О житии блаженных и злоумии диавола

So, since things, as it was said, friend, are in such a situation and there is so much lawlessness in the world that everyone imitates fish in life, devours the smaller ones and themselves are swallowed up by the strongest, then it is necessary to find either some great Moses who would either strike an Egyptian striking an Israelite, or exhort the fighting fellow tribesmen to reconcile and say: “You are brothers, why do you offend each other?” (see Exodus 2:12–13), or Habakkuk, who does not have the strength to take revenge at all, but turns to God in prayer to help those who are weary against the iniquity that has arisen then, and by boldness before God proves his zeal, for he says: “How long, Lord, will I cry, and you will not hear? When we cry to You, we will offend you, and will not deliver?” (Hab. 1:2), praying not for his own person (because he was a Prophet and nothing could harm him), but, out of hatred for vice, asking for revenge for the insult inflicted on others. Why does he add after this, saying: “What you showed me were labors and illnesses, look at passion and wickedness? ...for the wicked will overthrow the righteous” (Hab. 1:3-4). “And thou shalt make men like fish of the sea, and like creeping things that have no elders” (Hab. 1:14). How much good would it be and how much consolation would it bring to the offended when their sorrows were eased by the compassion of those who grieve with them? To act arbitrarily, to do harm and to ridicule, or to deprive people of insufficient property of what belongs to them, is an insult. Everyone offends all those whom he can benefit and does not help. And the Lord, demonstrating the justice of this, not only those who commit offenses and are covetous, but also those who did not feed the hungry beggar, did not bring a stranger into their home, did not visit the sick, did not come to the prisoner and did not console the prisoner in the slightest, neither in word nor in deed, he consigned to eternal fire, recognizing it as the greatest and gravest untruth - not to use one’s strength to do good to the needy. For even if the Law of God did not clearly prescribe giving alms, then nature itself would become a teacher, legitimizing compassion with a silent command, because of servility. And when the Law, inscribed in the Holy Books, reminds us of natural power, arousing and sharpening the inclination to do good to those in need, is not worthy of condemnation to torment, more severe even than fire, who is not prompted by either one or the other to love mankind, and is externally convicted, and internally reproached for not doing good, but remains completely cold and disinclined to charity, either through stinginess, or through hard-hearted? But if someone brings strangers into his house, like Abraham, attracts travelers from the road, like Lot, feeds the orphans and needy widows, supplies what they do not have, for everyone who is insufficient, he does precisely that by making up for his lack, to the best of his ability, taking into account the needs of each, like the great Job, burying the bodies of the abandoned dead, as, according to history, the righteous Tobias did when he came He gives the stranger “an upper room, ... a bed and a meal” (cf. 2 Kings. 4, 10), like the Shunammite, who spends a solitary life in tabernacles and dens, serves the necessities, like Obadiah, in extreme need, and prefers a needy righteous man to his children, placing the law of nature in second place after virtue, like the widow of Sarepta, who had one handful of flour, and that when the beloved children in poverty melted away from hunger, giving way to the prophet Elijah, never abandons teaching in God’s word, like a eunuch who reads in a chariot and by such care for this matter proves his zeal for it; at home he does prayers and alms, like Cornelius, to whom an Angel appeared and said: “Your prayers and your alms have gone up as a memorial before God” (Acts 10:4), thereby preaching to the worker that these deeds are worthy of God. views, - he fasts diligently, competing with Paul, who, putting this “in... a part of praise,” says: “In fasting many times, in hunger and thirst” (cf. 2 Cor. 11:17, 27), boasting of patience during this extreme painful suffering - hunger and thirst, in order to teach those who are careless in the matter of abstinence, according to the habit of voluptuousness, who enslaved themselves to this collector of tribute - the belly, so that if the desire for wisdom did not attract them to this, then, at least, they were inspired by the desire for praise, because what is worthy of praise, without a doubt, is not without praise, - then why not recognize him as equal to all those named above, as having acquired the advantage of each and in one person becoming what they were all taken together, in his own life combining all the excellent qualities and proving the reliability of ancient legends not by the persuasiveness of arguments, but by the evidence of the deeds themselves? What often seems incredible in a story due to its extraordinary nature, then, having been confirmed by the deed itself, becomes undoubted, leaving no more room for the question of possibility or impossibility. And why would you want a wife, shining with a good life, to hide from the devil, who hates goodness, and would you like that, giving him so many reasons to challenge him to fight, she herself would not struggle in the fight against temptations? For if each of those who succeeded in some good deed, even not from among the first, saw the great efforts of the enemy against him, then she, many victorious, suddenly struggling with the exploits of all, should have remained unconcerned? To stand in the field and not have an opponent, to be anointed and not to join the fight, to raise dust at the place of battle and not to irritate the opponent, to enter into competition with him and not to induce him to fight, to practice virtue and not to upset the author of all evil, to please God and not to arouse envy in the serpent, who is accustomed to hate those who succeed in the honor with which did he fall out of pride? Therefore, all the saints suffer attacks from him, and of those who attempted to do or accomplished something pleasing to God, there is not a single one whom he did not oppose, did not plot against the one who is zealous about this and was not his enemy, both because he does the truth (for those who are zealous about this enter into fellowship with the Savior Christ, and leave him alone), and also because, with very few, he is condemned to eternal torment, he would like to take many, or all, with him. Or maybe this damned one thinks he will see mercy for himself along with everyone else, if the whole human race turns out to be guilty of suffering torment: the flood did not convince him of the severity of the sentence, which did not bend to compassion, but recognized the entire multitude of people as subject to punishment for sin. At least, he considers it a consolation to be punished with many, because, without a doubt, the torment of many, in his opinion, is made easier, although in this, as in everything, the enemy is mistaken. For what is the benefit of the sufferer in the great number of those sharing the same suffering, when each has his own endless illness that is not shared with others? But for a hater to strengthen himself in suffering, perhaps even one death of many is enough, even if this does not bring any benefit to him at all. For it is characteristic of hatred to wish for the hated to suffer disaster and transition from a state of honor to a dishonorable one, to desire without any consolation for itself in its misfortune, except perhaps this one thing: if it achieves what it wants, hatred calms down, enjoying the vicissitudes in the well-being of the hated one, which previously tormented and withered it. Thus, the newly created Adam, who had just been honored with God’s image and assumed dominion over creation, approached him with flattery and deceit, when he still had no clear reason to carry out his envious intention, because Adam remembered both the commandment and the honor that had recently been given to him, he seduced him with false suggestions, promising him Divine honor in order to deprive him of the honor bestowed. He had no weapon with which he could subdue Adam, who had not yet experienced war, there was no fornication, because voluptuousness was not yet irritated by sight, passion, or covetousness, and there was nothing to arouse in him desires for acquisition and envy, there was no vanity, no hatred, no deceit, and there were also no those against whom these passions would be aroused, as they soon began they take refuge in Cain, prompted to jealousy by the praise of Abel. The enemy saw in only one thing his assistance in arranging a cunning plan: in love and in the desire for greater honor, because this passion is ancient and modern to man, but was given not for insult, but for the reverent honor of the One who honored. And that dignity, which, as a god, this one promised, who for the first time uttered the name of polytheism and clouded the pure concept of unity of command with the name of gods, was acquired by a person by diligent exercise in virtue, and could not be admired by the transgression of the commandment, since the property of sin is to deprive honor, and not to give honor. And from Adam, for insulting the One who honored, immediately upon his transgression of the commandment, his dignity is stripped, his authority is taken away from him, the honor of the image is taken away from him, he returns to the same low state from which he had barely risen, again without the image of God, given to the inheritance of the dusty composition, he is called earth and dust. And after this, he rightly began to fear the fury of animals, the poison of reptiles, the attacks of strong animals, and for which (he himself had recently been terrible in his power), thereby becoming subject, for disobedience to God he lost everything that he had previously possessed for obedience. For, instead of all laws, the Creator imposed obedience on him, prescribing abstinence from one plant, because, as has been said, there was nothing else to exercise in the legal subordination of one who, by the very fact that he ruled over everything else, necessarily had to have for himself some rule prescribed for him, pointing to his yoke of slavery, so that when he highly dreams of his dominion over creatures and dominion over many and strong animals, He reduced the heart that was proud of the authorities by the fact that he himself was under the Law and that the commandment rests on him, because the fear instilled by the higher authorities usually accustoms the lower ones to insolence, both the arrogance of the heart in relation to the subordinates, being chastened and humbled by the thought of the holding power, and the sometimes offensive arrogance being restrained by a reminder of the punishment for it by the higher authorities. But Adam did not think so about what to do, earthly rather than godlike, completely surrendering himself to the advice to prefer the highest honor and despise the commandment, when it was better, preserving it, to have the honor befitting nature, rather than, in the unknown, waiting for one that is higher than nature, to lose that which he already had, possessing the present, to reject it in the hope of the completely impossible. But those who heeded the word of the Lord: “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:48) and strive to consistently ascend in a way leading to this perfection through imitation of the all-perfect Father in private virtues, that is, by first becoming generous, philanthropic, compassionate, merciful (for this leads to the perfection of the Father), not without reasons, together with the image, perceive the primitive dignity and coveted name, not from the forefather of our race who lied in ancient times, but from God who always knows the truth - they accept in what He said: “Az reh: you are gods, and all are sons of the Most High” (Ps. 81:6). So man was destined for this, but, not having yet acquired knowledge of Who the Giver of this gift was, he was naturally deceived in his hope, believing the lawless one who suggested how to achieve this honor. He did not understand the trick of the deceiver, who, having arranged for a person not to achieve the honor that he had promised him, gave advice to achieve it, as it was impossible to achieve it, preparing for him, by the impossibility of the method, failure in the possible, so that what in all likelihood he could have had for himself, he would lose through the unreasonable execution of the deed, cunningly deceived by always managing to direct everything to the harm of those who believed in him. And that then the animals were brought into submission by the features of God’s image - this was shown by time and actual experience. For everything that is now destructive for sinners, out of respect for the righteous, hastens to reduce its destructive power. So the fire of the Babylonian furnace did not even touch the skin on the body of the saints, but on the wicked it spewed out a flame that, at a distance of forty-nine cubits, could devour the Chaldeans who met there, eating them like dry straw and dry firewood, while leaving the burning coals below cold, inactive, like clay and stones, so that they could not cause pain to the feet that trampled on them. For the young men came out of the cave, having their vestments unchanged and free from the smoky smell, having overcome the all-consuming power of fire with their weak and mortal body. Likewise, the lions in the den, tormented by hunger (because they had been kept without food for seven days, and the barbarians thought by this deprivation to arouse their natural ferocity), did not dare to approach Daniel, so as not to upset the righteous even by the sight of their terrible aspiration, and when he ate the food brought by Habakkuk, they remained abstinent, and at the same time did not indulge in unauthorized food. For the One who for forty days strengthened Moses and Elijah, so that they had no need for food, arranged for Habakkuk, carrying food, carried by an Angel through the high air, to arrive from Judea to the country of Babylon, not in order to feed the hungry righteous, but so that a great and extremely extraordinary miracle would appear, proclaiming lions to be wise guardians of the fast, not ceasing to remain in poverty for many days, when in their eyes a person ate food and in front of them was their usual and favorite food - human flesh, since this served them as their usual food: every day they received two bodies (see Dan. 14:32) condemned to death. Thus, the continuity of the Red Sea was divided from shore to shore, and the fluid and sliding nature became like a solid body, forming high walls on both sides and quickly, through the faith of Moses, the extraordinary path laid out in the middle was turned into a broad path for the people - because the image of God everywhere inspires respect for the servants of God and in everything makes them worthy of attention. So, why are ascetics upset by the practice of asceticism, which teaches the knowledge of asceticism, prevents danger, makes long labor easier with short-term labor, and prevents intrigues from becoming harmful? But perhaps it does not upset those who know its benefits according to the following apostolic instruction: “Tribulation completes endurance, ... but hope does not put you to shame” (Rom. 5:3-5), it will certainly bring with it what we hope for, and the wait will not be in vain. It upsets those who are not disposed to ascetic labor, who, out of laziness and cowardice, remain only spectators of other people’s exploits, just as the word of God presents the wife of the great Job as incapable of even seeing the suffering that Job endured; why does she say to her ascetic husband: “How long will you endure?” (Job 2:9). For the words “as long as you endure” show that it was difficult for her to look at the temptations that he endured. She does not say: “How long will you suffer, or suffer and toil, but: “How long will you endure?” He does not sympathize with his illness, nor is he surprised at his courage, but he condemns patience as vain and inconsistent with anything, he advises to complain about the duration of suffering, and does not share the sorrows of the sufferer. Such are the weak and effeminate people: having fallen into a difficult situation, not only do they not encourage those who strive to be courageous with words that often give courage to those who are weakened in spirit, but they crush and destroy the last vigor, complaining about suffering as unbearable; and those who should have been justly pleased are pitied and cried about as pitiful people. Have you not heard what God’s word says: “An unskilled man is not skilled in the sight of God” (see James 1:12)? Why are you amazed that those who please God are tempted? Haven't you been convinced by the examples of the righteous who lived before, whose lives were full of sorrows and ascetic sweats? Do you not know the piety of Joblev and the wiles of the enemy? Not for show, not with glory in mind, Job himself described his successes, but, calling on those listening to zealous imitation, he depicted his zeal for strangers, saying: “The stranger is not abroad, but my door is open to everyone who comes” (Job 31:32); depicted his care for widows and orphans: “Even though my bread was only food, and I did not give it to the orphan” (Job 31:17), and the widow never left the door with an empty bosom; He also depicted patronage of the offended: “I will quarrel without knowing it; I will destroy the limbs of the unrighteous, and I will take away the robbery from among their teeth” (Job 29:16–17); depicted compassion for the slave race, which the predominance, having dissolved the natural union, enslaved itself and, as the weakest, by force subordinated to the overabundant force: “If I despised the judgment of my male servant or female servant, who hid himself before me” (Job. 31, 13), did not in the least reject their rights out of contempt for their baseness, but gave the opportunity to defend themselves, encouraged them to speak freely and so that the subordinate, out of fear, keeping silence, would not be condemned by an authoritative word; and at the same time expresses the motivating reason, saying: “Isn’t food like I was in the belly, and was it? running in the same womb” (Job 31:15). Thus, the equality of birth is thoroughly accepted for the equality of dignity, exhorting those who are of the same nature with us without mercy, like beasts of burden, to give orders beyond their strength and advising them to judge their strength by their own strength. For the weakness of nature is the same in everyone, and a living being soon dies from excessive labor. Why should labor be proportionate to one’s strength, and labor should be followed by rest sufficient to restore tired strength, so that it can begin new labors already renewed and strengthened. And so that human boasting cannot be suspected in the words of a righteous man, the undeceitful God Himself becomes a witness to what he says, seals his words with His own word and says: “He is a true, blameless, righteous, pious man, shunning all evil things” (Job 1:1). But since justice requires that a skilled ascetic not only always practice beating the air with his hands, but actually present the experience of bodily exercises as proof of his courage, then an opponent comes to the ascetic, apparently strong in strength and tall, and with his words he humiliates the ascetic, calls wrestling without competition with an opponent a vain and childish game, and says that practicing wrestling alone is a ghost. courage, and not courage at all, demands to take him to battle, calls him into the field and, before experience, like Goliath, boasts of an undeniable victory. And Goliath in the science of arrogance is the student of the enemy, and the enemy is the teacher of Goliaths, both in deeds are lower than their promises, in words they are majestic and generous, but in the battle itself they are unstable, powerless than the most careless. The enemy ridicules and despises Job as already defeated, says that he is grateful in his prosperity, predicts that he will be a scolder, being deprived of what makes him famous, slanderes that he is different outwardly and different in reality, calls piety a pretense, reverence a disguise, says that good deeds are a reward for the favors he enjoys, tries in every possible way to denigrate the saint, thinking, that slander will find a place before God. So at another time he slandered man and God, as if he envied him in the knowledge of good and therefore forbade him to eat the fruit that brings this knowledge, so that man would not become, like God, a leader of good and evil. But the enemy did not succeed in anything, lying before God, because he was not dealing as then, not with a person whom he could deceive. The ascetic was given to him, as he asked: he took him out into the field, stood him on the sand, shot his arrows at him, thus beginning the battle; deprived him of his property and found that he was not a slave to it; took away a host of children from him and learned that he was above nature; deprived him of his royal dignity and saw that he was above glory; covered his body with rotting sores and learned how wisely he endured the suffering of the flesh; exhausted all the inventions of art and did not overcome the intractable; he used all sorts of methods of seduction and did not captivate the inflexible; he was exhausted, struck by temptations, and there was not even a trace of the blows; exhausted his quiver and did not wound the valiant warrior; there was no suffering left for the sufferer who was ready for anything, and the one who invented these sufferings was in difficulty, already wondering what else to come up with and how best to attack the winner; and rightly ashamed after his defeat, when he saw that for what he had boasted so much about before the fight, having overcome it with patience and suffering, having proven his inflexible courage, accepts crowns and victorious rewards and stands with them, like girded fighters seeking honors, loudly crying out: “Behold, my judgment is near; I know that I will be right; who will judge me and force me to remain silent now? That is: the enemy has fallen, the enemy has been defeated, the enemy has been deposed and lies covered in shame; who will condemn me and force me to remain silent now, when victory gives the right to cry, when deeds testify to the truth of words, after experience making the promise undoubted? The grandeur of the enemy with which he entered into battle with me, having now become a denunciation of indisputable frivolity and rashness, brings him to shame, and my silence at that time encourages me to speak now and tell deeds confirmed by evidence, and not by some unknown proclamations from experience of those making a dubious and untrue promise. You might be interested in: