Слово 5. О чувствах, а вместе и об искушениях

Chaste and collected feelings create peace in the soul and do not allow it to enter into the testing of things. And when the soul does not accept the sensations of things, then victory is achieved without struggle. If a person is careless and allows enemies to have access to him, 78 then he is forced to endure the abuse. The original purity, which can be very simple and even, is also indignant. For due to this negligence, most people, or the whole world, leave their natural and pure state. Therefore, those who live in the world, in close ties with worldly people, cannot purify their minds, for the reason that they have known a lot of evil. Few are able to return to the original purity of mind. Therefore, every person should always carefully guard his feelings and mind from battles. For much is required of sobriety, vigilance, and forethought. Great simplicity is beautiful. Human nature requires fear to maintain the limits of obedience to God. Love for God arouses in a person a love for doing virtues, through this he strives for thanksgiving. Spiritual knowledge naturally follows the practice of virtues. Both are preceded by fear and love. And again, fear precedes love. Anyone who is not ashamed to say that the latter can be acquired without doing the first 79 undoubtedly lays the first foundation of destruction for his soul. This is the way of the Lord, that the last are born from the first. Do not replace love for your brother with love for any thing; because your brother secretly acquired within himself the One who is most precious. Leave the little to gain the great. Despise what is superfluous and of little value in order to acquire what is of great value. Be dead in your life, so that you may live after death. Give yourself over to dying in exploits, and not living in negligence. For not only those martyrs who accepted death for faith in Christ, but also those who die for keeping the commandments of Christ. Do not be foolish in your petitions, lest you offend God through your foolishness. Be wise in your prayers so that you may receive glory. Ask the worthy one from the Giver without envy, so that you may receive honor from Him for your wise desire. Solomon asked himself for wisdom, and since he asked the Great King for wisdom, he accepted the kingdom of the earth with wisdom. Elisha asked in full measure for the grace of the Spirit that the teacher had, and his request did not remain unfulfilled. Israel asked for little things, and the wrath of God came upon them. He abandoned to marvel at the terrible miracles of God in the works of God, and sought to satisfy the lusts of his belly. But “I am yet to hear evil in their mouths, and the wrath of God will come upon her” (Ps. 77:30-31). Bring your petitions to God in accordance with His glory, so that your dignity will be magnified before Him and He will rejoice over you. If someone asks the king for some manure, he will not only dishonor himself by the unimportance of his request, as he has shown great foolishness, but he will also insult the king with his request. This is what the one who asks God for earthly blessings does in his prayers. For behold, the Angels and Archangels, these nobles of the King, during your prayer, look at you with what petition you turn to their Lord; and they are amazed and rejoice when they see that you, earthly, have left your flesh and are asking for heavenly things; and, on the contrary, they are upset, looking at the one who has left heavenly things and asks for his own pus. Do not ask God for what He Himself gives us without asking according to His providence, and gives not only to His own and beloved, but also to those who are strangers to the knowledge of Him. For it is said: do not be “like the pagans,” saying too much in your prayers (Matthew 6:7). This is bodily, and this is what the pagans are looking for, said the Lord. You don’t “care about what you eat, or what you drink,” or “what you put on. For your Father knows that you need this (Matthew 6:25,32). The son no longer asks his father for bread, but seeks the greatest and highest things in his father’s house. For out of the weakness of the human mind alone, the Lord commanded to ask for daily bread. But look at what is commanded to those who are perfect in knowledge and sound in soul. They are told: do not worry about food or clothing; because if God cares about dumb animals, about birds and about inanimate creatures, then how much more will he care about us: “seek” more than “the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). If you ask God for something and He is slow to hear you quickly, do not be sad, because you are no wiser than God. This happens to you either because you are unworthy to receive what you ask for; or because the ways of your heart are not consistent, but contrary to your petitions; or because you have not yet come sufficiently to receive the gift you ask. For we should not touch upon great measures ahead of time, so that the gift of God, from the speed of accepting it, does not become useless; because what is easily obtained is soon lost; however, acquired with heart disease, and is stored with caution. Endure your thirst for Christ’s sake, may He intoxicate you with His love. Close your eyes to the pleasures of life, so that God will grant you His peace to reign in your heart. Refrain from what your eyes see, so that you will be rewarded with spiritual joy. If your deeds are displeasing to God, do not seek glorification from Him, lest you become like a man who tempts God. Your prayer should also be consistent with your life. For it is impossible for one who is attached to earthly things to desire heavenly things, and for one who is occupied with worldly things there is no opportunity to ask for the Divine; because the desire of each person is shown by his deeds; What he shows his zeal for, he strives for in prayer. He who desires great things is not busy with unimportant things. Be free, although you are bound by your body, and for Christ’s sake prove the freedom of your obedience. Be prudent in your simplicity, so as not to be robbed from you. Love humility in all your affairs in order to get rid of the inconspicuous snares that are always on the path of the humble. Do not turn away from sorrows, because through them you enter into the knowledge of the truth; and do not be afraid of temptations, because through them you gain what is worthy. Pray not to fall into spiritual temptations, but prepare for bodily temptations with all your strength. For outside of them you cannot approach God; because Divine peace is prepared among them. He who runs from temptations runs from virtue. I mean temptation not by lusts, but by sorrows. Question. How does what is said agree with each other: “pray so that you will not enter into adversity” (Matthew 26:41), and in another place: “strive to enter through the strait gate” (Luke 13:24); and again: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body” (Matthew 10:28); and: “Whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39)? Why does the Lord everywhere encourage us to endure temptations, but here He commanded: “Pray, lest you enter” into them? For what virtue is there without sorrow and temptation? Or what temptation is greater than this - to destroy a person himself? However, the Lord commanded to be subjected to this temptation for His sake. For he says: “Whoever does not take his cross and comes after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:38). Why, in all His teaching, commanding one to be subject to temptation, here He commanded to pray so as not to “fall in”! For it is said: “Through many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” (Acts 14:22); and: “You will be in a world of sorrow” (John 16:33); and: “With this patience you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:19). Oh, what subtlety of mind the path of Your teachings requires, O Lord! There will always be someone outside of it who does not read meaningfully and with knowledge. When the sons of Zebedee and their mother wished to sit with You in the Kingdom, You said to them the following: “Can I drink the cup with which Az imam drinks, or be baptized with baptism, with which I am baptized?” (Matthew 20:22). Why do you command us here, Vladyka, to pray “not to fall into misfortune”? What temptations do you command us to pray about so as not to “fall into” them? Answer. It is said: pray so as not to “fall into” temptations regarding faith. Pray that, together with the demon of blasphemy and pride, you will not “lead” into the temptations of self-conceit in your mind. Pray that, by God's permission, you will not fall into obvious temptation from the devil because of the bad thoughts that you have thought in your mind and for which temptation is allowed to befall you. Pray that the Angel of your chastity will not depart from you, that sin will not raise a fiery battle against you and separate you from him. Pray not to fall into the temptation of irritating one against the other, or into the temptation of double-mindedness and doubt, by which the soul is led into a great struggle. And prepare to accept bodily temptations with all your soul, and swim 80 through them with all your members, and fill your eyes with tears, so that your guardian 81 does not depart from you. For outside of temptation, the Providence of God is not seen, it is impossible to acquire boldness before God, it is impossible to learn the wisdom of the Spirit, and there is also no possibility for Divine love to be established in your soul. Before temptations, a person prays to God like a stranger. When he enters into temptations out of love for God and does not allow himself to change, 82 then he stands before God as if he had Him as his debtor and as a sincere friend, because, in fulfillment of the will of God, he fought with the enemy of God and defeated him. This is what it means: “pray so that you will not fall into misfortune.” And one more thing: pray that you will not be led into the terrible temptation of the devil for your arrogance; but for your love for God, may the power of God help you, and through you he will defeat his enemies. Pray that these temptations will not “involve” you for the depravity of your thoughts and deeds; but let your love for God be tested, and His power glorified in your patience. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. That is, conducting and doing virtues without love and fear. In the Syriac text: "bathe in them." You might be interested in: