Статья 8. О утѣшительныхъ плодахъ святыя вѣры

A Christian, as far as his external state is concerned, is nothing more humble and poor than this. Just as we see this in the holy word of God, which represents him as blasphemed, hated, persecuted, embittered and suffering all kinds of sorrows, we also read it in church history *and now note it*. This is how the heavenly Father, our God, pleased, and how His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, arranged salvation for us through the cross and entered into His glory through the cross, as He Himself said: was it not pleasing to Christ to suffer and enter into His glory 2541? - so also His faithful servants, Christians, follow the same path of the cross and receive the glory of the one, acquired by suffering and the cross of Christ, as it is written: with many sorrows it pleases us to enter the kingdom of God 2542. As all those who want to live piously for Christ Jesus will be persecuted 2543. Faith is subject to various temptations. But when they penetrate into the interior of a Christian, they will judge the inner man, and for the future after death and the universal resurrection, the state will choose a reflection that is achieved by a single faith and is expected by an immovable hope: there is nothing more blessed than him. Flesh and blood do not understand this 2544, so they cannot inherit it, it inherits corruption and corruption 2545. For this reason, the benevolent heavenly Father, taking care of us, placed a consolation against the various sorrows of the gods, which His children here taste, and in His divine Scriptures he depicted them in different ways, so that with those consolations, the sorrow of the gods, like bitter food with the taste of honey, was dissolved, and the faith that was growing in the hearts they warmed up, and against satanic sorcery, which in vain extinguishes, the unharmed grace of the Holy Spirit was preserved. For that reason, it has pleased me to draw from that holy and living divine Scripture source, and for the consolation of my brothers, who either do not have enough time, or have no reason to do so, to offer to such an end, so that those who keep the faith, keep that grace of God to the end - those who perished, with the help of the Holy Spirit, found that one, as the most valuable beads Chapter 1. About spiritual Christian birth or holy baptism Yelitsy has come to him, he will give them the opportunity to be children of God, who believe in his name, who are not born of blood, nor of the lusts of the flesh, nor of the lusts of men, but of God 2546. Let everyone believe that Jesus is Christ, that God is born 2547. Elitsy, be baptized in Christ, clothe yourself in Christ 2548. It is said about carnal and spiritual birth, and their power and action. Here only a discussion about the consoling fruits of spiritual birth is required. And since good is best known by comparing it with evil and its fruits, here too it is necessary to compare the desired, comforting and joyful fruits of spiritual birth with the sad fruits of old and carnal birth: may you understand more clearly, beloved Christian, what kind of misery we are by Christ's grace and mercy we are freed by the heavenly Father and the action of the Holy Spirit, and what bliss we receive in a new birth; and give thanks from the heart to God, such a Benefactor. § 485. Christians should know that in the carnal birth, which is from parents, father and mother, we are not born other than the son of humanity from man, and flesh from flesh, according to what is written: born from flesh is flesh 2549. But in the spiritual birth we are born from above, men from God, and instead of the sons of men, the sons of God and His grace, we are reborn, as the apostle says: the trees of His friend (Christ), give them the opportunity to be children of God, who believe in His name, which is not blood, nor the lusts of the flesh, nor the lusts of the flesh. men, but God is born 2550. In the carnal birth we put on the old Adam 2551: in the spiritual we put on the new one - Christ, according to the Scriptures: you are baptized in Christ, you are clothed in Christ 2552. In the fleshly birth we are born in sins, as the prophet says: in lawlessness I was conceived, and in sins my mother gave birth to me 2553: in the spiritual we are washed, purified, sanctified and justified from the filth of sins, and made righteous by the grace of Christ, as the apostle says faithful: wash yourself, sanctify yourself, be justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God 2554, and the servant of God says to the newly baptized: you are justified, you are enlightened, you are sanctified, you are washed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God. In the carnal we are born the children of darkness, in the domain of Satan: in the spiritual we are born the children of the world, and then we are brought into the wonderful world of God, and then from the domain of Satan into the kingdom of Christ, the Son of God 2555. In the carnal nature we are born children of anger 2556: in the spiritual we are born children of grace, children of God's blessing 2557. In the flesh we are born to the temporal belly: in the spiritual to the eternal belly 2558. And so in the carnal birth we are born to every spiritual disaster, misfortune, which is quite impossible to explain with the mind and language: in the spiritual, we are freed from all that evil, and we come to all spiritual bliss, which neither our mind can comprehend, nor words can adequately explain. Understand this, beloved Christian, that this is faith and its fruits, and that there is holy baptism, by which we are born again and begin to live again. As in the fleshly birth we are born stingy, dirty, cursed, condemned, children of wrath, darkness, hell and spiritually dead: in the spiritual birth we are born pure, holy, righteous, blessed, children of God, children of the world, heirs of the heavenly kingdom, and spiritually alive, and thus we are created a new creature, according to the saying: who else is in Christ, a new creature 2559 . § 486. Here, reason and marvel at the goodness and humanity of God, Christian. Man, His apostate, rejected, defiled by sin, and who bowed to His adversary and enemy - Satan, who obeyed his evil advice, and who despised the commands of his Creator, mercifully and humanely elevated him to such a height of dignity! They will be surprised, but not understand, we can show God's unworthy kindness to us, and say with the prophet: Lord! What is a man, how did you know him? или сынъ человѣч, how do you know him 2560? If the earthly king had pardoned a thief, a rebel, an enemy of his and his country, imprisoned in a prison and condemned to death according to the laws, forgave his sin and freed him from death, he would have honored him with a high honor, and he would have adopted him as his son: this deed would have been wonderful to the whole world, and it would have been heard with astonishment in all ages. A man who desired divine honors and to be God, acted as an enemy of God, a rebel and an apostate: therefore, by the judgment of God's immutable truths, he was sentenced to eternal prison and condemned to eternal death. He had to drink this eternal cup of grief and suffering; as the truth of God, grieved by sin, demanded it without exception. For the justice of God demands that not even the smallest sin be left unpunished: as every sin offends the infinite majesty of God, even more so the abominable and grievous sin of apostasy, which our forefathers in paradise committed, and thus subjected themselves and us to the wrath and oath of God. But God, who is rich in mercy, had mercy on us, delivered us from such a great calamity and brought us to such a high dignity, which our mind cannot comprehend, by His grace. The only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord, has earned this great mercy and grace for us unworthy and rejected; the heavenly Father gives to believers in the name of His only-begotten Son; the Holy Spirit does. - We, dear Christian, who have received so much of God's mercy, should: 1) Always remember this great goodness, and let our sincere hearts give thanks to the Benefactor; 2) to live in a new world and spiritual birth, that is, to live not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit; to remember our promises, made at the baptism of the saint, by which we pledged ourselves to serve God with faith and truth, to show holy obedience to Him, without which there can be no true thanksgiving, and baptism is of no use; 3) who through fearlessness and indolence have lost the gift of holy baptism, to turn to God with all their hearts, repent and pray to Him to accept His mercy in His highness, and not remain forever in the power of the devil, they will suffer together with him in eternal fire. Chapter 2. About the fact that God is the Father of true Christians And I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty 2561. § 487. Although of all people who do not know God, God is the Father, as the Creator and Provident of all, as His sun shines on the evil and the good, and shines on the righteous and the unrighteous 2562: in the same way to His faithful who believe in Him, know His one true God, revere Him, fear and They love Him, and they seek to show their earnest obedience to Him, in a special way He is called and is the Father. This love of God, that He is called and has pleased to be faithful to His Father, is depicted in many places in the Holy Scriptures for our consolation. The Son of God taught the apostles to pray to Him and through them, we pray: Our Father, who art in heaven! may Thy name be hallowed, etc. 2563 Isaiah prays to Him: You are our Father 2564 . And he himself promised to be faithful to the Father: and I will be to you in the Father, etc. 2565 And those faithful to Him will cry: Abba Father 2566! And when God the Father is faithful, then His sons are also faithful, as the apostle says: you are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Elitsy, for you are baptized in Christ, you are clothed in Christ 2567. § 488. From this human love of God's source flows to us sinners, dear Christian, many different consolations, with which, like cool water in thirst, we cool ourselves in the coming calamity. 1) From this living and sweet source flowed so many and merciful His promises, with which the prophetic and apostolic books are filled. 2) If God our Father is, then who is against us? If God is for us, who is for us? глаголеть богомудрый Павелъ 2568 If God is our Father, then without a doubt he is for us: what father does not stand for his children? Who can embitter us, let His hands delight, destroy, when we do not delight? You are mine: even if you pass through the water, I am with you, and the rivers will not cover you: and even if you pass through the fire, without being burned, and the flame will not burn you, says the prophet to His faithful Jacob 2569. I am with him in sorrow, and I will know him 2570. If God is our Father, what can we not ask of Him, when we will ask Him according to His will and with faith? He did not spare His Son, but He gave Him up for us all: how is it not with Him that all things are given to us 2571? A carnal father, even if he wants to give the begging children what they ask for, often does not give it; as not everything that he wants is possible: God our Father is not like that. As all the good will, as the most good, so also all the power, as the almighty, give us. From where we are commanded to ask everything from Him: ask, and it will be given to you: seek, and you will find: push, and it will be opened to you 2572. For the Lord is near to all who call upon Him in truth 2573. I will do the will of those who fear Him, and I will hear their prayer, and I will save them 2574. - 4) This human love of God encourages us not to despair because of our sins, but to push at the door of God's mercy with faith and hope. How could the father not have mercy on those who repent and ask for forgiveness with regret and tears? Where is it commanded to pray to Him: Father! leave us our debts, as we also leave our debtors 2575. This is where you can get other consolations, Christian. This grace, incomprehensible to our minds, was earned for us by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who deigned to be the Son of man, so that he would make God our Father, and His Father our Father, and make us, the sons of men, sons of God, as it is written: The fir trees of his friend, he will give them a field to be a child of God, who believes in His name, who is born not of blood, nor of fleshly lusts, nor of male lusts, but of God 2576. - From here, beloved Christian, learn and know: 1) How great is His love for us: how He, the King of kings and Lord of lords, before whom all languages are as nothing, has pleased the Father to be called and be poor, humble, rejected and liable to eternal condemnation, and to accept My sons and daughters. This truly ineffable love, at which even the angels of holiness are amazed, the holy apostle John reasoned, saying with amazement: you see what love the Father has given us, so that we may be betrothed to the children of God, and we are 2577. - 2) How should Christians remember this high title and heavenly dignity, and taking more of the measure of this treasure and more of their belly, and not be seduced by the titles of this world and vain glory, but be satisfied with the one thing that they have, God the Father, and being sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. - 3) For this indescribable human love, we thank the Heavenly Father with our hearts and lips, and glorify and praise His holy name. - 4) Loves Him because faith is not hypocritical, and shows earnest obedience to Him because of love. - 5) Loves one another as brothers who have one Father-God. - 6) They will turn away from all sin: because by that, the benevolent Father is offended, and the one who offends is left with His paternal mercy, and the righteous One falls under His wrath. - 7) Those who are alienated and distanced from Him should not hesitate, but return to Him with repentance and tears, and with deep humility cast themselves before His most holy eyes, and, confessing their sin, confess: Father! those who have sinned to heaven and before You; and I am no longer worthy to be called Your son: create me as one of Your servants, just as the prodigal son created me 2578. - 8) Those who have returned should not be excommunicated, lest they be rejected forever from His most holy face and His holy family - God's chosen ones. Chapter 3. About the Christian Fatherland We do not seek the present city, but the coming one 2579. Our life is in heaven, we are tired of it and we are waiting for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ 2580. § 489. The life of a Christian in this measure is nothing but a wandering and incessant procession and hurrying to one's homeland, as the apostle says: we do not have a city that is here, but we seek one that is to come. Whence are strangers and sojourners called and sojourners in this world, just as it is written about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: as strangers and sojourners I was on earth 2581. And David said: I am a sojourner to you and a messenger, like all my fathers 2582. And in the second place: I am sent to earth 2583. Even if our present life is our sojourn, there is definitely a fatherland, that is, what God our Creator has prepared for us, in which we should rest after our sojourn. § 490. The Christian fatherland is the sky, where the glory of the heavenly Father is, to whom they pray: Our Father, who art in heaven; where is His glorious house, in which there are many abodes 2584, where is the great holy city Jerusalem, which has the glory of God, and the city does not need the sun or the moon to shine in it: for the glory of God enlightens it, and its lamp is the Lamb 2585. There, the heavenly Father will rejoice with the sight of the most holy face of His sons, who have moved from here after many hardships; there the patriarch's face is restored with his righteous seed: there the prophets, apostles and saints - preachers of the truth rejoice; the army of holy martyrs triumphs there; a multitude of monks and ascetics rest there; there shines the never-setting Sun of truth - Christ, and enlightens everyone with the brilliance of His glory, warms Him with the warmest rays of His love, and with His grace draws to Himself all those who wander and call upon and revere His holy name; there the throne of glory is surrounded by thousands of thousands and the darkness of heavenly powers without flesh, and the Lord, the King of glory, sings unceasingly: holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts 2586 . In that homeland there is no fear of foreigners, no fear of enemies, no danger of illness, death, hunger, cold, poverty, enmity, hatred, malice and other evils: no mourning is heard there; crying, sadness and sighing have gone away from there; there is no care for food, drink, clothing, house and household; there are no storms and bad weather, but always a favorable bucket; no morning, evening, night, but always day; there is no autumn and winter, but there is always a red and blessed spring and summer; nothing is heard, seen, or felt there, except pleasant, cheerful, and kind. There, the inhabitants are always awake, but they never bother; always live, but do not hear death: there is life *without death, peace* without labor, joy without sorrow, health without weakness, wealth without loss, honor without danger and fear, contentment without poverty, bliss without misery; there is a day without night, a bucket without bad weather, the sun without clouds, the light without darkness, the light without fog; there is no old woman, lame, blind, lax, ugly, but all in blooming youth, red kindness and the age of a perfect man, according to the age of Christ's fulfillment. There no one offends, is offended, does not hate, does not hate, does not get angry, does not annoy, does not get angry, does not get angry; no one envies anyone, everyone is satisfied with what he has: because he does not want more than what he has; as he has received and is satisfied with that good, which there is no more; it consoles with bliss that does not rise higher; he is crowned with that glory and honor, which he does not seek anymore. In that most glorious and blessed citizenship there is perfect silence, peace, love between blessed citizens, mutual joy, comfort and gaiety; as a friend they love each other as themselves, and each other rejoices over each other as for themselves, as each other they see each other in bliss as themselves. In this fatherland, beloved Christian, from this multi-rebellious world, Christians are resettled who, with faith and love, work for the heavenly Father, the King of heaven and earth and all creation. Our forefathers closed this fatherland to themselves and to us by their persuasion: but Christ, the Son of God, who for our sake was pleased to wander on earth, opened it with his free obedience, be obedient even to death, even to death the godfathers 2587 . We, dear Christian, are still strangers and sojourners in foreign lands, we still swim on the sea of ​​this world, and we are disturbed by the waves of life; even from afar, from this deplorable wilderness, as from the captivity of Babylon to the city of Jerusalem, to that fatherland, that mountain Jerusalem, we gaze with lamentable eyes of faith and sigh, desiring to rest in our heavenly abode 2588. That's why 1) we need to work, strive, endure various misfortunes in foreign lands; beware of the enemies who surround us, and try to block the way and prevent him from entering the homeland, avoiding the devil's tricks, the charms of the world, and the lusts of the flesh, which fight for the soul 2589. From where we must often raise our eyes to the Living One in the heavens 2590 and ask for help from Him to strengthen us in our endeavor, and give us the end of the course, to keep the faith and come to that land of the living 2591. - If our fatherland is in heaven, Christian, then we should be wise in the upper world, not in the earthly world, according to the teaching of the apostles: wise in the upper world, not in the earthly world 2592. - Even sojourning is the life of Christians on earth: do so many Christians feed here to the exiled, as if they had to live here forever? why are so many building houses and decorating them? Why are so many lands, estates, and peasants attracted? Why do they collect so much wealth and hide treasures on earth? How much do you multiply gold, silver, precious stones? Why do they burden their poor soul so much with foreign travel? All the seed will be left on the ground, and nothing will be disturbed with it, as the apostle says: I will not carry anything dry into this world, as if we could carry it out 2593, rather we will leave the body itself buried in the ground, which was carried dry into this world. With united souls, let's go to the place determined by God. - 4) Such Christians, who want to be rich in this way, should heed what the apostle says: those who want to be rich, fall into temptations and many senseless and harmful lusts, which plunge people into destruction and destruction 2594, - and Christ is God from the height of His glory answers: crazy! This night your soul will be tortured by you, but what have you prepared, to whom will it be 2595? and fear that the heavenly and most blessed citizenship will not remain. Chapter 4. On the Christian heritage Come, blessings of My Father! follow the kingdom prepared for you, that is, the measure of the measure 2596. There are also children and heirs: heirs of God, heirs of Christ, etc. 2597 § 491. What is the fatherland of Christians not in this measure, as they are strangers and sojourners in this measure, as it is said in the preceding chapter: so their inheritance is not in this measure, but in another place, where the fatherland and the home are. As if the Christian homeland is the sky, there is its inheritance, in the heavens. There they will inherit, according to the Scriptures, eternal life 2598, they will inherit the abode of the heavenly Father 2599, they will inherit peace 2600, they will inherit staying with Christ, and they will see His glory 2601; inherit the vision of God, as God is seen as it is 2602; inherit the crown of the unstained 2603, inherit the crown of truth 2604, - the crown of life 2605, - the crown of glory 2606; they will inherit the kingdom and glory of God 2607, - the kingdom prepared by them from the measure of the measure 2608; inherit what will be like God 2609; the poor will finally inherit, whose eye has not seen, and whose ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not sighed 2610. Whence are they called true Christian followers of God, but followers of Christ 2611 . And so you see, beloved Christian, that the Christian inheritance is incorruptible and undefiled and does not fade, preserved in heaven for their sake 2612. And how much it is, and what it is, we cannot describe it, nor can we understand it with our mind, but we see it by faith now, like a mirror in divination 2613, and with God-wise Paul, who was raptured to the third heaven and heard ineffable words 2614, we confess and preach, as no eye has seen, and the ear does not hear, and the human heart does not sigh, as God has prepared for those who love Him. We note a few of the real future, and of the visible the invisible, and of the perishable the imperishable. After all, for the sake of this corruptible and humble body of ours, the man-loving God created such great good in heaven and on earth, in the air and sea, which there is no number: how great will be that good that will be inherited by the elect of God in the heavenly homeland, where they will see Him face to face 2615! Even in exile and exile, lamentable mydola, in prison, so much will be given to them: how much will He give in His house, where His glory shines! The sun still shines on the good and the bad, the righteous and the sinful: how many will be that good thing, which is prepared for the one good! Only a few of His gifts are enjoyed by His friends and surprises: how many will there be, how great, countless, glorious and terrible, which will be given to one friend for enjoyment! Even in the days of weeping, there is so much consolation: how many there will be in the days of marriage! If there is a great abundance of Your goodness, Lord God, You have hidden it from those who fear You! sing to Him in your songs Psalm 2616. Then they will inherit the desired end. People desire light: then the righteous will be enlightened, like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father 2617. People desire lightness and strength: then they will be like God's angels 2618. People desire incorruption and whole health: then they will be incorruptible: as it is sown in corruption, it will rise in corruption 2619. People desire strength: then they will be strong: what is sown in weakness, it will rise in strength; the spiritual body falls, the spiritual body rises 2620. People desire glory: then they will be in glory: as it is not sown in honor, it will rise in glory 2621. People want triumph: then they will triumph over death and hell. Where are you, death, sting? Where are you, hell, victory 2622? People desire a long stomach: then there will be an eternal stomach: as the righteous live forever 2623. People want to be satisfied: then they will be satisfied, when the glory of God will appear to them 2624. People want to drink: then they will drink from the fat of God's house, and they will be drunk with the flow of His sweetness 2625. People desire a sweet song: then they will hear the angel's song, and they themselves will sing a sweet song without end and trouble: Alleluia 2626. People desire reason and wisdom: then God's wisdom reveals itself to them. People desire companionship: then they will love God more than themselves, and each other as themselves, and God will love them as His children. People want harmony and peace: then they will have one will and one will, as all will want what God wants. People desire joy and merriment: then they will rejoice in the Lord 2627, their hearts will rejoice, and no one will take their joy away from them 2628. People desire wealth: then faithful and good servants of the Lord will be placed over many 2629. People desire the kingdom: then they will inherit the prepared kingdom from the folded measure 2630. People want to see God: then they will see God face to face 2631, Who will be all in all 2632. People wish that they will never be left with the good they have: then they will be so aware of it that they will never be left with it, as they are aware of the fact that they themselves do not want it. This, beloved Christian, is the inheritance of Christians, which their heavenly Father has prepared for them through the grace of His Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ! We lost this inheritance through our sins, but it was returned to us through the obedience and labors of the Son of God. Christians enter into it, striving with good deeds, finishing the course, and keeping the faith 2633. - Note, Christian: 1) How great, glorious and truly unfathomable is the inheritance prepared for true Christians in heaven. 2) How earnestly we must strive and strive, so that we too may attain the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ, according to the admonition of the God-wise Paul: so run, that you may attain 2634. 3) How dangerous it is to avoid the love of worldly things: honor, wealth, fame, sensuality and sins, which distract us from that blessed inheritance. 4) How earnestly he thanks God, who has prepared for us so much bliss, and prays to Him that He Himself will help us in the struggle of faith, and strengthen us to the end, and thus open it to those who obey the faith. § 492. When Christians have so much inheritance prepared in heaven: why do they prepare so much treasure on earth, so much wealth, possessions, acquired? After all, the word of God is preached to them, the Holy Gospel is revealed, faith is established. And those forced to leave will be with a temporary belly and a temporary inheritance. Christ does not command them to do that: do not hide your treasures on earth, as worms and aphids destroy them, as they undermine and steal 2635. And those Christians who listen to Christ do not do that, but, having left the earthly, they strive for the heavenly, the heavenly wisdom, and not the earthly, according to the advice of the great Paul 2636. To this, Christ also said: do not be afraid, little flock! as it pleases your Father to give you the kingdom 2637. The apostle says to him: do not love the measure, nor what is in the measure. Whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father in him, as everything that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, does not have the Father, but there is the peace of this 2638. Thus they, attaching their heart to the earthly inheritance, - because if it is their treasure, that is their heart, according to the words of Christ 2639, - they do not make wise men, and they do not care about them, - and it is necessary to beware, so that they do not remain useless with sighing and weeping. Because God says to those who gather, and not to those who are rich: crazy! This night your soul will be tortured by you: and what have you prepared, to whom will it be 2640? As for us, dear Christian, according to Christ's words, we must seek first the kingdom of God and His truths, and all these things will be applied to us 2641, and remember the apostolic word: there is nothing in this world that we can endure, but we who have food and clothing, we will be content with these 2642. Chapter 5. About Christian dignity You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy language, people of renewal, as if you will bring virtue out of the darkness of the One who called you into His wonderful world 2643. § 493. Just as Christ, the Son of God, in the depths of His flesh and humility was dishonored and dishonored more than all the sons of men, as the prophet foretold about Him: His appearance is dishonored, dishonored more than all the sons of men 2644 - and the Gospel testifies to this: Christians who believe in Him with their hearts and follow Him with love are nothing but despised, worn out, and humiliated to an evil degree. But since dignity and honor belong to their inner being, there is nothing higher than them. Now that dignity is not visible, as it is seen by faith, and not by physical eyes; but it will be opened to all measure, when the mortal world will be clothed with incorruption and the mortal world will be clothed with immortality 2645. The Holy Word of God reveals their dignity and presents us with consolation: 1) God their Father, to whom they pray: Our Father, who art in heaven 2646, and they are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, as the apostle says: you are all sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus 2647 . To be a child of an earthly king is considered a great thing, but as an incomparably higher dignity is to be a child of the Most High God, the King of heaven and earth; The Father has a beginningless, endless, immortal, indescribable, almighty God, the King of the reigning and the Lord of the lords, the human mind cannot achieve this title! All the glory of this measure is nothing before this. Looking at this, the spectator of God's secrets, St. John is amazed and says faithfully: you see what love the Father has given us, so that we may be betrothed to God's children, and we are 2648. - 2) The brothers of Christ are true Christians, as He Himself is not ashamed to call them brothers, saying: I will proclaim the name of My brothers 2649. 2650 - and to Mary Magdalene: go to my brothers, and say to them: I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God 2651. Look, dear Christian, to what height Christians have been lifted up: to God, heaven and earth are brothers! There can be no higher dignity than this. But let's not confess the Son of God to humanity! It is surprising when an earthly king calls his subjects his brothers, although he himself is also a man, just like his subjects. Christ, the heavenly King and the Son of God, is not ashamed to call men His brothers: who can attain the love of the Son of God and the honor of these brothers? Let the masters be ashamed of this, who do not want their slaves, people similar to themselves, to have them as brothers, but instead have them as a footstool. - 3) They have communion with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, as the apostle says: Our communion is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ 2652. And Paul is holy again: God is faithful, to whom you will be called into the communion of His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord 2653. For this reason, He will not be ashamed to call His faithful friends His friends: you are My friends, as long as you do, as I command you. I do not speak to you as a slave: for a slave does not know what his Lord is doing: I say to you a friend: as everything that I have heard from my Father, I have told you 2654. All of the above and this nobility are august, the highest of human words and concepts, the highest of all royal and monarchical measure of this title. I do not add more words to this, dear Christian, because the mind is dulled and the word becomes scarce. Reason with this faith and be comforted by the grace and humanity of our God, who has honored man more than man has dishonored him. - 4) Christians are the members of Christ, as the apostle says: these are His body, that is His flesh, and that is His bones 2655. And yet they say to the faithful Corinthians: * Do you not know that your widow's body is the essence of Christ? * And again: you are the body of Christ, and your members are parts 2656. How long is it to be a living house of Christ's body and have a heavenly Head - Christ! This union of the faithful with Christ, like a widow with her head, is understood as mysterious and spiritual. - Christians are the dwelling place of God, as the Holy Scripture testifies to that. Whoever loves Me will keep My word: and My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and we will make an abode in him, says Christ 2657. And the apostle: do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you 2658? And again: do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit living in you, that you have God, and you do not have your own 2659. And again: you are the living churches of God, as God said: as I will dwell in them, and I will be God in them, and they will be My people 2660. And there is evidence of that in other places. How great is this Christian advantage, that they are the dwellings of the Holy Trinity and the church of the living God! It is considered great to receive an earthly monarch into the house: what an incomparably greater thing it is to receive a mortal man, earth and fingers, God, the heavenly King, and not only to receive, but also to have the living Him in oneself! This is nothing more than having the kingdom of God within oneself 2661. Blessed and amiable is the heart that this heavenly treasure is pleased to receive! Think about this, dear Christian, and marvel at the goodness of our God; God dwells in man!... and know what a true Christian is. This is his nobility, dignity and advantage! What kind of place of goodness and bliss will there be, where the highest and infinite Good?! Christians mysteriously partake of Christ's body and blood, and with this spiritual meal and drink they ask for their souls. How great this is, Christian, you can know when you consider who and with whom you communicated! - 7) Christians talk to God in prayer. It is considered a great deal to talk with an earthly king: is it a small thing to talk to a person with God, an earthly person with a Heavenly one, and a creature with the Creator, and a mortal with the Immortal, and a slave with the Most High Lord?! - 8) God commanded Christians to serve angels: aren't they all ministering spirits sent to serve for those who want to follow salvation 2662? - и хуронаъ их, и оплачаются окрестъ ѥ: the angel of the Lord will arm himself around those who fear him 2663 . What monarch, having summoned a subject to himself, and having established enough, let him go to the house, and would give him a servant for the sake of escort and protection: how much would his subject of the monarch not esteem this mercy too much? God, the Heavenly King, having called Christians to His eternal kingdom, gives them His servants - holy angels for the sake of protection, while they wander on the path of this world, and commands them to arm themselves. God's mercy to man is wonderful and great! It is a great Christian dignity that God's angels are sent to serve them! - 9) The high and absolutely heavenly Christian nobility and that of the fatherland, which is heaven 2664, and that inheritance, which is imperishable, imperishable and eternal in heaven 2665, is known, about what has been said above, - This is noble Christian, dear Christian! This is the dignity of God's faithful servants! This is the advantage of the faith and love of those who worship the Most High God! This is their wealth, honor and glory and priceless treasure that they carry inside themselves! What wealth, honor, glory, title, nobility, dignity, advantage of this world can be compared to this treasure? How mud is against gold, how dung is against fragrant aromas, how darkness is against the world, or rather, how nothing is against all good things. You will recognize this as truth when you imagine the glory of God's children with faith. The Son of God, Jesus Christ, has given mankind this highest grace, who gave the realm to the children of God to believe in His name, who is not of blood, nor of fleshly lusts, nor of male lusts, but of God, 2666 - the heavenly Father gives, the Holy Spirit performs. - The following follows from here: 1) Reasoning about the ineffable goodness of God that has appeared to us, which was shown through the incarnation of His only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, in the power of the devil and in the jaws of hell, and those who are guilty of eternal destruction, God, who is rich in mercy, has returned, undeservedly, from death to the belly, from miserable darkness to the blessed world, from eternal destruction to eternal salvation, and from so much calamity to so much dignity ours, but according to His single grace, love of humanity and mercy. – 2) How much we owe Him for this filial love! since earnest thanksgiving must be given not only with the mouth, but also with the heart and earnest obedience, without which there cannot be true thanksgiving! You see, beloved Christian, even for all the good things that are given to us out of His goodness, some: for food, drink, clothing and other things necessary for temporary life, but more for this, that He has shown us His grace and called us out of darkness into His wonderful world - that is, with all my heart and unceasing thanksgiving should be given, that there is an everyday thought about that Ego high mercy, as it is said above. - 3) How many Christians, who are called to the wonderful world of God, must refrain from all sin! For God has not called us to impurity, but to holiness 2667. - 4) How diligent should we be in obeying the heavenly Father and in doing good works, to which the holy apostles and our fathers, the holy teachers of the church, so strongly exhort and encourage us? - 5) See for yourself, dear Christian, what is bad and foolishly done by those Christians who seek to be famous on earth, who seek honor and glory from men, who seek to rule over others and to be honored and worshiped by men. This is how they show that they do not know the common dignity of true Christians, which cannot be reconciled with glory-loving vanity, like fire with water; and they do not know it, and they do not care about it, but they despise it, to the imaginary nobility, which, like a bubble on water, or steam, or smoke, appears and disappears, they turn away, and so, where their treasure is, there is their heart 2668. AT! how bitterly they will lament, in my opinion, the measure of glory, but in the very thing vile and slaves, when they will see in their time the children of God, true Christians, in unspeakable glory, and they themselves will be left with shame and sent to dishonor and eternal reproach! - 6) Whoever has lost the highest Christian nobility through neglect, therefore, before the time has passed, he should diligently seek true repentance and return to the heavenly Father, from Whom he has departed, as a prodigal son has created, so that he will not remain forever, and regret, cry and sob will be useless. § 494. It is known that the flesh and blood are horrified by poverty, dishonor, abuse, abuse, and other sorrows that beset Christians in this world. And for that reason, many true Christians are removed. Such, as you can see, want to reign with Christ both here and in the future age, which is impossible, no matter how much they flatter themselves. One must renounce the flesh, that is, carnal desires, when they want to be Christ's, and not be afraid of the hatred of the evil world, which Christians, as not their own children, hate and persecute. The cross and various sorrows are the Christian banner under which Christians fight for their King, crucified on the cross. The cross is offered to all of Christ's disciples, who are Christians: if anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me, says Christ 2669. And unworthy of Christ means Christ Himself, who does not carry His cross and does not follow Him: whoever does not accept his cross and follow Me, is not worthy of Me 2670. This is why the warrior of Christ knows that he rejects himself, crudely, and crucifyes his flesh with passions and lusts, as he says: as Christ is, the flesh is crucified with passions and lusts 2671; Greed, lust, malice, anger, hatred, envy, and all passion die, and he is not afraid of contempt, hatred, bitterness, weariness, exile, and every misfortune that befalls Christ's servants. Under this banner, all those who are now triumphing in the heavenly homeland with the Uplifter Jesus were lifted up. We, beloved Christian, will also raise this banner; let us not be ashamed of Christ's humility, patience, and meekness, and neither will Christ be ashamed of us when He comes in His glory 2672. Christ, our King, humbled himself so deeply: is he proud of us, His slaves, and useless slaves? Christ, our King, suffered unjustly: do we, his obedient servants, not suffer? Christ, our sinless King, forgave the persecutors, blasphemers and crucifiers and prayed for them: Father! leave them 2673: are we, His sinful slaves, angry with sinners like Himself? Christ, who is rich, became poor: do we, poor and needy, seek riches insatiably? Christ, the King of heaven and earth, had nowhere to bow his head 2674: will they extend magnificent visions to us, a wretched and poor creature? Christ, the Son of God, the highest of all honors and glories, despised honor and glory: should we, the dishonorable nature, earth, ashes and worms, seek honor and glory? Christ, the Lord of glory, was despised by all: shall we seek honor in all? Christ, our King, was crowned with a crown of thorns: shall we decorate our heads with ointments and perfumes? Christ was drunk with vinegar and gall: do we have an insatiable desire for the most expensive wines? Vain plans, vain beginnings, and they do not come to a good end! Tell me, please, how will we appear before Him when He comes in His glory to save His faithful servants? With what eyes will we look at Him, when they did not want to follow Him? What crown will we receive from our King, when they did not want to fight with Him? How will we celebrate with Him, when they did not want to win with Him? How will we rejoice with Him, when they did not want to suffer with Him? How can we be glorified with Him, when we did not want to suffer with Him? How will we live with Him, when the flesh and sin did not want to die? How will we be heirs of God, and heirs of Christ 2675, when they did not want to obey the heavenly Father with Him? What is the sign, what kind will we show Him that we are His, when we did not want to be here with Him, endure and suffer? It is necessary for us to beware that His word does not befit us: what is not with Me, is for Me; and whoever does not gather with Me, wastes away 2676. Whosoever is friends with peace is against Him: for he who likes to be a friend of peace is an enemy of God 2677. And we squander what His labors, illnesses, sorrows, sufferings, holiest merits have collected for us. He bought us God's mercy, peace, justification, sanctification, blessing, life and eternal bliss, but when we make friends with peace, we squander all this. He will not know us because we do not know Him now, as we should, even though we say to Him: Lord, Lord 2678! Let us hear (oh, God forbid that!) this is Him: we do not know you 2679 when we do not correct ourselves. His saints, who followed him from here on a narrow and sorrowful path, do not recognize us, when we do not want to follow them on the same path, but we walk in the vastness of passions, whims and luxuries. For this reason, beloved, let us turn away from this pernicious space, and turn to the Christian way; let's join the army of Christ and run under the Christian banner while there is still time for the feat. Christ is our King, Christ is our leader, Christ is our leader, Christ is our helper, defender, fortress, strength, confirmation, victory, triumph: one must hold fast, follow and trust in Him. He, as the all-powerful, will strengthen the weak-hearted, confirm the weak, give a helping hand to those who give, guide those who doubt. Let's enter the feat *with the help* of Ego; for there is no victory without a feat, and a crown and triumph without a victory. We will fight with Him, win with Him, and triumph with Him forever in His kingdom. Without doubt, this feat, as stated above, is scary for us at first. Just as the warriors of this world fearlessly enter into battle with the enemy at first, but once the battle has begun, or even accustomed to it, there is no longer any fear, but a single zeal and hope of victory and triumph inflames the heart: so also to those who enter into a feat against the world, the flesh, and the devil, the task seems terrible and difficult; but to those who begin and strive, with the help of Christ, the victorious King, everything is convenient. Although the soldiers of Christ the King are outwardly despised by the evil world, as stated above, but inwardly they are highly respected: as their name is Christian, so they lead nobles from Christ, their King, and therefore conform. There was nothing despicable in the days of humility and humility of Christ the King, but there was nothing higher. He was born in a poor manger; but the angels celebrated His birth, and the star will lead the wise men to worship Him as the king of the Jews 2680. He was baptized in the Jordan, but he received the testimony of God the Father: This is my beloved Son 2681. He had nowhere to bow his head, but asked many thousands of people in the desert 2682. He endured the persecution, contempt, and blasphemy of the Jews, but the demons trembled at Him, the winds and the sea obeyed Him 2683. By his voice the dead rose, the lepers were cleansed, the blind saw, the deaf heard, the weak received strength and strength 2684. He died on the cross; but at His death, the church veil was torn in two, from the upper edge to the lower, and the earth shook, and the stones crumbled, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of the departed saints were raised, etc. 2685 He was laid in the grave like a dead man; but He rose Himself by the power of His Divinity as the Conqueror of death and hell. His soldiers, true Christians, will be liked by his King Christ. They humble themselves below all, but God exalts them above all 2686; they wander on earth, but their homeland is heaven; they return to earth, but their life is in heaven, from where they await the Savior 2687. They walk in ruins, but inside they cover themselves with royal purple. They leave a human inheritance, but they have God's: heirs of God, but heirs of Christ 2688. They do not seek wealth on earth, and do not have it; but the treasures of heaven are revealed to them 2689. People are driven out, but God receives them 2690. People leave them, but they have communion with God 2691. The world will condemn them, but God will justify them 2692. The world curses them, but God blesses them 2693. The world offends them, but God comforts them 2694. Their world is unholy, but God glorifies them 2695. Look, beloved Christian, how sweet the Christian service is, and judge how high their humility is, how rich poverty is, how glorious dishonor, how noble meanness, how blessed exile, how much desired insult! For if the whole measure is as nothing before God, then hatred and contempt, malice, cursing, banishment of him, befall God's servants, as nothing against the love, mercy, blessings of God, which they receive from God. For if the earthly king holds someone in mercy and love, then the hatred and malice of his enemies is nothing, even though the earthly king, as a man, cannot do everything he wants: as much as the heavenly King loves, loves and pities, therefore there is nothing in the measure of malice and hatred: since He is painful, there is incomparably more measure, and His mercy, blessing, great and desirable love is more than anything else a measure of malice and hatred. Chapter 6. About refuge and Christian help Lord, you have been a refuge for us in our generation and generation. Before there were even mountains, and the creation of the earth and the universe, you are forever and ever 2696. God is our refuge and strength, helper in sorrows, we have found evil 2697. § 495. God is the refuge and helper of Christians, as they sing with the psalmist: God is our refuge and strength, helper in sorrows, we have found evil. And He Himself commands His Christian servants to call upon Him in the day of their tribulation: call upon Me in the day of your tribulation, and I will know you; and glorify Me 2698. And God is the father of Christians: for that reason, they run to God, as children to their father, in every need and sorrow. The sons of this age run to princes and nobles and other protectors in the day of trouble, then to their mammon, for which they work, they stretch out their hands, redeeming themselves with silver and gold from the coming calamity; then they rely on their strength, their cunning and cunning to protect themselves and help them. True Christians are not like that. They have abandoned all this refuge, as it is vain and against God, they run to the one God with their hearts, and cry out to Him with their hearts and lips: Lord, you have been a refuge for us in our generation and generation 2699. You are a refuge from the sorrows that overtake me: my joy, deliver me from those that have overtaken me 2700. In this, they act like little children who, either suffering from illness or seeing some impending misfortune, stretch out their hands to their father or mother and run: so do Christians, who are sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus 2701, who do not seek or hope for help from anywhere, but to God, as to their Father, They run and stretch out their hands, who say: I have not left you, I have not left you, as if we dare to say: The Lord is my helper, and I am not afraid of what a man will do to me 2702. Christians dare and say: sit on chariots, and sit on horses: we will call in the name of the Lord our God. They slept and fell, but we got up and straightened up 2703. The forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ran to this safe refuge and received help. To this, their righteous family and the Israelites stretched out their hands in Egyptian slavery and escaped. To this, in the fiery furnace of Babylon, the three young men cried out and were saved. To this, in the new grace, apostles, saints, martyrs, hermits, venerable fathers and other saints raised their venerable hands, and were not ashamed. To this even today pious people come by faith, and cry out to Him with the prophet: in You our fathers trusted, I trusted, and I saved you; I cried out to You, and I was saved; I trust in You, and I am not ashamed 2704. And they pray with hope: Lord, let Thy mercy be upon us, as with hope in Thee 2705, and they will not be ashamed. Look, beloved Christian, how great is the bliss of Christians in this age! Even God is a refuge and help to Christians, as a father to his children: what can he do for them? If God is for us, who is for us? Blessed Pavel speaks 2706. The whole world can do nothing; as the whole world as nothing against God, Whose mania all obey. Fire does not burn, water does not drown, the sword does not cut, deadly poison does not kill, the teeth of animals do not touch the faithful and trusting in the Lord; The terrible king and tormentors with their lawless army cannot defeat a single Christian: for the Lord is strong with him. From where they boldly sing: The Lord is strong with us, our intercessor is God Jacob: for this reason we will not be afraid, lest the earth be troubled 2707 - what this whole psalm testifies to. This safe refuge is also open to us: only we must take care not to close it with sins. The Son of God opened it for us by His most holy obedience and death, the death of the cross. Therefore, glory, honor and thanksgiving be with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen Chapter 7. Christian song I would have seen Your procession, O God, the procession of the God of my King, which is in the holy place 2708. Sing to the Lord a new song, as wonderful as the Lord has created 2709. § 496. We see, beloved Christian, the glorious procession of our God, in the creation of this beautiful world, when by faith we understand the fulfillment of the eternal word of God, in which there are not visible beings 2710. As by the Word of the Lord the heavens were established, and by the Spirit of His mouth all their strength. As He said, I was; He commanded, and 2711 was created. We see and sing the almighty power of Him, who created everything from nothing; the strange wisdom of Ego; as with all wisdom he created 2712; the wonderful goodness of Him, as He created everything not for His sake, but for our sake. - We see the procession of our God in the care of His creation, and we sing to Him with the prophet: all wait for You, give them food in good time. I will give you a name, I will gather; I will open my hand to You, all goodness will be fulfilled. They will turn away from You, they will rebel: take away their spirit, and they will disappear, and they will return to their place. Send your Spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth. May the glory of the Lord be forever 2713. The eyes of all trust in You, and You give them food in good time: You open Your hand and fulfill every animal of goodness 2714. And, following His Only Begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, we confess His goodness: as His sun shines on the evil and the good, and rains down on the righteous and the unrighteous 2715. - We see His glorious procession in the universal flood, in which the lawless are terribly exposed, and the righteous Noah was miraculously saved, and we sing His truth and mercy: the truth that commands the lawless; mercy, pious embracing. - We see the terrible procession of our God, when he came down to see the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah, he burned the unrepentant lawless with fire from above, and from their midst He saved the righteous Lot, and His song is also truth and mercy: as the Lord is righteous, and His judgments are righteous 2716; - and the one who trusts in the Lord will have mercy 2717. - We see the glorious procession of our God in Egypt, when he sent his signs and wonders in the midst of Egypt on Pharaoh and on all his servants 2718; and he brought out his people in joy, and his chosen ones in joy 2719; and forbid the Red Sea, and it will dry up, and I will be in the abyss as in the desert; and deliver me from the hand of those who hate me, and deliver me from the hand of my enemies; cover the water that cools them, not one of them will be abundant 2720 . His sea will be seen and will run, Jordan will turn back, the mountains will beat like rams, and the hills like lambs. What are you, the sea, that you fled, and you, Jordan, that you returned? How shall the mountains be raised like rams, and the hills like lambs? Behold the face of the Lord, the earth will move, behold the face of God Jacob, who turned the stone into pools of water, and the mighty into springs of water 2721. Let us see this glorious procession of His, and sing with His chosen people: Thy right hand, O Lord, be glorified in the fortress; Your right hand, O Lord, crushed the enemies, and with the multitude of Your glory You destroyed the opponents. Who is like You in God, Lord, who is like You? Glorified in holiness, wondrous in glory, work wonders 2722! - We see the procession of our God in an impassable desert, in which he walked before his people in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire: he spread a cloud to cover them, and a fire that enlightened them in the night 2723; I came as a cloud during the day, and all night with the enlightenment of fire 2724 - and other glorious miracles: and we sang to Him with David: God! sometimes you will go before your people, sometimes you will pass by in the desert, the earth will shake, because the heavens are shaking from the face of the God of Sinai, from the face of the God of Israel 2725. - We see the glorious procession of our God, when He will bring His people into the mountain of His sanctuary, this mountain, His right hand will seize the south, and drive out their tongues from their faces, and by lot He will give them the land of the narrow lot, and they will settle in their villages the tribes of Israel 2726. I see how I deliver many: those who grieve His council with their own, and humble themselves in the iniquities of their own. And the Lord saw, sometimes he grieved for them, sometimes he heard their prayer: and he changed his covenant, and repented of the multitude of his mercy, and I gave generously before all those who captured me 2727 - and I sang of his invincible mercy by human sins: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel forever and ever to the age: and say all the people: wake up, wake up 2728 . - We see the procession of God in Babylon, when he descended into the fiery furnace with the Jewish youth and set the flame in the dew, sprinkled and cooled those who loved Him, and set His enemies on fire with the flame; and we will sing to him with His blessed children: Blessed are you, Lord God, our father, and blessed and exalted forever, and blessed is the name of Your glory, holy, blessed and exalted forever 2729! - We see the glorious procession of God in other glorious miracles. We especially see the steps of our God in His fleshly birth, on earth with human life, suffering, death, resurrection, and the ascension of life-bearing flesh to heaven; and we confess with the apostle: we confess the greatness is the secret of piety! God appeared in the flesh; justified in the Spirit, appeared as an angel, preached in tongues, believed in peace, ascended in glory 2730. Let's sing gratefully with the angels: Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, in the favor of men 2731! Praise and bless with the prophet Zechariah: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel! how to visit, and create the deliverance of His people; and lift up the horn of salvation to us, in the house of David, His servant, as the mouth of the holy ones, who have been His prophets for ages, spoke 2732. And because in ancient times such a miracle was unheard of as we smell and believe - a miracle, how God was born from a Virgin, the Word became flesh, the Invisible appeared, the Heavenly King lived on earth, did not leave the throne of His glory, the Lord of glory was crucified on the cross - and so this is a new miracle, and a miracle; for that reason, we will sing a new poem: "A new miracle and a god-pleasing one! For the virgin door appears to be closed, the Lord passes: naked in the entrance, and the flesh-bearing God appeared in the exit, and the door remains closed" 2733 . For our sake, God created this terrible miracle. A true word is worthy of every favor, as Christ Jesus will come to save sinners in peace 2734. We, beloved Christians, should rejoice at this and sing a new song in gratitude to Him: let Your procession be seen, O God! I was seen in Your holy birth, O Virgin Mother of God, in Your holy life on earth, in Your holy and saving teachings, in Your terrible and supernatural miracles, in Your manifold sufferings, in Your life-giving death, in Your glorious and all-joyful resurrection, in in the solemn and exclamatory ascension to heaven, in the fiery outpouring of Your Holy Spirit on Your apostles, and those messages for the preaching of Your Gospel throughout the universe. May Your procession be seen, O God! You came to save Your people, to save Your anointed; You put death on the heads of the lawless; You have lifted up your bonds even to the end. You will split the head of the strong in the act, they will shake in it; he will spread his loins like a beggar at breakfast. And you led your horses to the sea, confusing many waters 2735. There are enough comforting songs in holy books. Consider, beloved Christian, how great the consolation of the Christian soul is to sing to God, whom the angels praise and sing incessantly and insatiably. Why are so many songs written both in prophetic books and psalms and in church books for our comfort and spiritual joy. Chapter 8. Christian joy My heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God 2736. Rejoice, O Lord, and rejoice in righteousness 2737. The sons of Zion rejoice in their King 2738. § 497. There is no joy without love, and where there is love, there is joy. And who loves something, is happy about it. Who loves silver, gold, lust, the glory of this world, pleasure, is comforted and happy about it. Who loves a friend rejoices over him. And the greater one's love is for something, the more he hurts about it and rejoices. This joy is known from the subsequent sadness. Because someone who has left something and is sad about it is a sure sign that he loved that thing. Thus the friend of the beloved friend, the husband of the wife, and the wife of the beloved husband, the brother of the beloved brother were left to grieve. Thus, those who love the honor, glory, wealth of this world, when the beloved one is left, grieves and mourns. And so what the heart clings to with love, the heart rejoices. If one's treasure goes, so will his heart, as Christ taught: if your treasure goes, there will be your heart 2739. So who loves God and eternal glory, O God and rejoices, that is his heart. § 498. Christian joy is: 1) That they believe in the true God. Blinded pagans believe in false, soulless, dead, deaf, blind gods: for idols are tongues of silver and gold, works of human hands: they have mouths, and do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see; they have ears, but they will not hear; they have nostrils, but they do not smell; they have hands, but they do not grasp; they have legs, and they will not go; do not speak with your own throat 2740 . Christians are not like that; but they believe and worship the true, living, eternal, immortal, wise, righteous, good God, who listens to their prayers and requests, and fulfills their good wishes. - 2) That great God, the Creator of heaven and earth, living and immortal, they call their Father, and they have a Father, such as He Himself promised them: and I will be a Father to you, and you will be My sons and daughters 2741 , - to whom they pray: Our Father, who art in heaven 2742 . Christians recognize with their father Abraham, like earth and ashes 2743, that they are unworthy to call God their Father; but He Himself mercifully honors them and sends the Spirit of His Son into their hearts, crying: Abba Father 2744! - 3) The King is the Son of God, whose kingdom will have no end, who rules heaven and earth, and all things are punished under his feet; He who destroyed sin, abolished death, defeated the devil and put him to shame, and, as the Victor, triumphed over all our enemies, ascended on high, and sits on the throne of His glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit, behold, all creatures visible and invisible are worshiped and revered. To this great, all-powerful and terrible King, Christians work with fear and rejoice with trepidation; They willingly listen to Him, fulfill His commands. Because the sons of this age rejoice and rejoice in their king, who is brave, strong, famous for victories and glorious in all measure: how much more the son of Zion, that is, the son of the holy church, rejoice and rejoice in their King Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords 2745, and truly the Lord is great, and He is praised, and there is no end to His greatness, and His kingdom is the kingdom of all ages, and His dominion is in every kind and kind 2746. trembling 2748 . About this great King, strong, strong, righteous, terrible to His enemies, meek and merciful to those who love Him and work for Him, Christians praise and rejoice, and sing with the prophet: The Lord reigns, is clothed in beauty; the Lord will clothe himself with strength and gird himself: for establish the universe, which will not be moved. Your throne is ready: you are the age! etc. 2749 To Him with David they cry out in joy: Your arrows are sharp, O Mighty One! People under you will fall in the heart of the enemies of the king. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness, a scepter of Your kingdom. You loved the truth, and you hated iniquity: for this reason, You, Your God, anointed Your partakers with the oil of joy, etc. 2750 Oh Him they dare and say: The Lord is my sanctifier and my Savior, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my belly, so whom shall I fear 2751? - 4) This joy in Christians grows exceedingly and multiplies, when they think about the bliss that is prepared for them eternal in heaven, when they hear that God, whom they now see as a mirror in fortune-telling, then they will see face to face 2752 , - Therefore, the immortal King and His glory are about to shine, Whom they now work diligently and sweetly, and under His cover they are now, as it is written: the congregations of the Lord will be converted, and they will come to Zion with joy, and eternal joy will be over their head: for over their head will be praise and joy, and I will accept joy, I will take away sickness and sorrow and sighing 2753. – 5) This joy is a foretaste of eternal joy, which true Christians now feel some part of. Then they will be completely drunk from this house of the Lord, and they will be drunk with the flow of His sweetness 2754, when they will not be hungry for anyone, nor will they be thirsty, they will not have to graze on them the sun and all heat, - like the Lamb, Who is in the middle of the throne, I will feed them, and I will lead them to animal springs of water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes 2755 , - when those working for the Lord will eat, drink, rejoice, be merry in the joy of the heart 2756 ; when they are comforted by the Lord, as a mother is comforted by someone 2757; egda uzryat Ego, as it is 2758; when all eternal good treasures will be revealed to them, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not sighed, which God has prepared for those who love Him 2759; when they will lie down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and other patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs and all the blessed in the kingdom of God 2760. To this sweetest, happiest and most perfect feast they wish with David: when will I come and appear before the face of God 2761? - 6) Like the sons of this age, who rejoice in silver, gold, honor, glory and luxuries of this world, it is a false joy, and they only have a kind of joy: such joy of true Christians is true and never separated. The sons of this age are like the one who, having found a bag filled, thinks that he has found a bag with gold or silver; but, having opened it and seeing it instead of gold with another unpleasant thing, he is very sad, and he accuses himself of the emptiness of the former joy: so they, having found the wealth of this world and luxury, are happy about it; but when they die or find misfortune, when they see that there is nothing that they had and know that their joy was empty, instead of false joy, they feel true and immeasurable sadness in their hearts. Worldly things bring this change to their lovers, as the very case teaches. True Christians are not like that. They resemble one who has found a true treasure and rejoices over the one who, having opened it and seeing a true, not a fake treasure, rejoices more and more: so they now, looking at God and eternal treasures with faith, rejoice, but when they see God face to face, and those treasures are opened to them, then their joy will be fulfilled, And no one will take away their joys from them 2762. And this is how the joy of the creation appears, like a dream, and, like a dream with a dream, with the taking away of worldly beloved things, it disappears: spiritual joy begins in time, but is fulfilled in eternity, and endures forever, just as God Himself, in whom those who love Him rejoice, endures forever. § 499. There are many sorrows for Christians, as the prophet says: many sorrows for the righteous 2763? - True; but these external sorrows happen to them, and for that reason they do not take away their spiritual joys. Their body and flesh are insulted, but their soul rejoices: because these sorrows do not happen to them as thieves, but as Christians 2764. And that is why they do not drown in these sorrows, but rather rise up and glory in their sorrows, knowing that sorrow is patience, patience is art, art is hope; hope will not put you to shame 2765. A man who endures grief for the sake of his beloved joyfully, as we read about the holy apostles, who went away from the face of the cathedral rejoicing, as for the name of the Lord Jesus it was acceptable to receive dishonor 2766. We also read about the holy martyrs. And although it happens that Christians also grieve in spiritual temptation; but they overcome this sadness with the hope of God's goodness, and this sorrow turns to them into greater consolation when the stormy and stormy time passes. The Lord will deliver those men from all their sorrows, just as *there* the prophet poet 2767. Chapter 9. About Christian wisdom May Christ give us wisdom from God 2768. § 500. Christian wisdom is Christ, the Son of God, as St. Paul said: let us have wisdom from God. He reveals to us the secret of knowing the heavenly Father. No one has seen God anywhere: the Only-begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father, That confession 2769. And no one knows the Father, only the Son, and he wills to reveal the Son 2770. All the treasures of wisdom and reason are hidden in Christ, says the God-wise Pavel 2771. A simple Christian who is taught the dogmas of the holy faith is far wiser than Plato and Aristotle and other pagan sages. Who among them understood what a simple Christian knew by faith? None of the princes of this age understand 2772. Riots are Greek philosophers hearing God - one in nature, but triune in person; God and man in one person; Word, flesh former 2773 ; The Virgin giving birth and the Virgin staying; a dead body, bent and crumbling into dust, but still rising and living. A soulful man will not crush the Spirit of God: for he has foolishness, and cannot understand 2774. But a Christian, enlightened by the holy faith, knows and confesses that which the wisdom of the wise and the reason of the wise do not tolerate: because it is foolishness. Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the strong man boast of his fortress, and let not the rich man boast of his riches, but let him boast of this, who understand and know that I am the Lord, do mercy and judgment and justice on earth: for this is my will, says the Lord 2775. § 501. Christian wisdom does not consist only in the knowledge of God, but also includes a blameless Christian life. He who does not do God's will does not know God, even though he confesses Him with his mouth and talks a lot about Him. This is what the Holy Scripture testifies to: this is what we understand, as we know Him, and we keep His commandments. Say, as I know Him, and do not obey His commandments, there is a lie, and there is no truth in this 2776. And again: They profess to know God, but their deeds are avenged, they are abominations and disobedient, and they are unskilled in every good work 2777. Where does God speak about such people through the prophet: these people approach Me with their mouths and hear Me with their lips; their heart is far away from Me 2778. And Christ will say: not everyone will say: Lord, Lord, enter into the kingdom of heaven, but do the will of My Father, who is in heaven 2779. Whence in the Holy Scriptures those who do not know God, or those who live lawlessly, are called insane, wild, walking in darkness, etc., as the reader can see. For this reason, Christian wisdom befits only those Christians who live devoutly about Christ Jesus, and violence and madness are attributed to those who speak God's language and have ungodliness in their hearts, even if they always count the stars or know all the Holy Scriptures by heart. – (See also the first article of the first book, the second chapter). Chapter 10. About Christian freedom As long as the Son is free, you will be truly free, says Christ 2780. Freedom, which is Christ, let us be free 2781. § 502. Nothing is so pleasant and desirable to people as freedom. Who does not want to be free from work, from prison, from captivity? Everyone respects freedom more than any measure of this treasure. Neither wealth, nor honor, nor sweet food are pleasant to us, as we do not have freedom. Birds and other speechless creatures prefer to be free rather than in captivity and asking for ready food. Everyone has a natural desire and love for freedom. Why no one is comforted by anything like freedom: true Christians have this treasure in themselves - freedom, I say, freedom not temporary, but eternal. Their freedom is not limited by place or time. Prison, captivity, work, iron chains, and nothing similar cannot take away their freedom; everywhere and always they have this priceless treasure with them, as not with the price of this perishable world, not with perishable silver or gold, but with the honest blood, like the spotless and pure Lamb of Christ, bought 2782. They work for people, they work for enemies who captured them, they are locked in dungeons, they are tied together; but they don't lose their sweet freedom. So high, glorious and sweet Christian freedom! § 503. Holy Scripture shows what their freedom consists of. 1) They are free from sin, death and eternal damnation. I will deliver from the hands of hell, and I will redeem from death, says the Lord through the prophet 2783. He will save his people from their sins, it is said about Christ 2784. Free yourself from sin, enslave yourself to the truth, says the faithful apostle 2785. This is the comforting word of the Apostle John: That cleansing is about our sins 2786. - Some Christians are free from death, but they are dying? - They die bodily, but they will be resurrected on the last day, and they will be immortal forever. Then there will be a written word: death will be devoured by victory. Where are you, death, sting? where are you, hell, victory 2787? - Are Christians really sinless? - No, Christians have sin, but it does not reign over them, and although they sin because of weakness, they are cleansed of sin through prayer, repentance and faith in Christ. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, and will forgive us our sins, says the apostle 2788. And Christians who allow sin to reign over them do not have this freedom: everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin, according to the words of Christ 2789. - 2) Christian freedom consists in the fact that they are free - these are legal oaths, as the apostle Pavel said: Christ redeemed us from legal oaths, let there be an oath on us. For it is written: Cursed is everyone, hang on a tree: yes, in the tongues of Abraham there will be a blessing about Christ Jesus 2790. And again: there is no single condemnation of those who are about Christ Jesus, not those who walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit 2791. The legal oath consists in the fact that the law applies to anyone who does not fulfill everything commanded by the law of God, it means the wrath of God, and subjects him to eternal condemnation. This is the grace of Christ the Son of God, Christians, who completely fulfilled all the law and was betrayed for our sins, and was hanged on a tree like a thief, and thus according to our oath, we are free. And although they do not fulfill the law at all, all the same, their shortcomings and infirmities are supplemented by the perfect obedience of Jesus Christ, and these infirmities are left to those who repent by His grace. - 3) Christians are free from the law: as they are not under the law, but under grace, according to the teaching of the wise Paul 2792. As not under the compulsion of the law, but with a free spirit they fulfill the commandments of God; not as slaves, fearing the punishment of their *master*, but as sons, showing willing and loving obedience to their father, bearing spiritual fruit, which is any, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control: there is no law for such 2793. This seems to be the reason Paul wrote: the law does not lie with the righteous 2794: because he does what the law commands by the grace of Christ. But lies to whom? to the lawless and disobedient, wicked and sinners, unrighteous and filthy, etc., as the same apostle gives 2795. They demand a law that curbs their passions, restrains them from iniquity, and threatens them with punishment. At this word, Saint Chrysostom said: "The law does not lie to the righteous. Why? Because there is nothing but torment, and how do not expect active people to get used to it, having inside the commanding grace of the Spirit. The law is given, but they are tormented by fear and prohibition. No other bridle is needed for a submissive horse, less than a bridle for an undemanding shepherd" 2796. - 4) Christians are free from the essence of Jewish ceremonies, such as they had, such as: circumcision, animal sacrifice, etc. § 504. Sometimes Christians are not under the law, but under grace: how is the law preached? - Answer. 1) It is preached to the defective, so that they may be afraid and come to repentance. Thus the holy Forerunner preached, even to bring people to repentance, and to prepare their hearts to embrace the gospel faith: the ax is already at the root of the tree: every tree that is cut down, which does not produce good fruit, is cut down and thrown into the fire 2797. - 2) It is also preached to pious true Christians, so that according to his rule they would correct their lives, so that, looking at him, like a mirror, they would know the weakness of their nature and purify themselves by faith in Christ, the Son of God, and thus they would put off the old man and put on the new, prosper in the love of God and neighbor, that is the end of the law The end of the covenant is: everyone has a pure heart and a good conscience, and faith is not hypocritical 2798. § 505. When are Christians called to freedom and do they have freedom, or are they free to do what they want? - None; Christian freedom does not consist in that, that they can live as they please and do what they want. This freedom is not Christian, but carnal, and it is not freedom like real and hard work: as everyone who commits sin, the slave is a sin, according to the teaching of the Savior 2799. Those of Christian freedom remain, who, following their flesh, do what is pleasing to it in their lust 2800; instead, they fall under the heavy yoke of the tormentor of the devil and sin, and become the poorest captives of their passions, and find themselves under a legal oath, the wrath of God, and eternal destruction as children. Christians, when they have their sweetest freedom, at the same time recognize themselves as slaves of the Most High God, to whom they must work with fear, as the Lord 2801 - delivered from the hand of their enemies, to serve Him reverently and truthfully before Him all the days of their lives 2802, to work with love for one another 2803 and so on. Chapter 11. About Christian work Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, as I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find peace for your souls. For the yoke is my blessing, and my burden is light, says Christ 2804. § 506. And Christian work is sweet work, beloved Christian! Because it is free work, not forced work. For Christians, as they are called to this work, so they are sent to that work without coercion. The masters of this age buy themselves slaves, although they do not want them, and assign them to work, which they abhor; and because they enslave the unwilling, so they force the unwilling to work, and that is why this work is sad, as it happens against the will and desire of a person. God, the Lord of all, does not act like that with us. He calls everyone to His work, but does not force anyone; He draws His grace and convinces 2805, but does not force. This is how sweetly Christ the Lord calls to Himself the laboring and burdened: come to Me, all you laboring and burdened, and I will give you rest. But just as the Lord chooses His servants without coercion, so He leaves their work, which is due to Him, to their discretion. He wants everyone to serve Him as their Lord, Creator and Redeemer; He opens His vineyard to work, and calls all through His servants, prophets and apostles and holy teachers, but He does not want to force anyone. § 507. Comforting is Christian work. Because 1) it is free and arbitrary, and not forced, as stated above. 2) Christians work not for man, like himself, a thin and weak creature, but for God, the Creator and Lord of all. All men prefer to serve a noble person rather than a mean one; good and merciful, rather than cruel; to the wise rather than to the foolish; to the righteous, rather than to the unrighteous: for here is the honor of the person to whom they want to work, and their bliss they want to get. But no matter what kind of master a person is, no matter how high, great, good, wise and righteous he is, he is still the same as his slaves, the earth and ashes, as his servants. And all human bliss, nobility, goodness, wisdom, and truth soon departs from this adverse event: and so, when our master is in misfortune, his servants also suffer the same. - The Lord, whom Christians work for, is not like that, - he is not a man, but God. He is so great that the whole world before Him is like a drop before the sea, or like nothing; he is so high that there is nothing higher than him: that is why he is called the Highest. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords 2806. Every knee of heaven, earth, and hell bows down to him with fear and trembling 2807. His kingdom is the kingdom of all ages, and His dominion is in every kind and kind 2808; and one mighty King of kings and Lord of lords; one has immortality, and in the world the living is impregnable 2809. His goodness, mercy, wisdom, truth and truth are infinite and incomprehensible, as is He Himself. Thus, to the great, high, good, wise and merciful Lord, Christians bow their knees and bow their heads with love and willing obedience! Why did the martyrs boast of this high title of saint in front of the tsars and torturers: "I am Christ's slave: We work for the Heavenly King." And although the tormentors and charmers promised them high honors and many riches, so that they would obey their God-opposing will: all that was rubbish. Death was threatened, and the lambs were tormented like lambs: they didn't manage to do anything. A sweet and beautiful song was always heard from them: "We serve the living and immortal God, we worship and honor Him: we are His servants and slaves; We listen to that order." Why is God not ashamed of these - God is called their name 2810. I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob 2811. - 3) Masters - people will accept the service of their slaves; but they do not help them in their service, but they demand their help in every need and occasion. Christian work is not like that. They work for the Lord their God; but God Himself helps them, strengthens and instructs them; He gives them diligence and care; their spirit is encouraged, their heart is kindled; enlightens their mind and intellect. From where they are commanded to ask for help: ask and it will be given to you, and those who ask will be accepted: for everyone who asks is accepted 2812. - 4) Humans are masters, no matter how big and strong they may be, they cannot always protect their enemies, even if they need their help, just as humans themselves are weak: not everything a human can do is what they want. God, the Lord, is not like that: he can do whatever he wants, as he is all-powerful; and he wants, as a boon, to help and protect his slaves; and he knows how to protect, like a wise man; and protects and preserves them, as it was said above. - 5) Masters, however kind and merciful, often leave their slaves without reward for their faithful service, either not knowing their diligent services, or not having anything to reward them with, or even though they reward them, but as they themselves and the servants are temporary, so is their reward temporary: everything is forced to leave a person or to find one. trouble, or at the time of death. God does not act like this with His servants: as He knows absolutely every kind of work, He has something to reward them for their faithful service, and He rewards them according to the measure of their service; and for their temporary service he gives them an eternal reward, makes them partakers of his eternal kingdom: come, blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of peace 2813. - 6) The work of God's servants does not consist in carrying a heavy yoke, which work is imposed on people by their masters, especially inhuman ones, but in carrying the yoke of the good and light burden of Christ. God does not command His servants to carry earth from place to place, *to carry stones*, to dig ores and to do other similar hardships: there is nothing like that; the Lord does not command it. But what? This, say, I command you to love one another 2814. And: the end of the bequest is that of a pure heart, and a good conscience, and honest faith 2815. What is easier, how does he like? What is sweet, pleasant and convenient, how does one love? In love, everything is easy, everything is not heavy, everything is bearable, everything is comfortable. What else is difficult, unbearable, inconvenient, impossible, everything is convenient and possible. Its true healers know about it. And although the servants of God are often and for the most part assigned to hard labor by unmerciful authorities and tormentors; at the same time, for the sake of the love of God, they endure everything gratefully and magnanimously: they work for their Lord, and not for men. - 7) The sweet and comforting seed of Christian work is known from the opposite of that work, which is the work of passions. There is nothing more difficult than working with passion. The evil one is tormented by his inner tormentor, which he possesses, that is, anger; how many ways will they invent to take revenge and reward both for both: they know such things themselves, and the courts testify. An envious person eats that poisonous and deadly worm inside, seeing the happiness of his neighbor and pitying him, looking at someone else's good, and feeling evil inside and concealing it; it fades, dries up and fades away, that the neighbor blesses him: such people know better themselves, even though internal evil cannot hide itself from the outside. For a silver lover, mammon serves as a hard work, as an abominable master, how he binds and hardens his heart and keeps it with him; hands turn away from the giving of alms and help to the needy, and arranges for protection; and makes a slave of wealth, not a master, an enemy of God and His people, and a tormentor of himself. What fornication and drunkenness do to their teachers is clear to everyone: there are cattle among men, and madmen among intelligent ones, and speechless among verbal ones. It is also necessary to understand other passions. The apostolic word is clear and firm: to whom one is defeated, to him there is work 2816. And so, although such people pretend to be free, although they do what they want, they are slaves, as it is written: everyone commits a sin, a slave is a sin 2817; and slaves are poorer than those who work for barbarians and torturers. For it is better for a man, a rational creature, to work than passions, like an idol for a deaf and dumb person. Repentance is sin, death 2818. And again: if you live according to the flesh, you will die 2819. Christian work is not like that. Christ's yoke is good, and His burden is light. And the work of truth is glorious, noble, and the greatest freedom, the fruit of which is a sanctuary, the end of which is eternal life 2820. Christians, as servants of the meek, long-suffering, merciful, *holy*, true, philanthropic God, also imitate their Lord: they defeat the malice of the wicked with goodness; those who get angry don't get angry; do not slander the slanderers; let's not cry; they rejoice in the good of their neighbor as in their own; they weep with those who weep, and they rejoice with those who rejoice; I do not seek honor: when it is given, for the glory of God and for the benefit of the community - it passes: it is taken away - it is not regretted; wealth flows to them, they do not attach their hearts to the one Lord, they use it for their own needs and give it to those who need it; there is nothing in their hands, they are content with what they have; ask for daily bread from the Father, receive it, and thank the Giver. Food and drink are only the strengthening of a weak body, not pleasure; they eat and drink as much as the weak flesh requires fortifying. Eating, drinking, resting and other activities are aimed at one end - God-pleasing work. I accept food and drink, remember the Giver, as His generous hands accept everything, and remember the food of the eternal stomach. They are having fun, but oh God, their God; they sigh and cry, but oh God. They love each other brotherly, but they do not hate their enemies. They honor and praise people, but they ascribe honor and praise to their only Lord. They prosper or prosper, they are healthy or they are weak, they abound or they are poor, they give thanks for everything, knowing that everything happens from the Lord. Blessed condition! Sweet and kind servant of God's work! Earthly, but heavenly life!.. Chapter 12. O Christian peace Justified by faith, peace of the imam to God our Lord Jesus Christ 2821. § 508. How difficult it is for a subject to feel the wrath of his Sovereign upon himself, cannot be explained in words. Nothing is nice to him then - neither food, nor drink, nor wife, nor children, nor friends, nor anything else. Why does it happen that many people destroy themselves, unable to bear his anger, and prefer to die rather than live under his anger. It is incomparably more difficult to endure God's wrath. No matter how much God protects a person, he will protect him endlessly, so much more severe is the wrath of God than the wrath of the king. Whence the ungodly day of the terrible judgment of God and His righteous anger, they want to hide in caves and rocks in handfuls, and they cry out to mountains and rocks: fall on us, and cover us from the face of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the day of His great wrath will come and who can stand 2822. - But as hard and bitter as it is to feel God's wrath, it is so comforting and favorable to feel His goodness and mercy in one's heart. This incomparably surpasses all joy and sweetness of this world. Just as a good-looking and fragrant natural rose is more beautiful and pleasant than one created from any other substance, or painted by the artist's art: so the smallest taste of God's goodness is far better and more joyful than any measure of this joy and consolation. This is the sweet supper that Christ promises to offer to the one who listens to His voice and opens the door of his heart: I stand at the door and say: whoever hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and I will dine with him, and he with Me 2823. This is the tasting and eating of the hidden manna, which is promised by the same Lord to the one who overcomes: the one who overcomes will be given to eat the hidden manna 2824. This is a taste of eternal joy and sweetness, and there is a small particle of that joy, which, having bitten, the servants of Christ forget all the joy of this world and all its joy, as muddy and stinking mud, or as sorrow they think, but they desire that one thing more and more. For this reason, the wisdom of God speaks: My memory is sweeter than honey, and My inheritance is sweeter than a hundredth of copper. Those who eat Me will still be hungry and those who drink Me will still be hungry 2825. Only those whose hearts are delighted feel and know this sweetest joy. Just as the sweetness of honey is sensitive to those who taste it, it is unknown to those who do not taste it: so the spiritual seed, the sweetness of the heart, is known only to those who learn and taste it; others do not know that. And this sweetness is the peace of God, surpassing all understanding, which the apostle to the Philippians desired: the peace of God, surpassing all understanding, may your hearts and *minds* obey Christ Jesus 2826. § 509. The sweetest and dearest peace between God and man was cut off when Satan, the evil serpent, saw the bliss of our forefathers, and with his evil and cunning advice he plunged them into the ditch of persuasion, and that was the wrath of God that followed. The entire universe was covered with the wrath of God, like a dark darkness; and it was necessary for everyone to expect nothing else from an angry God, such as worthy oaths and eternal condemnation. As all have sinned and fallen short of the essence of God's glory, and the whole measure is owed to God 2827. But Christ, the Son of God, pray to God and become a man; he took away the middle ground between God and man; God propitiated us, and God appropriated us; he reconciled the angel with a man, and the man with an angel; He brought the Jews with the tongues, and the tongues with the Jews into the union of the world, and made one blessed flock, that is, from the heavenly and the earthly, Jews and Hellenes: and this is how it happened, according to His words, one flock and one Shepherd 2828 - Him with the Father and the Spirit, as the Head of the world, Shepherd and Visitor souls of ours, the Head of faith, the New Testament Intercessor and the great Bishop of the past heaven, the chief and doer of salvation, and the beginning and the end of all eternal bliss, worshiping, glorifying with songs, and glorifying the flock with praises. About this sweetest peace, His apostles preach to us: This is our peace, which creates both as one, and breaks down the middle fence: He has abolished the enmity of His flesh, the law of the commandments of the learned: that He will create both by Himself in one new man, creating peace: and He will reconcile both in one body of God with the cross, kill enmity on him. And he came to bring good news of peace to you, those who are far and those who are near: because of Him, the imams brought both in one Spirit to the Father 2829. And again: justified by faith, peace be with God our Lord Jesus Christ 2830. - His angels are praising Him: glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will to men 2831. The holy church is gratefully accepted, comforted by it, and thanks to it, the poet asks for it: "Pray to God and you were a man, Christ God! It is by You, Lord, that the night of ignorance brings the imams to the Holy Father, Your Father" 2832 . § 510. Although this peace, dearest to all, was brought to earth by the heavenly Father, the Son of God, the Prince and Ruler of peace, and came to bring good news to the far and near through Himself, sending a great embassy of His heavenly Father to earth, then through His apostles, wised by the Holy Spirit: in the same way, not those who do not receive the Herald of that peace by faith are conformed to that heavenly gift; also, Christians who, although they pretend to believe in that great Messenger, but have a living faith contrary to it, profess to know God, but will avenge Him, are abominations and disobedient, and are unskilled in every good work 2833. Peace has its place in conscience and heart; but the conscience, defiled by vices and irritated by iniquities, announces to the sinner nothing but God, offended by transgression, and God's wrath, God's oath and eternal condemnation: why there is no place for this peace, but instead an evil worm, confusion and everything restlessness And only those who, having purified their hearts by faith, produce the fruits of repentance 2834, crucify the flesh with passions and lusts 2835 have this precious and heavenly treasure; as Christ's slaves, they do not indulge their lusts 2836, and work for each other with love 2837, and have peace with each other about Christ 2838. And although he often trembles with fear and terror of God's righteous judgment and eternal condemnation, as happens in a great spiritual temptation; but with the hope of the goodness of God and faith in the Reconciler and Intercessor Jesus Christ, the Son of God, they overcome that anxiety, and thus sweetly comfort themselves, remembering the apostolic comforting word: we are one today condemned by Christ Jesus, not according to the flesh, but according to the spirit 2839. Chapter 13. About the conversation of Christians with God Lord, who dwells in Your dwelling? or who will dwell in Your holy mountain? Walk undefiled, and do the truth, speak the truth in your heart, etc. 2840 § 511. It is impossible to explain what great consolation Christians by faith derive from this, that they are honored to converse with God! It is a great happiness for a person to chat with his monarch, or a prince, or some high person in a friendly manner, even if he is a king, a prince, a nobleman, and every *high* person is the same person as others, he is covered with earth and ashes, and he has the same infirmities as others, he is also a sinner, like others, and he does not distinguish himself by anything 2841, except for a single temporary and soon-to-be-disappearing title; however, friendly chatter with such a person is regarded as bliss. How incomparably blessed, consoling and gracious before the living, immortal, eternal, great and incomprehensible God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and holding all things in His hand, Who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, the Lord Almighty, stand by faith, look at His holy face by faith, and counsel the hearts, which He knows even before our offer, offer, and from Him mutually answering mercy awaits! Christians, the true servants of Christ, are thus bestowed with the highest mercy and honor! How many times do they turn in prayer, how many times do they deign to speak with God, and to Him, like the father of a child, kindly and with fear and reverence stand before Him, offering various things. They show Him their sinful sores, and they ask for His merciful healing: Father, forgive us our debt 2842. They complain of their enemy, who is like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour 2843, and, asking him for protection: deliver us from the evil one, 2844, they ask for help in the feat of faith and piety. They thank Him for His blessings, and in the presence of the same blessings, they are humble and diligent. They present to Him His wonderful works, created for His glory and our benefit, and they praise His almighty power, goodness and unfathomable human love. And what is amazing and blessed, when we want and where we want, they always and everywhere do it freely. For God is in every place, and is always ready to listen to the conversations of His servants. Those in need do not have free access to kings and other dignitaries everywhere and not always. To God, the heavenly and philanthropic King, good and meek and omnipresent, it is not like that: everywhere and always, when they want, His servants come to Him; the doors of grace are always open to Him, and mercy is promised to all who approach with faith and reverence without doubt. And even if all at one moment, as many people as there are in the world, approached Him in a way that pleased Him, He would be ready to hear them all. Christians have such a Lord, King and Father! They talk to such a person, there is earth and ashes, even sinners! It is known without a doubt that it is unworthy of a man to converse with God; and Christians willingly admit that. Who is worthy to converse with Him, before whom even the angels cover their faces and dare not look at Him 2845. But God Himself, by the grace of His Only Begotten Son, honors them. Christians, considering the majesty of God and the terrible glory of their Lord, revere before Him, fall down and deeply humble themselves with the submission of the spirit; but, looking at His incomprehensible grace and mercy, and the grace of the all-powerful Intercessor, Jesus Christ, they do not postpone boldness, as the prophet says: not on our true trust, let us cast our prayer before You, but on Your many bounties, Lord 2846. § 512. They are deprived of this sweetest consolation and all spiritual good: 1) Those who leave prayers, but engage in worldly conversations and other unnecessary things, which they carry with them, like a wounded conscience. – 2) Those who pray, but without any reasoning and attention; they read many prayers or psalms, but only with the art of language, and what they read, they themselves do not know; they pray to God with their tongues, but with their minds they retreat from Him and bypass various places, faces, and everyday cares. We approach God with our mind and heart, not with our appearance; we talk with Him with mind and heart, and not with one language. The word is nothing but a messenger of the human heart and thoughts, which, when it cannot fit into the heart, goes out through the word. And the word without mind and thought, consonant with the word, is nothing like the voice of a trumpet, or a bird or an animal. And God listens not to our words, but to our heart. - 3) Those who want to pray and do not stop sinning. For one must first be reconciled to God through repentance and faith in Christ the Son of God, and thus in the name of Christ they will approach the heart-knowing God. The apostle says: let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness 2847. And the prophet said: God does not want iniquity, You are: do not let the wicked dwell with You, below will be lawlessness before Your eyes. Thou hast despised all that do iniquity, thou hast destroyed all that speak lies: the Lord abhors bloodsuckers and flatterers 2848. Chapter 14. About consolation from the Holy Scriptures The law of Your mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver. If Your word is sweet to my throat, than honey to my mouth! I will rejoice in Your words, as they bring many benefits 2849. § 513. It is impossible to say what kind of sweetness, indeed spiritual sweetness, the servants of Christ receive from this source, that is, from the Holy Scriptures! - 1) They firmly understand and are convinced that this holy Scripture is the truest of their God, whom they love with their hearts, the word with which he speaks to them mercifully and fatherly, and the loving message of the heavenly King, which he sent through the prophets and apostles to the human race, and in it he revealed his holy will. How comforted a man is when he receives a message from his king! how he admires it! He often criticizes, and shows it to others, and brags about it, even though the king is the same person. When the servants of God are incomparably happy about the message of their heavenly King to them, when they reason about who and to whom he sent his message, and realize that he is their God, their Creator, their Father and good Provider, the King and Lord of glory, to whom they work from the heart, love and worship with fear. Such and such a Lord pleased His vile servant to write with His Holy Spirit, and sent His servants, prophets and apostles, through the chosen ones for that. - 2) Oh, how often a son who is in a foreign country is comforted when he receives his father's writing from his father's house: because reading it, he thinks that he would see his father himself and listen to his sweet conversation. This is exactly the case, and even more so, the sons of God, the true Christians, who are strangers and sojourners on earth, are comforted, and from afar with faith they look with tearful eyes at their heavenly fatherland, and sigh, desiring to rest in their heavenly abode and, living in the flesh, depart from the Lord. For they walk by faith, not by sight 2850. How, I say, the weeping of the herd is comforted when they read the loving message of their heavenly Father, and, looking at him and reading it, as if they saw Him Himself and heard His sweetest conversation, I sang with David and said: How sweet is Your word to my throat, than honey to my mouth! - 3) In this most holy and divine message, they read and see God their Father, and His most divine attributes, which are not worthy of anyone but Him: omnipotence, wisdom, goodness, mercy, truth, omnipresence, eternity, majesty, His awesome glory, etc., and they rejoice too much about the fact that He is so many God, Who there is only one true God, the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the King of the reigning and the Lord of the lords, the living and unapproachable in the world, the names were given with their hearts and written down with faith, and in this spiritual joy they exclaim to Him with the prophet: Lord, my God, you have become evil! in confession and in greatness you clothed yourself, put on the world as a robe, spread the sky as a skin, cover your exaltation with waters, place clouds for your ascension, walk on the wings of the wind, create your angels, your spirits and your servants, a fiery flame, establish the earth on its foundations 2851, etc. - 4) In this they see the beginning of the existence of all things and their own: as everything from nothing, the Triune God, in whom they believe, wisely created. See that man is something special, and more than other things, the most perfect is creation, created in an excellent image, with a special counsel: let us create man, said God; honored with a high and mind incomprehensible honor: let us create man in Our image and in Our likeness 2852. They see and marvel at the goodness of God, which He poured out on man in this great cause. - 5) It is not without sighing and sorrow that they read that a man who was so highly respected by God, fell into such a deep pit of misery by the devil's envy, and who was so loved by God and supernaturally gifted, was created as His enemy, and with humility and regret they confess: we have sinned with our fathers, lawless, untruthful 2853 . For all have sinned, and have fallen short of the glory of God 2854. But when they argue that the same man who fell was restored in such a wonderful way and exalted more than before by God; here they find the greatest and most important reason for the inconceivable goodness of their Creator and Savior, they will be amazed: how He has so wonderfully drawn His apostate to Himself with His love, - and in this wonder they will exclaim with the prophet: Lord! What is a man, how did you know him? или сынъ человѣч, how do you know him 2855? They read and see in that divine and holy Scripture that God so loved the world, as he gave his only Son, that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life 2856. And, feeling this love of the heavenly Father in their hearts, they are kindled to mutual love, and say with the prophet: I love You, Lord, my fortress! The Lord is my strength and my refuge, and my deliverer, my God, my helper, and I trust in Him: my protector, and the horn of my salvation, and my intercessor 2857! - 6) In this holy epistle, they see their heavenly calling described, as the darkness is called to the wonderful world of God, and from the regions of Satan to the kingdom of Christ God 2858, - as the essence of the chosen race, the royal sanctification, the holy language, the people of renewal 2859. See their high and heavenly, by faith in Christ they have been given nobility, but not yet revealed, as the apostle spoke to them in consolation: Beloved, we are now children of God, and it is not revealed what we will be? We know that when He appears, we will be like Him: for we will see Him as He is 2860. And they hear the revelations of the sons of God 2861, and they boast in the hope of the glory of God 2862. - 7) See your beautiful, sweet, blessed fatherland, which is different from the heavenly Father described by His Holy Spirit, and have it as consolation and cooling in time of sorrow, as living water in time of thirst, offered; and this many-wretched world, like the lands of strangers and distant countries, they look at it with tearful eyes and sigh for it, wishing to be clothed in their heavenly abode 2863. - 8) See there the saving instruction of your heavenly Father, as it pleases them safely to this extent, in this foreign country, to convert, and to live without temptation in the midst of an obstinate and corrupt race; what is his counterpart, the devil, who, like a roaring lion, goes looking for someone to devour 2864, - and here is his evil servant, who seeks him out, who all block the way to the heavenly homeland; and, not relying on their own strength, raise their tearful eyes to the Father who lives in heaven, praying: You, Lord, save us and keep us from this generation and forever 2865. - 9) See there, as in a clear mirror, your defects before your Father, weaknesses and shortcomings, into which they fall unwillingly, into the flesh of the weak wanderer; but, humbly acknowledging their weakness, they pray to Him: Father! leave us our debts, as we also leave our debtor 2866, and receive a merciful leave. - 10) Here they see that, as with all, so also with them, as mortals, it is necessary to pay a debt to mortal nature, to die alone, and from this world to the future age to pass, and to appear before the face of God; and, thinking about this time, prepare for the exit. - 11) They still see there that the flesh is buried in the ground and decays, but on the last day, when God is pleased, it will unite with the soul, and it will be clothed in a new, beautiful, incorruptible, immortal sight, and it will bloom like a lily, and they are waiting for that beautiful spring without a doubt. - 12) They will finally see their Lord, in whom they believe and work for Him, will come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, and will sit on the throne of His glory, and all the tongues will gather before Him 2867, to receive everyone who has sat with the body, or good or evil 2868 . The coming of the Lord, as for others, as wicked and disobedient to His gospel, terrible and unbearable (for who can endure the wrath of the Lord?), so for themselves, as believers in the One who is coming to judge the living and the dead, they feel and know comfortingly and joyfully: how then their deliverance draws near 2869. And even though the fear of the righteous judgment of God hits their hearts and minds; but the faith with which they clung to their merciful Savior, who loved them and gave Himself for them 2870, gives living consolation to troubled hearts. Even though they know that no one can justify himself before Him; and who will stand when iniquity looms 2871, and find in their consciences their weakness and sins against His holy law; but with sincere repentance and hope for the one who suffered for the sins of people and the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, they are confirmed in the unshakable mercy of God's hope. And so the servants of Christ find great consolation in the holy Scriptures. Which writing they have is like a clean mirror, in which, wandering in foreign lands, they see their heavenly Father and rejoice in Him; they see His divine merciful providence, His unparalleled mercy, and kiss the hearts of love; they see His majesty and terrible glory, and humbly worship it; they see wisdom, and they are amazed; they see His most holy truth, and glorify it; they see His glorious works, and they sing of Him; they see their divine nobility, which is given to them by faith in Christ from the heavenly Father, and they thank Him. In this purest mirror they also see their own weakness, and with tears and faith in His Son they wash it away; they also see their prepared bliss, and strive for it with desire, they finally see everything that concerns their true bliss, and against all misfortunes and sorrows, ailments and infirmities, as in a very rich pharmacy, they find life-giving medicine. § 514. Those Christians who 1) leave this divine treasure and the heavenly Father an inestimable gift, but enjoy themselves in books that amuse the flesh and tend to vanity rather than lead away from it, remain the sweetest of this consolation; and they act like those who, having left the spring of living clean water, run to muddy reservoirs and want to quench their thirst. - 2) Those who read or listen to the Holy Scriptures for the sake of discussion, and not for the sake of consolation, only to know where it is written, to be witty and appear before men, and not for the sake of being skillful Christians, know God and sanctify His will, the beginning and the end of their life, the beginning and the state of bliss and woe. Such sages and sophisticates do not find the hidden manna in the Holy Scriptures, even if they had all that in mind: because they do not read it for the same purpose as the Holy Spirit - the Creator of God's words - composed, and written through His holy servants, prophets and apostles. - (See also chapter 1 of the first article in the 1st book and chapter 2 of the fifth article in the 2nd book). Chapter 15. About the presence of God with Christians in their sorrow I am with you all the days until the end of the age! Glagolet Khristos 2872. § 515. Knowing that our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, that His faithful servants, true Christians, will grieve to the extent, as He predicted to them: they will grieve to the extent 2873, - for that reason, He promised them, according to His love for humanity, to always be unestranged, even though it seems that He has been excommunicated; why did he say this word to comfort them: behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age! Having this hope, the faithful with the church joyfully exclaim to Him: "O Divine One! oh kind! oh the sweetest of Your voice! for you promised to be with us until the end of the age, Christ. Whose faithfulness is the affirmation of hope, let us rejoice" 2874. God announced this dearest and sweetest His faithful presence in the Old Testament. God said to Jacob, the holy patriarch: I am the God of your father Abraham: do not be afraid! for I am with you, and I will bless you 2875. And again: I will sleep with you in Egypt, and I will raise it to the end 2876. And yet they say to the chosen Israel: do not be afraid! for I am with you, I do not tempt you: for I am your God, strengthening you, etc. 2877 And again: You are mine: even if you pass through water, I am with you, and the rivers will not cover you: and even if you pass through fire, you will not be burned, and the flame will not burn you 2878. This is how it is written about Saint Joseph, as if God is with him 2879, it is written about Israel: as the Lord is your God, He goes before you, and will not depart from you, He will leave you below 2880. This presence of God with His faithful servants is not the same as with other people and creatures, since God, as omnipresent, everywhere and in every place, is understood - but gracious and comforting and keeping them, as His children, as the holy Moses spoke about in his songs: he will bypass him (Israel). and command him, and preserve him as the pupil of the eye; as an eagle covers its nest, and covers its chicks, etc. 2881 Encouraged by this gracious presence of God, the faithful dare and speak to God with the prophet: even if I walk in the midst of mortal dreams, I will not fear evil, because You are with me 2882; they dare in bonds, prisons, exiles, captivity, captivity, suffering and even death, as the Lord is near them, preserve and save them, and they say with the prophet: God is with us 2883; they say with the psalmist: The Lord will take care of us, and will not leave us alone 2884; they exclaim with the apostle: God is still for us, who is for us 2885? Consider then, beloved Christian, what greater consolation can there be for a God-loving soul than having God present and looking at Him with the eyes of faith? Because God comes with His gracious presence, there is all comfort, joy, and mirth. The psalmist felt this about himself: I will sin with You; you held my right hand, and you guided me with your advice, and you received me with glory. Why are we in heaven? And what do you want on earth? My heart and my flesh will disappear, God of my heart and part of me, God forever 2886. The martyrs of the saint felt pain, and they rejoiced in the most severe sufferings, and triumphed over the devil and his servants. All the saints also felt it, and valiantly endured all the sorrows they encountered. Even now those who work for Him with fear, and cling to Him with faith and love feel: where does all the sweetness and comfort of this world come from, like dung, they despise and abhor, they are satisfied and consoled with this one inner treasure of theirs. Chapter 16. About Christian victory Everyone born of God conquers the world: and this is the victory that conquered the world, our faith. Who is the conqueror of the world, just believe, as Jesus is the Son of God 2887? § 516. There is no victory without a feat, no feat without a battle, no battle without enemies. Christians, slaves of Christ, common and forever, are enemies of the devil with his dark army, his demons and co-habitants. Against this enemy, they have an unceasing war and a feat to offer. When Israel, with a strong hand and a strong arm, got rid of the work of the Egyptian Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, chased after him with his army, although he will enslave himself: so the Christians, the new Israel, who are the essence of Abraham's spiritual children 2888, are being chased by Satan with his dark army, are being chased by dark powers and works those who have been saved by the power of Christ, so that they, in turn, may conquer themselves. Old-law Israel, going to the promised land, many enemies created obstacles and did not let them to that land: so the new Israel, the Christians, the same enemy the devil will not allow to the heavenly homeland, which God promised to those who believe in His name. With this counterpart, Christians have an eternal struggle and struggle. § 517. It must be admitted that this battle and feat is difficult, that the following circumstances show: 1) The enemies of this Christian are not visible, but invisible; not blood and flesh, but heavenly evil spirits, as the apostle says: our war is not against blood and flesh, but against the beginning, and against the authorities, and against the ruler of the darkness of this age, against the heavenly evil spirit 2889. And therefore it is not the same in this spiritual battle as in the battle of this world, where enemies see each other and fear each other. But here our enemies see us, watch what we are doing, what we are starting, what we are doing, our words and our beginning are inclined, they notice; but we do not see them as spirits. - 2) The essence is beyond measure malicious and hostile to us, and in every way seeks to put us down and destroy us. - 3) The essence of cunning and cunning and learned through the art itself over many centuries; they know well how to approach, from what direction to attack, with what weapon to injure whom; they know good and evil, they offer us as poison under the guise of honey, and under the guise of harm, they divert good from us, and they often fight us with our imaginary good, leading us to high spirits. – 4) They never stop fighting us. We sleep and rest, but they never rest, but always and everywhere are awake for our destruction; and when they appear to leave us, then they want to attack us with great eagerness, and hurt us more. – 5) These enemies find their weapons against us in ourselves, and they fight with our weapons. Our corrupt heart is like the vagina of all kinds of instruments with which they injure us. Evil thoughts come from the heart, says Christ, our King 2890. They always shoot at us with these weapons. Our mind, tongue, eyes, ears, and other limbs will be used as instruments of untruth, and thus our conscience will be wounded, and the victory will be taken away from us. - 6) Thus rising up against us, they want neither our names, nor our lands, nor our cities, nor our heads, nor our temporal belly, but what is dearest to the whole world, eternal salvation. Against so many and such enemies, Christians are presented with a battle and a feat: which feat is not with a sleepy eye, nor with a dejected heart, but they must send it cheerfully and sleeplessly, when they want to be unashamed before their Savior Jesus Christ. Where does Christ our King and Lord admonish us: watch and pray, lest you fall into calamity 2891. His holy apostles, His messengers and our princes exhort Him: sober up, be awake, for the devil will be your adversary, like a roaring lion, walking around seeking someone to devour 2892. Pretend to stand, let's watch, let's not fall 2893 . My brother! be strong in the Lord, and in the state of His fortress: put on the whole armor of God, as it will enable you to stand against the wiles of the devil 2894. And again, Christ: keep what you have, and no one will accept your crown 2895. It is clear from these and other admonitions found in the Holy Scriptures how difficult the battle for Christians is with these incorporeal enemies. And the faithful themselves will know their fierce attacks all day long, when through evil thoughts, then their faith, as the foundation of all spiritual bliss, will be destroyed, then love will extinguish their lawless weeds on the fields of their hearts. § 518. Although we have a terrible seed of war, beloved Christian, we should not despair, as we have such a Leader and King, at whose name our enemies tremble. He stands for us and fights; He knows their plots against us, their designs, their tricks, and, like spider webs, he is able to tear them apart and destroy them. This enemy in our ancestors, Adam and Eve, took away our victory, and under his dark power he captured us, and triumphed over us as a terrible giant and a tormentor over the vanquished; but Christ the Son of God interceded for us, fought with our enemy for us and defeated him with all his dark army, took away from him the stolen benefit, returned the captive, and captured the one who captured us, brought us out of his dark power, torture and bitter works, and gave us freedom, yes to Him as the King to the righteous, whose kingdom and power are eternal 2896, with a free spirit we fight and serve, with faith and love we follow our Supreme Leader, Prince, King and Leader. This is our merciful Intercessor, and the all-powerful Conqueror of our enemies encourages us with His power, and revives those who are discouraged: dare! as I conquered peace 2897. He promised to be with us until the end of the age, *to help us, to join forces with us* against our enemies, and to defeat them: I am with you all the days until the end of the age 2898. He does not leave His slaves and warriors, whom He loved and called to this feat; but he helps them, strengthens them, intercedes in necessary cases, and defeats and defeats his enemies in them. For this reason, He gave His servant and warrior a weapon worthy of this feat. Because neither a battle nor a feat is undertaken without weapons, as the battle of this world, where flesh with flesh and man with man fights, can be seen by everyone. § 519. The weapon worthy of this battle and feat is not carnal, just as this battle is not carnal, but spiritual. The spirit is an enemy, and it is not afraid of carnal tools, such as swords, spears, arrows, bows, etc., as it is not injured by them, but rather laughs at them. Our King and Leader Christ has given us weapons or other weapons against him, as the apostle Paul, a brave warrior of Christ, says: the weapons of our army are not carnal, but strong by God for destruction 2899. The weapons of the Christian army are: 1) Faith, as the apostle said: this is the victory that conquered the world, our faith 2900. Faith receives all its strength and strength from Christ the Son of God, on whom, as a firm and unshakable foundation, it is established and strives against Satan and his servants. For this reason, the apostle continued to say: whoever overcomes the world, let him believe that Jesus is the Son of God 2901. Saint Peter also taught us to put on all these weapons and resist the enemy of our devil: he said, resist with firm faith 2902. But faith demands that we, when mobilizing against this adversary of ours, rely not on our own strength and intelligence, strength and art, but on the one in whom we believe, and from him we expect only help, instruction and victory. Because there is no faith there, where there is no hope for the one in whom one believes. And therefore they must despair in their own strength in order to be reliable in the strength of Christ. Whence Saint Paul said: I will boast more sweetly in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me 2903. And the psalmist trusts in Him for strength, and boldly says: O God, let us create strength: and He will destroy those who strive for us 2904. He girds slaves with His power 2905; He teaches their hands to fight, their fingers to fight 2906, as the Lord is strong and strong, the Lord is strong in battle 2907. The Holy Church commands us to rely on this all-powerful defender and dare our children: "The champion of the imam is from Her (the Virgin Mary) who gave birth to the Lord. Dare ubo, dare, people of God! For He will defeat the enemies, as he is all-powerful" 2908 . And in the second place, the poet tells Him: "You are my fortress, Lord, You are my strength!" etc. 2909 But at the same time, one should not become discouraged and lazy, but sober up and stay awake, as St. Peter exhorts: sober up, stay awake 2910 . Because Christ helps those who work, not those who lie down and sleep; and the battle requires a feat. Why does the lazy and sleepy hope in vain for the Helper of Christ. - 2) The word of God is a spiritual sword, according to the words of the apostle: and the spiritual sword, which is the word of God 2911, is also a weapon against enemies. With this weapon, Christ Himself defeated Satan when he was tempted by him in the desert, and against the temptations proposed by him, he brought the Scriptures, with which he put the tempter to shame 2912. Thus, the image was given to us in the necessary cases to fight the enemy with God's help with the same weapon. If it leads us to despair, let us offer God's mercy, promised to repentant sinners. If he exalts himself in pride, we answer him, as we are earth and ashes, and as everyone who exalts himself humbles himself 2913, and God opposes the proud 2914. If he wants to injure us with the love of money, love of pleasure, and other arrows, let us take help against his arrows from the same Scripture. - 3) Against a proud spirit, a spirit of malice, envy, and hatred, a strong and effective weapon is humility, meekness, and love: with these weapons, he is ashamed and gives way. He is proud of himself, he hates him, and it is praiseworthy to hold a grudge against him, as an adversary of God and an enemy of the human race. But they humble themselves before God and men, forgive both men, and love a hating brother - it is a poisonous weapon. To this Christ exhorts: love your enemies, bless those who bow down to you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who harm you and drive you out 2915. And the apostle: do not be defeated by evil, but overcome evil with good 2916. - 4) The strongest and most effective weapon against this weapon is humble, earnest and pure prayer, with which one should always protect himself and prepare and arm himself against the enemy’s attack, but even more so when he attacks us with evil thoughts and wants to wound the heart and our conscience. Because God's almighty help is requested through prayer, and a person, having despaired of his own strength, hopes for God's almighty strength, with which he stands strengthened against his enemy - and he is weak in his strength, but in God's strength - he shames a proud and high-minded spirit, his flesh and blood, which is more stinging to him than any torment. Where does Christ exhort us so strongly to pray: watch and pray, lest you fall into calamity 2917. And he showed how to pray: do not lead us into temptation, Father, but deliver us from the evil one 2918. And the apostle said: pray without ceasing 2919. This is an army of Christian weapons! With this weapon, all the saints armed themselves against the common enemy of the Christian devil; thus they resisted him, and by the power of the King and their Lord they defeated him. We also like to gird ourselves and stand, so that we can resist on the day of February 2920, that is, at the time of his attack on us. § 520. Christian victory in courage, as you can see, consists in patience. In the battle of this world, the one who pursues his enemy and defeats him wins, but in this Christian spiritual battle, this is not the case, but everything is contrary to that. The one who wins here is the one who tolerates the persecuted, does not avenge the offended, blesses the slandered, does not seek the abandoned, does not rebuke the reproved, and generously endures every temptation and malice that comes his way. This is what the apostle says: do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good 2921. This is a Christian victory - to overcome evil with good. As the battle here is spiritual, as the spirit of faith fights and strives with the spirit of malice: so the victory is spiritual, as the spirit of pride is defeated by the spirit of humility, the spirit of malice by the spirit of meekness, the spirit of anger and revenge by the spirit of patience. The Holy Gospel teaches us that Christ, our King and Sustainer, when he entered into the struggle for us, defeated all our enemies with nothing else than the patience of the cross, that is, all suffering. With patience he began, with patience he led, with patience he ended his holy and long-suffering life on earth. He began to carry the cross in his infancy, persecuted by the lawless Herod: the dark kingdom of our enemy, the devil, has begun to be destroyed. He suffered blasphemy and insults from the lawless for the truth: he also suffered the blows of the enemy of the truth. The unrighteous man appeared in judgment, and the Judge of all judges was unrighteous: the prince of this world was also condemned, as he himself said: as the prince of this world he would be condemned 2922. He was nailed to the cross: our opponent was wounded and fell. Thus our slanderer would have been laid low, and thrown to the ground like a dead man, and we would have been given victory over him. The apostles, martyrs and all the saints followed the almighty and terrible Victor Christ, our King; and the defeated enemy was bravely beaten by the strength of the victor. Our Savior gave us this image of victory, and we defeat this enemy of our souls with nothing but patience. Where does St. Chrysostom say: "Christ taught us that the devil likes to be defeated not by signs, but by suffering and long-suffering" 2923. § 521. Are evil people chasing us and making us angry, and not the devil? - True. People are angry, but he, as the chief of evil, uses evil people as his tools. People chased, blasphemed, tortured and crucified Christ, the Son of God; but by his magic it happened. He led people to that with his cunning advice. Wherefore Christ prayed for His crucifixes, as blinded ones, regretting their loss: Father, let them go, for they do not know what they are doing 2924. Also, where the holy martyrs were tortured by wicked kings and their messengers; but he is the boss of all that evil. He strove to lead away and destroy the slaves and soldiers of the holy faith of Christ, but as he himself could not do that by himself, he invented ministers of his own accord, wicked people, through whom he embittered and shed their blood, tormented and crushed their bodies: but he himself overcame them with the faith and power of the crucified Christ with their lawless servants. The same is done today with the faithful; the same opposition and now teaches people to persecute and embitter the servants of God. First of all, he attacks Christians with various temptations through thoughts and charms of the world, and wants to lead them away from Christ; but when he sees them hostile to him, he finds a second way to his evil work, finds people obedient to his will, and through them he persecutes and embitters the people of Christ, so that he does not endure suffering, he will fall away from faith and Christ, and a dark area will fall into him again. This is why it happens that many sorrows will befall the righteous 2925 and all who want to live piously for Christ Jesus will be persecuted: but evil people and sorcerers will succeed, they will seduce and be seduced for the worst 2926 . And those who stand motionless in piety, repel the cunning enemy through thoughts of attack with faith, and the persecution inflicted by evil people, they generously endure: they defeat him, and when they are faithful to the end, they will receive from the Sustainer Christ the crown of truth, according to His words: be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of the stomach 2927. § 522. This truly difficult feat, as stated above! Because it takes a lot of work to fight against the invisible enemy, to overcome the thoughts that he stirs up in our hearts against us, to generously endure troubles and attacks, because through him evil people inflict, swelling pride and malice that arise and want to take place in action, restrain and subdue them - and thus stand against your heart, natural defeat anger, and get rid of yourself (because this feat requires all of this); but glorious is victory! What is more glorious than the weakness of the flesh to be overcome by a strong spirit; will the spirit of pride, malice, envy trample the spirit of humility, meekness and love? To him, as a proud spirit, this is an intolerable ulcer, and it torments him more than the fire of hell, as it overcomes the weak flesh. On this victory, Christ the Exalter looks favorably from heaven, and prepares a crown of glory for the winner. Oh, the holy angels rejoice and sing to their Lord, for such a feat of strengthening His servants. The whole world is surprised at this. Who does not look at this, considering the weakness of the flesh and the strength of the spirit? The wicked themselves tortured the martyrs with patience, whose flesh was tormented like animals, they were amazed. Whence many came to know the truth; and Who was blasphemed and persecuted, Christ, He was glorified with the sufferers, and they believed in Him. Many of them were the winners of the whole world; but here is a single Christian, armed with the power of Christ, defeated. Also, many were universal winners; but they were defeated and captured by this spiritual enemy, and became his eternal slaves. And what is the use of that? what glory People like themselves are to be conquered, but passions, flesh, sin and the devil are to be conquered; order people, and they themselves will be punished by a vile torturer, the devil? Not like a true Christian. He gives way to people who chase him, but he stands against the devil's enemy; He magnanimously tolerates the wounds of man, but invisibly injures Satan the enemy; отъ видимыхых враговъ is driven out, enslaved, cursed, but invisible is chased and trampled by the power of the One, for whose sake the whole world endures and suffers. No feat can be more glorious than this, and no victory can be more glorious. Acknowledging this truth, beloved Christian, if you imagine with faith who and with whom the hero is doing the feat, and what this feat is about. A humble man with a beliar and a prince of darkness, and weak flesh fights with a proud spirit! - About what? About the honor and glory of our King Christ, and about our eternal salvation. One (the devil) wants to dishonor the King of glory, and the warrior will subdue and destroy Him: the other (the Christian) stands for it, does not spare his flesh and blood, exposes his belly, does not give place to the enemy, and thus wins. How do you win? Don't give him what he wants. Christ alone overcame him, and sent the vanquished one to be washed by His servant, saying: I give you the power to step on the serpent and the scorpion, and I will strike with all my might 2928. They want to wrest this victory from the slaves of Christ. Who stands firmly and holds what is given by Christ, according to His words: hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown 2929: he will overcome it. Saint Chrysostom perfectly instructs and encourages Christians to this feat. "This is not the case here, as it is in the ascetics of this world. Because there, if you have not been put down, you have not won: and here, if you have not been put down, you have won; before you are humiliated, you are humiliated. And indeed! There, both are happy in victory; and even if one will be brought down, the second will be crowned: it is not so here, but the devil is afraid of our victory (yes, we will be defeated). Egda ubo ot nego otnymu sie, about chem shchytsya, pobedykh. And a little later: "For he has already fallen, and there is destruction: the victory is not to be married, but to destroy me; for that reason, I will not put down, but I will not be put down, I will win" 2930 . § 523. In the battle of this world, it happens that whoever was defeated at first becomes the victor at the end of the war: so also in this spiritual battle many of the enemy were defeated at first, but at the end, overcome by the grace of God and strengthened by the power of Christ, they persevered well and defeated him. For not the beginning, but the end is praised, and every work is accomplished, and all bliss is described not from the beginning, but from the end. *Blessed is not the one who begins well*, but the one who ends his feat well, and the crown of victory is adorned by the one who receives the final victory over the enemy, even if he was defeated and humiliated before. For the sake of those who are defeated by the enemy of the devil, they should not despair and give themselves to the enemy in eternal joy; but, having called to the aid of the almighty power of Christ the Lord, the Victor of death and hell, arise, and, having shaken off the sleep of laziness and despondency, with His help strive. We can all, while we are in this world, begin a good feat and finish it by the power of the almighty Christ: for to him who believes, all things are possible 2931. He is strong and strong and faithful, Who says to all who believe in Him: take courage, as I have conquered the world 2932, and: I am with you always until the end of the age 2933. Jesus is the Christ yesterday and today, the same and forever 2934, who helped His servants before, so He also helps those who labor and call upon Him. § 524. You can see what is written here, Christian: 1) That Christians are presented with spiritual struggles and feats throughout their lives until death, as Satan fights them to the end; and unceasing feat, as the enemy constantly rises up against them in different ways. - 2) Those Christians who do not feel this battle are in a dire state: as the enemy does not disturb him, whoever is evil against him will be punished, as we can also see this in the battle where man meets man, where the enemy who is being punished does not fight against himself. Otherwise, the enemy of the soul never abandons the one who opposes him and the integrity of his salvation. For it is his desired benefit to put down and destroy a Christian man. - 3) Those who work with passion, such as: fornicators, drunkards, predators, evil-doers, evil-doers, robbers and the like, are clearly captives of the devil's enemy, and they are miserably under his heavy and dark yoke. Wherefore, when they do not want to drink the bitter cup of God's wrath and judgment with him forever, they must feel that they sigh and pray to Christ, the Liberator of captives, and thus by His power they will be freed from this heavy and deadly yoke, but those who were not created as His eternal captives will perish with Him forever. - 4) All such captives do not have the Christian faith, although they are called Christians. For faith strives against every sin, and does not give place to the devil, resists him, as the apostle teaches: resist him (the devil) with firm faith 2935. And when they do not have faith, they are called Christian in vain. Why use a name without the thing itself? Very insignificant! Rather, it leads to greater condemnation, because they were called Christians, and in the very thing they were pagans, and even worse are the pagans, many of whom were removed from such deeds after the enlightenment of the natural mind, which misguided Christians dare to do. - 5) Until then, you can see this, dear Christian, for the sake of which pious true Christians are in all kinds of trouble in this world. Because Satan rises up against them, and what he himself cannot do, he brings into action through evil people, his servants, and makes them angry. For they oppose him; for that reason, he does not stop rebelling against them in order to put them down and bring them under his authority. – 6) It is also clear why evil people live in prosperity for the most part. For the amiable essence of this age is the child, and they please the prince of this age: for that reason, he leaves them alone. Chapter 17. About the end or death of Christians Honorable before God is the death of His Holiness 2936. Be faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of the belly 2937. § 525. As for the external form of death, death is equal to the righteous and the sinful, the pious and the wicked, and in this there is no difference between the pious and the impious. For the pious and the wicked equally fall ill, groan and remain in this belly; like the martyr Christ, his head, hands, and feet are cut off, just like a thief; the martyr is burned, crucified, pierced with a spear, drowned in water, and departs from this belly like a murderer, a thief, and a robber; also, everyone is buried equally in the earth, as the Holy Scripture testifies to this: there is one entrance to life for all, and the same exit 2938. Moreover, even the most animals, like people, die and stop living. But when we come to the inner state and consider what the holy faith presents to us, then we will see the different fates of the pious and the wicked, just as their lives were different in this respect. § 526. The difference between the death of the pious and the impious. 1) Although the pious and the wicked are called sleepers in the Holy Scriptures, as it is said: many of those who sleep in the earth will rise: sow to eternal life, and those to reproach and eternal shame 2939; because they are all awakened and brought to life by the Archangel's trumpet, as sleep is, death is awakened: in the same way, the death of the pious is especially called sleep, as they rest from their labors 2940. Just as those who labor during the day rest well at night: so the pious, who labored in feats of faith and piety to the extent of this, sweetly sleep, rest and rest after their blessed labors, until they are awakened by the trumpet of the Archangel. – 2) Godly things remain temporal and earthly good, but eternal and heavenly things follow: ungodly things that remain temporal also remain eternal. - 3) The pious cease to live temporarily, but begin to live eternally: the impious, ceasing to live temporarily, also cease to live eternally, but change their temporary life to eternal death 2941. – 4) The pious by their labors, sorrows, and illnesses are transferred to peace, coolness, and joy, and are transferred by angels to the bosom of Abraham 2942: the wicked by their joys and luxuries are found in hell in torment 2943. - 5) The pious, comforted in the bosom of Abraham, await the general resurrection, in which, having heard the voice of the Son of God, the flesh will come to life, and, like grass withered in beautiful flowers in the spring, coming out of the graves, they will be clothed in a new, incorruptible and beautiful appearance, and thus they will receive the most perfect from the hand of the Lord Bliss: the wicked, tormenting in hell, await the perfect retribution and torment for their deeds, after union with the bodies with which they transgressed. And so the death of the pious is a gain 2944, as through this death they gain an eternal life: to the wicked it is destruction, as after a temporary death they die eternally. Chapter 18. About the resurrection of Christians Our life is in heaven, and we wait for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humility to be like the body of His glory 2945. It sows in decay, rises in incorruption; one sows not in honor, one rises in glory, etc. 2946 § 527. The human mind, unenlightened by faith, cannot understand the resurrection of the dead. He pretends that just as animal bodies, bent and crumbled into dust, do not rise, neither do human ones. From here, many reasonable opinions arose about the resurrection of the dead, as people followed their reason, which is blind without enlightened faith. Hence the word about the resurrection of the dead is revealed to unfaithful and carnal people. Hence the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and they ask about this Christ; but they accuse him of being ignorant of the scriptures and the powers of God 2947. That is why the Athenians called Paul the holy apostle, as the resurrected evangelist. What do you want this verb to say? And hearing the resurrection of the dead, I cursed 2948. But the lack and impoverishment of the mind is supplemented by holy faith, and what the blind mind does not understand in itself, it enlightens it, and the mind thus enlightened by faith sees it as it would already be in the deed itself. This is also shown by similitudes, here are the natures taken, as Christ said: if a grain of wheat falls on the ground and does not die, it remains one: if it dies, it will bear much fruit 2949. And Saint Paul: crazy! if you sit down, you will not live until you die 2950. But the holy faith, in the word of Christ the Son of God, which is the eternal truth, confirmed, removes all doubts. The dead will be resurrected, and they will be resurrected with those bodies with which they rest in the grave; those bodies that fell will rise; those who sleep in the grave will wake up 2951; those who were sown will rise 2952; the bodies with which either good or evil were done will be resurrected, so that everyone who has dealt with the body will receive either good or evil 2953. As the time is coming, all those in the grave will hear the voice of the Son of God, and good creatures will come forth to the resurrection of the belly, and evil creatures to the resurrection of judgment 2954. Christ rose from the dead, and rose again in the same body with which he suffered and died, and in the beginning he was dead 2955: the dead will also rise again with the bodies with which they died. § 528. How ungodly that resurrection will be, sad and bitter, as those who have copulated with the bodies with which they have transgressed and burned to the extent of this, will descend into hell to enjoy according to their works, according to what is written: let sinners return to hell, all tongues forgetting God 2956: so pious Christ's slaves are comforting, joyful and desirable, as a beautiful spring after winter. Just as grass comes out of the bowels of the earth in the spring and is clothed with various fragrant flowers: so the bodies of the pious from the graves, in which, crushed by the frost of death, they hid, at that time will emerge animated, and will be clothed in a new beautiful form of immortality and eternal glory. For, as the apostle Christ teaches, it sows in corruption and rises in incorruption; it is not sown in honor, it rises in glory; sows in weakness, rises in strength 2957; how Christ will transform the body of our humility, how it will be conformed to the body of His glory, as the apostle preached in the same place 2958. And the apostle John: Beloved, now we are God's children, and it has not appeared to us, what will we do? But we, as one day will appear, will be like Him 2959, so that then the righteous will be enlightened, like the sun, in the kingdom of their Father, according to the words of Christ 2960. A beautiful spring in which such flowers appear on the earth! Blessed and blessed are the beings whose humble bodies are so cold! What joy and sweetness there will be in their hearts when their bodies are so decorated! Then the written word will be fulfilled: death will be devoured by victory: where are you, death, sting? where are you, hell, victory 2961? Consider this beautiful spring, beloved Christian, and seek the grace of Christ to reach the resurrection of the righteous. Chapter 19. About the second coming of Christ § 529. Consolation is consolation, and joy unspeakable follows God's elect. Dressed in the robe of immortality and glory, I will present myself to the joy of the heart to the King of glory, Whom in this measure they served with faith and truth, and with faith for the honor of His name they raised themselves; hear a longing voice from Him: come, blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the arrangement of the world 2962; they will hear the praise of their righteous Judge and King for their faithful service, which they showed Him, striving against sin; they will see their virtues, like spiritual treasures, spoken in full measure in the manifestation, which they did in secret before the heavenly Father for His glory: they will see the house of their heavenly Father, open to them, and the abodes of many 2963; and they will come to Zion with joy, and eternal joy over their head: for over their head is praise and joy, and I will receive joy, I will take away sickness and sorrow and sighing 2964. And so the faithful servants of Christ will enter into the joy of their Lord 2965; blessed eternity will begin with triumph and exclamation of spiritual joys. § 530. It is true that even the pious fear the judgment of God, as no one is without sin. From where they humbly pray to God: do not bring your servant into judgment, as everyone who lives will not be justified before you 2966. However, the holy faith, with which they work for their King Jesus Christ and look to His rich grace, softens their fear and gives comforting news that everyone who believes in Him will not be ashamed 2967. Whence Saint Chrysostom, speaking about that day, said: "That day is desirable for the righteous, but it is terrible for the lawless" 2968. For the sake of which, dear Christian, in order for that day to be not terrible, but desirable, we should think about it more often, and with sincere repentance the righteous Judge will be propitiated, and from now on, the sins that cause that fear in our conscience will be taken away. Chapter 20. About the triumph and glory of God's eternal elect And I heard it as the voice of many people, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of strong thunders, saying: Hallelujah! as the Lord God Almighty will reign. Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him: as the marriage of the Lamb will come, and His wife has prepared herself to eat. And it would be granted to her to be clothed in a clean and bright sleep: in sleep, because the justification of the saints is 2969. § 531. At the end of the righteous judgment of Christ, the elect of God will go with triumph and exclamation into the eternal life: they will bring their faithful servants into the joy of their Lord 2970; I will receive the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, observed in heaven for their sake 2971, I will receive the kingdom, and the crown of the hands of the Lord 2972; they will not be greedy for anyone, they will thirst, and they will not have the sun and all heat to graze on them: as a Lamb, Who is in the middle of the throne, I will feed them, and I will lead them to animal springs of water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes 2973; They will dwell in the holy mountain Jerusalem, which has the glory of God 2974, where there will be no night, and they do not need the light of a lamp, nor the light of the sun, as the Lord God enlightens me: and they will reign forever and ever 2975. Then the working people of the Lord will eat, drink, rejoice and rejoice in the joy of the heart 2976. Just as a mother comforts someone else, so I will comfort you, and in Jerusalem you will be comforted: and you will see, and your heart will rejoice, says the Lord 2977. Радостію возрадуются они о Господѣ , глаголя: да возрадуется душа моя о Господѣ: облече бо мя въ ризу спасенія, и одеждою веселія одѣя мя; put a crown on me like a bridegroom, and decorate me with beauty like a bride 2978. – Возрадуется и Господь о нихъ: и будетъ, якоже радуется женихъ о невѣстѣ, тако возрадуется Господь о тебѣ 2979 . Будутъ видѣть Бога Отца своего лицемъ къ лицу 2980 и узрятъ Его якоже есть 2981 : будетъ и Богъ на нихъ смотрѣть, яко Отецъ чадолюбивый на возлюбленныхъ сыновъ Своихъ. They will see Christ, the Son of God, who redeemed them with His blood; будутъ видѣть въ божественной славѣ Его, Которому здѣ смиреніемъ, любовію и терпѣніемъ послѣдовали, якоже Самъ о семъ молился: Отче, ихже далъ еси Мнѣ, хощу, да, идѣже есмь Азъ, и тіи будутъ со Мною: да видятъ славу Мою, юже далъ еси Мнѣ 2982 . Исполнятся всякихъ даровъ, утѣшенія, радости и сладости Духа Святаго, яко живаго и животворящаго источника. Будутъ имѣть любовную дружбу со святыми ангелами, и съ ними купно во вѣки вѣковъ восхвалять Господа. Then they will gloriously and cheerfully triumph over death, hell and the devil in the joy of the spirit: where are you, death, sting? where are you, hell, victory 2983? A sweet song will be sung: hallelujah! Let's rejoice and be happy and give glory to Him! - Therefore, glory, honor and thanksgiving be to us unworthy, now and forever, and forever and ever, amen! O God the Father, the Son of God, the Only-Begotten, and the Holy Spirit, the Triune God, my Creator, Savior and Provider, unfading Holy, unfalsifiable Truth, Eternal Beloved, infinite Grace, incomprehensible Omnipotence, incomprehensible Wisdom, ever-present Eternity, Beginning without beginning, Power all active, Life of all living! live me, enlighten me and enlighten me, so that I may see Your love and goodness, which You have shown to the human race. Amen! Notes to volumes II - III The work "On True Christianity", included in the present edition in volumes II and III, was written by St. Tikhon in the first years of his stay in the Zadonsk monastery, namely in 1770–1771. - The whole composition was written by the saint himself and was divided into 6 bound volumes. Unfortunately, of the 6 volumes, only two have been preserved in the originals (at least in the libraries mentioned below): one is kept in the library of Sophia, near Usmana, the women's monastery, which became the monastery, together with other authentic works of the saint, that is, his companion John; the second - in the library of the Sarov desert. Where the rest of the volumes are, remains unknown for now, despite everything produced by the publishers. The surviving originals include one (Sophiisky, in 4-volume, 325 l.) Article five, covering, according to the current edition, pages. 172–337; the second (Sarovsky, in 4-ku, on 63 l.) Articles six and seven, embracing, according to the present edition, pages. 337–370. Therefore, with the originals (according to the typ. No. 3, 4) only specified Articles are included; the rest are similar to the 1st edition. A remarkable fact from the history of the writing of the work "On True Christianity" is reported by the saint's companion. - A characteristic fact, showing the mood in which the author wrote his essay, and to what degree he penetrated his subject. "One day, eyewitnesses say, when the saint was busy writing the book On True Christianity, he was thinking about the suffering of Christ the Son of God, sitting on the bed, against which a picture was nailed on the wall, representing the crucified Christ, all wounded, wounded, martyred, bloodied. Then, with great joy and heartfelt sympathy, a wonderful vision happened to him: the second time he got up from the bed and, rushing to the Savior's feet to lick them, uttered the following words: and are you, my Savior, coming to me? - feeling like at the feet of the Savior. At that time, he began to delve even more deeply into thinking about His sufferings and the redemption of the human race" (Notes on the life of St. Tikhon and his charioteer Yv. Eym.). The work "On True Christianity" appeared in print for the first time in 1785 (Spb. by Shnor). In this edition, as well as in all the later 4th editions (1803 Spb., 1826 Spb., 1836 M. and 1860 M.), this work was titled as follows: "On true Christianity, a work containing the science of true faith, about the sanctity of life, about saving repentance, about heartfelt tenderness, about the forgiveness of sins and about the existence of true and non-false Christians, and how a true Christian can defeat sin, death, the devil, peace and all evil". But back in 1821, the compiler of the Survey of Russian Bibliography noticed that "the author put only two opening sentences on the title of his book: about true Christianity; the bookseller (Moscow merchant Timoëi Polezhaev), who trusted that it was printed, considering this title insufficient for trade, supplemented it, word for word, from the book under the same title written by John Arndt, although these two compositions, apart from the titles, have nothing in common with each other similarities" (Experience of Russian bibliography No. 11, 792–3). Op. See John Arndt's "On True Christianity". according to the edition of 1735 in Hall (rare, according to the same Sopykov, ex. of this exact edition, see in the collection of old-fashioned books under Rumyants. Muz. 157): because in later editions, p. Arndt's title has been changed; it remained, and until now, in all 6 volumes, it was kept only in the edition written by Saint Tikhon, despite the fact that Sopykov's note about the fictional addition to the title was repeated almost verbatim in the biography of the saint, which was attached right there, to his most written works. - Since Sopykov's remark about this arbitrary, and unfortunate addition, which is far from exhaustive of the contents of the book, was fully confirmed, and the original, in view of this, in the present edition, this addition has been removed from the title. The work "On True Christianity" in the former editions (starting with the 3rd) was divided into 6 parts. In the present edition, it is divided into two books, with the division of the first book into two parts and the last: the 1st into 4 Articles and the 2nd into 3; second book on 8 Articles. The author himself divided his work according to its content (see §§388, 392, 397, 398, 404, 419, 420, 426, 429, 514.) As for the text itself, when comparing it with the originals and a part of it with the 1st edition, it turned out that, apart from the second general editions, the work of the saint, deviated from the original, had especially many omissions, and mainly in those articles that were compared with the originals. In these two volumes, as well as in the others, only those places that were included in the edition not from the original, but from the 1st edition, are highlighted (with asterisks). The work "On True Christianity" has always enjoyed special attention among the sons of the Orthodox Church. "Tykhon's True Christianity," commented Moscow Metropolitan Platon about this book, "is a spiritual treasure: it should be before everyone's eyes." (Moscow. 1843, No. 4, p. 470, and Most Reverend Tikhon I, Bishop of Voronezh. Moscow, 1844, p. 32). Another, famous in his time, book writer (the late Metropolitan Yevgeny of Kyiv in the biography of St. Tikhon) spoke about this work as follows: "This work can be compared with all the best moral books in Christianity, and in the Russian language it is the first and exemplary. It is not only a sufficient library for all those who wish to engage in sound Christian moral education, but also for those who want to be genuine Christian and not metaphysical preachers of the Gospel teachings. It is also known that Mikhail, Metropolitan of Novgorod, who was a Moscow priest, read this composition in his church (John the Warrior, near the Kaluga Gate) during the Great Fast, during matins and hours, and attracted so many listeners that "in these days, according to an eyewitness. the church was filled with people coming even from other, distant parishes, and despite the fact that the service with the teachers was quite long, no one left the church, no one decided to break the silence in the church." (Essay on the life of Mikhail, Metropolitan of Petersburg and Novgorod. M. 1857, p. 16; Moskvit. 1843, No. 4, p. 470). "A beautiful essay on true Christianity, noted by the author of the History of the Russian Church (Filar. 1848, trans. 5, page 68), although it does not have systematic rigor, but it is imbued with a true Christian spirit and is original from beginning to end." On page 158, volume II, ch. 4: About vain and charming decorations. It was published in the spiritual magazine "Strannyky". with the name of St. Tikhon, an article under the title: chapter on the decoration of vanity, and accompanied by the following note from the editors: "The article placed here (together with others, placed here) is a handwritten notebook that was written by St. Tikhon for one of his spiritual daughters and communicated to us by His Holiness Agathangelom, bishop of Vyatka and Slobodsk. In the chapter "On Vanity Decoration" we find corrections made by the author's own hand, and one and a half pages are attributed to them in his own hand. This "chapter" in its most extensive form was part of the saint's larger work "On True Christianity" (August 1891). - The last indication refers to the 4th chapter, printed in this edition on the above-mentioned pages. As for the short edition, in addition to the above, it is not superfluous to note that in this version, the chapter on decorating vanity is an excerpt from the lessons taught by St. Tikhon, during his time as rector and theological teacher of the Tver seminary, to the students of this seminary. These lessons, as is known, eventually served as the basis for an extensive composition of the saint: About true Christianity: several chapters from the seminary lessons were included in this composition almost unchanged; but some, in the form of writings intended not for school, but for public reading, were subjected to careful revision by the author and partly changed, partly supplemented (cf. the passage from the seminal lessons, printed at the end of the 1st volume of the current edition, article on sin). With such changes and additions, it was included in the soch. About true Christianity, among others, and a chapter about decorating with vanity. - When sending his compositions to lists, the saint sometimes made special notes on them, according to the special needs of the person to whom he was referring. Such, according to its origin, is the above-mentioned postscript made by the saint for his spiritual daughter. - Since a sample of the short edition of the essay "On True Christianity" is already presented in the above-mentioned excerpt from the seminar lessons, it is considered sufficient to include only the lines assigned at the end of the chapter in the present edition: they are not in the long chapter. - After the words with which this chapter ends in the essay "On True Christianity", namely: and for them that adornment does not happen without sin (following the next ed. p. 166, col. 2), the saint writes in his own hand: "It is a shame and shame for women to adorn themselves vainly, powder their hair, smear their faces, cover their necks with stones, put on multi-colored, long and wide dresses, expose their breasts almost naked, bare their arms almost to the elbows. Such wives dishonor the Christian faith and show a sign of thinness. I advise every woman to leave this nonsense, and not to listen to what anyone says about this and not to watch what people of the present age are doing. There are very few survivors. Read the Gospel, the Apostle and other books, and you will see that, hey, I am writing the truth. The Christian path is narrow and a sorrowful life. Today, people love space: in food, in drink, in dishes, dresses, horses, carriages, in addressing everyone, in insults, slander, in the pursuit of honor, glory, wealth, etc. O vanity, trouble, fear, eternal destruction!" "Know, Christian, that there is no, even the smallest, benefit where the soul is harmed. What in the world, when the soul perishes? Let all glory, wealth and luxury perish, if only the soul would be saved. Avert my eyes, O Lord, that I may not see vanity (Ps. 118)". 1 Pet. 2, 9; Deyan. 26, 18; Ef. 5, 8. 2 Cor. 6, 18; Jer. 3, 19; Wasp 1, 10. Yak 1, 12; open 2, 10. Eur. 2, 11, 12; Ps. 21, 23. Lk. 2, 9–14; Mf. 2, 1, 2, 9, 10. Ef. 1, 3; 1 Pet. 3, 9; Gal. 3, 9. Psalm 90, 15; 1 Pet. 5, 10. Demon 2nd on the 1st post. to Tim Ps. 2, 11; Phlp. 2, 12; 1 Pet. 1, 17. Mf. 20, 1–7; 22, 2–9; Lk. 14, 17–23. Rome. 14, 11; Phlp. 2, 10; Is. 45, 23. 1 Pet. 2, 9; Deyan. 26, 18; Qty. 1, 13. Rome. 4, 11; Gal. 3, 17, 29. Dan. 4, 31; Ps. 144, 13. Bes 22nd in character. on the post to Ephesus. 1 Cor. 15, 20–23; Qty. 1, 18. 1 Cor. 15, 54, 55; Wasp 13, 14.