Горячность

Let us not be lazy in doing good, but let us burn in spirit, so that we do not fall asleep little by little into death, or so that during our sleep the enemy does not sow bad seeds (for laziness is associated with sleep); Let us not be inflamed with recklessness and pride, so as not to get carried away and deviate from the royal path. Otherwise, we will certainly fall into one of the extremes - either we will need incentives due to laziness, or we will fall down due to ardor. Let us borrow from both what is useful in them, from the first meekness, from the second jealousy, and let us avoid what is harmful in them, in the first - slowness, in the second - insolence, so as not to remain fruitless from lack and not to be in danger from excess, for both inactive idleness and inexperienced zeal are equally useless; one does not come close to good, and the other transgresses the limits and does something to the right of the right. Knowing this well, the divine Solomon says: Do not turn aside to the right or to the left (Prov. 4:27), so that through the opposite he does not fall into equal evil - into sin, although he, in praise of what is right by nature, says: The Lord watches the right ways, but the left ones are corrupt (Proverbs 4:28). How then does he praise what is right and again lead him away from what is right? Obviously, it takes away from the right, which seems so, but is not the right. This is what he means, and in another place he says: do not be too strict and do not show yourself to be too wise (Eccl. 7:16). For both for righteousness and for wisdom, one thing is dangerous - ardor in deeds and words, from excess, transgressing the limits of perfection and virtue. Both deficiency and excess, as a rule, addition and decrease, are equally harmful. Therefore, let no one be wiser than the subject, nor more legal than the law, nor more brilliant than the light, nor more direct than the rule, nor higher than the commandment. And we will achieve this somewhat if we understand the world, praise the law of nature, follow reason and do not despise decorum (1). Some are lazy and incapable of doing good, and such should be aroused by blows of words; others are beyond measure ardent in spirit and uncontrollable in their aspirations, like young strong horses running further than their goal, and such can be corrected by a curbing and restraining word (1). Unreasonable ardor for the most part dissolved members, divided brothers, outraged cities, infuriated the mob, armed nations, raised kings and priests against the people and against each other, the people against themselves and against the priests, parents against children, children against parents, husbands against wives, wives against husbands and everyone united by any kind of ties of friendship against each other, also slaves and masters, students and teachers, elders and young; and she, despising the law of shame - this is the greatest aid for virtue, introduced the law of arrogance (1). You might be interested in: