Поучение 15. О том, чтобы нам отвергнуть всякое уныние и понудить себя к деланию духовному.

My brothers, fathers and children! Just as each of you must give an account of his work of obedience, so I owe you a word of instruction; and oh, that I might have such a varied and varied word, that it might be useful and fitting for all by the grace of Christ! For many among you, my brothers, require encouragement, many require consolation, many require confirmation; some reminders, other corrections, other reproofs, some penances, other indulgences, other severity, and other dishonor and disgrace. So many different dispensations; in relation to this there must also be a word of teaching; for what serves as healing for one brings harm to another, and what turns out to be a benefit to another, happens to cause harm to another; and what serves one for correction is a stumbling block for another. Therefore, my service is important, but difficult and inconvenient. However, strengthened by the prayers of my Father and your Father, I hold on to it and, as long as I breathe, I will not neglect it, but I will work and strive, always reminding you, my masters and fathers, of what is necessary. All of you, by the will of God, are among those who are being saved, and you all came here in order to be saved, and you are all looking for nothing other than your own salvation. But since the devil resists every good thing, many of us are tempted against our will; for in others he kindles the flame of carnal lusts, being aided by the lust of youth; he plunges others into pride, through which he himself fell from heaven; He weakens others with laziness and binds them with despondency, and drags them where he wants and how he wants; weakens them with unbelief, and plunges them into self-rule, and incites them to do inappropriate things. But what am I saying about each separately? “With everything he can, he seduces us and tries every day to confirm us in this, expecting our destruction.” But the Lord God, who said to the sea: “Be silent, stop” (Mark 4:39), may he rebuke it and drive it far away from us. And this happens when we come to our senses and remember the first thought with which we came here; for we have promised before God to endure all tribulation and distress, even unto death. Thus, reject everything: those who mourn - sadness, the proud - pride, the despondent - despondency, the voluptuous - voluptuousness, those who love to rule - lust, the vain - vanity, the insolent - daring, the disorderly - disorderly, the verbose - verbosity, the luxuriously dressed - pomp, the lovers of flesh - carnality, the envious - envy, those who love to argue - argumentativeness, those who are prone to quarrel - quarrels, those who are idle - idleness. All this and the like are works of darkness, generations of evil, desires and inventions of the evil one. The works of our good God are: peace, meekness, humility, obedience, non-envy, labor, diligence, thoroughness, love, faith, hope, decency, prayer. These are works of light, crowns of righteousness, corrections of the saints, “whatever virtue and whatever praise” (Phil. 4:8). Arise, you who have given yourself over to passions, I beg you, for the love of God; awaken, lulled by temptations. If we want to lead a good life and love to see good days, then let us listen to him who says: “Turn away from evil and do good: seek peace and marriage, etc. The eyes of the Lord are on... those who fear Him, but the face of the Lord is angry with those who do evil, to consume their memory from the earth” (Ps. 34:8, 15-17). And the entire continuation of the Psalm, if we want to be careful, reveals to us an excellent law. But enough about this. Currently, many of the brothers are sick; for the time is now unhealthy. So, let us help the healthy, the sick; and those who are sick, let us accept the Lord’s punishment as beneficial, and endure it with patience, and with thanksgiving we will accept what is given. When we get up from illness, we will not remain in idleness, but will mind our own business; for we do not have slaves bought with money to serve us. The reason for this (i.e., slavery) is sin, and the Apostle allowed this to be among the laity. And we ourselves are both slaves and masters, and those who serve and those who receive services, but so each of us must try to serve more than to be served untimely. For the Lord knows the work and ministry of each of you; knows what someone was like at first and what he is like now, what he was like in the world and what he is like here, how he is forced and endures, with whom he is compared, what his condition is, and with whom he stands, or turns, or sleeps, and what clothes or shoes he wears. All this is weighed with precision by the Righteous Judge, the All-Seeing Eye, “and... will reward, as it is written, everyone according to his deeds” (Matthew 16:27). So, let no one grieve, and let no one think about anything other than what he should think about; for we will not only appear before God, but we will also appear before His terrible and formidable judgment seat, when He will demand from us an account of our deeds; for to Him be glory forever and ever. Amen. You might be interested in: