Слово 24. О грехе и исповеди.

Have any of you, beloved, ever traveled to Palestine? I think so. What then? You who have seen those places, bear witness. There is vast and fertile land there, or rather, there was, because now it is no longer there; So, this once so rich land, which competed with all countries and was equal in prosperity to the Paradise of God, is now more deserted than any desert. True, the trees still stand there and have fruits, but these fruits serve as a monument to the wrath of God; There are pomegranate apple trees, and both the tree and the fruit have a lush appearance, and they show great hope to the ignorant; but if you take it in your hands and break it, it turns out that there is no fruit inside, but only ash and ashes. This whole country is like that; and trees, and stones, and air, and water suffered such a fate. You see land there, but it has nothing characteristic of real land; you see trees and fruits, but there is nothing in them that is characteristic of real trees and fruits, but only ashes; you see air and water, but they have nothing in common with real air and water, because they too were turned into ashes by the power of Him who did this. Just as in a burned body the outer image remains in the form of fire, but the essence no longer remains, so it is in those objects. Are these really just threats? Are these also empty sounds? But is it hard? Isn’t it hard when you say that there is no Gehenna? You, who do not believe, force me to say this; you drive me to such speeches. If you believed the words of Christ, I would not need to give evidence presented by reality itself. Will He who poured out such great wrath for one sin, without bowing to the prayers of Abraham or Lot, spare us when we have committed so many sins? Truly, this is laughter, nonsense, devilish deception and deception. If you want to see how people who believe and are devoted to God, but do not lead a right life, are punished, then listen to what Paul says: “Let us not commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them perished” (1 Cor. 10:8). If fornication could do so much, then what can’t our sins do? If you do not suffer execution now, do not be surprised. They did not know Gehenna, which is why they were immediately subjected to punishment; you, even if you did not suffer any punishment here, will receive retribution for everything, no matter what you sinned, there. And although we will commit the same sins as them, we still deserve greater punishment than them. Why? Because they received great grace. When we sin more than them and more gravely, then what kind of punishment will we not be subject to? If we, by sinning and remaining unpunished, did not become worse, then God would, of course, forgive us the punishment; but He clearly knows that impunity for our sins brings us no less harm than the sins themselves. Therefore, He imposes punishment, not only to punish for the past, but also to correct for the future. And that this is so, listen to what He says to Moses: “Leave Me, that My anger may burn against them, and I will destroy them” (Ex. 32:10). “Leave Me,” he says, not because Moses was holding Him back, because the latter did not say anything to Him, but stood before Him in silence, but wanting to give him an opportunity to pray for them. We often do this when, not wanting to punish our servants who have committed offenses worthy of punishment, nor to free them from the fear of punishment, we inspire our friends to snatch them out of our hands, so that in this way their fear remains in full force and they avoid our beatings. A similar incident occurred, as can be seen, with Jonah. “And the word of the Lord,” they say, “came to Jonah... the prophet: Arise, go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach in it: ... three more days (synod. translation - “forty days”) and Nineveh will be destroyed.” Having heard, “Jonah fled to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord, and came to Joppa” (Jon.1:1-3, 3:4). Where are you running, man? Are you running from the Lord, tell me? But wait a little, and you will learn from experience that you cannot escape the hands of even the slave sea. In fact, before he had time to board the ship, the waves picked up and began to rise to enormous heights. And just as some faithful maid, having found a runaway fellow slave who has stolen something from the master's property, causes thousands of troubles to those who accepted him until she gets him back, so the sea, having found and recognized its fellow servant, causes thousands of troubles to the swimmers, worrying, making noise, and not bringing them to trial, but threatening to sink the ship along with the people if they do not give it the fellow slave. Then, it says, “they began to throw the luggage from the ship into the sea” (John 1:5); but the ship did not lighten, because all the weight still remained on it, namely the body of the prophet, this heavy load, not by the nature of the body itself, but because of the severity of sin. Indeed, there is nothing so heavy and unbearable as sin and disobedience. And just as at a trial, even though the accusers were present, and the witnesses were present, and evidence of the crime was presented, the judges do not pronounce a sentence until the defendant himself confesses to his crime, so exactly the situation was with the swimmers and the prophet. “They cast lots,” they say, “(John 1:7), and the lot finally condemned the guilty man. But the swimmers did not sink him even then; no, despite such confusion and the fear that gripped them, despite the fact that the sea did not give them a moment of peace, it was furious, noisy and heaved wave after wave at them, they, as if enjoying complete silence, even held a trial on the ship, gave him the floor, gave him the opportunity to defend himself, and examined everything with precision, as if they had to give someone an answer for their decision; and despite the fact that the sea demanded him, and the lot convicted him, and he himself confessed to the crime, they do not pronounce a sentence. Where did such caution come from? From the economy of God. God deigned this to happen in order to teach the prophet through this to be humane and meek. “Imitate the swimmers, ignorant and senseless people,” He seems to be calling out to him, “they do not despise even one soul, they do not even despise your body, but you, as far as it depended on you, betrayed an entire city with so many thousands of inhabitants; They, even having found the culprit of the disasters that befell them, are in no hurry to pronounce a condemning sentence, and you, having no reason to accuse the Ninevites of anything, drowned and destroyed them.” But most people treat their own mistakes condescendingly, and condemn others. And many often say that state and public affairs are going badly, and point to the unreasonableness of the government as the reason; I say that it is not the unreasonableness of the ruling persons, but our sin that serves as the reason for this: it was he who upset everything, he brought us to all these evils, and it was not for any other reason that this swarm of disasters spilled over us. Therefore, whether the leader is Abraham, even Moses, even David, even the wisest Solomon, or the most sinful of all people, but if we are in a bad mood, the cause of the disaster remains indifferent. To receive leaders according to our hearts means nothing more than that we have sinned in advance and therefore found such a leader. But even if the boss is very righteous, so righteous that he reaches the virtue of Moses, his righteousness alone will not be able to cover the countless sins of his subordinates. On the contrary, if you like, I will show you how the sin of even one often overcomes the innocence of good citizens. Joshua once approached Jericho, and, carrying out a new wondrous siege, when the walls were ready to fall, he said to the people: “The city will be under a curse, and everything in it will be to the Lord... . So, beware of the cursed, so as not to be cursed yourself if you take anything from the cursed,” and God will consume us. (Joshua 6:16–17). What then? The walls fell and the city fell into the hands of the besiegers. And so, when the whole people obeyed this command, the crime of one aroused the wrath of God against the whole people. “The children of Israel committed transgression [and took] from the accursed thing” (Joshua 7:1). And yet there was only one sinner, namely Achar; How did the “sons of Israel” sin? “And the anger,” it is said, “of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel. Jesus from Jericho sent people to Ai... So about three thousand people went there from the people, but they fled from the inhabitants of Ai; the inhabitants of Ai killed up to thirty-six of them” (Joshua 7:1–2, 4–5). Look at the punishment for one sin, look at the inexorable execution; one sinned, and death and disaster fell upon the whole people. What is this, Good-loving Lord? You alone are Righteous, and Your destinies are right; You render judgment to everyone according to his deeds; You said, Lover of Humanity, that everyone will die in their own sin, and one will not be punished for the other; So, what is this righteous judgment of Yours? All Your works are praiseworthy, O Lord, and praiseworthy beyond all measure; and they are arranged for our benefit; Why did You bring execution on others for the sin of one? Sin, He answers, is a kind of infection; let him be exposed to shame through the punishment imposed on everyone, so that he does not infect everyone. Do you see how the sin of one brought punishment to the whole people? Then look at the shameful and unfortunate death of the criminal. “Joshua and all the Israelites with him took Achan the son of Zarin, and the silver, and the garment, and the ingot of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen, and his donkeys, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had, and they brought them out into the valley of Achor... And all the Israelites stoned him” (Joshua 7:24–25). So, let us not be arrogant if God patiently endures the insults inflicted on Him, but for this very reason we ourselves will be especially grieved. Among people, when someone, having been hit on the right cheek, turns his left also, he takes revenge much more powerfully than if he himself had dealt thousands of blows; or when, being slandered, he not only does not slander himself, but also blesses, then this inflicts a more severe blow on the offender than if he had showered him with countless curses; if this happens with people, then much more so with God: those who constantly sin and do not tolerate any evil should be afraid, because unspeakable vengeance is about to befall them. For a sinner, evil does not lie in the fact that he is punished, but in the fact that he, while remaining such, does not suffer punishment; just as it is evil for a sick person not to be treated. When our good deeds are small and insignificant, and the burden of sins is great, and at the same time we enjoy happiness here and do not experience anything bad, then we will leave here completely naked and deprived of reward even for good deeds, as having already received everything here; on the contrary, when our virtues are great and numerous, and our sins are small and insignificant, and in addition to that we suffer some evil, and are cleansed here even of small sins, then we will receive full and perfect reward for good deeds in that life. So, let us not consider punishment a grave disaster when we sin, but the absence of punishment. Even if God did not punish us, then we ourselves would have to subject ourselves to punishment, as having turned out to be so ungrateful to our Benefactor. Should I say something strange and surprising? He who has intelligence and loves the Lord as he should love, finds more consolation if he is punished after angering such a Merciful One than if he does not suffer punishment. He who has offended his dearly loved one only finds peace when he is punished and suffers in some way. Don’t you see how those who have lost their children beat their chests and tear out their hair over this, because exposing themselves to torment for their loved ones brings consolation. If, in the case when we have not caused anything bad to our loved ones, suffering for what they have suffered brings us comfort, then when we ourselves cause grief and insult, would it not give us much more peace if we suffer punishment (here) and do not undergo (eternal) torment? This is obvious to everyone. For those who love someone at all, it is not so hard to suffer some kind of trouble for upsetting their loved one, but, above all, the very grief caused to the loved one. And if the latter, being angry, does not punish the one who loves him, then he will cause him great torment, and if he subjects him to punishment, he will give him greater consolation. If anyone loves Christ as he should love, he will not want to remain without punishment, even with His permission, because he who angers Him experiences the greatest punishment. No, truly there is no one, be it a father, or a mother, or a friend, or anyone else, who would love us as much as God who created us. If you point out to me the sorrows, sorrows and disasters in life, then think how many times every day you insult Him, and you will no longer be surprised, even if even great disasters befall you; on the contrary, when you enjoy any good, then you will be both surprised and amazed. Now we see the disasters befalling us, but we do not see the insults that we daily inflict on Him, which is why we become confused; meanwhile, if we accurately counted our sins during at least one day, we would know well what evils we deserve. This is why grave sins creep into us because lesser sins do not receive proper correction; hence the sudden changes and falls; This is why we have constant premature deaths because we think so highly of ourselves, as if we had already reached Heaven itself, rob as if we never expected to die, and indulge in greed, as if we had no answer to give; and neither the word of God nor reality itself enlightens us, but everything is in vain, and nothing breaks our callousness. No one despises earthly goods; no one looks to Heaven; but just as pigs look down, bending over to their bellies and wallowing in the mud, so most people, polluting themselves with the most destructive dung, do not feel this. It is better to soil yourself with uncleanness than with sins. One who has soiled himself with sewage can quickly wash himself and become the same as a person who has never fallen into such dirt; the one who has fallen into the ditch of sin receives desecration, which is not washed away with water, but requires long-term and diligent repentance, and more abundant and hot tears, lamentations and sobs than for our dearest dead. Just as there is no benefit for someone who is clothed in royal purple and carries weapons, but does not have a single subject, and anyone can revile and insult him, so there is also no gain for a Christian if he has faith and the gift received in baptism, but is a plaything for all passions. On the contrary, just as he not only will not gain anything for his honor from the royal clothes, but will also dishonor this latter with his own shame, so a believer, living a vicious life, will not only not be respected for this, but will also be even more ridiculous. So, let's not disgrace our lives, let's not live a life worthy of laughter; Let us not defile our bodies with fornication. Indeed, how can you enter the church after communicating with harlots? How will you stretch out to heaven the hands with which you embraced the harlot? How can you move your tongue and pray with those lips with which you kissed the harlot? With what eyes will you look at your most respected friends looking at this? What am I saying - friends? Even if no one knew about it, you, first of all, will be forced to feel ashamed and blush, and most of all will feel disgust for your body. If it were not so, then why are you running to the bathhouse after this sin? Is it because you consider yourself unclean, worse than any dirt? So what kind of sentence do you think God will pronounce when you yourself, the sinner, have such an opinion about your action? So, if it were bodily uncleanness, then you could, as you should, cleanse yourself by washing in the bath; but since you have polluted and made your entire soul unclean, then look for such a cleansing agent that could wash away its filth; and if we do not do this, then, even if all the river sources flow out, we will not be able to remove even the slightest part of this sin. If some servant had put dirty slave clothes infested with lice into the chest where the master's clothes lay, then tell me, would you calmly endure such dishonor? Likewise, if someone were to pour excrement and uncleanliness into a golden vessel, which usually always contained fragrant oils, would you not beat even the person who committed such an offense? So, we show such care about chests, vessels and clothes, but we will consider our soul more insignificant than all this, and where the spiritual world was poured out, we will plunge devilish charms, satanic speeches and dissolute songs? And how will God tolerate this, tell me? When you, corrupted by a theatrical spectacle, and having become an enemy of all chastity, upon returning from there, see your wife, you will certainly look at her with disgust, no matter what she may be. Captivated by the lewd spectacle, you dishonor, insult and shower thousands of abusive words on the pure and decent friend of your whole life; and being completely absorbed in a vile and unclean desire, hearing the sound of a voice still resounding in your soul, remembering the appearance, the look, the movements, and all the poses of the harlot from whom he received a wound, you no longer look at anything in the house with pleasure. Just as those who are in a state of intoxication and suffering from a headache rush without any consideration in different directions, and no matter what is in front of them, whether it is a ditch or an abyss, they fall into it without taking any precautions, so those who are addicted to sin, being possessed by a sinful desire as if by heavy intoxication, do not know what they are doing, and do not think about anything, either present or future. This is the property of sin: after it is made and brought to the very end, it causes torment to the soul that gave birth to it, contrary to the laws of our birth. As soon as we are born, we stop suffering; sin, as soon as it is born, begins to torment the mind that gave birth to it. When we commit a sin, being intoxicated with pleasure, we do not feel it that way; but when it is complete and over, and all the pleasure has passed, then it is precisely then that the sharp sting of repentance penetrates the soul. Both during the commission of a sin, and before the commission, and after the commission, our conscience is a harsh accuser. Those who sin—this is what usually happens to them—are suspicious of everything, they are afraid of shadows, they are frightened by any noise, and they think of everyone that he is coming after them; many are seen often hurrying to other matters, and they think that they are following them; and when others talk to each other about other subjects, they, conscious of their sin, think that they are talking about them. This is the property of sin: it reveals the sinner without any accuser, condemns without any accuser and makes him fearful and cowardly. Quite the opposite is true. Listen both to the cowardice of the sinner and to the boldness of the righteous. “The wicked,” it is said, “flees when no one pursues him” (Prov. 28:1). Why does he run when no one is chasing him? The persecutor is within himself; this is a convicting conscience, and he carries it with him everywhere; and just as he cannot escape from himself, so he cannot escape from the one who persecutes him within him. Absolutely not so righteous - but how? "The righteous is bold as a lion." This was Elijah: he sees the king coming to him, and when the latter said: “Why are you corrupting Israel?” - “It is not I who trouble Israel, but you and your father’s house” (1 Kings 18:17–18). Verily, “the righteous is bold as a lion.” He rose up against the king, like a lion against some insignificant little dog. True, he was dressed in purple; but this one had a mantle that was more honorable than that purple. In fact, that porphyry gave rise to a severe famine, while this mantle stopped the disasters; she divided the Jordan, she made Elisha a special Elijah (2 Kings 2). So, that those who are defiled by fornication consider themselves unclean, I highly praise and approve of this; and that they do not resort to the proper means of purification, for this I reproach and condemn. It is better, of course, not to be at all familiar with this vile sin; but if someone has already slipped somehow, then let him use in advance such means that can eliminate the very essence of sin, promising never to fall into this sin again; and if, when we sin, although we condemn the sin committed, we again take up the same thing, then there will be no benefit to us from cleansing. The one who washes himself and then wallows again in the same mud, as well as the one who destroys what he has built and builds to destroy again, receives nothing but wasted labor and torment. If we sin every day and wound our soul, but never notice it, then, just as people who constantly receive wounds and do not pay attention to them, cause themselves inflammation and death, and we, due to such constant insensitivity, will incur inevitable punishment. Truly, nothing destroys a person more than the loss of the fear of God; just as, on the contrary, nothing saves as much as turning your eyes here. In fact, if we, having a person before our eyes, sometimes do not so quickly decide to commit sins, and, being ashamed of decent servants, do not do anything shameful, then think what reliable protection we will use, having God before our eyes. So, the best thing is not to sin at all; Below this is sinning, recognizing your sins and correcting yourself. If we don’t have this, then how will we beg God and ask for forgiveness of sins, since we do not pay any attention to them? When you yourself, having committed a sin, do not even want to admit that you have sinned, then what sins will you beg God for? About those you don't know? And how do you know the greatness of a good deed? A grave evil is to do shameful things; but when the one who makes them is ashamed, it is already half evil; when someone else boasts about them, this is already extreme insensitivity. Whoever, after committing a sin, condemns the sin, may in time rebel again; but whoever praises vice has already deprived himself of the medicine of repentance. So, just as not only those who do bad deeds, but also those who praise them are subject to the same or even more severe punishment, so also those who praise and highly honor virtuous people are partakers of the crowns prepared for the latter. So, if you do not grieve when you sin, do not therefore consider sin to be unimportant, but for this reason especially groan yourself because you do not feel sorrow for your sins. This does not happen because sin does not hurt, but because the sinning soul is insensitive. If one who does not grieve for the sins of others is worthy of condemnation, then does one deserve any apology who is insensitive and dismissive of his own sins? If Paul neglects his own benefit in order to gain the salvation of others, then what kind of punishment will we not deserve when we do not even want to give up our own harm in order to gain the benefit of others, but joyfully destroy others along with ourselves, whereas we can save both ourselves and others. Birds were given wings for this purpose, to avoid snares; This is why reason was given to people, so that they avoid sins. But you say that you do not know sins. But is this consistent with common sense? If you write laws regarding the sins of others, determine punishments, and are a strict judge, then what excuse can you have for your own sins, saying that you do not know what to do? Both you and the other committed adultery; Why do you punish him, but consider yourself worthy of forgiveness? If you knew that adultery is not a crime, then you should not have punished the other; If you punish another, but consider yourself not subject to punishment, then is it consistent with reason not to impose the same punishments for the same sins? By the same judgment, it is said, which you pronounce on another, God will condemn you too. And listen to what Paul says: “Do you really think, O man, that you will escape the judgment of God by condemning those who do such things and (yourself) doing the same” (Rom. 2:3)? You did not escape your own judgment, and will you escape God’s judgment? Is this conceivable? It is not the same thing, after all, whether to simply sin, or, having punished another for sin, to fall again into the same sin. If you punish someone who has committed lesser sins, although you should be ashamed yourself, then how can God not judge and punish you even more, who has committed more serious sins and is already condemned by your own conscience - God, who, moreover, has nothing to be ashamed of? If you say that you know that you are worthy of punishment, but do not attach any importance to this in view of the long-suffering of God, and remain calm due to the fact that you are not immediately subject to punishment, then, on the contrary, that is why you should be afraid and tremble. From the fact that you have not yet suffered punishment, it follows not that you will not suffer punishment, but that you will suffer something more severe if you remain without correction. If someone commits a serious sin, but does it secretly and does not offend anyone, he will be subject to less punishment than someone who commits lighter sins, but openly, and offends many. An insignificant and outcast person, even if he slips and falls, does not bring so great harm to society; but whoever stands with great glory, as if at some height, at the very top of virtue, who is known and obvious to everyone, to whom everyone is amazed, if he falls from temptation, he causes great destruction and harm, not only because he himself fell from a height, but also because he makes many of those who look at him more careless. And just as there is no great harm to the body when some unimportant member is damaged, but when the eyes are lost or the head is damaged, the whole body becomes useless, so it can be accurately said about those who have reached a high degree of virtue: when they fade, when they stain themselves with some reproach, they bring general and grave harm to the rest of the body. So, do not be afraid of the wiles of the judge, but fear the power of sin. A person will not harm you if you do not harm yourself. If you are pure from sin, then, even if thousands of swords hang over your head, God will deliver you; and if you have sin, then, even if you were in Paradise, you will be cast out of it. Adam was in Paradise and fell; Job was on the spot and was crowned. What benefit did Paradise bring to the first? What harm did the pus cause to the last one? No one schemed against him, and he fell; the devil plotted against this, and he turned out to be the winner. Did the latter take away his property? But he did not deprive him of his piety. Did he kidnap his children? But his faith was not shaken. Didn't he tear his body to pieces? But I didn’t find the treasure. Keep this law, I beg you with tears, hugging your knees, if not with your hands, then in your thoughts, keep this law, and no one will ever be able to harm you. Do you see the king and the prophet - I mean David - how he fights, falls, rises and wins? Do you see how sin sets in and is tempered through repentance? Look how, after receiving the grace of the Spirit, he acquired boldness from God, after many deeds of virtue, after so many trophies, he exclaims: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy” (Ps. 50:3). You said: “great”; tell me how great it is. I know that it is great; but I cannot measure or comprehend; I stand before the sea of ​​my Lord’s love for mankind. But what are you saying, tell me? You heard the prophet say: “And the Lord has taken away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13). What else are you looking for? It’s not that, he says, I’m only looking for, but I’m also looking for my beauty, I’m looking for my boldness. “Wash me from my iniquity many times over” (Ps. 50:4). Do you see what he's looking for? Seeks even more shine and even more purity. But what do you give, David, when you seek this? What am I giving? “For I acknowledge my iniquities” (Ps. 50:5). Are you giving this? But what kind of person is not aware of his sin? No, he says: how many people there are who sin and are not at all aware of their guilt; How many people are there who oppress their neighbors and are not sad about it? But I “I acknowledge my iniquities, and my sin is always before me” (Ps. 50:5). O noble soul! He did not consign his sin to oblivion, but when it was forgiven him, he wrote it, as if in a painting, on his conscience. And look what happens from here. If you remember your sin, God will not remember it; if you forget, God will remember him. Have you done any evil deed? Remember him, so that your Master will forget about him. Did you do a good deed? Forget that your Master remembers him, because you yourself will not speak about your good deeds as He does. Well, listen. If you give to the poor, then when they ask you, you say: you saw the poor man hungry and fed him. But your Master will not say so; and how? You saw Me hungry and fed me. So, when you sin, do not wait for reproof from another, but before you are convicted, condemn your act yourself - because if another reproves you, your correction is a good deed not of your confession, but of the reproof of another. Confessing does not mean condemning oneself after conviction, but rather condemning oneself in advance, without waiting for conviction from others. So, for example, Peter, after his grave renunciation, since he immediately recognized his sin, and without any accuser, and told his sin, and wept bitterly, he washed away this renunciation so much that he even became the first among the apostles, to whom the whole universe was entrusted. If the priest has received the power to forgive sins against God, then he is much more able to blot out sins committed against man. And the priest is a leader, and, moreover, a leader who deserves more honor than a king. The sacred laws subordinated the very royal head to the hand of the priest; and when some good from above is needed, the king usually turns to the priest, and not the priest to the king. For this purpose, God did not bring down Angels from Heaven and make them teachers of the human race, so that, due to the superiority of their nature and ignorance of human weakness, they would not give us too severe reprimands, but He gave us mortal people, people subject to weakness, as teachers and priests, so that the very circumstance that both the speaker and the listener are subject to the same responsibility would serve as a bridle on the tongue of the speaker, not allowing him to reprove beyond measure. Why did I say this? So that you do not say that you, being clean from sins and free from the sorrow that occurs after conviction, with great force inflict too heavy a beating on us. I am the first to feel sorrow, because I myself am guilty of sins. “We are all under penances,” and no one “can say: “I have cleansed my heart”” (Sir.8:6, and Proverbs 20:9). Thus, not thinking about the misfortunes of others, and not out of some hardness of heart, I make accusations, but out of great care. Among those who treat bodies, it happens that the one who applies the section does not feel it at all, and only the one to whom the section is performed is torn apart by pain; Among those who heal souls, the situation is not the same - unless I am mistaken in judging others by myself - and the speaker himself is the first to experience pain when he condemns others. Truly, we do not feel sorrow when we are rebuked by others, as when we reprove others for sins of which we ourselves are guilty. Do you want to know how useful it is to remember your sins? When it comes to spending money, we, as soon as we get out of bed, before going to the market or taking up any household or public affairs, call a servant and demand from him an account of the costs in order to see what was spent badly, what was right, and how much was left; and if we see that there is little left, we come up with sources of income in every possible way so that we do not inadvertently die of hunger. We will do the same regarding our actions: calling on our conscience, we will demand from it an account in words, in deeds, in thoughts; We examine what is used for our benefit and what is used to our detriment; what word is wasted badly, in abuse, in foul language, in insults; what thought prompted the eye to lust; what word was transferred to our destruction into action, whether through the hands or the tongue, or even the eyes; and let us try to give up on useless spending, and instead of what has already been poorly spent, collect other acquisitions: instead of wasted words spoken, prayers; instead of former intemperate glances, alms, fasting. If we spend uselessly, and do not save or collect anything good for ourselves, then, having reached extreme poverty, we will bring ourselves, without noticing it, to eternal hellish punishment. How much better is it to exchange temporary contrition and mourning for eternal blessings and joy that has no end, than, having spent this short and temporary life in joy, to depart into that life for eternal torment? If Paul, such a great and valiant man, flowing around the whole universe as if on wings, rising above bodily needs and worthy to hear ineffable verbs that no one else has heard before today, wrote: “I subdue and enslave my body, so that, having preached to others, I myself should not remain unworthy” (1 Cor. 9:27), then what can we say, who are burdened with the burden of sins, and Moreover, we reveal great carelessness? Does this fight ever stop? We must always be awake and sober, and never feel insecure, because there is no specific time for the attack of the one who is at enmity against us. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: