A very useful word about faith, and about the law of nature, and about the Holy Spirit

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable” (2 Tim. 3:16), having the Spirit of truth as the beginning and source of godliness. From the holy and worshiped Spirit, as from some rich and fruitful source, all divine streams flow. And what the law decrees, what the prophets prophesy, what the apostles proclaim, all this is truly assimilated and attributed to the Holy Spirit: “all these things worketh one and the same Spirit, distributing to each one individually, as He pleases” (1 Cor. 12:11). Therefore, all the beauties of piety shine and the words of truth shine, and the treasures of God-inspired wisdom pour out: treasures not hidden in the earth, but contemplated in the depths of piety, treasures that gladden souls, illuminate thoughts, convert the universe, enriching all the poverty of Adam. Just as, having stripped himself of the original beauty of piety, he was reduced to great humiliation, so through the condescension of our Savior, God the Word, he is enriched. And Paul testifies, in one place saying as follows: “I thank God... because in Him you have been enriched in everything, in all speech and in all knowledge” (1 Cor. 1:4-5). He who receives God's word is enriched; He who does not accept God's word becomes poor. Jeremiah also testifies, saying: “And I said within myself: these, perhaps, are the poor; they are foolish because they cannot listen to the words of the 1 Lord” (Jer. 5:4). But the poor are slandered, and the rich are magnified; rich in the word of truth, blooming with the virtues of fruitful wisdom, such as David was, saying: “But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God” (Ps. 51:10) - a fruitful olive tree, not showing off with leaves, but laden with the fruits of piety. It often happens that a soul that flaunts itself with branches and leaves does not, however, bear fruit, just as Jeremiah 2 said about Israel: “Israel is a branchy vine” (Hos. 10:1) - branchy, not abundant in fruit. He was exactly like that; The prophet is delighted, saying: “And I, like an olive tree, fruitful,” not blooming outwardly, but loaded with internal fruits, am a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, because it is not good to live outside the house of God. Indeed, you will find that many, even outside the word of truth, shine with apparently good deeds, you will find compassionate, merciful men, caring about justice; but works have no fruit, since (these people) did not know the work of truth. And these things are wonderful, but the highest things must go ahead. When the Jews once said to the Lord: “What must we do to do the works of God?...,” He answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent” (John 6:28–29). See how He called faith a work. So, at the same time as you believe, you also flourish in your deeds, and not because you lack deeds, but because faith itself is full of good deeds. Works are in relation to people and from people, and faith is from people in relation to God; faith makes him who converts a heavenly citizen; faith makes man, created from the earth, an interlocutor with God; nothing is good without faith. They seem to me, brethren - so that I may use some semblance of a word - those who flourish in good deeds and who do not know God of piety seem to me to be similar to the remains of the dead, although beautifully dressed, but lacking a sense of beauty. What is the use of a dead soul, deadened to God the Word, but endowed with good deeds? Things happen thanks to the hope of retribution and crowns. If you do not know the hero of heroism, then for whom do you strive? Faith should not be devoid of works, so that it is not desecrated; however, faith is higher than works. Just as for people who deserve the name of man, it is first of all necessary that life should come first and that they eat in this way (because food preserves our life), so it is also necessary that hope in Christ should precede our life and that it should then be nourished by good deeds. It is often possible for someone who does not eat to live, but it is impossible for someone who does not live to eat. Moses fasted for forty days (Ex. 34:28), but since he had the living word within himself, the lack of earthly things did not harm him at all. This also happens with regard to the state of mind; The soul must be nourished by works, but it is necessary that faith be received before works; You cannot imagine a person who lived and did deeds of justice without faith, but one who is faithful without deeds, I can point out that he both lived and was awarded the kingdom. No one lived without faith; the thief, having only believed, was justified (Luke 23:40–43). And don’t tell me: he didn’t have time to live righteously, because I don’t dispute this either, but I point out that faith itself saved. If he had remained alive by faith and neglected his works, he would have lost his salvation. What is now being considered and investigated is that faith in itself saved, but works in themselves never justified those who did it. And we want to carefully see that works without faith do not give life? Cornelius had a good testimony about himself because of his works of alms and prayers (Acts 10); but he did not know Christ, believing God, but not yet knowing the Word of God. And since the deeds were beautiful and amazing, they were pleasing to the Dispenser of good things and the loving God; but since the great eye of truth and truth, the impartial and righteous Judge saw that although deeds are beautiful, they are dead because they do not have faith, he sent a divine angel distributing rewards for deeds in order to crown the beautiful fighter with faith; he says to him: Cornelius, “your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4). Therefore, if prayer was heard, he says, and alms were accepted, then what do I lack for righteousness? “Therefore, send men to Joppa,” says the angel, “and call Simon, who is called Peter, who, when he comes, will tell you words by which you and your whole house will be saved” (Acts 10:5-6). Well, things couldn't be saved. If, thanks to what Peter proclaims, Cornelius himself and his house are saved, then Cornelius did not yet have salvation because of his works until faith was established in him - next to his works. Therefore, Peter, the blessed and revered apostle of Christ, having come from Joppa and seeing God’s grace poured out on those who were then considered foreigners, having penetrated into God’s definition, says: “Truly I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation... he who does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35). He did not say: “in every nation... he who acts righteously” is saved, but: he is acceptable to Him, that is, he becomes worthy of being accepted. Therefore, it is necessary for faith to shine before works and for faith to be followed by works. And let no one revile faith because of its sterility, nor dishonor works because of unbelief. Become a fruitful olive tree, but in the house of God. Beautiful deeds express what is meant by a fruitful olive tree, and the words: in the house of God indicate faith. What are the works of God? We all know them if we wish to do them, and nothing is hidden. That which concerns dogmas is questioned, and that which concerns deeds is not hidden, because nature dictates the laws. We know from ourselves about what is beautiful and what is bad; God placed an unwritten law into nature that illuminates our thoughts. Let no one say: I have not read the law, I do not know what pertains to the law, because if you reject the general law, then the law of nature will expose you. Do you want to know that God established laws in nature that distinguish between what is good and what is bad? Ask our everyday life about how all those who do evil avoid being called evil; how exactly, listen: an adulterer commits adultery, but blushes with shame if he is called an adulterer. Say to the obvious adulterer: adulterer! - and what he rejoices in doing this, he is ashamed of hearing about. So, if you think that sin is something good, then why do you avoid the name? Say to the oathbreaker: oathbreaker! - and he will consider the name of his own affairs an insult. Thus, nature itself cries out that evil is alien to the work of God. And what God created is beautiful and very beautiful, so beautiful that when it comes into contact with evil, it blushes with shame at the vice. Say to the chaste: chaste! - and whatever work he enjoys, he is not ashamed at the name of it. Call a just person fair, and he is crowned with deeds and adorned with the name, because, although out of conscientiousness he will refuse the name, he will accept praise in his soul. Think about how great vice lives in the world and remains unnoticed! And how does it remain unnoticed? If you examine individual parts with precision, you will not find any vice that appears in its own form - if it does not borrow its appearance from virtue, then it does not show itself; and - how, listen: the one who lies, lies, without confessing to the lie, but, counterfeiting the truth, deceives; he who acts unjustly does not proclaim what is, but appears to be what is not, and then commits injustice. Likewise, a cunning person does not show deceit, but puts on the guise of friendship and commits a bad deed; the adulterer, without confessing to criminal adultery, invades the home, but putting on the mask of chastity, tramples on divine rights. Do you see that vice has no face of its own? In the same way, the slanderer, every time he appears at the court, enters without declaring what exactly it is, but presenting himself as a witness of truth, and with his lies shows a witness of vice. Thus, vice does not have its own face unless it borrows face from virtue. Therefore, the Savior said: “They will come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). But let us return to the issue to be discussed. 2. Do you want to know, brother, what power does the innate law have? Our soul, even if it is mired in vices, welcomes a good name. Often many rulers, filled with greed and not thinking about anything else except robbery and untruth, are inclined to the requests of some in order to either alleviate the need of the poor, or to concede something out of debt, or not to take revenge on those who have insulted or intend to insult. And the one who came, in order to perfectly fulfill the embassy before his powerful and bad husband, does not immediately begin with the truth; does not tell him what he is, but ascribes to him the name of virtue. (Or don’t you know how people who perform the duties of ambassadors well always pretend?). You, he says, are a virtuous husband; your name is glorified, everyone sings of your good deeds; and he adds a lot of this for persuasion, in order to persuade him with praise and so that he avoids a bad deed. See how vice is overcome by praise for virtue. No evil person wants to be called evil, because he welcomes what is characteristic of him, although he freely chooses the opposite. So, beloved, let us become a fruitful olive tree, flourishing in deeds, fruits, and leaves. Our leaves are speeches, fruits are a way of life. Let your word be honest and your lifestyle fruitful, because a pious person does not even have a rejected leaf. “His leaf,” says David, “will not fall away; and in everything he does,” he will prosper (Ps. 1:3). But, oh, miracle! I thought about how Adam came out naked from paradise and how David blossoms in the dwelling of God. One came out naked because of a crime, and the other, clothed in virtue, cries: I, Father, “are as fruitful as an olive tree.” Nothing deprives us of weapons to such an extent as infertility; and nothing clothes us more than fertility through good deeds. Adam was created - let us repeat what has already been said, since the repetition of good things strengthens the teaching in souls. Just as dyed wool is constantly put into dyes so that the dye deeply imprints its properties on it, so it is necessary that our souls continuously immerse themselves in divine words, so that the ancient reproach is washed away and so that we put on new beauty. That wool, every time it accepts dye, leaves the name of nature and takes on the name of dye; and you no longer call it wool, but purple or purple, or green matter, or something similar, depending on what beauty the dye imparted to the dyed wool. So, if paint changes the name of nature, then does not the nature of God change man, so that the same person was in an earthly form before immersion in water, but after immersion received a brilliant heavenly image? So, Adam was created poor from the earth: God, taking dust, formed it. But Adam did not see how he was created, as I said before, since it was not necessary for him to be a witness to what happened in order for him not to become arrogant before God. If he, surrounded by such great humiliation, is exalted and does not know the Creator, and rejects the Creator, then if he received something beyond his nature, who would contain the immensity of his arrogance? Therefore, God, having created man, invested great forces into the creation, and much that testifies to his humiliation, so that through the power lying in him, the grace of the Artist would encounter surprise, and through humiliation, human arrogance would cease. He gave him a speaking tongue, glorifying God, praising the divine, explaining the beauties of creation. A small piece of flesh talks about heaven and earth - a tongue that does not have the measure of even two fingers; and what do I say: fingers? Even the edges of the nail; but even this small and insignificant tip speaks of heaven and earth. And so that he would not think that he was some great thing, and so that he would not exalt himself above his nature, he was often subjected to both tumors and wounds, so that he would know that, being mortal, he was speaking about eternal and immortal objects, and would be brought to understand what is the power of what is proclaimed, and what is the weakness of the one who proclaims. He gave him an eye - this is a small grain, since what he sees is the middle. the middle part of the pupil; and yet, with the help of this small grain, he contemplates the whole creation. And so that he, embracing the whole creation with his gaze, does not become exalted, blurred vision and eye diseases, and suppuration in the eyes, and tears, and the like often occur - this is so that he recognizes himself, thanks to his weakness, and glorifies the Artist for his creation. He gave him a thinking heart, a root of reasoning. source of thoughts; but in these very places he also formed the entrails, which are filled with uncleanness and all other abominations and through which a person eats, so that whenever the heart becomes exalted, the belly will hold it, so that both the belly and uncleanness are necessary for educational guidance. If a person, wearing uncleanness, dares to show insolence and not just show insolence, but even against God, just as one barbarian king dared to say: “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God... and... I will be like the Most High” (Is. 14:13-14); if, bearing such great uncleanness and abomination, he says so, then if he were completely free from this weakness and insignificance, who could endure him - the exalted one? Therefore, the great Isaiah 3 says to the arrogant: “Why is the earth and ashes proud” (Sir.10:9)? But let us return again to the issue to be discussed. God created man from dust; but man did not see how it happened, and therefore did not know his insignificance: God, as I said before, did not create a soul born before the body so that it would not see creation. However, since he does not know at all from what humiliation he came and that the Creator created him from the earth, He returns him to the earth from which he was taken, so that, having again learned through experience his weakness, he would learn both about the ancient benefit and about the future love of mankind, because when he was created, he did not see that he came from the earth. Pay careful attention so that the thought does not escape you. When Adam was created, he did not see that he arose from the earth; but when he awakens in resurrection, he knows that he awakens, having taken off the dust from himself, because although the dead does not see himself, he sees the one who died before him. We see those who have died and turned to dust, and through what we see we are educated. Have you often seen arrogant and arrogant men, how humble and meek they are when they die? Death is announced, and the heart of all trembles, the pride of all is cast down; and we philosophize near the tombs - when we see naked bones, and when we think about human nature, eaten away and destroyed, then we immediately philosophize with each other: this is what we are doing and where we are going! This is what we say, but we came out of our graves and forgot about humiliation. At the grave, everyone says to his neighbor approximately as follows: oh, misfortune! Oh, our miserable life! Look what we become. And yet, although we say this, we commit some thefts, and shout, and are malicious. Everyone argues directly as if he intends to completely renounce vice; He reasons internally with words, but externally resists God with deeds. Therefore God arranged that tombs should be built everywhere to remind us of our own weakness; As a result, every city, every village has graves in front of their entrances. Another is in a hurry to enter the reigning city, blooming with wealth and power and other virtues; and before he sees what he imagines, he first sees what he himself becomes. Tombs before cities, graves before fields; everywhere the science of our humiliation lies before our eyes, we learn first of all what we finally resolve ourselves into, and then internal images are already visible; and not only this, but, intending to often enter into communication with life, we learn the extreme humiliation of nature. Often a husband, after he wishes to take a woman, dictates to the writer the laws relating to dowry gifts. The union has not yet occurred, and death is immediately written in; has not yet enjoyed cohabitation and marriage, and immediately determines death for himself; He has not yet seen his wife, and in advance he already sets before himself the lot of death, both against himself and against her, and writes this: if the husband dies before the wife, if the wife dies before the husband, then it must be both. Thus, the ancient laws always established reminders of nature for everyone; and not only regarding the existing and living are the lots of death placed, but also regarding that which has not yet happened. What exactly does it say? If the child that is about to be born dies... There is no fruit yet, and the opinion has already been pronounced. Further, in wills it reveals an understanding of nature; and if he experiences something that happens to a person, or if his wife dies, then he forgets what he wrote and utters other tragic words: and this, he says, should I have experienced? Did I expect to go through this and lose my spouse? What then? Have you forgotten what you wrote? When things had not yet come, you understood the limits of nature; when he was subjected to suffering, did he forget about the laws of nature? This is said to enlighten everyone, so that everything that happens will be endured nobly, so that they will not think that God’s decrees are punishment. Do not be philosophical when there are no disasters yet; but - then, when you find yourself caught in suffering, you will discover the greatness of the soul; when you are sad, remember the words with which you console the sad person. What words do we say in relation to those who are sad? Isn’t that how we reason with them: these misfortunes are human destiny; You are not the only one who suffers this misfortune, you are not the only one who suffered violence from death; Kings also endure this; rulers have often experienced this calamity; rulers also experience it; understand your nature; you are a person; together with everyone else, do you yourself have common laws of nature?.. 3. This and more is what you say when you console another. Or are you, in fact, a noble teacher of others, but in relation to yourself you are not even a pathetic student? The characteristic of a great and noble soul is philosophy in the midst of adversity. If someone can say at every misfortune or sorrow or loss: You, Lord, are righteous and Your judgments are right, then he suffers loss as a man, but is crowned as a lover of God. Life, brothers, is filled with great difficulty, and both the righteous and the unrighteous, the pious and the wicked, must certainly suffer. But the difference is great: one means to be punished as a domestic person, and another means to be scourged as a stranger. The son receives blows, and the servant also receives blows; but one is like a slave who has fallen into sin, and the other is like a free man and like a son in need of punishment from him; these blows do not produce equal honor. If the pious suffers what the wicked endures, he does not become equal in honor with the wicked; but this (i.e. to the pious) the punishment is imputed to tribulation and trial, and to the wicked to scourging and punishment. Therefore, knowing about such difficult situations, blessed David says about the righteous: “the righteous have many sorrows.” But look at what is added: “and the Lord will deliver him from all of them” (Ps. 33:20). He has not yet spoken about grief, but showed healing. About the opposite people he says: “Many are the sorrows of the wicked” (Ps. 31:10), and nothing joins them; Meanwhile, “the righteous man has many sorrows, and the Lord will deliver him from all of them.” But let no one, hearing this, despair of himself and let him not say: so, if I receive blows like a sinner, having no hope, then this punishment is fruitless for me. Now Scripture has named a sinner, not wholly devoid of piety, but suffering, to some extent pious, but falling in human affairs. After all, God is merciful to sinners, all Scripture is full of guarantees of God’s love for mankind. It says: “I live! says the Lord,” I do not want “the death of the sinner, but that he should turn from his ways and live” (Ezek. 18:3, 23). God swears not because He does not trust Himself, but by bringing our unbelief into a state of faith. Therefore, let every person experiencing sorrows say: You are righteous, Lord, and Your judgments are right, and at the same time he will reveal a noble soul and will not violate piety. Such, for example, was blessed Job, who fought against all suffering, defeated all the devil’s horrors, weakened all the devil’s fury, crushed the devil’s waves with the firmness of his way of thinking, lost everything at the same time and did not renounce the Lord of all. But his military exploits will be presented in a special speech, since truly they require special time for their study, so that we do not offend his exploits by the fleetingness of our speeches; Let us, however, have before our eyes what exactly that prudent man and great ascetic said. He puts a stamp on what is said; deprived of everything, he did not reject piety, but says: “The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, [as the Lord pleased, so it was done]” (Job 1:21). He said it perfectly - “anything”: he yields to dignity, does not in vain become curious about management; didn’t say, as we say: why do the young die and the old stay? What kind of management is this? The old man strongly desires death, having a weakened flesh and suffering from a lack of money and any other consolation; but does not receive the fulfillment of desire; and a boy of sweet beauty, desired by his parents, is kidnapped untimely? Learn not to investigate such things, learn to say: “Your destinies are a great abyss” (Ps. 35:7); learn to say: “You are righteous, O Lord, and your judgments are just” (Ps. 119:137); learn to say: “As it pleased the Lord, so it was done,” know the dignity of God in order to know piety. But since the word has invaded the glory of the Holy Spirit, we will say some of the dogmas for our safety and confirmation. Just as Job, having said: “as it pleases the Lord,” showed dignity and dominion, so the apostles, showing the Lord’s dignity of the Holy Spirit, say: “For it is pleasing for the Holy Spirit and for us not to place on you... nothing except these things that are necessary” (Acts 15:28). "According to the Holy Spirit". If He is subordinate, then why is it “pleasing” to Him? If the Spirit is under the authority of laws and serves, then how does the subordinate please? Isn’t that what the king wants, that’s what happens, and not what comes to the minds of his subordinates? “As the Lord pleases,” says Job. “It pleases the Holy Spirit,” say the apostles. The expression of dignity in both cases is equivalent, since the glory of the kingdom is inseparable. But the depravity of the heretics again finds a loophole. They say: apostles, since they said: “according to the Holy Spirit,” and then added: and to us, do they therefore have the dignity of deity? One must take care of this so as not to put the poison of one’s unbelief into inexperienced souls, so as not to pour heretical wickedness into the ears of the innocent. They often say this with importance: brother, they say, don’t let anything that is said amaze you! He calls you like a brother, and - like an enemy - he kills you. Do not be surprised, he says, if the apostles said about the Holy Spirit: “according to the Holy Spirit”; but look at what is added: “it pleases the Holy Spirit and us,” it pleases the apostles. Are the apostles gods? Do they have God's dignity? Every time a heretic says this, we will take out arrows from the Holy Scriptures, because “the subtle arrows of the mighty” (Ps. 119:4) are sent into the heart of the king’s enemies. So what should one say to him? If the union of the apostles with the Holy Spirit reduces the dignity of the Spirit, then, consequently, the union of Moses with God reduces the dignity of God. For example, I will say: if you do not consider the saying great: “according to the Holy Spirit,” due to the fact that the apostles were also joined, then, consequently, you will not be able to call even faith in God great, due to the union of Moses with God, since Scripture says: “the people... believed the Lord and Moses” (Ex. 14:31). But we will also bear another arrow: if the added glory of the apostles destroys the dignity of the Spirit, then the addition of the name of Samuel to the name of God insults God and reduces His dignity, since it is written: “and all the people came into great fear from the Lord and from Samuel” (1 Samuel 12:18). In turn, we will bring another - a third arrow against wickedness. If the union with the Spirit of the Apostles belittles the dignity and divine power of the Holy Spirit, then Gideon, whose name is attached to the name of God, belittles the dignity of God, since all the people, fighting, exclaimed: “the sword of the Lord and Gideon!” (Judges 7:20). So, just as Moses is united to God, not as equal to God, but as a servant of God, and Samuel is united to God, not as equal to honor, but as a prophet, and Gideon is united to God, not as equal to honor, but as a military leader, so the apostles are united with the Spirit, as preachers of the Gospel. Therefore, know dignity and do not offend the honor of the Spirit; know the inspired theology of the Holy Trinity, Father and Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the uncreated nature, the true dignity, the indivisible kingdom, the indivisible part, the indissoluble hope, the incomprehensible glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to whom is due all glory, honor and worship forever and ever. Amen. To the synod. translation: “they don’t know the way.”