Слово 78. О видах разных искушений и о том, сколько сладости имеют искушения, бывающие и претерпеваемые за истину, и по каким степеням восходит человек благоразумный

The virtues are successive to one another, so that the path of virtue is not difficult and difficult, so that one can succeed in them in order 616 and find relief for oneself in this, and so that in this way the very sorrows endured for the sake of good become endearing, like something good. For no one can acquire real non-covetousness unless he convinces and prepares himself for this in order to endure temptations with joy. And no one can endure temptations except someone who is convinced that for the sorrows he has prepared himself to participate in and endure, he can accept something that surpasses bodily peace. Therefore, in anyone who has prepared himself for non-covetousness, the love of sorrows is first aroused, and then the thought comes to him not to be acquisitive about the things of this world. And everyone approaching sorrow is first strengthened by faith, and then approaches sorrow. Whoever renounces the material, but does not renounce the effectiveness of the senses, I mean sight and hearing, will prepare himself for deep sorrow and will be in deep misery and sorrow. It’s better to say: what is the benefit of depriving yourself of sensory things and pleasing your senses with them? For from the passions produced by these things, a person suffers the same thing that he previously suffered when possessing them in practice, because the remembrance of the skill for them does not leave his mind. And if mental representations of things without the things themselves produce a painful feeling in a person, what can we say about actually approaching them? So, hermitage is wonderful, because it helps a lot, 617 greatly tames thoughts, by its very stay (in hermitage) it puts strength into us and teaches us great patience in the necessary sorrows that befall a person. Do not try to take advice from a person who does not lead the same lifestyle as you, although he is very wise. It is better to entrust your thought to an unlearned person who has experienced the matter experimentally, than to a learned philosopher who argues based on his research without having experienced it in practice. What is experience? Experience does not consist in the fact that a person only approaches certain things and looks at them without accepting knowledge about them, but in the fact that, after handling them for a long time, he actually experiences their benefits and harm. For often a thing outwardly seems harmful, but its entire internal content turns out to be full of benefit. Consider the same thing about the opposite, that is, often a thing seems to have benefit, but is internally full of harm. Therefore, many people suffer losses from seemingly profitable things. And from these 618 the testimony of knowledge is untrue. Therefore, use an advisor who knows how to patiently discuss what requires reasoning. That is why not everyone who gives advice is worthy of trust, but only those who have previously managed their freedom well and are not afraid of condemnation and slander. When on your path you find unchanging peace, then be afraid, because you are far from the straight path trodden by the suffering feet of the saints. For while you are still on the way to the city of the Kingdom, let the following be a sign of your approach to the city of God: strong temptations encounter you, and the more you approach and succeed, the more the temptations that come upon you multiply. Therefore, as soon as you feel various and strong temptations in your soul on your way, know that at this time your soul has actually secretly entered another, higher level, and grace has been multiplied by it in the state in which it is placed, because, in accordance with the greatness of grace, to the same extent, God leads the soul into the sorrow of temptation, and does not lead it into worldly temptations, which happen to others for curbing vice and obvious deeds; Also do not understand bodily disturbances by temptations, but temptations that are appropriate for monks in their silence and which we will examine later. If the soul is in weakness, and it does not have sufficient strength for great temptations, and therefore asks not to enter into them, and God will listen to it, then know for sure that to the extent that the soul does not have sufficient strength for great temptations, it is equally insufficient for great gifts, and just as access to it is forbidden to great temptations, so great gifts are forbidden to it, because God does not give a great gift without great temptation 619. In proportion to temptations, gifts are determined by God according to His wisdom, which those created by Him do not comprehend. So, through the cruel sorrows sent to you by God’s Providence, your soul comprehends what honor it has received from the greatness of God. For as much as there is sorrow there is also consolation. Question. How then? Is the temptation first, and then the gift; or first the gift, and then the temptation? Answer. Temptation does not come if the soul does not first secretly accept greatness, more than its own measure, and the Spirit of grace it previously received. This is evidenced by the temptations of the Lord Himself, and likewise by the temptations of the apostles: they were not allowed to enter into temptations until they received the Comforter. Whoever partakes of good things, it is fitting for him to endure their temptations, because after the good comes his sorrow. This is how it pleased the good God to do with everyone. And although this is indeed so, that is, grace comes before temptation, the feeling of temptation, for testing freedom, certainly preceded the feeling of grace. For grace in no one ever precedes the trial of temptation. Grace precedes in the mind, but delays in feeling. So, during these temptations, it is proper to have two opposite and in no way similar sensations, i.e. joy and fear: joy - because we find ourselves walking along the path laid out by the saints, or better yet, by the Life-Giver Himself of everything, as is clear from considering temptations; We should have fear as to whether it is because of pride that we endure this temptation. However, the humble are wise by grace and can discern and understand all this, that is, which temptations come from the fruit of pride, and which ones from blows 620 inflicted by love. Temptations during prosperity and growth of a good life differ from temptations allowed to admonish the pride of the heart. Temptations of God's friends who are humble in wisdom The temptations that come from the spiritual rod to the prosperity and growth of the soul and by which it is trained, tested and introduced into asceticism are the following: laziness, heaviness in the body, relaxation of the members, despondency, confusion of the mind, the thought of bodily weakness, temporary suppression of hope, darkening of thoughts, impoverishment of human help, lack of what is needed for the body, and the like. From these temptations a person acquires a solitary and orphaned soul, and a contrite heart with much humility. And from here it is known that man began to lust after the Creator. The Provider balances temptations with the strengths and needs of those who receive them. Dissolved with them are consolation and invasions, light and darkness, battles and help, in short, cramped conditions and space. And this serves as a sign that a person is prospering with God’s help. Achieving non-covetousness. 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