Книга 4 323

11 (Maur. 29). Ambrose Irenaeus 1. When, while reading, I allowed myself to relax my attention a little, distracted from the night’s work, 324 I began to repeat in my mind the verse that sounded to us in the evening during the all-night vigil: τῶν ἀνΟρώπων (Ps. 44.3) 3. Ώ ς ὡ ραῖοι οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζόντων αὐτόν! (Rom. 10.15; Isa. 52.71). 325 Truly, there is nothing more beautiful than that highest Good, the very foreshadowing of Which is so beautiful, but especially beautiful is the endless procession of the word about It and, so to speak, the traces of the apostolic preaching. 326 However, who is able to walk on them? Those whom God has granted not only to proclaim Christ, but also to suffer for Him. 2. Let us, as far as possible, direct our spirit towards this, abide in this, and accept into our souls what is beautiful, worthy, good, so that from the light and splendor of it our soul will be beautified and our mind will be enlightened! For if our eyes, when they are covered with a certain painful veil, are saturated with the greenery of the fields and the sight of groves or a hill overgrown with grass, then any distortion characteristic of diseased vision disappears and the pupils themselves already look healthy and their circles are bright - all the more so the eye of the mind, when it contemplates That highest Good and abides in It and eats from It, 327 it is also filled with radiance and lustre, so that it may be as it is written: “As my soul is satisfied with fat and oil” (Ps. 63:6). Finally, those who wisely received the souls of their flock feed them with field herbs, 328 so that they have something to eat, for sweet herbs make lambs fat, and the milky juice is healthier. All these pastures were known to the rich who ate and were satisfied, 329 for there are good pastures of faith in which the saint of God dwells. 330 3. Therefore, there is also hay, which feeds the flocks of sheep, giving the wool of wisdom and the cover of prudence. And perhaps this is the mountain hay on which the words of the prophet descend like snow on hay (Deut. 32.2) and which the wise man diligently gathers so that there will be sheep for clothing (Prov. 27.26) for him, that is, for a spiritual covering. Consequently, the soul has its food and clothing if it cleaves to that highest good, which is divine, which the Apostle Paul urges to seek, so that through the knowledge of it we all become partakers of the divine nature. 331 4. The good God reveals the knowledge of it to His saints and bestows it from His good treasury, 332 as the sacred law testifies, which says that the Lord swore to your fathers to give you and to open His good treasury, and from this heavenly treasury He sends rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hands (Deut. 28:11-12). Rain is the eloquence of the law, which irrigates 333 that very fertile soul that does good deeds, so that it acquires the moisture of grace. 5. David sought such knowledge, as he himself notes, saying: I asked one thing of the Lord, this only do I seek, that I might abide in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to contemplate the beauty of the Lord and to visit His church (Ps. 27.4). Then in the same psalm he immediately adds: I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Ps. 26:13). For here they seek Him, but there they see Him in fullness, face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). This goodness is in the house of God, in this hiding place and peace. 334 Therefore again he says: Let us be satisfied with the good things of Your house, Your holy church (Ps 64:5). In another place he expressed that this is the highest blessing, saying: The Lord will bless you from Zion, and you will see the blessings of Jerusalem (Ps. 127.5). Therefore, blessed is he who dwells there in the refuge of faith and the refuge of the mind, in the abode of piety, the community of virtue. 6. So, let us abide and remain in what Isaiah says: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of peace, who bring good news (Rom. 10:15; Isaiah 52:7)! Who are these preachers of the gospel, if not Peter, if not Paul, if not all the apostles? What do they preach to us, if not the Lord Jesus? He is our peace (Eph. 2.14), He is that highest Good, for He Himself is Good from Good; for from a good tree they receive good fruit. 335 Therefore, the spirit of the one who takes from Himself 336 and leads the servants of God onto the right path is also good. 337 Who, having the spirit of God in himself, will deny the good in himself, if the Lord Himself says: Or is your eye envious because I am good (Matthew 20:15)? Let this “good,” which God generously gives to those who ask Him 338, come into our soul, into the very depths of our mind. He is our treasury, 339 He is our way, 340 He is our wisdom, our truth, 341 our Shepherd and Good Shepherd, 342 He is our life. Do you see how many benefits are in one Good? 7. These blessings were foretold to us by the evangelists. Seeking these blessings, David says: Who will show us good? (Ps. 4.7), and shows that God Himself is Good, adding: The light of Your face has been imprinted on us (Ps. 4.7). Who is the brightness of the Father, if not the radiance of glory (Heb. 1:3) and the image of the invisible God (Col. 1:15), in whom the Father is seen and glorified, as He Himself glorifies His Son? 343 8. So, the Lord Jesus Himself is the highest Good, announced to us by the prophets, 344 preached by the angels, 345 promised by the Father, preached by the apostles. Who came to us like ripening, and not just like ripening, but like ripening on the mountains (Is. 52.7), so that there would be nothing cutting, nothing immature in our judgments, nothing harsh, nothing rude in our deeds and habits. Who came first, preaching good things, which is why he says: I, He who spoke, I am here (Is. 52.6), that is: I, Who spoke in the prophets, “I am here” in the body received from the Virgin. I am here, the inner image of God (Col. 1.15), the image of the hypostasis (Heb. 1.3), and I am here as a man. But who will recognize (Jer. 17.9) Me? After all, they saw a man, but by works 346 they believed that He was higher than man. Was He not like a man when He mourned Lazarus, and higher than a man when He resurrected him? 347 Was He not like a man when He was beaten, 348 and again above a man when He took upon Himself the sin of the world? 349 9. So, let us hasten to Him in Whom is the highest good, for He Himself is Goodness, He Himself is the Patience of Israel (Jer. 14.8), calling you to repentance, so that you will not come to judgment, 350 but you will receive remission of sins (Matthew 26.28). Create, He says, repentance (Matthew 4:17)! He is the One about whom the prophet Amos exclaims: seek good (Amos 5:14). He is that supreme Good, He Who needs nothing 351 and abounds for everyone. It is easy for Him to abound in Whom all the fullness of the Divinity dwells bodily (Col. 2:9). It is easy to abound in Him, from whose fullness we have all received (John 1:15) and in Him we are complete (Col. 2:10), as the evangelist says. 10. So, this is the true and highest Good, as the soul felt it with its ability to feel 352 and enjoy, and drew on these two of its feelings, and experiences an incredible thirst, excluding pain and fear. After all, the one who kissed the Word of God does not know the measure and is not satisfied, saying: You are sweet, O Lord, and in Your pleasantness teach me Your justifications (Ps. 119.68). She who has kissed the Word of God thirsts for Him above all beauty, loves above all joy, delights above all flavors, longs to see often, constantly to listen, longs to be attracted, 353 to follow. 354 Myrrh, he says, poured out is Your name, therefore we, the youths (Song. 1.2) love You, therefore we try, but cannot embrace You. Draw us so that we can flee, so that from the fragrance of Your peace we may perceive the virtue of following You. 11. She also hastens to see the hidden mysteries, the very peace of the Word, the very abode of this highest Good, His light and clarity, in the very bosom and peace of the Father. She is in a hurry to hear His speeches and, when she hears, she values ​​them above all sweetness. Let the prophet, who tasted and said, teach you: How sweet are your words to my throat! Better than honey to my lips (Ps. 119.103). For what else does a soul strive for, which has once tasted the sweetness of the Word, which has once seen its clarity? Moses, being on the mountain for forty days, accepting the law, did not seek food for the body. 355 Elijah, hastening to this peace, asked that his soul be taken from him. 356 Peter, having himself seen the glory of the Lord's resurrection on the mountain, did not want to go down, saying: Lord, it is good for us to be here (Matthew 17:4). What, therefore, is the glory of the divine essence, what are the blessings of the Word, into which the angels also desire to penetrate (1 Peter 1:12). 12. So, the soul that sees them no longer seeks this body and understands that proximity to it lowers it, renounces the world, 357 frees itself from the shackles of the flesh, and removes from itself all the fetters of pleasure. So, Stephen saw Jesus and was not afraid of being stoned, and even when he was beaten, he prayed not for himself, but for his destroyers. 358 Likewise, Paul, being caught up to the third heaven, did not know whether he was in the body or outside the body; caught up, I emphasize, into paradise, he no longer felt his own body and heard the words of God 359 and was ashamed to descend again to bodily infirmities. 360 13. And so, knowing what he saw in paradise or what he heard, he exclaimed: Why do you, as living ones, cling to this world? Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle anything that decays from use (Col. 2.20-22). 361 For he wanted us not to be in the image of this world, not in its dominion and service, so that we would use this world as if we were not using it, 362 as if passing by, and not as if abiding, as if wandering in the vision of the world, without any attachment to it, so that by the quickest reasoning we would bypass the very vision of this world. Finally, he himself, walking by faith, not by sight, 363 wandered, moving away from the body, dwelled with the Lord 364 and, while on earth, revolved not in the earthly, but in the heavenly. 365 14. So, our soul, if it wants to get closer to God, let it rise above the body and always cling to that highest, that Good, which is divine, which always exists, and which was from time immemorial, and which was with God (John 1:1), that is, to the Word of God. It is that divine thing by which we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). The same thing that was in the beginning (John 1.1), the same thing that is. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, it is said, is in you (2 Cor. 1.19), in whom there was no “yes” and “no”; but in Him there was “He is.” He Himself said to Moses as He said: Jehovah has sent Me (Ex. 3:14). 15. So, if such is our soul, and such, if it can, will always be so that each of us can say: My soul is always in Your hands (Ps. 119.109). But it will be if he remains not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if he does not mix with earthly things. When she leans towards the carnal, then bodily pleasure creeps into her, then she burns with anger and indignation, then she is dejected by sadness, then she is exalted in pride, then she is consumed by pain. 16. All these are serious illnesses of the soul, which for the most part lead it to death, if its eyes are blinded and therefore do not see the true light of the glory and wealth of the eternal inheritance. 366 If she always directs them to God, then she will receive from Christ the brilliance of wisdom, in order to have vision enlightened by the knowledge of God, in order to see that hope of our calling, 367 to contemplate what is pleasing 368 and perfect. For whatever is good pleases the Father, whatever pleases is perfect, as you read in the Gospel, where the Lord says: Love your enemies, in imitation of the Father, who sends rain on the righteous and on the unjust (Matthew 5:44, 45), which is characteristic of goodness. And then in conclusion He says: Be ye perfect, as your Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48), who is in heaven. For love is perfect; this is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10). And who is good to the same extent as love, which thinks no evil (1 Cor. 13:5)? 17. And therefore let her flee the lands where envy is found, where vanity is found, where strife is found. Therefore, let your soul show itself receptive to this good, so that it flies above the clouds, is renewed like an eagle, 369 like an eagle, sheds its feathers, so that, having renewed the equipment of its wings, 370 it is not afraid to rush to heights and leave this abode, for the earthly abode burdens the soul (Wis. 9.15). Let him put off the old things, 371 give up the attachment to error, wash his eyes to see this source of true wisdom, 372 this source of eternal life, 373 which flows and abounds for everyone, not needing anything. For who gave to Him, if all things are from Him, by Him and in Him (Rom. 11:35–36)? 18. Consequently, this good is the source of eternal life, from which the substance of life will be given to everyone, and He Himself has life abiding from no one, as if one who has nothing, does not accept, but gives benefits to others; He doesn’t take it for himself from somewhere and doesn’t need ours. That is why He speaks on behalf of man, for You do not need my blessings (Ps. 15:2). 374 So what is more beautiful than drawing closer to Him, clinging to Him? Is there greater pleasure? After all, the one who has seen and drank freely from the source of living water (Rev. 21.6), what else can he desire, what kingdoms, what power, what money, 375 - if he understands how pitiful the fate of kings is, how changeable the position of the state is, how short the extent of this life is, how much slavery there is in power itself, when you live not according to your own will, but at the discretion of others? 19. But which of those who have property passes into eternal life if not the one who has accumulated property consisting of virtues? It, which exists for everyone, is declared impossible only for the rich. 376 Therefore, bliss does not consist in enjoying these blessings, but in seeing that for the sake of which you will despise them, and consider them devoid of truth, 377 and reject them, and call them empty and worthless, having loved the beauty of naked truth, exposing this counterfeit worldly vanity. 20. So lift up your eyes, O soul, those eyes about which the Word of God tells you: You have captivated our heart, My sister bride, you have captivated Our heart with one glance of your eyes (Song. 4.9). Climb the palm tree, 378 conquer the world, 379 to acquire the height of the word. Leave this image of the world out, leave evil out! 380 Bring inside the goodness of mind, which found grace on the tree of life (Rev 22.14), - as if she washes her clothes and enters the city, which is the true homeland of the saints, 381 where the tabernacle of God is located, and the scribes of the Lord are located around it, and there is no day there, and neither the sun nor the moon serves, but the Lord Himself is the Light that enlightens this whole city. 382 For He is the Light of the world, not as visible light, but as the intelligible lightness of the souls who are in this world, onto which He sheds the brilliant light of reason and wisdom and, as it is said in the Gospel, with the breath of incorporeal virtue ignites the innermost recesses of the mind and soul. 383 21. So, if someone has become a resident of this highest city, 384 a resident, we must understand, by way of life and by moral qualities, then he does not retreat from it, does not leave, does not shy away from his step, does not look back. 385 Behind is luxury, behind is impurity; Thus, Lot, having ascended the mountain, left behind the crimes of Sodom, 386 and she who looked back could no longer rise higher. 387 Therefore, let it not be your feet, but your moral qualities that turn back. May your hands not become weak and your knees not weak. 388 Let your will not be unsteady and wavering, and let there be no return to crimes. You joined - stay! You have come - remain! When saving, save your soul (Gen. 19.17)! 22. As you ascend, walk straighter! No one returns from there unharmed. Here is a path, there is a fall, here is an ascent, there is an abyss. For the ascendant this is work, for the descendant it is danger. But the Lord is strong, 389 Who protects you, established there, behind the fence of the prophetic walls and apostolic towers. Therefore the Lord says to you: Come in, trample, for the time has come for the grape harvest (Joel 1:13). May we remain within and not without! And in the Gospel the Son of God says: Let him who is on the housetop not come down to take his vessels. 390 But He is not talking about this roof, but about that one: He stretched out the sky like a vault. 391 23. So abide within, within the walls of Jerusalem, within your soul, peaceful, 392 meek and calm. Do not come out of it and do not go down to raise your vessel, the one with honors or riches or pride. Stay inside so that foreigners do not pass through you, 393 sins, vain actions and empty thoughts do not pass through your soul. They will not pass only if you start a holy war, 394 fighting for faith and piety, for the pursuit of truth against the temptations of the passions, and if you raise the weapon of God against the spirits of malice and the wiles of the devil, 395 who attacks our feelings with lies and deceit, but who can easily be overthrown by a meek warrior (Joel 4:11), one who does not sow discord, but, as befits a servant of God, he teaches the faith with meekness and instructs his opponents. 396 Scripture says about him: Let the meek one be a warrior (Joel 4:11). And the weak one says: I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). 24. Having been filled with this faith, the one who is weak will become strong, and his soul will be holy 397, and the prophetic or apostolic mountains will exude sweetness and the hills will flow with milk (Joel 3.18), like the hill that gave milk to the Corinthians, 398 and water will flow to him from his vessels and from the sources of his wells, 399 or from His belly is living water, 400 that is, spiritual water, which the Holy Spirit gives to His faithful, He who is worthy to water your soul, so that in you there will be an abounding source of water flowing into eternal life (John 4:14). Farewell and love us like a son, for we love you with parental love. 12 (Maur. 30). Ambrose Irenaeus 1. When I finished the previous letter and gave it to you, it came to my mind that the Lord spoke through the prophet Haggai: Is it time for you to live in your carved houses (Hag. 1.4)? What does this mean if not that one should live in mountain villages, and not in low-lying and underground ones? For those who live underground cannot build the church of God 401 and say: The time has not yet come, not the time to build the house of the Lord (Hag. 1.2), because it is typical for the pampered to strive underground, seeking frost in summer, for otherwise they, relaxed from pleasures, cannot endure and survive the heat and therefore seek shady depths, or because in lazy idleness they spend their leisure time underground, for all gloomy and dark are more pleasant to those who hope to hide their crimes in darkness, as it is said: Around me there is darkness and walls: whom should I fear (Sirach. 23.25)? But they hope in vain for this, for God sees the depths of the abyss and hidden places and knows everything to Him even before it was created. 402 2. But neither Elijah nor Elisha dwelt underground. One carried the dead son of a widow to the upper room, where he was accustomed to being (1 Kings 17:19) and raised him there; to another, the Shunammite, that same great woman (2 Kings 4:10), as Scripture says, arranged a guest rest in the upper room 403 and there she was honored to conceive offspring, which she did not have, and subsequently saw the miracle of the resurrection of her child. 404 What can we say about Peter, who, having ascended to the top of the house at the sixth hour, 405 learned the sacraments of the baptism of the pagans? 406 The parricide Absalom erected a monument to himself in the royal valley, and when he died, he was thrown into a ditch. 407 The saints ascend to the Lord, but the dishonest descend to vices; saints on the mountains, criminals in the valleys; for the Lord is the God of the mountains, and not the God of the valleys (1 Kings 20:28). 3. Consequently, those who were there dwelt in low houses, in which God does not live, and could not have the house of God in them. And it was precisely this house that the Lord wanted from them, so that they would edify themselves and build within themselves the church of God from the living stones of faith. 408 For He did not desire the construction of earthly walls or the timber of forest peaks, which, if they existed, could be destroyed by the enemy's hand, 409 but He sought that church that is built in the souls of people, those to whom it will be said: you are the church of God (1 Cor. 3.16), in which the Lord Jesus will live and from where He will come out to redeem everyone, so that in the womb of the Virgin he will find a sacred palace, 410 in which he will the Heavenly King will dwell, and the human body will become the church of God, which, having been destroyed, will be erected again in three days. 4. But this church is not built by those greedy for pleasure, those who live in carved houses and delight in carved silver. 412 Simple silver is like dirt for them, and a simple dwelling itself is also dirt. They fancifully round out the rooms in their houses, and build on them with superstructures, adding house to house (Is. 5:8) and villa to villa. They dig the earth so that its thickness also opens up before their dwellings, and as if the sons of the earth are hiding in its womb and hiding in its belly. It is about them that Jeremiah speaks: O you who build your house in unrighteousness (Jer. 22:13). For those who build with righteousness build not on earth, but in heaven. 5. “You built,” it is said, “a house, you sized its spacious rooms, separated by windows, lined with cedar, and painted with cinnabar (Jer. 22:14). However, the one who measures the upper rooms is the one who, having reflected on the judgment of God, judges with the judgment of the humble and the judgment of the poor. 413 The one who is possessed by greed and thirsts for the blood of the innocent, builds chambers of iniquity 414 and does not know the measure, for he does not have Christ in himself and does not ask for the breath of divine grace to wash over him, and does not seek luminous splendor, and he does not have banquet chambers painted with cinnabar, and it is impossible to say to him: Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon (Song. 4.3 ). This one, it is said, will not be buried. 415 6. For the one who buries himself alive in the ground 416 and, as if burying him in a tomb, steals from himself, the dead, the peace of burial. So, the one who reclines in the valley of bodily pleasures does not find a tomb from which he could rise. Such a man does not build the church of God, for he does not know the time of correction 417 (Heb. 9:10) of his own. For how can such people build a church, those who, like predators and beasts, hide in the caves of predators and the dens of beasts, and plunge into serpentine crevices, and dig holes like the treacherous fox? 7. But he who dies prematurely does not even build a tomb for himself - for he died alive, 418 - and does not hear the voice of Haggai, that is, the feaster, as the interpretation explains, because he does not enter the tabernacle of God in the voice of rejoicing and confession of the noise of the feast (Ps. 41.5). For how can anyone hear his voice who does not see his deeds? After all, if he had seen, he would have heard the word that was spoken through him, 419 admiring her deeds, when he knocked and it was opened to him, 420 and God descended into his soul to eat there the food of purity and truth (1 Cor 5.8). 421 8. Therefore, since he did not hear, the word is spoken again through Haggai, and he says: Arise from the carved houses, burdened with vice, and go up to the mountain of the heavenly Scriptures, and cut down the tree 422 of wisdom, the tree of life (Rev. 22.14), the tree of knowledge (Gen. 2.9) and correct your ways (Jer. 18. 11), order your affairs, that they may have the proper order, which is necessary and profitable for the building of the house of the Lord. 423 9. For if you do not do this, then heaven will not give its dew, that is, heavenly conversation, which falls like dew on hay (Deut. 32.7), will not cool the hot movements of bodily passions and will not quench the fiery arrows 424 of hostile lusts, and its earth, then the net of the soul, will not give fruit, 425 will dry up and will not be filled with the moisture of the word of God and will not be watered with the dew of heaven, the generosity of spiritual grace. 426 10. And know that those who live in the dungeons are lazy and greedy for pleasures, He says: I will awaken the spirit of Zerubbabel from the tribe of Judah, and of Jesus, the son of Jozadak, the great priest (Hag. 1:14), to encourage the building of the house of God. After all, if the Lord does not build a house for Himself, those who build it will labor in vain (Ps. 126.1). Zerubbabel himself is “constant abundance,” 427 “the source of life,” 428 and the Word of God, through whom are all things, and from whom are all things, and all things are in Him. 429 This is what Abundance says: If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink (John 7:37) - this is a stream of an unfailing stream. We also read about Zebulun, the night stream, that is, the prophetic; but he too already shone, mingling with this current, through which the flood of vanity, 430 personified by Jezebel, dried up: she, hostile to the truth and an opponent of the prophetic words, was torn to pieces by the teeth of dogs, so that not a trace of her remained, but her whole body and all memory of her offspring disappeared. 431 So, Zerubbabel himself is from the tribe of Judah, Jesus himself, the great priest (Hag. 1.1), is predestined for service both by belonging to the tribe and by name. Two are designated, but one is implied, for He, as the Almighty was born of the Almighty, as the Redeemer was born of the Virgin, the same in the difference of two separate natures, as a giant savior, 432 truly fulfilled the ministry of the one/one Son of God. 11. And so, before raising Saint Zerubbabel from the dead, He says: Once again I will shake the heavens and the earth and the seas and the desert (Hag. 2.6). For earlier He shook them when He rescued His people from Egypt, when there was a pillar of fire in the sky, the earth between the waves, a wall on the sea, a path on the water, when the daily harvest of heavenly fruits multiplied in the desert, 433 the stone was transformed into springs of water (Ps. 113.8). But it also shook later, during the suffering of the Lord Jesus, when the sky was covered with darkness, the sun darkened, the stones were split, the tombs were opened, the dead were resurrected. 434 The serpent, defeated in its abyss, 435 saw fishers of men, 436 not only sailing on the sea, but also walking without being in danger. 12. The desert also shook when the barren pagan people were ripe for the harvest of faith and piety. 437 And such was the shock of the desert and the pagans that the preaching of the apostles, sent by Him to call the nations, turned out to be effective and so penetrating that their preaching spread throughout the entire earth and to all ends of the circle of their earthly word (Ps. 119.5). 438 Such, I say, was the shaking of the desert, that the barren woman had more sons than the one who had a husband (Isa. 54.1), and the desert blossomed like the lily (Is. 35.1), and those chosen from the Gentiles came in to the remnant of the people (Hag. 2.2), so that through the election of grace (Rom. 11.5) the remnant would be saved. 13. And I will fill, it is said, this house with My silver and gold: 439 with words from heaven, which are like silver tempted by fire, 440 and shine with clear light, like spiritual gold in the secret places of the hearts of saints. He brings these riches to His Church, the intelligent treasuries are filled with them, and the house increases in glory above the former glory that the chosen people acquired. 441 14. After all, peace and tranquility of the soul are above all the glory of the house, for peace is above all feelings. 442 That peace is greater than the world that will be given after the third shaking of heaven, sea, earth, desert, when He destroys all powers and principalities. 443 Heaven and earth will pass away (Matthew 24:35), and every form of this world (1 Cor. 7:31), and each one will rise with a sword against his brother (Hag. 2.22), that is, with a word penetrating to the core of the soul, in order to destroy what is opposed: the chariot of Ephraim and the horse in Jerusalem, 444 as Zechariah says. And so there will be peace in everything, and no bodily passions or hindrances of an incredulous mind will prevent Christ from being in everyone, 445 bringing the hearts of all into submission to the Father. 15. Look what was said to Him alone: ​​I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, My servant, says the Lord, and I will keep you as a seal, for I have chosen you (Hag. 2.23). When our soul becomes peaceful, so that it is said to it: Turn around, turn around, Shulamite (Song. 7. 1), which means “peaceful,” and to use your name, “irenika,” 446 - then it will accept Christ as a seal, that is, the image of God, 447 to be in the image, for as is the heavenly, so are the heavenly (1 Cor. 15. 48), and we should bear the image of the heavenly (1 Cor. 15.49), that is, the world. 448 16. And so that we know that this is the truth, in the Song of Songs at the end it says to the perfect soul what the Lord Jesus will say to you: Put Me as a seal on your hand (Song 8:6), so that peace may shine in your heart, and Christ may be in your deeds, and wisdom, and truth, and redemption may be formed in you. Farewell, son, and love us, for we love you. 13 (Maur. 31). Ambrose Irenaeus 1. You wisely asked yourself whether there is any difference in God's love for those who believe from childhood and those who convert in youth or later. For the Divine Scripture was not silent about this and did not ignore this issue, since the Lord our God speaks about this to the prophet Joel: Weep before me for the woman girded with sackcloth, and for the husband of her youth! (Joel. 1.8), grieving for the synagogue, which earlier from her virginity was given as a wife to the Word of God, or for the soul that fell away from good merits and, stumbling over sinful transgressions, brought upon itself hatred and shows a pitiful sight, all in the filth 449 of wickedness and treachery, so unlike that beautiful bride who was once honored words: I will betroth you to Me in fidelity (Hos. 2.20), and truth, and mercy (Hos. 2.19). 2. And it is not in vain that she is called pitiful, for she was deprived of so many valuable gifts and lost such a dowry of virtues when the husband of her youth was taken from her. For depending on our merits, the Word of God lives in us or dies. 450 After all, if we are characterized by good aspirations or works, the Word of God lives in us and acts; if our thoughts and actions are darkened, then the Sun of Truth (Mal. 4.2) in us is setting. And therefore this soul is worthy of sorrow. For just as those with whom the Bridegroom is supposed to give thanks and feast, so this soul from whom the Bridegroom has been taken away must weep, as it is written among the apostles and in the Gospel: the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days (Matthew 3:9, 15). 451 3. Therefore, this soul also knew joy and rejoicing before when it had the Virgin Word. 452 And therefore she did not fast, for these were days of feasting and rest, when the Bridegroom was nearby, with abundant generosity giving to those who were near him the blessings of heavenly food, moistened with wine that gladdens the hearts of people. 453 But after she lost her Bridegroom through the fault of her own actions, she was ordered to repent in sackcloth for her sins and mourn for herself, for Christ, Who is the Virgin Word, died and was crucified for her. 4. If a soul came to Him at an early age and, as it seems, knows no other bonds, but from the beginning dedicated to Christ the virgin flower of its faith and, very young, betrothed to Him by the first sacraments of piety, accepted holy service, this is an Israeli soul, of ancient origin, 454 from the line of patriarchs, which has preserved intact the flow of faith, and as a bride will be in great honor with the Virgin Word, like one who preserved righteousness, and will meet her [wisdom] like a mother, and accept her like a spouse taken by a virgin (Sirach. 15. 1–2). 455 5. The other is also found among the tribes, and both of them are spouses of the One Word, which is a great mystery (Eph. 5.32). The book of Kings shows you this. David himself had two wives, Ahinoam the Israelite and Abigail, 456 whom he found for himself later; the first was too severe, and the second was full of mercy and grace: it was a hospitable and free soul, with an open face looking at the Father and contemplating His glory, having received this divine dew of the Father's grace, 457 as its name is interpreted. And what is the dew of the Father, if not the Word of God, which fills the hearts of all with the moisture of faith and truth? 6. Therefore, the true David speaks well to this soul, for this is what it is said to Abigail: Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet Me, and blessed is your character (1 Samuel 25:32-33). And again he says to her: Go in peace to your house; Behold, I have heard your voice and honored your face (1 Samuel 25:35). Also in the Song of Songs there are these words of the groom to the bride: Show me your face, let me hear your voice (Song. 2.14). 7. And then she was released, because she had another husband 458 whose name in Hebrew was Nabal, translated this means “foolishness,” 459 “rude, 460 inhospitable, unkind, ungrateful, unable to fulfill his duties.” 461 But after her husband died, freed from the law of the husband, 462 he took her as his wife (1 Samuel 25. 40) prophet David. 8. But in this place it is not she who is mourned, but that Ahinoama, 463 who was cruel to her brother, and therefore her brother became a burden to her. Therefore, on their behalf it is said: You have made us a byword among the nations, a bower among foreigners (Ps. 43.15). And finding her wavering, the devil pounced on her like a lion (1 Peter 5:8), and took away her beauty, and scattered her vineyard and palm tree, under which she had previously rested, and dried up her fruit. 464 9. And taking pity on them, withered and white from excessive dryness, God says to the prophet: Weep before Me for the woman girded with sackcloth, and for the husband of her youth (Joel 1:8), that is, for the dead husband of such a soul, or synagogue. In another place He turns to her with reproach, for she has forgotten about her destiny, has forgotten about love, does not remember grace, has moved away from teaching, has lost her former marital love, and He deservedly reproaches her with His speeches, recalling her own caresses and words of affection: Didn’t you call Me kin, and father, and guide of your virginity (Jer. 3.4)? 10. Consequently, to this soul, in which, because of its intemperance, the Word of God has died and the Effective Word has declined, He commands us to weep and calls a mediator to call it to repentance, so that it may deserve mercy. 465 To the same soul, which is very intelligent and beautiful in face (1 Sam. 25.3), like Abigail, found by Him in battle, after the rivals were defeated and the husband died, who, dressed in the armor of spiritual malice, 466 resisted and did not allow his beautiful wife to be taken away from him - He, as a conqueror and loving husband, brings sweetness and grace, cleansing her from everything that darkens her beauty, and strips off the clothes of slavery from her, so that, having gotten rid of all the hairs of her head, that is, from the growth of sins that are unnecessary on our body - for if a husband grows hair, then this is a dishonor for him (1 Cor. 11:14). – strive to come in the unity of faith into a perfect man, to the measure of the full stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13), in order to put aside all confusion of spirit and to grow, being confirmed in the love of the Lord Jesus and to seek growth for the whole body. 467 11. This is the soul that the law shows you in the form of a good wife, which you will see among the captives and want to take her as your wife. Bring her, it is said, into your house (Deut. 21:10-12), in order to entrust her with the inner chambers of your house, power over all your property, and remove from her what is unnecessary, and shave off her sins with a razor that is not too sophisticated, 468 so as not to cause pain, and cut off the remnants of your passions and empty feelings. Therefore he says: Shave her head (Deut. 21:12), so that there are no obstacles for the eyes of the wise man, which are in his head (Ecc. 2:14). And let him remain, it is said, thirty days in your house (Deut. 21:13). mourning the sins of her birth and the inventions of the evil father-devil, 469 who wants to collect what he did not give birth to (Jer. 17.11) - so that, purified by the ritual of this mysterious number, 470 she would find the keys of marriage. 471 12. And it is beautifully said: and after that you will come to her (Deut. 21:13), - so that you completely enter your soul and gather yourself inside it, and dwell in it, and abide in it, let your entire stay be in her, so that you are not in the flesh, but in spirit (Rom. 8:9), and invite her to unite with you in cohabitation, knowing that she will be your advisor for good (Wis. 8.9), and, filled with gratitude to her, said: I was a gifted youth and received a good soul (Wis. 8.19). And she would answer you: I will take you and bring you into my mother’s house and into the secret chambers of the one who conceived me (Song. 3.4). The good mother of souls is that Jerusalem that is in heaven. 472 13. So she will be your wife and, when she finds you, she will kiss you. And if subsequently you do not like the fact that she tames her body and enslaves it, 473 do not allow her to be enslaved - that is, to bodily passions - and do not subjugate her flesh, but let her remain free, and do not alienate her - and this means selling her - and do not despise her, 474 but allow her to serve her God in purity of faith and sobriety of good deeds. Forgive and love us, for we love you. 14 (Maur. 33). Ambrose Irenaeus 1. In the previous letter we wrote that we must free our soul from what is hostile to it, and that life must be connected with it in an inextricable connection. And since in that conversation we gave, in support of this thought, an example from Deuteronomy from the place where it is said about a man who had two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, 475 - you seem to be quite worried, lest someone decide that we are talking about two souls, which cannot be. 2. However, you yourself know very well that sometimes Scripture allegorically refers something to the image of the synagogue, something to the image of the Church, something to the sacrament of the Word, something to the various types and qualities of souls that are distinguished by the one who judges spiritually. 476 Therefore, in the next chapter of the law, as I think, it is not two souls that are meant, but the different qualities of one soul. After all, that form of soul is loved that strives for pleasure, which avoids work, rejects reproaches, neglects the commandment of God, it is loved because for a time it seems sweet and pleasant, because it does not hurt, but calms the spirit. The second, who is consumed by zeal for God, is too sad, like a wife who does not want, does not tolerate and does not allow her husband to commit adultery; does not indulge the body in any way, does not allow pleasure or pleasure, rejects secret shamelessness, is committed to hard work and severe dangers. 3. So, if both give birth to him, then he cannot, it is said, in the order of inheritance, prefer the son of his beloved wife to the firstborn son of the unloved one, if he knows that the firstborn is the son of the unloved one. 477 Which, as I think, signifies not so much a simple preference, as between two firstborns, but the assertion that only the son of the unloved has a preferential right of birthright. After all, the firstborn is the firstborn, but the firstborn are dedicated, for every male child who opens the womb will be called dedicated to the Lord (Luke 2:23; Exodus 13:2, 12). Nevertheless, not every firstborn is consecrated, for Esau is not consecrated, although he is the firstborn. 478 4. However, the initiates are the firstborn; in the book of Numbers you read: Behold, I took the Levites from the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who open the womb from the children of Israel; on the day when I struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to myself all the firstborn of Israel (Num. 3. 12, 13). So, he considered the Levites to be the firstborn, as initiates. After all, we learn that the initiates are the firstborn from the Epistle to the Hebrews, in which we read: But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem and ten thousand angels and the Church of the firstborn (Heb. 12.22-23). So, just as the saints are the firstborn of the Church, so are the Levites, for they too are the firstborn. For they are consecrated, not because they were born first in order of succession, but by the gift of sanctification; So, Levi was the third son of Leah, not the first. 479 5. But he who is sanctified opens the falsehood himself. What falsehoods? Hear what is said: Sinners have already gone astray from their mother’s womb (Ps. 57.4). Since you understand that the firstborn is the one who opens the false, understand that this is the womb of the good mother and it is not the saints who err, but sinners. The Levites were taken from among Israel, for they have nothing in common with the people from whom the firstborn of this age are taken away. For the firstborn of this age belong to another mother, from whose womb Paul was separated when he was called to the grace of God. 480 And then, whoever was taken from among the people, received the Word, which is in the midst of our hearts 481, which is why it is said: There is someone standing among you, whom you do not know (John 1:26). 482 6. So, it is not in vain that we moved from one law to another in order to show that the firstborn is not the son of that very beloved wife, that is, relaxed and seeking pleasure, although in the chapter we are considering this is expressed by the words of Scripture: He cannot give primacy to the son of his beloved wife (Deut. 21.16-17), if he knows that the firstborn is the son of the unloved. He is truly the firstborn who is the holy offspring of a holy mother, and in the same way the true mother is the one from whose womb it is not true sons, but sinners, who turn away. 483 Consequently, the son of a non-true mother, not a truly firstborn, receives maintenance as a firstborn, so as not to be in need, but he is not honored as a rich man. And this one receives a double portion of everything (Deut. 21:17) in order to abound, just as in Genesis you read that their brother Joseph gave the patriarchs two clothes instead of one when he sent them to their father, in order to thereby let them know that their brother Joseph, whom his father considered dead, had been found. 484 7. So, the firstborn receives priority in inheritance, as the Scripture says: For he is the firstfruits of his sons, the right of the firstborn belongs to him (Deut. 21:17). So, from the firstborn Son of God are the firstborn saints. And from Him is the beginning, for He is the beginning and the end (Rev. 21.6); the beginning is called the initiate, the beginning is the son, who has the right of primacy, according to what was said to Abraham: Cast out this slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman will not inherit with my son Isaac (Gen. 21:10). 8. To a greater extent, divine prophecy teaches this in relation to the inheritance of virtues, and not money, for God says: In everything that Sarah tells you, obey her voice, for in Isaac your seed will be called (Gen. 21:12). What else was there in Isaac if not the legacy of holiness that glorified his father? And although he placed the servant’s son over the nations, as if separating the usual part of the inheritance, he gave the son of Sarah a double one, for he inherited not only what was temporal, but what was above and eternal. 15 (Maur. 69). Ambrose Irenaeus 1. You, as a son, told me that someone asked you why the law so severely calls those who dress in the clothes of the other sex, be they men or women, vile. For it is written like this: A woman should not wear men’s clothing, and a man should not dress in women’s clothing, for anyone who does this is an abomination to the Lord (Deut. 22:5). 2. And if you judge truly: that which nature itself shuns is incongruous. After all, why, man, don’t you want to look like what you were born to be? Why do you take on a form that is alien to you? Why are you portraying a woman, or are you, a woman, a man? Nature has clothed each one in his own clothes. So, the usage is different, the colors, movement, gait are different, the strengths are different, the voices of men and women are different. 3. But other living creatures also have different appearances: a lion and a lioness, their strength is different, their voice is different: a bull is one thing, a cow is another. And deer, as different as the sexes are, are so dissimilar in appearance that you can distinguish them from afar. In birds, the plumage is even more comparable to the clothes of people; their feathers themselves indicate gender. Among peacocks, males are elegant, but females do not have such colorful feathers. And pheasants have different colors, emphasizing the difference between the sexes. What can we say about chickens? How loud is the voice of the rooster, the solemn gift of the night, awakening to singing! 485 Do birds change their appearance? So why do we yearn to change it? 4. However, it came to us from the Greeks that women girdle their tunic like a man, shortening it. 486 Granted, they imitate the nature of the better sex, but what do men achieve by imitating the appearance of the lower sex? Lying in words is shameful, not only in clothes. In pagan temples, where faith is false, nature is also false: there it is considered sacred that a man dresses in women’s clothes and adopts women’s movements. 487 That is why the law says that every man who wears a woman’s clothing is an abomination to the Lord. 5. But I think that it is said not so much about clothing as about morals, or about our habits and deeds, that some actions are appropriate for husbands, others for wives. That is why the apostle says, interpreting the law: Let your wives be silent in the churches, for they are not allowed to speak, but to be in subjection, just as the law says. If they want to learn something, let them ask their husbands about it at home (1 Cor. 14:34-35). And to Timothy: Let the woman study in silence, with all submission; But I do not allow a wife to teach, nor to rule over her husband (1 Tim. 2:11-12). 6. How shameful it is for a husband to become like a woman in business! So let them give birth, let those who, like women, grow long curls, suffer in childbirth! However, they cover their heads, and these go to war. Only those who follow the customs of their fathers have an excuse, but only barbarians - Persians, Goths, Armenians: after all, nature is something more than the fatherland. 7. What can we say about the rest, who consider it a sign of luxury that their servants walk around with curls and necklaces, they themselves grow a beard, and their servants let their hair down? It is not surprising that there is no chastity where there is no distinction between the sexes. In this case, nature itself teaches, as the apostle says: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Doesn’t nature itself teach you that if a husband grows hair, then it is a dishonor for him, but if a wife grows hair, it is an honor for her, since hair was given to her instead of a veil? (1 Cor. 11:13–15). This is what you must answer to the questioners. Forgive and love us like a son, for we love you with the love of a parent. 16 (Maur. 76). Ambrose Irenaeus 1. You asked us to explain to you the essence of the Epistle to the Ephesians, which may seem unclear if we do not take into account the arguments with which the apostle tried to convince us that we should not despair of the Kingdom of God. 488 2. So, first of all, he argues that for good people the main motivation for improvement in virtue is the hope of reward and the inheritance of the promised heavenly blessings, to which they are approaching in the suffering of Christ and His resurrection. 489 3. Then he adds that not only is return to paradise granted to us through Christ, but also through participation in the Body of Christ the honor of the heavenly throne is given, so that you no longer doubt that you can ascend to heaven, knowing that you participate in the Kingdom of Heaven by the community of the Flesh of Christ, for through His Blood the reconciliation of everything that is on earth or in heaven has been achieved (Eph. 1. 7, 10), - He He descended in order to fulfill everything - in order to establish everything through His Apostles, prophets, 490 priests and gather the tribes together. The crown of our hope is His love, so that in Him we grow in everything, for He is the Head of everything and to Him, to the extent of the action of the edification of love, we all grow into a single body. 491 4. Therefore, we should not despair, because the members of the body are connected to the head and, especially, because we were originally predestinated to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ in Him (Eph. 1:5). The apostle confirmed this predestination, adding what was originally foretold: A man will leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife; and the two will become one flesh (Gen. 2.24; Eph. 5.31) - for this is the mystery of Christ and the Church. So, if the bonds that bound Adam and Eve are a great mystery in relation to Christ and the Church (Eph. 5.31), then, of course, just as Eve was bone of her husband’s bones and flesh of his flesh (Gen. 2.13), so we are members of the body of Christ, bone of bones and flesh of His flesh (Eph. 5.3). 5. However, no epistle has declared a blessing to the people of God in such a degree as this, in which the generous witness of grace called us not only blessed of God, but blessed with every blessing and spiritual in the heavenly places, and predestined for adoption, and also in the Son of God having gathered up grace and abounding in it for the knowledge of the mystery of the eternal will, 492 and meanwhile, when in the fulness of time all things heavenly and earthly things (Eph. 1.10), we are by definition established in it, so that what belongs to the law and what belongs to grace is fulfilled in us, and also that, chosen according to the law, we appear at the age of youth, that is, an immaculate life, not involved in either childish pranks or the infirmities of old age, taught with the help of living virtues to wage battle not only against flesh and blood, but also against every army of spiritual malice, which is in heaven (Eph. 6.12). 6. And just as the Jews were assigned by lot 493 the possession of lands conquered from the enemy, so the lot of grace fell upon us so that we would become the possession 494 of God, who possesses our insides, 495 that is, we are a nursery of purity and moderation. Do you want to know this lot? Remember the one that fell to Matthias, 496 so that he could be accepted as one of the twelve apostles. But the prophet David also says: If you fall asleep in the middle, between the inheritances (Ps. 67.14), - so that the one who sleeps in the middle, between the inheritance of the Old Testament and the New, resting on both, will be accepted into the rest of the Kingdom of Heaven. This lot of paternal inheritance was sought by the daughters of Salpaad, and their petition was approved by the divine court. 497 But they asked in the shadow - for “Salpaad” means “shadow of the mouth” 498 - and, therefore, they asked in the shadow for “words”, they spoke about what was not revealed. So, the petition for the paternal inheritance was for the daughters of Zalpaad “in the shadow of the word,” but for us it is in the splendor of the Gospel and the revelation of grace. 499 7. So let us become God's possession, 500 and He our part, 501 in which are the riches of His glory and inheritance. 502 For who is rich except God alone, who created everything? But much richer in mercy is He who redeemed us all and, according to the natural law of the flesh, children of wrath (Eph. 2.3), doomed to troubles, changed us as the Creator of nature, so that we become sons of peace and love. For who can change nature if not He who created nature? And so He raised the dead and made them alive in Christ and seated them in heaven (Eph. 2:5-6), in the Lord Jesus Himself. 8. Not because any of the people deserve the privilege of sitting on that throne of God, about which the Father speaks only to the Son: Sit at my right hand (Matthew 22.44; Ps. 109.1), but because all the flesh of the human race is honored by the community of nature with the Flesh of Christ. For just as He was in subjection to our flesh through the unity of the flesh and the obedience of the body, in which He was obedient even to death (Phil. 2:8), so we in His Flesh are seated with Him in heaven. 503 And at the same time, we are not just seated, but co-seated in Christ, who, the only son of men, is seated at the right hand of God (Heb. 10.12), just as He Himself says: From now on you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of God (Matt. 26.64). For in Him His grace abounded and goodness was poured out on us in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:7), in order to redeem those who were dead in works through faith, to save by grace and to bestow such a gift of freedom, 504 in which nature itself, as if resurrected, would feel the grace of the new creation, 505 so that we, created in Christ (Eph. 2:10), would walk in good things. affairs - we who formerly fell away, subject to vice. 9. For after the destruction of the enemies who were previously in the flesh, peace 506 came to the whole universe, peace in heaven, so that people would be like angels on earth, so that the pagan tribes would become one with the Israelites: 507 so that in one person both the new man and the old, previously separated, having broken the mediastinum of the barrier, 508 came together as one. For when the nature of this flesh aroused 509 anger, strife and differences of opinion, the law bound us with chains, as condemned, and Jesus Christ, by mortifying the flesh, destroyed its violence and disobedience, abolished the law of commandments (Eph. 2.15), showing that the spiritual teachings of the 510 law should not be interpreted according to the letter, destroying both the inert peace of the Sabbath, and the redundancy of bodily circumcision and all opening access to the Father in one spirit (Eph. 2:18). For how can there be discord where there is one calling, one body and one spirit (Eph. 4:4)? 10. So what else did the Lord Jesus do in His descent, if not that He set us free from captivity, and made that captivity, bound by the bonds of treachery, subject to Himself, fettering it with the chains of wisdom, 511 when every wise man, as it is written, with his feet in his fetters (Sirach. 6.24), descending, ascended to fill everything (Eph. 4. 10) and that we may receive from His fullness (John 1:16)? 11. And therefore, first He appointed in the Church those filled with His Spirit: some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, and others as shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:11) - so that from their calls the number of believers would increase and the work of faithful service would grow. 512 Everyone is edified by the edification of virtues to the measure of inner age (Eph. 4.13), which is the most perfect measure of an immaculate life, that is, the age of a “perfect man,” who, taking from the fullness of Christ (John 1.16), received the fullness of grace. 12. But who is a perfect man, if not one who, being free from the childishness of childish thinking, from adolescent uncertainty and instability, from the immoderate heat of youth, has grown into the firmness of a perfect man and has reached such maturity of character that he will no longer be led astray by the words of some disputant, and he will not be thrown onto the rocks by the violent storm of reckless teaching. Resorting to a cure for errors, he follows the truth not only in words, but also in deeds and undertakes the creation of love, 513 in order to unite with others through the unity of faith and knowledge (Eph. 4.13), and as a part of the body does not lose connection with its head, that is, with Christ, Who is the Head of all (Eph. 4.15), from whom the whole body (Eph. 4.16) ) faithful and wise through a reasonable connection with the Word 514 - that is, the union with the Word in harmony, composed and copulated through all kinds of mutually consolidating bonds, when each member acts to its own extent, it receives an increase for the creation of itself in love (Eph. 4. 16), to erect one church of God in all and one heavenly habitation in the common Spirit. 515 13. By it, I believe, one should mean the connection of faith and spirit not only of holy people, but of all believers, as well as of all higher rational beings, powers and authorities, 516 so that through a certain harmony of virtues and ministries the single body of the entire rational spiritual nature cleaves to its Head Christ, 517 so fastened by the joints of edification, 518 that even from touch the connection of the individual parts is not was falling apart. For this is what the Greek text calls ἀφὴν... τῆς χορηγίας κατ ᾿ ἐνέργειαν ἐν μέτρφ. 519 But it will not be difficult for such an Architect to bind everyone to Himself according to his measure of merit and faith, so that the building of love does not crack and is stable. Therefore, there is no need to doubt the participation of heavenly powers in the construction of this church; I came to the conclusion that it would be incongruous if the building of the church of God were erected only out of human love, so that the dwelling of God in the Spirit would be in us, 520 but the heavenly authorities would not have it (Eph. 2.10). 14. Precisely for this purpose: so that this kind of creation may proceed faster in us, the apostle urges us to open the eyes of our hearts, 521 to lift ourselves up to things above, to earnestly seek the knowledge of God, to reason about the truth, 522 to keep the commandments of God in our hearts, to put aside seductive lusts (Eph. 4:22) and secret vices, to be renewed by the grace of the sacraments, 523 curb anger, suppress excitement even before sunset, 524 beware lest an opposing spirit having power prevail over you, 525 which plunged into the heart of Judas 526 and broke through the doors 527 of his soul, breaking resistance; drive out the thief, turn away from the deceitful, 528 rise from the dead, 529 learn sobriety; 530 for the wife to obey her husband, as the Church obeys Christ (Eph. 5.24), for the husband to be ready to lay down his soul for his wife, 531 as Christ gave himself for the Church (Eph. 5.25), finally, like a good warrior, to take the weapon of God and always keep it ready, 532 not only against flesh and blood, but also against the spirits of evil (Eph. 6.2), so as not to weaken you are your own and not captured by strangers. I have outlined all this to you as briefly as I could. 17 (Maur. 81). Ambrose to the clergy 533 1. Often the thought of retreating from responsibilities creeps into human souls if, through diligence, they do not achieve what they want, even in the case of minor difficulties. In people of a different class this is still tolerable, but in those who have devoted themselves to serving God, it is filled with sorrow. 2. After all, there are those in the rank of clergy whom the enemy, having failed to lead them into other temptations, seeks to approach by sowing in them such thoughts: “What good is it for me to remain in the clergy, to endure insults, endless hardships, as if my field cannot feed me?” - or, if there is no land, “as if I won’t find another way to earn my living?” 534 Because of such thoughts, even those of good disposition shy away from duty, as if the only thing a cleric has is to worry about his maintenance, and not to worry more about his posthumous divine reward. Although he, after death, will remain in contentment, who, prudent, was able to resist so many enemy machinations here. 3. Therefore says Ecclesiastes: Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor, for if one falls, the other will raise up his companion (Ecc. 4.9-10). And where is it better for two than one, if not where Christ is and the one whom Christ protects? For if he falls. whoever is with the Lord Jesus, Jesus will lift him up. 4. But in what sense is it said in their work? Does this mean that Christ also works? Undoubtedly, He is working who says: I am tired, crying (Ps. 68.4). He works, but in us, therefore, having become weary, He sat down by the well (John 4:6). And how He works, the Apostle teaches us by a lesser example, 535 saying: Who is faint, with whom would I not faint? (2 Cor. 11:29). The Lord Himself teaches in His word: I was sick, and you did not visit Me. I was naked, and you did not clothe Me (Matthew 25:43). He works to raise me, who has fallen. 5. Therefore the type of the Lord appeared in Elisha, who rushed to raise the dead. 536 It is a symbol of the fact that Christ died with us in order to be resurrected for us. So, Christ lowered Himself to our corruption in order to raise us up, He lowered Himself, but did not fall, but raised up a companion. He Himself made us associates with Himself, as it is written, for He was anointed with the oil of righteousness more than His associates (Ps. 44:8). 6. Therefore Ecclesiastes says beautifully that if one falls, then the other raises his comrade (Ecc. 4.10), not the one who rises. Christ did not rise up through the help and labor of another, but resurrected Himself. For He says: Destroy this church, and in three days I will raise it up (John 2:19). And He spoke about the church of His body (John 2.21). Quite rightly: the one who did not fall was not raised by another. After all, the one whom another lifts has fallen, and the one who has fallen needs help to rise. This is what the following Scripture instructs about: Woe to one when he falls, and there is no other to lift him up, for if two lie, then it is warm for them (Ecc. 4.10-1). After all, we died with Christ and therefore we came to life with Him. 537 Christ died with us to warm us. He says: I have come to bring down fire on the earth (Luke 12:49). 7. I was dead, but since I died with Christ in baptism, I also received the light of life from Christ. 538 And the one who dies in Christ, warmed by Christ, receives the heat of life and resurrection. The child was cold, but Elisha warmed him with his breath and gave him the warmth of life. 539 He fell asleep with him, so that the warmth of the sleep of the one who was as if buried with him would awaken him. Therefore, anyone who does not die with Christ is cold; he who does not have Christ within himself cannot warm himself; 540 he who does not have Christ within himself cannot warm another. 8. And so that you understand that it is said about the sacrament, and not about quantity: two are better than one (Ecc. 4.9), then follows the mysterious saying: And a rope twisted three times will not break (Ecc. 4.12). After all, three elements that are not connected are not destroyed. Thus, the Trinity, of simple nature, cannot be destroyed, for God is one, simple and incomposite essence. And that which exists remains without being subordinated to another/independently. 9. So, it is good to cleave to another and bow your neck under his chains and offer your shoulder, 541 and wear it, and not turn away from the chains, for from the house of prisoners will come out to reign (Ecc. 4.14) that Child who is higher than the old and foolish king (Ecc. 4.13). And therefore those who follow Him are bound with chains, and therefore Paul became a prisoner of Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:1). 10. Therefore Jesus Himself took captivity captive (Eph. 4.8; Ps. 67.19). It seemed insufficient to Him to crush the captivity imposed by the devil, so that he would not again capture those wandering freely, but perfect liberation is to live in Christ, to put his feet in shackles (Ecc. 4.14) of wisdom, to become His prisoner, in order to be free from the enemy. 11. It is truly said - a Child, for a Child was born to us (Is. 9.6), and truly an excellent Child, to Whom it was said by God the Father: Great things have been given to You - to be called My Son (Is. 49.6). It is also true that he is wise: as the Gospel teaches, He increased in age and wisdom (Luke 2:52); It is appropriate to call Him poor, 542 because, being rich, He became poor, so that through His poverty we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). And therefore he does not reject the poor in His Kingdom, but listens to him and frees him from all needs and burdens. 543 12. So, let us begin to live in obedience to Him, so that that old and foolish king does not have any power over us, he wants to reign as the master of his will and does not submit to the shackles of the Lord Jesus and, stagnant in sins, falls into the dishonor of madness. What is more unreasonable than, leaving the heavenly, rushing towards the dark and, putting aside the eternal, choosing what is perishable and transitory? 13. Let no one say: We have no part in Jacob, no inheritance in Israel (2 Sam. 20. 1; 2 Chron. 10. 16), and no one will say: I do not belong to the clergy, - for it is written: Give Levi his inheritance (Deut. 33. 8), also David says that the one who rests in the middle of two inheritances 544 ascends high on spiritual wings. Do not say about your God: He is a burden to me (Wis. 2.14), and about your place: it is useless to me, 545 for it is written: Do not leave your place (Ecc. 10.4). After all, the enemy wants to take it away, wants to deceive you, for he envies your hope, he envies your rank. 14. But every cleric is His part and possession for the Lord (Deut. 10.9). Do not retreat from the Lord’s possessions, so that you can say to the Lord: You own my insides, You took me from my mother’s womb (Ps. 139.13), and He will say to you as a faithful servant: Come and rest (Luke 17.7)! Forgive, children, and serve the Lord, for the Lord is good! 546 Book 3, as well as individual letters from Books 2 and 4, have been lost. Lucubratio – work by lamp light. To the Synod. Transl.: How beautiful are the feet of those who preach His gospel. These words refer to the previous quotation from St. Pavel. Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 7. 25–28). Wed. in Virgil (georg.3.494–495). Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 8. 1–3). See: Ps. 142.10; 106.7. Wed: Heb. 1. 1 ; OK. 1.70. Wed: Luke. 2. 3–14; 1 Tim. 3.16. Wed. exp. Luc. 7. 139: Tres enim animae in corpore adfectiones sunt, una rationabilis, alia concupiscibilis, tertia inpetibilis. Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 7. 12–14). Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 7. 15–21). Although the quote is given almost verbatim, it is reinterpreted in a spirit almost opposite to what is written by St. Pavel. St. Ambrose rather follows the ideas of Plotinus, cf.: enn. 1. 6. 8. 6–8: “because whoever sees bodily beauty should not still rush to it, but, realizing that it is likenesses, traces and shadows, run to that of which it is a likeness” (hereinafter translated by Yu. A. Shichalin, quoted from: Plotinus. Treatises I-II. M., 2007). Wed: uirgt. 13.82. Compare: Eph. 1. 18. Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 9. 25–30). Wed. in Virgil, Aen. 1. 100–301: Volat ille per era magnum / remigio alarum. Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 7. 25–27). Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 7. 34–39). Wed. in Virgil, Aen. 10. 630–631: aut ego ueri / uana feror. See: Open. 22.15. Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 8. 3–6). See: Open. 22.14. Wed. in Plotinus (enn. 1. 6. 8. 16–21), and also: Isaac 8. 78. Wed. in Plotinus (cnn. 1. 6. 8. 5–6; 21–22), and also: Isaac 8. 79, See: 2 Tim. 1. 12 ; Heb. 11.19. See: Lk. 17. 31; Matt. 24.17. The fact that the soul is called “peaceful” is connected with the etymology of the name Jerusalem (“house of peace”, “city-world”). This means ap. Paul. Wed: 1 Cor. 3. 2. Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Agg. 1. 5. 3). Wed: Acts. 10. 34–35; 11. 17–18. St. Ambrose sharply criticizes the rich who build underground rooms to escape the heat. “Until the time of correction” - that is, “until the time of Judgment” (see: Banterle. P. 135). Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Agg. 1. 1). Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Agg 1.8). Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Agg. 1.10). See: Col. 1. 16–17; Rome. 11.36. Wed: Ref. 13. 21–22; 14. 21–22; 16.35; 17.6. Wed: Luke. 23.44–45; Matt. 27. 51–52. Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Agg. 2. 1). An allusion to the addressee's name, "Irenaeus." Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Agg. 2.21). Wed. in Horace, carm. 2. 10: tutus caret obsoleti sordibus tecti. These words of St. Ambrose can be understood in the patristic sense that in the soul of every person Christ is crucified with sins. – Note. ed. Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Ioel. 1.8). Compare: Joel. 1. 8 . and also in Clement of Alexandria (paed. 1. 5. 19. 3). Wed. in Sallust, iug. 85. 10: hominem ueteris prosapiae. Wed. blzh. in Jerome (in Ioel. 1.8). Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (nom. hebr. 52). Wed. blzh. in Jerome (nom. hebr. 55). Wed at blzh. Jerome (nom hebr. 51). Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Ioel. 1.6–7). Compare: Joel. 1. 9, 13, 14. That is, the number thirty, obtained from multiplying the number three (symbol of the Trinity) by ten (designation of perfection) (see: Banterle. R. 149). Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in loel. 1. 8). See: Deut. 21. 15–17. Compare: Cain et A. 1. 4. 13, as well as in Philo (sacrif. 5. 19–20). Compare: Cain et A. 2.2.7, and also in Philo (sacrif. 36.118). Wed: Gen. 45.22; 37. 33. Wed. Hymn of St. Ambrose “At the Crow of a Rooster” (hymn. 1. 14). Among the Greeks, the clothing of both sexes was the chiton (underwear) and himation (cloak) of the same type. The tunic was belted under the chest, with a slouch; and if desired, one could gird it so that it became shorter. An indication of the mysteries of Cybele. Wed. at the blzh. Jerome (in Os. 1. 4. 14). Wed: exh. u. 6.37; 6.38. Wed: Gal. 6.15; Eph. 2.15; 2 Cor. 5.17. St. Ambrose gives an interpretation of the term (Eph. 4:16). The connection of influence during action in its own measure (cf.: Eph. 4.16). Compare: Eph. 4.27; Open 13. 2, 4. The addressee of the letter is the clergy of the Milan Church. Wed. in Terence, heaut. 143: faciundo facile sumptum exercirent suom. An allusion to this place is found in St. Ambrose in Nab. 9.15; interp. lob. 1. 3. 6; off. 2. 15. 69 (see: Courcelle P. Recherches sur saint Ambroisë “vies” anciennes, culture, iconographie. P., 1973. P. 42). – Note. ed. A smaller example, since here we are already talking about the works of man, ap. Pavel. See 2 Tim. 2.11; Rome. 6. 8. Wed: Heb. 1. 7 ; Ref. 24.17. See: Sirach. 6. 24–25 (about obedience to Divine Wisdom). You might be interested in: