Глава одинадцатая О благодеяниях Бога людям

§ CXI. About the liberation of people If you don’t mind, let’s briefly consider the blessings bestowed upon us by God from the beginning. The first man frolicked freely in paradise, as he was a child of God. When he, having fallen into the power of pleasure (by the serpent is meant pleasure crawling on his belly, the vice of this world that draws a person to matter), was led astray by unclean desires, this youth, having matured in disobedience, not listening to the Father, was ashamed of God. Pleasure has such great power! Previously free thanks to simplicity and naturalness, man found himself bound by sins. The Lord wished to free him again from his shackles and, clothed in flesh (this is a divine mystery), defeated the serpent and enslaved the tyrant - death and, what is most amazing, that man, seduced by pleasure, bound by corruption, showed the world freed with His outstretched hands on the cross. O mysterious miracle! The Lord fell, and man rose and, having previously been expelled from paradise, receives in return a great reward for his obedience - heaven. § CXII. About educating people Therefore, it seems to me that since the Word Himself descended to us from heaven, we should no longer go to study with people, striving for Athens and the rest of Hellas, as well as Ionia. After all, if our teacher is the One who filled everything with holy powers: creation, salvation, good deeds, legislation, prophecy, teaching, then there is no science that He does not teach, and the whole universe has already become Athens and Hellas for Him. Since you believed the poetic myth depicting the Cretan Minos as the interlocutor of Zeus, then you will have no doubt that we have become disciples of God, having acquired real wisdom, which the best representatives of philosophy only hinted at, but the disciples of Christ both comprehended it and proclaimed it to others. And the whole Christ, so to speak... is not divided: in Him there is neither barbarian, nor Jew, nor Greek, neither man nor woman; in Him is the new man of God, transformed by the Holy Spirit. § CXIII. About people's insight Further, all other advice and edifications are meager and relate to one thing: whether it is necessary to get married, or engage in government affairs, or produce offspring. The only comprehensive instruction that concerns all moments of life, at all times and under all circumstances, leading to the most important completion - eternal life, is the injunction of piety: in order to live forever, one must only live in accordance with it. As for philosophy, it is, as the ancients say, a continuous exhortation that compels people to achieve an eternal love of wisdom. The commandment of the Lord sends light far and enlightens the eyes. Receive Christ, gain sight, see the light, So that you can understand both God and man well. The sweet word that enlightens us is more desirable than gold and precious stone, it is more desirable than honey and honeycomb. Indeed, is it not desirable that which has brought clarity to the mind buried in darkness and given sharp vision to the radiant eyes of the soul? For, just as without the sun, with only the stars, everything would be at night, so we, without knowledge of the Word and without His light, would be no different from birds fattened for slaughter, feeding in the dark. Let us know the light in order to know God! Let us know the light and become disciples of the Lord! This is exactly what He promised the Father: I will proclaim Your name to my brothers, in the midst of the congregation I will glorify You. Sing to God, Your Father, and tell me about Him: Your explanations will save, and this song will teach me. Until now, I wandered, looking for God, but when You led me to the light, Lord, I found God thanks to You, and found the Father with Your help, and became Your joint heir, since You are not ashamed of your brother. Let us drive out, drive out the oblivion of truth! Taking away from our eyes the darkness of ignorance that blocks the path like a haze, let us look at the truly existing God and shout in His honor: “Rejoice, Light!” The light from heaven to us, immersed in darkness and imprisoned in the shadow of death, shone brighter than the sun, sweeter than earthly life. This light is eternal life, and all who partake of it live. The night is afraid of the light and, leaving out of fear of it, makes way for the day of the Lord. Everything became an unfading light, and the sunset turned into a sunrise. This is a new creation, because the sun of justice, circling the universe on its horses, visits the entire human race without exception, imitating the Father, who commands His sun to rise for all people and sprinkles the earth with the dew of truth. He made sunrise out of sunset and crucified death into life; having kidnapped man from destruction, he raised him up, transplanting corruption into incorruptibility and turning the earth into heaven - the farmer of God, showing what success promises, motivating peoples to good deeds, reminding us of true sustenance and giving us a huge, truly incomparable and inalienable paternal allotment; The Logos, which deifies man with heavenly teachings, puts laws into his consciousness and writes them in his heart. What are these laws? That everyone will recognize God from the least to the greatest; and I will be merciful, says God, to them and will not remember their sins. § CXV. About an expedition to heaven, a saving talisman and God's spell Let us accept the laws of life, let us submit to the God who exhorts us, let us know Him so that we may be merciful, and with gratitude we offer to Him, although He does not need anything, our obedience and piety, as if some kind of payment for living on earth - A hundred bulls of gold instead of copper worth only nine. For a little faith, He gives you to cultivate a vast land, gives you water to drink and water to swim, air to breathe, fire to do a craft, the universe to live in. He allowed you to equip an expedition of colonists from earth to heaven. I gave you these immeasurable benefits and countless gifts simply for your faith. Further, those who believe in sorcerers put on amulets and use spells, as if they can save. Don’t you really want to take the heavenly saving Word itself as a talisman and, having believed in God’s spell, free yourself from those passions that are diseases of the soul and get rid of sin? After all, sin is eternal death. Really, you, like moles, completely deaf and blind, paying no attention to anything except food, live in darkness and rush towards destruction. But there is, there is a truth that screams: out of darkness shines light. Let it flare up in the innermost part of man - in the heart, and let the rays of knowledge shine, illuminating the inner man, the student of Light, the follower and co-heir of Christ, especially after the precious and most sacred name of the good Father, with tender words establishing salvation for his son, has reached the consciousness of the pious and kind youth. He who obeys the Lord has the advantage in everything: he follows God, obeys the Father, having come to know Him after wandering. Having loved God, loved his neighbor, fulfilled the commandment, he seeks a reward, demanding what was promised. § CXVI. About Christ's army God always desires to save the human flock. That's why He sent the Good Shepherd. The Word, having revealed the truth, showed people the sublimity of salvation, so that they, having repented, would be saved or, having disobeyed, would be condemned. This preaching of justice is good news for those who listen, and judgment for those who disagree. A loud trumpet sounded, called the soldiers and declared war. Is it possible that Christ, who brought a peaceful song to the ends of the earth, will not gather His peacekeeping warriors? Indeed, as a man, He recruited an army not stained with blood with the help of His own blood and words and handed the Kingdom of Heaven to the soldiers. Christ's trumpet is the Gospel: He sounded it and we heard it. Let us take up the weapon of peace, putting on the armor of righteousness, taking the helmet of salvation, and sharpen the sword of the spirit, i.e. the saying of God. With these words the apostle puts us in a non-military order. This is our invulnerable armor; Armed with them, we will resist the evil one. Let us extinguish His flaming arrows with spear tips, wet from being immersed in water and hard from being tempered by the Word! Let us give thanksgiving praise to God and honor Him appropriately. While you are still speaking, he will say: Here am I. § CXVII. Divine love and the goad of salvation O holy and blessed power by which God dwells among men! How useful it is for a person to become an imitator and admirer of the best of all existing essences: for no one can imitate God except by reverently honoring Him, and serve and worship otherwise than by imitation. Heavenly and truly divine love will unite with people only when real beauty, resurrected by the Divine Word, can shine in their souls. And what is especially important is that salvation runs alongside sincere desire, for, as they say, a person’s choice and his life are interconnected. Therefore, the only true exhortation is that which, like the most faithful friends, remains with us until the last breath and becomes a good guide to the perfect and impeccable spirit of the soul in those going to heaven. What am I encouraging you to do? So that you can be saved. This is what Christ wants. He gives you life with one word of His. What is it like? Learn from a few sayings: the Logos of truth and immortality, who revives man, raises him to the truth, the goad of salvation, who expels corruption, drives away death, who has built a church in people to install God in them. Cleanse the church, and leave pleasures and frivolity, like a one-day flower, to the wind and fire! Prudently cultivate the fruits of temperance and dedicate yourself to God as their firstfruits, so that you are not only God’s creation, but also a thanksgiving to Him. It is fitting for a disciple of Christ to prove worthy of the Kingdom and to be honored by the Kingdom.