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Let us take care to always have the Lord with us and that He will always prosper in our affairs. Whoever has been awarded this help will laugh at them even in the midst of troubles and will not put them in anything, because the Lord creates everything for him and arranges it well, helps him in everything and makes difficult things easy. How can we always have the Lord with us and receive prosperity from Him in everything? If we are always sober and vigilant, we will remember that everything must be done with such care that we will never be condemned by the Lord, that it is impossible for anyone to hide from His vigilant Eye, and that the sinner must certainly be punished. Let us not prefer human fear to the wrath of God, but let us always remember the words of Joseph: “How... will I do this great evil and sin before God?” (Gen. 39:9). If any thought confuses us, then let us bring this saying to our minds - and every impermissible desire will immediately disappear. If anyone were carried away by a carnal desire, or a passion for money, or some other reckless pleasure, then let him immediately imagine that we have a Judge, from Whom even secret desires cannot hide. [By doing this], we will completely escape the wiles of the devil and receive great help from above (1). Do you have bad thoughts? Do not take them out through words, let them lie below and soon die out. We are people who often harbor many vicious, obscene and shameful thoughts; but let us not allow these thoughts to turn into words, so that, squeezed below, they weaken and perish. Just as someone who has thrown various ferocious animals into a pit, if he closes this pit from above, he will easily strangle them, and if he leaves at least some way out and even a small opportunity to breathe, then he will give them great relief and not only will not strangle them, but will make them even more ferocious, so it happens with vicious thoughts when they arise inside. If we block their exit to the outside, we will soon destroy them; and if we release them through words, allowing them to catch their breath through the tongue, then we make them stronger and from engaging in shameful words we soon fall into the abyss of obscene deeds (4). Just as someone who has allowed enmity in his home and does not live in harmony with his wife will not have confidence when he begins to reconcile others, but will hear the words: “doctor! heal yourself” (Luke 4:23), so exactly what we will hear here. What kind of enmity do we have? Enmity of the soul with the body, of vice with virtue. Let's stop this hostility, let's destroy this warfare; then we will admonish others in peace and with great boldness, without reproaches of conscience. Wrath opposes meekness, covetousness opposes contempt of wealth, envy opposes benevolence. Let's stop this warfare, overthrow these enemies, set up these trophies, and establish peace in our city. After all, we have our own city and administration, citizens and many aliens. Let us drive out the aliens so that our citizens are not corrupted. Let no foreign and unhealthy teaching, no carnal wisdom, enter into our midst. Do we not see that if one of the enemies is caught in the city, he will be tried as a spy? Let us drive out the aliens, or, better yet, not only the aliens, but also the enemies. If we notice any thought hostile to us, but hiding behind the clothes of a citizen, we will hand it over to the boss - the mind. We have many such thoughts, hostile in essence, but hiding behind sheep's skin. Just as the Persians, taking off their tiara, trousers and shoes and putting on other clothes that we use, cutting their hair naked and speaking the local language, hide their enmity under this outward appearance, and if you subject them to torture, you will reveal what is hidden, so here: subject this thought to a thousand tortures - and you will immediately see hostile wisdom (10). You might be interested in: