Поучение на день святого Архистратига Михаила, месяца сентября, в 6 день в 1705 г.

Contemplating the miracle of the Holy Archangel Michael depicted on the icon, I honor the two Angels with pious worship, pious listeners! Two, I say, Angels: one disembodied - the Holy Archangel Michael, the other - in the flesh - the Venerable Archippus. One of them is an Angel by nature, the other is an Angel by the order of angels, that is, monastic, and by venerable grace. One Angel in action, the other in life. One is the commander of the Heavenly Forces, the other is the commander of the virtuous forces, for he has gathered good workers in his life, like warlike regiments. And both are armed against one invisible adversary: ​​one shines with heavenly glory, the other is also not deprived of it, according to Scripture: “The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). One holds a spear in his hands, with which he cuts a stone, while the other has a prayer in his mouth, like a spear, with which he strikes the persecutors of the Church. One plunges a stream of river into stones, while the other exudes tearful rivers from his eyes, flowing into the heights of heaven. Both of them are miracle workers, both stand before God, both are Angels, both are servants of the Lord, the words of Scripture can be attributed to both: “You create Your angels as spirits” (Ps. 103:4). Spirits, for one is spirit as having no flesh, the other is spiritual in the flesh. Having bowed low to both of these Angels and lovingly kissed their venerable icon, I thought about what I should preach about on the day of their celebration. And he said within himself: it is not proper to speak about a thing known and obvious to everyone. Who does not know how the miracle of the Holy Archangel Michael took place in Khony, or what the godly life of the Monk Archippus was like? If someone does not know them perfectly, they can read a story about it in a book. What then? What should I say my word about? The real celebration takes place in the monastery of spiritual men who bear the rank of angels, and therefore let’s talk about how a carnal person can be spiritual, like the disembodied spirit of an angel. And may this word be for our benefit, “with the Lord working and strengthening the word” (Mark 16:20). Every Christian born of “water and the Spirit” (John 3:5) must be spiritual. I am speaking here not only about the spiritual order, but also about all worldly people in general, for the apostle says to everyone: “The justification of the law is fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on carnal things, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on spiritual things. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for they do not obey the law of God, and indeed cannot. Therefore those who live according to the flesh cannot please God. But you do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you” (Rom. 8:4–9). Here the apostle called the Greeks carnal, for there was nothing spiritual in them: neither the knowledge of the True God, nor the hope of salvation. He called Christians spiritual, whose bodies he also calls temples of the Holy Spirit: “Your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit living in you” (1 Cor. 6:19). So, every Christian should be spiritual. A person is called spiritual in spirit if he has the Spirit of God in him, as the apostle says about himself: “I think that I also have the Spirit of God” (1 Cor. 7:40). He who does not have the Spirit of God in himself is carnal, but he who has the Spirit of God in him is spiritual, although in the flesh, as the apostle says: “While we walk in the flesh, we do not fight according to the flesh. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God” (2 Cor. 10:3–4). He who does not have the Spirit of God within himself, even if it seems that he is performing spiritual exploits, is still carnal and as such cannot please God. Therefore, everyone should examine himself to see whether he has the Spirit of God within him. The Apostle points out two spirits that are opposed to each other, saying: “We have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God” (1 Cor. 2:12). These two spirits: the Spirit of God and the spirit of the world are as different from each other as east and west, like white and black, like light and darkness, day and night, for each of them has its own actions, each lives and acts in its own people, so that godly people say: “We have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit from God,” and those who do not please, if they do not speak in words, then show in deeds that they have not received the Spirit of God, but the spirit of this world, and always have it within themselves. Therefore, Saint John the Theologian advises: “Beloved! Believe not every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1), for human nature is inclined more towards evil than towards good, as the Scripture says: “The intent of the heart of man is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21). A sinful person follows his own lust much more often than the will of God, and saddens the Spirit of God within himself, driving Him away from himself. And therefore, in few people there remains a trace of the Holy Spirit, and in others there is no trace at all. Therefore, various spirits, not like the Holy Spirit, have multiplied in this world, so that it is as if the words of our Lord were spoken about us, spoken about the sons of Zebedee: “You do not know what kind of spirit you are” (Luke 9:55). So, we must consider spirits, are they from God? There is the Spirit of God, and there is the spirit of flattery - the spirit of this world. There is a spirit of humility, and there is a spirit of pride. There is a spirit of patience and meekness, and there is a spirit of rage and anger. There is a spirit of chastity, and there is a spirit of impurity. There is a spirit of non-covetousness, and there is a spirit of love of money. There is a spirit of truth, and there is a spirit of untruth. There is a spirit of love, and there is a spirit of hatred. There is a spirit of simplicity of heart, and there is a spirit of deceit. And therefore, “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God.” But who can recognize them? “A man comes, and the heart is deep” (Ps. 63:7), and the depth of the heart is unsearchable. “What man knows,” says the apostle, “what is in a man, except the spirit of man that dwells in him” (1 Cor. 2:11)? However, this can be known in part, just as Christ the Lord says about some: “By their fruits you will know them” (Matthew 7:16, 20). A good tree is recognized by its good fruit, and an evil tree by its evil fruit. A good person is recognized by his kindness, and an evil one by his malice: “A good man brings good things out of a good treasure, and an evil man brings evil things out of an evil treasure” (Matthew 12:35). The Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of righteousness, “and there is no unrighteousness in Him” (John 7:18). God did not lie to anyone: “The Lord is faithful in all His words and holy in all His deeds” (Ps. 144:17), He did not deceive anyone. The Lord is righteous and reverend, He did not deceive anyone: “There was no flattery in His mouth” (Is. 53:9). Whatever He said to someone in words, He fulfilled in practice. He promised Abraham that he would multiply his tribe like the stars of heaven and like the sand on the seashore, and he justified this with deeds. He promised through the mouth of His prophets to come from heaven to earth, to be incarnated by the Most Pure Virgin and to suffer for the salvation of mankind - and he fulfilled this in practice. He promised to resurrect on the third day after suffering and death, and justified His word by deed. He promised to send the Holy Spirit from the Father on His disciples, and fulfilled this in practice. He promised to live forever with His people, and keeps His promise, saying: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). He promised His faithful servants eternal life - and we undoubtedly expect it: “We look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century.” So, the Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of righteousness, and everyone who does, speaks and thinks the truth and shuns all lies has the Spirit of the Lord resting on him, the Spirit of righteousness, guiding him to eternal life. David once asked the Lord: “Lord! Who will dwell in Your habitation or who will dwell on Your holy mountain?” And he heard an answer from the Holy Spirit speaking in his heart: “He who walks blamelessly and does righteousness speaks the truth from his heart; he did not flatter his tongue and did not do evil to his neighbor” and so on, as it is written in the psalm (Ps. 14: 1-3 et seq.). From here it is clear to whom safe entry into the kingdom of heaven is open: to the one who, like a ship driven across the sea by a fair wind to a pier, reaches heaven, guided by the Holy Spirit; He who does and speaks the truth does not flatter with his tongue and does not harm his neighbor. The spirit of this world is a spirit of flattery, full of untruth, deceit, and deceit, for this world only deceives those who love it, but it itself lies and deceives. “The sons of men are deceitful,” says Saint David (Ps. 61:10). Promises a world of wealth, health, long life: “You have a lot of good things for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry.” But is this true? “This night your soul will be taken from you” (Luke 12:19–20). This is the end of the world's false promise and hope: it promises honor and glory, but gives dishonor. Did he not promise Haman such glory and honor that he would be second only to King Artaxerxes? But did he fulfill his promise? No! He lied and hung it on a tree fifty cubits long. Didn’t he promise happiness to the glorious Belisarius, the commander and warrior terrible for his enemies under King Justinian? And did he fulfill it? No, he lied, depriving him of all his property and eyes, and made him a beggar begging for alms. Anyone who has read history knows about the first boyar of the Roman king Tiberius, Sejanus. How hopeful the world was, enticing him with fortune, saying that he would be the second ruler and ruler of the kingdom of Rome! And didn’t the vain and flattering world deceive him? Truly, he deceived, for suddenly, in one hour, he took away his honor, glory and property, beheaded him and dragged his corpse with desecration throughout Rome for three days, and then threw it into the Tiber River. And does this lying world tell anyone the truth? His words are honey, and his deeds are gall. He promises a lot, but delivers nothing. He feeds with hope, but orders you to eat a stone. This world is like its teacher and mentor, the prince of darkness, who is the “father of lies” (John 8:44). Wanting to tempt his Lord, who is fasting in the desert, he shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and then the stones, saying: “Tell that these stones become bread” (Matthew 4:3). O damned devil! If you promise to give away all the kingdoms of the world, why do you want to feed the hungry with stones? Why not sweet dishes, not a royal meal? Why not even simple, dry bread? In all those kingdoms that you show, is there not a single crumb of bread to satisfy the hunger of the hungry? How can you give all the kingdoms, without having a single piece of bread, but only bare and useless stones? O beggar and deceiver! But so is the disciple of this tempter—this world. He is poor, because everything he has is temporary and perishable, and he only seems to have it, but in reality he has nothing. He is deceitful because, as it is said, he never speaks the truth. So, he who does injustice, loves lies and cunningly deceives his friend has in himself not the Spirit of the Lord, but the spirit of this world, the spirit of lies, the spirit of flattery, and such one flatters and lies like Judas: “His words are softer than oil, but they are arrows” (Ps. 54:22). In his mouth is a word as soft as oil, but in his heart is anger as sharp as an arrow. Soft as oil is flattering conversation, sharp as a horn is deceit in the mind. Soft as oil, hypocritical, external friendship, sharp as a knife betrayal inside. On the lips: “Rejoice!” - but in reality: “It’s him, “take him!” (Matthew 26:48). Joab, the general of David, jealous of Amasa, approached him with a false greeting, saying: “Are you well, brother?” And Joab took Amasa’s beard with his right hand to kiss him, and struck him with the sword in his stomach, and his entrails fell out on the ground, and he died” (2 Samuel 20:9-10). O flattering kiss! O treacherous kiss! O false brotherhood! On the lips - “Brother”: “Are you healthy, brother?” - but in reality it is a bitter death: “and he died.” O spirit of this world, flattering, crafty, deceitful! To whom have you done any good? Who aspires to you will not be rejected? Who standing for you has not fallen? Who is the one who trusts in you and is not lost? Who who loves you is not deceived? Who who delights in you has not tasted immeasurable sorrow? For such words of mine, was the spirit of this world angry with me? And it will be so, for he does not love righteousness as the Spirit of the Lord loves it. The Spirit of the Lord is not evil, “though He was reviled, He did not revile each other” (1 Pet. 2:23). And if anyone who has the Spirit of the Lord were convicted of anything, he not only would not be angry, but would love him even more, according to the Scripture: “Reprove a wise man, and he will love you” (Prov. 9:8). This is not the spirit of this world: don’t tell it the truth! Dislikes: “Do not rebuke the wicked, lest they hate you” (Prov. 9:8). The spirit of this world flees from the truth so as not to be convicted by it. An example is Pilate, an unjust judge who condemned our Lord to death without guilt. Torturing the Lord in the praetorium and hearing from His most pure lips: “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth; “Everyone who is of the truth listens to My voice,” Pilate immediately asked the Lord: “What is truth?” And having said this, he went out again to the Jews” (John 18:37–38). Firstly, how is it that the judge of Jerusalem, appointed by Caesar for justice, does not know the truth and asks: “What is the truth?” Secondly, why, having asked about the truth, about the truth, does not wait for an answer, but immediately leaves: “Having said this, he went out”? Wait a little, Pilate! Listen to the True and Unfalse Teacher of Truth, Christ the Lord! Find out what the Truth is! If you don’t know it, learn, wait, to find out how to conduct justice in truth! You ask and go away, you look for the truth and run from it! Pilate is running, he doesn’t want to hear the truth! As soon as he asked Christ: “What is truth?” - immediately his conscience began to convict him of countless untruths, of bribery, robbery, theft, and of that very unjust death trial of Christ. Frightened, so as not to be exposed by Christ in all his untruths, he went out, not expecting an answer to his question. From this example it is clear how truth flees from untruth, how lies are not combined with truth, and the spirit of this world is not combined with the Spirit of the Lord. The Spirit of the Lord gives good things to everyone, which is why it is divided into seven gifts in Isain’s prophecy. “The Spirit of God, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness, the Spirit of the fear of God will rest upon him,” it says there. “(Isa. 11:2-3). The beneficence of the Holy Spirit is also explained in church songs on the week of Pentecost: “Spirit of wisdom, Spirit of understanding, good, just, intelligent, possess, cleanse sins; God and idolize, Fire proceeds from Fire, speaks, acts, shares gifts” (Stichera on praise, 3rd). The Spirit of the Lord cannot but do good not only to the worthy, but also to the unworthy, as the Treasure of the good: “He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Therefore, every person who does good to his neighbors has the Spirit of the Lord within himself, according to the words of the psalm: “The righteous give generously” (Ps. 36:21). The spirit of this world is stingy, takes and does not return, and only seems to be beneficent, but in reality it is not. The Lord speaks about the rulers of pagan nations in the Gospel: “Those who own them are called benefactors” (Luke 22:25). Let us note the last word: called - and ask why the Lord did not say: “Those who possess them are benefactors,” but only “are called benefactors”! He said this in order to show us the spirit of this world, which cannot do good deeds and is called beneficent only by name. “Those who own them are called benefactors” - they are only called benefactors, but in reality they are not benefactors. They have the name of benefactors, but the deed is evil. Apparently, it is in this sense that the holy Apostle James says: “Do not the rich oppress you, and do they not drag you into courts? Are they not the ones who dishonor the good name by which you are called?” (James 2:6–7). The spirit of this world cannot do any good to anyone. He can only insult, rob, kidnap, not be satisfied and not satisfy his desires, like the cows seen in Pharaoh’s dream, “looking thin, but they ate the fat cows and were not satisfied” (Gen. 41:4), or like the beast seen by the prophet Daniel, “devouring and crushing, trampling the remains with their feet” (Dan. 7:7). Anyone who offends and robs the property of others does not have the Spirit of the Lord, but the spirit of this world. But let us turn again to the disembodied spirit - to the holy Archangel Michael and to the spiritual, angelic man who had the Spirit of God on him, to the Venerable Archippus. People have a saying: like loves like. The holy heavenly Angels love earthly Angels, that is, those who, being filled with the Spirit of God, become like them in their lives. With love, the Holy Archangel Michael came to the aid of the Monk Archippus, for the Monk Archippus was like a holy Angel, imitating the disembodied in the flesh. But I will not continue my words, for I do not have enough time to explore and calculate in detail the differences of spirits, and therefore I will recall only one apostolic word: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14) - and I will add to this the opposite: all who are led by the spirit of this world are the sons of this world. Who are they, led by the Spirit of God? Те, которые слушают и повинуются Святому Духу. Кто же водится духом мира сего? Те, которые слушают и повинуются миру сему. The Spirit of God says: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31), and the spirit of this world says: “Hate him as an enemy.” The Spirit of God says: “Do not be angry with your brother in vain” (Matthew 5:22), and the spirit of the world says: “Not only be angry, but also insult, beat and kill him.” The Spirit of God says: “Do not covet your neighbor’s property,” but the spirit of the world says: “Steal, take away by force.” The Spirit of God advises: “Cleanse yourself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit,” and the spirit of the world suggests sinful sensuality. Oh how often the Spirit of God prompts sinful man to repentance! And the spirit of the world says: “There will still be time! You will have time to repent! He who follows and is guided by the advice of the Holy Spirit is the son of God and can say about himself: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me” (Luke 4:18), and whoever listens and obeys the spirit of this world is not the son of God, but the son of this vain world, the son of wrath, the son of hell, not possessed by the Spirit of the Lord. So, beloved listeners! Having partially considered the difference in spirits, let us imitate the good and turn away from the evil, praying to God and saying: “Lord! Do not take Your Holy Spirit from us!” (Ps. 50:13). Amen.