A word to those who are tempted by the misfortunes that have occurred

The treatise “A Word to those who are tempted by the misfortunes that have occurred” (another title is “On the Providence of God”) (24 chapters) written by St. John Chrysostom at the beginning of 407. Addressing an admonition to his friends in Constantinople, who had come to despair from the sorrows that had washed over them, the saint says that, although God's Providence is incomprehensible to man, the Old Testament righteous relied on it, even more so should Christians trust in it. Even if God's intentions are unclear, the sorrows and disasters that befall the righteous should never allow one to doubt the goodness of God's Providence governing the world. St. John writes that it is dangerous and unreasonable to strive to penetrate into the secrets of the wisdom of God - God is incomprehensible not only to us, but also to the Heavenly Powers. One must believe that everything is governed by the providence of God: the saint offers pictures of nature, and also gives the greatest proof of this truth - the Cross of Christ. St. John explains why evil people and demons exist in the world, why God allows temptations. He says that nothing can harm or overthrow those who are attentive and vigilant (examples include Abraham, Noah, Job). The righteous are often subjected to severe trials. Disasters are a great blessing for a right-thinking person, they constitute the greatest sign of the glory of the Church and are very useful to many of the faithful. *The title of the work in Greek is Περ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας. *The title of the essay in Latin is Ad eos qui scandalizati sunt ob adversitates. Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 And also about the persecution and disaster of the people and many priests, and about the incomprehensible, and against the Jews **. The content of this argument is almost the same as the content of the previous word. – 1. The physician of souls can treat his patients from afar. It is necessary to indicate the reason for the temptation. – 2. It is dangerous and unreasonable to strive with curiosity to penetrate into the secrets of the wisdom of God. – About free will. – 3. God is incomprehensible not only to us, but also to the Heavenly Powers. – 4. The Prophet Moses, in one word at the beginning of his book, reproached all empty curiosity. – 5. One must believe that everything is governed by the providence of God and that the picture of nature offers doubters a brilliant proof of this truth. – 6. About the love of God, which far surpasses all human love: an example from the story of the prophet Jonah. – 7. Evidence of Divine providence drawn from the contemplation of creation. – The benefit of the stars guiding us from the heights of the sky. – The beauty of the sun and its benefits, the benefits of each of the various parts of creation. – About the benefits of the winds and the night in particular. – About the various kinds of fish and wild animals. – 8. The great proof of God's providence is that we have been given a law, natural or written; that, leaving their fatherland, eminent people taught the peoples among whom they settled, and that, to top off all the mercies, the Savior came to us. - The righteous, forced to wander. – One should not penetrate into the affairs of God with curiosity. – We do not investigate the actions of doctors. – 9. Should not have impatient curiosity, but should wait for the end of things. – 10. The ancients expected the completion of things. – The command given to Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. - The story of Joseph. – The example of David, suitable for comforting the afflicted. – 11. The ancients were not embarrassed that events seemed to contradict the promises of God. – 12. Why do evil people and demons exist in the world; Why does God allow temptations? – 13. Nothing can harm or overthrow those who are attentive and vigilant; examples include Abraham, Noah, and Job. – 14. Even during the time of the apostles there were many temptations, many evil people, and frequent persecutions of preachers occurred. – 15. Foolish people were also embarrassed by what was the greatest of blessings, namely the Cross, which was salvation for the world. – 16. He who does not harm himself does not receive any harm from others. – 17. The cross, as the greatest proof of the providence, goodness and love of God. – 18. We need to pay attention not to those who were embarrassed by temptation, but to those who overcame temptation. – 19. The martyrs were useful to the Church. – Two kinds of martyrs. – 20. The time of the apostles was a time when everyone was exposed to the greatest disasters. – 21. Why, both in the Old and New Testaments, the righteous are often subjected to severe trials. – Adversity is not a temptation; they constitute a great benefit for all right-thinking people; The Egyptian woman did not harm Joseph. – How useful is Joseph’s example. – 23. The disasters with which the Church is oppressed constitute the greatest sign of her glory and are very useful to many of the faithful. - About punishment for the evil. Doctors, when they want to treat someone who is in a fever or suffering from some other illness, first of all try to see the sufferers themselves, because, being away from them, they could not alleviate their suffering; such is their art and the nature of the diseases themselves. We, not intending to treat either one or the other separately, but all those who are tempted, do not need anything like that. We do not ask permission to enter the house of our sick, we do not need to know where they are lying, we do not even want to see the sick. We are not armed with tools, we do not force the sick people being treated to incur expenses by ordering them to buy medicine; but although they are unknown to us, even if they lived at the extreme limits of the universe, even among barbarians, even if they were in the abyss of poverty, so that they did not have the necessary food, nothing like this serves as an obstacle to such healing; but, remaining in one place, without tools, without medicine, without food, drink, money and without a long journey, we drive out such a disease. How and in what way? Namely, by making a medicine in the form of a conversation, which becomes all this and even more for the sick than everything said. It nourishes better than bread, heals better than medicine, burns stronger than fire without causing any pain, stops the stinking flow of bad thoughts, stronger than iron, painlessly cuts through rotten wounds, and at the same time does not require any expenditure of money, does not plunge you into poverty. So, having prepared such a medicine, we offer it to everyone, and everyone will probably take advantage of the treatment if they treat what is said with attention and favor. Just as in relation to the body, it means not a little, but a lot for the healing of the sick person to know the causes of the disease (because, knowing this, the patient will not only be freed from the illness that beset him, but also after it will not fall under the same disease, since, knowing the reason from which he has already been subjected to it once, he will beware of it), so we will first of all show those suffering from such a disease from where such a disease of diseases came to them. After all, if you find out this and carefully take care, then you can get rid of such a disease, and not only now, but forever - both from it and from others, even worse. The property of this medicine is such that it heals not only the actual disease, but is also a preventative against other diseases. After all, in real life there are not one, two or three, but many such things that tempt the weakest; and our word promises to free those who suffer from all this, if only they want (as I said above) to listen and preserve what is said. When preparing this medicine, I compose it not only from the Divine Scriptures, but also from what constantly happens and happens in real life, so that even those who do not read the Scriptures can benefit from this general treatment if they want (to use it), which I will not stop repeating constantly. Due to coercion and violence, this medicine could not be of benefit to even one who does not want it or does not accept Divine broadcasts. And it is from here, much more from here than from the depiction of everyday affairs, that healing comes, since the revelation of God must be more worthy of faith than everything visible. Therefore, those who, having received the Scripture, do not derive proper benefit from it, will be punished more severely. And so that they do not suffer through this, we will take care of their correction, first indicating the cause of the disease. What is the cause of this illness? It lies in a busy and varied curiosity, in the desire to see the reason for everything that happens, to penetrate into the incomprehensible and ineffable providence of God, in the daring desire to comprehend the limitless and unexplored and to reason about everything. Was anyone wiser than Paul? Tell me, was he not a vessel of election? Didn't he receive the great and inexpressible grace of the Spirit? Did he not have Christ speaking within him? Did he not have promises in the unspeakable words of God? Wasn’t he the only one who heard what it is impossible for anyone to say? Wasn't he caught up to Paradise? Didn't he ascend to the third heaven? Didn't you pass through land and sea? Didn't you learn wisdom from the barbarians? Did he not have many and varied operations of the Spirit? Have you converted entire nations and cities? Didn't God give the entire universe into his hands? But listen to how such a wise, powerful and spiritual man, who enjoyed such an advantage, when he began to talk about the providence of God, and not about the whole providence, but only about part of it - listen to how he was amazed, how he was delighted, how he was amazed and bowed before the incomprehensible. Even in contemplation, he did not seek out how God provides for the Angels and Archangels, the Cherubim and Seraphim, all the invisible forces, how about the sun, earth and moon, how about the entire human race, how about the dumb, about plants, seeds and herbs, and the air, and the winds, springs, rivers, and in general about nature, about the multiplication and content of all this; but he considered only one part of this providence in relation to the Jews and Greeks (and it is only about them that he speaks, showing how God called the pagans, how he repelled the Jews and how, in His mercy, He created the salvation of both) - listen to what he says. Seeing the open boundless sea and in it, in one part only wanting to explore the depth of this industry, he, amazed by the ineffable immensity of this universe, delighted and amazed at the ineffability, boundlessness, inexpressibility and incomprehensibility of the wisdom and providence of God, retreated, uttering such sayings and after great amazement exclaiming the following words: “Oh, the abyss of wealth and wisdom and knowledge God!" ("oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and mind of God"). Then, showing that, even seeing this depth, he could not achieve it, he continues: “How incomprehensible are His destinies and unsearchable His ways!” ("for you have not tried His judgment, neither tried His ways") (Rom. 11:33). He didn’t just say “immense,” but “His fate is incomprehensible.” Not only can no one embrace, but no one can even begin to explore, so that not only can he not reach the end, but he cannot explore the very beginning of His economy. Having said: “How incomprehensible are His destinies and unsearchable His ways!” , delighted and amazed, he ended his doxology, continuing to say: “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who was His adviser? Or who gave Him in advance that He should repay? For all things are from Him, by Him and to Him. To Him be glory forever, Amen" ("Who understands the mind of the Lord? Or who was His counselor? Or who first gave to Him, and will be repaid to Him? For from Him, and by Him, and in Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen") (Rom. 11:34-36). What has been said means: “He is the source, He is the author of good things, He does not need anyone’s communication, He does not need any advice; He does not borrow knowledge or intelligence from anyone; He works miracles as He wants; He Himself is the beginning, the cause and the source of all goods, the Creator Himself, He Himself produced everything that did not exist, and He Himself, having created everything, controls and preserves as He wants, because everything is from Him, by Him and to Him” (“from Him and by Him and in Him everything”), which saying means that He is the author and creator of everything that exists, controls everything and preserves everything. Then, again remembering the gift given to us, in another place he says: “Thanks be to God for His ineffable gift!” (“Thanks be unto God for His inscrutable gift”) (2 Cor. 9:15). And that the peace given to us not only surpasses every word, every explanation, but also stands above all reason, explaining this, the apostle says: “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds” (“and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds”) (Phil. 4:7). If such is His boundless depth of wealth and wisdom and reason, His judgments are untestable and His ways are unsearchable, His gift is inscrutable, and His peace surpasses every mind - not mine or yours, or anyone else, not only Paul and Peter, but also the mind of the Archangels and higher powers - then tell me what excuse you can have for yourself, what indulgence, indulging in such madness and stupidity when you want comprehend the incomprehensible and seek the basis of every providence of God? If even Paul, who possessed such knowledge, had such ineffable boldness and was filled with such gifts of grace, withdraws from this and refuses to achieve knowledge, and not only cannot find, but even begin his research, because this is impossible, then will you not be the most unhappy of all, will you not be subjected to the most cruel madness, following such a path opposite to him? And not only did he say this, but when discussing knowledge with the Corinthians and showing how, even if we had learned a lot, we would still have only a small and even the smallest part of this knowledge, he says this: “Whoever thinks that he knows something, does not yet know anything as he should know” (“if anyone thinks that he knows something, he has no understanding, as it should be understood”) ( 1 Corinthians 8:2). Then, explaining that we lack much in knowledge, and that in the future more will be revealed, but now little has been given to us, he continues: “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part; when the perfect comes, then that which is in part will cease" ("we understand in part and prophesy in part: when the perfect comes, then that which is in part will be done away with) (1 Cor. 13:9-10). He did not stop here either, but wanting to show how much distance separates us from this knowledge and how much we lack, he explains this in some way, saying: “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; and when he became a husband, he left behind his children. Now we see, as if through a dark glass, fortune-telling, but then face to face" ("when a child was like a child, he said, like a child, he thought, like a child; when he was a husband, he rejected the child. We see now like a mirror in fortune-telling, then face to face) ( 1 Corinthians 13:11–12). Do you see how far away it is? The same as between the age of a baby and the coming of age of a husband, which is between a mirror in fortune telling and a clear vision of things for clear vision, which means “face to face”; Why are you mad and furious, trying in vain and in vain to overcome obstacles? Why are you not convinced by Paul’s saying: “Who are you, O man, that you argue with God? Will the product say to the person who made it: “Why did you make me this way?” ("In the same way, O man, who are you against answering God? Whenever the building says to him who created it, Why did you create me like this) (Rom. 9:20). Do you see what obedience he demands, what silence? And he says this without depriving us of free will, far from it, but showing that the examiner should be as silent as clay by nature, which obeys everything that the artist does with it, does not resist and does not show curiosity. By mentioning clay and the potter, he reminds us of our nature. Our essence is the same as the potter and the clay, and where the essence is the same, there must be the same obedience. If the distance here is limitless in essence, knowledge and everything else, then what kind of leniency can that daring and shameless person who wants to penetrate into the mystery of the God who created him receive? “Think, oh man, who are you?” – this is exactly what he expresses with the words: “Who are you?” Are you not clay? Isn't it ashes and dust? Is it soot and smoke? Isn't it hay, or the color of hay? It is precisely these images that the prophets constantly have in mind when they want to depict the vanity of our nature. What you are exploring is immortal, unchangeable, always exists, and the Being is endless, inexplicable, ineffable, incomprehensible - not to me and not only to you, not to the prophets and apostles, but also to the higher powers, those pure, invisible, ethereal forces that constantly reside in heaven. So, when you know that the Seraphim fly around the high and exalted Throne, covering their faces, legs, backs with their wings and filling the sky with cries of their amazement, do not think that they really have legs and wings: they are invisible forces. But through these images, reflect on the immensity and incomprehensibility of Him who sits on the Throne (Is. 6:2-3), because He is incomprehensible and inaccessible even to them, although He condescends to them; He never appeared as He is. After all, God does not sit, does not dwell on the throne, does not occupy any place. If even if He is depicted sitting on a Throne, surrounded by Angels (all this is said with condescension, because He is not sitting), the Angels cannot see Him and, in order to endure the lightning emanating from Him, cover their faces with their wings, and only glorify, only sing, chant with great trepidation, lifting up a mysterious sacred song, then will you not retreat and hide, who desires with such madness? extend your vain curiosity to the providence of God, whose power is ineffable, inexpressible and incomprehensible even to the highest powers? His mysteries are known with accuracy only to His Son and the Holy Spirit, and to no one else, and the Evangelist John, as well as the Apostle Paul, testify to this. The first of them, the son of thunder, especially beloved by Christ, who had the distinction that he was a testimony of the greatest virtue and enjoyed such boldness that he even leaned on his chest towards Him, says: “No one has ever seen God” (“No one has seen God anywhere); and he calls knowledge vision: “The Only Begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has revealed” (“The Only Begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He confessed”) (John 1:18). Christ Himself, explaining the same to the Jewish people, says: “It is not that anyone has seen the Father except Him who is from God; He saw the Father” (“He who is not as He has seen the Father, but He who is from God, is in the form of the Father”) (John 6:46). The vessel of election, turning to the discussion about the economy of God and wanting to express the ineffable things that he learned, says this: “But we preach the wisdom of God, secret, hidden, which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the authorities of this age knew; for if they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear has heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him” (“But we speak the wisdom of God in the hidden mystery, which God hath ordained before the ages for our glory, even though no one of the princes of this age understood; but if they had understood, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written: Whose eye hath not seen, and the ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not breathed what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:7-9). How did we know this, Paul? Who discovered, who explained all this, which was invisible and unheard of, and did not enter the heart of man? Tell me and show me, who gave us such knowledge? “But to us,” he says, “God has revealed it by His Spirit” (“God has revealed it to us by His Spirit”) (1 Cor. 2:10). Then, lest anyone think that there is only what God has revealed to us through him, and that he does not have all knowledge, he continues: “For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For which man knows what is in a man except the spirit of man that dwells in him? Likewise, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God" ("The Spirit tests all things, even the depths of God. Who is the message of man that is in man, but the spirit of man living in him? In the same way, no one knows the message of God, but the Spirit of God") (1 Cor. 2:10-11); and this means: “Just as a person himself knows what is in him, as well as what he desires and what he has in his thoughts, knows everything with accuracy, so the Holy Spirit knows with accuracy all the inexpressible knowledge of God.” Saying: “So no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God,” he does not mean only people, but does not exclude from this exact knowledge all higher creatures. Therefore, the wise one exhorts this: “Do not seek what is too difficult for you, and do not try what is beyond your strength. What is commanded to you, meditate on it; for you have no need of what is hidden. With your many activities, do not worry about unnecessary things: much of human knowledge has been revealed to you” (“do not seek the higher for yourself and do not test the strong for yourself: what is commanded, understand this ...; the essence of the human mind is shown to you) (Sir. 3: 21-23). What has been said means: “Everything that you have, you do not know from yourself; nature is not sufficient for you to know everything, but you receive knowledge from above, because it is much more than can be perceived by your mind. How do you think you can know the deepest things by yourself, when what you know for the most part exceeds your understanding, and you receive this knowledge from others? Explaining the same thing, Paul said: “What do you have that you have not received? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you didn’t receive it?” ("Why did you accept it? Even if you accepted it, you boasted that it was not received") (1 Cor. 4:7). Stop engaging in such arrogance and adhere to that wisest advice, which reads: “And you cannot say: “What is this?” “What is this for?”, for everything will be revealed in due time” (“And he said: what is this, what is this for? All these things will be exacted in due time” (Sir.39:22). Therefore, it was the lawgiver (Moses), after the whole creation had already been completed and assumed its proper beauty and all the harmonious, amazing and worthy of every amazement, the work was completed, and meanwhile many of the foolish and insane began to make complaints about the creation - see how he, refuting their inappropriate judgments and extravagant voices, with one word forbade their shameless language, saying: “And God saw everything that He had created, and behold, very good” (“And God saw everything that was created, and every good thing”) (Gen. 1:31). Meanwhile, among the visible there was not only light, but also darkness; not only fruits, but also thorns; not only fruitful herbs, but also wild ones; not only open plains, but also mountains, gorges and precipices; not only people, but also poisonous reptiles; not only fish, but also whales; not only seas suitable for navigation, but also waters inconvenient for navigation; not only the sun, moon and stars, but also thunder and lightning; not only pleasant winds, but also storms; not only pigeons and songbirds, but also falcons, crows, kites and other carnivorous birds; not only sheep and oxen, but also wolves, panthers and lions; not only deer, hares and gazelles, but also scorpions, echidnas and others; and among plants there are not only useful plants, but also poisonous plants; and many began to be tempted by this and give rise to heresies. Despite this, when everything was created and received its characteristic beauty, the Creator, according to the testimony of the writer of everyday life, praised what was created, not only each of them, but all together, so that, knowing His response, no one would be so daring and shameless as to be curious about what is visible. Therefore, saying that the light appeared, he added: “And God saw the light, that it was good” (“And God saw the light as good”) (Gen. 1:4); and so on after each creation. Then, so as not to call everything by name, and not to lengthen the words, he speaks about everything together and again says: “And God saw everything that He had created, and behold, it was very good” (“And God saw all the trees that He made, and everything that was very good”) (Gen. 1:31). This does not mean that only after creation God learned that everything created was good; not at all. After all, if a human artist knows before the work of his art that everything that will come from him will be good, how much more does the Ineffable Wisdom, who by one will produce everything, know before the work that everything will be good. Even she would not have produced it if she had not known this. Why is it said this way? And for the reason I said. So, listening to how the prophet tells you that God saw everything and praised it, do not look for another reason and proof of the beauty of these things and do not say: “How good?” Indeed, clearer than the evidence drawn from the creation itself is the evidence that the review and judgment of their Creator gives about them. That is why (the writer of everyday life) uses this stronger expression. Just as if someone, wanting to buy medicines, but himself being inexperienced in them, first of all tries to show them to the doctor, so that, having clearly seen that he praised them, he no longer seeks any other testimony about their qualities, but having heard that the doctor saw them and praised them, is content with the expert’s opinion, so Moses, wanting to eliminate all shameless curiosity of those who subsequently enjoy the creations, announced, saying that God saw everything and praised, saying that everything is good, and not just good, but very good. Therefore, do not be curious, do not subject created things to vain reasoning, having such evidence of their goodness; If you are not satisfied with this saying, but want to enter into the study of creation, then by doing so you will not only plunge yourself into the abyss of reasoning and into a storm that produces strong excitement, but even more than that, you will subject yourself to a cruel shipwreck. Yes, you could not find all the reasons for every existing creation, and from what seems good to you now you will blame much if you use an erring mind. The human mind is so weak that it often turns into the opposite, and on the question of creation there are so many opinions that are directly opposed to each other! So the Hellenes, overly admiring the creation, exceeded the measure in this regard and considered it a deity. Then the Manichaeans and other heretics, some of whom recognized it as not the work of the good God, while others, separating one part of it, attributed it to an original substance and considered it unworthy of God’s creativity. Thus, as I said, if someone uses his own reasoning and unreasonable knowledge, then he will blame many things that seem good. What could be more beautiful than the sun? Meanwhile, this bright and pleasant luminary causes harm to sore eyes, scorches the earth, sending out too hot rays, gives rise to fever, often dries up the fruit, makes it useless, makes trees barren and has made part of the universe uninhabitable for us. Well, tell me - can the sun be blamed for this? No way; but silencing the mind with its anxiety, let us rest on that rock, precisely on the saying that says: “And God saw everything that He had created, and behold, it was very good.” Therefore, what I just listed is very good and useful, and, as I said above, one must constantly return to this saying and say: “Behold, everything that God has created is very good.” But is it really good to live in luxury, to have fun, to be in pleasure? Listen to what Solomon, who experienced all kinds of luxury, says: “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, and the heart of fools in the house of joy” (“it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting”) (Eccl. 7:3-4). But is the night pleasant (after all, you need to use the word of your opponents)? But it is also peace from work, liberation from worries, removal of suffering, the end of fears and dangers; it renews the body, strengthens the mind, restores the emaciated flesh. But isn’t illness an evil? Why did Lazarus receive his crown? But poverty? Why was Job glorified? But various constant griefs? What were the apostles famous for? What path leads to life? Isn't it narrow and difficult? So don't say, "What is this for, what is this for?" But in considering the economy and the creation of God, observe, O man, in relation to God who created you, the same silence that clay keeps in relation to the potter. So what? They will say: “Don’t you want me to see and believe that God takes care of everything? I really want and ask, but I especially strongly wish that you do not expose industry to curiosity and do not speculate about it. If you have found out and are convinced of this, do not search for anything; if you hesitate, then ask the earth, the sky, the sun, the moon, ask the various kinds of dumb things, earthly herbs, dumb fishes, stones, mountains, gorges, abysses, night and day, because God’s providence is clearer than the sun and its rays. And at every time and in every place, in the desert, and in inhabited areas, and in the uninhabited, and on land and in the sea, and wherever you go, you will see clear and sufficient traces of this industry, both ancient and new, and they testify to this with a more powerful voice than the voice of our reason, and they tell whoever is willing to listen about all His care. That is why the prophet, wanting to show us the extraordinary power of these voices, said: “There is no tongue, and there is no speech where their voice is not heard” (“Speech is not the essence, lower than words, and their voices are not heard”) (Ps. 18:4). After all, our language is understandable only to those who speak the same language and incomprehensible to those speaking other languages; the language of creation is understandable to all peoples throughout the universe. So, for right-thinking people, this one response from God is sufficient and even more proof from the works to not only show God’s providence, but also His great love for us. After all, He not only provides for us, but also loves us limitlessly - with a passionless love, but fiery and strong, sincere and indestructible, which can never go out. And the Holy Scripture, wanting to show this, gives examples from among people, provides many testimonies about this love, about this industry and care. It does not even want us to just dwell on these examples, but to subject them to our own understanding, and it cites these examples not as sufficient to show love, but as the most familiar to listeners, those that can show this better than anything else. Here, for example: turning to someone who is crying, grieving and crying out: “The Lord has forsaken me, and the God of Israel has forgotten me,” (“the Lord forsaken me and God has forgotten me”), the prophet says: “Will a woman forget her suckling child, so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb?” ("the woman will forget her food, lest she have mercy on the offspring of her womb") (Is.49:14-15), i.e. just as a woman cannot forget her children, so God does not forget the human race. Then, so that you know that the prophet brought such an image not in order to show only the same degree of God’s love as a mother has for the fruits of her womb, but that he pointed to this love as an excellent degree of love (and the love of God is even higher than it), he added: “but even if she forgot, I will not forget you” (“even if the woman forgets these, I will not forget you, says the Lord”) (Is. 49:15). Do you see how He surpassed the very degree of a mother's love? And so that you know that His love greatly surpasses both the love of a mother and the love of a father for children, the prophet says: “As a father has mercy on his sons, so the Lord has mercy on those who fear Him” (“as a father gives generously to his sons, the Lord will show compassion to those who fear Him”) (Ps. 102:13). And here again the prophet brings the same image of love, because he knows that it surpasses all others. The Lord of the prophets and all, explaining that God’s care far exceeds the very degree of such love, and that as great as the difference between light and darkness, evil and kindness, so much the degree of God’s goodness and providence exceeds the love of a father, listen to what he says: “Is there a man among you who, when his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? And when he asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? So, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him? good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:9–11). By this He shows that as great as the difference between evil and goodness is, the goodness of God stands above the care of the fathers. I gave this example so that when I give other examples of love, you will not be limited by the limits of the meaning expressed by the prophet, but, having this instruction, you will go further and see the unspeakable excellence of His love. He is not limited to the limits of nature, but, going beyond them, provides other evidence. This is what a lover does: he wants to prove his love to his beloved as much as possible; The Lord does the same, citing many different comparisons, not so that you can measure all the greatness of His goodness, but because the power of these comparisons surpasses all others known to the listeners. Through David He says: “For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is [the Lord’s] mercy toward those who fear Him” (“as the height of the heavens is from the earth, the Lord has established His mercy on those who fear Him”) (Ps. 103:11), and: “As far as the east is from the west, so has He removed our iniquities from us” (“the east are far from the west, He has removed our iniquities from us”) ( Psalm 102:12); and through Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. But as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts" ("For My counsels are not as your counsels are, nor are My ways lower than your ways, says the Lord. But as the heavens are far from the earth, so is My way far from your ways, and your thoughts from My thoughts” (Is. 55:8-9). And He said this after talking about the remission of sins, saying: “Let the wicked forsake his way” (“for I will quickly forgive your sins”) (Is. 55:7). Then, having shown exactly how much, He gave another example, and not being satisfied with this alone, He also gives another, sharper image. In the prophet Hosea He says: “What shall I do with you, Ephraim? How can I betray you, Israel? Will I do to you as I did to Adam, will I do to you what I did to him? My heart turned in Me, all My pity was kindled!” ("What will I build for you, Ephraim? Will I protect you, Israel? As Adam will I build you, and as He, my heart being changed in him, my repentance will be troubled" (Hosea 11:8). What was said means: “I did not allow even a word of threat.” Although He reasons humanly, you should not attribute anything human to Him, far from it; but on the basis of this strong expression you recognize His love as godlike, sincere and indestructible. Just as someone who loves someone madly would not want to offend his beloved even with a word, so He says the same thing: Because I said this and saddened you with the word, “My heart turned in Me” (“My heart was transformed in him”). Therefore, He does not avoid using the strongest expressions to show His love, and this is the characteristic of a lover. But He does not stop here, but goes further, giving another, even stronger example, saying: “And as the groom rejoices over the bride, so will your God rejoice over you” (“and as the groom rejoices over the bride, so the Lord will rejoice over you”) (Is. 62:5), because especially at the beginning love is hot, burning and strong. This was said not so that you would imply anything human (which I will not stop repeating), but so that from this you would see the warmth, sincerity, strength and ardor of His love. Saying then that He loves like a father and more than a father, like a mother and more than a mother, like a newlywed and more than a newlywed, and that He surpasses the tenderness of a newlywed as much as the sky is higher than the earth and even more so as far as the east is from the west and even more, He does not stop even with these images, but goes even further to show this with an even stronger example. So, when Jonah, after his flight and the reconciliation of God with the Ninevites, saw that his threats did not turn into action, and he gloomily and restlessly succumbed to the weakness of human nature, the Lord commanded the sun to intensify the flame of his rays, and then He commanded the earth to produce for him a huge pumpkin that could shade the head of the prophet, by which means he revived his limbs and put an end to his misfortunes, and then again saddened him, causing him to disappear the plant covering him - when he saw this, and was either pleased or saddened - listen to what the Lord said to him: “Then the Lord said: “You regret the plant that you did not work on and which you did not grow, which grew in one night and disappeared in the same night: Should I not feel sorry for Nineveh, the great city, in which there are more than one hundred and twenty thousand people who do not know how to distinguish their right hand from their left” (“you were offended because pumpkin, you did not labor for it, nor did you feed it... But will I not spare the great city of Nineveh, in which live many more than twelve people who have not known their right hand, who are lower than their servants” (Jonah 4:10–11); and this means: “The shadow of the pumpkin did not delight you so much as the salvation of the Ninevites pleased Me, and the death of the pumpkin did not upset you so much as their death would have upset Me. Therefore their destruction was not to my liking.” You see, just like here He goes beyond the image taken. He doesn’t just say: “You regret the plant” (“you were offended by the pumpkin”), but also adds: “which you did not work on and which you did not raise” (“you did not work for it, nor did you feed it”). Since farmers especially love the plants they plant, on which they spend a lot of labor, then, wanting to show that He also loves people in the image of this love, He added: “If you grieve so much about the work of another, how much more do I care about my own work, about what I myself am the creator of.” Then He softens the very wickedness of the Ninevites, saying that they “do not know how to distinguish their right hand from their left”; He justifies them by the fact that they sinned more out of ignorance than out of malice, which was shown by the end of their repentance. Then, exhorting others who are crying as if abandoned, He says this: “Are you asking Me about the future of My sons and want to show Me the work of My hands?” (“Ask Me about My sons..., and command Me about the works of My hand”) (Is.45:11). What has been said means: “Does anyone remind the father and exhort him to take care of the child? Or the artist and craftsman, so that he does not let his work perish? If in relation to people nature and art itself are enough to reveal care, then do you really think that I need admonition to take care of My children and affairs? He said this so that, without calling Him, they would know that even before the calling God Himself does, but at the same time He wants Him to be called, because from here there is great benefit for those who call. Do you see how clearer and brighter than the sun from these testimonies the proofs of His ineffable providence shine? Really think: He gave the example of a father, a mother, a newlywed and a newlywed, the distance of heaven and earth, the apostles in chains, a gardener working on his plants, a house builder in relation to his buildings, he showed a loving person who is afraid that even a word would upset his loved one, and all this is given in order to show that the goodness of God is as much higher than all this as good is higher than evil. So, for right-thinking people, as I said, this is enough; but since there are people who are stubborn, who resist, who do not believe and who are devoted to the flesh, we will show God’s providence, as far as possible for us, from His very works. All industry, and even most of it, would not be easy to show: it is so endless and ineffable, manifested in small and great, in visible and invisible. Therefore, we will present evidence only from what is visible. He created this wonderful creation for no one else but for you; a creation so beautiful and great, so varied and varied, so rich, suitable and useful in all respects for nutrition, and for maintaining the body, and for the wisdom of the soul, and for bringing to the knowledge of God - He did all this for you. After all, the Angels do not need this, because they already existed before the creation of the world. That they are really much older than the world - listen to what God says to Job: “When the morning stars rejoiced in common, when all the sons of God shouted for joy” (“when the stars [were created], all My angels praised Me with a great voice”) (Job 38:7), i.e. They were amazed by the beauty and usefulness, variety, brilliance, lightness, harmony and everything else that they know better than us. And He adorned the world not only with stars, but also with the sun and the moon, so that at all times he could give you great pleasure and great benefit from both. In fact, what could be more beautiful than the sky, sometimes illuminated by the sun and moon, sometimes looking around the earth with countless stars through the pupils of the eyes and giving guides and guides to sailors and travelers? When the waves are raging and angry waves are rushing towards the ship, when the wind is blowing furiously and a dark and moonless night sets in, then the navigator, cutting the sea and sitting on the stern, trusts himself to the guidance of the sky, and the star located on high, despite the distance separating it, seems as if not far away, guides him with precision and leads him to the pier, without giving a voice, but by its very appearance showing him the way and allowing him to cut the sea, accurately telling the time, so that he either kept the ship in the pier, or confidently launched into the depths of the waves and, out of ignorance of the future, was not unreasonably exposed to a storm and shipwreck. The stars not only measure years for us and indicate the signs of the times, but with great accuracy indicate the hour and movement of each night, show whether it has passed or not reached half of its course, and vice versa, which is useful not only for sailors, but also for travelers in general, so that they do not set off at night at an unfavorable time, or so that they do not continue to sit at home at a favorable time. Observations of the stars and the course of the moon show this with precision. Just as the sun sets the hours of the day, so the moon sets the hours of the night, delivering many other benefits, giving the air a beneficial flow, producing dew useful for seeds, and generally bringing many benefits to people's lives. Occupying the middle between the choir of stars and the brilliance of the sun, it is smaller than the sun, but much larger and more beautiful than the stars. In general, a lot of pleasure and benefit for the audience stems from diversity itself, so that we receive great benefit from times and hours, from measure, from great and small, from all the diversity of the unspeakable. One is smaller, the other is larger and lighter, and they all appear at different times. The truly incomparable wisdom of God everywhere shows great variety in its works, giving proof of its wonderful power, and at the same time caring for the benefit of the spectators, delivering great and ineffable benefit, and at the same time pleasure. After all, what could be more pleasant than the sky, sometimes like a pure and transparent canvas spread over your head, sometimes like a multi-colored meadow shining with its wreath? But it is not as pleasant to see a meadow during the day as it is pleasant to see the sky at night, decorated with numerous colors of stars, flowers that never fade, always showing their beauty. And what could be more pleasant when, after the night has passed, although the sun has not yet risen, the sky is covered with a purple curtain, and turns red when the sun appears? What could be more beautiful than the sight of the sun itself, when, chasing away the dawn, in a short period of time it illuminates the entire earth, the entire sea, all the mountains, valleys, hills, the entire sky with sheaves of rays, when, removing the night veil from the visible, it reveals everything before our eyes? Who could sufficiently express delight at the sight of his movements, his order, his unchanging and inviolable service for so many years, his ever-blooming beauty, his brilliance and brightness, his purity that touches so many bodies and is never desecrated? Moreover, it is extremely useful for seeds, plants, people, four-legged animals, fish, birds, stones, herbs, earth, sea, air - in a word, everything visible. Everything needs it and benefits, and from its influence not only plants and bodies become better, but also waters, lakes, springs, rivers, and the very nature of the air becomes lighter, cleaner and more transparent. Therefore, the psalmist, wanting to show his beauty, his constant clarity, his undiminished charm, his never-fading color, all the greatness of his beauty, his unceasing service, said this: “He made a dwelling place for the sun in them” (“in the sun he set his dwelling”) (Ps. 18:5), that is, in the very heavens. Calling it the village of God, he adds: “And it comes out like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber” (“and like a bridegroom go forth from his chamber”). Then, explaining the benefits of his service, he added: “He rejoices like a giant to run a race” (“he rejoices like a giant’s mother-in-law’s way”) (Ps. 18:6). Then, pointing out its sufficiency and benefit for the entire universe, he says: “From the end of the heavens is his coming, and his march to the end of them” (“from the end of the heaven is his coming, and his meeting to the end of the heaven”) (Ps. 18:7). Then, showing its suitability and usefulness for everyone, he adds: “And nothing is hidden from its warmth” (“and there is nothing that can be hidden from its warmth”). It would be possible, if you were not tired, to show God’s providence from other things: from clouds, from seasons, from solstice, from winds, from the sea, from various rocks in it, from the earth and four-legged animals, reptiles, birds of the air and resting on the earth living on it, from amphibians living in lakes, springs and rivers, from the inhabited universe and from uninhabited countries, from growing seeds, trees, herbs growing in deserts and non-deserts, growing in plains and valleys, on mountains and on hills, from those that grow spontaneously and from those that grow as a result of labor and agriculture, from animals, gentle and not gentle, wild and tame, small or great, from birds, quadrupeds, fish, plants and herbs that appear in winter, summer, or autumn, from the phenomena of day or night, from rains, from the course of the year, from death, from life, from the labor imposed on us, from sorrow, from joy, from the food and drink given to us, from crafts, from the arts, from trees, from stones, from mountains containing metals, from the sea suitable for navigation and from the unsuitable for it, from islands, from piers, from rivers, from the surface of the sea, from the depth of the waters, from the nature and elements of which our world consists, from the distribution of times, from the different lengths of day and night, from the illness and health of our members, from the condition the soul, from the art and wisdom manifested in the human race, from the benefit of dumb plants and other creatures that serve us, from the smallest and most insignificant animals. What could be smaller and uglier than a bee? What is more unsuitable than an ant and a dragonfly? Meanwhile, these insects loudly testify to the providence, power and wisdom of God. Therefore, the prophet, so honored with the Holy Spirit, surveying the works of creation and naming only a few of them, expressed surprise at them with great delight, exclaiming: “How numerous are Your works, O Lord! Thou hast done all things with wisdom" ("For Thy works are great, O Lord, Thou hast done all things with wisdom") (Ps. 103:24). And all this, man, is for you. And the winds are for you (let’s say again, returning to the beginning of our reasoning) to refresh a body worn out by work, to drive away dirt and dust and get rid of the trouble caused by smoke, stoves and all sorts of unhealthy fumes, to moderate the warmth of the sun’s rays, to make the heat lighter, to nourish seeds, to give vegetation to plants, to accompany you at sea and serve on land, there - faster than arrows, sending ships and thus making swimming easy and fast, and here helping you purify the air, separate the chaff from the grain and make your hard work easier; to make the air pleasant and light for you, to amuse you in various ways, now producing a weak and pleasant murmur, now slightly agitating the grass, setting the foliage of the trees in motion; so that in spring and summer I can give you a dream more pleasant and sweeter than honey itself, so that, as happens with trees, I can do the same on the seas and rivers, and, raising waves in the air, give you both a beautiful sight and great benefit. They are also useful for waters, not allowing them to rot from stagnation, but constantly moving, exciting and agitating them, reviving them and making them more suitable for food for the animals living in them. If you wanted to be curious about the night, you would see the great providence of the Creator here too. She calms your weary body, restores your members worn out by daily labor, revives them with her return, gives them new vitality with her peace; and not only that, but it frees you from everyday sorrows, frees you from timeless worries; often it eases the sick person’s fever, gives sleep instead of medicine, directs the art of doctors to a favorable goal and frees them from many labors. Such is its suitability, such is its usefulness, so that often the very day turns out to be lost for those who were deprived of peace during it. If someone were to mentally eliminate this tranquility, this peace, this rest during the night, which revives everything - both the weary soul and the exhausted body, gives us the opportunity to take on the day's work in a better mood, then he would see that life itself would become useless. If someone, during the night, as well as during the day, began to stay awake and work, or even do nothing, and this for a considerable time, he would soon die; and even if he does not die, then, being exposed to a long illness, he will not benefit from his own activities due to complete exhaustion of his strength. If we were to extend our reasoning to the countless number of fish that live in ponds, springs, seas, convenient or inconvenient for swimming, or to the endless breeds of birds that fly in the air, stay on the ground, live equally on land and in water - after all, some of them lead such a dual life - which are tame or wild, which are wild by nature, but are capable or incapable of becoming tame, edible or inedible, and would consider the beauty of the feathers and the melodious voice of each; if we examined some of the differences they present to us in relation to singing, food, type of life, habits and morals; if we looked at all the benefits that we derive from them, all the services they provide to us, if we talked about their greatness or smallness, about the pains of their birth, about all the great and endless diversity found in them; if we went into detail about fish, if from here we moved on to the plants that grow throughout the earth and the fruits each of them bears, if we examined their use, their fragrance, the arrangement of leaves, color, shape, largeness or smallness, their benefits, the ways in which they manifest their qualities, the differences in their bark, in their trunks, in their branches; if we examined the meadows and gardens, if, finally, we talked about all the places that produce them and the way they are found, cared for and cultivated, and how they serve us as medicines - and after all this, if we again turned to the mountains, so numerous and so rich in metals, and turned our research to all other objects, even more numerous than what we see in nature, then what reasoning or how much time would be enough for a detailed study of all this! And all this, man, is for you: art for you, and crafts, cities and villages, and sleep for you, and death and life for you, and so many natural phenomena, and not only the present world for you, but also an even better one for you. And that there is a better world, and it is also for you, listen to what Paul says: “And the creation itself will be freed from the bondage of corruption” (“as... the creation itself will be freed from the work of incorruption”) (Rom. 8:21), i.e. from perishable existence. How is this honor intended for you? Explaining this, he added: “for the freedom of the glory of the children of God” (Rom. 8:21). If my word had not been too long and too big, then I would have philosophized a lot about death, and in it I would have fully demonstrated the wisdom and providence of God, I would have said a lot about this corruption, about this rotting, about these worms, about these grave ashes, which most cause complaints and sorrows in most people; from the fact that our bodies are destroyed into dust and dust and become prey for worms, and from here I would show God’s ineffable providence and care. After all, from this very providence, from this goodness, which created everything that did not exist, from it came the law commanding death and such an end. Although these are different things, they all come from the same goodness. And he who departs from here receives no harm, and he who lives receives the greatest benefit, reaping benefit in another body. When a person sees how the one who yesterday or the day before yesterday walked next to you has now become the prey of worms and is being destroyed into dust, dust and ashes, then even if he had the pride of the devil, he will fear and tremble, become more sedate, learn to be wise and let humility, this mother of all blessings, into his soul. Thus, neither the one who departs suffers any harm, because, having taken off this body, he will receive an incorruptible and immortal body, nor the one who is still in life loses anything from this, but, on the contrary, gains the greatest benefit. It is not by chance that death entered our lives as a teacher of philosophy, cultivating the mind, taming the passions of the soul, calming the waves and establishing silence. So, knowing both from what has been said and from many other things that God’s providence shines brighter than light, do not be curious in vain, do not indulge in a vain attempt to explore the causes of everything. He gave us our very existence out of His goodness, without needing our service. And we must reverence and adore Him not only because He created us or gave us an incorporeal and rational soul, and not because He created us better than all others, and not because He gave us dominion and gave us power over everything visible, but because He Himself does not need us at all. The wonder of His goodness lies in the fact that He did all this without at all needing our service; Before we and the Angels and the higher powers appeared, He already had His own glory and bliss, and created us according to His love for mankind alone, and not only created everything for us, but even more. For this reason, He gave us written laws, sent prophets, performed miracles, and before all this, creating man. He gave him a special teacher - an innate law, like a helmsman for a ship, like a rider for a horse, placing him above our mind. Therefore, Abel already knew him, although writing did not yet exist, there were no prophets, no apostles, no written law, but only innate law. Cain too, and he also knew this law, and both of them knew it, recognized its dominance. Although they did not both follow the same path, but one the path of evil, and the other the path of virtue, however, even then God did not abandon Cain, wanted to raise him from his fall and gave him the opportunity to enjoy care, first admonishing him and giving him advice, and then teaching and edifying him with fear and apprehension. Although many people rejected such a great benefit, i.e. This is a natural knowledge that has such great benefit for us, however, even then God did not abandon them, did not give them up to destruction, but continued to edify and admonish them through works, through benefits, through punishments, through all creation, which daily performs its work, performing ordinary tasks, through extraordinary and unforeseen events, through the righteous who lived in the beginning. For this purpose, He transferred the most worthy people and full of wisdom from place to place. So, He ordered Abraham to move to Palestine, then to Egypt, and Jacob to Syria; Moses again to Egypt, the three youths to Babylon, as well as Daniel and Ezekiel, and Jeremiah to Egypt. Then He gave the law, sent prophets; He struck down and again raised up His people, gave them into slavery and freed them, and from beginning to end he did and accomplished everything for our race. Not limiting himself to edifying us through the voice of nature alone, since many people, carried away by general madness, did not receive any fruit from this, He began new methods of admonition, and finally, to complete His benefits, He sent His Son, the True Son, the Only Begotten; and He, being of the same nature with Him, becomes like me, walked the earth, moved among people, ate and drank, walked around the earth, teaching, edifying, admonishing, working miracles, prophesied for them, exhorted them, gave them advice, suffered for them, endured for them, was subjected to reproaches for them, was betrayed for them. He presented one thing to them already here, and put the other aside for the future. But His promises were true and were confirmed by the miracles He performed while He was still on earth, and the fulfillment of all the predictions. “Whoever will speak of the power of the Lord, will declare all His praises?” (“Whoever speaks of the mighty powers of the Lord is heard to do all His praises”) (Ps. 105:2). Who would not be delighted, who would not be amazed at the ineffability of His care at the thought of how, because of ungrateful slaves, He put His Only Begotten Son to death, a terrible, shameful death, characteristic of the most daring robbers, the death of the unrighteous? After all, He was nailed to the cross, subjected to spitting and strangulation, they beat Him on the cheek and mocked Him, and instead of gratitude for His good deed, He was buried and His tomb was sealed; and He suffered all this for you, for the sake of caring for you, in order to destroy the tyranny of sin, in order to destroy the stronghold of the devil, break the bonds of death, open the gates of heaven for us, free us from the curse that weighed on you, cancel the original condemnation, teach patience and educate you in strength, so that nothing would upset you in this life - neither insults, nor insults, nor shame, nor whips, nor reproaches of enemies, nor adversity, nor attacks, no slander, no evil suspicions and nothing else like that. For this, He Himself endured all this, experienced it together with you, and He triumphed over all this, teaching you not to be afraid of anything like that. But, not content with this, He, having gone to heaven, gave you the ineffable gift of the Holy Spirit and sent the apostles to spread His teaching. And seeing how these preachers of life suffered thousands of evils, were scourged and insulted, were drowned, suffered hunger and thirst, were daily in danger, daily exposed to death, He endured all this for you, out of love for you. For you, man, He has prepared the Kingdom, He has appointed for you an unspeakable good, this inheritance in heaven, these various and manifold gifts, this bliss that cannot be expressed in any word. Having so much evidence of God's providence, evidence in the Old and New Testaments, evidence in the present life and in the future, evidence that already exists, that will be, that each of the days we experience, evidence from the very beginning of creation, evidence in the middle and at the end, constant evidence, evidence from the body, from the soul, seeing whole clouds of evidence delivered from everywhere, proclaiming His providence, do you still doubt? No, you don't doubt it; you believe in industry, you are convinced of its existence. So, do not be curious any more, seeing clearly that you have a Lord who is more loving than fathers, more caring than mothers, more full of love than the newlywed and newlywed, rejoices at your salvation, and rejoices even more than you would rejoice if you were delivered from the danger of death (as he showed through Jonah), and seeing all these proofs of the love that only a father can have for his children, or a mother for her children, or a gardener for plants, the steward - to his art, the newlywed - to the newlywed, the young man - to the maiden, and wanting to remove from you all evil, how far the east is from the west, how far the sky is higher than the earth (which we have shown), and not only this, but much more than that, as we have shown, touching on everything in words and giving various examples not only from understandable images, but also from those that surpass understanding itself. Truly, God's providence is inexplicable, His care is incomprehensible, His goodness is inexpressible, and His love for mankind is unimaginable. So, seeing all this, whether from what He announced, or from what He did and what He will do, do not be curious or test, do not say: “What is this for?” This would be unreasonable and would indicate extreme madness and stupidity, since they never ask the doctor why he cuts, cauterizes, gives us bitter medicine, even if he were just a slave - and the patient, even being his master, silently endures all his pains, even thanks him for this cauterization, for this medicine, and although he knows that he may not get out of here (and many doctors, doing this, killed many), he obeys him in everything completely humility. The same applies to sailors, housebuilders, and all those engaged in other crafts. Therefore, I say, it would be ridiculous to think that an ignorant and inexperienced person would begin to seek the reasons for all phenomena from the Artist, subjecting his curiosity to His ineffable wisdom, the ineffable, inexpressible, incomprehensible wisdom, and to seek why this and that exists, especially knowing fully that His wisdom is infallible, that His goodness is great, that His providence is ineffable, that everything that exists He directs it for our benefit, if only we, on our part, contribute to industry, because He does not want to destroy anyone, but to save. Thus, would it not be extreme madness to immediately and from the very beginning expose curiosity to the works of Him who wants and desires to save everyone, without even waiting for the end of what is happening? It would be best not to be curious, either at first or after; if you are too curious and impatient, then at least wait for the end and see where all this is heading, and above all, do not be afraid or worry. How can someone unfamiliar with the matter, seeing that a goldsmith first melts gold and then mixes it with ashes and dust, without waiting for the end, think that he has ruined the gold; or a person born and raised at sea, being immediately transferred to the middle of the earth, having never heard before about how it is cultivated, would suddenly see how the grain, usually stored in a granary, guarded by doors and bars, protected against dampness, now the owner of all this grain scatters and scatters it across the plain, gives it to be trampled upon by everyone who passes through his field, and not only does not protect against dampness, but even throws it into the mud and dampness, and does not assign guards to it - would he not think that this grain is ruined, and would he not reproach the farmer who acts in this way? Meanwhile, this condemnation would not come from the essence of the matter, but from the inexperience and lack of understanding of the person who pronounces his judgment too quickly. Let him wait for the summer, when the luxurious harvest appears, the sickles are sharpened, when it turns out that the grain, scattered here and there, left unguarded, left to decay and decay, thrown into the dirt, has grown, multiplied, become even more beautiful, thrown off its decay, adorned with greater strength, having, as it were, spearmen and a militia, raises its head up, amuses the viewer, and brings great joy. benefit - and then he will be extremely surprised that after such vicissitudes the fruit has received such beauty and such beauty! Therefore, you, man, do not subject your curiosity to the Lord common to all of us; if you are so curious and daring as to indulge in even such madness, then at least wait until the end. For if the farmer waits throughout the winter, looking not at what the grain is exposed to during the cold, but at what he is to enjoy in the future, then how much more is He who cultivates the whole universe and cares for our souls worthy that you wait for the end; I mean the end not only in this life (it often happens here too), but also in the future. The end of both of these lives is directed towards the same economy, namely, towards our salvation and glorification. Even if they are separated in time, they coincide with each other in purpose; and just as during the year there is winter and summer, but both of these times come down to the same thing, namely, the ripening of fruits, so the same applies to our affairs. Therefore, when you see that the Church is scattered and suffers to the extreme, that its lamps are persecuted and scourged, its abbots are exiled far away, then do not look only at this, but also at what will come out of here - at the crowns, rewards, retributions given to the victors: “He who endures to the end will be saved” (“he who endures to the end, he will be saved”) (Matthew 10:22), says the Scripture. In the Old Testament, when the doctrine of the resurrection was not yet known, both were accomplished in real life; under the New Testament this is not always the case, but there is sorrow here, and bliss must be expected in the future life. Although blessings befell (the Jews) in this life, they would have been much more worthy of surprise if they had not enjoyed them, because, not yet clearly knowing the doctrine of the resurrection and seeing that everything was going contrary to the promises of God, they were not embarrassed, were not afraid and were not worried, but indulged in His incomprehensible providence, not in the least tempted by the fact that everything was happening the other way around, but knowing all the boundlessness and inexhaustibility of His wisdom, they would expect the end, and even better if, even before the end, they would endure with gratitude everything that happens to them and would not cease to praise God, who sends suffering. Perhaps this reasoning will seem unclear to you; so I'll try to make it clearer. When Abraham had already become old, and due to his old age, he became dead from childbearing, since in order to become a father, he had no more vitality left than the deceased; When this righteous man grew old, and very old, far beyond the limits of natural childbearing, and having Sarah as a concubine, more barren than a stone, God promised him that he would be the father of so many descendants that in their multitude they would surpass the multitude of stars. There were many obstacles to this, because the patriarch had already reached the last limit of his age, and his wife was doubly barren both by age and by nature; she was barren not only due to old age, but also by nature itself, because, even when young, she was a useless instrument of nature; In general, this woman was barren. Therefore, Paul, pointing to this circumstance, said: “And the womb of Sarah was dead” (“and the deadness of Sarah’s lies”) (Rom. 4:19). He didn’t just say “deadness... Sarrin”, so as not to imply only age, but “the womb of Sarrin in deadness” (“deadness ... is false”), which became not only from time, but from nature itself. Despite, as I said, so many great obstacles and knowing that this is the promise of God, how rich it is in sources and means, how it does not stop in the face of obstacles either in the laws of nature, or in the difficulty of the matter itself, or in anything else, but goes against everything, bringing the promise to fulfillment, (Abraham) accepted what was said, believed the promise and, completely banishing fear from his mind, considered all this to be certain, thinking how it really is, that God has enough power to keep His word, and did not seek out how and in what way everything would happen, why all this happened not in youth, but in old age, and in general so late. That is why Paul glorifies him, saying with a joyful voice: “He believed with hope beyond hope, through which he became the father of many nations” (“who believed in hope beyond hope, that he might be the father of many languages”). (Rom.4:18). What is “beyond hope,... with hope" ("more than hope, in hope")? Contrary to human hope - in God's hope, all-conquering, all-powerful, all-performing. And he believed not only that he would be a father, but also the father of many nations, and that he was an old man, childless, who had a barren and old wife, as it was said to him: “So numerous will your seed be.” “And, not fainting in faith, he did not think that his body, almost a hundred years old, was already dead, and Sarah’s womb was dead; did not waver in the promise of God through unbelief, but remained firm in faith, giving glory to God and being fully confident that He is able to fulfill what He promised” (“So shall your seed be.” And you did not fail in faith, nor did you see your flesh already mortified, a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s lies. And the promises of God were not doubted by unbelief, but possible through faith, having given glory to God, and having been known, he is able to eat and do what he has promised” (Rom. 4:18–21). This saying means: “Immediately taking courage and throwing away human weakness, relying entirely on the One who Promised, taking into account His ineffable power, he was completely convinced that everything that was said would happen.” And he especially glorifies God not because he was curious or sought knowledge, but because he humbled himself before the incomprehensibility of His wisdom and power and did not at all doubt what was said. Do you see that to especially glorify God means to always bow before the incomprehensibility of His providence and the ineffable power of His wisdom, and not to be curious, not to search and not to interrogate: what is this for, what is it for, how will it be? What is surprising is not this alone, but the fact that, having received the command to sacrifice his only begotten and true son, after such a promise, he was not embarrassed then, although there were many reasons that could have embarrassed an inattentive and not awake person. And first of all, the command itself could confuse: does God really accept such sacrifices, does he really command fathers to be child killers, to destroy life with a violent death, to put children to untimely death, to kill with his own hands those born of himself - does He really want to desecrate His altar by shedding such blood, arming the right hand of the father against the only begotten son, to make the righteous a ferocious murderer? In addition, nature itself could not help but excite and frighten, not only because he was a father, but also because he was a loving father, the father of a true and only begotten son, who was handsome in appearance and good in mind. Moreover, (his son) was at such an age and in such a flowering of virtue that he shone doubly with the beauty of his soul and the beauty of his body. His love for his son was considerable, and precisely because he received him against all hope. You know how kind those children are who appear contrary to hopes and expectations, and not according to the law of nature - and such was the case (Isaac). But besides all this, what could especially cause temptation was the very promise and promise: the command stood in complete contradiction with it. The promise was: “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you can count them. And he said to him, “Your descendants will be so many” (“your seed will be like the stars of heaven”) (Gen. 15:5). The command was that he should take the only begotten son, from whom the whole universe was to be filled, from among people and put him to death and the most cruel slaughter. But this did not bother the righteous man, and he was not afraid of this, and this did not cause him any suffering, as it would have caused suffering to any foolish and reptile. He didn't say to himself, “What is this? Am I really deceived, am I seduced? Is this really a command from God? No, I won’t believe it; I am ashamed to become a child killer and to defile my right hand with this blood; How will the promise be fulfilled, and if I pull out the root, where will the branches come from and where will the fruit come from? If you dry up a spring, where will the rivers flow from? If I kill my son, where will come many descendants that surpass many stars? How did He promise one thing and now command the opposite?” He didn’t say or even think anything like that; but again, relying on the omnipotence of the One who gave him this promise, on the infinite power, which, so rich in means and ways to remove all obstacles, stands above all the laws of nature and stronger than everything that exists, does not meet anything that could oppose it - he would fulfill the command and with great confidence would slay his son, would stain his right hand, would bloody his knife and would lower the sword on his son’s neck, and he would do all this - if not in practice, then in thought. Therefore, Moses, marveling at him, said: “And it came to pass, after these events, God tempted Abraham and said to him:... take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac... and offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you” (“and it came to pass according to these words, God tempted Abraham and said to him:... understand your beloved son, him whom you have loved, Isaac, and... lift him up... one from the mountains, from which there is a river" (Gen. 22:1-2). Are these words of promise, words of promise, saying that he will be the father of many descendants and his seed will be like the stars of heaven? You see how, after such words, having heard that he had to sacrifice his son, he took him - the one from whom he was supposed to receive many descendants, in order to kill and sacrifice him, remove him from among people, and raise him to the altar of God. Therefore, Paul, marveling at him, again crowned and glorified him, saying: “By faith Abraham, when he was tempted, brought... Isaac" ("By faith Abraham brought Isaac to the temptation"); and then showing exactly what kind of work he did and what kind of faith he discovered, he continues: “and having the promise, he offered his only begotten” (“and the only begotten he offered, he received the promises”) (Heb. 11:17). And this means: “It cannot be said that Abraham had two natural sons and that, after sacrificing one, he could hope that he would be the father of many nations from the other; but he had only one son, and to this one the promise applied; and although this was precisely what he had to sacrifice, however, just as at the promise of his birth, his faith was not hindered by either his own mortification or the natural infertility of his wife, so here he was not embarrassed by the death (of his son). Compare all this with what is happening now, and you will see your cowardice, you will see the vanity of those who are tempted, and it will be clear to you that this temptation occurs in you not from anything other than the fact that you do not bow before the inexplicable providence of God, but try in everything to find out the way of His economy, seek the reason for everything that happens and want to penetrate everything with your curiosity. If Abraham had allowed all this, he would have wavered in his faith. But he did not allow it, therefore he became famous and received what was promised: he was not embarrassed either by old age or by the command that followed. He did not think that this command could serve as an obstacle to the promise, or that this sacrifice would destroy the promise, and he did not fall into despair regarding the promise, although he had already reached the very limit of earthly life. Do not tell me that God knew that this command would not be carried out and that the right hand of the righteous would not be stained with blood; but look at the fact that the righteous man knew nothing about this, nothing about the fact that he would receive his son back, and thus return home with him, since, on the contrary, all his thoughts were occupied with sacrificing him. That is why he is called from heaven twice. God did not just say to him: “Abraham!”, but twice: “Abraham, Abraham!” (Gen. 22:11), with such an invocation arousing and strengthening in him the inclination to the ordered sacrifice: this was certainly the command. You see how everything in his thoughts was fulfilled, and there was no temptation. The reason for this is that he did not penetrate into the work of God with his curiosity. What about Joseph? Tell me - didn't he believe the same? After all, he was given a great promise from God, but in reality everything happened again contrary to this promise. In dreams he was given a promise that his brothers would worship him, and this was announced in two ways - first through the medium of the luminaries, and then through the medium of sheaves. Yet what happened after these visions was contrary to the visions. First of all, a cruel enmity began against him under his father's roof, and his brothers, breaking off all ties with him, destroying the laws of kinship and breaking the bonds of fraternal affection, and finally, destroying the very dictates of nature, as a result of these visions became enemies and enemies to him, even more evil than the enemies in relation to their brother, and like wild and ferocious animals, having a lamb among them, they plotted against him every day. The mother of this enmity was unreasonable envy and unjust jealousy: burning with anger, they daily plotted murder, and envy kindled in them like a fiery furnace, from which flames burst out. But since they could not cause him any harm while he was and lived with his parents, they denigrated his behavior, spread shameful rumors about him, raised evil accusations, thereby wanting to undermine his father’s love for him and make him susceptible to slander. Then, having met him far from his father’s eye, seeing him in the desert, where he brought them food and came to see them, they were not ashamed of the reason for his arrival, they were not ashamed of the brotherly meal, but they sharpened knives against him and planned to destroy him; everyone became fratricides, although they could bring absolutely nothing against what they were doomed to destruction; for precisely that for which he should have been crowned and glorified, they treated him with envy, hostility and slander. He not only did not withdraw from communication with them, but even with such their malice he discovered brotherly love; and they decided to destroy him and, as far as it depended on them, killed him, stained their hands and committed fratricide. But the infinite wisdom of God, which arranges everything well even in the unwell, in the very misery and even at the very gates of death, snatched him from their villainous hands. One of the brothers advised them to refrain from such a vile murder - and this, of course, God inspired him to do - and thereby prevented the murder. But the terrible thing did not stop here, but continued further. Although the brothers encountered obstacles to killing him, their spirits were still burning with anger, rage raged within them, the flame of their passion was great and it turned into another form of anger. Having taken off his clothes and tied him up, they threw him into a pit - these cruel, inhuman people, and then began to enjoy the food brought to them: he himself, being in the pit, trembled for his life, while they were fed and drunk. But their madness did not stop here: when they saw the barbarian people who were heading from the country they inhabited to Egypt, they sold their brother to them, thereby preparing for him another death, even longer and more cruel, filled with all kinds of misfortune. While still a tender youth, brought up in his father’s house with great freedom, completely unfamiliar with slavery and the misery associated with slavery, just think what he suffered then, immediately becoming a slave instead of a free man, a foreigner instead of a citizen, and being plunged into terrible captivity. He was not only plunged into slavery, but also deprived of his father and mother and everything that belonged to him; naked, taken to a foreign land, homeless, and without his own city, he was subjected to the law of slavery in barbarian hands. Wasn't all this enough to terrify him? Was it easy to endure suddenness, unexpectedness, unforeseenness and cruelty of fate, and, moreover, on the part of his brothers - those brothers whom he loved and towards whom he did not do any great or small injustice, but rather benefited them? And yet nothing troubled him, and taken by the merchants to Egypt, he moved from one slavery to another. There he again became a slave - the Jew lived in a barbarian house - he was noble and free with double freedom, freedom of the body and freedom of the soul! But even here he was not indignant or embarrassed by what had happened, although he remembered the visions that told him something completely different; He wasn’t even curious about what would come of all this? While the fratricides, these wolves and beasts, having committed such lawlessness, enjoyed themselves in their father’s house, the young man who was promised to rule over them, being now a captive, a slave taken to a foreign land, endured extreme misery, and not only did not rule over them, but became their slave, enduring exactly the opposite of what was promised to him in the vision. Not only did he not receive dominance then, but he was deprived of his fatherland, freedom, and the sight of his parents. But his misfortune did not stop here, and another deeper abyss opened before him; Again, death and destruction lay ahead of him, a most unbearable death and a death filled with shame. The lady of the house, looking at him with vicious eyes, captivated by the beauty of the young man, enchanted by his beautiful face, began to plot intrigues and plans against him. Drowning in luxury, she tried every day to trap the young man in her own chambers, plunge him into fornication and put him to immortal death. Burned by passion and daily scorched by this unclean love, she went out every day on such a hunt and, finding him alone, forcibly tried to persuade him to this vicious love, forced him to enter into an illegal relationship with her and tried to deprive him of chastity. But even here the righteous man did not allow himself to sin, but, with great ease, overcoming the power of lust, and the passions of young age, and the intrigues of a voluptuous wife, and the temptations of his mistress, and the excitement of youth, and everything that could lead to a fall, and the face and rage of the mistress, he, like an eagle on light wings, rose up, threw off his clothes and, leaving them in voluptuous hands, went out naked, without clothes, having chastity as a bright robe, brighter than any scarlet. And with this again he sharpened the sword against himself, again he faced death, the waves rose even stronger, since the rage of this woman flared up stronger than the Babylonian furnace. Her lust inflamed even more, and anger, this other most ferocious passion, combined with great brutality, and she began to plot his life and resorted to the sword to commit the most lawless murder, trying to destroy the champion of chastity and the ascetic of firmness and patience. Hastening to her husband, she told about everything that had happened - not as it was in reality, of course, but as she herself hypocritically described this incident, inspired the judge with everything she wanted, complained about the insult and, as the victim of damage, demanded revenge, as proof of which she pointed to the clothes of the innocent young man, which remained in her unclean hands. And the deceived judge did not take the accused to the court, did not give him a word, but condemned the man who had never seen the court as convicted of adultery, threw him into prison and burdened him with chains. And so a man who would have deserved crowns for his virtue found himself in prison along with deceivers, tomb robbers, murderers and the very last scoundrels. And yet, nothing like that bothered him. Another prisoner, who had offended the king, was released, but he had to remain in prison for a long time and suffer a heavy punishment for what should have crowned and glorified him. And yet he was not indignant or embarrassed, and did not say: “What is this? What is this for? I, who was promised to rule over my brothers, not only did not receive such an honor, but was also deprived of my fatherland and home, and parents, and freedom, and security, and precisely from those who should have worshiped me. After they committed a crime against me, I became a slave of the barbarians and constantly changed masters. However, even here my misfortune has not yet ceased, and everywhere I am threatened by disasters and intrigues. After the treachery of the brothers, after the disaster and slavery of both the first and the second, I was again threatened with death and treachery more severe than before, and slander, and destruction, and an unjust judgment, and a shameful accusation that threatened death. Without receiving the right to speak, I was simply and without trial thrown into prison and burdened with bonds along with adulterers, fratricides and the most worthless people. The cupbearer got rid of both bonds and prison; I cannot enjoy any security after him; although his dream actually came true according to my interpretation, I am in unbearable distress. Is this what my visions told me? Was this what the known number of stars proclaimed? Was this what the sheaves proclaimed? Where did the promises go? Where did the promises go? Was I deceived? Was I deceived? Where do my brothers finally worship me, me, a slave, a captive, a prisoner declared an adulterer, in extreme danger, living so far from them? Everything has disappeared and perished!” He did not say or think anything of the kind, but waited for the end, knowing how infinite and resourceful the wisdom of God is, and not only was he not embarrassed, but even delighted and boasted about everything that was happening. And what, tell me, happened to David? Didn’t he, after already enjoying the kingdom, accept the scepter of the Jewish people at the voice of God and win a brilliant victory over the barbarians? Didn’t he suffer the most severe disasters, being subjected to enmity and slander from Saul, fearing for his very life, drawn into the people’s struggle, constantly driven into the desert, becoming a vagabond, deprived of a city and a home? Do I need to say much? Finally, he lost his fatherland and was completely removed from his own country, living with hostile, most hostile barbarians, leading a life harder than slavery, since he did not even have the necessary food. And he endured all this after Samuel visited him, after the pouring of oil on him, after the promise of the kingdom to him, after the scepter, after the diadem, after the ordination of God and election; and despite this, nothing bothered him, and he did not say: “What is this? I, a king who should have enjoyed power, cannot have the same security that belongs to the simplest person, but I have become a vagabond, a fugitive, a man without a city and without a home, a wanderer, I have retired to a barbaric country, deprived of the necessary food and daily I see how extreme danger threatens me. Where is the promise of the kingdom? Where is the promise of dominion to me? He didn’t say or think anything like that; he was not embarrassed by what happened, but expected the promise to be fulfilled. One could talk about a thousand other people who, exposed to the most severe calamities, were not afraid, but relying on the promises of God, even if the opposite happened, earned themselves bright crowns with such beautiful patience. So you, beloved, endure and wait for the end, because everything will be fulfilled either here or in the next century. Everywhere bow before the incomprehensibility of industry and do not say: “How will retribution be given for all disasters?” And do not inquire in what way the works of God are accomplished. All these righteous people did not inquire into how and in what way all this was accomplished; but seeing that all this was incomprehensible to the human mind, they were not afraid or indignant, but bravely endured everything, having the greatest confidence in the power of the One who promised to give future benefits, and did not fall into despair due to the opposite reality. They clearly saw that, being well-ordered and wise, God can, even after destruction, restore everything better than before, and fulfill his promise with great accuracy. So you, beloved, when sorrow embraces you in real life, glorify God; when you are exposed to disasters, also give thanks, do not be at all embarrassed, because God’s providence is endless and unsearchable, and everything will receive its due end in the present life or in the future. If someone, listening to me, out of cowardice thought that everything should happen here, then we will say that true life and lasting blessings await us only there. Real life is only a path, and life there is the fatherland; the one here is like spring flowers, and the one there is like immovable rocks; there crowns and rewards will have no end, there rewards are assigned to the victors, there punishments and unbearable torments for those who do evil. “What,” someone will say, “wait there for those who are tempted?” But why don’t you talk about those who have become especially famous, but point to those who at first wore the mask of piety and are now exposed? Do you not see how gold is purified, how tin is revealed, how straw is separated from bread, wolves from sheep, pretending to be from those who truly live in godliness? When you see the confusion of such, think about the glory of them. Some hesitated; but even more of those who remained firm earned themselves a great reward, not retreating either from the power of slander or from the difficulty of the times. Let those who are embarrassed reflect with themselves: “After all, the three youths were deprived of priests, and a church, and an altar, and everything else that was required by the law, and yet, living among the barbarians, they fulfilled the law with great accuracy; the same thing happened with Daniel and with many others; and they, taken captive, did not violate anything, while others, remaining at home and taking advantage of everything in their fatherland, fell and were condemned.” If you investigated why all this is allowed, and did not bow before the ineffable mysteries of God’s actions, but tried to find out everything, gradually penetrating further and seeking out many other things, for example: why heresies appeared, why devils, why demons, why evil people who seduce many, and most importantly of all this, why the Antichrist is approaching, having such power to deceive that, as Christ says, he will do something in such a way that he will be able to seduce even the elect. But you should not search for this, but everything must be left to the inscrutable wisdom of God. He who has already firmly believed, even if countless waves rage, even if countless storms arise, he will not only not suffer any harm, but will become even stronger; a weak, absent-minded and cowardly person often falls when no one pushes him. If you want to know the reason for this, listen to our instructions. There are many other things that would testify to us in various ways about the economy of God; but we will say what we know. We say that temptations are allowed so that the strength of the courageous does not decrease; This is what God said in a conversation with Job, saying: “Do you want to overthrow My judgment, accuse Me in order to justify yourself?” ("Do you think that I have created you otherwise, unless you appear truthful") (Job.40:3). Paul also says: “For there must be differences of opinion among you, so that skillful ones may be revealed among you” (“For it is fitting that heresies also should be among you, so that skillful practices may be manifested in you”) (1 Cor. 11:19). When you hear this saying: “There must be differences of opinion among you,” then do not think that he says this in the sense of an order or a law; not at all, but he predicts the future with this and reminds those who are awake in advance of the benefits that lie ahead for them. “When you resist seduction,” he says, “then your virtue will be revealed more clearly.” For this reason, and also for another reason, evil people were allowed in, namely, so that they too would not be deprived of the opportunity to benefit from the change that could happen to them. This is how Paul was saved, this is how the thief, this is how the harlot, this is how the publican was saved, and so were many others. If, before converting, they had been taken from here, none of them would have been saved. Regarding the Antichrist, Paul expresses another reason. Which one exactly? And the one to eliminate any possibility of an apology for the Jews. What excuse could there be for those who, having not accepted Christ, would begin to believe in the Antichrist? That is why the apostle says: “Let all who did not believe the truth but delight in unrighteousness be condemned” (2 Thess. 2:12), i.e. Antichrist. After all, the Jews said that they did not believe Christ because He called Himself God: “We do not want to stone You for a good deed, but for blasphemy and because You, being a man, make Yourself God” (“We do not lay stones against You, but for blasphemy, because You, this man, have made God for Yourself”) (John 10:33), although they heard that He He attributed the greatest power to the Father and said that he came with His permission, which he witnessed with many deeds; What will they say when they accept the Antichrist, who will say that he is God and, without mentioning anything about the Father, will do everything contrary to Him? Therefore, Christ, reproaching them, predicted, saying: “I came in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me; But if another comes in his own name, you will receive him" ("I came in the name of My Father, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him") (John 5:43). That is why temptation was allowed. If you say that there are those who are offended, then I will present to you even more of those who have become famous, and again I will tell you the same thing, that for the sake of the negligence and laziness of others, those who are able to watch and pay attention should not be deprived of their rewards, and because of this they should be deprived of numerous crowns. They would not have been put to the test if they had not received pledges of reward for this struggle; if the weak receive harm from here, then they cannot at least blame someone else for this, but must blame themselves for the fall, especially in view of the example of those who not only were not tempted, but became even more glorious and strong. What priests did Abraham use, tell me, what teachers? What edifications? What admonitions, what advice? Then there were no Scriptures, no law, no prophets and nothing else like that: he sailed on an unexplored sea, walked an untested path, moreover, having been born in an ungodly house, and from an ungodly father. But nothing like that harmed him, and he shone with such virtue that long later, after the prophets, after the law and the long education that Christ taught people through signs and wonders - in anticipation of all this, he showed in practice precisely sincere and ardent love, disdain for money, care for loved ones by birth; trampling on everything earthly and throwing away glory and a licentious life, he began to live more strictly than the monks living on the tops of the mountains. He did not even have a house, but only a tent of leaves, barely able to cover the head of a righteous man; being himself a stranger, he did not neglect hospitality, and being himself a stranger in a foreign land, he received those who came at noon and served them. He served them himself, and in this good deed he made his wife an accomplice. And what didn’t he do for his nephew, although he treated him badly, wanted to seize even the best part of the pasture, and this - after the choice offered to him? Didn't he shed blood because of him? Didn’t he arm everyone in his household and expose himself to obvious danger? When he was ordered to leave home and go to a foreign country, didn’t he immediately obey? Leaving his fatherland, and friends, and all relatives, and believing in the command of God, did he not leave everything present, expecting the unknown with much greater confidence than the present, for the sake of the promise of God, which he believed adamantly? After all this, with the onset of famine, he again became a wanderer, and yet he was not afraid and was not embarrassed, but again showed the same obedience, wisdom and patience, and went to Egypt, and obeying the voice of the commanding God, was he not separated from his wife, did he not see how the Egyptian desecrated her as much as possible for him, and, being struck in the most sensitive place, did he not suffer something worse than death itself? What could be, tell me, more difficult than to see that his wife, bound to him by the law of marriage, after so many promises, was kidnapped from him by barbaric wickedness, taken inside the royal chambers and insulted? Even if in reality this did not happen, he still expected it, and endured everything courageously, so that neither disasters embarrassed him, nor prosperity made him proud, but even in times of adversity he retained the same state of mind. And when a son was promised to him, were there not countless obstacles, obstacles from reason itself? But, overcoming all of them, suppressing all doubts, did he not shine with faith? When he was then given the command to sacrifice his son, did he not lead him with great speed, as if he were leading him to marriage as a groom? As if trampling upon his very nature and ceasing to be a man, did he not make this strange and extraordinary sacrifice and endure the struggle alone, without calling to his aid either his wife, or his household, or anyone else? He knew, knew well the height of the goal, the burden of this command, the greatness of this struggle; therefore, one decided to accomplish this deed and, having accomplished this feat, received a crown and was declared the winner. What priest instructed him to do this? Which teacher, which prophet? Exactly no one, but he himself had a well-meaning soul, and that was enough in all these matters. What happened to Noah? What priest, what teacher, what mentor did he have? Was he not the only one, when the entire universe was plunged into evil, who followed the opposite path, observed virtue, and shone so brightly that when the universe was drowned, he himself was saved and others were saved from the overwhelming dangers by the valor of his own virtue? Why did he become righteous, why perfect? Did he have any priest or teacher? No one could say that he had. And his son, although he had a proper teacher, namely, the virtue of his father, using the instructions and through deeds seeing the outcome of the deeds themselves, having a lesson both in the destruction (of the human race) and in the salvation of his family, was evil towards him, laughed at the nakedness of his parent and gave him up to ridicule. Do you see that nobility of soul is required everywhere? And what, tell me, happened to Job? What prophets did he hear, what teaching did he use? None. However, even though he had nothing of the sort, he demonstrated all kinds of virtue with great zeal. He shared his property with those in need, and not only his property, but also his body itself. In his house he received strangers, and his house belonged rather to the latter than to the owner himself; with the strength of his body he helped the oppressed, with the strength and wisdom of his tongue he defeated slanderers and revealed the evangelical prudence that manifested itself in all his deeds. Look: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” says Christ (Matthew 5:3), and this he justified by his deeds. “If I neglected,” he says, “the rights of my servant and maidservant when they had a dispute with me, then what would I do when God rebelled? And when He looked at me, what could I answer Him? Didn’t He, who created me in the womb, create him also and form us equally in the womb?” ("But I despised the judgment of my manservant or maidservant, who hid himself before me: what shall I do, if the Lord bring me to trial?... Food not as I was in the womb, and so was it? Behom in the same womb" (Job.31:13–15). “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). And what was more meek than the one about whom the household said: “Oh, if only we had not been filled with his meat?” ("Who would have given us to be satisfied with his flesh") (Job.31:31), - so they loved him so much. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4); and he was not alien to this virtue. Listen to what he says: “If I hid my transgressions, like a man, hiding my vices in my chest, then I would be afraid of a large society, and the contempt of my fellow tribesmen would frighten me” (“even if I sinned unwillingly ... I was not put to shame ... by the multitude, so that I did not tell my iniquity before them”) (Job 31:33-34). A man of such a mood obviously cried with great excess. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6). Look, and this was fulfilled in abundance by him: “I crushed,” he says, “I broke the jaws of the wicked and plucked from his teeth what was stolen” (“I wiped off... the limbs of the unrighteous, and took away the spoil from the midst of their teeth”) (Job 29:17). “I clothed myself in righteousness, and my judgment clothed me like a robe” (“But I clothed myself in righteousness, but I clothed myself in judgment like a robe”) (Job 29:14). “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7); and Job was merciful not only in money, not only in clothing the naked, feeding the hungry, helping widows, protecting orphans, healing wounds, but also with the very compassion of his soul. “Did I not weep for one who was in grief? Didn’t my soul grieve for the poor?” (“I wept for every weak person, and sighed when I saw a man in trouble.”) (Job.30:25). As if being a common father for all the unfortunate, he came to the aid of some in misfortune, mourned the misfortunes of others and showed mercy in words and deeds, with his compassion and his tears becoming, as it were, a common cover for everyone. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). And it also paid off for him. Listen to what God testifies about him: “There is no one like him on earth: a blameless man, a just man, one who fears God and shuns evil” (“There is none like him on earth: a blameless man, a true man, a godly man, abstaining from the spirit of evil”) (Job 1:8). “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). And in this regard, he accomplished a great many feats and received awards. He was not only persecuted by people, but he was attacked by the leader of all evil himself, the demon, who, using all his intrigues, attacked him, drove him out of his home and fatherland, threw him into the dung, deprived him of all his money, estates, children, health, his very body, betraying him to the most severe hunger; after which even some of his friends insulted him and irritated the wounds of his soul. “Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you unrighteously because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:11–12). And this bliss was justified in him with great completeness. Even people close to him then slandered him, saying that he was punished less than he had sinned, they brought great accusations, false words and grave slander against him. But he saved them from the danger of a heavy blow that threatened them, without reproaching them at all for everything they said. And here again the saying was fulfilled over him: “Love your enemies... and pray for those who oppress you” (“love your enemies,... pray for those who harm you”) (Matthew 5:44). And he loved his enemies, prayed for them, appeased the wrath of God and atoned for their sins; although he had no opportunity to hear either prophets, evangelists, teachers, or anyone else who would instruct him in virtue. Do you see what the nobility of the soul is, and how it can be sufficiently virtuous, even if it has not enjoyed any care? Meanwhile, his very ancestors were not only not pious, but were distinguished by great evil. Paul said about his ancestor: “Let there not be any fornicator or wicked man among you, who, like Esau, for one piece of food, would give up his birthright” (“let no one be a fornicator or a filthy man like Esau, who gave his birthright for one piece of meat”) (Heb. 12:16). And what, tell me, happened to the apostles? Haven't they experienced thousands of temptations? Listen to what Paul says: “You know that all those in Asia have forsaken me; among them are Figellus and Hermogenes" ("Weigh this, because all who are from Asia are turned away from me, of whom are Figellus and Hermogenes") (2 Tim. 1:15). Were these teachers in chains? Were you subjected to shackles? Have you not suffered any kind of evil from your own family, as well as from strangers? Didn’t fierce wolves invade the flock after them and instead of them? Didn't Paul predict this to the Ephesians when he called them to Miletus? “For I know that after I am gone, fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among yourselves men will rise up who will speak perverse things, so as to draw away the disciples after them” (“For we know this, that after I am gone, heavy oxen will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among you men will rise up, saying wicked things, to tear away the disciples after themselves.”) (Acts 20:29-30). Didn’t Alexander the coppersmith cause him a thousand troubles, chasing him everywhere, rebelling and attacking him, and plunging him into such disasters that he warned his disciple against this, saying: “Beware of him, too, for he greatly opposed our words” (“Beware of him too, for he greatly opposes our words”) (2 Tim. 4:15). But weren’t the entire Galatian people seduced by secret false brothers and drawn into Judaism? And was it not at the beginning of the sermon itself that Stephen, whose words flowed more powerfully than rivers, bringing everyone into silence and concluding the wicked lips of the Jews, and who did not find an opponent for himself, so that no one could resist him when he overthrew the Jewish teaching, won bright trophies and brilliant victories - this noble man, wise and full of grace, who brought such benefit to the Church, although he did not work long in the matter sermons, was he not suddenly taken and condemned, and executed as a blasphemer? What happened to Jacob? Was it not at the very beginning that he was taken, so to speak, from his field and dishonored, given by Herod into the hands of the Jews, so that he lost his life, such and such a pillar and such and such a statement of truth? How many were not embarrassed by this event then? But those who stood continued to stand and even became even stronger. Listen to what Paul says in his letter to the Philippians: “I desire, brethren, that you know that my circumstances contributed to the greater success of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ became known to the whole praetorium and to everyone else, and most of the brethren in the Lord, encouraged by my bonds, began to preach the word of God with greater boldness and fearlessness.” brethren, because I have come to the success of the gospel, because my bonds have been made known in Christ, having been judged in all things and in all others: and the multitude of the brethren who trusted in the Lord because of my bonds have dared to speak the word of God without fear” (Phil. 1:12-14). Do you see this courage? Do you see the boldness? Do you see the firmness of the soul? Do you see the wisdom of the mood? Seeing that their teacher was imprisoned and in chains, subjected to torture and beatings and endured countless similar things, they not only were not embarrassed or worried, but received even more boldness, and the suffering of the teacher aroused them to even greater zeal in the struggle. “But,” you say, “others fell.” I don’t contradict this either, because in view of everything that happened, it was necessary for many to fall; but what I have already said and will not stop saying, I will say now. The righteous should attribute all this to themselves, and not to the nature of things. Departing from here, Christ left us such an inheritance, saying: “In the world you will have tribulation” (“in the world you will have sorrow”) (John 16:33), and again: “and you will be brought before rulers and kings” (“and before rulers and kings you will be in knowledge”) (Matthew 10:18), and again: “the time is coming when everyone who kills you will think that he is serving God by doing so” (“the hour will come, yes “Everyone who kills you will think of offering service to God” (John 16:2). It is in vain, therefore, that you point out to me everywhere those who are being tempted; the same thing always happened. And what can we say about the apostles? How many people were there who were tempted at the very Cross of the Lord common to us all and, becoming more evil and impudent, as they passed, they mocked Him, saying: “He who destroys the church and builds in three days! save yourself; if You are the Son of God, come down from the cross... and we will believe in Him" ​​("destroy the church and build in three days, save yourself: if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross... and we believe in You") (Matthew 27:40, 42). And yet they did not have an excuse in the Cross, because the thief accuses them of all this. And he also saw how (Christ) was crucified, and not only was he not tempted, but from this he received more reason for wisdom and, having conquered everything human and ascended on the wings of faith, he philosophized about the future. Seeing Christ insulted, scourged, ridiculed, drinking bile, beaten, rejected by the people, condemned to trial, sentenced to death, he was not embarrassed by any of this; but, seeing the Cross and the nails being driven in, seeing all the mockery committed by the corrupt people, he himself went the straight path, saying: “Remember me... in Your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42). And with this he silenced the accuser, confessed his own sins and philosophized about the resurrection, although he did not see how the dead were raised, nor how lepers were cleansed, nor how the sea was calmed, demons were cast out, the loaves were multiplied, nor all that the Jewish people saw, and despite all this, he crucified Christ. Seeing Christ humiliated, he confessed God in him, remembered the Kingdom and reflected on the future; and they, having seen how Christ performed miracles, enjoying His teaching both through words and through deeds, not only did not receive any benefit, but also plunged into the extreme abyss of destruction, lifting Him to the Cross. You see that the foolish and worthless do not benefit even from good; those who are prudent and vigilant receive the greatest benefit from what others are tempted by. The same thing can be seen in Judas and Job. Judas did not receive salvation even from Christ, who saved the universe, and Job did not suffer harm even from the destructive devil. But one of them, enduring thousands of evils, received a crown, and the other, seeing miracles and performing them himself, raising the dead and casting out demons (after all, he also had such power), hearing many teachings about the Kingdom and Gehenna, taking part in the Mystical Meal, being admitted to the Last Supper and generally enjoying the same favor and providence as Peter, James and John enjoyed, and even greater - after all this favor and condescension, which he enjoyed in abundance, since he was even entrusted with money for the poor, after all this, he nevertheless fell into madness and, through the love of money, succumbed to Satan, of his own free will, he became a traitor and committed the greatest of evils, selling such blood for thirty pieces of silver and betraying the Lord with an insidious kiss. Who would not be tempted by this betrayal committed on the part of the student? And what can we say about the inhabitant of the desert, about the barren fruit, about the son of Zechariah, who, having been worthy to baptize that holy and terrible head, becomes the Forerunner of his own Lord? While he was in prison, he was beheaded and became the subject of a reward for a prodigal dancer, as many were tempted then! But what am I saying – then? How many even now, after such a long time, hear this and are tempted! But what can we say about John, about his prison, his beheading? Why turn to ministers when you can turn to the Lord himself? And the Cross of Christ, which redeemed the universe, dispelled error, transformed the earth into heaven, cut the bonds of death, made hell unnecessary, destroyed the stronghold of the devil, closed the mouths of demons, turned people into angels, destroyed altars and overthrew churches, planted a new and extraordinary wisdom on earth, produced countless benefits, terrible, great and sublime - isn’t it was a temptation for many? Doesn’t Paul cry out daily, saying and without being ashamed: “But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews, but foolishness to the Greeks” (1 Cor. 1:23). But tell me, wasn’t it really necessary for Christ to appear, wasn’t it necessary to make this terrible sacrifice? Was it really not necessary to perform these saving deeds - only because it was a temptation for those who were perishing, both then, and after that, and for all time? Who is so mad, who is so ridiculous, to say this? Here we need to keep in mind not those who are tempted, no matter how many there are, but those who are saved, corrected and enjoying wisdom, and there is no need to say anything about those who are tempted, because they must attribute it to themselves; so it's the same now. The temptation did not arise from the nature of the Cross itself, but because of those who were tempted, which is why Paul says: “For those who were called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” ( “for those who were called themselves, both Jew and Greek, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God”) (1 Cor. 1:24). After all, the sun also causes harm to sore eyes, but what of this? Shouldn't there be sun? Honey tastes bitter to the sick. Well, does it really need to be removed too? Were not the apostles themselves “to some a savor of death unto death, but to others a savor of life to life” (2 Cor. 2:16)? Likewise, in view of those who are perishing, should not the living enjoy such care? The very coming of Christ, our salvation, the source of blessings, life, countless benefits, how many people have they burdened, how many have they deprived of apology and indulgence? Do you not hear what Christ says about the Jews: “If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin” (“If he had not come and spoken to them, they had no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin”) (John 15:22). So what? Since after Christ’s coming their sin became unpardonable, is it really because of these evil ones that He should not have come for the sake of those who had the benefit of the good? Who would say that? Of course, no one except the extremely unreasonable. And how many people, tell me, were offended as a result of the Scriptures themselves? How many heresies have arisen under their pretext? So is it really necessary to destroy the Scriptures for the sake of those who were offended? Or should we not have given them from the very beginning? Not at all; but everyone should have given for the sake of those who would benefit from them. Those who are tempted (again I will not stop saying this) let them attribute temptations to themselves; and for those who had the greatest benefit from them, would it not be a great injustice if, due to the foolishness and negligence of others, those who would have received great benefit from them were deprived of this benefit? So, do not tell me about those who are perishing, because, as I already said in a previous conversation, none of those who do not harm themselves receive harm from others, even if their very life is in danger. What harm, tell me, did Abel receive when he was killed by a brotherly hand and suffered an untimely and violent death? Didn't he receive more benefit by acquiring the most brilliant crown? What harm did Jacob receive, having suffered so much from his brother, becoming a fugitive, wanderer and slave deprived of his fatherland, and driven to extreme hunger? How much did Joseph suffer, similarly deprived of his fatherland and home, becoming a captive, slave and prisoner, exposed to extreme dangers and suffering so many slander? What did Moses suffer, being insulted so many times by his people, while the very ones to whom he benefited plotted intrigues against him? And what happened to the prophets, who all suffered evil from the Jews? What happened to Job, against whom the devil rebelled with countless intrigues? What happened to the three youths? What about Daniel, who was in extreme danger to his life and freedom? What happened to Elijah, who, living in extreme poverty, persecuted, oppressed, living in the desert, was always a fugitive and a wanderer? What happened to David, who suffered so much first from Saul, and then from his own son? Did he not shine more when enduring the most extreme calamities than when he enjoyed prosperity? And what happened to John, who suffered through beheading? What happened to the apostles, some of whom were killed, while others were subjected to all kinds of disasters? What happened to the martyrs who gave up their ghost amid terrible torment? Didn’t they all shine especially then when they were tested, when they were slandered, when they courageously withstood extreme adversity? Glorifying our common Lord for everything else, don’t we especially glorify Him, enthusiastically praising Him for the Cross, for this inglorious death? Doesn’t Paul make it a sign of His love for us that He died, that He died for people? Not speaking about heaven, earth, sea, about everything else that Christ created for our benefit and pleasure, he constantly returns to the Cross, saying: “But God proves His love for us in that Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (“God makes His love for us, because while we are still sinners, Christ died for us”) (Rom. 5:8). And from here he gives us good hope, saying: “If, being enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by His life” (“If we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved in His life”) (Rom. 5:10). Isn’t this what he himself especially boasts about, thinks a lot, rejoices and is delighted with pleasure, so saying in the letter to the Galatians: “But I do not want to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (“Let me not boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”) (Gal. 6:14), And why are you surprised if Paul rejoices, delights and boasts about this? Christ Himself, who suffered so much, calls this deed glory: “Father,” He says, “the hour has come, glorify Your Son” (“Father, the hour has come, glorify Your Son”) (John 17:1), and the disciple who wrote this says: “For the Holy Spirit was not yet on them, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (“For the Holy Spirit had not yet been glorified, for Jesus had not yet been glorified.” glorified") (John 7:39), meaning by glory the Cross. When he wanted to show them His love, what did he talk about? Is it about miracles, signs and extraordinary performances? Not at all; but points to the Cross, saying: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (“for God so loved the world, that he also gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”) (John 3:16). And Paul also says: “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” ("Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all; for as it is not, He also freely gives us all things with Him") (Rom. 8:32). And when he wants to lead to humility, then, making exhortations, he says this: “If there is any consolation in Christ, if there is any joy of love, if there is any fellowship of the spirit, if there is any mercy and compassion, then complement my joy: have the same thoughts, have the same love, be unanimous and like-minded; do nothing out of selfish ambition or vanity, but out of humility consider one another to be superior to yourselves" ("if there is any wretched consolation in Christ, [or] if there is any joy in love, if there is any fellowship of the spirit, if there is any mercy and generosity, fulfill my joy, so that you also philosophize, having the same love, of one accord, of one mind: nothing according to zeal or vanity, but with humility of mind, creating honor for one another" (Phil. 2:1-3), - then, giving advice, he says: “For let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: He, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God; but he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of men, and becoming in appearance like a man; humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even the death of the cross" ("let this be understood in you, even in Christ Jesus: Who in the form of God was not equal to God by admiration, but He humbled Himself..., taking on the form of a servant, becoming in the likeness of mankind, and being found in the likeness of man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, death godmothers") (Phil. 2:5–8). And again, discussing love, he says the following: “And live in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself for us as an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (“and walk in love, as Christ also loved to eat us, and gave Himself for us as an offering and sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma”) (Eph. 5:2). Exhorting wives to be of the same mind with their husbands, he says: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her” (“husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for her”) (Eph. 5:25). Then Christ himself, showing how much he strove for this and how much he thirsted for suffering, when the first of the apostles, the founder of the Church, the head of the host of disciples, out of ignorance said: “Be merciful to yourself, Lord! Let this not happen to You!...” (“You are merciful, Lord; this shall not happen to You”) - listen to what He answered him. “Get away from Me, Satan! You are a temptation to me!” (“Follow me, Satan, you are my temptation”) (Matthew 16:22–23). By the very severity of this reproach He shows with what zeal He strove for this matter. He performed His resurrection secretly and in darkness, providing evidence of it to subsequent times; He suffered the cross in full view of the whole city, on the very holiday, among the Jewish people, in the presence of both courts - Roman and Jewish, with everyone gathered for the holiday, in the middle of the day, in full view of the whole universe. And since only those present saw everything that happened, He commanded the sun to be eclipsed and to announce this atrocity throughout the universe. Although for many, as I said, this has become a temptation, you need to pay attention not to them, but to the saved, to the delivered. And why are you surprised if in real life the Cross is so glorious that Christ calls it glory, and Paul boasts about it. On that terrible and terrible day when He will come to show His glory, when He will appear in the glory of His Father, when the Last Judgment will come, when the entire human race will appear before Him, when the rivers will be agitated, when Angels and higher powers will suddenly descend with Him, when countless rewards will be distributed, when some will shine like the sun and others like stars, when hosts of martyrs and apostles will appear, when ranks of prophets and hosts of noble men will appear - then precisely, in this splendor, in this radiance, He will come, emitting brilliant rays. “Then,” says Scripture, “the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,... the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light” (“The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,... the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light”) (Matt. 24:29-30). O brilliance of suffering, O lordship of the Cross! The sun darkens and the stars fall like leaves, but the Cross shines brighter than all of them, filling the entire sky. Do you see how the Lord is glorified by this, how His humiliation turns into glory, when on that day He appears before the whole universe with such splendor? And you, too, when you see that some are tempted by what happened, first of all think that the temptation does not come from here, but from their own weakness, as evidenced by those who are not tempted. Then pay attention to the fact that as a result of this, many especially shone, glorifying God with great zeal, thanking Him for this. Therefore, look not at those who fall, but at those who stand courageously, at those who remain motionless and at those who become stronger; not on those who are afraid, but on those who swim in a straight direction, and there are many more who swim straight. But even if there were more of the former, then one who does the will of God is better than thousands of lawless ones. Think how many people have been awarded the crown of martyrdom. Some were scourged, others were thrown into prison, others were put in chains as villains, others were expelled from their fatherland, others were deprived of their property, others were sent to foreign lands, others suffered death - some actually, and others at least only in intention. And when they saw how spears were made for them, swords were sharpened, so that they were daily under the blows of new threats, how the leaders, burning with anger, threatened them with death, exposed thousands of all kinds of tortures and punishments to them, even then they did not fall and were not embarrassed, but stood motionless (as if) on a rock, ready to endure all this and endure, just not to participate in the iniquity of those who commit evil - and not only men, but also wives. Women also endured this struggle, and often even more courageously than the men themselves. And not only women, but also young men, and even children. So, tell me, has this whole host of martyrs really brought little benefit to the Church? They are all martyrs; After all, the martyrs were not only those who were dragged to the judgment seat, who were ordered to make sacrifices, and they, remaining adamant, suffered all this, but also those who were ready to endure everything because of pleasing God. And if you look carefully, the latter are even more than the former. After all, it is not the same thing when someone, having to choose between torment and the eternal destruction of his soul, endures everything so as not to perish, and when someone suffers the same torment for less good. That the crown of martyrdom is received not only by those who have suffered torment, but also by those who are ready for it, and even, as I said before, those who have suffered for less are great martyrs, I will try to prove this on the basis of the saying of Paul. Having begun to enumerate those who shone forth among the ancestors, blessed Paul, starting with Abel, then moves on to Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua (Joshua), David, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Job, and says this: “Therefore we also, having such a cloud of witnesses around us” (“in the same way, we also have such a rich cloud of witnesses surrounding us”) ( Hebrews 12:1). Meanwhile, not all of them were actually killed, or rather, none of them, except for two or three, for example Abel, John, and the others all ended their lives with their own death. John himself was killed not because he was ordered to make a sacrifice and he did not obey, not because he, brought to the altar, did not want to bow to the idol, but for one word only. He told Herod: “You must not have [Philip] your brother’s wife” (Mark 6:18). For this he was thrown into prison and suffered death. But if for denouncing an illegal marriage, which he saw in front of him (after all, he did not even correct the sin he was committing, but only spoke and did not want to stop), - if for the mere fact that he spoke, without doing anything else, he is considered a martyr and even the first of the martyrs, because he was beheaded, then those who suffered so many punishments and spoke out not against Herod, but against the rulers of the entire universe, and who opposed not the illegal marriage, but defended the laws of the fatherland and rules of the Church, in words and deeds, who showed courage, who were exposed to death every day - both men, women, and children, then would they not be worthy of being numbered among the host of martyrs? So, Abraham, who in reality did not kill his son, but killed him only in his intention, heard a voice speaking from above: “You did not spare your son, your only son, for Me” (“You did not spare your beloved son for My sake”) (Gen. 22:12). So always the intention, when it comes from virtue, receives a full crown. If the one who did not spare his son was proclaimed as such, then those who did not spare themselves, think what reward they will receive for the fact that not one, not two or three days, but throughout their entire lives, they firmly fulfilled the commands, being subjected to reproaches, insults, disasters and slander. And this is no small merit. Therefore, Paul, admiring her, says: “Sometimes, in the midst of reproaches and sorrows, serving as a spectacle for others, now taking part in others who were in the same state” (“in the same way, reproaches and sorrows were a disgrace, but in the community they were once living”) (Heb. 10:33). What can we say about those who not only died themselves, but also encouraged other husbands and wives to persevere? The Apostle praises them. Many gave away their property in order to provide some consolation to the prisoners and exiles in the misfortune that befell them, and joyfully accepted the plunder of their property, according to the word of the Apostle; others were deprived of either their fatherland or their life itself. Therefore, seeing such wealth, such benefit for the Church, seeing how many treasures have been collected, seeing how those who fell before became stronger than fire and, avoiding theaters, retire into the desert and turn valleys and mountains into churches, seeing how no one tends the flock, and yet the sheep keep order as with shepherds, just as warriors in terms of courage and steadfastness keep order with a military leader, and all with due zeal and They carefully carry out commands, will you not be surprised and amazed at what good has come from this? Not only those who lived piously, but many of those who were carried away by spectacles and lists, overwhelmed by a jealousy stronger than fire, abandoned all this madness, went against the very swords, drawn before the rulers and subjected to torture, mocked the threats, showing what the power of virtue is and how the most wicked person, when he repents and converts, rises to the vault of heaven itself. Seeing such feats, so many woven wreaths, such edification - where, tell me, can temptation come from? “From the dead,” someone will say. But as I have already said and will not stop saying, they must attribute this reason for their destruction to themselves. This is exactly what the entire word stated showed you. But I will point out another good. How many of those who wear the mask of piety and who have transparent honesty are considered great, although they are not so, how many of them suddenly in our time were exposed and, exposed in their deception, were revealed as what they are, and not as they falsely and deceitfully wanted to appear? Meanwhile, it is very, very useful to distinguish between those who are covered only with sheep's clothing, and wolves hiding like this, not to be confused with real sheep. This time became a furnace that exposed the coin containing copper, melted tin, burned straw, which falsely gave more value to precious substances. This is exactly what Paul points out when he says: “There must also be differences of opinion among you, so that skillful ones may be revealed among you” (“for it is fitting that heresies also should be among you, so that skillful practices may be manifested in you”) (1 Cor. 11:19). So, do not be embarrassed by this - neither by the fact that the priests now, having become worthless, attack their flock more ferociously than any wolf, nor by the fact that the leaders and rulers display great cruelty. Remember that something even more cruel happened to the apostles. Then it was the scepter-bearer, being the secret of iniquity (as Paul called him), who committed all types of evil, drawing everyone to evil; however, he could not harm either the Church or those noble men, but made them even more glorious; the Jewish priests were so worthless and crafty that it was necessary to forbid the people to zealously follow their life: “The scribes and Pharisees sat in the seat of Moses; So whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do; but do not walk according to their works” (“The scribes and the Pharisee sit in the seat of Moses: whatever they command you to do, observe and do; but do not do them according to their works”) (Matthew 23:2-3). What could be more crafty than priests, jealousy in imitation of which turns out to be disastrous, and yet, despite the fact that such people ruled at that time, their faces beamed, crowned, not only did not suffer any harm, but became even more famous. Therefore, there is no need to be surprised by what happened. Everywhere trials come to those who are awake, both from their own and from strangers. So Paul, seeing the whole clouds of dangers approaching them and fearing that some of the disciples would not be afraid, said in his letter: “And they sent Timothy, our brother and servant of God and our fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to confirm you and comfort you in your faith, so that no one will be shaken in these tribulations: for you yourselves know that this is what we are destined for” (“and by Timothy’s messenger,... for not one should be troubled by these sorrows: for yourselves know that in this... we lie” (1 Thess. 3:2-3). What has been said means: “Such is our life, such is the nature of the apostolic calling - to endure countless calamities.” “This is how we are destined” (“This is where we... lie”), he says. What is “This is how we are destined”? Just as food is meant to be sold, so the apostolic life is meant to be reproached, to endure every kind of evil, never to rest, never to have relief. But those who are vigilant not only do not suffer any harm from this, but also receive great benefit. Therefore the apostle praises them, having learned that they stood courageously. And he says about others that they, encouraged by his bonds and his fetters, dared to preach fearlessly. And what happened, tell me, in the time of Moses? In a barbaric country, did God allow the Magi to show their power? Isn’t this the story that Paul recalls when he says: “As Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth” (2 Timothy 3:8). So there was always no shortage of temptations, just as there was no shortage of those crowned for their sake. Think about all this, and not only about this, but also about what benefit it had. See also that there are other incomprehensible reasons for this; After all, it is not possible for us to know everything, but (there is no doubt) that much more favorable events follow disasters and wonderful things happen. So at first Joseph was in distress, and for a long time events took place that seemed contrary to the promise; but then even more happened than was promised. And on the Cross, deliverance did not immediately and not first take place, but temptation was first preceded, and if there were several signs with the goal of surprising and correcting the evildoers, they all soon disappeared. Even if the curtain in the church was torn, the stones disintegrated and the sun darkened, then all this happened within one day, and was soon forgotten by many. After this, soon the apostles, being in flight, in persecution, in struggle, in slander, hiding, trembling and exposed to danger, preached the word (of God); The Jewish people, being in power at that time, persecuted, persecuted, tormented and tormented the believers, and since the leaders were at the same time with them, every day they grabbed and dragged the apostles (to the courts). What am I saying about the people and the leaders of the Jews? One tent maker, engaged in tanning leather, namely, Paul (and what could be more emptier than making tents?) was seized with such madness that he grabbed husbands and wives and put them into custody. And the Crucified One, seeing all this, allowed him to do so. But look how subsequently this same persecutor surpassed everyone (in faith) and his activity shone brighter than the sun and embraced the entire universe. If you say: “Why are so many dangers and so many slander allowed in the Old and New Testaments?” – then find out the reason for this. What was the reason? Real life is a lists, an exercise and struggle, an oven, a workshop for virtue. Just as a tanner, receiving leather, first kneads them, stretches them, beats them, hits them against walls and stones, and through thousands of different devices makes them suitable for dyeing, and then gives them a good color; and as goldsmiths throw gold into the fire, test it in the furnace, so as to make it most pure; and just as the teachers of young men train them on the lists through various labors, giving them stronger opponents, so that they, having performed everything during the exercise with the bodies of teachers, could prove steadfast in a real fight, capable of meeting opponents and easily defeating them, so God acts in real life: wanting to prepare souls for virtue, He oppresses them, and depresses them, and subjects them to the most difficult tests, so as to eliminate the falling and the weak, and to make worthy people even more worthy, inaccessible to the slander of the demon and the snares of the devil, and especially all worthy of receiving future benefits. “A person,” says Scripture, “has not endured trials, does not have experience,” just as Paul says: “Tribulation produces patience, and patience produces experience” (“tribulation makes patience, but patience is a skill”) (Rom. 5:3-4). To make us more firm and patient, God allows all sorts of trials to befall us. Therefore, He allowed Job to endure all sorts of calamities, so that he would become even more experienced in virtue and stop the mouth of the devil; That’s why He also encouraged the apostles so that they would become more courageous and reveal their own strength. And this is a significant reason. Therefore, to Paul, when he was looking for relief and rest from the overwhelming evils, He said: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (“My grace is sufficient for you: for My power is made perfect in weakness”) (2 Cor. 12:9). Even those who have not yet accepted Christian teachings can receive great benefit from this if they are attentive. Seeing how the righteous endured injustice, endured insults, were imprisoned, subjected to slander, surrounded by intrigues, beheaded, burned, thrown into the sea, and were not afraid of any disaster, think with what surprise both then and present people treated these wonderful fighters. Everything that happened not only does not cause temptation to vigilant people, but also turns out to be a source of much edification. That’s why Paul heard that “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). This can be found in both the Old and New Testaments. Think what Nebuchadnezzar must have experienced when, in front of such a large army, he was defeated by three youths, three slaves, three captives, burdened with chains, consigned to flames, unable to dispose of the bodies of three enslaved and subordinate youths, deprived of their fatherland, freedom, honor, power, property, settled far from their homeland. If this test had not happened, there would not have been such a bright reward, there would not have been such a brilliant crown. Think about what Herod must have experienced when he, being exposed as a prisoner, saw that this prisoner, as a result of his bonds, not only did not lose his boldness, but, on the contrary, preferred to die rather than give up the most beautiful gift - freedom of speech. Think that everyone, seeing or hearing this, whether from those who lived then or those born later, with all his weakness, if only he has even a weak mind, receives the greatest benefit from this. Do not tell me about the actions of foolish people, who are lazy and devoted to the flesh, and who are lighter than leaves (carried by the wind). Such people fall not only from great disasters, but also from almost everything that happens around them, as was the case with the Jewish people, who, eating manna and eating bread, were equally dissatisfied, both while in Egypt and being delivered from Egypt, in the presence of Moses and after his departure. But point to those who are attentive, who are awake; and consider what benefit they can derive from this, seeing a dispassionate soul, an unenslaved mind, a daring tongue, a man who, being a desert dweller, triumphs over the king; being a prisoner, he does not yield; being truncated, it is not silent. Don’t even stop there, but explore what happened next. Herod was beheaded, and John was beheaded. Which one of them pleases everyone? Who is considered a zealot? Who is being glorified? Who is crowned? Who is being praised? Who is being praised? Who is the subject of surprise? Who is denouncing until now? Isn’t he the one who proclaims in every church: “You must not have your brother’s [Philip] wife” (Mark 6:18)? And (Herod) is not condemned even after his death for his adultery, lawlessness and madness? Understand, after all that has been said, what is the strength of the prisoner, what is the weakness of the tyrant. The latter could not silence even one tongue, and by destroying it, he opened thousands of lips in its place and along with it. And John immediately began to frighten him even after the execution (after all, Herod’s conscience was shaken with such fear that he began to think that John, having risen from the dead, began to perform miracles), and now, throughout the entire time, he denounces the entire universe both through himself and through others. Everyone, reading this Gospel, says: “You should not have your brother [Philip]’s wife”; and besides the Gospel, in assemblies and societies, in houses and in the market, everywhere, even if you went to the country of the Persians, even to the country of the Indians, even to the country of the Moors, even to any country in which the sun shines, and to its very last borders, everywhere you will hear this voice and see how that righteous man still cries out, preaches, denounces the evil of the tyrant, and is never silent, so that the very length of time does not weaken his denunciations. What harm did this righteous man receive from his death? What is harmful from violent death? What of the bonds? What about the dungeon? Didn’t he correct prudent people by what he said there, what he suffered there, and now preaching the same thing that he preached during his lifetime? Therefore, do not say, “Why was he allowed to die?” It was not death, but a crown, not death, but the beginning of a better life. Learn to be philosophical, and not only will you not receive any harm from all this, but you will receive the greatest benefit. What can we say about the Egyptian woman? Was she accusing Joseph? Did she spread bad fame about him? Did she slander him? Didn't she throw him into prison? Did she put him in extreme danger? Did she want to destroy him when she had him? But what harm was there to him then or now? Just as hot coals hidden under straw at first seem to be extinguished, but suddenly begin to devour what lies above them, and ignited by this very straw, they throw out a flame high, so virtue, which seemed suppressed by slander, then, due to the very obstacles, blossoms even more and rises to the very sky. Could anything be done for this young man better than what was done for him through slander and slander, even to take the very throne in Egypt and even the kingdom there? Glory, prosperity, and crowns are always associated with suffering. Isn't he glorified throughout the universe? And the very length of time did not weaken the memory of him, but more brilliant and firmer than the royal statues, his virtue and wisdom erected statues for themselves, so to speak, throughout the entire universe in the country of the Romans and in the country of the barbarians, in the conscience of everyone and in the language of everyone. We still see how he, being a prisoner and a slave, taught this pitiful and worthless harlot to behave properly, did everything in his power to save her, aroused modesty in her, extinguished the stove, tried to free her from this terrible storm and guide her to the harbour. But since the storm continued, the ship began to sink, and she was shipwrecked, he flees from the furious waves, escapes on the unshakable rock of chastity, leaving his clothes in the hands of the shameless woman and appearing in his nakedness more brilliant than those who were in purple clothes, and, like a valiant warrior, a triumphant winner, receives the trophy of chastity. The memory is not limited to this, but going further, we see how he is again taken to prison, how he, bound and captive, spends a long time there. That is why, again, we are especially surprised by him, admire him and praise him. Anyone, even being already chaste, thinking about him, becomes even more chaste; Every shameless person, having learned about such virtue, under the influence of this event comes to chastity and is corrected as a result of this story. So, remembering all this, do not be afraid, but benefit from the events that have taken place, and let the patience of the ascetics be a teacher of steadfastness for you, and seeing how the whole life of noble and glorious men has been elevated through this, do not become discouraged and do not be indignant at either your own or others’ trials. After all, the Church was first subjected to all kinds of disasters, and therefore multiplied. Don't be surprised, because there is nothing extraordinary in this. But just as in real life, not where there is straw, hay or sand, but where there is gold and pearls, it is there that pirates and sea robbers, robbers and tomb diggers constantly gather and plot, so the devil builds his intrigues there, where he sees the riches accumulated by souls and the increasing treasures of piety. But if those who are subject to intrigues remain awake, then not only will they not lose anything, but they will receive even greater wealth of virtue, as has happened now. In this one can also see the greatest sign of the wealth, blessings and power of the Church. When the crafty demon saw that she was prospering and prospering, in a short time rose to heights, showed great activity, the virtuous were increasingly prosperous, and the sinners repented, so that this society spread throughout the entire universe, then he set in motion all his machinations and raised fierce wars. Just as he oppressed Job, either with the loss of property, or with the death of his children, or with illness of the body, or with slander of his wife, or with insults, ridicule and mockery of his friends, so he attacked the Church, inciting against her, as far as possible, both her friends and her enemies, and those who entered the spiritual rank, were enrolled in the host of believers, were honored with the rank of bishop, and, finally, all persons of any status. Meanwhile, despite all such intrigues, not only could he not shake her, but he even made her even more brilliant. Not at all embarrassed, she continued to teach everyone, as she teaches now, to curb passions, endure trials, show patience, neglect the things of life, do not get carried away by wealth, neglect honor, despise death, do not get carried away with life, leave the fatherland, compatriots, friends, relatives, be prepared for all disasters, go against swords, and everything that is bright in real life - property, honors, fame, power, luxury - all this is considered more insignificant than spring flowers. And this is taught not by one person, not by two, or by three, but by the entire (Christian) people, and not only in words, but also in deeds, because of which they suffer, through which they overcome, through which they overcome attackers, through which they become harder than adamant and stronger than any stone; at the same time, they do not take up arms, do not start a war, do not resort to bows or arrows, and being each surrounded by a wall of patience, prudence, honesty and courage, they, enduring evil, cover those who do it with even greater dishonor. And now they, with a bright face and free eyes, using indescribable boldness, appear in the square, fill houses, flock to meetings, while those who did evil to them with all kinds of intrigues are now hiding, having an evil conscience inside them, trembling, fearing and tormented. Just as wild animals, threatened with death, after the first and second blow, rush with particular fury at the point of the spears, and inflict even more cruel blows on themselves and wound themselves to the heart; just as waves, hitting rocks, break and disperse with particular force, so attackers dig holes for themselves rather than for others. After all, people who are subject to intrigues have a universe, they have friends who praise them, are surprised by them, proclaim about them, crown them, knowing or not knowing them, learning about them by their deeds, by rumors about them, while many pity them, sympathize with them, provide them with everything useful; The criminals themselves have even more people who hate them, condemn them, reproach them, denounce them, shame them, and want to see them in punishment and disaster. And it's all still here; what awaits them there? If the one who has seduced even one is condemned to such a punishment that it is better for him to hang a millstone around his neck and drown in the sea, then think about what kind of punishments they will be subjected to during the Last Judgment, what kind of disasters will those who disturb the entire universe, overthrow the Church, destroy every world, producing thousands of temptations everywhere, be subjected to? Those who suffer from them, after what they have suffered, will stand together with the martyrs, together with the apostles, together with noble and exalted men, shining with virtues, sufferings, crowns, rewards, and all kinds of boldness. They will see them being punished and will not be able to save them from this punishment, even if they really wanted to; and the latter will make a prayer, but will not be heard. If one rich man, who disdained Lazarus, was subjected to such punishment and received no relief, then what will those who persecuted and seduced so many be subjected to? Reflecting on all this, as well as examining everything that the Divine Scripture testifies to this, prepare for yourself a strong wall, and also proper medicine for the weak, and remain firm and unshakable, awaiting the blessings that lie ahead for you. In any case, you will receive a reward not only equal to your labors, but also inexpressibly superior to them. This is how God loves mankind: with great love He rewards with rewards and rewards those who do or say good things, which may we receive in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory forever and ever. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” This reasoning, according to the testimony of George of Alexandria, was written by the saint from Kukuz as a consolation to his suffering followers. You might be interested in: