reproached them, whom the whole world feared. Truly God's work is here! Truly the power of God strengthened them! Truly, the Spirit of God both acted and spoke in them, according to the Scripture: “You will not speak, but the Spirit of your Father will speak in you” (Matthew 10:20). Thus, beloved Christian, the twelve simple and unlearned “by the violence of preaching” (1 Cor. 1:21) achieved that the whole world was bowed under the sweet yoke of Christ crucified, the righteous King of glory. Fishermen, publicans and artisans did what the sages of this age could not do in any way. For enterprise and work surpasses human power. From here we conclude that the almighty power of God acted in them, for it is written: “They went out and preached everywhere, with the Lord working together and confirming the word with signs following” (Mark 16:20). And so the word of Christ was fulfilled, which before His passion He said: “And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to Me” (John 12:32). Truly He drew to Himself from the east and the west, and the north and the south, His scattered sheep and brought them into the courtyard of His Church, as He said: “I have other sheep that are not of this fold, and these I must bring: and they will hear My voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). And so we see the traces of the “procession of God” and from them we recognize God Himself, who came out to save His people, as the prophet sings to Him: “You come forward for the salvation of Your people, for the salvation of Your anointed” (Hab. 3:13). And the Psalmist: “Your procession, O God, was visible, the procession of my God the King” (Ps. 67:25). How many heretics and blasphemers rose up and tried to darken the glory of the crucified and risen Christ and overcome His Church. But human strength and efforts could not destroy what God’s almighty power and wisdom had created. The Church is established and will stand on rock to the end, for “and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). The stone is Christ, the Son of the living God, laid by the Heavenly Father as the foundation of Zion, according to the Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a corner stone, chosen, precious; and he who believes in Him will not be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). And from here we see that both the creation and renewal of the world is the work of God alone; and He who created the world restored and renewed the fallen and decayed world. And just as from the visible creation we come to know God and His omnipotence, wisdom and goodness, so from the turning to Christ of the darkness of error of the darkened nations and their faith in Christ, we come to know His omnipotent power; and both in the creation and in the redemption of the world we see the traces of our God and we see God Himself. This incident and reasoning teaches you, beloved Christian: 1) Stop the mouths of godless people who either deny the ever-present existence of God, or blasphemously take away His holy and wise Providence from creatures and attribute divine providence to some blind nature; to defend your faith from wicked and blasphemous lips, which multiply the more the world approaches the end, and boldly answer them that there is a God who, just as the world was created from nothing, so the fallen one restored, corrected and renewed miraculously, renewed by the power of suffering and the Cross of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord; He attracted the fallen nations to Himself, not through the many cunning and wise men of this age, but through twelve simple and unscriptural ones, armed with His power and made wise by His Holy Spirit; for it was convenient for God to create the world, so convenient to maintain, preserve and provide for it, to enlighten those darkened by unbelief in darkness, to do good out of evil and to save the lost, but those who obey His goodness. 2) Keep and strengthen your faith, which is subject to many different temptations. 3) Be amazed at the goodness of God, which could not and cannot be defeated by any malice. Man became the enemy of God, but His goodness did not cast him away forever, but wisely invented such a miraculous method for his salvation and put it into action, which was established and determined before centuries in His divine council. 4) To be amazed at the power, omnipotence and wisdom of God, that it is very convenient for Him to do both small and great things that are incomprehensible to us. It is more convenient for him to create a world out of nothing, to contain and preserve it, than for us to make something small out of something. It is convenient for Him to show us the path and method to salvation, where salvation is not visible to us; give help there where no help was expected; there to give deliverance, where, in our opinion, there can be no deliverance, - with what we must strengthen our hope. 5) We see from here that nothing can resist the will and advice of God. No matter how much resistance the devil and his servants made to the gospel preaching and from that to human salvation, they still could not do anything; but their evil was turned for the better by God's power and wisdom, so that the more persecutions and other troubles multiplied on believers, the more believers multiplied, as we read about martyrs, whose numbers multiplied the more, the more they were killed. The word of the Psalmist is true and firm: “The Lord destroys the counsels of nations, annuls the plans of men, and rejects the counsels of princes; But the counsel of the Lord endures forever, the thoughts of His heart to generation and generation” (Ps. 32:10-11). 6) We see from here that the human business is to speak, reprove, exhort; but God’s is to act in the hearts: for the preached word of God is like an instrument through which the Holy Spirit acts in the hearts of those who hear it. 7) It follows that true conversion and repentance are the actions of God. We ourselves can fall, but we ourselves cannot rise; We can destroy ourselves, but we cannot save ourselves; We can get lost, but we cannot turn to the path of truth without God: the Shepherd must look for the lost sheep. Conversion and repentance are attributed to man because he does not resist the calling and seeking grace; and those who resist and do not listen to her, through their own fault, perish. CXIX. You see that a small child always resorts to his mother for all his needs; if he wants to eat, drink or anything else, he asks his mother; When he sees any trouble, he runs to his mother. And although he accepts some kind of punishment from his mother, he does not separate from her, but sticks with her and cleaves to her, loves her and asks her for everything. Such is the Christian faith, which recognizes and has God as the Father. She leaves everything besides God behind and resorts to Him alone in all needs, speaking to the prophet: “You are my hope, my portion in the land of the living” (Ps. 142:6); and again: “My soul clings to You, and Your right hand receives me” (Ps. 62:9). Such a faithful soul asks and expects everything from God, its Father, with humility and fear: “every good gift and every perfect gift is coming down from above, from the Father of lights” (James 1:17). Whether he receives what he asks for, he thanks, he does not receive, but does not despair, but waits patiently, crying out with the prophet: “I have lifted up my eyes to You, who dwells in heaven. Behold, like the eyes of servants on the hand of their masters, like the eyes of a slave on the hand of her mistress: so our eyes are directed “to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us” (Ps. 122:1-2). And just as a child, seeing misfortune and misfortune, runs to his mother, and seeks her help and protection, and, being in illness and weakness, sighs to his mother and stretches out his hands, and declares his weakness to his mother, so a faithful heart in every temptation and disaster runs to God and asks Him for help and protection, with the rest of the faithful crying out to Him: “Lord, You have been our refuge for generations and generations” ( Ps.89:2); and again: “You are my refuge from the sorrow that has come over me. My joy! Deliver me from those who surround me” (Ps. 32:7). And although he accepts punishment from the Heavenly Father, he does not retreat from Him; how good he accepts everything that is sent from the good God, remembering the comforting word that He says to His sons: “My son! do not neglect the Lord’s punishment, and do not lose heart when He reproaches you. For the Lord punishes whomever he loves; and he beats every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:5-6). And just as a child moves away from strangers and strangers, fearing them, although there is no danger, so a faithful soul, since it is not from this world, from it and from everything that is in it, as if it were a stranger, moves away and fears, lest through this it will move away from God and be deprived of Him. Honor, glory, wealth and the sweetness of this world are suspicious to her; guards himself from those who think in word and deed about earthly and perishable things; He is careful as strangers, does not treat them in a friendly manner, fearing that through their friendship he will not be removed from his God and through their love will not be deprived of God’s love. And like a child, although strangers beckon him and attract him to them with an apple or something else like that, he does not lag behind his mother and does not go to strangers; although it happens that he comes to them and accepts what is given from them, but with fear and immediately, having accepted, returns and runs to his mother - so the faithful soul, although this world seduces it with honor, glory, wealth, its joy, does not deign to it, does not lag behind its God; does not adhere to the world, fearing its delusion, “for everything that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from this world” (1 John 2:16). And although it happens that he accepts the honor given, he accepts it with fear, fearing that through honor, which for the most part changes good morals into bad ones, he will not fall away from God, and he considers that honor to be obedience, and not his consolation, and with fear of it he passes for the glory of his God and the benefit of his neighbor. Also, although wealth is given, the heart does not attach to it, but cleaves to God alone; food, drink, clothing, rest and cover as necessary - for it is impossible to live without it - and not for voluptuousness and luxury; He uses it with the fear of God, so as not to anger God with excess, and so not to lose His mercy, and not to fall away from Him. And just like a child, although strangers take him away from his mother and drag him away, he holds tightly to his mother, hugs her, cries and screams so as not to be separated from her, so is a faithful heart: although the devil and the evil world try to tear him away from God by causing troubles, sorrows and misfortunes, he nevertheless holds tightly to his God, earnestly prays to Him and asks Him not to leave him in adversity and to help against His enemies. In a word: just as a child places all his well-being in being with his mother, and considers being away from her to be unwell, so a faithful soul puts all its bliss and consolation in clinging to God alone, and considers it a misfortune to cling to a creature and thus fall away from the Creator. Learn from this incident, Christian, that there is a Christian and living faith, which cannot exist without the fear of God and love. Read the holy psalms, prophetic and apostolic writings and the lives of saints who pleased God by faith, and you will understand the truth, but do not be deceived by that faith that is only carried on the lips, and not in the heart, with which many are filled. CXX. You see that, according to general custom, on holidays people dress in light clothes and have fun. From this temporary and earthly celebration, raise your mind by faith to the feast of God’s chosen ones, who will forever celebrate and rejoice. The present time for Christians is a time of labor, feat, crying, lamentation, sorrow and cross-bearing. In that century, when time is fulfilled and eternity begins, a blessed holiday will be revealed to true Christians. Then they will rest from their labors and will celebrate the Sabbath continually and forever, not just one day a week, but for all eternity. Then they will put off their sackcloth and mournful garments and put on the festive and wedding robe, “when this corruptible has put on incorruptibility, and this mortal has put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:54). Then they will put on the robe of salvation and the robe of joy (Isa. 61:10); “they will be clothed in white garments” (Rev. 3:5); “They will be clothed in fine linen, clean and bright” (Rev. 19:8). In those days they will not see anything sad or sorrowful; there will be no fear from enemies, poverty, disease; there will be no cry, complaint, lamentation, hunger, thirst, cold, heat, no trouble, no disaster, but everything is quiet, peaceful, safe, cheerful, bright, joyful, favorable. In this life, almost everything is sad and deplorable: fear from death, fear from the devil and sin, fear from enemies and false brethren; Everything must be feared and looked around in the likeness of a bird from hunters and archers. Here we die every day with the hope and expectation of death; and the more we live, the more likely we are to die: for the more we live, the more our life decreases and the closer death comes. And this bitter and mortal life is filled with many troubles; and the longer it continues, the more troubles multiply. But in that century there will be nothing like that, but only life, bliss, joy, triumph, exclamation and eternal joy. Nowadays, people are accustomed to coming to each other’s houses during holidays, visiting each other, and having fun together. Then God’s chosen ones will gather in the house of the Heavenly Father, in which there are “many mansions” (John 14:2), and will have a kind friendship with the holy Angels and all the heavenly Powers, and will have fun and rejoice together in each other in the face of their Heavenly Father. Then “the redeemed of the Lord will come to Zion with shouts of joy; and everlasting joy will be upon their heads; they will find joy and gladness, and sorrow and groaning will be removed” (Is. 35:10). Nowadays it is the custom of people to eat, drink and rejoice together on holidays. Then the true servants of God “will lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11) and “will eat and drink at the table of the Lord” (Luke 22:30); “They will be satisfied from the abundance of the house of the Lord, and they will be filled with the flow of His sweetness” (Ps. 35:9), as God foretold this through His prophet to us as a consolation: “Behold, My servants will eat..., My servants will drink..., My servants will rejoice..., My servants will sing with the joy of their hearts” (Is.65:13-14). It is also the custom of people to sing joyful songs on holidays. Then God’s chosen ones will see “God face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12), “they will see Him” in His glory, “as He is” (1 John 3:2) and will unanimously praise, glorify and glorify Him without end, satiety and labor. Oh, how bright, cheerful and joyful that holiday will be, dear Christian! How longed is that day on which we will see God face to face, Whom we now see like a mirror in fortune telling! “Blessed are those who dwell in Your house: forever and ever they will praise You” (Ps. 83:4-5), my King and my God. By this incident, Christian, and others like it, we learn to raise our mind and heart to a blessed eternity and to seek this bliss with sincere faith and zeal. CXXI. You see that a gardener cleans a tree, for example, an apple tree, or some other tree - he cuts off unusable branches and shoots that render the tree powerless and prevent the germination of fruits, and can also dry it out if they are not cut off first. Every person is like a tree, from within, from the heart come, like branches and twigs, evil thoughts, unclean lust, anger, malice, love of money, theft, lies, deceit, covetousness, murmuring, blasphemy, and so on, as Christ says: “From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy” ( Matthew 15:19). Just as a gardener prunes a tree and trims off the unusable twigs and shoots coming from it, so that when they grow, they do not damage the tree itself, so it is fitting for every Christian to prune his heart and cut off evil thoughts as soon as they begin to emanate from the heart and appear, so that, as they grow, they do not damage the inner spiritual man. Just as the unprofitable twigs and shoots that grow on a tree take away the sap and so make it barren, and then dry it up, so evil thoughts, if they are not suppressed at first, but are allowed to grow, lead the inner spiritual man to exhaustion, make him barren, and make the human soul like a withered branch, and the withered branch is cast out of the grapes of Christ (Jn. 15:6). The end of such a soul is burning, according to Scripture: “Already the ax is laid at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). Evil thoughts are cut off from the heart: 1) “By the Word of God, which, according to the teaching of the wise Paul, is the sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17). As soon as the thought of unclean lust arises, or the thought of theft, embezzlement, extortion and all untruth, or the thought of hatred, envy, anger, malice, vengeance, or the thought of pride, arrogance, contempt, doubt, contempt, humiliation of your neighbor, condemnation and slander, or the thought of grumbling and blasphemy, or other evil comes from your heart, Christian, - immediately, taking the spiritual sword of the word of God, with which thoughts are cast down and “every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” (2 Cor. 10:5), cut off so that, as it grows, it does not damage or destroy your soul. 2) Prayer, which asks for God’s help for this difficult matter. For, having learned from God’s word that a rebellious thought is the fruit of an evil spirit, immediately turn your heart to your helper God and ask Him for help in battle - may He Himself defeat the enemy through you, the weak one. Saint Andrew of Crete fairly instructs us in this matter, saying: “Rise up and overcome, O Lord, like Jesus Amalek, the passions of the flesh, and the Gibeonites - flattering thoughts, ever victorious” (Song 6 of the Great Canon of the Lenten Triodion on Thursday of the 5th week). (Note - Gibeon is a biblical city in Palestine, the inhabitants of which, by the definition of God, were doomed to destruction, but they cunningly obtained from Joshua an alliance with them and an oath not to destroy them. When the deception was revealed, Joshua cursed them and made them slaves of Israel, but did not destroy them, and even protected them from enemies (see Joshua 9–10 and Joshua 11–19)) This is what teaches Saint David, who everywhere in his psalms ran to God and asked for help, will defeat us by his example. Thus all the saints cut off thoughts from their hearts and thus brought forth fruit to Christ, like fruitful trees. This is also how we, Christians, should act if we want to be Christ’s. And this is exactly what it means to “crucify the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24), not to allow sin to “reign in a mortal body, so as not to obey it in its lusts” (Rom. 6:12), “not to live according to the flesh..., but to mortify the deeds of the flesh with the Spirit” (Rom. 8:12-13), “not to turn caring for the flesh into lusts” (Rom. 13:14), “walk according to the Spirit and... not... fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16), “avoid the lusts of the flesh, which war against the soul” (1 Peter 2:11). This work, struggle and feat is due to all Christians - single and married, wives and husbands, young and old, young men and maidens, masters and slaves - and must do so incessantly, until the end of this life. How many such devilish obscene and destructive fruits arise every day and hour and want to kill the soul - it is impossible to count! The duty of the Christian soul is to cut them all off and not weaken in this feat. CXXII. You see that the poor and wretched come running to a rich and generous person and receive everything they need according to their needs. From this incident, raise your mind to God, rich in mercy and bounty. If a person, by nature evil, is so merciful and generous to those who ask and helps them in their needs, how much more will God, by good nature, for “no one is good but God alone,” according to the words of the Lord (Matthew 19:17), will give to those who ask in faith what they ask according to His will, and will help in need to everyone who comes to Him with faith. If He planted mercy in man, His creation, how much more He Himself has mercy for those in need and those who sigh for Him. If He knew and had mercy on those who were lost and did not know Him, how much more will He hear and have mercy on those who know Him and know Him and those who confess His name and call on Him. And if He has sought those who do not seek Him, much more will He accept those who seek Him and show His mercy. One thing is required of us - that we recognize and acknowledge before Him our misery, poverty and wretchedness; and the wealth of His goodness and bounties is ready and open for everyone. By this incident and reasoning, we, dear Christian, learn not to put off our hope, but to approach the throne of grace with faith and knock on the doors of God’s mercy and, although he hesitates, to certainly expect mercy from Him. If a person is generous and merciful, much more is God incomparably more merciful than every merciful person; if a person bows and shows mercy to the voice of the poor, how much more will God, the Father of generosity. Read the Holy Scriptures and you will see this truth. CXXIII. If you saw, Christian, that a certain noble, high-ranking and rich prince wants and seeks friendship with a certain simple, wretched and beggarly person, you would certainly be surprised at such an unheard of thing; but you would be even more surprised if you saw that that same poor simpleton does not want that friendship, then you would certainly call this simpleton foolish. Thus, every unrepentant sinner is extremely foolish, insane and blind. Christ, the Son of God, the Heavenly King, wants to have friendship with him, to love him, and wants to attract him to Himself, and to be loved by him; wants to come to him and dine with him, as he says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Rev. 3:20). Friendship is nothing more than diligent and mutual love - to love and be loved. From this holy and lofty friendship the blind and senseless sinner madly turns away and frantically turns to the unclean and vile love of this world. Oh, what surprise, fear, crying and tears is worthy of this madness and fury! The poor sinner does not see this, but in essence it is so. This is how the charm of the vain world and the cunning of the enemy, the devil, blind our poor eyes! Oh, if only the sinner’s heart’s eyes were opened and he saw what he was losing and where he was: he would sigh incessantly and cry inconsolably; a voice from the heart would continually lift up to God and say: “I have gone astray, like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant” (Ps. 119:176). CXXIV. If you had also seen that the royal son, having rejected the expensive scarlet robe in which he was dressed, dressed himself in thin and stinking rags, you would certainly have been surprised at this obscene deed. So is the Christian who, having abandoned God and Christ the Son of God, gives himself over to sin. For everyone who is baptized by faith in Christ Jesus is made a son of God, according to what is written: “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26), and his soul is clothed with the beautiful robe of Christ’s justification, like a royal scarlet, as Christians are told: “You were washed..., sanctified..., justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11); And again: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal.3:27). All of us from sinful Adam are born sinners and unclean in carnal birth, but in holy baptism, spiritual birth, by faith in Christ the Son of God, we are washed from the filth of sin, born spiritually from God and made children of God, according to Scripture: “And to those who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave power to become children of God” (John 1:12); and again: “Look,” says the holy Apostle John, surprised, “what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). This great grace was earned for us by Jesus Christ the Son of God - by His free obedience, suffering and death, earned by those who believe in His name - given by the Heavenly Father with His goodness and love for mankind; performed by the Holy Spirit. But a Christian, when he deviates to sin and commits unrighteousness, destroys this great grace, so dearly, that is, through the suffering and death of the Son of God the Lord of the glory gained and as a gift to him by one grace given by God, takes off the beautiful royal robe, which he put on in baptism by the grace of Christ, and puts on again the stinking and nasty sinful rags, which he put off in the same baptism, and so it is done a deplorable shame for the Angels and all the saints, for just as “there is joy among the Angels of God over one sinner who repents,” says the Lord (Luke 15:10), so there is sadness over a righteous man who goes astray and falls away from eternal life. The poor sinner does not see this stench and shame, but he will see it when the sons of God are revealed and are like the Only Begotten Son of God, who appeared in His divine glory, as the apostle says: “Beloved! We are now children of God; but it has not yet been revealed what we will be. We only know that when it is revealed, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2). And sinners will be separated from their number, and their inner vileness will be revealed to the shame of the whole world. This incident and reasoning teaches you, Christian, to test yourself and examine your conscience to see if you, too, are in such a poor and deplorable state. And if you notice, do not hesitate to return to Heavenly Father, in the likeness of the prodigal son, and pray to Him with humility: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son; take me as one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:18–19). He, being merciful, is ready to receive you and embrace you with the most holy arms of His love. And so “there will be joy... in heaven also for you who repent.” (Luke 15:7) CXXV. Do you see that the father, wanting to convert his fickle son to an honest and constant life, admonishes him and says to him: “Do you want to waste my property, collected by my sweat and labors, with drunkards and harlots?” And there are many such cases in the world. From this case, consider the spiritual possessions given to every Christian in baptism, that is, grace, truth, sanctification, adoption, the inheritance of eternal life. And from your carnal father, turn your mind to Christ, Who is the “Eternal Father” of His faithful (Is. 9:6), and remember what He says in His Gospel: “Whoever does not gather with Me, scatters” (Matt. 12:30). Christ deigned by His life, patience, suffering and death on earth to earn us, sinners and outcasts, from His Heavenly Father mercy, remission of sins, justification, sanctification and deliverance, as the Apostle teaches: “Christ Jesus... became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:30). And this invaluable treasure is given by faith to everyone who is baptized: then a person is awarded these heavenly gifts by the grace of God, without any merit of his own. Just as an honest and rich man, desiring to have an heir to his estates, accepts a poor man as his son and makes him, by his mercy, his heir, so God, “being rich in mercy and bounties,” a man who, by the cunning of the devil and his own will, was torn away from Him, and became poor, poor, wretched and damned, by the grace of His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ takes to Himself and by His Holy Spirit “washes him from the filthiness of sin, sanctifies and justifies him” (1 Cor. 6:11), makes him “his son and his heir, and joint heir with Christ” (Rom. 8:16–17). But when a person, having forgotten this great grace, turns to sin, like “a dog returns to his vomit, and a washed pig goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Peter 2:22), and squanders that unvalued heavenly treasure like the prodigal son (Luke 15:13–14), then thereby immensely grieves Christ and destroys himself. He hears from Him in his conscience and Holy Scripture a voice similar to this: O man! Do you want to squander My wealth, given to you, which I collected through such labor, sweat, illness, patience, suffering and death? Remember who I am, and what I am like, who worked so hard for you, and how I earned you this treasure! God and Creator of all, before whom “every knee bows, in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” But for your sake, he became a man like you, “he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; He humbled himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:7-8, 2:10), and thus you received remission of sins, grace, blessing, righteousness, adoption and the inheritance of eternal life. Remember what you were? The lawless one, the apostate, rejected from the face of God, the son of the curse and wrath of God, the captive and slave of the devil, the unquenchable and eternal fire, the destruction of the child. But I delivered you from all this, not with silver or gold, but “with My precious Blood” (1 Peter 1:19); I washed you from the filthiness of sin, and clothed you with the pure robe of My righteousness, and promised you the inheritance of eternal life. “I entered into a covenant with you,” says the Lord God, “and you became Mine. I washed you with water and washed away your blood from you.” and anointed you with oil. And put on you an embroidered robe, and shod you with morocco sandals, and girded you with fine linen” (Ezek. 16:8-10, etc.). you waste away, following your will and passionate desires, and do not want to leave this evil and passionate disposition, to feel and repent, in order to again receive mercy from Me. “O man! Or do you despise the riches of My kindness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that My goodness leads you to repentance” (Rom. 2:4 “Remember from where you fell” (Rev. 2:5), from what dignity and height to what meanness and wretchedness? Where are you now, and where is your will and your passionate life leading you? Remember and repent! If not, then you will forever sigh, grieve, grieve and cry about it, but it is useless, “when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the rest of the righteous in My kingdom, and yourself being driven out into the outer darkness, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Luke 13:28). Thus, the goodness of Christ our God convicts a Christian who has turned to sin and is defective inside and outside. Inside - in conscience and outside - in Holy Scripture. A Christian should not be ignorant of such goodness of God, calling him to repentance, lest he accumulate the greater wrath of God, according to what is written: “Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God” (Rom. 2:5). CXXVI. You see in nature that equal to equal and like to like sticks to like and strives for that. For example, fire does not fit with water, but with fire; air does not stay in water, but rises upward to the air. It also happens among animals: a sheep sticks to sheep and walks with them, a sparrow lives with sparrows and flies. Among people: vile with vile, honest and constant with constant, rich with rich, noble with noble and corrupt with corrupt. So it is in spiritual Christian work. Holy faith, since it is a heavenly gift and comes from God, cannot have any communication with corruptible and worldly things, it turns away from them; The true heart teaches us to consider the honor, wealth, glory and voluptuousness of this world as nothing, exhorts us to turn away from all this and delights us in heaven, from where we came, and constantly encourages us to earnestly desire and seek God, from Whom we have our beginning; wealth and glory represent eternal and heavenly blessings and the human heart, in which it has its place, delights in them. For the kindred strives for the kindred and moves away from the unrelated, and seeks what is similar to itself, and turns away from the unlike, as was said above. So faith, a similar spiritual nature and the Beginning, from which it came, seeks and rushes to Him. And just as fire, through all obstacles, ascends upward - its property is such - so is faith, although it is forced to endure obstacles from temptations, vanity, delusion and evil spirits, however, as a spiritual and heavenly gift, it strives for things above, “it sets its mind on things above, and not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2). And since a faithful heart notices its weakness and lack of strength to resist its enemies, it resorts to God’s all-powerful help and fervently prays to God that He Himself will help and strengthen it in its feat against its enemies. Thus, faith, as a heavenly gift, turns away from earthly things and seeks heavenly things. It follows from this that those Christians who have attached themselves to the world with the love of their hearts, that is, wealth, honor, glory and voluptuousness, do not have faith in their hearts, since faith, like a spirit, seeks and loves its own kind of good; and they, having abandoned spiritual good, seek that which flesh and blood loves, seek that from which faith turns away the faithful heart, and do not seek that to which faith leads and excites. Just as the spirit delights in spiritual and invisible goods and seeks them, so the flesh, which does not have a spirit, is comforted by carnal and visible goods, is content with them and seeks them. For the kindred strives towards the kindred, as was said above, but deviates from the unrelated. This incident and reasoning teaches you, Christian, to test whether you have faith, which purifies the human heart and leads to God. For not all who are called Christians are faithful, but those who profess the faith and have it in their hearts. Faith is a spiritual gift of God, which certainly turns a person away from vain things and moves him towards love and the search for heavenly things. She is like a fire that cleanses the heart from oppression and sinful defilements, and the entire essence of Christian spiritual bliss consists in faith. CXXVII. You see that a father, after many admonitions and paternal punishments, denies his faulty and rebellious son, rejects him, and deprives him of his inheritance. This is what God does to Christians. He admonishes the faulty both internally - in conscience, and externally - through the prophetic and apostolic writings, and the sermons of church teachers and pastors, and through the promise of future benefits and the threat of executions, temporary and eternal, and through the punishments sent; and with all this convinces us to true conversion and repentance. But whoever does not cease to sin and neglects His goodness, meekness and long-suffering, is denied and rejects him, and deprives him of the inheritance of eternal life. Thus, He rejected from Himself the rebellious and stiff-necked Jews, who, neither through prophetic writings, nor through God’s punishments, nor through exhortations, nor through miracles and the mercy of the Son of God who appeared in the flesh, were not corrected, but, moreover, out of anger against Him, who came to save them, rebelled, tortured and killed them. That is why Christ’s word was fulfilled on them: “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people bearing the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:43). So those who have not been corrected either by the grace or by the punishment of God are rejected from God. This is what happens to a faulty Christian, whom neither a remorseful conscience, nor the mercy of God and the eternal bliss promised, nor the fear of hell and nothing else can move to repentance. To such a person the apostolic word says: “O man! Or do you neglect the riches of God’s goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that God’s goodness leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of righteous judgment from God” (Rom. 2:4-5). Let us be afraid, beloved Christian, of this rebuke of God, which He proclaims through His Apostle to the faulty, lest we also incur the wrath of God, lest what happened to the rebellious Jews be fulfilled on us, and lest we be cast out from the face of God forever. Let us listen to God, who calls, exhorts and leads us through His long-suffering to repentance. Let the difficulty and inconvenience of this task not frighten us: let us just begin - and He will begin our work with us; Let us rise only from falling and lying down - and He will help us; We will become better - and He will strengthen us, and help us, and do the work of our salvation. Calls, excites, knocks and moves those lying down; but it helps those who begin to get up and those who get up and do it. He is very merciful and humane, and indescribably wants to save us all. All His Holy Scripture testifies to this. Let us remember and consider how, living in the world, He did not deny His mercy to anyone: He gave sight to the blind, cleansing to the lepers, health to the weak, hearing to the deaf, freedom to the demoniac, and resurrection to the dead. He heard, had mercy and healed those who came to Him and cried out for physical health; much more, He would hear and heal those asking for spiritual healing. For He created both body and soul; and He is the same now in heaven, as He was on earth - the same His goodness, mercy, philanthropy, meekness and mercy towards those who suffer and sigh for Him: He hears those who are in need and cry out to Him, and helps and heals, just as, while living on earth, He heard, helped and healed. He is not far from us, although we do not see Him walking and do not hear Him speaking. He is only distant from our sight and hearing, but he is close to those who call on Him: “The Lord is close to all who call on Him” (Ps. 145:18). And if he showed such mercy to the suffering body, which is dying and decaying, and willingly fulfilled his request to everyone, much more will he help and heal the immortal soul, which is much better than the body, sick, raging, leprous, paralytic, deaf and blind, if he comes to Him and asks for help and mercy from Him, according to His false promise: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). For this purpose, He came to this world to us, excommunicated and removed from Him, to enlighten our blind souls, to bring back those who were lost, to cleanse those lepers with sins and to revive the dead, and to instruct us on the path of repentance and truth, and so to give true and eternal bliss, which we lost in our ancestors. And if the King of glory and our Lord and Creator showed us such mercy that for the sake of us, the poor and perishing, he came into the world, and put on flesh servile to us, and for our sake he suffered and died, much more, having suffered for us, he will have mercy on us who turn, and will hear and help. And if He remembered us, who have forgotten Him and do not know Him, much more will He remember those who remember and call. He had mercy on those who turned away from Him, much more will He have mercy on those who turn to Him. Come, let us arise and take His path, and He, taking us, will lead us after Him and lead us to His Father. So God will be our God and Father, and we will be His people and His sons, which is our unspeakable glory and praise. What could be more glorious, what can be conceived more glorious than to be called and to be sons of the living, omnipotent, great, eternal, and all-good God and to have Him as Father? This incomparably surpasses all the glory, honor, dignity, joy and joy of this world. If now God will be our God and Father, then the inheritance of eternal life will certainly be ours, and eternal bliss and glory. CXXVIII. You see that someone in a fever rejects all food, even if it is sweet and pleasant, and abhors it, because inside he is scorched by fire and consumed. So the God-loving soul: embraced by the desire of the saints for heavenly blessings, and wounded by the love of God, and by the Divine and heavenly “fire that Christ came ... to bring down to earth” (Luke 12:49), is inflamed - “everything that is in the world” - honest, dear, glorious, pleasant and cheerful - rejects, abhors it. And what others with difficulty and zeal seek, from that it turns away and flees; honor, glory, and luxury are considered rotten carrion and turns away from them. She has one desire within herself to find and not lose the eternal good, which is God Himself with all His eternal blessings. Macarius of Egypt, conversation 9 chapter 9). The word of Christ is eternal: “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). This incident and reasoning, which is taken from the book of Saint Macarius of Egypt, filled with spiritual wisdom, teaches you to test your heart, what it is embraced by, what desire and what love - is it God’s or this world’s? Many people think of themselves that they have the love of God. Ask everyone: do you love God? He certainly answers: how can you not love God? And conscience convinces us of this. But, instead of God, they love themselves and the world. True love is known from deeds, not from words, like any virtue. A person’s heart is one and cannot be divided: and so it certainly bows, desires, seeks and cleaves to either God or the world; and if it sticks to one, it lags behind the other. Therefore, the Lord says: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). That is why the apostle exhorts: “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world: if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). If we want to love God, then let us drive out of our hearts love for the world and self-love, for whoever is self-loving is his own enemy, and “friendship with the world is enmity against God... whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). CXXIX. You see that when a father is poor and wretched, his children are also wretched. And when the owner or head of a house is in distress and embitterment, then his household also suffers with him in distress and endures bitterness. So it is in the Holy Church, which is the house of the living God. In the house of this saint, the Father and head is Christ. If He, while living on earth, endured every calamity, and embitterment, and suffering, and thus entered into His glory, as He Himself says: “Is it not necessary for Christ to suffer and enter into His glory?” (Luke 24:26), - then His household, true Christians, should follow Him in this and should endure any misfortune and bitterness that befalls generously, looking to their Leader and Master. For the Lord, living on earth, showed us an image of how we should live, please God, and achieve eternal life. All the saints, those close to God and His household, followed this image, and entered into the glory gained through His suffering and illness. So we must follow the path that our Lord Himself and His saints walked, if we want to be glorified with Him and His saints. The bride and groom and the body and the head must suffer in order to be glorified together with the head. There is no other path to eternal life and the city of saints except the narrow, sorrowful and cross path (Matthew 7:14). We must certainly endure with Christ who endured, reconcile ourselves with Him who humbled ourselves, and bear the cross with Him who bore the Cross, in order to be glorified together with the Glorified One. “If you seek glory from people,” says the great Macarius mentioned above, “and you desire worship and veneration, and you seek a voluptuous life, you have strayed from that path” (Conversation 12, Chapter 5). This incident and reasoning teaches you to test yourself if you want to have participation with Him in the next century: are you one of Christ’s household and God’s neighbors, that is, are you a son of the Church and do you have participation with Him here. And he who desires to have a part with Him in the next century must now cling to Him by faith and love and follow Him with patience, meekness and humility now, so that in that century he may take part in His kingdom. CXXXX. You see that a naked man is ashamed of himself, and others are ashamed and disgusted of him. So is the soul that does not have the grace of God covering it. Satan, our enemy, like a thief, has exposed us and stripped us of the robe of God's grace and salvation. Therefore, our ancestors, exposed by his wickedness, recognized their nakedness, which they had not seen before their fall, and began to be ashamed of themselves, which was proof and evidence of their inner nakedness. Christ, the Son of God, seeing our nakedness, from which God and His holy Angels turned away, had mercy on us, came to earth to us, naked, poor, wretched and beggarly, clothed ourselves in our flesh and became like us in everything except sin, so that we, naked, soiled and defiled, could be washed with His Blood and clothed with the pure robe of righteousness. Your own, and so present it to the purest eyes of Your Heavenly Father. This holy garment is given by faith to everyone in baptism. If anyone keeps it - fighting against his enemies, who invisibly take up arms against us and want to expose us again, to commit shame and shame on us before God and His Angels - he is blessed, as the Lord says: “Blessed is he who watches and keeps his clothes, lest he walk naked and lest they see his shame” (Rev. 16:15). For, seeing him clothed in the robe of His Only Begotten Son, the Heavenly Father will recognize him as His own, and will give him an inheritance with His holy chosen ones, and will lead him into the chamber of His glory. If someone through negligence and laziness has lost that sacred scarlet robe and therefore appears naked before God and His chosen ones, then nothing else will follow him but unbearable shame and disgrace, he will be ashamed of himself, for he is naked; and God and His chosen ones will be ashamed of his nakedness, and will turn away His most holy eyes from him, and will renounce him as not His own. The blinded sinner does not see this nakedness, since he does not have his spiritual eyes open, and therefore is not ashamed: just as a sleeping or blind person does not see his bodily nakedness, which is why he does not feel shame. But God's all-seeing eye sees; sees and turns away from such a soul. The poor sinner will see when the books of conscience are opened, and the secret thoughts of human hearts are brought to light to the whole world - he will see, but to his extreme shame, disgrace, dishonor and disaster. If we are ashamed to stand naked in front of the eyes of a few people, and, unable to bear it, either run away or hide ourselves, how much more unbearable shame and disgrace will it be for the soul in front of the whole world, before the Angels and people chosen by God, and the righteous Judge himself, to stand naked, moreover, soiled and defiled. Such a soul will certainly want to take refuge in a cave, and darkness, and hell itself, not tolerating worldwide shame, and disgrace, and the wrath of the righteous Judge, but it will not be able to. Oh, how blessed is he who now recognizes this most wretched nakedness! Thus, one will be ashamed of oneself and seek, by faith, clothing for oneself from Christ, Who clothes everyone who believes in Him and asks Him with the garment of salvation. This incident teaches us to test our soul to see if it is naked, and so to seek and ask by faith for clothing for it from Christ, the Son of God, so as not to appear naked on that day before God and His saints and not be covered in shame. CXXXI. You see that silver, or gold, or copper, if it does not have a royal image on it, is not suitable for general use and purchase and is not accepted into the sovereign’s treasury, but is rejected; but only the coin marked with the royal image circulates and is accepted by everyone. So is the soul: if it does not have on itself the seal of the Heavenly King, Christ, the Son of God, which is depicted by faith and the Holy Spirit, it is indecent for the society of saints and is not suitable for the heavenly treasure, but is cast out. This incident teaches you with faith and diligence to seek the heavenly divine image, which is a beautiful adornment of our souls and grace, so as not to suffer for you without having it, like the one invited to the wedding who came without a wedding robe, for when he saw him, the King said to him: “Friend! How did you come here not wearing wedding clothes? He was silent. Then the king said to the servants, “Binding his hands and feet, take him and throw him into outer darkness” (Matthew 22:12-13). SXXHP. You see that the dead are not and should not be among the living, but are taken out of the house and city and buried in the ground. So is the soul that has died from sin: it is taken out or even cast out from the community of saints, from the house and city of the living God, that is, the Holy Church, “which is the house of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15). For it is indecent for her to be together with the living, who live and serve God with faith and love. Just as for the body life is the soul, so for the soul life is the grace of God. And just as the life of the body is known from bodily actions, for example, movement, speech and other things, so the life of the soul is known from spiritual actions, that is, true repentance, prayer, love and fear of God. Test your soul, Christian, from this incident, whether it is dead. “Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead,” says the apostle (James 2:20–26). SXXXXSH. You see that when a painter wants to paint the image of a prince, one should stand straight in front of the other, and they should look at each other face to face, and then the painter will paint the image of the prince looking at him; and when the prince turns his face away from the painter, then the painter cannot depict his face well and paint an image similar to him. This is the state of the inner man when the image of God is depicted in him. Christ, the Son of God, is a heavenly and wise painter. He wants to portray in our souls the image of God, which we have lost, and to give vitality to our souls, and to capture a beautiful portrait of the Heavenly King. But whoever turns away from Him in soul and heart, He cannot complete His work. If someone turns to Him and looks at Him with the eyes of faith and asks Him for it, then that divine splendor is inscribed and depicted on his soul, living, incorruptible and shining forever. It is fitting for us, beloved Christian, to fix our spiritual eyes on Him and gaze with faith, so that this divine beauty may be depicted in us by Him. And if we want to do this and get what we want, then we must leave the image of this world behind us, and so turn to Him alone, look at Him, love and cleave to Him. This is what the divine apostle to the Galatians wished with heart disease when they fell away from Christ, and said to them: “My children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is portrayed in you!” (Gal.4:19). Christ also desires this, so that His holy image will be inscribed and depicted in our souls, so that, seeing us, sealed with His divine image, the Heavenly Father recognizes those who are like Him and His Only Begotten Son, and makes Him His sons, and so gives us the inheritance of eternal life. For this purpose, He calls us in so many different ways, so that we turn to Him with all our hearts, so that by His Holy Spirit we can portray His holy image on our souls, and thus accomplish the work of our salvation. From this incident we learn, Christians, that we must certainly turn our hearts and souls away from sin and this world and turn them to Christ, the true, heavenly and wise painter, who is not dead or earthly, but alive, heavenly and immortal; not on boards of stone, wood or linen, but on tablets of the soul; not with finger and brush, but through the action of His Holy and Life-giving Spirit, he depicts an image; and look to Him with faith, hope and zeal, “until Christ is formed in us,” crucified for our sake. And although the beauty and beauty of this holy image is not seen now, for it is spiritual, it will appear in the resurrection, according to the Scripture: “The Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ,... will transform our lowly body so that it will be like His glorious body” (Phil. 3:20-21). Let us, Christians, seek with faith and fervent prayer for this divine beauty, so that, now depicted on our souls, it will also appear on our humble bodies, when they are raised by the power of God from the graves. Let us turn to Christ with all our hearts and souls, and let us continually look with the eye of faith, so that His image may be written on our souls by the Holy Spirit, the living and life-giving. For this purpose, he came into the world and put on his image in us, in order to renew and revive in us His image, which Satan, by his wickedness, dishonored, corrupted and destroyed. CXXXIV. You see that when an enemy enters a city, or a robber enters a house, and wants to plunder and devastate a city or a house, everyone resists him as best he can. Evil thoughts are our enemies and robbers who enter the houses of our souls and want to plunder the treasure hidden in them, and to kill and destroy us ourselves. And whoever does not resist these enemies and does not kill them will certainly be killed and destroyed by them. It is imperative that one of those opposing and fighting be defeated and fall, and the other must be victorious, for there is no fighting without this. We, dear Christian, must, at the very beginning, as soon as we feel the coming of these enemies of ours, resist them, firmly close and guard the cage of our hearts, and call upon the power of the almighty Jesus Christ, our King, to our aid, and ask such of our rivals and offenders for judgment and vengeance from Him. “Judge, O Lord, those who offend me, overcome those who fight me. Take the weapon and the shield, and rise up to help me” (Ps. 35:1-2, etc.). If we do not resist and repel them at the beginning, then, upon entering the house of our heart, they will ruin and devastate it and destroy us ourselves. The enemy, entering the city, devastates it and brings inconsolable crying to the citizens, or, worse, death. Evil thoughts do the same to us if we do not courageously resist them. Therefore, the wisdom of God says: “Keep your heart above all else” (Proverbs 4:23). And to make it more convenient for us to preserve our hearts, he commands us to guard our lips, eyes and feet, as he further says: “Cast away the obstinacy of your lips, and remove offensive words from yourself. Let your eyes look straight, and let your eyelashes not wink slyly. Walk firmly with your feet and make your ways straight. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; remove your foot from the way of evil” (Proverbs 4:24–27). How harmful and destructive it is to open the heart to evil thoughts, to spiritual enemies, how soul-saving it is to open it and give entrance to the word of God, even more so - one must desire and try to do this. For the word of God, having entered the heart, makes it a seat of spiritual wisdom, which is “pure... peaceful, gentle, modest, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). CXXXV. You see that iron is softened by fire, and the more it burns, the softer it becomes. So it is with man: by nature every man is cruel, like iron; the anger of sin hardened the heart and made it hard like iron. Therefore, a heart that is not renewed by the grace of the Holy Spirit is called stony in Holy Scripture. “I will pluck out the heart of stone from their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,” says the Lord (Ezek. 11:19). Therefore, by nature every person is very disobedient and disobedient to God; Words, threats and exhortations can do nothing if God’s grace does not move them: like cold iron, struck by a hammer, it is adamant and unchangeable. But when the fire of God’s grace touches the heart and warms it, it begins to soften; and the more it burns with this heavenly fire, the more it softens, turns red and becomes purer. Then such a person turns away from the world and everything that is beautiful, pleasant, cheerful and sweet in it and for nothing has what he previously considered great and dear, and strives for the heavenly and eternal with all his heart, and shows the most willing obedience to everything that God favors. Oh, how temptation is needed in order to achieve such a blissful state of heart! For temptation: 1) shows us the poor and deplorable state of our hearts; shows what is in it, what great anger and cruelty lies hidden and what it is inclined towards; and thus convinces us to recognize our poverty, wretchedness and spiritual insignificance. 2) Convinces to look for a way to get rid of it. And there seems to be no other way than God’s grace, which is obtained through faith and fervent prayer. How can we get rid of our evil nature, except by the power of God, which, just as everything can do, can also change the evil nature and, like fire, soften iron? 3) Convinces the world to leave and seek God alone, Who alone has true and unshakable bliss. And that is why Christians experience so many troubles and misfortunes in this world! For by this they are softened like iron in fire, and like gold and silver in a furnace they are tempted and made acceptable to God. Do not avoid, beloved Christian, temptation and the cross sent from God. If you meekly and generously endure and bear it, it will bring you great God’s mercy. It is painful for our flesh to endure, but this is how the inner man is healed and receives health. We must certainly “put off the old man, that is, natural evil, if we want to put on the new man” (Col. 3:9–10), which is necessary for salvation. CXXXVI. You see that a man, when he unites with his wife in marriage, leaves his father, mother, brothers, sisters and all his friends and cleaves to one wife with sincere love. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh,” says God’s word (Matthew 19:5). Do you see, Christian, how natural and carnal love works? Everything else convinces the lover to leave and cleaves to the one beloved. From this learn to know what the love of God is. He who loves God acts exactly the same way, leaving everything behind him: honor, glory, wealth and the joy of this world, which, for the sake of the love of God, he considers to be garbage and rot, for all this is vile to him and seems like stinking carrion. He does not spare his own life, which is more precious to a person. He strives for his one beloved Treasure like a fiery flame in height; there he continually raises his sighs, desires, thoughts and heart. There he is with his heart and mind, lingers and lives, where his beloved and invaluable Treasure is: “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). This example teaches us, Christians, what God's love is. Many people think that they love God, but instead they love this world and are thus deceived. God's love and the love of this world cannot be together in one heart, but one drives out the other. Ask anyone: do you love God? No one will deny, but will say: how can one not love God? Who should we love if not God? But, in fact, he loves himself and the world, not God. The apostolic word is true and true: “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15). Of course, whoever loves something, his heart is there. We must test ourselves to see whether we have the love of God - lest we be deceived by vain and false opinions; and pray to God earnestly that He Himself, by His Spirit, kindle this love in our hearts - so that instead of those who love God, we will not be His enemies, as the Apostle says: “Whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). CXXXVII. You see that a man sows wheat or something else with a sieve and throws the grain to one side or the other. Understand that in exactly the same way Satan disturbs the hearts of people who have not been reborn from above by the grace of God, and moves them with the thoughts of worldly cares, and throws them to this, then that, then to a third vanity and ties them, so that, entangled in those cares, they cannot seek God with their true heart. Therefore, it happens that they plot in their hearts either about acquiring wealth, or about gaining honor and glory, or about voluptuousness and pleasing the flesh, or about taking revenge on enemies, or about building rich houses, preparing servants, carriages, horses, about decorating clothes, and about other things that on earth and in this world are dear, pleasant and pleasing to the passionate flesh. Satan puts all this in their hearts, and moves them, and binds them with such plans that they cannot look around and seek God with eternal blessings. This is the most famous sign of a person who does not have faith and love of God. And those Christians who do this only show the outward appearance of Christianity, but do not have Christianity inside; and are like tombs, outwardly decorated, but inside filled with dead bones and stench. These vain plans, cares and efforts that they now have in their hearts will appear outwardly; will appear on the general resurrection, when the Lord comes, “who will illuminate the hidden things in darkness and reveal the intentions of the heart” (1 Cor. 4:5). And these very efforts will expose them to the whole world, that in this world they loved the world and their flesh, and not God, that they sought the temporal, and not the eternal; and the spiritual beauty of the saints will appear on their bodies and glorify them. And although those who are in the grace of God and enlightened by the temptation that comes from the enemy touches them, either from within through evil thoughts, or from without through evil people, their hearts are touched, disturbed, overwhelmed, and, like the wind, agitated, and they try to sink their ship, but with the omnipotent help of the Spirit of God they are strengthened and stand firmly with hope, like a ship anchored in the depths of the earth, established in God’s love for mankind. This case and reasoning shows you how the sons of this age, that is, those who do not have living faith, differ from the sons of light or the sons of the kingdom of God; and teaches you to test yourself to see whether you have living faith. CXXXVIII. You see that a master who has children and slaves, and gives other food and clothing to his children, gives another to his slaves. This is what the Lord God of all does: He gives different food and clothing to His children, and another to those who are unfaithful and do not honor Him. As for carnal weakness, the external state, and what is visible and subject to the senses, food, clothing and drink are served to faithful and righteous people the same as to unfaithful and sinful people; The children of this world, like the children of God, are strengthened with the same food and drink and covered with the same clothing. For God, being generous and merciful, gives the blessings of this world to everyone – righteous and sinful, “for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). The sun, moon, stars, fire, air, water with fish, earth with livestock and grains and everything with which it is filled, are equally given to the righteous and sinners, those who know God and those who do not know, those who honor and those who do not, with the only difference that the righteous receive benefits from God the Giver, and know the Giver, and thank the Benefactor; sinners and lawless people are satisfied with the blessings of God, but they do not know the Giver, do not honor and do not thank the Benefactor. As for the internal state, righteous people have different food, different drink, different clothing, which sinners who are slaves to this world do not have. The grace of God, which they have within themselves, is food for the saints, with which they are strengthened; a drink with which one is comforted and enjoyed; clothing with which those who wear faith in Christ walk. Christ the Son of God, the Hypostatic Wisdom of God, who lives in them by faith, is food, drink and clothing for them. He strengthens them within, comforts, delights, delights and clothes them with the robe of His righteousness, as it is written: “Those who eat me will still hunger, and those who drink me will still thirst” (Sir.24:23); and again: “The water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life” (John 4:14); and again: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal.3:27). Let us pray, beloved Christian, to Christ the Son of God. May He also give us sinners this food, drink and clothing. Having here tasted part of this food, may we enjoy it abundantly forever, and here, having clothed our souls with that clothing, may we not find ourselves naked at His coming, and may we not be put to shame before the whole world. CXXXIX. You see that in the house of the earthly king the servants stand before him and serve, dressed not in rags and thin clothes, but in expensive and colorful robes. So it is in the Church, which is the house of the Heavenly King. Only those in this house of the Heavenly King are present, and serve and work for their Heavenly King, who, having been cleansed by faith and having taken off the rags of sin, adorn themselves with good deeds, “put on... mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, long-suffering” (Col. 3:12). Others, although they are called Christians, do not stop sinning and do not want to create the fruits of repentance; they do not belong to this holy house and do not serve God. If rags are disgusting to an earthly king and bodily disgrace is indecent to the royal chamber, how much more to the eyes of the Heavenly King is sinful filth vile and vile, and spiritual disgrace is obscene to His holy house. And if the vile ones, dressed in rags, are excommunicated and removed from the presence of the king and the service, and do not have such a place in his house, how much more are sinners, stained with the filth of sin, excommunicated from the presence of the Heavenly King and the service, and are expelled from His holy house, and have no place or part in it. “The evil one will not dwell with You, and the wicked will not remain in Your sight: You have hated all those who commit iniquity, O Lord,” says the prophet (Ps. 5:5-6). This teaches us, Christians, to examine ourselves, whether we are true members of the Church of Christ, and whether we serve Him faithfully; Do we not serve the world and our own whims, and thus have we separated from His blessed home, although we are called Christians? CXL. You see that a fierce and untrained horse, in order to be suitable for work and use, is trained by the owner and is tamed and humbled in various ways, and so little by little puts aside its natural ferocity and becomes meek, and is suitable for every business of the owner. Every man by nature is like a fierce, cruel and indomitable horse, and is very unsuitable for the service of his Lord God; He wants and seeks to please himself, his own will and the world, and not God, his Lord, for he was greatly corrupted after the fall of Adam. Oh, how much training, taming, pacification is required in order for one to put aside one’s natural ferocity, cruelty and rage and thus become fit for the service of the Lord our God! This saving teaching is offered to us, Christians: 1) God's Holy Word, by which the ferocity of our corrupted nature is shown, curbed and tamed. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work,” says the apostle (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 2) Diligence, labor and compulsion necessary for every good deed, even if the corrupt heart does not want it. Man is lazy by nature for good deeds and lustful for evil, and therefore must convince himself and force himself to do good deeds, conquer and turn himself away from every evil deed. For example, if your heart does not want to love your neighbor, have mercy, forgive, humble yourself, be chaste, and so on - convince yourself to do so. If your heart wants to hate your neighbor, be angry, be angry, take revenge, slander, etc., forcefully turn yourself away from that and conquer yourself in that. This is a glorious victory and much better than defeating people! To defeat yourself is no more glorious victory. 3) Prayer is needed. We cannot overcome ourselves without God’s help, and without God’s grace we cannot do godly deeds. “Without Me you can do nothing,” says Christ God (John 15:5). Therefore, we are commanded to pray often and earnestly and ask for help and grace. Just as a person became corrupted through the evil of the devil, so it is fitting for him to be corrected by the grace and help of God. Just as through the action of that enemy he became inclined and disposed towards every evil deed, but disinclined towards every good deed, for within his heart evil lust and aversion from good is hidden, so it behooves him, by the power of the Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ, to become willingly ready for every good deed and carefully and diligently turning away from every evil deed, so that instead of the devilish malice operating in his heart, he would now the grace of the Holy Spirit acted in his heart. And so, if the heart changes from evil to good and is corrected, the whole person can be corrected; for which prayer and sighing are absolutely necessary. But one must force oneself to pray and train oneself, so that prayer does not lie in words alone. You must collect scattered thoughts and tie them to prayer, and what is said in words, reason about it with your mind, and so raise your heart to God with sighing. 4) A fair school for Christians is the cross or suffering, endurance of disasters and all kinds of temptations. “From tribulation comes patience, and from patience experience,” says St. Paul (Rom. 5:3-4). Disaster and temptation show a person what is hidden in his heart - the love of God or the love of the world and self-love. Many people think that they love God, but the misfortune that comes shows them that they love themselves and the world, and not God. Many people think that they are patient, meek, humble; but the ripening annoyance and resentment shows them that they do not have such virtues in their hearts, and so those who previously thought something about themselves recognize themselves as wretched and beggars. For every temptation comes to us to tempt our heart and to know what is hidden in it - patience or anger, humility or pride, obedience or disobedience - and is like a mirror through which we look into our heart and consider what is in it; We cannot know it otherwise, because it is deep. "The heart of man is deep, more than all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" - says the prophet (Jer. 17:9). And so, having come to know our heart, we humble ourselves and fall before God, admit ourselves guilty, and seek mercy from Him, and ask and pray with the prophet: “Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb!” (Ps. 50:12). And for this, among other reasons, misfortunes are sent to us from God, that is, so that we recognize ourselves, poverty, misery and our spiritual wretchedness, and so humble ourselves. A disaster found is like a medicine called an emetic. Just as, having taken an emetic, a person vomits harmful juices out of himself, and thus sees and learns what he is sick with, so when he finds a disaster, evil thoughts come out, like harmful juices, hiding in the heart and damaging the soul, and this is how a person learns what he is spiritually sick with. And so he is convinced to resort with humility and petition to Christ, the Physician of human souls. From all the above points it is clear: 1) how necessary the teaching is in God’s holy word; 2) how necessary prayer is; 3) how useful the cross or endurance of adversity is, although it is unpleasant for our flesh; 4) how much it is necessary to teach children in the fear of God and other Christian positions, so that little by little they get used to Christian work, and so, having reached the age of perfection, they can support themselves in a Christian position. CXLI. You see that a house that does not have a master living within it is unclean, full of rubbish, dust and cobwebs; the earth without a worker becomes desolate, becomes barren and gives birth to obscene herbs; the garden and grapes are lost without a worker; a ship without a good helmsman is sunk by storms and sea waves, and so on. So is the human soul without Christ - like a desolate house, full of stench, uncleanness and cobwebs, spread out by the devil and demons, that is, evil lusts, plans and undertakings; like uncultivated land, producing only thorns and thorns and subject to curses (Heb. 6:8); like a garden and vineyards, desolate without a worker, bearing no fruit, and good for nothing and subject to scourging and burning; like a ship floating without a helmsman, tossed about by storms and waves, and near sinking. For what is the master of a house, a worker of the land and vines, and a helmsman of a ship, that is Christ to our soul. After the fall, Christ retreated from the human soul, and it became like a house without an owner, land and grapes without a worker, a ship without a helmsman. There is no Christ in that soul, which, although it was reborn by water and the Spirit in baptism, but, following the first Adam, rejected the commandment of God, and followed its own will after the evil enemy the devil, that ancient serpent. And if he remains in that disastrous state to the end, he will be without Christ forever; and since Christ is life for the soul, then without Christ, Who is Life, abiding, he will forever be in death. Let us repent, Christians, “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit” (2 Cor. 7:1), so that we may be worthy to receive Christ into the homes of our souls. For this purpose He came into this world, so that we would greet Him gratefully and, having cleansed the houses of our souls, would accept Him. He stands and strikes the doors of our hearts, so that they will open to Him, so that He may rest in our souls, so that we too can anoint His holy feet with myrrh and wash with our tears (Luke 7:37–38), and so that He “makes an abode with us” (John 14:23). “Behold, I stand at the door,” He says Himself, “and I knock: if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Rev. 3:20). Woe to us if now we do not listen to Him, and we will not accept Him into our homes for the sake of Him who came into the world and was pleased to wander in it! Listen to what He will say at His second coming to those standing on His left: “I was hungry, and you did not give Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and they did not accept Me” (Matthew 25:42–43). It will be a shame and fear to endure this reprimand from Him. What’s worse is to be separated from Him forever and to go with the devil into eternal fire. “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). CXLII. You see that the sun, although it illuminates the whole sky and shows its face to everyone equally, yet it seems to everyone that it seems to be looking at him alone; and no matter what we do, he looks at each of us as if he were the only one; and wherever we go, it goes with us, although it always flows equally from the sunrise to the west. So the eternal and spiritual sun is God. Although he looks at everyone equally and sees everyone’s deeds and thoughts, intentions, undertakings, intentions and hears the word - and is with everyone in every place; and whether someone works or rests, stands or walks, does good or evil, he eats with him, and looks at the good and bad deeds, and writes in his book - that he may reward everyone according to his deeds. However, he watches over each of us and notices everything, as if, leaving all created things, he looked at only me or you; and what I or you want to do, say, think, begin and intend, good or bad, he completely knows and sees as if it had actually already been and was being done. And he knows and sees everything much better and more perfectly than we ourselves know and see; and he sees everything and looks in such a way that, as if, forgetting everything else, he looked only at us, our work, undertaking and intention. So the Holy Scripture testifies about Him: “All my ways are before You, O Lord,” says Saint David (Ps. 119:168). And again: “Lord, You have tested me and recognized me; You found out when I sit down and stand up. You understood my thoughts from afar. You have searched my path and my destiny, and You have foreseen all my ways” (Ps. 139:1-3). From this we learn, Christians: 1) To fear God and beware of all sin in word, deed, thought, undertaking and intention. Because He, just as He hears our word, clearly sees our deed, thought and intention, and rewards everyone according to their deeds, and can actually strike the sinner with righteous judgment; and there is no such hidden place in which we could hide from this all-seeing eye, for it not only sees external affairs, but also secret thoughts, and penetrates the innermost in the depths of the heart. Whether you do something against your conscience in a secret place, or think in your heart, or intend what to do: this is already obvious to God. Beware of sin as if it were a mortal poison, lest you experience God’s righteous judgment on yourself. 2) We learn to trust in the goodness of God, for He is with us everywhere. And just as the clearly shining sun is everywhere with a person, illuminates and warms him, wherever he is, whether in prosperity or adversity, so the goodness and love of God is everywhere with us and never departs from us, but always warms and preserves us, both in our home and on the way, in our own side or someone else’s, in prosperity or adversity, in health or illness, in sadness or joy. When our enemies persecute us, revile and slander us, remain silent and not answer, and hand over everything to Him, for He hears and knows everything; whether the sufferers are worthy or unworthy of persecution and reproach from them, He clearly has. And just as children do not speak against their detractors before their father, but look to their father and expect protection from him, so we must act before God, our Heavenly Father, with our enemies, for He is always with us and we are always before Him - not to answer them, but with silence to raise the eyes of our souls to Him and speak with the Psalmist: “You will hear, O Lord my God” (Ps. 37:16)! 3) From here we learn to pray to Him not only openly, in words, but also in the secret of our hearts. For He not only hears our words, but also understands the groanings, desires and disposition of our hearts, as the prophet says: “Thou hast heard the desire of the poor, O Lord; Thy ear has listened to the hearts devoted to Thee” (Ps. 9:38). “And it shall come to pass, before they call, that I will answer; They will still speak, and I will already hear,” says the Lord (Is. 65:24). 4) Let us finally learn that when we sin before God, we cannot run away from His wrath, for no matter where we turn or run, He precedes us and meets us. “Where can I go from Your Spirit and where can I flee from Your Face? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I go to hell, you remain there; and if I had wings and flew beyond the distant seas, Thy hand would guide me there, and Thy right hand would hold me,” says the Psalmist (Ps. 139:7-10). The only refuge for us sinners is His mercy, to which, fleeing from His righteous anger, we must resort, and fall before Him, and with contrition of heart ask for forgiveness. CXLIII. Do you see that in the spring grass grows from the ground and gives off its leaves, flowers and fruits; trees also give off leaves, flowers and fruits, although in winter no life was visible in them, and they seemed to be barren, and one tree was almost indistinguishable from another. Spring is an image of the resurrection of the dead. 1) We believe that in this way our dead bodies will rise and come out of the tombs in which they were hidden, just as we now see the herbs coming out of the ground, hiding in it in winter. 2) Just as in winter we do not recognize what color and fruit there is in what grass and tree, but spring shows everything, so now we cannot know what is hidden inside someone, in the heart and soul - good or evil, piety or wickedness - and often we consider good to be evil, and evil to be good; but in the resurrection everything will be revealed clearly. 3) Just as during spring the leaves and flowers of the grasses and trees come from within and come into the light, and with those leaves and flowers the grasses and trees seem to be clothed, and so they present a beautiful image and appearance to those looking on, so in the resurrection the beauty of the saints will appear on their bodies, which is now hidden in their souls, and with that beauty, like a beautiful robe, their revived bodies will be clothed. They will be conformed to the glorified body of our Savior, according to the words of the Apostle: “Who will transform our lowly body so that it will be conformed to His glorious body” (Phil. 3:21). “To him,” says Saint Chrysostom, as if in surprise, “Who sits on the right side of the Father, this body is in conformity; The One whom the angels worship; To the One who faces ethereal forces; To the One who is above all beginning, and power, and strength” (Conversation 13 to the above-mentioned place of the Apostle). 4) Just as withered grass and trees in spring have the same appearance as they did in winter, that is, they are unpleasant and vile, and are not subject to anything other than burning, so the bodies of sinful people will be naked and ugly, as they are now, even much greater ugliness will appear on them; for sin and darkness, which is now hidden in their hearts and souls, will then appear externally on them as evidence that they did not spend their lives on earth in Christ, but in their own lusts. 5) And from this we consistently learn that every person has beauty or ugliness, piety or wickedness within; and what is not inside, in the heart and soul, is not really there. Faith, love, patience, humility, etc. must be inside; and if they are not inside, in the heart, then they are nothing more than hypocrisy, which outwardly appears as if something exists, but in essence is nothing. 6) No one should be condemned or judged; it is also pointless to praise; for we do not know what is hidden in anyone’s heart, and we often madly call someone evil who is actually good inside, and someone good who is evil inside, and so we become unjust judges. The apostle turns away from this: “Do not judge in any way before the time, until the Lord comes, who will illuminate what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the heart, and then everyone will have praise from God” (1 Cor. 4:5). 7) Seek by faith the kindness and decoration of the soul, and ask for it from Christ, Who alone can cleanse it from defilements and decorate it; and not to chase after the beauty of this world: for spiritual beauty is eternal, like the soul itself, but bodily beauty is temporary. CXLIV. You see that saliva and other things that come from food and drink, as long as they are contained within, a person does not disdain; and when it is cast out, then everyone abhors what he had inside himself. So it is with sin: while it exists within a person and commits it, a person does not disdain it, but when by the grace of God he gets rid of it and, like vomit, spits it out of his heart, then it becomes vile to him. How does it happen that a person abhors every sin that is visible in others, although he himself has the same sin within himself. Fornication is also detestable to the fornicator, to the predator theft, to the thief theft, to the evil one the wickedness, to the envious the envy, to the malicious the malice, to the slanderer the slander, to the foul language the foul language which is visible in one's neighbor. But in himself, although he has this same evil, he does not disdain it; he does not disdain, because he does not know deadly poison. Oh, if only the poor sinner could see this monster and terrible thing within himself and smell its abomination! He would have more abhorred that than he abhors feces expelled from the inside of his womb! But such is our common blindness, poverty and wretchedness that we do not recognize that abomination and do not try to recognize it. This is how, beloved Christian, Satan infected our heart with his poison and darkened our spiritual eye! This case and reasoning teaches us: 1) That our heart is deeply corrupted and without the grace of God nothing more than plots evil. For the serpent's seed, sown in it, bears corresponding fruits. 2) Teaches you to experience it, and the abomination hidden in it, to recognize it, and to abhor it. This happens especially when we retire day or night, and penetrate into the depths of our heart, and consider what plans, undertakings and intentions are born from it and what they are inclined towards. We also know ourselves from our neighbor, that is, what we see in our neighbor is also in us: when we see our neighbor angry or showing some other spiritual weakness, we must turn our eyes to ourselves, because we are also weak due to the same illness. The seed of all sin is in our hearts. And so, that we notice what we do in our neighbor, we can, on occasion, do it, and show evil fruits to the evil seed. For this evil is natural to us, since we are all born with it. 3) Try to clean it without laziness, in the likeness of a gardener or gardener who cuts harmful branches from trees so that they are not harmed. So we must cleanse our hearts from thoughts that harm the purification of our soul and do not allow us to bear fruits worthy of the Christian faith. For example, does the thought of anger, malice, or revenge, or hatred, or fornication, or envy, or pride, or slander, etc. arise? Cut it off or suppress it immediately so that it does not increase and thus damage the soul. And in this we ask Christ our Lord for help. 4) With faith, ask the same Deliverer to free us by His power from this vile tormentor, so that, having freed ourselves from him, we would diligently and blamelessly serve the Liberator, according to His word: “If the Son sets you free, you will be truly free” (John 8:36). Then we too will abhor the abomination of sin, as if it were spewed out and stinking pus. This is true Christian freedom, to which we must vigilantly strive and prefer it more than all the treasures of this world. This freedom far exceeds the freedom of princes, nobles and lords of this age, who command people, but obey their own passions; people are ruled, but sin rules over them. Christian freedom is not like that: it obeys and serves people only to God and for God’s sake, but does not bear the yoke of sin. Let us look, beloved Christian, for this most precious bead of the sons of God, which they carry in “clay vessels” (2 Cor. 4:7). CXLV. You see that those who want to drive out the stinking smell from the room, light incense powders or something else suitable for this, and so the stench is driven out by incense. The human soul is like a church, which, before the fall of the forefathers, was filled with splendor and goodness, like fragrant aromas, and was the dwelling of the Holy Spirit; but after the fall, anger entered her like a foul odor and filled her. We feel and smell this fetid odor all within ourselves, when from within, “evil thoughts come from the heart” (Matthew 15:19), like foul odors; We feel, dear Christian, and we sigh about this, desiring to put off the old man and put on the new. Oh, may the philanthropic Lord, Who became man for man’s sake, honor us with this! How can we drive out the stench from our souls if not with a fragrance that is contrary to it? For the contrary is driven away by the contrary. So darkness is driven away by light, cold is driven away by heat. From the fall of Adam, malice and evil spirits entered our souls. The Lord came to earth and showed us the image of His holy goodness and goodness, showed us the image of humility, patience, meekness, love and other holy morals that were in His divine heart; and just as an eagle teaches its chicks to fly, so He taught the faithful to live in this world and to please God, as He says: “Learn from Me” (Matthew 11:29); and again: “I have given you an example, that you also should do the same as I have done to you” (John 13:15); and the apostle says: “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). By His goodness, humility, patience, meekness and love, let us drive out of our hearts malice, pride, anger, hatred, envy and all impurity. And so, introducing the good morals of Christ into our souls, we will try to get rid of our evil morals and with the fragrance of Christ’s immaculate morals we will drive out the stench that has come to us from the enemy. And the more we do this, the more our spiritual home will be cleansed, just as the more fragrant powder is smoked in peace, the more peace is cleansed of stench and the more fragrance it has in itself. It is hard for our flesh, Christians, to renounce our evil ways; but this is what the Christian faith requires of us. To achieve this purification, one must do the following: 1) Always have before oneself the image of the immaculate life of Christ and look at it with the eyes of one’s soul - which requires reading or listening to the Holy Gospel, in which the life of Christ is written. This does not exclude the image of life of the saints of God, who also looked at this living divine image and imitated it. 2) With every effort and force, force yourself to resist the passions rising in the heart and suppress them at the beginning, as soon as they begin to appear from the heart, and perceive the opposite of them in the heart, for example, against pride - humility; against anger, malice, revenge, hatred, envy, impurity - patience, meekness, love, goodwill, the purity of Christ's life to perceive, and thereby pacify and tame the rebellious passions. It's easy to talk about it, but not easy to do it, Christian! For evil is natural to us, and to fight against passions and defeat them is nothing other than to fight against oneself and defeat oneself—a difficult struggle and a victory, but a glorious one! 3) Since our efforts are not strong without the help of God, for we have a very corrupt heart, therefore we must call on Christ for help, so that He Himself would help us and, instead of our bad behavior, plant His good morals by His Holy Spirit in our hearts. For this purpose, He came into the world, so that the malice, like a stench, that had settled in our souls, could drive out and plant the fragrance of His divine morals in them. May our diligence, faith and prayer be diligent; seeing this, He will bow to mercy and give us the grace of His Holy Spirit, which will help us in everything that concerns the matter of our salvation. CXLVI. You see that the farmer first puts in his heart the hope of harvesting fruits and then, having placed such hope, he sets about the work through which the fulfillment of hope is achieved: he makes the land, plows and sows. So in every thing, hope, perceived in the heart, encourages the hoper to work and the means through which hope can be realized. The hope of wealth convinces a merchant to become a merchant, the warrior the hope of victory and glory to fight, the student the hope of reason and wisdom to study in schools, etc., and exhorts him not to weaken in the work he has begun. Christians should do the same in the matter of their salvation. Christian hope is eternal life in the next century, as the holy Creed says: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century.” We lost this hope in Adam; but in Christ we find it if we sincerely believe in Him and show our faith with love and patience. Every believer in Christ must place and confirm this hope in his heart, as farmers do, and so in the feat of faith and other Christian duties, work, not weaken, looking at the desired and invaluable fruit of eternal life. Farmers clear their fields and pull out the tares so that they do not hinder the wheat from growing. So we must also cut off whims and passions from our hearts, so that we do not hinder the growth of the seed of God’s word, and so we do not make it fruitless. Farmers wait for the early and late rain on their fields, without which the fields are barren, no matter how much they work on them. Likewise, our work is in vain if the rain of God’s grace does not fall on the fields of our hearts. We must also work and wait for the rain of God’s mercy, and pray to God to send us the dew of His goodness from above and water the fields of our hearts with it. We must raise our hands and eyes to Him who lives in heaven, as the Psalmist did and gave us an image. “I have lifted up my eyes to You who dwell in heaven. Behold, like the eyes of servants on the hand of their masters, like the eyes of a slave on the hand of her mistress: so our eyes are directed “to the Lord our God, until He has mercy on us” (Ps. 122:1-2). Farmers work all summer, sweat and endure the heat of the sun in order to receive the desired fruit. Likewise, Christians must work throughout their lives, fight and endure adversities that come their way, so as not to lose the fruit of eternal life, which Christ, the Son of God, purchased for us with His labors and blood. Farmers happily collect ripe fruits. Likewise, Christians, “working out their own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12), will joyfully receive it from the hands of the Lord, which He promised to those who believe and love Him. “Those who sow in tears will reap with joy. Those who leave went away and wept, throwing away their seeds, but those who came will come with joy, gathering their sheaves” (Ps. 125:5-6). “And the redeemed of the Lord will return, they will come to Zion with shouts of joy; and everlasting joy will be upon their heads; they will find joy and gladness, and sorrow and groaning will be removed” (Is. 35:10). Lazy farmers who live in idleness, seeing their brothers gathering and rejoicing in the fruits of their labors, but having nothing for themselves, because they did not work, grieve, grieve, grieve and scold themselves for not working in the summer and therefore having no fruit. Likewise, Christians who live carelessly, seeing others lifted up in piety for their feats of faith and labor, blessed and glorified by the Lord, will cry and sob inconsolably, and will scold themselves for not wanting to work in temporary life. Lazarus, mentioned in the Gospel, rests in Abraham’s bosom after his temporary labors and illnesses; and the foolish rich man, who “dressed himself in purple and fine linen and feasted brilliantly every day,” after the joy and luxury of a short time, is in torment, and sees Abraham in the distance and Lazarus in his bosom, and, crying out, says: “Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:19–24), and he will cry out forever, but will receive nothing. From the above, you see, Christian: 1) that the present time for Christians is a time of work, heroism, sorrow and cross; and the future age is a time of peace, reward, joy and amusement, for “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God,” according to the apostolic word (Acts 14:22). 2) See how spiritually blind a poor person is! What don’t people do for the sake of temporary and soon-to-be-perishing profits? What kind of work and troubles do they accept? But nothing is painful or inconvenient for them to get what they want. The undoubted hope of the desired good motivates, encourages and approves them so much, although they are often deceived. For a person does not receive everything that he wants and hopes to receive, since our temporary well-being lies in God’s power, and not in human power, and he gives it to whomever he wants. However, people, even without perfect hope, still search, and carefully, for the good that they see with their bodily eyes. But eternal bliss, before which all glory, wealth, honor and the kingdom of earth are like nothing, is either carelessly sought, or has ceased to be sought at all. Oh, if the inner eye of a person would open, and in one blink of an eye he would see the future glory prepared for God’s chosen ones, he would strive for it as if thirsty for a spring of water, and nothing could turn him away from that. Believe, Christian, that honor, wealth, glory, sweetness and pleasures of this world, like stinking carrion, disgust him, and even suffering and torment will not be able to stop and restrain his aspirations. Christ's saving incarnation and suffering teaches us everything. In Adam, we were deprived of that future bliss and fell into eternal calamity, but Christ, the Son of God, being so great and high that there is no one greater and higher than Him, for God exists, for this purpose he came into the world and suffered, in order to deliver from eternal calamity and to return to eternal bliss man who had fallen away. From this alone we can, Christians, know that the calamity from which Christ, wanting to deliver us, shed His Blood, is great and indescribable; and great and incomprehensible is the bliss of the future, which through His death he interceded for us who had lost it. Glory to His incomprehensible love and mercy for us! It is incomprehensible both the evil of eternal torment and the good of eternal bliss, for the sake of which the Son of God and the true God did not spare Himself in order to deliver us from the first, and to return the second to us. But such is our common blindness and damnation that we either have little faith or do not believe it at all, although God has revealed that bliss in His holy word in different ways for our benefit and consolation. 3) Those Christians who do not want to fight and work in the cause of the Christian title, but want to receive eternal life, do it senselessly; they want to have fun in the sweets, luxury, honor, glory and wealth of this world - and they want to reign with Christ in the next century; they refuse to wear the cross with Christ, they are ashamed and horrified by it and avoid it - but they want to be glorified with Him. They are like those people who want to gather fruit, but do not want to plow the land, sow and work; who want to have the glory of victory and triumph, but do not want to fight; they want to receive mercy from the king, but do not want to serve him faithfully; who want to reach a certain city, but do not want to go along the path leading to that city, but go another way. The path to eternal life is narrow, Christian; but the broad one leads to eternal destruction, according to the false word of Christ our Lord (Matthew 7:13–14). Faith, which points to eternal life and leads to it, is subject to temptation in many different ways. The devil, the world with vanity and “the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal.5:24) are trying to disrupt and destroy its integrity. We must fight against all these adversaries and preserve our faith more than our lives. What follows from this if not constant embitterment, sorrow and oppression for the fighting soul? First one, then another, then a third enemy attacks and wants to take away from the soul an invaluable treasure - eternal salvation. Those who want to enter into battle with those enemies will have no time to think about the honor, glory, wealth and luxury of this world, about avenging an insult inflicted by a person, and about other things belonging to the world. He will make one effort - not to be defeated by them. Thus, from every case and from every visible creature to the invisible, reasoning can be turned, for example, from the visible world to the invisible, from visible light to the invisible and eternal, that is, God, from visible darkness to invisible, that is, the devil and sin, from visible sight to invisible, from bodily blindness to mental blindness, from bodily health to mental health, from bodily weakness to mental health, etc. - and thereby bring spiritual benefit to oneself. For what we see in visible things is also present in invisible things, and what we feel in the body is also noticed in the soul, although in an unequal way, as we read about this in Holy Scripture, in which the state of our soul, good or bad, is described. Our body has life, death, health, weakness, poverty, wealth, beauty, ugliness, sorrow, consolation, captivity, freedom, darkness, light, hunger, thirst, food, drink, clothing, work, peace, and so on. The same thing is noticeable in our soul. The body is revived by the soul, dies when the soul leaves it; the soul lives by the grace of God, dies when grace leaves it. The sun, the moon and the lamp shine on our body, but the light by which our soul is enlightened is Christ, “Who gives light to every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9), and its lamp is the law of God, according to what is written: “Your law is a lamp to my feet” (Ps. 119:105). Our body is blind if it does not have open eyes, deaf if it does not have ears, our soul is blind if it does not have the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and deaf if it does not have proper hearing of the voice of God extended in the Holy Scriptures. Our body has wealth: gold, silver and other things, according to this world, expensive; poor and wretched if he does not have. The soul also has its own wealth - the spiritual gifts of God: faith, justification, sanctification, wisdom, etc.; poverty, wretched and naked, if you don’t have them. Our body is made ugly by scabs, wounds, pus, wrinkles, etc. – our soul is made ugly by sin and disorderly passions. Our body hungers and thirsts without food and drink and endures nakedness without clothing; our soul hungers and thirsts without hearing God’s word and is hungry without His grace. The body is comforted and strengthened by food and covered with clothing - the soul is comforted by the word of God and His grace living in it, and its nakedness is covered by Christ's righteousness. Our body is taken captive when it is captured by the enemy, or imprisoned, or bound in bonds; He gains freedom when he gets rid of these disasters. The soul also has its own bitter captivity when a person falls under the power of the devil, serves sin and disorderly passions, commits fornication, gets drunk, kidnaps, steals, gets angry and commits other passions; He is freed by Christ when he turns from sins to God and believes in Christ, the Savior of all. So in other things, the similarity of the invisible with the visible and the soul with the body is noticeable, which Holy Scripture will teach you about, Christian, if you read or listen to it with diligence and the desire for your salvation. And how we can free ourselves from spiritual disasters and receive spiritual bliss is presented in the same Scripture as an image, that is, faith in Christ, who delivers those who believe in Him and makes them blessed, as He Himself says: “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36). And again: “Christ Jesus... became for us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,” wrote the apostle (1 Cor. 1:30). Note here, Christian: 1) These points serve to clarify my next proposals and reasoning. 2) These similarities, taken from various things that are subject to the senses, and applied to invisible ones, are more relied upon for the sake of the common people, who cannot understand the doctrine of spiritual things. Nothing explains it, makes it understandable, and deepens the teaching in memory, as with the likenesses of those things that are subject to our senses and are before our eyes. Therefore, we see that in the sacred books there are many such similarities, with which the saving teaching is explained, and heavenly and spiritual things are proven earthly and visible, such as: the word of God is likened to a seed, sinners are likened to the sick, those unenlightened by the grace of God are like the blind, the unknown day of the second coming of Christ is like a thief who comes in the night, and so on. 3) A thing is similar to one another not in everything, but only in certain properties: therefore, about similarities, both here in this paragraph and in other cited places, we should understand the same thing, that they are similar only in certain properties to those things that they explain. 4) In order to turn reasoning from visible to invisible things and thus receive spiritual benefit, reflection by faith is required, which has as its foundation the word of God, controlled and affirmed, without which one can conveniently sin. Article 2: About the human heart and tongue Chapter 1: About the human heart “A good man brings forth good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and an evil man brings forth evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart, for out of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaks,” says the Lord (Luke 6:45). “My son, give me your heart” (Proverbs 23:26) § 28. The heart is meant here not in the literal sense, since it is the beginning of human life, as philosophers argue, but morally, that is, as an internal human state, disposition and inclination. This is evident from the following apostolic word: “they believe with the heart unto righteousness” (Rom. 10:10), and another prophetic: “the fool said in his heart: “There is no God” (Ps. 13:1), and from other places of Holy Scripture. Where does the heart come from in Scripture likened to a treasure in which either good or evil is hidden, as the Lord says: “a good man brings forth good from the good treasure of his heart, and an evil man brings out evil from the evil treasure of his heart.” That is, what kind of internal state a person has, such are his external words and deeds, and what he studies, plans, tries on the inside, then manifests himself outwardly. External word and deed are a messenger and witness of the inner human state. The heart, in the literal sense, since it is the beginning of human life, is the same for everyone, that is, for good and evil, like other natural organs; but in a moralizing sense, what is meant is not the same, but for some it is good, for another it is evil, and so on. § 29. The human heart in itself, without the grace of God, is evil, for it thinks nothing other than vain and evil things, as it is written: “The thoughts of the heart of man are evil from his youth” (Gen. 8:21). Where does this heart come from, as you will see below, in Scripture it is called “stone”: for it neither bows nor softens with admonitions, nor threats, nor mercy, nor severity. Therefore, God promises to give His faithful a “different heart.” “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and I will take out of their flesh the heart of stone, and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 11:19). Therefore, about a person who has not been regenerated by the grace of God, it is said: “The fool said in his heart: “There is no God.” And the Lord says: “From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy” (Matthew 15:19). And although a person will be enlightened by the grace of God, he still feels this evil, coming from the heart, and must put in a lot of work throughout his life and spiritually fight against that natural disaster, for an incessant battle is laid before him against it. Where do we read that those reborn by water and the Spirit and saints fall into grave sins, which flow from this corrupt source. Therefore, all the faithful are commanded to pray and ask the Heavenly Father for the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that they can resist the evil that comes from the heart and put it to death. The devil with his evil angels and the temptations of this world contributes to the corruption of our hearts to our detriment. From here it follows that a good and God-fearing heart cannot exist except from God. For man himself cannot change his evil heart to good; from where the Psalmist prays: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb” (Ps. 50:12). Therefore, everyone who wants to have a good heart must pray with the Psalmist to God that, according to His merciful promise, He would give a different heart and a new spirit, and take from us the heart of stone, and give us a heart of flesh, so that on it, as on new tablets, the law of the Gospel of Christ could be written, “not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone, but on tablets of flesh of the heart” ( 2 Cor. 3:3), as it is written: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put My law within them, and write it on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Jer. 31:33). § 30. To have one heart and one soul means to have great agreement in doctrine and will, as it is written about the faithful who were in the days of the apostles: “The multitude of those who believed had one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32). § 31. Double-mindedness or double-heartedness occurs in a person who speaks one thing with his tongue and thinks another. Everyone usually calls such a person double-minded, or in other words he can be called a flatterer, a deceiver and a crafty one; The opposite virtue to this vice is simplicity of heart. § 32. A pure and right heart, according to Holy Scripture: 1) tries to follow the will of God; 2) seeks the glory of God in all his deeds, words and undertakings; 3) cares about the benefit of his neighbor, that is, every person. You will see this more clearly and in greater detail, reader, below. § 33. The heart is the beginning and root of all our deeds. For whatever we do, in thought or deed, we do it with our heart, either good or evil. We believe in our hearts or we don’t believe; whether we love or hate with our hearts; whether we are humble or proud in our hearts; we tolerate or murmur with our hearts; we forgive or get angry in our hearts; we reconcile with our hearts or are at enmity; with our hearts we turn to God or turn away; with our hearts we draw closer, we come to God, or we move away and move away; we bless or curse with our hearts. There is joy or sadness in the heart, hope or despair, repentance or unrepentant life, fear or boldness. There is simplicity or deceit in the heart. The heart sighs, prays, hopes, or does the opposite, and so on. Therefore, what is not in the heart is not really there. Faith is not faith, love is not love, when there is nothing in the heart, but there is hypocrisy. Humility is not humility, but pretense, if not in the heart; friendship is not friendship, but worse than enmity, if it only appears outwardly, but has no place in the heart. Therefore, God demands our heart from us: “My son, give your heart to Me” (Prov. 23:26). § 34. Whatever is conceived in the heart, good or evil, appears outside, through the bodily members. And the human heart uses the external members of the body, such as the tongue, arms, legs and others, as tools to transform its plans into action itself. Thus he blesses or curses with his tongue, with his hands he kidnaps or gives, he kills or preserves; listens with ears to good or evil; walks with his feet to the intended place; other members accomplish their intention. Whoever has a good heart, purified by the holy faith of Christ, shows unfeignedly good fruits; and whoever has an evil heart reveals evil fruits, as the Lord says: “A good man brings forth good things out of the good treasure of his heart, and an evil man brings forth evil things out of the evil treasure of his heart” (Luke 6:45). § 35. Every human deed is judged not by external, but by the internal state of the heart and intention. For often the external affairs of both are the same. But the internal disposition and intention may be different. For example, one judge does not accept bribes, and another does not. The first one does not accept it because the monarch’s decrees threaten execution, but would have accepted it if this had not been the case. The other does not take, so as not to anger God by transgressing His holy commandment. This one is a true unmercenary, has a kind and God-fearing heart. And although he does not accept bribes with his hands, he does accept them with his heart, and therefore, as a bribe-taker, he is condemned. For he has the fear of man, not God; he fears man, not God. And therefore he has an evil and unfaithful heart. One doesn't steal because he doesn't want to. Another does not steal because he cannot, but would steal if the opportunity presented itself. The first is truly honest, and the second always steals from the heart. One gives alms for the sake of the name of Christ, wanting to help the one asking out of poverty, and the other - in order to gain good fame. The first is truly merciful, and the second is vain. One enters the church with the faithful to pray and glorify the name of God, and the other to watch the ceremonies. Entering a church is useful for one and not useful for another. For even the pagans look at the Christian ceremony. One perceives rank in order to accumulate wealth and receive great honor, and the other - in order to serve society and his brethren. He has a good intention, while the other has an evil and harmful intention. One preacher speaks a sermon in order to show himself, to receive glory and praise from his listeners and to gain a high degree. Another preaches to benefit people. He has a good intention, and the other has an evil one. If you don’t kill, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t slander your neighbor because you’re afraid of a civil court, you’re a politician, not a Christian. You fear man, not God. And therefore you are considered among the infidels, although you bear the name of Christ. You don’t do evil because God has forbidden you and you’re afraid of angering God—that’s part of the Christian faith. You go to battle in order to gain profit from the enemy, to get rich - you are not much and are almost no different from a robber who attacks people in order to get rich. You go against the enemy in order to protect your Church and Fatherland - this intention is laudable. You look at your wife simply, without any lust, as a creation of God - there is no sin. If you look with unclean lust, you “commit adultery... in your heart,” as the Lord teaches (Matthew 5:28). If you dress in a dress appropriate to your rank, you do it without sin. You adorn yourself with clothing to show pomp and receive respect from those who don’t know - you are a peace-lover and have a proud heart. You ask your neighbor for forgiveness for insult and insult, fearing civil judgment - this is human wisdom. You humble yourself before your brother with regret that you offended him - this is a sign of love. If you don’t get drunk because you don’t have anything to drink, you get drunk in your heart. You don’t get drunk because it’s a sin - this is abstinence, you are a true abstinent. Anyone crying because he has lost wealth or lost his honor is the sadness of this age and therefore useless. Another cries that he cannot take revenge on his neighbor - this is an act of anger and destructive sadness. The third cries that he has angered the man-loving God - such “sorrow for God’s sake” (2 Cor. 7:10) and soul-saving. You cry over a dead father, or a brother, or a friend who is separated from your loved one - sadness is useless. You cry over the dead, thinking that sin has brought us to such a poor state - this is Christian crying. A commander punishes a subordinate who is disrespected or dishonored by him - this is the execution of anger and malice, not punishment. He punishes as a criminal, and so that in future he behaves more correctly - this correct punishment is also a Christian intention. You give alms to the beggar so that you can get some benefit from him - this is buying and bargaining, not alms. You honor the king or those sent by him, fearing punishment for disrespect - this is human cunning. You honor because God commanded you to honor - this is a Christian thing. You endure an insult because you cannot take revenge - involuntary patience. You endure offense voluntarily, obeying the commandment of Christ - this is a matter of true patience and saving. Likewise, in other matters, every deed is judged by the state of the heart - whether it is evil or good. Everyone is informed about this in their conscience, as we see in Holy Scripture. Cain and Abel offered sacrifice to God: but “the Lord looked upon Abel and his gift, but did not look upon Cain and his gift” (Gen. 4:4–5). The publican and the Pharisee prayed to God in the church; but the publican is justified, and the Pharisee is rejected (Luke 18:14). Zacchaeus rejoiced when he saw our Lord Jesus Christ (see Luke 19:2–9), and Herod also rejoiced (see Luke 23:8), but Herod’s joy turned to destruction, and Zacchaeus’s joy turned to salvation. Thus, every matter is judged before God according to the inner state of the heart. And although it happens that a deed outwardly seems good, but if it comes from an unkind and obscene intention, it is condemned before God as obscene. Intention is like the foundation on which a business is built. And what is the intention, so is the deed: if a good intention is a good deed, if an evil intention is an evil and deed done. It follows from this that we should neither praise nor scold anyone recklessly. Since no one except God alone can know the inner human state and intentions. “What man knows the things that are in a man, except the spirit of man that dwelleth in him” (1 Cor. 2:11)? For it often happens that we madly praise someone who is accursed before God and therefore is actually vile; we condemn the one whom God justifies, and we foolishly justify the one whom God condemns, and therefore we sin. § 36. Since every human deed, both internal and external, depends on the heart, and as the heart is, so is the deed - good or evil. And by nature we have a corrupt heart. Therefore, we must earnestly and unceasingly pray and ask God, the Knower of the Heart, Who makes everything out of nothing and good out of evil, asking for a new heart and a right spirit, so that the thoughts and deeds that come from the heart are right and intended for God’s glory alone. We must, following the example of the Psalmist, always sigh: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb” (Ps. 50:12). And if your heart is right, then your deeds will be right. Chapter 2: About human language “If anyone among you thinks he is godly and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, his godliness is empty” (James 1:26) § 37. A person sins in nothing more than with his tongue when it is not properly controlled. The tongue curses people created in the likeness of God. The tongue slanderes father and mother. Language teaches murder. The tongue advises and conspires about adultery, uncleanness, theft, extortion, and all kinds of untruth. The tongue lies, flatters, deceives. The tongue chatters idlely, babbles, blasphemes, uses foul language. The language of the guilty in court justifies and the right accuses. The language of the merchants sells a bad thing for a good one. The language concerns monarchs, who are not subject to any earthly court. The tongue also torments holy men, who with their kindness do not harm anyone. Our Lord Himself, the Savior of the world, did not lose His tongue, Who “committed no sin, neither was flattery in His mouth” (1 Peter 2:22). The tongue spews blasphemy against the great, holy and terrible name of God. In a word, the tongue leaves nothing, but spews out the poison that lies in the human heart. § 38. The tongue does countless evils in the world. 1) The tongue of one monarch slanderes another: from which enmity, quarrels, battles, bloodshed occur; so many thousands of innocent people are falling; so many widows and orphans remain crying; so many states, cities, villages are deserted; so many sums of money and other dependents are wasted in vain. 2) Language dispels heresies, schisms, temptations, and from this much harm is done to the Holy Church, harm to people, anxiety and labor to church rulers, as the matter itself shows. 3) The tongue fills the ears of kings, princes and other powerful people with slander, from which many innocent people perish. 4) Language also aggravates the courts with insidious and unscrupulous slander, which causes unnecessary worries and difficulties for those present and the clerks. 5) The tongue, touching the authorities with slander, leads them to suspicion, from which they receive contempt, disobedience from those in power, and in themselves fearlessness, self-will; there is confusion and all sorts of disorder in society. 6) The tongue of the weak and cowardly leads to unbearable sadness, despondency and despair. 7) Language in the same city and village between neighbors, in the same house between wife and husband, between brothers, sisters, slaves, between dear friends makes quarrels and fights. 8) The tongue reveals secrets, which a sworn position must firmly keep, from which many difficulties and troubles arise. 9) The tongue often brings the slanderer himself into great repentance and sadness for having released a word that cannot be returned. To put it briefly: how many troubles there are or were in the world, all of them were either caused by the tongue or multiplied. Oh, unbridled tongue! “It is a small member, but does much... it is an uncontrollable evil... full of deadly poison” (James 3:5-8). Blessed and wise is he who bridles his tongue! Blessed is he who “has made weight and measure for his words, and a door and a lock for his mouth!” He who bridles the tongue will live peacefully, and he who hates talkativeness will reduce evil,” says Sirach (Sir.28:29, 19:6). Truly Solomon wrote: “He who guards his mouth guards his life” (Proverbs 13:3); and again: “Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23). He who does not keep his tongue is wretched and mad, does not know the time to be silent and the time to speak: “A man with an evil tongue will not be corrected on earth” (Ps. 139:12). “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:22); for “a stumbling block from the ground is better than from the tongue” (Sir.20:18). “Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but not as many as have fallen by the tongue; happy is he who hid from him, who did not experience his wrath, who did not bear his yoke and was not bound by his bonds; for his yoke is a yoke of iron, and his bonds are bonds of brass, cruel death is his death, and hell itself is better than it” (Sir.28:21-24). § 39. If the tongue, not controlled by reason, is the cause of so many sins and troubles, we must try to curb it. But effort without God’s help can do little, “for evil is uncontrollable,” as the apostle says. And although it has two fences, that is, teeth and lips, it nevertheless breaks through. For the human heart, like an overflowing vessel, throws out everything that cannot be contained, and thus “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” according to the words of the Lord (Luke 6:45). Therefore, we must humbly pray with the Psalmist to Almighty God: “Put, O Lord, a guard over my mouth and a door of protection over my lips” (Ps. 140:3), so that the heart can be corrected, and the tongue - the instrument of the heart - can be directed and taught in the right time and how one should speak, and what one should not say, one would not even think about in the heart. Article 3: About sin in general and the consequences of sin Chapter 1: What a great evil is sin “Woe to the wicked! For his reward will be for the work of his hands" (Is. 3:11) § 40. Sin is everything that is done against the holy and eternal law of God, as the apostle teaches: “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). Sin is a crime and destruction of God’s eternal and unchangeable law, disobedience and resistance to God’s holy will. § 41. Sin can be deed, word, thought, desire and intention. Case in point: murder, theft, etc.; in a word, something like: blasphemy, slander, slander, foul language, etc.; thoughts, such as: foul language, pleasure in thoughts that comes from lust, secret hatred, malice, etc.; desire and intention, such as: lust of uncleanness, desire for someone else's good, revenge and everything that a person wants to do against the law of God, which is a sin against God's tenth commandment: “You shall not covet” (Exodus 20:17). § 42. Sin is both that which is prohibited by the law of God, and that which is commanded by the law of God is abandoned. It is a sin to kill, but it is also a sin not to give a helping hand to someone in need, for example, someone drowning in water. For God in His law commanded both to avoid evil and to do good: “avoid evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15); and as he said: “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15), so he commanded: “Give to him who asks of you” (Matthew 5:42). Therefore, execution from God is determined not only for evil deeds, but also for abandoning good deeds, as it is written: “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9); and the Lord sends into eternal fire those who have not done deeds of mercy, as we read from Saint Matthew in chapter 25, where the image of the judgment of Christ is presented. Therefore, both to do evil and not to do good is a sin. Both the creation of evil and the abandonment of good is against the law of God, which prohibits evil and commands good. § 43. A deed, seemingly good, turns into vice and sin, if it is done not for a good purpose, but for an evil one. So alms are discredited if they are given for the sake of vanity; the preacher sins when he preaches the word of God for the sake of his own praise, and so on. The reason for this is that such a person departs from God in his heart and, in the place where he should have and honor God, places himself as an idol; for he anticipates His glory, which befits Him alone, as the Author of all good. Such a person has self-love in his heart and loves and honors himself instead of God. And his work is like an apple, red on the outside, but rotten and stinking on the inside, and he himself is like a painted coffin, which is beautiful on the outside, but stinking on the inside; or like an evil tree that cannot produce good fruit; but just as it is evil, so it bears evil fruit (see Matt. 7:17–18). For for a deed to be truly good, it must be good both outside and inside; then it happens to be good when good is done, that is, when it happens from a good heart and for a good purpose, that is, it happens to the glory of God and the benefit of one’s neighbor. § 44. Sin is a great evil, as the following reasons show. 1) Every sin offends the Majesty of God. To offend a simple person is no small evil, a high-ranking one is more, and how great is a king. And what a grave evil is to offend the infinite and indescribable God! Resentment and insult grow on behalf of the insulted; and the greater and higher the person offended is, the greater the insult and the greater the sin. But an insult to every person, not only a simple person, but also a high-ranking person and the king himself, is like nothing in comparison with an insult to God: for every person, and the king himself, is like nothing before the majesty of God, before whom the whole world and all nations are “counted as a drop from a bucket ...” (Is. 40:15). Therefore, every sin is a very grave evil, for by it the infinite majesty of God is offended; and such evil will be cleansed all eternity by the fire of Gehenna if it is not cleansed here by contrition of heart, repentance and the Blood of the Son of God. 2) Through sin, the law of God, eternal and unchangeable, is ruined. For God gave His law to us so that we might keep it intact. And when a person sins and violates God’s law, he violates that Divine institution and law, which must remain eternally inviolable and intact. And so man destroys what God has established; and the damned sinner changes and destroys what in itself should be unchangeable and indestructible. The law of God depicts what should be this way, and not otherwise, as depicted; for example, to honor and love God above all things and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is what the eternal and unchanging truth demands from a person. But the blinded sinner, despite this, dares to destroy the inviolable and violate the inviolable, to the dishonor of the eternal God and his own destruction. 3) A person, when he sins, honors himself more than God, listens more to his lust than to God, prefers his will to the will of God and His holy law, and becomes, as it were, autocratic and disobedient to the power of God, and so with the devil he stubbornly stands against God. It cannot be otherwise when a person sins out of willfulness, prejudice and against his conscience. For the devil’s work is to resist God and not submit to Him. Therefore, about such sinners it is written: “Whoever commits sin is of the devil” (1 John 3:8), and such “children of the devil” are called (1 John 3:10; John 8:44). How difficult and scary it is to resist God and your Creator with the devil, everyone can see. 4) Sin is such a great and terrible evil that no one could destroy it except the Only Begotten Son of God. The Almighty Son of God had to come and take it away with His suffering and death. “For this purpose the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). God's law is unchangeable, as stated above, therefore a person either had to fulfill it all, or the one who transgressed and sinned suffered eternal punishment; for this is what the truth of God demands from man. But since everyone was designated by the word of God to be lawbreakers, then everyone was subject to eternal condemnation for this reason; and no one could get rid of it on their own. For this, the Son of God came and atoned for sin with His suffering and death, and cleansed it with His sacrifice on the tree of the cross; consequently, execution, as a consequence of sin, was taken away from those who believe in Him. For there is no sin without punishment; and when sin is taken away, then execution will not follow, since execution occurs only for sin. Therefore, when the faithful pray and ask for remission of sins, they ask in the name of Christ, Who alone forgives and takes away sin. Without Him, there is no forgiveness or remission of sin. For He is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Do not think, man, that sin is something small. If the Lamb of God does not take away sin from you, then throughout endless eternity you will pay for it in Gehenna to the righteousness of God; He will take it only from those who stop sinning, repent and believe in Him. And if you consider sin to be a small thing, then you cannot escape its sorrow; for this is a sign that you do not have true repentance. For a truly repentant person recognizes its heaviness and sorrow and therefore guards himself from it like a deadly poison. 5) It is terrible for pagans who do not know God and His holy law to sin, but it is more terrible for Christians who confess God and are enlightened by the light of His word. For pagans are convicted by conscience alone, but Christians are convicted of sin by conscience and the written law of God. The pagans both do not know God and do not see His will as declared in the law. Christians every day hear the preached will of God and the execution that follows the criminals of God's law, and so, knowing the will of God, they do not fulfill it. The pagans do not know God and do not make any promises to Him. Christians, when entering Christianity, promise to serve God, to do His will, and renounce Satan and his works; but when they turn to sins, everyone forgets and tramples on them, and betrays God, and becomes deceitful. And so it happens to them, according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his vomit, and a swine that has been washed goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Peter 2:22). Sin for Christians is nothing more than apostasy, treason, which is betrayed not to man, but to God. Reason, Christian, that there is a sin that you delight in. Although you confess the name of God, you deny Him in deed when you transgress His commandment. How many times do you sin, for example, kill, commit fornication, steal, abduct, slander, blaspheme, slander, etc., so many times do you obey the advice of the devil and the commandment of God, and reject His command; No matter how many times you listen to the enemy of the devil and disobey God, so many times you retreat from Him and approach the devil. Truly this is the case, although you don’t notice it. 6) Sin separates a person from God, as the prophet says: “Your sins have created a separation between you and God” (Is. 59:2). And the more a person sins, the more he moves away from God; the more he moves away, the more he is darkened. “God is light” (1 John 1:5). Therefore, the further a person goes from Him, the more darkness he goes into and the more his mind becomes blind. How does it happen that such a person often sins then he does not consider what is a great sin, and rejoices about what he should cry about. For example, to take revenge on one’s neighbor, to repay evil for evil, to insult, to deceive, to deceive and with a word, like an arrow, to wound a person, many consider it a consolation for themselves that there is great madness and extreme darkness of the mind. Therefore, in all his actions, deeds and undertakings, such a person walks as if blind or in darkness, and does not see the pit of destruction into which he might fall. It is said about such people: “They have not known, they have not understood, they walk in darkness” ** (Ps. 81:5); - and again: “We touch a wall like blind people, and, like without eyes, we grope; we stumble at midday as at twilight” (Isaiah 59:10). Sin leads to this disaster. 7) The Lord says: “Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). He who commits fornication is a slave of fornication; he who gets drunk and overeats is a slave of the belly, “his belly is his god” (Phil. 3:19). He who loves silver and gold is a slave of mammon, “serves mammon” (Matthew 6:24). Think the same about other passions. “For whoever is overcome by someone is his slave” (2 Peter 2:19). What a hard and disgusting job this is! More difficult and vile than serving a person, for it is better to serve every person, and the tormentor himself, as a creation of God, than to serve sin and the devil. Oh, if only the poor sinner could see this work! I would recognize myself as poorer than captives, convicts, prisoners in prison, chained people and other poor and physically suffering people. But he is all the more poor because he does not understand his poverty. For passion blinds the rational eye. 8) The Apostle says: “Whoever commits sin is of the devil, because the devil sinned first”; and below calls sinners “children of the devil” (1 John 3:8, 10). And the Lord said to the evil Jews: “Your father is the devil; and you want to do the lusts of your father” (John 8:44). It is very miserable and scary to be the son of the devil. But sin, the evil and devilish seed, leads a person to such a terrible disaster. For a sinner who commits sin and does not want to repent, portrays that prince of darkness as the son of his father, by his morals, and by his very deed shows that he is from that bad father, for he creates evil fruits from his evil seed, that is, sins. From the fruit the seed is known, and as the seed is, so is its fruit. The devil resists and does not submit to God - and the unrepentant sinner remains in the same disobedience. Take heed to this, everyone, and consider whose son you are, even though you bear the name of Christ. The apostolic word is true and true: “Whoever commits sin is of the devil... Every tree is known by its fruit,” says the Lord (Luke 6:44). 9) Sin, since, as has been said, it separates from God, Who alone has life, or, moreover, He Himself is the Source of life, it deprives the separated soul of life and thus mortifies it. Such a person is both alive and dead: alive in body, but dead in soul. So our forefathers in paradise on the day on which they ate from the forbidden tree and sinned, died, according to the word of the Lord: “In the day that you eat from it, you will surely die” (Gen. 2:17). So about the prodigal son, who was separated from his father, but turned again through repentance, it is said: “My son was dead and is alive, he was lost and is found” ( Luke 15:24, 32) It is not spoken of bodily death, because even in his separation from his father he was alive in the body, as the circumstances of the parable show, but of spiritual death, from which he came to life when he returned from error to his father through repentance. For this parable depicts a sinner who has been separated from God, his Father, but through true repentance turns to Him again, who is dead in soul until he is separated. from God, because one who has been separated from life must certainly be dead. Just as one who has withdrawn from the light must be in darkness, so one who has withdrawn from life must be in the shadow of death. For where there is no light, there is certainly darkness; and where there is no life, there is certainly death. God is a living and life-giving light; therefore, the one who is separated from Him remains in darkness and death. To such a dead man the word of God speaks: “Rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Eph. 5:14). 10) An irritated conscience torments a person by sin, and this torment is so severe that it often leads to despair, as happened with Cain, the fratricide (Gen. 4) and Judas, the traitor of the Lord (Matt. 27:5). While sin is being committed, its evil is not known; but when conscience awakens after the Fall, then the sinner will know how bitter sin is. Like a drunk, while he drinks and is drunk, he does not feel his harm; and when he sleeps it off, then he will feel how harmful drunkenness is, and the sinner, while he remains in sinful drunkenness, does not feel the sinful harm; but when he awakens from that drunkenness, then he will know how great, grave and painful the evil is sin. Then conscience will awaken and torment him more than any tormentor and, like a worm on a tree, gnaws and consumes his soul inside; then sadness, fear and horror of God’s wrath and judgment, Gehenna and eternal torment arise in him; then thoughts, like waves, strike the poor soul: “There is no salvation for you in your God” (Ps. 3:3). Wherever the sinner is, everywhere this tormentor is inseparably with him, everywhere he torments and devours him; disturbs during the day, disturbs at night and takes away sleep; he falls asleep a little, and then he frightens him; If he awakens from sleep, his evil conscience will also awaken. With this misfortune the day begins and passes, the night begins and passes, and so he can never free himself from that disaster, since he always has this evil within himself. Oh, evil, painful evil - an evil conscience! Oh, grave evil - sin that so troubles our conscience! It is better to have a wounded body than a wounded conscience by sins. It is better to endure the beating of the body than the beating of the conscience; It is better to accept all sorts of external troubles than to have this one trouble inside. If in this age, where we do not see every sin in our conscience, for “who can understand the fall” (Ps. 18:13), the conscience is so seriously tormented for sin; how heavy and unbearable this torment will be in the future, where all sins will be revealed and presented, and the poor soul will feel all the wrath of God on itself, and will remain in endless despair, without God’s mercy, forever! But whoever, after committing a sin, does not feel conviction and torment of conscience, has lost his last hope of salvation, and this is a sign that he does not consider any sin to be a sin: it only seems that this is impossible. For this witness is faithful: no matter how you console him or soften him, he does not cease to inform, denounce and cry out; always seeks judgment against the sinner. Both the written law of God and the natural law, although darkened in the sinner, always exposes sin and means God’s judgment on the sinner. The law of God and conscience come together, and what the law of God says on the charter is what conscience says inside. The law of God says: “Thou shalt not steal,” and your conscience tells you the same thing. Why does it happen that even the greatest lawless people look for a hidden place to commit lawless deeds? For no one wants to openly sin and the sin they have committed hides it in every possible way. This comes from nothing other than conscience, which convicts the sinner of what he is doing badly, and brings shame upon him. 11) Gehenna, hell and eternal torment are prepared for sin. How great and terrible is the misfortune, firstly, to be deprived forever of God’s mercy and His sweetest sight, with which all the holy Angels and holy people will forever be satisfied without satiety; to be alienated and rejected from this blessed cathedral and to fall into the most painful eternal state, with the devil and his evil angels, to drink the cup of God's wrath without end, to suffer in that flame that consumes, but does not kill (Matthew 13:42, 25:41; Mark 9:43-45, etc.), where one drop of water is desired, but will never happen, and the answer will be heard: “Child! Remember that you have already received your good things in your life” (Luke 16:25). How hard, I say, in such a calamity it is to sigh, groan, weep, weep, be consumed, and grind your teeth endlessly, incessantly and uselessly! Sin leads to such terrible evil (Rev. 21:8). 12) Sin brings about temporary plagues, such as: bloody wars, pestilences, illnesses, sorrows, famines, earthquakes, fires, etc. If there were no sin, none of this would have happened. Sin is the cause of all evils and disasters. 13) Sin is the reason why even the most innocent nature suffers. Man sins, but other creatures suffer: the earth does not produce fruit, cattle and animals perish from hunger, the air and water are corrupted, and so on. Human sin is the cause of all this. You see, man, what evil sin is. Oh, sin is an unspeakable evil, for by it the infinite and all-good God is offended and angry! Shameless betrayal is a sin with which we betray the immortal and righteous God! An incurable ulcer is a sin that hurts, torments and consumes our conscience! Mental leprosy is a sin that no one except the Only Begotten Son of God can heal! The source of temporary and eternal disasters, the root of condemnation and death, the transformation of nature, the darkening of the mind, the corruption of spiritual kindness and all evils, the worst evil is sin! Righteously, Saint John Chrysostom wrote: “There is nothing heavier than sin” (On Psalm 121); “There is nothing more vile and unclean than sin” (Conversation 25 on the Evangelist John). Truly sin is more evil than the demon, as the same father teaches (Conversation 41 on the Acts of the Apostles). For even the demon, who was created by the Creator as a bright angel, was made by sin into a demon. Truly it is better to walk naked than to walk burdened with sins, as the same father says (Conversation 5 on the Evangelist John). O sin-loving soul! Look and think about what great, terrible and incurable evil you love! What a vile monster you delight in! Feel and see to what end this bad love is leading you, and, turning away from this monster, turn to the beginning and source of all good things - God. “When you return and breathe, then you will be saved and you will understand where you have been” (Is. 30:15). § 45. Help in the struggle against sin: 1) Try to have a good upbringing in your youth, which happens “in the teaching and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). For all other life depends on upbringing, like a fresh clay vessel: what it is first saturated with, it will emit such a smell for the rest of its life. Everyone is born evil; for everyone is conceived in iniquities and born in sins (Ps. 50:7). Therefore, in order to become good, correction and training are required: just as a fierce and untrained horse is trained in order to be fit for riding. Passions, although they exist in a young heart, have not yet intensified, and therefore, if they are first curbed by punishment and fear, they will be pacified and tamed: one must expect good hope in a young man so brought up. The young tree, whichever side it leans towards, will remain standing until the end: so the young heart, which is taught, will hold on to that until death. 2) Move away from evil and corrupt people. For, even if a person was brought up in goodness and lived piously, if he associates with evil people, he can become corrupted, just as one who touches soot is denigrated: “Bad communities corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). Therefore, like Lot from Sodom, the good must flee from cohabitation with the evil, so as not to perish, having been corrupted by their lawless life. 3) Study in God’s holy word and read or listen to other soul-helping books. For God’s word and other books that agree with it, denounce sin and teach virtue, and thus lead us away from sin, showing its abomination and the subsequent destruction from it - by which a person can turn away from sin and do repentance and its fruits, that is, good deeds. 4) Do not disdain, but even love the reproof and instruction of good and reasonable people who themselves know sin and abhor it and can give good advice to others. 5) Often remember that at baptism they renounced Satan and all his works, that is, sins, and promised to serve God with honor and truth, as it is written in the form of baptism. Is it proper for a Christian to turn to Satan and his evil deeds, which he has renounced and spat on, and to turn away from his Creator and Redeemer and to betray Him, Whom, as his King and Sovereign, he promised to serve with faith and truth? Truly, the proverb befits this: “A dog returns to his vomit, and a swine that has been washed goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Peter 2:22). For a Christian is washed at baptism from all sinful defilements, according to what is said: “You were washed,... sanctified,... justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). But when a Christian turns to sins and commits them, just as a dog returns to his vomit and a washed pig returns to the mud. For every sin is like vile vomit and stinking dirt, with which a person, washed, sanctified and justified by the grace of Christ in baptism, is again defiled when he commits sin and betrays God and his Creator, and thus becomes unfaithful to Him whom he promised to faithfully serve. Oh, how grave and disastrous this betrayal is! It is difficult, because it is God, not man, who is betrayed by the sinner. It is hard for your Sovereign, the king of the earth, to change, how much more so for God, the King of Heaven? Disastrous, for the sinner is again given over to the power of the devil, from which he was delivered by the grace of God, and so again he becomes a child of God’s wrath, darkness and eternal condemnation, who became the son of light, the blessing of God and the heir of eternal life. How many tears and cries does a sinner need to mourn this betrayal and wash his desecrated soul! Remember, Christian, the bath of baptism, in which you washed yourself from sinful defilements, and do not return to them; and do not forget denials and promises, and beware of breaking them - so that you do not betray your Creator. If you have cheated, turn again with tears and weeping to your Father, like the prodigal son, and he will have mercy on you; and henceforth do not retreat from Him - so that you will not lose His mercy forever. 6) Remember the last four: death, the judgment of Christ, hell and the kingdom of heaven. Always remembering and faithfully thinking about this turns away from sin. Death unexpectedly comes and captures everyone, the righteous and the sinner, and sends them to the next age. After death, the righteous judgment of Christ follows, in which the words, deeds and thoughts of lawless people will be tested, where one should either be glorified or shamed. After that judgment, two roads will open: one to hell, which will lead unrepentant sinners; the other to the kingdom of heaven, and the righteous and saints will go through it. “The redeemed of the Lord will come to Zion with shouts of joy; and everlasting joy will be upon their heads” (Isaiah 35:10). “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life” (Matthew 25:46). Thinking about this is true Christian philosophy, which teaches not to experience the nature of things, but to recognize the vanity of the world, the shortness of time and the longness of eternity, and to turn the heart from the visible to the invisible and from the temporal to the eternal. “In all your deeds remember your end, and you will never sin” (Sir.7:39). 7) Reason that the sweetness of sin is brief, but eternal sorrow will follow. Sin, as it is committed, delights somewhat, but when it is created, it introduces sorrow, wounds the conscience, defiles the soul and leads to eternal torment. 8) Let the meanness and abomination of sin turn a Christian away from sin, for he is the seed and fruit of the devil, “because the devil sinned first” (1 John 3:8). 9) Talk about Christian nobility, which is great, lofty, exalted and incomprehensible. To be a “son of God”, to have “fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3, 3:1), to be “a church... of the Holy Spirit and the ear of Christ” (1 Cor. 6:15, 19) - how great! What honor, glory and nobility can be greater than this for a person! All the glory and honor of kings and princes is inferior to how darkness But a Christian is deprived of this through sin: “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, but walk in darkness, then we lie and do not act in the truth” (1 John 1:5-6). The death of Christ and His terrible suffering for our sins greatly turn a Christian away from sin. Because of our pride He humbled himself so deeply; because of our foul language, slander, blasphemy, slander, His most holy ears suffered blasphemy and reproach; for our thefts, His hands were nailed to the Cross; for our drunkenness and voluptuousness we were given vinegar mixed with bile to drink; He was so terribly tormented for our filth and impurity, and cleansed all our sins and iniquities on the tree of the cross with His suffering. “He was wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities” (Is. 53:5). Should you, Christian, do what the Son of God, your Savior, suffered such dishonor and torment for? What pain and torment caused Christ, should you rejoice in that? Let this not happen! 11) Read the examples of God’s saints who fought against sin and imitate them in this. 12) Evil thoughts that rebel and lead to sin should be immediately cut off - nothing less than shaking off a fiery spark from our hands - so that, having become stronger like thieves, entering the house, they do not devastate our spiritual home and destroy us. For this is what the Christian feat consists of. If we cut off thoughts, we will cut off sin. For sin comes from thoughts, like a tree from a root, or like fruit from a seed. Cut off the root and there will be no tree; suppress the seed and the fruit will not grow. This feat is difficult, but Christians need it. We must crucify the flesh with its passions and lusts for everyone who wants to be Christ’s. For only those are Christ's who "crucify the flesh" (Gal. 5:24). 13) Try to always have God before you, as the prophet says: “I have always seen the Lord before me” (Ps. 15:8), and look at Him with the eyes of your soul as omnipresent and omniscient, before whom nothing is hidden; as to the righteous One, who rewards everyone according to their deeds; as a good and benevolent Father, who is offended by sin; as a great and holy one, before whom it is shameful and terrible to sin, to commit outrages and to have no reverence. Holy Scripture testifies that our God is everywhere, and there is no place where He is not, and He sees our every deed and thought, and hears every word. Everything that is done is done before His eyes. “His eyes look upon the poor, His eyes test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked" (Ps. 10:4-5). “The Lord looked from heaven and saw all the sons of men; from His prepared dwelling He looked at all those living on earth, He who created their hearts specially and looks into all their deeds” (Ps. 32:13-15): “Lord, You have tested me and known me; You found out when I sit down and stand up. You understood my thoughts from afar. You have explored my path and my destiny, and You have foreseen all my paths. Where can I go from Your Spirit and where can I flee from Your Face? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I go to hell, you remain there. The darkness will not be dark from You, and the night will be as bright as the day: as is its darkness, so is its light. Your eyes have seen my birth, and in Your book they will all be written” (Ps. 139:1-3, 7, 8, 12, 16). And the prophet Jeremiah says: “Your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to reward everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jer. 32:19). You see, Christian, how God looks at us all and tests our deeds and thoughts; and nothing is hidden from Him, no matter what is done in the days and in the night, for before Him both day and night are equal. But He also knows what we will do, think and say, and every deed, word and thought we write in His book will reward. If anyone commits any sin openly or secretly, if he steals, kills, commits fornication and does other lawlessness, His eyes see. If anyone slanderes, blasphemes, scolds, slanderes, uses foul language and utters other lawless words, His most holy ears hear. If anyone plans something bad and evil in his heart, He already knows it. If someone hates or despises his neighbor, if he is angry with him and wants to take revenge on him in some way, he will already do so clearly before Him, and for that he will be rewarded. Think about this, Christian, and beware of sinning and committing lawlessness before the all-seeing eye of God. It is lawless and shameless to show outrage before the king of the earth - man, before the ruler, before the carnal father and before every honest person, for such outrage brings annoyance and dishonor to the person present. How much more before the Majesty of God to do this is lawless, shameless and terrible. You do not see Him, but He sees you, for He is close to you. Beware of doing annoyance and dishonor to His Majesty - lest you recognize His righteous judgment on yourself. 14) Sins for the most part come from chance and temptation. So King David went out to walk on the roof of the king's house, and saw Uriah's wife, and committed adultery with her (see 2 Samuel 11:2-4). So now many people leave their homes and attend meetings, feasts and other human affairs, and sin so much, now in word, now in deed, now they seduce, now they are tempted, why would they have been preserved if they had stayed inside their house and were in labor according to their calling. Therefore, anyone who wants to avoid sin must also avoid situations that lead to sin, such as conversations, disorderly meetings and feasts, for “bad associations corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). In such meetings there are almost as many temptations as there are persons; and as many sins and iniquities as there are words and deeds. Flee, Christian, from such gatherings as Lot from Sodom. 15) Since temptations increase from hour to hour, and piety becomes scarcer, and wickedness increases, then the soul that loves piety should not look at what people do, no matter what they are, but should listen to what the word of God teaches. Do not look, Christian, at those Christians who either know that they either go to visit, or meet and receive guests; who only learn how to get rich and become famous on earth; who do not consider it a sin to appropriate someone else's property, to condemn a neighbor, to slander, to dishonor, to deceive and deceive, to be angry with a neighbor, to take revenge on him, and so on - there is not a trace of Christianity in such people. “Do not be jealous of the wicked and do not envy those who practice iniquity” (Ps. 37:1), but pay more attention to what the word of God says: “Do not love the world, nor the things that are in the world: whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father. For everything that is in the world: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not from the Father, but from this world. And the world passes away, and its lusts, but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17). 16) Since through our eyes and ears, like windows, every temptation enters the church of our heart, and, whether we want it or not, touches us and arouses lust, we should not give them freedom, so that temptation, entering through them, does not shake and seduce our spiritual home. So David saw his wife and fell with her, as said above. So today many see carelessly and fall, although not in body, but in soul. It is safer not to let an enemy into the house than to fight him after letting him in. So again, many hear the slander and gossip of their neighbors - and fall in with their tongues. Therefore, just as one who wants to avoid sin must turn his eyes away from vanity, so must he turn away his ears from slander. 17) Human efforts and achievements cannot do anything without God’s help, for we have a corrupted nature inclined toward all evil, and Satan always tries to hinder our feet, hides snares for us and places temptations in our path, and so tries in every way to plunge us into sin. Therefore, constant prayer is absolutely necessary for anyone who wants to fight against sin. We demand God’s help at every hour, for our enemy fights against us at every hour, and therefore we must always ask for God’s help against him. Chapter 2: About the addiction or habit of sin “Can an Ethiopian change his skin, and a leopard his spots? So, can you do good if you are accustomed to doing evil?” (Jer.13:23) § 46. Until a person is tempted by sin in some way, he approaches it not without fear, and after sinning, his conscience greatly torments him. Thus, some themselves prefer to be killed rather than to kill those who attack them. So theft, embezzlement, fornication and other iniquities are first approached, not without shame and fear. For conscience and reason, enlightened by the grace of God, before sin, like a candle, shines in a person and shows him the abomination of sin and the subsequent wrath of God to sin, which is why a person is afraid to dare to sin. But as soon as he sins and dares to do the same thing several times, he conveniently begins that lawless deed; and the more he sins, the more conveniently he dares to do so. “Sin,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “while it begins, has a certain shame; when it is accomplished, then he makes those who do it shameless” (Discourse 10 on the Acts of the Apostles). For the mind, darkened by sin as if by darkness, and the conscience, soiled by the frequent repetition of sin, weakens in its accusatory action, although it never ceases to convict even the most shameless; and like fire, covered with garbage, smoke, so, although it is clogged with sins, the smoke of God’s wrath coming upon them does not cease to show and proclaim. § 47. From delay in some sin or from repeated repetition of sin, an addiction or habit to sin becomes. This is how addiction to drunkenness, theft, extortion, fornication, slander, condemnation and other iniquities is created. § 48. This addiction or habit is so strong that, like a second nature, a person is drawn to what he is addicted to. “Great,” says Saint Chrysostom, “great is the torment of custom, and such is that it adapts itself to the needs of nature” (Discourse 7 on the second Epistle to the Corinthians), since addiction is deeply rooted in the heart. And the more a person commits some kind of sin and lingers in it, the more the addiction deepens in his heart. Like a tree, the more it grows, the more it sends its roots into the ground, so the more sinful a custom grows, the deeper its roots deepen in the human heart. But just as the larger a tree is, the more difficult it is to be pulled out of the ground, so the more a sinful custom becomes stronger and established, the more difficult it is for a person to free himself from it, and not without the help of God. “Cruel warfare is to defeat custom,” says Augustine on Psalm 30. And although it often happens that a person abstains from passion for some time; but by custom, like some kind of rope, one is drawn to the same vomit; and, like a fire blown by the wind, so the evil lust in it is fanned by a long-standing custom, kindled, and receives its power. We clearly see this truth in those who are accustomed to drunkenness. How bitterly many of these poor people, having become sober, cry, sob, scold themselves, seeing their misfortune and the destruction of their souls, but on occasion, carried away by custom, turning again to passion, in this disastrous, truly worthy state of crying, they end their lives. What about the passion of drunkenness, we must also understand about other passions. We see that neither shame, nor human fear, nor the fear of God, nor the fear of judgment and temporary execution, nor the fear of God’s judgment and eternal execution, can turn thieves and covetous people away from crime; They would rather endure everything and perish than leave their delicacy. It is said about such people: “They will not sleep unless they do evil; They lose sleep” (Proverbs 4:16). § 49. Passion is internal and spiritual idolatry; because those who serve the passions honor them as idols through the inner conquest of the heart. So for those who please and serve the belly, “God is the belly” (Phil. 3:19); to the covetous man, “covetousness... is idolatry,” according to the teachings of the apostle (Col. 3:5); those who serve mammon consider mammon to be the Lord (Matthew 6:24), and “everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34); and “whoever is overcome by someone is his slave” (2 Peter 2:19). To a sin-loving person, the sin he serves is like an idol. His sin-loving heart is like a vile church in which he sacrifices to this vile idol, for there is sin in his heart. Instead of calves, rams and other animals, he sacrifices his will and most willing obedience. And so, as many times as a sinner deigns to sin to which he is addicted, so many times does he renounce Christ in his heart; and how many times he commits sin in deed, so much does he sacrifice to that idol. “No one can serve two masters,” says the Lord (Matthew 6:24). Saint John Chrysostom teaches about this: “Do not tell me that you do not worship the golden idol, but show me that you do not do what the gold commands you. For the images of idolatry are different: some consider mammon to be the Lord, others consider the womb to be God, others consider another most wicked lust. You don’t devour oxen with it, like the Hellenes, but much worse, you kill your own soul; You do not bend your knees, you do not worship, but with great obedience you do everything that the womb, gold and torment of lust commands you to do. That is why the Greeks are vile, because they deified our passions” (Discourse 6 on the Epistle to the Romans). How vile and disastrous is sinful addiction! It’s disgusting - because passion is worshiped like an idol instead of God. It is disastrous - for he who reveres her from Christ and God, in Whom is our salvation, denies; and with great difficulty a person is freed from this vile work. And what is more unfortunate, having become rigid in that, many, even in that age, without repentance and hope of salvation, depart and become eternal captives of hell and death. § 50. In order for a person to get rid of this vile and difficult work, it is useful to note and do: 1) Every person should look around, in what condition he is, and whether he has any passion and sinful custom; whether his heart was captivated by the love of money and covetousness, or by fornication, or by the love of vain glory and honor; whether he is possessed by anger and rancor, or drunkenness; whether he has the habit of condemning, slandering, blaspheming, swearing, slandering his neighbor, etc. For passion and custom blind the spiritual eye so that a person does not see his disaster and destruction. Therefore, diligent reading or listening to the Holy Scriptures and other Christian books is necessary, for from them sin is learned; treatment of kind and pious people, from whose good life a person can learn his corrupt morals. In addition, we must call and pray to Jesus Christ, the enlightener of the blind, so that He Himself will enlighten the eyes of the soul. Without Him, both enlightenment and knowledge of the disastrous sinful state does not exist; Until He touches our blind eyes, we will always be blind, and we will wander like blind men. This test and knowledge is certainly necessary for anyone who wants to receive eternal salvation; for from him is the beginning of salvation. How will you seek healing without experiencing illness? You must first recognize the disease. The sick demand a doctor, as the Lord says: “It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12). Who are the patients? Certainly those who recognize and recognize their illness. Just as we experience a physical illness in order to be cured, so we must experience a mental illness so that, having recognized it, we seek healing. Just as the beginning of bodily health is to recognize illness, so the beginning of salvation is to recognize the disastrous state of one’s soul. For such knowledge will prompt a person to seek a means by which he could get rid of his misfortune. Test yourself and find out, Christian, what state you are in. Whether you have wealth or not, health or bodily illness, fame or dishonor: what is it to you? All this will remain in the world. Just test what illness your soul has and whether you have hope of salvation, which alone is necessary. 2) He who has recognized the disastrous state of his soul should not hesitate, but rather give up the evil custom, for the more you hesitate in the passionate custom, the more it will intensify, and the more difficult it will be to give up on it; just as the longer a physical illness continues, the more difficult it becomes to cure. And although passion will strongly fight and attract to the previous state, stand firmly against it, as a domestic enemy, not succumb to its lust, call on the almighty help of the Son of God. For passion is like a dog. Just as a dog runs after us and chases us when we run away from him, and when we stand against him and chase him, he runs away from us, so passion chases the one who succumbs to it and listens to it; yields to those who oppose her. Volition, diligence and labor, with the help of God, can do anything; and although the ascetic will endure much torment from her, he will finally succumb to it, strengthened by the power of God, which helps those who work and pray. Church history presents us with many such examples, in which we read that many thieves, fornicators, harlots and other sinners who turned from their sins to God, although they suffered a lot from the evil custom, however, finally, with the help of God, they defeated it, and “crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts, and so they became Christ’s” slaves (Gal. 5:24) those who were “slaves of sin” ( John 8:34 Such examples were written so that lost sinners would not despair of turning and fighting against evil custom, for with the help of God all things are possible to man. The same “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, the same forever”, the Helper and Savior of those who convert, who labor, who fight and who call on Him (Heb. 13:8 3). This feat is helped and strengthened by frequent meditation. about death, which delights everyone in every way and concludes in eternity; reflection on the righteous judgment of Christ, on the kingdom of heaven and endless torment. into the mud" (2 Peter 2:22); but to stand firmly against it, to overcome by the grace of God, “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead” (Phil. 3:13), and, according to the admonition of the Lord, “to remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32), who, turning back, that is, to Sodom, from which she came, “became a pillar of salt” (Gen. 19:26). The world with its lusts is a lawless Sodom, those fleeing from which should not turn to it, so that, again entangled in its nets, they will not be condemned with it, and they must remember the apostolic word: “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world: whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him!” (1 John 2:15), and also: “Whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Chapter 3: About human blindness “We touch a wall like blind people, and like without eyes we grope; we stumble at midday as at twilight” (Isaiah 59:10). § 51. What sensual light is to our eyes, so is God’s goodness to our soul. When the light shines, a person sees everything clearly: he sees the path, the ditch, the harmful - and is careful from that, distinguishes white from black and one thing from another. Thus, when God's grace enlightens the soul, the soul knows and sees everything well; sees the wonderful works of God, His providence and destinies, recognizes good from evil, virtue from vice, and sees spiritual benefit and seeks it, sees harm and avoids it. § 52. What darkness is to the eyes of the body, so is sin to the human soul. Darkness blinds the eyes so that a person, although he has eyes, does not see anything, and he who walks in darkness is like a blind man in everything: he does not see the path he walks and does not recognize the harm in front of him; does not distinguish one thing from another, for example, gold from silver, copper from iron, white from black, and red from green, etc.; he goes astray and is mistaken, does not know where he is going, falls into a ditch and suffers other harmful adventures. All this evil darkness and material blindness does to a person. In a similar way, sin is spiritual darkness, the eye of the soul darkens and blinds so that the sinner endures similar or even worse spiritual evil and walks like a blind man: he does not know where the path leads him; does not see in front of him a ditch of eternal destruction into which he can fall; He does not recognize vice from virtue, evil from good, truth from lies, true prosperity from true misfortune, and so, seeing, he does not see and touch like a blind man. Is he living in prosperity? He grows ferocious like an untrained and unbridled horse, and does not see that with his well-being God, like a father with an apple, attracts him to Himself. Did you end up in the opposite direction? He grumbles, is indignant and blasphemes, as if injustice were being done to him; raises plaintive and even blasphemous cries: “What is my untruth? What have I done wrong? Am I more sinful than others? Am I worthy of this? Did my labors deserve it? He justifies himself, filled with every untruth; cleanses himself, all dirty; He considers himself unworthy of temporary punishment, but worthy of eternal punishment; He praises his own merits, which are worthless. When he is sick, he calls on a doctor to be cured of his illness, and he takes every medicine, even the cruelest, and endures everything, no matter what he offers him, and gives bribe to the healer. The Merciful God, “Who wants all people to be saved and to attain the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), wants to heal his sick soul with misfortune, like a cruel medicine, and make him healthy. For a severe illness of the soul is love of money, selfishness, love of glory, pride, anger, envy, hatred, impurity and other passions; with them she suffers, melts and is killed; but the blind sinner does not recognize this Divine blessing, and not only does he not thank the merciful Benefactor, but murmurs against Him: what is my unrighteousness? Every calamity of the present time, sent to a sinner by God, is the rod of His fatherly punishment, with which He beats the sinner and awakens him from sinful sleep; or there is a cruel medicine, as stated above, which is sent to him so that his weakened soul will be healed. But the sinner does not feel it. Health or wealth? He attributes this to labor and diligence, then to his wisdom and reason, and not to God, from Whom “life and death, poverty and wealth” (Sir.11:14). Defeated the enemy? He assigns victory to his courage, cunning, his art, strength and multitude of warriors, and not to God. “A king cannot be saved by much strength, and a giant cannot be saved by much strength. A horse is unreliable for salvation; with its great strength it will not save" (Ps. 32:16–17); for “He does not love the strength of a horse and does not take pleasure in the strength of legs: the Lord delights in those who fear Him and trust in His mercy” (Ps. 146:10-11). Is the sinner satisfied with food, clothed with clothes, warmed by fire, enlightened by light, and provided with other blessings of God? But he does not feel God, the Giver of good deeds, and does not thank the Benefactor, for he does not love Him, for without love there can be no gratitude. All creation, the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth and its fulfillment, “preach the glory of God” as with their lips (Ps. 18:2); but the blinded sinner does not feel the majesty of His glory and does not tremble. The city and the chamber of its architect, the art of its master, the house of its owner shows and brings knowledge to everyone. Everyone learns from the art of the artist and from the structure of the builder. This visible world is like a beautiful city, not created by hands, but by the word of God, and like a wise art and a rich house in which we all live, as if with a finger, it points to God, as its architect, builder, trustee and owner, and as a wonderful, wise, good creature - it proves the existence of a wonderful, good, wise and all-powerful Creator. But a blind sinner does not know. A son knows his father, by whom he was born and raised, and a servant knows his master, by whom he was bought. But the sinner does not know God, his Lord and Father, by whom he is preserved, fed, clothed. The dog knows his master, and the ox knows the one who bought him. But a sinner, gifted with reason, does not know his Creator, Acquisitor and Guardian, as God says through the prophet: “An ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s manger; but Israel does not know Me, My people do not understand” (Is. 1:3); He also says like “a fool in his heart: “There is no God” (Ps. 13:1). Thus sin strikes the human heart with disastrous blindness, from which comes fearlessness, and from fearlessness – all lawlessness! § 53. If someone asks: “How can one not know God, Who is always preached by His holy word?” Answer. This is both marvelous and worthy of regret that God, both through creation and through His word, makes Himself known to everyone. But the sinner, like a deaf man, does not hear His word and does not know his Lord; He hears the name of God, but does not know God; He hears the voice of the Lord with carnal ears, but does not hear with spiritual ears; and so, hearing, does not hear and, seeing, does not see. When God is preached by His holy word, His holy will is also preached. But the sinner does not know and does not create it. His omnipotence and majesty are preached, before which the sinner does not humble himself. His truth is preached, which the sinner neither fears nor reveres. His truth is preached, which the sinner does not believe. His omnipresence is preached, before which the sinner does not revere, for he does not know Him. His all-wise Providence is preached, which the sinner does not understand. His highest holiness is preached, which the sinner does not honor. His sovereign power is preached, to which the sinner does not submit. His terrible glory is preached, which the sinner does not honor. His infinite goodness is preached, of which the sinner does not try and does not want to be a participant. His terrible judgments are preached, before which the sinner does not tremble, and so on. So a sinner, like “a foolish man, does not know, and a fool does not understand” God and the works of God! (Ps.91:7) True knowledge of God cannot be idle and fruitless, but brings true worship of God. The son knows and honors his father, loves and listens to him; the servant of his master knows and fears him, obeys and serves him. So, whoever knows God cannot help but honor Him, listen, obey and serve Him, and not fulfill His will and commands. God speaks about this through the prophet: “A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master; if I am the Father, then where is the respect for Me? And if I am the Lord, where is the reverence for Me” (Mal. 1:6)? A son glorifies his father because he considers him his father, and a servant fears his master because he has him as his master. If a father - a man - receives honor from his son, and a master - a man - receives fear from a slave, because he recognizes his father as his father, and this master recognizes his master as his master, how much more is God, Who is Lord over all, worthy of honor and fear when we recognize and honor Him as our Lord and Father. You see that from the knowledge of God comes worship of God. Tell me, please, who boast in the knowledge of God and do not truly honor Him, how can it be that you wanted to sin, knowing that God is everywhere and sees every matter and is just; Who punishes you both temporarily and eternally for sin, and who can actually strike you down for sin? Before the king of the earth, the authorities, your master and your father, you do not dare to commit outrages - do you dare to do something bad and contrary to Him before God, the great and terrible? This can't be true! How can you not thank Him from your heart and love Him, knowing that He is the Creator, Redeemer, Father, Nourisher, Preserver and Benefactor, greater than Whom there cannot be? You love and thank the benefactor who supplies you not with his own, but with God’s good, - will you not thank God, from Whom you have your existence, and every hour and minute you receive blessings without which you cannot live? How can you not believe His word from the heart when you know that He is true and cannot lie, and His word is truth? Do you believe an honest man who can lie, for “every man is a lie” (Ps. 116:2): will you not believe God, Who cannot and does not want to lie? All true piety comes from this: all true worship and piety depends on faith. How will you not tremble before His judgment when you recognize His righteousness, which rewards everyone according to His deeds? You are afraid of the righteous ruler and do not dare to break his law, which does not know everything that those under it do. Will you not fear the righteous God, who knows everything - your word, deed and thought, and writes it in His book, and will reward you according to all this? How can you not submit and obey His commands when you know for sure that He is your most supreme Lord, King and Ruler, Who rules heaven and earth? To a man - a king, who has power only over your body - you submit, obey and show all obedience. Will you not submit to God, who holds your life and death in His hand, your body and soul, and will you not show obedience from your heart? How can you not love Him from your heart, and seek Him and cleave to Him and have fellowship with Him, when you know that He alone is the supreme, essential, unchangeable and infinite good, with whom to be is true and perfect bliss, and from which to be separated is true and complete misfortune? If you love a good person, who is adorned with mercy and other virtues, and what kindness he has comes from God, will you not love God, who is good in Himself so that “no one is good except God alone,” according to the word of the Lord (Matthew 19:17)? How many, under the good kings of the earth, who themselves, as people, are subject to every calamity, desire to be and with great zeal seek it, because with them they consider it to be bliss for themselves. Wouldn’t you want to be with God, the King of kings and Lord of lords, good and merciful, when you know His goodness and “taste and see how good the Lord is” (Ps. 33:9)? How can you not show mercy to your neighbor - to every person, when you know that every day and hour you receive ineffable and incomprehensible mercy from God? By His mercy you live on earth, unworthy of life; By His mercy you feed, clothe yourself and remain whole. How can you not give your neighbor some of your goods when you know that everything you have, except your sins and infirmities, is God’s, and not your own? For we receive everything from God: our soul and body, life and breath, and we owe our existence to Him. How can you not forgive your neighbor for small sins when you know that “God in Christ has forgiven” your countless sins (Eph. 4:32); and that the debts of your sins will return to you again and remain with you if you do not forgive your neighbor, and for them you will suffer forever in the prison of hell, as is depicted in that parable? (Matthew 18:23–34) From where the Lord concludes that parable: “So will My Heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins” (Matthew 18:35). Just as you will not despise the vanity of this world, and will not desire the bliss of that future, and will not seek it with all zeal, when you definitely believe the word of God, which variously depicts those blessings, both unspeakable, and incomprehensible to the mind, and eternal, and endless, as God Himself preaches and promises to those who believe in Christ and faithfully serve God and love Him (see 1 Cor. 2:9). Temporary bliss, which is nothing before, you diligently seek, because you see it. How can you not seek that infinite when you see it by faith? For the sake of temporary honor and glory, you faithfully serve the earthly king and accept all kinds of work, troubles and misfortunes, and go to bloody wars and battles, because you hope to receive honor and glory from him. How can you not faithfully serve the King of Heaven, God, Who promises not temporary, but eternal and unspeakable glory and honor to His faithful servants? Believe this word, that if a person saw a certain particle of that future glory in the blink of an eye, he would be so inflamed with desire and love for it that he would consider all the glory, honor, joy and wealth of this world to be rot, and would seek that one with all diligence, and would not only be able to turn away from it not only by the lusts of this world, but also by any misfortune or suffering. As it is written about Moses: “he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and rather wanted to suffer with the people of God than to have temporary sinful pleasure, and he considered the reproach of Christ to be greater wealth for himself than the Egyptian treasures; for he looked to the reward” (Heb. 11:24-26), which should be understood about the holy martyrs and other saints of God. You see, Christian, what follows from the knowledge of God, namely: aversion from sin, the world, careful observance of His commandments and true worship. The knowledge of God consists of the knowledge not only of His name, but also of His divine properties, that is, omnipresence, truth, goodness, mercy, truth, omnipotence and other things. And from the knowledge of God’s properties, as has been said, unfeigned worship of God will certainly follow. His truth will teach you to beware of sin; His omnipotence and majesty - to fear, tremble and humble ourselves before Him; His truth is to believe Him in everything; goodness is to love Him, and to seek Him with all your heart, and to cleave to Him; His mercy and generosity - not to despair because of sins, but to repent and show mercy to one’s neighbor; His omnipresent omniscience will also teach you to turn away from all evil, sin and disorder, but to revere Him, and so on. From here you see that the lawless and fearless life of, for example, thieves, predators, bribe-takers, covetous people, fornicators, blasphemers, scolders, evil people, haters, drunkards and others is proof of their godless heart, blindness and the darkness of the darkened ignorance of God. And although such people confess God, they say in their hearts: “There is no God,” as Psalm 13 shows in other places in Scripture. The apostle wrote about such confessors: “They say that they know God, but deny by deeds, being vile and disobedient and incapable of any good work” (Titus 1:16). And the Lord says: “This people draws near to Me with their lips, and honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Matthew 15:8). Just as a tree is known not from its leaves, but from its fruit, so an enlightened person and a reader of God is known by the knowledge of God, not from oral confession, but from deeds consistent with the confession. The heart, enlightened by the knowledge of God, knows God as He is called; He knows and believes, and so fears most of all, and honors above all creatures in heaven and on earth - he loves, serves, and diligently tries to give all the due that befits Him alone. Consequently, is it not obvious blindness and atheism to fear man, but not fear God; It is faithful to serve and please man, but not to please God; to listen to a man-king, ruler, lord and father according to the flesh, but not to listen to God, Who rules over all kings and lords; The person who gives God's good, and not his own, should be thanked, but God, from Whom all good comes and is poured out on us, should not be thanked; rely on a person like yourself and seek help from him in sorrow, but do not rely on God and do not seek help from Him, Who alone can do everything and alone helps, protects, delivers and saves those who trust in Him (Ps. 36:39-40); to be afraid of human judgment, which concerns one body, but not to be afraid of God’s judgment, which “can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna” (Matthew 10:28), and so on? Truly, there is not even the slightest spark of knowledge of God in such a heart, even if he teaches and preaches about God! We see this in many Christians of this age. We see that many are afraid to anger their masters and authorities, but they are not afraid to anger God and therefore commit lawlessness. Many please people because they do not want to offend them, but they do not please God and offend Him by breaking His holy law. Many people listen to their authorities and masters and fulfill their commands, but they do not listen to God and do not fulfill His commands. Many thank their benefactors, but they do not thank God, their highest Benefactor, because they do not love Him, and without love there can be no gratitude. During times of misfortune, many people resort to a person for help and protection, because they hope in him, but they do not resort to God, only because they have no hope in Him. Everyone knows how many fear civil judgment, but they do not fear God’s judgment, for they do not stop sinning: which God’s judgment will certainly follow. You see that these people do not repay God as they give to man, and like man they do not honor God, Whom His true knowledge teaches us to honor most of all. Therefore, such and like them do not know God, although they confess through His mouth. Without worship and knowledge of God there cannot be. Just as true worship of God, which consists of fear, love, submission, obedience, humility, hope and patience, is evidence of the knowledge of God, so untrue, but only oral and hypocritical worship of God is a sign of ignorance of God, as the apostle teaches: “Whoever says: “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and there is no truth in him” ( 1 John 2:4). Judge for yourself why do you honor and listen to the king, the ruler, the father and the master? Not because they are respectable people, otherwise all people should be respected and listened to: but because you recognize a king as your king, a ruler as your ruler, a father as your father, a master as your master. Why do you love and thank a benefactor? Because you have him as your benefactor. Why do you love a merciful and kind person? Because you think he is. Why do you come to the rich and generous for alms? Because you hope to receive from him. Why do you seek help and protection from your protector in times of need? Because you trust in his strength. Why are you afraid to anger the righteous ruler? Because you recognize him as such. Why don’t you do anything indecent before your boss, master and father? Because you see them in front of you and do not dare to do so, so as not to offend and anger them. Why don’t you repay God for all this, if you recognize Him as your God, your King, your Lord, your Father, your Benefactor, your Protector and Helper? Or again, why do you reward God a little more than people? God, as he is incomparably higher than all, is so worthy of incomparably greater reverence than all people and any title. You confess God, but why don’t you honor Him as God? You confess Him as your King and Lord - but why don’t you obey Him as your King and Lord? You confess Him as your Father, but why don’t you love Him as your father and show Him filial obedience? You confess Him as your Benefactor - but why don’t you thank Him as a benefactor? You confess Him as your Protector, Helper and Deliverer - but why do you seek help, protection and deliverance in your need and sorrow not from Him, but from man? You confess that God is everywhere and in every place, and sees all human deeds, and you hear from His word - why don’t you give Him honor and revere Him, as you do before your father, master and authority? You confess Him as a righteous Judge - why are you not afraid of His righteous judgment and do not stop sinning? and so on. You see that you have a heart and thought about God that does not agree with your lips, and your deeds and life do not correspond to your confession. How can you say that you know God, but do not render to God what His honor requires of you? You know God, as you say, but you do not honor Him as God—your knowledge is not true without reverence, and so you find yourself in blindness, darkness and ignorance. § 54. Not only in his office towards God, but also in his office towards his neighbor, that is, towards every person, the carnal and unenlightened man is blind. We see that a person does evil to his neighbor that he does not want for himself, and does not do good that he wants for himself. We see how he is indignant and angry at the one who offends him, slander, curses, blasphemes, defames, touches his bed, steals, kidnaps, takes away what he has and does other insults to him; but he himself is not ashamed to do the same evil or repay evil for evil and does not feel it. On the contrary, he wants his neighbor to have mercy on him, not to leave him in need, for example: he fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, brought the strange into the house and put him to rest, visited the sick and those sitting in prison, and did other acts of mercy to him - he wants this, this truth is indisputable - but he himself does not want to do this to his neighbors. We see this evil - pride, untruth and blindness in Christians who either silently pass by their neighbors in need and as if they do not see them, or are not ashamed to answer: what do I care about him? It is noteworthy that many are satisfied with abundant meals, but do not care about their hungry neighbors; others adorn themselves with various and expensive clothes, but do not care about their naked neighbors; others create and decorate rich, vast and tall houses and other buildings, but do not care about their neighbors, who do not have a place to lay their heads and rest; For others, silver, gold and other wealth, like the soul or life, are preserved and preserved intact, but there is no care for one’s neighbor, either burdened with debts and tormented, or in prison for arrears or debts and tormented. We see this pride and untruth in Christians: not only to do evil, but also not to do good to one’s neighbors is untruth. And, what’s worse, we see that many Christians steal, abduct and deceive, flatter, lie, deceive, slander, slander, judge, scold, commit adultery and do other offenses to their neighbors, which they absolutely do not want for themselves, are not ashamed and are not afraid, as stated above. All this comes from blindness. § 55. In this office, that is, towards one’s neighbor, a person becomes blind because he does not heed the office towards God, and in that he becomes blind and errs. God commanded both not to do evil and to do good to one’s neighbor. Therefore, a person, when he either does evil or does not do good to his neighbor, does not listen to the command of God, and does not honor the commanding God, does not fear, does not love; and so, without fulfilling his duty to his neighbor, he leaves his duty to God. And from this it is clear that the office towards one’s neighbor is inseparable from the office towards God, and one cannot be fulfilled without the other. He who leaves his duty to his neighbor does not honor God; He who is not afraid to do evil to his neighbor does not fear God; and he who does not love his neighbor does not love God. The apostle teaches us about this: “Whoever says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, is a liar” (1 John 4:20). For God commanded to love your neighbor: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39); - and again: “I command you this, that you love one another” (John 15:17). Therefore, whoever does not love his neighbor does not listen to God, Who commands him to love his neighbor, and thus does not honor Him. The root and source of all piety is true knowledge of God. And just as a pious life is evidence of the knowledge of God, so a sinful and lawless life is evidence of ignorance of God and a godless heart, even if such a person confessed God and Christ, went to church, prayed, received the Mysteries and showed other signs of Christianity. § 56. Since God, as a Spirit, not subject to any feelings, is seen not by the physical, but by the eyes of the soul, therefore the sinner does not know Him, and, not knowing, does not worship Him, for the darkness of sin has blinded his spiritual eyes. Wherever it comes from, he does something, tries to do something, only seeks something that is subject to his external feelings. Since he sees his father, sees his master, sees his ruler, he honors them, listens to them, tries to serve and please them, is careful not to offend and anger them; sees judgment and temporary execution and is afraid of them; sees the honor, glory and wealth of this world, therefore he desires and seeks them. He does not see God and eternal glory, and honor, and wealth, therefore, he does not try to please God, nor does he try to seek that eternal treasure. He who does not see or does not know something does not desire it and does not seek it. He does not desire honey or the fruits of the earth and trees until he tastes their sweetness: one must first taste them, whether they are sweet or bitter, useful or harmful to us, and so desire them or reject them. A merchant does not go to a country where he does not hope to find profit for himself; The foolish youth does not see the benefit of science, and therefore does not care about teaching. So it happens in spiritual things: whoever does not have spiritual enlightenment about them, does not try to care about them, does not desire them and does not seek them. The sinner has not tasted how good the Lord is, and does not seek Him. He does not feel the blessings of God in his heart - and does not thank God. He does not know the omnipotence and majesty of God - and does not tremble before Him. He does not know His truth and does not believe Him. He does not know the truth - and is not afraid to anger Him. He does not know how great sweetness, and peace, and peace is found in Christian love and in all piety - and he does not try to do so. He does not see eternal bliss - and does not properly seek that which he does not see. You must first know - and then seek what you know. We must know God in His properties - and then honor Him. To know that He is both yours and your Creator, Redeemer, Provider, Lord and King, and just as you honor your Creator, Redeemer, Provider, Lord and King, listen and fulfill His will and commands, as you honor and listen to your father, who gave birth to you, your lord and king. You must know that He, like everyone, is your God, Helper, Protector and Intercessor, and there is no other but Him. And so place hope in Him, and on the day of sorrow and adversity, resort to Him and call upon Him, and ask for help and protection from Him, and so on. We must hold without a doubt that those who worship God in the next century will experience eternal and incomprehensible bliss, and thus the desire and diligence to receive it will be kindled. So farmers first look at the fruits of the earth, and so, hoping to collect the fruits, they work in agriculture. So miners first know where there is ore in the ground, either copper, or iron, or silver, and then they dig it. Thus, with the eye of faith one must first see the future life, and so by faith seek it, and expect and hope to receive it, as it is written about Moses: “He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and rather wanted to suffer with the people of God than to have temporary sinful pleasure, and he considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth for himself than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked to the reward” (Heb. 11:24–26). And why did he despise all Egyptian glory and wealth? Because with the eye of faith he saw the future glory and life, and so despised the earthly as nothing, and sought that, “for he looked at the reward.” So now, whoever sees the future life and glory of God’s chosen ones with the eye of faith, he will certainly despise glory, honor, wealth and all the vanity of this world, and will strive for that alone as his goal and priceless treasure. You see that every thing is first known, and thus desired and sought, for what we do not know, we neither desire nor seek. And from this it is clear that every sinner does not honor God, does not fear and does not love Him, because he does not know Him; and he does not properly desire or seek the future life and glory, because he does not see it. He does not know God and does not see that glory because he does not have spiritual eyes, enlightened by His faith and grace, with which only God and that glory are seen. For such Christians, darkness and darkness lie over the eyes of their souls, like a veil, and do not allow them to see God and His glory. And until then it will lie until they turn with all their hearts to the Lord, as the apostle wrote about the Jews: “Until now, when they read Moses, a veil lies over their heart; but when they turn to the Lord, then this veil is removed” (2 Cor. 3:15-16). Having their spiritual eyes covered with this veil, although they read and listen to the Holy Scripture, they do not understand, as the Apostle says about the Jews there: “But their minds are blinded” (2 Cor. 3:14), and so they are blind both in the knowledge of God and in the reverence of Him. This blindness and darkness lies on the heart of every sinner who has not turned to God from the world and sin. § 57. The image of terrible blindness is presented to us by Scripture in the old Israel. The Lord performed all kinds of miracles before them in the land of Egypt, as we read in the book of Exodus and in the Psalms: “He sent darkness and brought gloom, for they opposed His words; turned their waters into blood and killed the fish in them; their land boiled with frogs, even in the treasuries of their kings; He commanded, and dog flies and midges appeared throughout all their borders; instead of rain he sent them hail and fire, scorching their land; and he smote their vineyards and their fig trees, and broke in pieces every tree within their borders; He commanded, and there came locusts and caterpillars without number, and they ate all the grass in their land, and ate all the fruit in their land; and he struck down every firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their labor” (Ps. 104:28-36). But the holy prophet confesses to the Lord: “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders” (Ps. 105:7), when those terrible executions struck only the Egyptians, the enemies of Israel, but did not affect the Israelites, as we read in the book of Exodus. This very thing, as if with a finger, showed them God’s special Providence and mercy for them; but they “did not understand the wonders of God, nor remembered the mercy of God.” To those who came out of Egypt and fled from their enemies, the Lord opened a way where there was no way, “divided the sea and led them through” (Ps. 77:13), “and held back the Red Sea, and it dried up, and led them through the abyss, as through the desert” (Ps. 106:9). They also saw their enemies covered with water, as if by one coffin: “the water covered their oppressors, not one of them remained”; they also sang the praise of God (Ps. 105:11–12). “But they soon forgot” such great and terrible works of God: “having hastened, they forgot His works.” They made a golden calf; instead of God the Creator, their Father and Savior, they honored a soulless idol and worshiped the work of their hands: “and they made a calf at Horeb and worshiped the image: and exchanged His glory for the likeness of a calf eating grass. And they forgot God, who saved them, who did great things in Egypt, miracles in the land of Ham, terrible things in the Red Sea” (Ps. 105:13, 19-22). They attributed such a miraculous good deed of God to a soulless thing and the creation of their own hands: “Behold your God, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4). Terrible blasphemy and blindness! A soulless thing, immovable by itself, what help can it give, much less do such a wonderful thing!.. But blinded Israel stretches out its hands and cries out: “Behold your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” Similar blindness is still seen in many Christians today, who say that they know God, but deny by deeds, as stated above. Called to eternal life and the kingdom of heaven, like the promised land, boiling with honey and milk; but they want and try to get rich in this world, become famous, reign, and, if it were possible, to stay forever - which is evident from their insatiable desire for wealth, honor, glory and superfluous buildings. Everyone, consider whether it would not be great madness for that person who, being in a foreign country and soon having to return to his home, would begin to create rich houses there, which he would soon be forced to leave, and so his work would only be useless; or the one who, having definitely been informed that he will die soon, in two days or two weeks, nevertheless collects wealth, seeks honor and glory? Truly, anyone would call both of them senseless! This is what those people do senselessly who in this world build rich and superfluous buildings, collect great treasures, seek honor and glory, knowing that they should soon leave all this in this country and go to their place without all this. No one takes anything from this world with him, “for we brought nothing into the world; It is clear that we cannot take anything out of it” (1 Tim. 6:7). And although every one of those who collect and not become rich in God, God’s voice thunders: “You fool! this night your soul will be taken from you; who will get what you have prepared? (Luke 12:20); And although everyone sees every day that the rich and the poor, the famous and the inglorious, the respectable and the simple, are equally admired and move into that age, and are admired in different ways, often and unexpectedly, so that those who hope to live a long time suddenly stop living, and what they see in others coming true, they should also expect for themselves, yet they try to become rich and famous in this foreign country, as if they had lived here for many thousands of years or forever. For such people, mist and darkness lie on the spiritual eye and blind it. Although they are rich, they do not see their poverty. Although they are glorious, they do not see their meanness and poverty. Although they are wise, they do not see their foolishness and blindness. Although they consider themselves blessed, they do not see their wretchedness. § 58. While a person is in such blindness, he thinks of himself that he is doing everything correctly and wisely; but in fact, all his actions, deeds, plans and undertakings are one delusion. For the heart, from which everything comes, filled with vanity and filled with worldly love, is nothing more than just conceiving and putting into action vain things? And such a one is in everything like a blind man or one who is in darkness, who, although completely soiled, nevertheless thinks that he is clean; although he has lost his way and wanders, he still thinks that he is following the right path. And this blindness is all the more disastrous because a person does not see it, but the knowledge of it is the beginning of spiritual bliss. And this blindness is noticeable not only in simple and illiterate people, but also in the wise and reasonable of this age, who dream something lofty about themselves and separate themselves from the simple, unlearned and ignorant. For where there is immoderate pride and love of this world, there this blindness has its place. Self-love and worldly love cannot exist without darkness. § 59. If a person does not get rid of that disastrous blindness and is not enlightened by the light of God’s grace; then it will lead him to a disastrous state and late, but useless repentance, described in the book of the Wisdom of Solomon, where the wicked, having late realized their error, sigh in distress, repent and say: “We have lost our way from the path of truth, and the light of truth did not shine on us, and the sun did not illuminate us. We were filled with works of iniquity and destruction and walked through impassable deserts, but we did not know the way of the Lord” (Wis. 5:6-7). § 60. In order for us, Christians, to get rid of this blindness and not come to that unsuccessful, late and useless repentance, we need to do the following: 1) Heed with diligence the lamp of God’s word, which shines for everyone and enlightens those who love him, and those who look at him, and those who listen to him. Pay attention, I say, “as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19). For the word of God, like a spiritual light, drives away darkness and illuminates the eyes of the soul, reveals the vanity and charm of the world, exposes our pride and sins - like a mirror shows the impurity and vices of the face looking into it. 2) Do not what the lustful heart wants, but what God’s word teaches, although this is disgusting to the blind mind and saddens the heart. And in such an important matter, imitate the weak, who, wanting to be healed, take unpleasant and bitter medicine just to be freed from the disease. Thus, one who wants to be freed from blindness must force and convince himself to what the word of God prescribes, and turn away from what it prohibits. For to our corrupted and blinded nature the word of God seems as repulsive as light to weak eyes, food to those in fever, and science to foolish youths. “The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, because he considers them foolishness” (1 Cor. 2:14). But it is a true and immovable rule and cannot deceive us, for it is the fruit of the true God. Therefore, everyone must entrust himself to him, and whatever he proposes, take it for the truth, and adhere to it as a firm and unshakable rule, and submit his heart to him, although it is unwilling and averse. 3) Since all people have gone astray from the true path, according to the testimony of Holy Scripture: “We have all gone astray, like sheep, every one of us has turned to his own way” (Is. 53:6; Ps. 13:1-3 and in other places), therefore the Son of God, “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6), appeared on earth, and “the East from above visited us, to enlighten those sitting in darkness and shadow mortal, to direct our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1:78–79), and he gave us a holy and blameless life as a rule and image. Therefore, we must look at Him and follow Him in order to free ourselves from natural darkness and blindness, as He Himself says: “I am the Light of the world; Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Following Christ is nothing other than following His life. If the one who follows Christ does not walk in darkness, as He says, then the one who does not follow Him will certainly be in darkness and error. Just as the Lord created the visible sun in the sky to enlighten the whole of heaven, so He sent the mental sun, Christ His Son, into the world so that our souls would be enlightened and warmed by Him. “There was the true Light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world” (John 1:9). Just as there is darkness in the heavenly places when the sun departs from us, and a person then becomes blind and feels like a blind man, so darkness follows in the human soul, and the soul miserably becomes blind, and is mistaken, and stumbles, and falls, and does not know where it is going, for darkness has blinded its eyes - when Christ, the Righteous Sun, with His teaching and life, which is spiritual light, comes from it excommunicates, that is, when the soul does not heed the teachings and way of life of Christ. And as the darkness begins to recede from the heavenly places, then everyone becomes enlightened, and “a man goes out to his work and to his work until the evening” (Ps. 103:23), when the sun approaches the heavenly places, so the darkness begins to depart from the soul, and the soul begins to be enlightened, and to go to its work and to its work, that is, to know itself, its poverty, damnation, the vanity and charm of this world and the true bliss, and create Christian virtues - when Christ approaches her with His teaching and life and dwells in her. Therefore, just as we open the windows so that the sun lets its rays into the church and enlightens it, so we must open the church of our heart and allow the light of the teaching and life of Christ to enter and enlighten it, if we want to get rid of the darkness and blindness of our hearts. By nature we are all blind and darkened by darkness, therefore we must be enlightened by the light of Christ. The opposite will drive away the opposite, somehow: cold with warmth, bitterness with sweetness, darkness with light, and so on. If we also want to drive away blindness from our hearts, we must heed the teaching and example of the life of Christ, which is the light that drives away our darkness. And the more we listen and follow this, the more enlightened we will be, for the closer we come to the lamp, the more enlightened we will be. Christ with His holy teaching and life is the “way” - one must adhere to Him so as not to get lost; there is “truth” - we must entrust ourselves to Him so as not to be deceived; there is “life” - one must cleave to Him, hold on to Him and follow Him, so as not to die forever, but with Him, and in Him, and through Him to come to life and live forever. Everyone goes astray who moves away from this path; and he who does not believe this truth is deceived; and the one who does not hold on to this life is dead. 4) In order to heed the teachings and example of the life of Christ and thus become enlightened, one must leave sins and turn to God, for sins are darkness that darkens the eyes of the soul: through them the soul is darkened and blinded. Just as darkness and light cannot exist together, so Christ’s enlightenment cannot exist in a heart that has been overcome by sinful darkness. “What does light have in common with darkness” (2 Cor. 6:14)? “Therefore it is said,” says the apostle, “Arise, you who sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light” (Eph. 5:14). You see that first you must rise from the sleep of sin and rise from the dead (for every unrepentant sinner is a living dead), and then Christ will enlighten him. The one who is sleeping must get up and the one who has died must be resurrected, and then he will be enlightened by Christ - otherwise there is no enlightenment. It is not the one who sleeps and dies, but the one who gets up and lives who demands light and is enlightened. O Christ, God's power and God's wisdom! Wake up the sleeping ones, for whose sake You fell asleep on the Cross, and resurrect the dead, for whom You tasted death, our life and resurrection, and then we will seek Your light and be enlightened. “Lord God of Powers! Arise us, and make Your face shine, and we will be saved” (Ps. 79:20). Anyone who wants to see the sun must turn to the sun. So, anyone who wants to know and see God must turn his heart to God. Lawless and unrepentant sinners, since their hearts were attached to sin and the world and clung to them, turned away from God and turned to sin and the world: how can they see Him, having turned away from Him? We must certainly turn to the Lord if we want to be enlightened. Therefore, the apostle says about the Jews: “But when they turn to the Lord, then this veil is removed” (2 Cor. 3:16). This veil is nothing more than darkness and blindness, darkening the spiritual eyes of an unconverted and unenlightened person, as stated above. An unconverted and unenlightened person does not know what he is doing, and wanders like a blind man - which comes from nothing other than the veil of that and natural sinful darkness. We read that Moses’ face became so bright from his conversation with God on Mount Sinai that the children of Israel could not look at him; and when he talked with people, he covered his face with a veil, and when he turned to God, he took away the veil (see Ex. 34:33-35). So every man, while he serves the world, has a veil over his heart. And when he turns from the world to God, then by the grace of Christ he is taken away, and he himself is enlightened, and he knows God, and Christ His Son, and the mystery of His looking, and the power of His law and Gospel; then the light of his soul will begin to shine for him, like the dawn after night, and enlighten and admonish him in the matter of salvation. “Therefore it is said: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” 5) Anyone who wants to receive enlightenment from Christ must certainly admit his blindness from the heart, otherwise, as he was, he will always be blind, although he will know all the Holy Scriptures by heart, that is, he will know the writing, but will not understand the power. For God hides His secrets from those who consider themselves wise and prudent and reveals them to babes, that is, to the simple-hearted and those who admit their ignorance, according to the testimony of the Lord: “You, Father,... have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes” (Matthew 11:25). He enlightens such people, instructs them, makes them wise, and reveals His secrets to them; He leaves the rest who boast of their wisdom, intelligence and skill. That is why the Lord says: “I came into this world for judgment, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see will become blind” (John 9:39), that is, those who recognize their blindness will be enlightened and see by the light of Christ; and those who do not recognize and consider themselves wise will remain in their former blindness, even more darkened for ingratitude and pride, such as were the scribes and Pharisees during Christ’s life on earth, who said to Christ: “Are we also blind” (John 9:40)? For pride and arrogance are the work of the devil, and just as it darkened him and turned him into darkness from a luminous angel, so he makes the people who follow him like him. Christ justifies only those who recognize and confess themselves sinners, and heals those who admit their illness, and enlightens only the blind, as the Gospel testifies: “Those who are healthy do not need a doctor, but those who are sick” (Matthew 9:12). If we want to be enlightened, we admit our blindness - and Christ will enlighten us. If we want to be justified and thus saved, we admit that we are sinners and lost - and Christ will justify and save us. If we want to be healed, we admit our weakness - and Christ will heal us. 6) Just as without turning from sin to the Lord there will be no true repentance, as was said above, so without fervent prayer there is no true enlightenment. Enlightenment comes from God. Therefore, the convert and the repentant need to pray and sigh with the Psalmist: “Look, hear me, O Lord my God, enlighten my eyes, so that I may not sleep into death” (Ps. 12:4). And again: “You will kindle my lamp, O Lord my God, you will illuminate my darkness” (Ps. 17:29). And again: “Send Your light and Your truth, O God; They will guide me and lead me to Your holy mountain and to Your villages” (Ps. 42:3). And again: “Open my eyes, O Lord, and I will understand the wonders of Your law” (Ps. 119:18); and with the gospel blind: “Lord, let my spiritual eyes be opened” (Matthew 20:33). There are many such prayers in church books. Then the Lord, Who is the light of the world, enlightened the bodily eyes of the blind, seeing our turning to Him, and diligence, and diligence, will enlighten the spiritual eyes to salvation, for which He came into this world. 7) This, with the help of God, is facilitated by thinking about time and eternity, about the vanity of this world, for everything that is dear in this world is nothing against eternal good - and that everything is transitory in this world, and departs from the one who loves it: from the rich wealth, from the honest honor, from the glorious glory, and from the sensualist voluptuousness departs. Death makes everyone equal. Virtue alone is inseparable from a person, and accompanies him as he departs for the next world, and brings him to the face of God, and mercy intercedes. Which will be discussed below, especially in §67. § 61. True enlightenment will follow: 1) When this saving ray flashes and begins to shine in the church of the heart, then the enlightened one will see how great darkness he was, how blind and insane he was, although he seemed wise to himself; how far he had strayed from the true path, although he thought that he was walking correctly. In this way, the word of the Lord will be fulfilled: “When you return and breathe, then you will be saved, and you will understand where... you have been” (Is. 30:15). That is, the one who is converted and enlightened will know what a poor, deplorable and disastrous state he was in until the ray of God’s grace touched his heart. Then he feels like a man who walked at night along the wrong road that he should have walked, although he thought that he was going the right way; and when the dawn broke and illuminated everything, he realized that he had turned aside from the proper path and was wandering; and so, seeing his error, and his wasted time, and his useless labor, he greatly regrets and scolds himself. So the sinner, while he is content with natural reason and his imaginary wisdom, thinks that he is doing well and is following the right path; but when the dawn of God’s grace dawns on him, he recognizes his deception and delusion, regrets, repents and laments that he lost time in vain, all his work was useless, and weeps with the prophet: “My days have disappeared like smoke;... my days have gone away like a shadow” (Ps. 102:4, 12). Truly a cry-worthy wine! Truly time is lost when it is spent in vanity! Truly useless is the work that is undertaken for the sake of gaining honor, glory and wealth of this world! Truly, those days are disappearing that are spent in voluptuousness, in luxury, in carnality and in the amusements of this world! “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? or what ransom will a man give for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26) “We have brought nothing into the world; It is clear that we cannot take anything out of it” (1 Tim. 6:7). Naked we come from our mother’s womb, naked we depart from this world (Job 1:21). “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house increases; for when he dies he will take nothing, and his glory will not go with him” (Ps. 49:17-18). Where are now the glorious and rich, formerly former ones, who insatiably desired and sought treasures in this world? They are in their places and awaiting general judgment and retribution for matters. The current lovers of glory and other lovers of peace also go there. It is worthy of weeping when someone spends his days in vanity: he who stores up treasures for himself, and is not rich in God, should weep (Luke 12:21). All the more should he weep and lament who spent his days in sins and iniquities, for time is shortening, days are passing, life is ending, death is invisibly approaching and delighting, righteous judgment is coming, where people will be judged for their words, deeds and thoughts. Let's cry, sinner, let's cry here so that we don't cry there uselessly, and the rest of the time we'll live in repentance and piety. Therefore, the enlightened one, recognizing that everything that is in this world is like disappearing smoke, which passes with days and time, and, remembering his former life, lived in vanity, error and sins, regrets, repents, sighs and cries, as said above, and wants to return it; but already, what has happened and passed, it cannot be otherwise. The time that has passed does not return, and the deed done and the word said cannot be otherwise as it was. 2) Enlightened by the light of God, he must diligently thank God for His mercy shown to him, that he suffered his reproach, that he did not delight him in such error, and that he gave him enlightenment and the mind of salvation. 3) He who knows his own reproach and weakness, that he, as a person, is easily prone to fall, error and all kinds of evil, such one prays fervently to God to give him His help and not leave him alone without His grace; and he himself acts carefully and takes care not to fall into the same error. 4) He guards against all sin and fights against all sin. And just as before it was easy for him to sin, so now in this state it is hard for him to sin even in small ways, to irritate God, and to disturb his conscience. For he knows that with every sin God is angry and the one who sins is deprived of His mercy. 5) Such a person does not want to offend anyone, neither in deed nor in word. But more than that, he tries to love everyone unhypocritically, and both for himself and for everyone, he wishes every good thing and wants everyone, like him, to be saved, which is what he prays for. 6) Treat every person not flatteringly, not slyly, but simply treat him. What he declares in word, he means in his heart, and therefore he does not want to lie or deceive anyone. 7) This world despises honor, glory, wealth, sweet food and everything that in this world is considered to be the beautiful, dear and pleasant sons of this age, knowing that all this, as soon as it comes, departs from us, like a sleepy dream. 8) He regards one eternal bliss as true bliss, which, once found, will never be lost, and once lost, will never be found. Therefore, he thinks about it and tries not to lose it; He raises his thoughts and sighs there, and prays to God for this, so that by His grace he will be worthy to receive it. 9) Since the enlightened one does not recognize anything precious in this world, he considers all things found in this world to be equal. For him, silver, gold and other, in human opinion, expensive metals are the same metals as copper, iron, tin, lead, and so on. He considers the precious stones that people keep in their chests and treasuries to be the same stones as those that lie along the roads and are trampled underfoot. He is equally nourished by both rich and poor food, as long as it is healthy. He covers himself with both silk and cloth, both colored and dark clothes, and keeps himself warm with both fox and sheepskin. He doesn’t care where to live, either in a stone or a wooden chamber, in rich chambers or in a wretched hut, and so on. Because he only uses everything that is in this world for the sake of need, and does not attach his heart to anything, but only to his Creator. 10) This life is like a path that leads to the desired eternity, and like a journey that must soon be completed, saying: “I am a stranger with You, O God, and a stranger, like all my fathers” (Ps. 39:13). Therefore, as a traveler and wanderer, he does not burden himself with worldly things, but is content with what he has, remembering the apostolic word: “We brought nothing into the world; It’s obvious that we can’t take anything out of it. Having food and clothing, we will be content with this” (1 Tim. 6:7-8). 11) The more enlightened one is, the more one corrects one’s actions, corrects one’s deeds, words and thoughts, sees small and small vices, and takes care. And just as the more a person is enlightened by natural and sensory light, the more clearly he sees everything: the road, the ditch, things lying on the road and near, and so on, for we see more clearly when the sun is shining than when it is just beginning to rise, and during the day more clearly than at dawn - so he begins to see everything more clearly, and sees the smallest vices, and he who, by the supernatural light of God's grace, avoids them more and more enlightened. And it is no longer harmless to say an idle word for someone for whom it was previously easy to blaspheme, scold, slander, use foul language, lie, flatter, deceive, steal, kidnap and other grave sins. 12) If he stumbles in something, and sins out of weakness, and sees his sin in his conscience, then he is very worried and scolds himself, is horrified and sick at heart. Therefore, he humbles himself and submits himself before the majesty of God, and with humility asks for forgiveness, admitting his guilt, and is confirmed in the hope of God’s mercy. 13) Knowing the blindness of the human mind, with which a person is often seduced and thinks that he is on the good path, but is deceived in his opinion, he earnestly and often prays to become more and more enlightened; and, not believing the caresses of his flesh, he gives himself up to God to guide him and guide him, and asks: “Test me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my ways, and see if there is a way of iniquity in me; and guide me in the everlasting way” (Ps. 139:23–24). Chapter 4: About vain and lovely adornment “And the Lord God made garments of skins for Adam and his wife and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). “Let your adornment, that is, that of your wives, be not the outward braiding of your hair, nor the ornaments of gold, nor the finery of your clothing, but the hidden person of the heart, in the incorruptible beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great price in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:3-4; 1 Tim. 2:9-10) The reasoning here is based on this decoration because it comes from a blinded mind and that a blinded person seeks glory and vain honor for himself from clothing, which should overthrow his pride and lead him to humility, as it will seem below; and especially personal adornment of wives without any apology is blinding of the mind and corruption of the carnal and non-Christian heart. § 62. People began to wear clothes because they violated the commandment of God, and from that they took their origin. For until our first parents sinned, they had no clothing, as it is written in chapter 2 of Genesis; and they did not demand it, for they did not see their nakedness. And when they sinned, they saw their nakedness and began to be ashamed; That’s why they were forced to look for something to cover up their shame. “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed together fig leaves and made aprons for themselves” (Gen. 3:7). God, having mercy on them, “made Adam and his wife garments of skin and clothed them” (Gen. 3:21). You see that the beginning of clothing is sin. Sin revealed their nakedness to them and made them shameful and disgraceful, which requires covering. Therefore, Saint Andrew of Crete complains about this: “having sewn together leather garments is a sin for me, exposing me to the first godly garments” (Song 2 of the Great Canon). From this you see how bad people do who look for decoration in clothes and make clothes not for the sake of covering nakedness and warming the body, but for the sake of decoration and ostentation. They set themselves up for honor and decoration, which shows dishonor and ugliness. People seek praise because they expose sin. They are consoled by what represents sadness, that is, a sign of transgression. They are proud of something that should humble them. All animals, as created by God, exist to this day, do not require covering, and are content with natural clothing. One person has lost it because of sin, and borrows from them and hides behind it. But it is wonderful, or rather regrettable, that he covers himself with someone else’s skin, and thereby exalts himself, and then he sets himself in honor, which should have given him, poor, meager, naked and deprived, a reason for humility. But it was not enough for the passionate and lustful flesh to invent decorations for itself and thereby admire and console itself. What is she inventing and planning? It is necessary to decorate horses, carriages and other supplies, so that from there you can find some kind of praise and honor from those who do not know and are surprised at such vanity. Oh, intelligent, but wretched and poor creature! Don't you notice how the world seduces you like the forbidden apple to Eve, and its vanity captivates your foolish heart? If visible beauty pleases you, turn your eyes to the red sun, moon and stars, to fields, trees, grass and flowers, to birds, fish and other animals and other creatures of God, and marvel at them, and from them know their Creator and yours and His beauty. If He created such beautiful creatures, how incomparably beautiful is He Himself, Who created them! Seek this beauty, which is the source of all beauties, those who enjoy it do not know satiety, but the more they see it, the more they desire it. But there is no desire for that, you don’t like what is beautiful in itself, because it does not bring vain praise and honor!.. We must do and strive for what the world praises, honors, glorifies and is surprised at, and from this we ourselves should be praised, revered and glorified!.. To this blindness the passionate and blind flesh and the charm of the world leads the poor man. § 63. This decoration, just as it is vain, is also a sign of negligence about the soul. Because: 1) He who cares about bodily adornment does not have time to care about spiritual things. For whatever one’s thoughts are occupied with, he tries, he seeks, and spends his time in that. “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:21). 2) This very dandy decoration shows a heart that desires vain honor and glory, which is contrary to the law of God: “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15), and it is not befitting the Christian faith, which looks at eternal honor and glory, and seeks and expects it; and it is indecent for the title of Christians, who are called to the eternal and heavenly; and their positions are disgusting, which should adorn the soul, not the body, and “set your mind on things above, and not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2). 3) This decoration is without offending your neighbor, and therefore is not acquired without offending God. For it cannot exist without funds that are collected for this purpose from such people or, moreover, taken from them. 4) Although there will be righteous possessions, since there are naked, lesser brothers of Christ, shaking from cold and frost, imprisoned in prison for debts and dues, who have lost their homes from fires and other people in need, then excess funds and excess must be used for such. But all this is suppressed by vain decoration and insatiable luxury. Do those who have this vanity in their heart care about the poor? You need to decorate yourself, your wife, children, servants, horses, carriages, their decorations, your house, galleries, ponds and create other amusements! § 64. It is still a great vanity and disgrace to Christianity that wives smear their faces with whitewash, paints and ointments. For why do they do this trifle? It is impossible to find other reasons other than to appear to people, or, worse, to “like” and fall into love. In the bedrooms they don’t care about this trifle. They don't add any color to health, unless they cause harm. One reason for this is so that people turn their eyes to them. True, people turn their eyes, but many turn their eyes and hearts, and as a result their spiritual eye is greatly darkened. Young and unsteady hearts must struggle a lot from this charm. But if they, wives, I say, who confess God and Christ the Son of God, look around, they will see that: 1) They put up for auction what is unsaleable, which should be preserved like the apple of their eye. Ah, that poor Christian woman who blushes her face, but darkens her soul; He adorns his face, but loses the beauty of his soul, and, like a monster, appears as a holy soul before God and His Angels! 2) By such adorning of their face, in addition to the fact that they have lost their chastity, they are transferring God’s work, which is completely and does not require correction, and therefore against their Creator, Who gives the age of the body and the beauty of the face to everyone, they greatly sin and offend Him. Just like that ignorant person who would transfer an image well painted by a painter and thereby offend the painter a lot, so wives, by transferring their faces, inflict considerable offense and annoyance on their Creator. It is more fitting for Christian women to wash their faces with tears than to paint them with whitewash and paints. A Christian must be in constant repentance, for he always sins before God, which is hard and regrettable for a Christ-loving soul. 3) They are doing a bad thing by going to lunches, dinners and other places like this; but what’s worse is that with the same trifle, saints dare to enter churches and expose themselves and show off. So they make holy churches a disgrace, or more dishonorable than a disgrace, which the ear cannot tolerate portraying. Anyone can easily understand this when they take everything into consideration. God’s word befits such shameless women: “My house will be called a house of prayer; but you made it a den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13). The church of God is a church of prayer, and for this purpose we enter the church of God to pray, not to look at each other, but to raise the eyes of our hearts to God alone; not to show yourself to others, but to bare your conscience, burdened with sins, before God; not to rejoice, but to propitiate the sins of God; in a word, we come to holy churches to pray to God. It is not appropriate for prayer to have the kind of utensils they have on themselves: but what kind? Humility, heartfelt contrition, tenderness, tears, crying. By this, prayer is embellished, and ascends to the throne of God, and is pleasing to the eyes of God, and receives one’s petition. This is how the holy women prayed: Anna, the mother of the prophet Samuel (see 1 Samuel 1), Judith (Judith 9), Esther (Esther 4:17) - and were heard by God. They should be followed by wives who profess the name of Christ if they want to enter church and pray for the benefit of their souls. The same utensils, which consist of gold, whitewash, paints, ointments and other things, mean nothing more than vanity, pomp, the pride of this world, arrogance, the evil eye, temptation, temptation and other passionate whims of the flesh. Is this what I should show up before God with? We come to God and want to stand before God when we come to prayer. Is this how we should appease God? Is this how to humble yourself before Him? This is delusion, not prayer; pride and pomp, not humility; multiplication of sins, not decrease; greater insult and anger, and not the propitiation of a merciful God, “for whatever is high among men is an abomination to God” (Luke 16:15). If you could penetrate into the hearts of such people, what, if not worldly pride, like a high idol, is hidden there? “What are you saying? - Chrysostom denounces them. – When you come to pray to God, do you dress yourself in gold and wickerwork? Did you come to rejoice, did you come to join the marriage? Did you come to the show? There is gold, there is wickerwork, there are valuable garments; but here none of this is needed. You have come to ask, to pray for sins, to make a prayer about what you have sinned in, to ask the Lord to make Him merciful: why are you decorating yourself? This is not the appearance of a person praying. How can you sigh, how can you shed tears, how can you pray diligently, having thus clothed yourself? And if you shed tears, your tears will be worthy of laughter. It is not appropriate for a crying woman to dress in gold. Because shadow is also hypocrisy. How can it not be a shadow if tears are suddenly shed from the same heart from which such wastefulness and ambition comes?” and so on. (Conversation 8 on 1 Epistle to Timothy). § 65. So that it is more convenient to leave behind vain adornment, which is extremely unbecoming for Christians, and soul-destroying luxury, which, as can be seen, is increasing and multiplying hour by hour among Christians, and to lead a moderate life, it is useful to note and reason the following: 1) Any bodily excess does not exist without offending God and offending one’s neighbor, as stated above. 2) Every good thing that we have is God’s, and not ours: we came naked from our mother’s womb and therefore are poor and poor in ourselves; and whatever we have, we have given by God. Our wealth is God's good, not our own, therefore we must spend it according to the will of God who gave it, and not according to our whims. If you ask your steward where and for what he spent the money you gave him, the Lord will also ask you about the wealth He has given you. Prepare your answer to Him. He will not ask you: did you have a rich and beautiful dress, rich houses, horses, carriages, etc., did you often receive guests, etc.? No, nothing like this is visible in the Holy Scriptures. But what will He ask you? He will ask: did you feed Him with the good that was given to you, the hungry? Did you clothe the naked? Have you built houses for those who have no place to lay their heads? Did you receive travelers in your house? Did you ransom those sitting in prison for debts and other demands, and did you give to the rest of the poor and needy from the goods given to you? (Matthew 25:35–36). Wealth is given to us not for our sake alone, but also for the sake of our neighbors who demand it. You see how unrighteously people do it when they squander the good that is given for the common good on their own whims and thus resist the will of God. Such rich people are spenders of wealth, not builders; and those who keep their wealth in chests are its guardians and slaves, and not God’s servants and slaves. Therefore, every rich person needs to consider where and on what he spends the wealth given to him by God. We must always remember that terrible voice of the righteous Judge: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you did not give Me anything to eat” (Matthew 25:41–43); - and Abraham’s answer to the rich man, who, dressed in purple and fine linen, feasted brilliantly every day: “Child! Remember that you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus received your evil; now he is comforted here, but you suffer” (Luke 16:25). Christ, who gives wealth to everyone, hungers, hungers for His brothers - poor Christians; but is shamelessly despised by the voluptuous and stingy rich! Even now many Lazarus lie at the gates of the rich, but destructive luxury blinds their eyes so as not to see them, and keeps their hand from doing mercy to them. Oh, luxury and stinginess, nasty sisters, but both fatally infect human hearts. One teaches to squander wealth, the other to store and guard, but both are for human destruction: one weakens, the other binds a person, but both of them kill his soul. 3) It is great madness to decorate a body that will soon turn to dust and earth, but not take care of the immortal soul, as everyone can see. It is impossible to care for the soul of someone who decorates his body for show and vanity. Such decoration is a sign of a peace-loving, vain and proud heart, and in itself darkens the soul. Only virtue can be the decoration of the soul. She decorates herself with it, as if it were a proper utensil; and the one who is vain and proud is darkened. 4) Such wives should give an answer to the righteous Judge for temptation. “Woe to that man through whom temptation comes” (Matthew 18:7). A young heart receives no little abuse from the face of a woman, especially from a face that is decorated with ointments and paints to seduce. For the devil has no better and more convenient tool for seducing young hearts and trapping uncleanness in a net than a woman’s face, especially one skillfully decorated and anointed with perfumes and ointments. Such a face is a strong arrow, with which he strikes young hearts and wounds many. Therefore, wives who want to appear before Christ’s judgment and give an answer to Him about everything must heed Christ’s terrible word: “Woe to that man through whom temptation comes!” It is terrible to seduce one person, for every person has been redeemed by the Blood of Christ, much less many for whom the Blood of Christ has been shed. And how many are there who are seduced by this feigned beauty and perish? God alone knows the heart, who will judge both those who are deceived and those who deceive, and will not look at their faces. Listen to this, wife, who confesses the name of Christ and expects to appear at the judgment seat of Christ; and even if you don’t, you will certainly appear. “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what he has done while in the body, whether good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). 5) Oh, if only the women, called by the Christian name, would often look with intelligent eyes at the simple face of Christ, which for the sake of our sins and iniquities was spat on and struck, and had no form or beauty! They would never want to smear and paint their faces to deceive the souls of men whom He redeemed by His death! But it is clear that they have forgotten that great and terrible matter, and are only thinking about vanity and putting out what they have in their hearts. 6) Also, if they remember that worms will once crawl over an adorned face, and that which now smells of ointment will emit an unbearable stench, and then the whole body will turn to dust and earth, it is possible that then they will refrain from this soul-destroying fury. 7) How this feminine adornment is hated by God, anyone can read and see in the third chapter of the prophet Isaiah. 8) One true and Christian decoration is spiritual decoration, to which God’s word exhorts us, which we will talk about in the next paragraph. § 66. Christians who, in holy baptism, renounced the world and the vanity of the world, and were cleansed from the filth of sin by that holy bath, and promised to “live godly in Christ Jesus, and look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century,” as it is stated in the Creed, must, by virtue of their vows then given, show the fruits of baptism and therefore adorn their soul, and not their body. Since: 1) the soul is immortal, so is its beauty - the body is perishable, and its beauty, as everyone knows. 2) If the body is adorned and the soul is neglected, then both body and soul will perish. Because in the general resurrection, when the body and soul are united, the soul, having lived in negligence, will suffer, the body will suffer the same, and together they will die an immortal death. 3) If the soul is adorned, then the body, having been reunited with the soul in due time, will perceive beauty, “when this corruptible, - according to the testimony of the Apostle, - is clothed with incorruption, and this mortal is clothed with immortality” (1 Cor. 15:54). 4) The more the soul is adorned now, the more beauty the body will be honored with after the resurrection. Then the glory will be to some “like the sun,” to others “like the moon,” to others “like the stars” (1 Cor. 15:41). The more the body is now adorned, and the soul is neglected, the greater the ugliness will then appear on both soul and body. The vileness of a careless soul will then appear on the body, to expose it and to show everyone that it did not live in the world for the sake of God, but followed its own whims, and did not serve Christ, but served the world. Then the peace-loving sinner, like some kind of terrible monster, will appear before the whole world, the Angels and the chosen ones of God, and will be ashamed, horrified, hate himself, and will want to turn into nothing, but will not be able to; He will scold himself, reproach and mourn, but it’s too late. The human soul is like a mirror, which perceives such a form in itself, what it turns to. So the soul, whatever it turns to, receives such an image in itself. Whether she turns to God and seeks God, loves and cleaves to God - the image of God in her is depicted and written by the Holy Spirit. Will she turn to the world and love its vanity - such is the image in her. And what is in it now will then appear outwardly. Just as there is beauty in a God-loving soul, so vileness and ugliness will then appear outwardly to a peace-loving soul. 5) No matter how the body is decorated, beauty will not be added to it: pockmarked, black, wrinkled, freckled, cross-eyed - no matter how decorated, it invariably remains the same. The more the soul moves away from the world and worldly lusts and the more it “puts off the old man with his deeds and puts on the new man” (Col. 3:9-10), the more beautiful it becomes. For then the image of God, which is its divine and ineffable adornment, is shown in it, just as an image is visible in a cleansed mirror of someone looking into it. Nowadays the beauty of the soul is not visible on the body, when the righteous and sinners have the same appearance, although the beauty of a holy soul and the ugliness of a sinner from deeds and words is often noticed, like the taste of an apple. But then, when the sons of God and the sons of this world are revealed, the beauty of the soul will appear, having the image of God within itself. Then she, like the sun, will emit the brilliance of her beauty, and on the body with which she served God here, she will reveal her beauty: “then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). “Beloved! we are now children of God; but it has not yet been revealed what we will be. We only know that when it is revealed, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2). Oh, what will be the glory of the children of God, who now, not caring about their body, care about the beauty of their soul, and are considered despised and trampled upon by the evil world as garbage: they will be like God! “For God is clothed with light as with a robe” (Ps. 103:2), so His children will be enlightened. Desire and seek this beauty, Christian, until it is found. What do you care about bodily beauty, which blooms today, but fades in the morning and turns into nothing? Therefore, just as those who wish to enter the palace of the earthly king, and appear before his face, and partake of his meal, cleanse themselves and dress in the best and most decent dress in order to appear not vile in the eyes of the king, so all the more so does he who desires to enter the palace of the Heavenly King, and appear before His brightest face, and partake of that great supper, must cleanse himself of filth and vice, for “not nothing unclean will enter it" (Rev. 21:27), - and dress in clothes worthy of that palace, so as not to hear a terrible voice from the King: "Friend! How did you come in here without wearing wedding clothes?” (Matthew 22:12), - and not be cast out with shame and cast into utter darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 22:13). § 67. He adorns his soul who, according to the apostolic word, “puts off... the old man, which is corrupted by deceitful lusts, but is renewed in the spirit of his mind and puts on the new man, created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24); that is, whoever resists carnal lusts, and cuts them off, and is diligent in virtues, puts off uncleanness, lust, pride, envy, anger, malice, rage, love of money, intemperance and other evil behavior, and puts on chastity, holiness, humility, brotherly love, patience, meekness and other good morals. This is a beautiful piece of spiritual equipment! That soul is good and beautiful, which is conformed to the Heavenly Father by holiness, truth, mercy, justice, patience, meekness and other properties. A Christian, reborn by God, must conform to His morals, like a son to his father. Every son is conformed to his father by his properties and morals, as we see in carnal birth, in which nothing less is born than flesh from the flesh, according to the testimony of Christ: “that which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6). Therefore, God’s word commands Christians to adorn themselves not with carnal, but with spiritual utensils. What kind of utensil is this, what does it consist of, listen to the apostle, who offers this utensil to us: “As God’s elect, holy and beloved, put on mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering” (Col. 3:12). Let us adorn ourselves with these utensils, Christians, and not with gold, silver, stones and expensive clothes. Let us clothe ourselves with generosity and mercy, as our Lord commands us: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36), “Who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32), so that He might deliver us from eternal disasters and bring us into eternal bliss. Let us put on goodness and try to do good to everyone - good and evil, friends and enemies, imitating the Heavenly Father: “For He is good to the ungrateful and the evil” (Luke 6:35); “For He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Let us put on humility, following the Only Begotten Son of God, Who was not ashamed to “wash the feet of the apostles, their Lord and Teacher” (John 13:14). “For let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: He, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; but he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:5-8). Let us put on meekness and long-suffering, learning this from the meek and humble Jesus, as He commands us: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29); and let us forgive our debts to our debtors, just as God forgives us. Let us be holy, for it is written: “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16). This attire, this utensil, this decoration is appropriate for Christians; and they do not please the world and the eyes of men, but the eyes of the Heavenly Father. Let us try to adorn ourselves with these utensils, Christians, in order to please not the world, but God, who looks down on us all from His heaven, as the prophet sings: “The Lord looks down from heaven, He sees all the sons of men; from the throne on which He sits, He looks down on all who live on earth” (Ps. 32:13-14). § 68. It is known that many wear elegant clothing not for the sake of gaining vain glory and honor, but following the general custom and applying it to their rank and dignity. My above discussion does not concern such people, and I am talking here only about those who seek some kind of glory and veneration from dress, which are usually called by all dandies, as can be seen from the above-described reasoning. For such people, although they are called Christians, have a heart filled with the vanity and love of this world, from which the Apostle turns away Christian souls: “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world: whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father” (1 John 2:15). And therefore, what is condemned here is ostentation, pomp, worldly pride, vanity and the blindness of a depraved heart, and not decency. What is condemned is luxury and self-love, which does not care about the benefit of one’s neighbor and, for the most part, causes offense to one’s neighbor, rather than moderation, which is almost necessary in civil society. Excessive care for the mortal and perishable body and neglect of the immortal soul are also condemned. For there is no care for the soul and its eternal salvation in that heart that has been taken over by the vanity of this world. The word of our Savior is true: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Clothing, whatever it is, in itself is not involved in either virtue or sin, like any other thing. But only its use, purpose and intention can, as it happens, be bad, and therefore turns into sin for the user: for it is not used for the purpose for which it was given by God. There is vanity in the heart of the one who wears a black, monastic and rubbish dress, so that people would consider him a despiser of the world and a saint; like the one who dresses in colorful and expensive clothes so that he can have first place in the assembly and receive bows from those who meet him, and admire his attire like a peacock’s feathers. Every garment should have one purpose, that is, covering nakedness and protecting a weak body from cold and bad weather, for which it was given to us by our Creator, as stated above. However, every Christian must remember and heed that any excess, both in food, in building and other things appropriate for this life, and in clothing, does not exist without sin. God gives us property and wealth not only for our own sake, but also for the sake of the poor, so that we ourselves may be moderately content with it, and supply the poor with it. But if a person does not do this, but squanders his wealth on excess and luxury, he acts against the will of God and therefore sins, for everything is a sin that is done against the will of God: for which he will be punished as an unrighteous steward and waster of God’s good. As for personal female jewelry, it cannot have any excuse, but there is only charm, intrigue, cunning and invention of an evil spirit, perpetrated to seduce and corrupt chastity. And although many of the wives decorate their faces not for a bad purpose, but following an inert custom, this decoration does not happen without tempting the young and themselves without sin. Article 4: About some sins especially At the beginning of this article I need to announce something to the reader. 1) Here I did not put my reasoning about the sins known to everyone, which everyone, even the rudest people and nations, abhor, such as robbery, obvious violence and robbery, murder, fornication, adultery, etc. For everyone is convinced by natural law and conscience to guard against such sins, and after committing one of these sins, the sinner does not cease to torment the conscience, although it is wounded by every sin, especially when a person tries to keep it intact. Conscience and natural law agree with God’s written law, and therefore, just as this one denounces the lawbreaker, so he does not leave the sinner alone, but incessantly torments him. This goes without saying about those especially who try to lead their lives according to her rule and the law of God. For in a conscience stained by sins, great sins are barely discernible, just as in a grimy mirror the person looking into it does not see both his face and his vices. 2) Here the discussion is primarily about those vices that are also the cause of other vices and which, nevertheless, the present age, as you will see, does not consider as vices. 3) I also announce to the reader that here I tried to show the abomination and severity of sin in discussing sins so that those who maintain the Christian office will beware of sin, and those who sin will lag behind it. And by my reasoning it is not persons who are blasphemed, but the vices that those persons possess are condemned and exposed. Every sin is in a person, therefore it is necessary to mention the person in whom he lives and possesses, although the whole word should refer to sin, and not to the person himself. Just as salt drives worms out of a substance or prevents it from becoming rotten, although it itself dissolves in the substance; or just as medicine is taken with the intention of driving out a disease from a person, although it is also taken inside the person, so reproof, although it attacks a person and his conscience hurts him, intends to drive away the sin that a person has, so that, having recognized the sin and its destructive severity, he would try to free himself from it by the grace of God. Anyone who wants to truly repent and thus be saved must certainly recognize sin and its abomination. Without knowledge of sin, there is no true repentance, just as without knowledge of illness there is no healing. How can sin be known if the abomination and severity of it are not presented to the sinner before his eyes? Therefore, no one should be angry at an accusatory word, especially one that is spoken about every person in general, for it exposes sins, and not the person himself, just as a medicine against a disease, and not against a person. Without illness there is no need for medicine, and where there is no sin, there is no need for reproof. Leave sin, then reproof will not touch you, for what it convicts of will not exist. Reproof is like a mirror that shows the vices on the face; and if there are no blemishes on the face, then it will not show them. If you are not angry at the mirror for showing your vices, do not be angry at the accusatory word with which the vices of your soul are shown. Moreover, when you are angry at reproof, which generally occurs, then you show that your conscience also convicts you of what the word is about. The accusatory word is similar to conscience. Why does it happen that when certain sins are talked about in a meeting, those who have them are touched by their conscience and show some signs on themselves. What the word is without, conscience denounces within; and what is outside the word, the conscience praises within. These two witnesses are both similar and agree with each other, they are also faithful, and cannot lie, but they always testify to the truth, and what one shows, so does the other. One praises virtue and the other. One denounces sin and the other. And both here in this century and on the last day at the Last Judgment they will be reliable witnesses and exposers of human sins. Therefore, so that your word and conscience do not convict you here and at that trial, forsake your sins and truly repent. Then just as you will not have an internal accuser, so verbal reproof will not touch you. Then you will be calm and peaceful, although everyone will blaspheme and curse you. A clear conscience is more reliable than the testimony of all people, and alone there is true inner peace, without which a person cannot be calm, even if he is not disturbed in any way from the outside. 4) It is better for you here, in this world, and secretly within yourself and before yourself alone to endure conviction, and leave sin and repent, and thus be saved, than to be convicted at that world judgment and be sent ashamed into the outer darkness, “where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12). For whatever is blotted out in the conscience here will not appear there either. “Make peace here with your adversary while you are still on the way with him, lest the adversary hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the servant, and they throw you into prison” (Matthew 5:25), which is what every accusatory word intends, that is, so that in that public disgrace the sinner is not convicted by the righteous Judge. And whoever does not clear his conscience and does not atone for the sins in it will certainly He will be convicted there and will see all his sins presented before him, according to God’s true word: “I will reprove you and bring your sins before you” *** (Ps. 49:21). Here is a man who called himself a Christian, but did not do Christian deeds; “he said that he knew God, but in his deeds he denied Him” (Titus 1:16); “he had a form of piety, but denied its power!” (2 Tim. 3:5) He will hear it before the whole world, angels and men, and will be covered with shame. We must leave behind that for which our conscience condemns us inside and outside the word of God, and repent with a contrite heart, so as not to be convicted where repentance has no place. 5) Reproof, when it happens to one person, should not soften the words, but explain the importance of sin, so that, having become established in sin, he does not perish; all the more so should one do this when there is reproof in general, without mentioning persons, so that the word is extended not to flattery, but to reproof. Therefore, there is no need to be angry at reproof, even that which happens directly to your face, and especially at that which is said at all. No one is angry with the doctor for administering cruel medicine to heal the body. Why should we be angry with someone who wants to heal our soul and drive sin out of us with a cruel word, like a cruel medicine? For those who have not had a hard time sinning, let it not be a hard thing for them to hear reproof of sin and so repent. When you leave the sin of which you are convicted, then you will know how useful the conviction was for you; then you will not only not be angry with the one who denounced you, but you will also thank him, just as a sick person, freed from an illness, thanks a doctor. This is what I fervently wish for you too. 6) Some sins come from weakness, others from willfulness, prejudice, and against conscience. From weakness, sin, to which even pious people are subject, should be easily and affectionately rebuked. But sins committed against conscience and out of willfulness, and especially those that have become old and have become a habit, require cruel and strict reproof, like an old disease - a bitter and cruel medicine. Such sins clearly lead sinners to destruction and cannot be driven away otherwise than by cruel punishment with the help of God. Such people must be strictly rebuked, so that with this voice, like thunder, they awaken from their sinful sleep and do true repentance. We must speak the truth everywhere and not remain silent about what should be said. A sin that is properly unrevealed and unconvicted is either not considered a sin, or is considered a minor one, although the sin has such gravity in itself that even a small sinner can plunge the sinner to the bottom of hell, for every sin against the majesty of God happens. But when it is not considered a sin or it is easy to be judged, then it remains unhealed, which is very dangerous. 7) From this article, in which certain sins are listed and explained, you can learn somewhat, reader, what great corruption and evil is carried within himself by man, who was created in the image of God and in the likeness, and was holy, pure, blameless, righteous and was the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit; but by the advice of an evil and crafty spirit and by the poison of a serpent he was so corrupted that he was “like cattle” (Ps. 49:13), which we cannot mourn enough. What is seen in a person who has not been renewed by grace other than bestiality? The uncleanness seen in cattle is the same in man, even greater and more vile. Gluttony in cattle is the same in humans. Theft is noticeable in cattle, and the same is true in humans. In cattle there is ferocity, ferocity, anger, malice and rage - the same is in man. Envy in cattle is the same in man. We see guile and cunning in cattle - the same in man, and so on. This is what a person is like in himself! And what is more pitiful and lamentable, what disorderly passions are scattered in all dumb people, are present in one person. This is how the poor man, who wanted to have God’s honor, became disfigured! The Holy Scripture terribly describes the unregenerate man and imagines before our eyes that from here we would know poverty, damnation and the mortal poison hidden in our hearts: what you see in another is also in you, although it does not appear outside. There, that is, in Scripture, we see that unregenerate man is sometimes called a “brood of vipers,” sometimes a “fox,” sometimes a “pig”; sometimes he is likened to a “lion”, sometimes he is likened to other animals because of his evil nature, to which he is similar and conformable to those dumb ones. Hence, everyone must stop their mouth and remain silent, no matter what name they are called. Man is worthy of any dishonest reproach, for although he does not do all evil on the outside, he carries all evil inside, which on occasion appears either outside or outside. 8) From this vile source it follows that even the regenerate, the pious and the saints themselves feel war in their members, and although they strive against that evil, they often “do not do the good that they want” (Rom. 7:19); and pray to the Heavenly Father for forgiveness of sins: “Forgive us our debts”; and with the whole Holy Church they cry out to God: “Lord, have mercy!” - and from His righteous judgment they resort to His mercy: “Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for no one living will be justified before You” (Ps. 142:2); and they mourn this damnation with the apostle: “Poor man that I am! who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom.7:24). 9) Hence it follows that our justification before God and eternal salvation consists in the mercy of the Heavenly Father alone, the merits of Christ and faith, which joyfully recognizes Him, as its Redeemer and Savior, and His most holy merits with a loving and grateful, humble and obedient heart, applying it as a healing and saving treatment to its mortal weakness. “Whatever is high among men is an abomination to God” (Luke 16:15) “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14) “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6) § 69. The beginning of pride is the devil, who departed from his Creator and became from a bright angel the prince of darkness. This deadly poison has infected both ourselves and our hearts so much that for the rest of our lives we cannot sufficiently mourn our damnation. § 70. There is nothing more dangerous, more secret and more difficult than pride. Pride is dangerous, for for the proud heaven is defined and hell is defined instead of heaven. “God opposes the proud,” says Scripture. Pride is hidden because it lies so deep in our hearts that we cannot even discern it without the help of the meek-hearted Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and we recognize it better in our neighbors than in ourselves. We see other vices, such as drunkenness, fornication, theft, embezzlement, and so on. Because they often make us feel sorry for ourselves and ashamed. But we don’t see pride. Who has ever admitted to being proud from the heart? Never happened to see that before. Many call themselves sinners, but others do not tolerate being called that way, and although many of them do not respond with their tongues, they accept it not without indignation and heartbreak. And so this shows that with the tongue they only call themselves sinners, and not with the heart; They show humility on their lips, but not in their hearts. For a truly humble person cannot be upset or angry at reproaches, since he considers himself worthy of any humiliation. There is nothing more difficult than pride, for with great inconvenience and also not without the help of God we overcome it. We carry this evil within ourselves. Are we in good health? She will bow down to us with majesty and pomp, contempt and humiliation of our neighbors. Are we getting into trouble? It shows itself through indignation, grumbling and blasphemy. Are we trying to learn patience, meekness and other virtues? He rises up against us with the arrogance of the Pharisees. And so we cannot get rid of it anywhere and in any way: it always walks with us, always wants to dominate and own us. § 71. How “God resists the proud” (James 4:6), show the terrible destinies of God, which God’s holy word presents to us, so that we, looking at them, with all our might, should be protected from this vile and soul-destroying vice. Our forefathers ascended in paradise and desired divine honor - but they lost the honor they had, and “became like foolish cattle ...” (Ps. 49:13), and fell into every calamity. The descendants of Noah ascended and by creating a pillar they wanted to create a glorious name for themselves - and “the Lord confused their language, so that one did not understand the speech of the other” (Gen. 11: 3-9). Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, ascended against God and His people and wanted to embitter and destroy - and he perished with all his army in the Red Sea, and sank like tin in deep water ( Exod. 14: 15-28, 10) Korah, Dathan and Abiron ascended, and they resisted Moses, the prophet of God and their leader - “and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the people of Korah, and all their property; and they went down alive with all that belonged to them, and the earth covered them, and they perished from the midst of the congregation” (Num. 16:32-33). Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, raised a voice of blasphemy against the Most High God and against His holy city, “and the angel of the Lord went out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp”; Holofernes, the leader of the Assyrian army, rose up, and a woman’s hand cut off his proud head (Judith 13:8). Haman, the first adviser to the Persian king Artaxerxes, rose up and was “hanged on the tree” that he had prepared for the innocent Israelite Mordecai (Esther 7). Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, rose up and heard a voice from heaven: “They say to you, King Nebuchadnezzar: the kingdom has departed from you! And they will separate you from men, and your dwelling will be with the beasts of the field; They will feed you grass like an ox,” and so on (Dan.4). The city of Capernaum ascended to heaven - and heard from Christ: “And you, Capernaum, who ascended to heaven, will be cast down to hell” (Matthew 11:23). The Pharisee ascended and went condemned to his house (Luke 18:14). This is how God opposes the proud! Thus the Lord humbles those who are exalted! There is nothing more hateful to God in people than pride. “Whatever is high among men is an abomination to God” (Luke 16:15). § 72. The signs of pride are: 1) one does not submit to one’s superiors; 2) is not inferior to equals and inferiors; 3) pride is eloquent, lofty and loquacious; 4) seeks glory, honor and praise in every way; 5) highly exalts himself and his deeds; 6) despises and humiliates others; 7) is looking for a way to show off; 8) shamelessly praises himself; 9) whatever good he has, he attributes to himself, and not to God; 10) boasts about the good that he does not have; 11) tries very hard to hide his shortcomings and vices; 12) does not tolerate being despised and humiliated; 13) does not accept admonitions, reproofs, or advice; 14) arbitrarily interferes in other people’s affairs; 15) having lost rank or honor, and in other misfortunes, he grumbles, is indignant, and often curses; 16) therefore, pride is angry, 17) pride is envious: it does not want anyone equal to it or higher than it to have equal or greater honor, but for it to surpass everyone in everything. 18) pride is not inclined to love, it is hateful. Self-love is the root of all evil. And so pride is the beginning and root of all sin. § 73. Pride is not only a grave and vile sin in itself, but it can also be the cause of other sins. For God, who opposes the proud, with righteous judgment takes away His grace from the proud; Satan, as a proud spirit and murderer, conveniently approaches such a house as if it had been swept and tidied (Matthew 12:44). Therefore, a person who remains without the grace of God, as weak and receptive to all evil, conveniently falls into any sin. As many of both Holy Scripture and church history testify to. § 74. The end to which pride leads, Christ himself means: “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled” (Luke 14:11). She rises high, but falls very low. See § 71. § 75. There are many causes which destroy our pride, some of which are here given. 1) People are most proud of either honor and glory, or wealth, or intelligence, or strength, or nobility. But since all this is subject to change and both comes to us and departs from us, for it is not ours, then it is very senseless to be exalted by what is not ours. Everything we have is not ours, but God’s; we are only vessels of God's gifts. To God the giver is due all praise, and honor, and thanksgiving, and to man is due humility, so that what he has is not taken away because of pride. 2) Our birth and upbringing destroy our pride. What animal is born with more difficulty and pain than a human? Mothers know about this and are present in such cases. What animal requires more supervision, care, nutrition, and protection in education than a human? Many animals immediately obtain food for themselves upon birth; And how many times does a person run around, dress with someone else’s hands, eat with someone else’s labor, keep warm, and survive! 3) Our nakedness brings down our pride. Other animals do not require clothing, but man is so poor and wretched that he does not even have his own clothing, but accepts it from animals and other creatures. Sheep, fox, wolf, hare, lynx and others dress and warm us. 4) Our pride and our misfortunes overthrow. Who is subject to greater passions, corruption, illnesses, and infirmities than man? Who is subject to greater fear, sadness, and grief than man? Surrounded by troubles everywhere: behind - sins, in front - death, above - the judgment of God, below - hell, on the sides - the temptations of the world and the machinations of demons, inside - the flesh with passions and lusts. Is it in such a poor state to be proud? 5) The end of our life brings down our pride, for we are all dust of the earth, and to the earth we will go (Gen. 3:19). Mentally inspect the tombs and distinguish there the king from the warrior, the glorious from the dishonorable, the rich from the poor, the strong from the weak, the noble from the noble, the wise from the foolish. Staying here in thought, boast of your nobility, here exalt yourself in reason, here magnify yourself in wealth, here exalt yourself in honor, here count ranks, here count titles. O poor creature, poor in the beginning, poor in the middle, poor in the end! Like a worn out and rotten vessel, like the dust of the earth - such is man, and he will go into the earth. 6) The more we come to know and remember Christ, the more we recognize our meanness and damnation, and thus humble ourselves. Christ, the Son of God, your Lord, humbled himself for your sake - should you, a servant, be proud? For your sake, your Lord took on the form of a slave - should you, a slave, seek dominance? Your Lord accepted dishonor for your sake - should you, a slave, be exalted with honor? Your Lord had no place to lay his head; should you, a slave, expand the magnificent buildings? Your Lord washed His disciples’ feet—are you ashamed to serve your brethren? Your Lord endured slander, reproach, mockery, ridicule, spitting - can’t you, a servant, endure an annoying word? He endured it innocently and for your sake - shouldn’t you, the guilty one, endure it for yourself? Don't your sins deserve it? Your Lord prayed for His crucifiers: “Father! Forgive them” (Luke 23:34), - should you, a servant, be angry with those who insulted you, be angry, seek revenge? But who are you that your ears cannot tolerate insults? A wretched creature, weak, naked, passionate, lost, subject to all sorts of misfortunes, surrounded by all sorts of troubles, grass, hay, steam, appearing in the distance and disappearing. But take care and beware that Christ your Lord is not ashamed of you, if you are ashamed of His humility and meekness. He says: “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy Angels” (Mark 8:38). He is ashamed of Christ and His words who does not follow His humility, meekness, and patience, but wants to reign in peace in pride. 7) “Fear,” says Basil the Great to the proud, “a fall like the devil, who, having ascended against man, fell lower than man, and whom he trampled upon, was given over to him for trampling” (In the word on humility). § 76. It is bad and disgusting before God for anyone to be proud for the above reasons; but it is worse for him, whom even the state of misfortune should bring into humility. It is bad for a high-ranking, noble gentleman, a rich man to be proud; but worse than that - to a simple, humble, slave, beggar. So it is with other minds, as anyone can admit. § 77. Since, as stated above, the deadly poison of pride has taken root so deeply in our hearts, we must often look at the deepest humility of the Son of God and learn from Him, as He Himself says: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Moreover, we must ask Him earnestly, so that, having driven out that destructive poison with the healing of His grace, He would give a spirit of humility, which would be followed by His other gifts. For “God... gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). “But if you have bitter envy and contentiousness in your heart, do not boast or lie about the truth. This is not wisdom that descends from above, but earthly, spiritual, demonic, for where there is envy and contentiousness, there is disorder and all that is bad” (James 3:14-16). § 78. “Envy is sadness for the well-being of one’s neighbor,” says Basil the Great in his Sermon on Envy. Cain became sad and his face fell. Why? Because he saw that his brother Abel was praised by the Lord of all for bringing gifts, but he was rejected because of his laziness. The elder brother of the prodigal son, walking from the field, heard rejoicing and singing in his father’s house and learned that the fun was because of his brother, whom the good-born father had found healthy again, “he became angry and did not want to enter” his father’s house and be a participant in that fun (Luke 15:25-30). The righteous reason for the fun: his brother “was dead and came to life, he was lost and was found.” But he doesn’t look at that, he doesn’t like that for the sake of his brother his well-fed calf is slaughtered and for the sake of his well-being his father and the whole house rejoice. So envy grieves over the goodness of its neighbor and considers the well-being of its brother to be its own ill-being! Saint Chrysostom also attributes this useless sadness to envy, saying: “Envy considers the well-being of its neighbor to be its own ill-being” (Discourse 52 on the Book of Genesis). § 79. The root and beginning of envy is pride. A proud person, since he wants to rise above others, cannot tolerate anyone being equal to him, much less higher in prosperity, and therefore is indignant about his elevation. A humble person cannot envy, because he sees and recognizes his own unworthiness, and considers himself more worthy than others; That’s why he has no indignation about their talents. This passion exists only among those who think of themselves that they are something in the world, and dreaming so highly of themselves, they impute nothing to others. Proud Saul is so indignant at the meek and humble David that the jubilant wives attributed more praise to him, as Saul himself admitted and said: “They gave tens of thousands to David, and thousands to me” (1 Sam. 18:8). That's why he started persecuting the innocent. § 80. The purpose of envy is to see the one being envied in trouble. She is then born when the well-being of another begins; then it ceases when his well-being ceases and misfortune begins. Thus, through envy, our forefathers were brought down from high bliss to a state of misery. Cain's envy taught him to rebel against his brother Abel and kill him. It is a matter of envy that Joseph was sold into Egypt. It must be attributed to envy that the Jews raised Christ, their Lord and Benefactor, to the Cross. So from pride envy begins, from envy - hatred, from hatred - malice; anger leads to the most unfortunate end. Why does Saint Chrysostom say: “The root of murder is envy” (Discussion 54 on Genesis). § 81. Envy is a painful passion and is worthy of laughter, or rather crying, for the human heart is infected with such devilish poison. Other passions have some, albeit imaginary, pleasure, but the envious person sins, and at the same time suffers. Haman, the enemy of the Jews, as he himself admits, did not like the glory with which the king exalted him, nor the wealth with which he abounded, nor the honor that he was invited to the queen and the king for a feast; this, he says: “Everything is not enough for me.” What is the reason for this? Has anyone offended you, Haman? Has anyone stolen your belongings? Or has someone slandered you before the king? Are you healthy yourself or your family? Or doesn't the fear of the enemy bother you? No! There is nothing like that. What then? Why is your heart troubled? Why are you mourning in the midst of such fame and fortune? Why are you bowing your head? Why are you walking around decrepit and sad? Why does your face darken? What do you, the king's first adviser, lack? You don’t have just the scepter and the royal power. “No,” says Haman, “all this is not enough for me, for I see Mordecai in prosperity. All this is not enough for me when I see Mordecai the Judean in the royal court. Nothing makes me happy – neither glory, nor honor, nor wealth – because I see Mordecai in the king’s favor” (Esther 5). So the envious one sins and at the same time accepts execution, commits lawlessness and suffers! And from this you can see how vile the vice of envy and worthy of ridicule is! To be sad because your neighbor is having fun; to lament and be consumed by the fact that one’s brother is flourishing in prosperity—isn’t that something worthy of laughter? Anyone can admit this, only the devil is capable of such a thing: the devil is sad and unbearable that Christians are saved and receive eternal glory, from which he is cast into eternal destruction and dishonor. § 82. From the above, everyone can see how destructive this passion is. Because: 1) His own sin is the devil, who with this plague of our first parents, and with them, killed us. For the devil’s work is to rejoice over human destruction and grieve over salvation, which is characteristic of envy. 2) The demon does not envy such a demon, but a person; and man is jealous of man, brother to brother, kindred to kindred, like like to like, who should “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep,” as the apostle teaches (Rom. 12:15); something one cannot help but be surprised by, or, moreover, something that is impossible to mourn with dignity. This is how Satan infected our hearts with his poison! 3) Envy, as stated in § 78, leads to every unfavorable end for those on whom it is armed. 4) Envy also envies those from whom it receives benefits; She doesn’t care for goodwill, she even persecutes her benefactor. Who was a greater benefactor to the Jews than Christ, the Savior of the world? He raised their dead, enlightened the blind, cleansed the lepers and performed other wonderful deeds. But envy doesn't look at that. She advises: “What should we do? This Man does many miracles. If we leave Him like this, then everyone will believe in Him” (John 11:47–48). She does not reason, does not honor high good, but learns to kill her benefactor. Feed, clothe, take care of, protect, enrich, comfort the envious person as you wish - it is unpleasant for him. Because you are prosperous, everyone loves you, praises you, and honors you. This hurts his heart, which your love and good deeds cannot heal. And he will continue to hurt you until he sees you in distress. 3) Envy of those who possess it leads to a disastrous end. For, in addition to making them guilty of eternal torment, it exposes them to temporary disaster. So Cain groans and trembles; Haman, carried up on the tree that Mordecai prepared for the Israelite, dies. Therefore, Saint Chrysostom says: “An envious person, wanting to destroy another, destroys himself” (Conversation 55 on the Evangelist John). But, even if there is no other external calamity for the envious one, the internal one is enough for him, it is enough that inside he is consumed, tormented and tormented by his own tormentor. § 83. The remedy against this evil and destructive illness is as follows: 1) Pride, from which envy, as it is said, is born, must be put aside with the help of God, and so, without an evil root, there will be no evil fruit. “Envy,” says Augustine, “is the daughter of pride: kill a mother, and her daughter will perish.” 2) Learn to love your neighbor - so envy will fall. For “love... does not envy,” says the apostle (1 Cor. 13:4). And although this destructive arrow will strike the heart, it will, with the spirit of love, begin to resist its action and encourage itself, and the unwilling one, to thank God that his neighbor is in prosperity. This is how all internal evil is healed and, as they say, the wedge is knocked out with wedge. We must force ourselves to do every good thing and do not what the evil heart wants, but what the Christian faith and conscience demands: “those who use force delight... the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 11:12). So we resist malice and revenge, grumbling and blasphemy and other passions, and force ourselves to patience and other piety. That at first it will not be without difficulty, but later with the help of God it will be convenient. 3) Think and believe without a doubt that in this world there is nothing great or worthy of wonder, and there is no true bliss except the eternal and heavenly. And when we are in this opinion, then envy will weaken and become invalid. For envy is born from the well-being of one's neighbor; but when temporary well-being, that is, honor, wealth, etc., we will not consider true well-being, then we will not envy it. If, having despised earthly things, you seek heavenly things, then you will envy neither honor, nor glory, nor praise, nor wealth, nor nobility, for you desire incomparably better. The prince and nobleman do not envy the praise of the shoemaker, tailor, carpenter and other craftsmen, since he has much better. Likewise, those who seek permanent and true eternal bliss do not envy what is temporary, pitiful and, so to speak, imaginary. Do you want to avoid being eaten up and harmed by this painful ulcer? Consider everything temporary as nothing, and so it will have no place in you. “Whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be subject to judgment; whoever says to his brother: “raqa” is subject to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, “You fool,” will be subject to fiery hell” (Matthew 5:22). “Now put aside everything: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips” (Col. 3:8). § 84. Anger is a feeling of heart disease, born from resentment, which is expressed either in deed or in word. § 85. Anger is a painful and fierce passion and cannot be hidden. Other passions are conveniently hidden, but anger cannot be hidden. The heart, filled with anger, like a boiling cauldron, spews out various signs of anger, which appear in various members of the body. The eyes turn red from anger and sparkle like sparks; Anger causes veins to swell, eyebrows and hair to rise; We grind our teeth in anger, we spew foam from our lips, we nod our heads, we twist and turn our heads. The face darkens with anger. The action of anger is that we clench our hands and clap them, we hit the ground with our feet; in anger we hit the chest, we tear hair and clothes; one filled with anger screams, screams, sheds tears, complains, blasphemes and often spews something that he later regrets. In a word, the whole person changes in anger, the whole appearance of a demoniac appears. If such vile external signs are shown, if the body appears so ugly from anger, what is already inside, in the heart, which spews out such a stinking smell? How vile and ugly is the soul of one who is angry, how vile in the eyes of God, when only the sight of one who is angry seems unbearable to us, who ourselves carry the same evil within us! It is impossible to describe in words the vile state of that poor soul. And this can be seen not only in an adult, but also in a small child and baby: how he screams, rages, and turns away from everything until his anger is satisfied! This shows what great poison the human heart is filled with from the devil, what great evil lurks within us, which we cannot mourn enough. And this teaches us to continually sigh and pray to God to correct and renew our hearts, so fiercely corrupted. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb” (Ps. 50:12). When it is corrected and good, then its fruits will be good, that is, deeds, words and thoughts. § 86. Anger turns into malice and rancor if it is held for a long time and nourished in the heart. Therefore, we are commanded to stop it quickly, so that it does not grow into hatred and malice, and so that greater evil is not added to evil. “Let not the sun go down on your anger; and do not give place to the devil,” says the apostle (Eph. 4:26–27). Just as a fire, if it is not put out soon, consumes many houses, so anger, if it is not stopped soon, causes a lot of evil and is the cause of many troubles. Therefore, according to the admonition of the Apostle, we must quickly drive out anger from the heart when it begins, so that, having intensified, we ourselves, those who are angry, and those with whom we are angry, will no longer harm or destroy. § 87. Both anger and malice are born from immeasurable pride. For the selfish person seeks his own self-interest, glory and honor in everything; and when he sees an obstacle to his intention and desire, he is embarrassed, sad and angry at the one who is hindering him, and therefore he tries to put his anger into action, that is, to take revenge, which is characteristic of anger. § 88. Malice is committed in various ways: 1) By taking the life of the one against whom the evil is committed. So Cain, incited by envy and malice, rebelled against the innocent Abel and killed his half-brother. 2) Beating, poisoning, taking away health, estates, damage to livestock and other things. 3) Hatred and persecution of the friends of the one against whom anger is nourished in the heart. For an evil person, if he cannot harm the one with whom he is angry, tries to persecute and embitter his friends and those who love him. So Satan, angry at Christ and hating Him, persecutes and embitters Christians, His servants, those who love Him and are loved by Him. People follow this evil and malicious spirit and commit evil in its likeness. 4) Backbiting and slander. This is why it happens that so many innocently suffer grave reproaches and slander; both church and secular histories are filled with examples of such evil. And even in the present century, many experience the effects of the same malice and its godless fruits. 5) Many have a heart filled with such malice that, having fulfilled it, they boast. It is great madness to boast about something you should regret! You have harmed your neighbor; the law of God, holy and eternal, was violated; God Almighty, great and terrible, was angered; They have written themselves down to Satan and subjected themselves to eternal torment - and they boast about this lawless deed!.. So malice darkens the eye of the soul that the poor man does not see his obvious destruction. Sins twice. He sins and boasts about sin: here, they say, I gave it to him, let him know me. True, he knows you, he knows your anger, he knows that you damaged him. But do you know yourself? Where are you and what condition are you in? Do you know that you have damaged yourself more than him? You destroyed his body, but you destroyed your soul. Because of your slander, people disdain him and condemn him, and God condemns you. You subjected him to temporary disgrace and reproach, but subjected yourself to eternal. Listen to what the Psalmist sings to you: “Why do you boast of malice, O mighty one?” And note that he further adds: “For this reason God will destroy you to the end; He will uproot you and remove you from your village, and your root from the land of the living” (Ps. 51:3, 7). Therefore, Saint Chrysostom says: “When we are angry and deceitful towards others, then we sharpen the sword against ourselves, and wound ourselves with wounds much greater than them” (Conversation 51 on the Evangelist John). 6) Many from anger come to such madness and blindness that they would rather destroy themselves than abandon revenge. I, they say, will die myself, and I will take revenge on him!.. What are you saying and raging, blinded and poor creature? Do you want to destroy yourself so that your brother may perish, for whom Christ, the Son of God, died? Look around, what and whose spirit is at work in you? Is it not the one who himself perished and our ancestors, and with them destroyed us? He always breathes malice towards our destruction. Christ wants to save you and him, but you want to destroy yourself and him. But look at whom you rise up and arm yourself; He says: “Whoever is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30). By your destruction you seek the destruction of your neighbor, and therefore you are not with Christ, but against Christ, Who wants to save you and your neighbor so much that He shed His Blood for it. And you thereby show that you are wise in the same way as that evil spirit that wants to drag you and your neighbor and all people into destruction in every way. And, it seems, you are doing worse than a demon. For demon does not rise up against demon, but they all take up arms against one person and seek how to destroy. But you rebel against a man like yourself and want to destroy your brother, who recognizes the same Creator and Lord as you; Adam has the same father in the flesh as you do; of the same nature as you; by the same Redeemer Christ redeemed from the devil and hell, just like you; washed with the same washing of baptism as you; called to the same eternal life as you. However, in the fire of your anger you shout: I myself will perish, and I will take revenge on him!.. True, you will destroy yourself if you wish, but not your neighbor, if he lives in the grace and help of the Most High. Don’t you know that there is destruction that you wish for both yourself and your neighbor? Put your hand to the fire and you will know in part what destruction is. If you cannot endure this small fire, how can you endure the eternal fire, which burns and does not shine; scorches, but does not consume; torments rather than kills? By this fire, the evil ones, if they do not repent, will be red-hot like iron, both from the outside and inside, and will be consumed and tormented endlessly. But blinded by anger, he does not see this and shouts in his rage: I myself will perish, but I will not leave him!.. Oh, malice, the devil’s daughter, – malice, how you blind the poor man! The evil one wants to destroy himself so that his neighbor will perish. There can be no greater madness than to seek the destruction of your neighbor through your own destruction. Many of the evil ones abstain from fish, milk, eggs, meat, which God did not forbid, but even allowed to be consumed with thanksgiving and prayer; and they want to slaughter God’s living people as sacrifices! Many people do not eat anything on Wednesday and Friday; but out of malice they do not want to fast even for one minute - which God forbids under threat of eternal torment. Such a great and terrible evil - malice! How miserably malice captivates the heart and blinds the mind! And as if there is a vice, the devil’s own, who himself perished and tries to draw others into the same destruction. § 89. Since evil people have the poison of malice hidden in their hearts; and they secretly weave various tricks against the one with whom they are angry; and now in one way, now in another, now in a third way they are plotting to commit their evil - that’s why it’s impossible to protect yourself from them. The pious soul has only one refuge left - holy prayer, patience, unshakable trust in the Provider God, before whom nothing is hidden, who rewards everyone according to their deeds. § 90. Evil people, if they believe that God exists and rewards everyone according to their deeds, must put aside their malice and forgive their neighbor, according to the word of Christ: “forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37), and heed what Sirach says: “The vengeful will receive vengeance from the Lord, who will not forget his sins. Forgive your neighbor's offense, and then through your prayer your sins will be forgiven. A man harbors anger towards a man, but asks the Lord for forgiveness; he has no mercy for a person like himself, and prays for his sins; He himself, being flesh, harbors malice: who will cleanse his sins? Remember the latter and stop being hostile; remember corruption and death and keep the commandments; remember the commandments and do not be angry with your neighbor” (Sir.28:1-7). Nothing destroys a person like anger. No matter what virtues one has, malice destroys everything. And even then it happens that they themselves accidentally fall into the ditch that the evil ones dig for their neighbors and find their own destruction before their time. And so the psalm word comes true for such people: “He dug a ditch and deepened it, but he will fall into the hole that he made. His anger will turn on his head, and his iniquity will descend on his crown” (Ps. 7:16-17). Chapter 4: About slander and condemnation “Judge not, lest ye be judged, for with the same judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not feel the plank in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother: Let me take the speck out of your eye, but behold, there is a log in your eye? Hypocrite! First take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:1-5). § 91. Condemnation, slander, slander are related vices and are the fruits of an unbridled tongue and heart, not protected by the fear of God. Condemnation occurs not only with the tongue, but also with thought, gesture, nod of the head, sigh, laughter and other ways. There are various reasons why these vices occur: 1) They happen from pride: a proud person, being arrogant and not tolerating that another should be equal to him, judges and humiliates him, or, wanting to hide his sins, slander and slander others, so that those who hear would think that he does not have such sins as he condemns his neighbor for. 2) Sometimes they are out of envy: since the envious person does not want to see his neighbor in respect and glory, he tries to darken his honest name, and for this purpose he discredits him with a dishonorable name. 3) Sometimes it happens out of malice: an evil person, not having anything to take revenge on the one with whom he is angry, tries to darken his glory with backbiting and slander. 4) They also happen because of an evil habit, jealousy, impatience, and other things. § 92. Here are some reasons that lead away from these vices: 1) God has forbidden us to judge and condemn our neighbors: “Judge not,” says the Lord, “so that you will not be judged... But why do you condemn your brother? Or do you also, why do you humiliate your brother? We will all appear at the judgment seat of Christ,” says the apostle (Rom. 14:10). Consequently, those who condemn They do not listen to this commandment of God, and they resist the will of God, and therefore they sin gravely. 2) One Judge is Christ, the Son of God: “To him the Heavenly Father has given all judgment” (John 5:22); what he did while living in the body, good or bad,” says the holy Apostle (2 Cor. 5:10). Consequently, whoever madly judges his neighbor steals the dignity of Christ, which is also difficult and terrible. It belongs to him to judge, not to you” (Conversation 11 on 1 Corinthians). And again: “Every sinner has his own judge: you must not steal the honor of the Only Begotten Son of God; To him alone is the throne of judgment determined” (Conversation 42 on the Evangelist Matthew). 3) It is unbearable for a master to have his slave before him, but without his will, being judged and slandered by someone else. Every person is God's servant - how annoying it is for God when His servant is judged and slandered before His eyes! Before His eyes, I say, we are judged, for God is everywhere and sees everything. 4) Our neighbor is a servant of God, he stands or falls before his Lord, and therefore it is also hard for a man to judge and slander God’s servant; and we have no need for it. “Who are you, judging another man’s slave? Before his Lord he stands, or he falls. And he will be raised up, for God is able to raise him up,” says the apostle (Rom. 14:4). 5) We are all sinners before God. If you are not in some kind of sin, then perhaps you have already been; if you weren’t, then you can be; You can sin more seriously than your neighbor whom you judge for sin. For everyone has a common curse. Evil lurks within us. Our enemies are in our homes - our passions. We are all subject to the same cases. Your neighbor today, and tomorrow you will do the same, although not in deed, or in word, or in thought. Without God's grace we cannot create anything except evil. Case and case shows this. 6) It often happens that many appear sinners to us, but are righteous inside; foolish to the world, but wise to Christ. Just as, on the contrary, many are righteous, but inside they are sinners, and therefore hypocrites. They are wise to the world, but foolish to Christ. 7) Often bad rumors from the evil, envious, and proud spread in vain, and so the condemned often suffers reproach in vain. 8) He who condemns will himself be condemned, according to the word of Christ: “Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned” (Luke 6:37). 9) There is a great offense to the neighbor through this, nothing less than from someone who was beaten with a rod, and even more. For bodily wounds will heal sooner than mental ulcers. The body is a rod, and the soul is wounded by a slanderous word. From this wounding comes sadness, and from sadness comes weakness, and from weakness comes death. And the greater the reproach, the greater the hurt and sadness of the soul that will follow. A person, being ambitious, would rather lose wealth than his good name: having lost wealth, he can find it again, but it is very difficult to regain a good name. 10) The more honest and higher the person who is reviled, the greater the ulcer for him, and the greater the sin for the one who reproaches. 11) When a boss is condemned and slandered, the respect he receives from his subordinates decreases; and from disrespect will follow in them contempt, from contempt - disobedience, from disobedience - all fearlessness, disorder and disorder, as everyone can conveniently understand. And therefore, although it is a sin to condemn everyone, and a grave sin, to slander a leader is a much greater sin. 12) It often happens that although someone has really sinned, he has already repented, and God forgives the repentant, and for this reason it is scary for a person to condemn someone whom God forgives and justifies. 13) To confirm how grave and vile the vice of condemnation and slander is, the teaching of St. Chrysostom is given here. “Even if we did not commit any other lawlessness, this alone could plunge us into the abyss of Gehenna, that we, not feeling the heavy beams in our eyes, always carry out strict judgment on the sins of others, and spend our whole life in a curious review and re-judgment of other people’s affairs, without considering what Christ threatens: “With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2 - In Book 1 about tenderness to the monk Demetrius). “Do not judge others, but try to correct yourself, so that you yourself are not worthy of condemnation. For you will receive an even greater punishment if you accuse others of what you yourself do not do, and condemn them for the sin to which you yourself are subject. If righteous people are not allowed to condemn others, then how much more should sinners refrain from condemning themselves.” “Even if you condemn your neighbor and speak righteously against him, and even if you discredit his well-known deed, you will not escape punishment for that either; for God will judge you not by his works, but by your words. He says: “You will be condemned by your words” (Matthew 12:37). The Pharisee spoke righteous and well-known things, but for that he accepted punishment. But if one should not speak of known deeds to expose others, then much less doubtful ones” (Conversation 42 on the Evangelist Matthew). “What is the benefit of abstaining from poultry and fish when we bite and eat each other? Every slanderer and slanderer gnaws and devours the flesh of his neighbor” (Conversation 3 on the departure of Bishop Flavian). “Even if we ate ashes, such a strict life will not bring us any benefit, if we do not refrain from reproach, for “what goes into the mouth does not defile a person, but what comes out of the mouth” (Conversation 3 on the departure of Bishop Flavian). “What kind of evil is there that does not come from reproach? From here hatreds are born, from here there are enmities and disagreements, from here come evil suspicions that give rise to countless evils” (Conversation on Ps. 100). “He who loves slander serves the devil.” “Just as a preacher of truth saves many people with his word, so, on the contrary, a slanderer with the same word destroys many, uttering destructive words and throwing speeches at human immersion. Moreover, not only the slanderer of the body, but also the souls themselves, kills when with his flattering tongue he puts false and lawless opinions into them” (Conversation on Ps. 61). “Not only should one not blaspheme one’s neighbor, but one should not listen to others who vilify him” (Conversation 3 on the departure of Bishop Flavian). These are the sayings of St. Chrysostom. Consider this, you slanderers, who do not consider it a sin to offend your neighbor through slander and slander. § 93. In order to avoid these vices, it is useful to note the following: 1) Everyone should look at himself, and put his vices and sins before his eyes, and try to cleanse them: for for them he will be tortured before the judgment of God, if he does not repent. Such consideration of one’s own sins will not allow one to seek out the vices of others. Just as a weak person, seeing his own weakness, cares about himself, and not about others, so whoever sees his spiritual weakness, tries to free himself from it, and first tries to correct himself rather than others, first to remove the beam from his own eye, rather than the speck from his brother’s eye. 2) Remember that for such a condemnation you yourself will be judged. 3) Beware of indecent conversations, in which people only argue and one or the other’s name and honor are tormented. 4) Move away from those who have this evil habit, like lepers who harm others with their evil smell. 5) To sympathize with a brother who has fallen or is losing his spirit of love, and to act carefully on his fall, and to pray for him to the merciful God, so that he will restore the fallen one, and not allow you to fall into the same sin. 6) Those who have the evil habit of praying with the Psalmist: “Lord, set a guardianship with my mouth” (Ps. 140:3), and remember the reasons described above. § 94. Those who suffer slander and slander should note the following for consolation: 1) Slander and slander can be either righteous or false. It is righteous, when we are truly guilty of what we are reproached for, and therefore worthy of suffering, why must we correct ourselves so that the reproach is abolished and becomes false. False is reproach when we are not to blame for what we are reproached for: and we must endure this reproach with joy and be consoled by the hope of God’s eternal mercy. Moreover, although we are not guilty of the one thing in which we are slandered, we have sinned in another and therefore must endure. 2) It may be that we ourselves slandered and condemned someone, and therefore, with what measure we measured, we are measured, according to the words of the Lord (Matthew 7:2), and “by the same as anyone sins, by this he is tormented” (Wisdom 11:17). A slanderous tongue is punished by slander. 3) When love has dried up, hatred and malice have multiplied, they embitter each other, deceive, revile, They slander: what more can you expect, other than embitterment, in such a cruel time? 4) We humble ourselves through slander and slander; conceit, pharisaical arrogance and pride, like a high idol, are brought down in our hearts. This is how a slanderous tongue is given to us, like “an angel of Satan,...doing dirty tricks on our flesh, so that it does not become arrogant,” but submits to the spirit of humility (2 Cor. 12:7). 5) Have recourse to Holy Scripture, a source of consolation, which pleases and strengthens patience everywhere. 6) Slander and dishonor happen to you to tempt your heart, by which it is shown what is hidden in your heart: meekness or anger - this is what happens to a person who has accepted the vexation that is in his heart. This incident shows you what lies in your heart: meekness or anger. If you have meekness in your heart, you will easily endure reproach. If there is anger in the heart, from reproach will come the fire of rage and the desire for revenge, and from slander - slander. And so reproach and slander teach you to recognize and correct the state of your heart. 7) Christ, the Son of God, sinless, innocently endured all kinds of reproach and “left us an example so that we should follow ... His steps” (1 Peter 2:21). All the saints followed this image. Look to Christ and the imitators of His saints and receive reinforcement for patience. See also about this below. Chapter 5: About lies, flattery and deceit “Do not be jealous of the wicked, and do not envy those who practice iniquity. For they will quickly wither like grass, and like green grass they will quickly fall away... Do not be jealous in wickedness, for the wicked will be destroyed” (Ps. 37:1-2, 8). § 95. Flattery, lies, deceit are akin to vices, and also belong to the devil, for the devil is the “father of lies” and deceit (John 8:44). He teaches this to his servants, people who portray his evil will and morals in themselves. These vices are possessed by those people who speak one thing with their tongues and have another in their hearts. Such people are usually called double-minded, because they seem to have two souls, that is, an internal and an external one: with the external soul they treat people and deceive people, but with the internal soul they protect themselves. This kind of people treat their neighbors kindly, smoothly, quietly, but flatteringly and insidiously, so that they can creep into their hearts, like a thief. They know how to show themselves humble, but inside everything is different; They cry and sigh at times, but their hearts are different. And swearing and swearing are the first, although their oath is only in the tongue; and even more so people are being deceived. In this they imitate their father, the father of lies, the devil, who sometimes transforms into a bright angel, so that he can more easily deceive and destroy a person. The words of these people are like honey, but the deed itself is like poison. Those who want to poison someone apply honey with poison so that the crime is not known. So these souls, in order to more easily catch the simple-hearted, cover up the poison of malice with soft and affectionate words, like honey. This is what Cain did, who called his brother Abel into the field, as if for some good reason, but in his heart he was planning to arm himself with a murderous hand and shed innocent blood (Gen. 4:8). This is what Judas the traitor did, who greeted Christ with his lips and kissed him: “Rejoice, Rabbi!” And he kissed Him” (Matthew 26:49); but thereby betrayed his Lord and Teacher into the hands of the lawless. So today many greet us: “Hello, hello!” - and with their hearts they desire our destruction and so “they soften words softer than oil, but they shoot arrows,” according to the Psalmist (Ps. 54:22). Sirach described them fairly well: “With his lips the enemy will delight you, but in his heart he is plotting to throw you into a pit: with his eyes the enemy will cry, and when he finds an opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood. If misfortune befalls you, you will find him there before you, and he, as if wanting to help, will trip you up: he will nod his head and clap his hands, he will whisper a lot, and he will change his face” (Sir.12:15-18). And, as it seems, the morals of such people are extremely depraved, and nothing more than the morals of the devil, for he lies and deceives, flatters and is deceitful, and does everything with the sole purpose of destroying a person. This is how they learn to deceive their neighbor and laugh at him. § 96. There is no greater plague on society than flatterers and deceivers. Because: 1) fidelity, without which the union of society is not worthwhile, cannot be there, but instead unbelief will enter. Because of this, it will follow that they will not trust each other in anything, fear each other, fear, hide, consider each other an enemy: which is the source of all the evil in society. 2) There cannot be peace there, but instead there is mutual hatred, enmity, quarrels, etc. For it is also characteristic of flatterers and deceivers that they transfer and retell the speeches of one to another not as they heard, and do not interpret with such force as they were spoken, but differently. And so they place suspicions on one another: what causes the destruction of friendship is why there is mutual enmity. So they try to seem like friends to everyone, but inside they are the true enemies of everyone. 3) Flattery and deceit, it seems, have introduced and multiplied ungodly oaths and vain invocations of the terrible name of God in the most vile things, such as: by God! God for that! God sees! and God is my witness! and so on. Since many, being deceived by lies and flatterers, do not believe those who tell the truth, therefore people are forced to be true to their words by calling on the name of God to affirm what they are already doing in the most vile things. And children from their parents, young from the old, lower from the higher, learn the same thing, which has become a lawless and harmful custom and is not considered a sin. So lies and deceit sow up their obscene tares and do not allow the wheat of good deeds to grow! § 97. Double-minded deceives, no matter how cunning they are, nevertheless reluctantly show their cunning, especially when, either inflamed with wine or inflamed with strong anger, they spew out what was hidden in their hearts: then “out of the abundance of their hearts their lips speak” (Matthew 12:34); then they show themselves what they are. Drunkenness and severe cholera or anger overcome all cunning and, as a true and faithful witness, proclaim the secret of the heart. In this case, in time, the person himself does not know what he is doing and saying, for then it is not the mind, but the heart, inflamed with wine or anger, that acts. § 98. Let the simple soul, who knows no flattery and deceit, heed the admonition of the Psalmist: “Do not be jealous of the wicked and do not envy those who practice iniquity. For they will quickly wither like grass, and like green grass they will quickly fall away” (Ps. 36:1). And let him pray with David: “Remove me, O Lord, from the evil man, deliver me from the unrighteous man. They thought untruth in their hearts, they prepared for battle all day, they sharpened their tongue like that of a snake: the poison of asps is in their mouth,” and so on. ( Ps. 139:1-3 ). Let the wicked also hear the same word: “like grass they will soon wither, and like green grass they will soon fall away,” and let them heed what the same prophet wrote: “You will destroy all those who speak lies; The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and the flattering” (Ps. 5:7). And if they believe that there is a God who “tests hearts and bellies and rewards everyone according to his deeds” (Ps. 7:10, 62:13), let them treat their neighbors with sincerity; and let them learn what they say with their tongue and what they have in their heart, and what they declare in word, to show by deed. “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread” (Gen. 3:19). “A man will go out to his work, and to his work until the evening” (Ps. 103:23). “For while we were with you, we commanded you this: if anyone does not want to work, let him not eat,” says the apostle (2 Thess. 3:10). § 99. Idleness, or withdrawal from work, or laziness, is in itself a sin, for it is contrary to the commandment of God, which commands us to eat our bread by the sweat of our brow. God also told our forefather Adam: “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the land from which you were taken” (Gen. 3:19), and this command also applies to us, his sons. And the holy apostle forbids those who do not want to work. Consequently, those who live in idleness and feed on the labors of others continually sin; and until then they will not stop sinning until they give themselves up to blessed labors. Excluded from this are the infirm and the elderly, who even though they wanted to work, but cannot. § 100. Not only is it sinful to be idle and lead a life without good work, as has been said, but it is also the cause of many evils. For the human heart cannot be idle, but it is occupied with some thoughts. And since it is prone to all evil, then the spiritual enemy the devil conveniently approaches an idle heart, which is not occupied with any useful labors, nothing less than an idle house, swept and decorated, and fills it with evil thoughts, like harmful tares, and instructs the very action to produce evil lusts: from there it happens that idleness gives birth to many iniquities and is fruitless for all good. Hence drunkenness, the cause of many evils and temptations; hence all fornication; hence the evil conversations, gossip, condemnation, ridicule, slander, and blasphemy. Hence the frequent feasts and the subsequent evil, such as theft, robbery, perjury, and so on. Hence the card games and with them the associated deceptions, outrages, quarrels, fights and other lawlessness. Idleness invents excessive luxury, which cannot exist without offending one’s neighbors and ruining society. Idleness conceives unnecessary buildings and other similar inventions, which cannot exist without the bloody tears of the poor. Idleness teaches you to break, steal, kidnap, commit violence, lie, flatter, and deceive. For the idle, not having anything to eat, rushes to steal the labors of others, either openly, or secretly, or flatteringly. Thus, “idleness has taught many evil things,” according to the wise Sirach (Sir.33:28). That is why Solomon says: “Everyone who is idle abides in lusts” (Proverbs 13:4). § 101. Idleness not only destroys the soul, but also harms the body. 1) Those who live in idleness are subject to all sorts of ailments and infirmities. Just as water, which has no flow, is corrupted, so the human body, without movement and labor, deteriorates and weakens. For the blood, on which the entire integrity of the body depends, when it has no movement from labor, thickens and so little by little rots. 2) A person who does not work cannot take sweets or food. Work, as it were, forces one to perceive and cook food in the stomach, without which the stomach turns away from food. 3) Just as sleep is sweet after work, so can one be restless without work. 4) Revelers and those who wander around idle are subject to the ridicule and censure of people. 5) They are forced to live in poverty and squalor. For “poverty comes to them like a passerby, and need... like a robber,” says Solomon (Proverbs 6:11). § 102. In order to avoid idleness and its subsequent evils, one must firmly know: 1) That time is more valuable than any treasure. 2) Just as it is impossible to return the words of what was said, it is impossible to find lost time. 3) Those who have wasted time in vain will regret it and will look for the slightest time for repentance, none other than those thirsting for cold water; but they will not find it when the time is judgment and not repentance; severity, not mercy. 4) You should definitely give an answer for the time itself, wasted in vain. For the present time is a market in which the talents given to us by our Lord must be multiplied through labor with the help of God, so that with a lazy slave we do not hear that terrible definition of the Lord: “Throw out the unprofitable servant into outer darkness” (Matthew 25:30). Therefore, everyone should listen to the admonitions of the wise Solomon: “Go to the ant, slothful one, look at his actions, and be wise. He has neither a boss, nor a guardian, nor a master; but he prepares his grain in the summer, and gathers his food in the harvest. Or go to the bee and know how hardworking she is, what honorable work she produces; her works are used for health by both kings and common people; she is loved by everyone and glorious; although she is weak in strength, she is respectable in wisdom. How long will you sleep, lazy man? when will you arise from your sleep? You will sleep a little, doze a little, lie down with folded hands for a little: and your poverty will come like a passer-by, and your need like a robber” (Prov. 6:6-11). § 103. Just as not all work is useful, so not all idleness is vicious. Evil are those lawless labors that arise for the sake of lawless deeds. Evil and destructive is the work of the evil one, who weaves intrigues and cunning for his neighbor, spreads nets, and digs a ditch of destruction; the efforts of predators who wander along the paths and roads, wanting to expose travelers, are disastrous; the wicked feat of the sly one is who tries to seduce and deceive his brother; the work of mammon is hard and vile; the sickness and labor of the envious, who are consumed and tormented because of the good of their neighbor, is useless and soul-destroying. Just as these and other similar works are not commendable, but vicious, so the abolition of them is praiseworthy. How blessed is peace when the mind is calm from evil and soul-harming thoughts, the heart from evil lusts calms down; the eyes do not see anything, the ears do not listen to anything, the tongue and lips do not say anything, the hands do not do anything that is contrary to God’s holy Law! Blessed is this idleness and blessed peace. This is what our Creator and Lord requires of us. We must celebrate this Sabbath not only every week, but every day, hour and minute. To this saving and quiet rest, in which not only the external members of the body, but also the internal spiritual forces from harmful deeds calm down and the conscience rests sweetly, Christ Himself calls: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “Woe to those who, from early morning, seek strong drinks and warm themselves with wine until late in the evening; and the harp and harp, the tambourine and the flute, and the wine at their feasts; but they do not look at the works of the Lord and do not think about the work of His hands. Therefore my people will go into captivity unexpectedly, because they did not know the Lord” (Is. 5:11–13) “Who's howling? Who's moaning? Who's having quarrels? Who's in trouble? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has purple eyes? Those who sit for a long time drinking wine, who come in search of seasoned wine" (Prov. 23:29-30) “Do not get drunk with wine, which causes debauchery” (Eph.5:18) § 104. Wine, like every created thing, is good, for it was designed for our benefit by our Creator. “Every creation of God is good,” says the apostle, “and nothing is blameworthy if it is received with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4:4). And in the book of Genesis it is written: “And God saw everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). “Wine, taken in moderation, is beneficial... to a person... joy of the heart and joy of the soul, consumed at the right time,” says Sirach (Sir.31:31, 33); for when used in this way, it cheers the sad and strengthens the weak. Therefore, the apostle wrote to Saint Timothy: “From now on, drink more than just water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent illnesses” (1 Tim. 5:23). Hence Saint Paul does not drink wine, but forbids getting drunk with wine, saying: “Do not get drunk with wine” (Eph. 5:18). Drinking wine is one thing, but getting drunk with wine is another. Consequently, they sin: 1) those who abhor wine and do not drink it, not for the sake of abstinence, but because it seems to be sinful to drink it. Thus, when scolding a creature created by God for the benefit of mankind, they blaspheme the Creator, no less than someone who disparages art, for example, a painted image, and disparages the artist himself, that is, the painter. 2) Those who abhor wine despise their brethren who drink it, and dream highly of something about themselves: I, they say, have not drunk wine since I was born!.. As if piety consists only in not drinking wine? Satan does not drink wine or eat bread, for he is incorporeal; but he devours human souls like a lion, and makes them participants in his eternal destruction, and is the most evil of all and the beginning of all evil. Even those who do not drink wine can imitate it. If you don't drink wine, that's fine. But do not blaspheme wine and do not despise the drinking brethren. For if you do not drink wine, but dream highly of yourself, you are always filled with the spirit of arrogance, which is disgusting before God. It is not wine, but drunkenness, not the use of wine, but evil use that is vicious and harmful. A person uses it for evil when he uses it at the wrong time and beyond measure. Thus, man uses not only wine, but also bread, water, fire and other creatures of God for evil. So he also uses his bodily members for evil, such as: the tongue - for slander, condemnation and slander; hands - to theft, robbery and unjust beating; belly - to overeating and drunkenness. And so with them, as if with some kind of weapon, he kills his soul. § 105. Wine is not the cause of drunkenness, for if wine were the cause, then all those who drink it would be drunkards. But life itself shows the opposite: many drink wine, but are sober. The cause of drunkenness is: 1) An evil and intemperate heart, like other sins. “It is not wine that produces drunkenness,” says Saint Chrysostom, “but intemperance” (Conversation 1 to the people of Antioch). 2) Idleness, as stated above. 3) Frequent feasts, company, increased regaling. 4) Treatment of the evil and intemperate. Frequent repetitions create passion and an evil custom. § 106. Drunkenness in itself is a sin, for “drunkards... will not inherit the kingdom of God,” according to the teachings of the Apostle (1 Cor. 6:10); and Christ says: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be burdened with overeating and drunkenness” (Luke 21:34), - this is the cause of many and serious sins. It causes quarrels, fights, and therefore produces subsequent bloodshed and murder. It is bullshit, blasphemy, blasphemy, it causes annoyance and insult to one’s neighbor. It teaches you to lie, flatter, rob and steal other people’s property in order to have something to satisfy your passion. It fuels anger and rage. It makes people wallow in uncleanness, like pigs in a swamp. In a word, it makes a person a beast, a verbal one, dumb, so that not only the internal state, but also the appearance of a person often changes. Therefore, Saint Chrysostom says: “The devil loves nothing more than luxury and drunkenness, since no one fulfills his evil will like a drunkard” (Conversation 58 on the Evangelist Matthew). § 107. Drunkenness is the cause of not only mental but also physical temporary evils. 1) The body relaxes and becomes weak. Therefore it is written: “Do not show yourself brave against wine, for wine has destroyed many” (Sir.31:29). 2) Leads to squalor and poverty. “A worker who is prone to drunkenness will not get rich,” says Sirach (Sir.19:1). 3) Takes away fame and a good name; on the contrary, it leads to disgrace, contempt and disgust: people disdain no one more than a drunkard. 4) Sorrow and sorrow are caused to family, relatives, friends, and ridicule to enemies. 5) He makes his steward incapable of any title. And although there will be a drunkard in some rank, he creates more troubles and misfortunes than benefits to society. Saint Chrysostom, depicting the disasters and harms of drunkenness, says: “Drunkenness is a self-inflicted demon, a revelation of thoughts, a mocking misfortune, a disease worthy of laughter, a voluntary demon, and so on” (Sermon on the Resurrection). § 108. In order to guard against drunkenness, it is useful to note the following: 1) Young people should not be allowed to drink intoxicating drinks, since young people easily get used to it, and what they learn in their youth, they will stick to all their lives. 2) Do not allow them to associate with drunkards and the depraved. 3) Adults should not drink wine unless necessary. 4) Avoid evil companies and feasts. 5) Remember that this passion is very difficult to give up. And many from that same passion perish in body and soul. 6) Those who are accustomed to this passion should firmly arm themselves against its torment, stand, not give in, pray and call on God’s all-powerful help. 7) Remember the troubles that happen while drunk and compare the state of a sober life with the state of a drunken person. 8) To think that many die drunk in their sleep, and pass from this world to the next without any feeling and therefore without repentance, and so on. Chapter 8: About the love of money and covetousness “See that you beware of covetousness, for a person’s life does not depend on the abundance of his possessions,” says Christ (Luke 12:15). “No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one and neglectful of the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24). “Those who desire to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and harmful lusts, which plunge a person into disaster and destruction; for the root of all evil is the love of money, to which some have abandoned the faith and subjected themselves to many sorrows. But you, a man of God, flee from these things” (1 Tim. 6:9–11). § 109. The love of money here means not only the love of silver, but also the insatiable desire for all earthly possessions, acquisitions and wealth. § 110. The love of money, like any passion, has its place in a person’s heart and possesses the heart. Consequently: 1) a lover of money is not only one who, by deeds in every possible way, collects wealth and keeps it for himself, without giving it to those who demand it; but also the one who, although he does not collect and does not have, still insatiably desires it. 2) Not only the covetous and predator who steals the property of others; but also one who desires someone else’s unjustly; this is a sin against the tenth commandment: “You shall not covet” (Ex. 20:17). For as far as his will is concerned, he covets and steals what is alien to him; and the fact that he himself does not fulfill this depends not on him, but on the external obstacle that does not allow him to steal someone else’s property. 3) Not every rich person is a lover of money, but one who loves silver, who has his heart set on silver, who “sets his heart to wealth” (Ps. 61:11). 4) A beggar who, even if he had nothing, has a love for wealth, is a true lover of money. And therefore, not the one who has a lot, but who desires a lot, and not the one who is rich, but who clings to wealth with his heart, is discredited. There were many, as there are now, who were rich and famous, but they pleased God and therefore were not lovers of money. A money lover cannot please God, because he pleases not God, but his own passion. “Wealth is not a bad thing,” says Saint Chrysostom, “but the love of money is a bad thing, covetousness is a bad thing. One is a covetous man, and the other is a rich man: a covetous man is not rich, a covetous man lacks much; and he who lacks much can never be rich. The covetous man is a guardian of money, not a master, a slave, not a ruler. He can rather give his flesh to another than hidden silver” (Second Discourse to the People of Antioch). § 111. The love of money and covetousness is an insatiable passion. For the more wealth a money lover collects, the more desire and lust for wealth increases in him. “The love of money,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “is insatiable drunkenness. Just as drunk people, the more wine they drink, the more thirst they feel, so money lovers cannot quench their excessive desire; but as long as they see their wealth multiplied, they burn with desire, and they will not give up on their evil desire until they fall into the most calamitous abyss” (Conversation 22 on the book of Genesis). In another place he says: “The covetous and predators are worse than beasts. For the beasts, he says, when they are satisfied, stop stealing; but these can never be satisfied” (Conversation 9 on the First Epistle to the Corinthians). And again: “If you want to get rich, you will never stop being hurt by this desire; for this desire is endless” (Conversation 12 on the Epistle to the Romans). § 112. The lover of money and covetousness, although he has a lot of wealth, is the most wretched of all, for he can never have peace and security: for within himself he always carries a tormentor, whom he serves poorly, and from this he is constantly tormented everywhere. Saint John Chrysostom correctly teaches: “The covetous and predators have no peace or security anywhere, because they always have warfare and enemies within themselves” (Discourse on Psalm 4). “Just as the sea,” says the same father, “can never be without waves, so the heart of a money-loving person cannot be without sorrow, care, fear and rebellion” (Conversation 39 on the Evangelist Matthew). “And therefore the covetous accept their punishments everywhere - in life, in death and after death,” the same holy teacher argues (On Psalm 42). And so, according to the holy father, a covetous person suffers all his life, suffers at death, and suffers after death. He suffers all his life because he is always sad and afraid. In sadness - because he does not yet have it, but desires, for the lover of money and the covetous lacks much. In fear - as if not to lose what he has. He suffers at death: because 1) unwillingly, he is deprived of his beloved treasure, in which he had his heart and amusement; 2) it falls into the hands of others; 3) it will go, perhaps, to those who don’t want it; 4) one should be tortured before the court of God and give an answer for every unjust penny. The covetous man suffers even after death: for “the predators of the kingdom of God will not inherit” (1 Cor. 6:10), but as debtors to God and their neighbors, as transgressors of God’s law and offenders to their brethren, they will be thrown into a prison smoking with fire and brimstone, where all eternity they will irrevocably pay their debt. From this we can correctly conclude that a covetous person has a poor life. “He,” according to Saint John Chrysostom, “lives a poorer life than Cain, always being in sadness and fear: in fear of what he has, and in sadness about what he does not yet have” (Conversation 31 on the First Epistle to the Corinthians). §113. The lover of money and covetousness, although he confesses the True God, has in fact retreated from Him: for with his lips he only worships Him, but with his heart he works, serves, and submits to another master, that is, mammon. “No one can serve two masters... It is impossible to serve God and mammon,” says Christ (Matthew 6:24). God and mammon are two masters, but very opposite, and they command the opposite. God commands: “Give to him who asks you” (Matthew 5:42); Mammon: “Take what you have.” God commands: “Feed the hungry”; Mammon: “Leave him.” God says: “Clothe the naked”; Mammon - contrary to: “And take away the last thing.” God says: “Sell what you have and give alms” (see Matt. 19:21); Mammon says: “Gather and save for your own sake.” God says: “Thou shalt not steal” (Ex. 20:15); Mammon says: “Get it as best you can.” God says: “Have mercy on the poor”; Mammon: “What do you care about his needs?” The covetous man, leaving God, listens to mammon: and thus both the commandments of God and God who commanded him are rejected. That is why the apostle calls covetousness “idolatry” (Col. 3:5), and the covetous person “an idolater” (Eph. 5:5). How disastrous and shameless it is, for the sake of passion, to reject the Living and Immortal God, on Whom our life and all our bliss depend! § 114. The love of money is not only a grave sin in itself, but also the root of all evil, according to the words of the Apostle: “the love of money is the root of all evil” (1 Tim. 6:10). From this comes all untruths, various thefts and thefts. And no matter what the rank and rank of this ulcer, it inflicts many different evils. 1) If a simple person is a money-lover and covetous, he teaches him to rob shops, houses, granaries, churches, steal horses, make ambushes along the roads, rob, rape, kill, etc. 2) The merchants teach to lie, deceive, do all sorts of untruths, to sell a bad thing for a good one, to sell a cheap one for an expensive one, to withhold a mercenary’s wages, to take illegal interest or excessive interest, to mix water in wine and thus to violate the law of God and to deceive one’s neighbor, and so on. 3) If a landowner who has peasants is a lover of money, he burdens the peasants with excessive taxes, which means that some suffer extreme poverty in food, while others are forced to wander half-naked, without clothing, which is why tears and lamentable complaints are raised against him. And others, not having how to pay these taxes to support themselves and their households, are forced to resort to robbery, theft, theft, as the case itself shows; others - to leave the church meeting on holidays, to absent themselves from general prayer and listening to God's word, and to get what they need for themselves and their family on those forbidden days by work. Master’s inhuman delicacy is to blame for all this. 4) If this ulcer infects those who sit in judicial places, a terrible and lamentable trampling of the truth will follow, a violation of the oath that they took before the terrible and Omniscient God and His holy Gospel, and promised to sacredly and inviolably preserve the truth, fearing the vengeful wrath of God otherwise. And from this all evil will follow to society - unbearable wounds. Because evil people and rapists, seeing the trampling of the truth, become more fearless and rush to greater atrocities, reassuring themselves that, although they are convicted of atrocities, they can be freed from legal execution by payment, which is what happens. And because of this, robberies, thefts, thefts, robberies, atrocities, insolence, ruin, murder and other grave and unbearable evils and lawlessness are multiplying. From these self-will and impudence, good and poor people, orphans, widows and other helpless people will suffer greater oppression and poverty. What causes more crying, tears, complaints, ascending to heaven and nationwide execution, such as: famine, fires, earthquakes, invasions of foreigners, wars, terrible bloodshed and other things - leading. There is no greater plague on society than judges corrupted by bribery and covetousness. Just as worms gnaw inside a tree, so they devour society and lead to destruction, as everyone can see from the above. And they are all the more harmful because they wear the appearance of being good and loyal subjects, but in reality they are different. Although they dream of themselves that they will eradicate villainy, but through their unrighteousness and covetousness they open the way to all villainy. And although they imagine that they are serving society, in reality they are ruining it with the villains and robbers whom they are thinking of eradicating. Saint John Chrysostom says well about them: “The covetous are robbers, setting up ambushes along the roads and stealing things from those passing by, and in their homes, as in earthly caves, hiding the property of others” (Homily 1 about Lazarus). More than the obvious villains themselves sin gravely, as you can see from the following. First. Just as villains steal what belongs to others, so do they: villains openly or secretly, and they are not different from villains through flattery. For theft is still theft. Whatever it is - obvious, or secret, or accomplished by flattery. Second. The villains did not take an oath to be judges of others, but they swore an oath not only to preserve the truth, but to instill and assert in what they were superior to the villains, as they had sworn to. Third. Villains are rude, ignorant people. And they think that God and the monarch know. And this evil multiplies them: for sin from knowledge is greater than from ignorance. Fourth. Villains are simple people, and they are bureaucrats, and therefore must show the image of good deeds to others. But they show the image of evil deeds, in which they give both villains and others a reason for evil deeds, like bosses and imaginary luminaries. Fifth. Villains are often forced by poverty to do evil deeds. And they are from one insatiable delicacy. And in this they are superior to evildoers: for it is less evil to steal from poverty than from abundance. Everyone, think about it: wouldn’t it be worthy of laughter if a rich man were caught stealing? Truly, everyone would be surprised at this, because he dares to do such a dishonorable and lawless deed out of pleasure. So they do a deed worthy of surprise and laughter when, being in contentment, they shamelessly rush to such a dishonorable and godless deed. Sixth. The villains that they are, people consider them to be such, and they are revered as good and faithful servants of the Fatherland. Look here too, isn’t it a greater evil: to be evil and to be considered good, to be a villain and to be considered good, to do lies and to be considered righteous, to destroy the Fatherland and to be glorified as its defender and guardian? It is truly an unspeakable evil to commit lawlessness and accept praise. Obvious villains also accept some kind of punishment here in this century, because people consider them villains and abhor them. And these are revered as kind, honest and loyal subjects. And so they sin - and they become famous for people; they do evil and are considered benefactors. So they are like apples, which are beautiful on the outside, but rotten, stinking and harmful on the inside; They are like poison, smeared with honey, which delights the taster in appearance, but fatally infects. For face does not diminish, much less destroy, sin, but on the contrary - the higher the face, the greater its sin. It is a lawless deed when a simple person kidnaps, but it is more lawless when an official kidnaps; It is a greater sin to tell a lie to a secretary, and even greater to a judge, than to a clerk and scribe. Likewise, the image of theft does not destroy or diminish theft; but whether the theft is obvious, or secret, or by flattery, it is still theft; all the same, the commandment of God - “thou shalt not steal” - is ruined; all the same, the Lawgiver is despised and rejected and disobedience occurs. 5) When this evil is hidden under the bishop’s miter, then it also becomes the cause of all those evils mentioned above (in the 4th article); Moreover, evil is added to evil. For God’s unsellable grace teaches us to sell and honor the unworthy, from which temptations greater than the building of the Holy Church will follow, as this truth is clear to everyone. In a word: this passion teaches him to shepherd, and not shepherd the flock of Christ, and with Judas to sell Christ, and not to preach. 6) If mammon possesses the heart of a military leader, then he leads him to the point that, having also despised his oath, he betrays his Sovereign. He is not ashamed, he is not horrified to sell his Fatherland, in which he was born, raised, lives and, as in the womb of his mother, calms down with his entire family. She has no doubt about shedding so much human blood, destroying so many thousands of innocent people. So, in every rank and title, love of money and covetousness commits countless evils! And, it seems, and everyone can see, that no one harms society as much as covetous people. From them it groans, sighs and becomes exhausted more than from foreign enemies. For he guards himself from foreigners, as if they were obvious, and defends himself with weapons; but he cannot protect himself from these, because they are inside. Saint John Chrysostom says well that the love of money produces all the troubles in the world: it stains the sea with blood, and often unrighteously bleeds the swords of judges; it arms robbers, it makes murderers of fathers and mothers (Conversation 23 on the First Epistle to the Corinthians). § 115. The love of money and covetousness not only does harm to others, but also plunges its lovers into disasters. So Gehazi, the servant of the prophet of God Elisha, who secretly took silver and clothes from Naaman the Syrian, who was healed by God’s grace and returned to his house, is struck by the leprosy with which he was struck by the righteous judgment of God (2 Kings 5:20-27). So Judas the traitor, who was not afraid to sell the priceless Christ, the Son of God, for thirty pieces of silver, accepts the execution worthy of the love of money, is cast out from the apostolic countenance and from among the faithful, and kills himself by strangulation (Matthew 26:15-16, 47-49). So now the same righteous judgment of God befalls thieves, predators, robbers, perjurers, those who sell the truth of God and those who reject God for silver, traitors, traitors and destroyers of the Fatherland and other covetous people. And even if someone escapes temporary punishment - for not all lawless people here are punished according to God’s unknown destinies - he will not escape eternal punishment, which certainly follows both other lawless people and the covetous. Then they will pay for the last death in the fire of Gehenna, but they will never be able to pay. From the above, you can see, reader: 1) Covetousness is the passion of extremely depraved people, in whom godlessness is hidden in their hearts, although they confess God with their lips; and there is a sign of a person transformed into a predatory beast, which indiscriminately attacks every animal in order to satisfy itself with its flesh and blood; or even worse than the beasts themselves, as St. John Chrysostom teaches. For animals, having had their fill, no longer rush towards animals, and they can never get enough, but always hunger and thirst for someone else’s good; and the more they collect, the more they desire and steal. And so you see what a covetous person is? He is the enemy of God, the enemy of man, and the enemy of himself. An enemy of God, for he fearlessly violates God’s law and despises the Lawgiver. For “whoever wants to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God,” teaches the apostle (James 4:4). The enemy is human, because he exposes and ruins people. An enemy to himself, for he betrays his soul to eternal fire and torment. 2) Extortion is more dangerous than other lawlessness. A fornicator, an evil person, a drunkard, and others only need to give up their sins and repent in order to be saved, and a covetous person must not only give up covetousness, but also return what was stolen to the person from whom he stole it, or, if this is impossible, squander what he collected in evil, and so repent. For otherwise it is impossible for him to repent. Listen to what God says through the prophet: “And when I say to the wicked, “You will die,” and he turns from his sin, and does justice and righteousness, and gives the pledge, and returns what was stolen, the wicked will walk in the commandments of life, so that he does not commit iniquity, he will live by life and will not die” (Ezek. 33:14-15). See that he must return what was stolen. And if the thief will fall into such poverty that he will not have at all how to return what was stolen, but, having come to his senses, he will want to repent, and whatever he has, will want to give away - in this case, the merciful God will accept the desire instead of a true return. Otherwise, this is not true repentance, but feigned and false, and nothing more than seduction and softening of a gnawing conscience. 3) The more someone extorts and steals, the more lawlessness and destruction he accumulates for himself. “Because of your cruelty... and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and the revelation of righteous Judgment from God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds,” says the apostle (Rom. 2:5-6). 4) In any rank, that is, in spiritual and secular, covetousness is harmful, for it causes many troubles and temptations, but especially in the spiritual. For those who are spiritual must, by the word of God, turn others away from that lawless deed; but they do it themselves, fearlessly dare and give others a reason to do so. 5) The higher the person who is covetous, the greater and more numerous the troubles and temptations he produces in the Fatherland. For from him both those who are inferior and subordinate to him learn the same lawless deed. Why shouldn’t we take it (that’s what they illegally teach and say) if the higher-ups and bosses take us? Will they really judge us for what they themselves do; Execute them for what they themselves are guilty of? How will their conscience not denounce and condemn us if we are judged and punished for what they themselves do? This is a correct conclusion, in your opinion, covetous man, but not a Christian one, but a lawless and godless one. They will not judge you, but God will judge both them and you, their lawless follower. You will escape human execution, but you will not escape God’s, temporary, but not eternal punishment. If you don’t point to them then, that’s what they did; but as they do, so you too will accept it according to your deeds. No man will intercede for you, and nothing will help you when God judges you, and “He will bring your sins before your face, whose words... you... rejected, and seeing a thief, followed him” (Ps. 49:21, 17-18). § 116. But in order not to be enslaved by the destructive passion of love of money and covetousness, everyone must remember the apostolic word: “We have brought nothing into the world; It’s obvious that we can’t take anything out of it. Having food and clothing, we will be content with that” (1 Tim. 6:7–8), and so on, and Christ’s terrible saying: “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his own soul” (Matthew 16:26)? And those who were captivated by covetousness and wishing to repent, let them heed what the publican Zacchaeus, repenting, said to Christ who came to his house: “Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord: “Lord! I will give half of my property to the poor, and if I have offended anyone in any way, I will repay him fourfold.” That is why he hears from Christ: “Now salvation has come to this house” (Luke 19:8-9). Chapter 9: About interest and interest “Lend without expecting anything,” says Christ (Luke 6:35). “Do not turn away from anyone who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42). § 117. There is interest or interest when the lender takes something from his debtor in addition to what was loaned to him. Well, the common people call usury growth; since the amount of money borrowed increases in excess. For example, one hundred rubles are loaned, but one hundred and six, or one hundred and ten, or more rubles are taken away; and the more the debtor keeps the given silver on loan, the more the amount of the given silver grows. §118. Although many do not consider interest or interest to be a sin, this is either an invention of money-loving hearts, which in this way try to console their gnawing conscience and do not want to leave the passion of the love of money; or a sign that they do not heed the holy Word of God and do not want to know about it; or the fact that interest has become a custom that so blinds the eyes of the soul that a person does not see his own sin and his destruction. But whoever wants, let him reason, but many undoubted arguments show that interest or interest is an unlawful matter and a grave sin, as will be shown in the following words. § 119. Arguments showing that interest is a sin: 1) The Holy Word of God forbids taking interest. “Lend, expecting nothing,” says Christ (Matt. 16:26; see also Ex. 22:25; Deut. 23:19). And all that is sin, which is contrary to God’s word. So, interest is sin. 2) The same Word of God posits interest among great sins, as Psalm 14 says, in which among the enumerated iniquities there is also interest: “He did not give his money for interest, and did not accept gifts against the innocent” (Ps. 14:5). And in the prophet Ezekiel in chapter 18, verse 13, there is interest between great sins. So, interest is a great sin. 3) God threatens execution for interest, as we read from the same prophet Ezekiel in chapter 22, v. 12,13,14 and so on. So, interest is a great sin for which execution follows. 4) The interest is opposed not only to the tenth commandment of God, which teaches “not to covet the things of others,” but also to the eighth, which forbids touching the very things of others, since the one who receives the interest not only desires, but also steals the property of others. “Like a fisherman,” says St. Basil the Great, - attaches a worm to a hook so that the fish can be deceived and caught, so the covetous man attracts his neighbor with his money, and he is careless with the worm and swallows the hook, and like a fish, he is killed” (Conversation on Psalm 14). 5) Seeking profit from someone else’s loss is a great sin, as everyone recognizes this as the truth. Those who accept interest from someone else's loss seek profit for themselves: for whatever they take from debtors in excess of what is loaned to them is a loss for them, but they make a profit for themselves. They are brought into greater poverty, but they accumulate greater wealth for themselves, and from their poverty they become richer. So, taking interest is a great sin. 6) Seeking benefit for yourself from the work of others, without labor and without the will of those who work, is a sin. Those who accept interest without any of their own labor from the labor of others want to take advantage of it and get rich - and so they sin. 7) Interest is contrary to the natural law, which teaches not to do to your neighbor what you don’t want to do to yourself. No one wants to give interest or interest, and therefore, he himself should not take from another. Natural, not contrary to God's law, but more God's law is, natural law, depicted on the tablets. For Christ also says: “In everything that you want people to do to you, do so to them. And he adds: This is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). So, interest, as natural and divine, written by the prophets, apostles and Christ Himself, is contrary to the law, and is a lawless matter. 8) Lachva is opposed to Christian love, which requires that we not only not desire the things of others, but also give our own goods to those who demand them without return, according to the word of Christ: “Give to him who asks of you” (Matthew 5:42). So, interest is sin. 9) Lachva is a sign of self-love, which wants us to have everything only for ourselves, and only supply ourselves, and not others. Self-love is sin and the root of all sin. So, usury, as the evil fruit of the evil root of pride, is evil. 10) Likhva is political or flattering theft. For just as thieves are secret and brazen predators, so those who accept interest steal with flattery. Those with their hands, and those with money, take other people's goods; Instead of hands, they use their own money, with which, like hands, they take other people’s goods for themselves. What they themselves are ashamed to do or are afraid of the civil law, they do with the help of insensitive money. Tell me, please, I’m speaking to you, who are getting rich from your neighbor’s poverty and taking harmful advantage of your brother’s loss - tell me, what should I take for if you haven’t worked? After all, payment for work is given, but you have not done any work for your neighbor: why do you take more than what you lent to him? Your money doesn’t care whether it lies in chests or passes from hand to hand; Both for you to keep them with yourself and for you to lend them to people - there is no loss, but, moreover, both people and you benefit. It benefits people when you serve their needs and demands; It will benefit you spiritually in that you show love to your neighbor and fulfill the commandment of Christ: “Do not turn away from anyone who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42). § 120. The covetous man does not tolerate it and says: “I do not take by force, but by the will of the debtor; he gives it to me himself, and I don’t force him.” You don’t take it by force, but you act like someone who doesn’t rescue someone drowning in water until he hears a promise of reward from him. And you do not lend money to a drowning person in need and misfortune until you make yourself obligated to you for the excess, and thereby forcibly, forcibly take it away from him. And he, if you do not give without interest, is forced to give you interest, wanting to satisfy your delicacy and soften your unmercifulness, so that if you do not bow with mercy, you will bow with selfishness. Another responds: “The civil court does not execute for interest: so, you can take it freely.” The civil court does not execute, but the court of Christ executes, which not only for interest, but also for mercy not shown to one’s neighbor, sends one into eternal fire: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you did not give Me anything to eat” (Matthew 25:41-42), and so on. So, it is free to take interest, free for an idolater, and not for a Christian, for one who loves silver and not Christ, serves mammon and not Christ; free for one who has no eternal hope, and not for one who expects the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next age. Thus, it is free to do everything: free to kidnap, rape, shed tears, kill, kill widows and orphans freely, as long as the goodness of God endures them. Another complains: “How can I live if I don’t take interest?” It’s not true: you have nothing to live on, and nothing to please the love of money and luxury with. Many do not have wealth and do not accept interest, but they live and eat. And others abound in wealth, but do not leave us with interest. For the love of money and luxury are not content with much, but moderation and need are content with little. You see that it is not need, but passion that teaches you to take interest. Another points to others: “They both take it, but why shouldn’t I take it?” A bad consequence: they take interest - can you do the same? They sin – so are you free? Many people rob, kill, rob, rape, commit fornication and commit other iniquities - is that also free for you? Should this be done when you point fingers at others in an illegal matter? Perhaps you are free, but look, what follows from this? They are subject to the wrath of God and execution for sin. So do you: you certainly should too. So, one should not imitate others in everything, but only in that which is praiseworthy and in accordance with the law of God. However, even if everyone commits lawlessness, beware of this, and pay attention to what the law of God teaches. Just as you are for them, so they will not answer for you before the Court of God; and everyone will give an answer for themselves. Another responds: “I take from the rich.” Truth: it is not equal to take interest from the poor and the rich, just as it is an unequal sin to offend the rich and the poor. It is sinful to expose a rich man, but it is inhumane to expose a beggar, who is naked even without nakedness. So also think about interest. It is a sin to take interest from a rich man, but a greater sin and inhumanity is to take interest from a beggar, whom one should help even for free. “Maybe it’s better not to lend?” - so someone else thinks. This is a bad opinion: for just as it is a sin to lend silver at interest, it is a sin not to lend without interest if you have something to give. For Christ teaches: “Give to those who ask you, and do not turn away from those who want to borrow from you” (Matt. 5:42). You should give a loan to the one who asks, but without interest, as Christ also teaches: “Lend, expecting nothing” (Luke 6:35). Saint Basil the Great says to the covetous: “You should have diminished human need, but you multiply it, accepting profit from the poor, acting like a doctor who, having come to the weak, instead of healing, takes away his last strength. You make the needy of the poor the reason for your enrichment, and just as farmers desire rain so that their seeds will grow and multiply, so you want the needs and misery of men to increase your money. Or don’t you know that you produce more increase in sin than increase in money, which comes from interest?” And below: “What you take from the wretched is superior to all misanthropy. You get rich from troubles, you collect silver from tears, you expose the naked, you beat the hungry. There is no mercy, there is no understanding of kinship with the suffering. And you call the profit from this philanthropy! Woe to those who call bitter things sweet, and to those who call hatred of humanity love of humanity!” And at the end: “You plant without soil, you reap without seed, and it is unknown to whom you gather. It is known that the one from whom you take the interest weeps is known, but whoever will eat the fruit collected from the interest is unknown. For it is unknown to whom you will leave the joy of wealth; You accumulate evil for yourself from untruth. “Do not turn away from anyone who wants to borrow from you... and do not give your silver... for interest” (Matthew 5:42, Deut. 23:19) yes, having learned useful things from both the New and Old Testaments, you will go to the Lord with good hope, so that there you may receive interest for good deeds” (Conversation on Psalm 14). Saint John Chrysostom teaches about the same thing in many of his conversations. Chapter 10: About the offense of the poor “Do no harm to the widow or the orphan; But if you do evil to them and groan and cry to Me, I will hear their voice with my ears, and I will be angry with rage and kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans” (Ex. 22:22-24). “Cursed is he who judges wrongly the stranger, the orphan, and the widow; and all people will say: “Let it be” (Deut. 27:19). “Thus says the Lord: do justice and righteousness, and deliver... the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, do not insult, do not oppress unlawfully, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. If you do not listen to these words, I swear by myself, says the Lord, that this house will be a wilderness” (Jer. 22:3, 5). §121. Just as the benefit and mercy shown to a person are twofold: mental and physical, so there is a twofold offense - one to the body, the other to the soul. An insult is done to the body when it is beaten, wounded, wounded, deprived of food, clothing, etc. The soul suffers offense when it is saddened, reviled, slandered, dishonored, slandered, etc., although, due to the perfect union between body and soul, both the body and the soul feel bodily offense. Hence it happens that when the body suffers, the soul also has compassion; and when the soul suffers and is sick, the body sympathizes and sympathizes, and therefore it becomes ill, weakens, withers, turns pale, dries up, which happens to those who mourn and mourn. § 122. How serious it is to offend one’s neighbor is shown by the following arguments. 1) Just as Christ God imputes a good deed to his neighbor: “As you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40), so the offense inflicted on a neighbor concerns Christ Himself: “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? - says Christ (Acts 9:4). Saul did evil to the Church of Christ and His faithful, but Christ attributes this evil to Himself: “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?" For the father himself is offended if his son is offended, and the master considers it an offense to himself if his slave is harmed. God is the Father and Lord of all: therefore, the offense inflicted on people, as His servants, concerns Himself, as the Lord and Father. How scary it is, anyone can see. 2) God, the Most Good Provider and Father, does all good things, gives food and clothing to everyone. Consequently, whoever offends a person opposes the beneficent God: for what God gives, he takes away; What God creates, he who offends destroys. God creates with good deeds, but he destroys with evil deeds. “Whoever does not gather with Me scatters,” says Christ (Matthew 12:30). 3) Satan, as the spirit of malice and hostility, seeks in every possible way how to cause harm to everyone, and does so. So, whoever causes embitterment and oppression to his neighbor has the same spirit as Satan, thinks the same with him, and has the same agreement with him. For intentional offense cannot be other than from an evil spirit, infused with the poison of that ancient serpent. What a shameless and destructive thing it is to do with the devil against God’s rational creation, against man created in the likeness of God, and against one’s own natural nature with offense! The devil and his evil angels all take up arms against man and want to do evil, but do not take up arms against each other, for Satan does not rise up against Satan. But a blinded man persecutes a man like himself. This is how that ancient murderer infected our hearts and blinded our minds, for which we cannot mourn enough. 4) God’s law, which commands one to love and not hate one’s neighbor, to show him good deeds and not evil deeds, is ruined by the neighbor’s insult, and the Lawgiver is dishonored and despised. 5) For offending your neighbor, God threatens with both temporary and eternal execution, as we read about in the books of the holy prophets and in the New Testament. § 123. It is unlawful to offend any person for the above reasons, but it is even more unlawful to harm the poor. It is bad to take something from a rich man, but it is even worse from a poor man. It is bad for anyone to cause evil, but it is worse for him who suffers evil. It’s bad to make anyone sad, but it’s even worse to make someone sad. It’s bad to hurt anyone, but it’s even worse for someone who’s been hurt. For the wretched need mercy, the sad need consolation, the wounded require healing. And whoever embitters them takes away the last thing they have, and so leads them into final trouble, shortens and destroys life. For he who offends the poor does the same as he who immerses a man drowning in water, and so adds misfortune to misfortune, sorrow to sorrow, plagues to wounds, and this is not only a lawless, but also an inhumane thing, and a sign of a person whose disposition has been transformed into a ferocious beast. § 124. Such inhumane lawlessness is committed first of all by: 1) Unrighteous judges, who either for payment, or out of friendship, or out of partiality carry out trials and not only do not wipe away the tears of those who have suffered violence and the offended, but they are also accused, and those who violated are acquitted, and thus commit a double evil: the offenders are led to greater self-will, and the offended are led to the utmost poverty. 2) Strong and high people, who, without fearing either civil court or God, forcibly or treacherously take away from widows, orphans, the poor and others who have no intercessors, people, land, groves, peasants and other goods from which they receive food, and thus deprive them of their last food. 3) Rich people and others who either underpay or do not give proper pay to mercenaries at all. For all those who are hired to work and by daily labor obtain daily food are wretched and poor. 4) Covetous people, or money lenders, who lend money to the poor and receive more than money from them. And the greater the interest, or interest, they take from their wretched debtors, the greater the inhumanity they commit. 5) Military leaders and other authorities who do not give their subordinates a certain salary, or give it, but not in full, because in this way they are deprived of what they need for food and make the poor the poorest. 6) Landowners who impose excessive taxes on the peasants, and so rip the last from them, and leave them without the necessary food, or burden them with unbearable work and thus do not allow them to look for what they need for life. 7) Theft from a fire should be counted among the offenses of the poor, and especially when something is stolen from those who were already poor before the fire. And this inhumanity is cruel and unbearable, because in this way trouble is added to trouble and illness is added to illness. From these points and other similar things, you can understand what the offense of the poor is. § 125. Those who show such inhumanity to their neighbors, although they confess God with their lips, do not recognize Him in their hearts or do not believe in His Providence and do not expect punishment for their iniquities, as about them the Holy Spirit, searching the depths of their hearts, through the Psalmist declares: “They killed the widow and the orphan, and they killed the stranger, and they said: “The Lord will not see, and the God of Jacob will not know.” But he denounces madness, in the same place, through the same Psalmist: “Become to your senses, you fools among the people, and fools, finally understand! Doesn't he who plugs the ear hear? Or does not He who created the eye see? Does not He who teaches the nations rebuke, He who teaches man understanding” (Ps. 93:6-10)? § 126. Offending the poor is a very grave sin and crying out to heaven, as can be seen from Holy Scripture and reason itself shows. “Do no harm to the widow or the orphan; But if you do evil to them and groan and cry to Me, I will hear their voice with my ears, and I will be angry with rage and kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans” (Ex. 22:22-24). And again he strikes such people with a curse: “Cursed is he who judges wrongly the stranger, the orphan and the widow; and all people will say: “Let it be” (Deut. 27:19). And again with a curse he threatens with execution those who show such inhumanity: do justice and justice, and deliver... the oppressed from the hands of the oppressor and the stranger and the orphan and the widow, do not insult, do not oppress unlawfully, and do not shed innocent blood in this place. If you do not listen to these words, I swear by myself , says the Lord, that this house will be a wilderness” (Jer. 22:3, 5). And again through the prophet Amos: “Because you beat the poor and take gifts from them... you will build decorated houses... but you will not plant beautiful vineyards... you will not drink wine from them. your sins are grievous: you trample on the righteous, accepting gifts, and pervert in court the affairs of the poor” (Am. 5:11-12). And the Psalmist, moved by the Holy Spirit, complains to God and cries out at such inhumanity of the lawless: “Arise, Judge of the earth, give reward to the proud! How long will sinners, Lord, how long will sinners boast? Will they utter and speak lies, will all who commit iniquity speak? They have humiliated Thy people, O Lord, and have offended Thy inheritance; They killed the widow and the orphan and killed the stranger, and said: “The Lord will not see, and the God of Jacob will not know.” And he adds at the end: “And the Lord will reward them for their iniquity, and the Lord God will destroy them through their wickedness” (Ps. 94:2-7, 23). And the holy apostle announces to them weeping and weeping because of the fierce sorrows coming upon them, saying: “Listen, you rich: weep and howl for your misfortunes that are coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are rusty, and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire: you have laid up for yourselves treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages that you withheld from the workers who reaped your fields cry out, and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (James 5:1-4). From here we see the terrible executions of God that occur for offending widows, orphans and the poor. We see houses and cities, now consumed by sword and fire, now devoured by the earth. We see that those who feed on the tears of the poor and orphans are destroyed from the land of the living, and go down to hell to receive the work of their hands. For “God is not mocked” (Gal.6:7): as much as He is merciful, He is also Righteous and is an Avenger of bitter scoffers; and what threatens sinners, the unrepentant lawless person himself experiences in his own deed; and if in this century he does not recognize, then in the future he will not escape God’s terrible Judgment. For God, although the Father of all, is most of all called “Father of the orphans and Judge of widows” (Ps. 67:6). “He receives both the orphan and the widow” (Ps. 145:9). The rich to the rich, the strong to the strong, the glorious to the glorious, the nobleman helps the nobleman, but the beggar, the orphan, the widow are abandoned by everyone, they cannot find help anywhere from a person. Therefore, God alone is their Helper and ready Patron. "To you, Lord, "is granted... beggar, be the helper of the orphan,” the Psalmist cries to God about them (Ps. 9:35). This impartial Judge will judge their litigation (see Ps. 34:23). He, as the Merciful and Compassionate Father, will intercede for them. He will hear the sighs of the poor. He will wipe away their bitter tears. He will bring judgment to the poor and vengeance to the needy. Therefore, understand this, you who feed on the tears of the poor, who offend widows and orphans, who misjudge the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who build and expand houses from the wealth of the poor. Understand that their tears do not fall in vain, but, like the blood of Abel, they cry out from earth to heaven, and their cries enter the ears of the Lord of hosts. Understand that God gives His blessings to everyone equally, like a Generous Father. All creation, by the command of God, serves everyone equally: the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the glorious and the baseless, the noble and the simple, the noble and the noble, the slave and his master. The sun, moon and stars equally serve as their light. The clouds water everyone equally. The air preserves everyone's life equally. The earth gives fruit equally to everyone. The water feeds everyone equally. Fire warms everyone equally. Cattle, oxen, sheep, horses serve everyone equally. For God arranged it this way so that all people, having received service from creation, would be satisfied with God’s goodness and thank God the Benefactor. But you, by exposing the poor, take away that grace of God from them; What God gives for everyone, you try to appropriate for yourself alone. God, being rich in goodness, makes rich, and you make naked. God comforts, but you sadden. God gives life, and you kill. So, understand this! And if you do not understand now, then there will be a time when gold, silver, estates, villages, vineyards, horses, carriages, rich meals, expensive wines, male and female slaves, silk and fine linen clothes and all your glory and splendor, collected from the property of the poor, and reluctantly leave, and unexpectedly you will see tears shed and fallen before the Terrible and Righteous Judge, and, having seen, you will be alarmed and you will be horrified. Then you will understand that there is God and His Providence, and His judgment, that “the God of vengeance is the Lord” (Ps. 94:1). When He shows you the tears of the poor, shed because of you, and demands an answer from you for their last drop, then you will see that those whom you now offend, rape, expose and think are worse than your dogs themselves, your dear hunt, will appear as the sons of God; and from those whom you considered unworthy of the grains falling from your table - from those with great sighing you will wish for a drop of water to cool your tongue, burned by the fire of hell, but you will not receive it. § 127. Those who wash their faces with tears, who sigh in aggravation, who seek help and do not find it, who labor and are not satisfied with the fruits of their labors, let them heed the consolation of the Apostle James: “Be patient, my brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and for it he endures for a long time until he receives the early and late rain. Be patient and strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is drawing near. Do not complain, brothers, against each other, so as not to be condemned: behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and long-suffering, take, my brothers, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we bring joy to those who have endured. You have heard about the patience of Job and have seen the end of it from the Lord, for the Lord is Most Merciful and Generous” (James 5:7–11). “It is right before God,” says the Apostle Paul, “to repay those who insult you with sorrow, and you who are insulted with joy with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will be punished, eternal destruction, from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power when He comes to be glorified in His saints, and to appear wondrously on that day among all who believe” (2 Thess. 1:6-10). Chapter 11: About love of fame and ambition “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, but do not seek the glory that comes from the one God?” - says Christ (John 5:44). § 128. Love of fame and ambition comes from pride, which tends to love respect, praise, worship and glorification. The root and beginning of it is that flattering and poisonous advice of the ancient serpent, who said to our ancestors: “You will be like gods” (Gen. 3:5). The same insidious enemy now whispers into the ears of our passionate flesh, like Eve, to seek dominion, domination, honor and vain glory. § 129. Love of glory is a sign of a heart sick with unbelief, as Christ clearly teaches: “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another?” Because: 1) Whoever seeks his glory in this world does not give glory to God, but puts himself, like an idol, instead of God, and attracts to himself what should be given to God alone. For to God alone “due all glory, honor and worship.” 2) He who seeks vain glory does not care about future eternal glory, for it is impossible to simultaneously seek temporal and eternal glory. It does not care for the sole reason that with the eye of faith, with which it can be seen, it does not see its greatness and excellent grace; for if he had seen her, he would certainly have sought her with all his might. The warrior, seeing the glory that should come from victory, bravely fights against the enemy of the Fatherland. So the one who by faith foresees the future glory that the faithful soldiers of Christ will receive in the next century, fights against enemies, the world and sin, and does not care about this vain glory, and considers it to be garbage: for it is an obstacle to receiving that true glory. § 130. Like the passion of love of money and covetousness, as stated above, so the passion of love of glory is insatiable. For just as a lover of money, the more his silver grows, the more he thirsts for it, so the lover of glory: the higher he ascends in honor, the higher he still wants to rise. This truth is known and obvious and does not require proof: everyday examples of this are before our eyes. Therefore, in the stories we see that many pagans, not satisfied with the high title of king, wanted and commanded to call themselves gods. And others, not content with the limits of their possession, subjugated others to themselves, and thus tried to expand their glory. Oh, if only this plague did not take place within Christian limits! § 131. The love of fame is the cause of many evils. 1) It teaches one to flatter, to conform to the superiors, and to follow their morals, even if they are corrupt, to shamelessly call vices virtues and virtues vices, to flatter, lie, and dissemble, in order to insinuate love and mercy towards them and thus receive the desired honor. 2) It teaches to slander one’s neighbor, to call the good evil, and to call the evil good, in order to please the one from whom they are seeking imaginary mercy. In a word, he turns a person into an affectionate dog, and no matter what his imaginary benefactor, in whom he hopes, wants, he shows himself ready to do everything. 3) It teaches covetousness. For in order to receive honor, one must generously fill the hands of intercessors, give gifts and treats to many. But in order to have enough for all this, the lover of glory is forced to strive for lies and theft. 4) Love of fame teaches one to shed innocent human blood. So Absalom planned to draw a sword against the meek and innocent David, the King of Israel, and the wicked son to kill his righteous father in order to take possession of the kingdom of Israel. Neither the high royal honor, nor the inconvenience of the undertaking, nor the fear of danger, nor the debt that subjects owe to their Sovereigns, nor the paternal blood from which he was born, nor the love with which he was honored from his father more than other brothers, nor the meekness and innocence of the holy and pious Tsar could turn him away from his lawless and destructive intention. But love of glory alone overcame all this and convinced the lawless son to chase after his pious father and Sovereign (see 2 Samuel 15, etc.). This is what the glory-loving and lawless Herod did: he beat all the children, from two years old and below, in Bethlehem and throughout its borders, as the Holy Gospel testifies (see Matthew 2:16). He planned to kill the babies so that the cunning fox could kill the babies and the born Infant Christ, the King of the Jews, and so would not lose his royal honor. The same love of glory even now sheds a lot of innocent blood; and he is not afraid to touch God’s anointed ones; and either he kills them with dissolved poison or shortens their life, or with a sword he bleeds purple and their throne, and so the Fatherland remains without a chief ruler, which is why all sorts of disorder and confusion occurs in society. 5) The love of fame does not calm down even after receiving honor. And then it produces many troubles. For in honor (so it teaches its lovers) one must have decent attire. It is necessary to expand and decorate the chambers. We need to collect rich tables. It is necessary to have a considerable number of servants in the decoration. It is necessary to have rich horses and carriages for travel, and dog hunting for entertainment. You and your family need to have clothes decorated with gold and silver. I need to play cards for fun. It is necessary to produce other pleasures or even whims. But all this requires a considerable sum, which should be collected not from anywhere but from subordinates; one should break the oath that he took before God, the Knower of the Heart, and His Holy Gospel; one should trample on the truth, which he promised to keep with an oath; Violence should be inflicted on the poor, excessive taxes should be imposed on the peasants, if any, or burdened with unnecessary work. So, how fierce is the love of glory, although people, especially of the present century, do not consider it evil! Evil is covetousness, as it is said; but the greater evil is love of glory, for where there is love of glory, covetousness also nests; for the love of glory also teaches covetousness, as can be seen from the above. § 132. Love of fame and ambition even leads those it possesses into disasters. Our ancestors, desiring divine honor, lost what they had and “became equal to foolish beasts and became like them” (Ps. 49:13). Absalom wanted royal honor so much that he wanted to kill his father and Sovereign, but instead of honor he found destruction for himself, and the one who wanted to sit on the royal throne “got his hair entangled... in the branches of a tree, hanging between heaven and earth” (2 Kings 18:9). The same judgment even now befalls glory-lovers and thieves of honor, who, although they get what they want - sometimes through the intercession of their intercessors, sometimes through a bribe, sometimes through the representation of hereditary nobility - however, they do not get it for their own benefit, but for destruction, not temporary, but certainly eternal. Since these faithful servants of the Fatherland soon show themselves in their loyalty, when they are in honor, they do not seek God’s honor and glory, which honor should serve, but seek their own self-interest; do not serve their neighbors, but serve their own passions; They do not build up, but rather destroy their brethren. This truth is obvious to everyone and does not require a word of proof. For the very fact proves that when complaints about lawless bribery and extortion are heard everywhere, the tears of the poor, who have no intercessors and cannot find satisfaction anywhere, are shed everywhere. For what will a beggar have time to enter into court with a rich man, or a simple man with a noble man, if these sons and servants faithful to the Fatherland sit in court? Nothing at all! They will leave as they came, with the same tears, even more bitter ones. Therefore, they are forced to endure any kind of insult and violence, rather than seek protection in vain and to their great misfortune, and no longer resort to man, but to God the Judge and cry out. These same tears and cries intercede for nothing other than God’s wrath and eternal destruction for those who, according to their duties, do not wipe them away. § 133. Sanity or honor for a Christian should be nothing more than a yoke imposed by God, which he must wear for the glory of God and for the benefit of his brethren. Being in honor, he must, as he swore an oath, serve society, eradicate untruths, defend the offended, restrain impudent and self-willed insolence, be an example of good deeds for his subordinates, and so on. If someone is called and for this reason rises in honor, he is not subject to the vice of love of fame; but there will be no honor in looking for such a person, but honor itself will be looking for him. He avoids honor, but honor pursues him. Such and such is worthy of honor, as all wise people believe and affirm. On the contrary, he who seeks honor is unworthy of honor. For whatever one seeks honor for, that is what he will do after receiving honor. But hardly anyone wants the honor of working for the common good, and not for their own temporary self-interest? Soon such seekers, having received what they want, show themselves to be nothing other than tares sown among the wheat, as it is said. § 134. But in order to get rid of this vice, we must remember: 1) that equally glorious and baseless, masters and slaves, respectable and simple, die and are consigned to the earth. No one takes this glory with him, but everything worldly remains for the world. 2) That “severe judgment is given to those in authority. For the lesser deserves mercy, but the stronger will be greatly tormented,” says Solomon (Wis. 6:5–6). 3) That there is no greater honor and glory than being a true Christian, and love of glory deprives you of this dignity, according to the word of Christ: “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, but do not seek the glory that comes from God alone” (John 5:44)? “We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from every brother who walks disorderly, and not according to the tradition which was received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6). “Bad communities corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). § 135. Nothing harms a person, especially a young one, more than evil company. For, just as dealing with the good is a school in which a person learns Christian philosophy, that is, an honest life, without books, so dealing with the evil is the cause of extreme corruption. Even if someone had a good nature and was well brought up, if he were to be with the corrupt, it would be difficult and almost impossible for him not to become corrupted. For anger, like resin, sticks and imperceptibly enters and infects good morals. They say that healthy eyes, when they look at sick ones, themselves receive harm, but do not benefit them at all. Likewise, a good person, living with the evil, becomes corrupted, but does not correct them. “Just as diseased eyes,” says St. John Chrysostom, “harm healthy ones, and just as someone who has leprosy infects a clean person, so dealing with the wicked spoils and corrupts good people. And Christ commands such people not only to be avoided, but also to be cut off, saying: “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away from you” (Matthew 5:29)” (Discourse on Psalm 4). So, consider, Christian, with whom you want to have fellowship; and until you know it completely, do not cleave to anyone, lest you fall into the abyss of destruction. It is better to live with animals than with evil people. “Evil people,” says the same St. John Chrysostom, - are more harmful than poisonous snakes: for these openly inflict their poison, and those every day secretly and insensitively infect” (In the same conversation). § 136. Woe to young children who have corrupt parents! Where can they get away from such parents when they are forced to live with them in the same chambers, sit at the same meal, observe their words, deeds and all their actions? For youth, since in itself it is prone to all kinds of evil, requires diligent observation, good upbringing and instruction, but instead it is met with great evil - the poisonous temptation of parental morals. For parental morals are like rules for young children, looking at which they follow; and what they notice in them, they themselves get used to. Hence it happens that the children of evil parents are more evil than them, and their grandchildren even more evil, and so evil grows until it is stopped by the judgment of God. For temptation is nothing other than a fire that has intensified, spreading further and further and consuming animate churches. Woe to young children from this temptation. But great woe to the parents, who, instead of useful teaching, infect young hearts with evil example, like poison! “Woe to that man through whom temptation comes,” says Christ. “It would be better for him if they hung a millstone around his neck and drowned him in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6-7). “Parents,” says Saint John Chrysostom, “who neglect the Christian upbringing of children are more lawless than child killers. For child killers separate body and soul, and they cast both soul and body into fiery Gehenna. That death, according to natural law, cannot be avoided in any way; and this would have been possible if the parents’ negligence had not been its cause. Moreover, bodily death will immediately be abolished by the resurrection; “No one can compensate for spiritual destruction” (Conversation against detractors of monastic life, chapter 3.) If, as the Holy Father teaches, those parents who do not instruct their children in a Christian way are worse than child killers, then what can we say about those parents who not only do not instruct, but also corrupt with their morals! And what is said here about parents should also be understood about those who have a fatherly title, such as teachers, shepherds, bosses and others. 2. About God's wrath against sin “O man! Or do you neglect the riches of God’s goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that God’s goodness leads you to repentance? But, due to your stubbornness and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous Judgment from God, who will reward everyone according to his deeds” (Rom. 2:4-6). § 137. The wrath of God against sin is shown through executions sent by God against sinners. For if God is so good that “no one is good except God alone,” according to the testimony of Christ (Matthew 19:17), however, insofar as He is Good, so He is Righteous. And His truth demands that the sinner, as a transgressor of His holy and unchangeable law, be executed. And the fact that a sinner is not executed immediately after committing a sin or not during the very act of sin must be attributed to the goodness of God, which endures the sinner and thus awaits him for repentance, as the Apostle says to the sinner: “O man! Or do you neglect the riches of God’s goodness, meekness and long-suffering, not realizing that God’s goodness leads you to repentance?” § 138. We read in the Holy Scriptures that God sends various executions to sinners. He cast down the angels who sinned from heaven. Christ speaks about this: “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning” (Luke 10:18); and the Apostle Peter says: “He did not spare the angels who sinned, but, having bound them in chains of hellish darkness, he delivered them over to be kept for judgment to be punished” (2 Peter 2:4). Our ancestors Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise for disobedience, and were subject to every calamity, and with them we. For sins, the first world, with the exception of Noah, the “preacher of righteousness,” was destroyed by a terrible flood (Gen. 7; 2 Peter 2:5). Sodom and Gomorrah with the surrounding cities were burned by fire for vile uncleanness (Gen. 19; 2 Peter 2:6). The proud and bitter Pharaoh with all his army was drowned in the Red Sea (see Exodus 14). Dathan and Abiron, who rebelled against Moses and Aaron, and their like-minded people in the desert were swallowed up alive by the earth (see Numbers 16). “The earth opened up and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the crowd of Abiron” (Ps. 106:17). Other people of Israel there, for various iniquities, were struck in various ways by the wrath of God: some with fire, others with poisonous snakes, others with the sword of foreigners, others in another way, as we read about this in the books of Moses, the prophets and in the 10th chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. When they came to the promised land, how many times they were handed over to foreigners as slaves, how many times they were taken into captivity and otherwise executed - the books of the Old Testament testify. Their sins and iniquities were the cause of all this, as those holy books testify to the same. After the coming of Christ into the world, we also see the executions of God sent against sinners. We read that Ananias and Sapphira his wife were suddenly struck with death for lying, for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-10). Herod was suddenly “struck by an angel of the Lord... because he did not give glory to God; and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:23). The city of Jerusalem, which killed the prophets, and stoned those sent to it, and was stained with the Blood of Christ, the Son of God, was completely ruined, and its children, that is, the inhabitants, were defeated with the edge of the sword, as Christ Himself prophesied with tears: “The days will come upon you, Jerusalem, when your enemies will surround you with trenches and surround you, and will press you in from everywhere, and will ruin you, and they will beat your children within you” (Luke 19:43–44). But what we read in books, we see in our times. We still notice the same terrible judgments of God; His same righteous wrath now appears on unrepentant sinners. We see and hear terrible battles and terrible and crying worthy of bloodshed; so many thousands falling in battle, so many remaining widows, orphans, weeping fathers and mothers, so many cities ravaged by foreign weapons, from pestilence, from famine, earthquake and fire, how many lawless people are suddenly taken away and taken away from this light. All these are traces of God’s righteous judgment and wrath, which consumes unrepentant lawless people like fire. What happened to them according to God’s righteous judgment should also be expected by other unrepentant sinners. We read in the gospel of the holy evangelist Luke that when some came to Christ and told Him about the Galileans, “whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices, Christ answered and said: Do you think that these Galileans were more sinful than all the Galileans, that they suffered so much? No, I tell you, but unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way” (Luke 13:1-3). From these words of Christ we can conclude that other unrepentant sinners must expect the same destruction that they see in others. “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). Based on those executions that have happened and are happening, we conclude both about future ones and about temporary ones - we note about eternal ones. There will be eternal punishment for bitter sinners, there will be fiery Gehenna, there will be hell, pitch darkness, gnashing of teeth; The wicked will be rejected from the face of God and His kingdom. “Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wicked people, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God,” wrote the holy Apostle (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Christ will announce to sinners on the day of His righteous Judgment: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). “But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death,” Christ says again (Rev. 21:8). We read the same in other places of Holy Scripture. § 139. God's words and threats, Christian, are not vain and empty, but true and reliable: what he said is certainly so, as he said, and what he predicted will certainly be. He predicted to our ancestors the death that would come from the forbidden tree, and death followed to those who transgressed His commandment. The righteous Noah predicted a worldwide flood on the wicked - and there was a flood. He predicted death for the embittered pharaoh - and the pharaoh died. He predicted captivity for the Israelites - and they were captured. He predicted the destruction and desolation of Jerusalem - and it came true. He declared in His Scripture that there will be eternal torment for the wicked - it will certainly happen; they will experience the eternal wrath of God’s righteous judgment, they will drink this cup of sorrow, but they will never drink it. So, let us fear, Christian, the judgment of God and His righteous wrath, and let us repent—let us not fall into the hands of the living God. For “it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). Whoever does not believe the words of God will learn for himself the work of God’s righteous judgment. “God cannot be scolded. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap,” says the apostle (Gal.6:7). “The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety,” then destruction will suddenly come upon them, just as labor pain befalls one who is pregnant, and they will not escape” (1 Thess. 5:2-3). Translation by P. Yungerov – Editorial office of “The ABC of Faith” Translation by P. Yungerov – Editorial “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: