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Whatever evil behavior is observed in cattle and beasts, the same is found in man, who has not been regenerated and renewed by the grace of God. We see pride in cattle. We see how he himself wants to devour food, quickly grabs it and devours it, but does not allow other cattle and drives them away. This is also in man. He himself does not tolerate offense, but he offends others. He himself does not tolerate contempt, but he despises others. He doesn’t want to hear slander about himself, but he slanders others. He does not want his property to be stolen, but he himself steals someone else’s property. He wants someone in need to help him, but he himself does not help others in need. He wants to be fed if he is hungry, clothed if he is naked, if he is wandering, to be let into the house, etc., but he himself does not do this to others. He does not want any harm for himself, but desires all good, but does evil to others and does no good. He wants to have everything, but he doesn’t care if his neighbor has nothing. In a word, he himself wants to be in every prosperity, and avoids ill-fortune, but does not think about other people like himself. This is bestial and disgusting pride! There is pride in cattle. The same is seen in man. We see how a poor man humiliates others and exalts himself. How he despises others, but glorifies himself. How he blames others, but excuses himself. Just as he condemns others, but justifies himself; he slander and blaspheme others, but praises himself. We see how he seeks primacy everywhere, wants to own others, dominate others, command others, and have respect from everyone. What does it mean to invent beautiful and gold-woven robes, rich houses, tall carriages and expensive horses, rich meals filled with a variety of foods and drinks, and other vanity and splendor - what, I say, does all this mean, if not the pride hidden in the human heart, which seeks glorification for itself in everything and in every thing? Pride wants to show itself everywhere and to everyone, but humility, dear to God and people, wants to hide. You see, man, human pride, but know that the more disgusting a vice is before God, the more secretive it is and few will recognize it. And it is recognized only by those who examine themselves with all diligence and are in various temptations. Why is the earth, ashes, and the shadow of death proud? We see anger and rage in cattle. The same is true in man. We see how he is angry, how he is indignant, grumbles, gets angry, how he torments himself, shaking with anger, like a leaf from the wind, how he conjures himself, how he slanderes, swears and often spews out terrible blasphemy, how he threatens the one who offended him, how he gets angry with him and seeks how to take revenge on him. This is the action of abominable and destructive anger hidden in a person’s heart! We see that the animals are fighting. We see the same in people. We see how many quarrels and various bloodsheds occur between poor people. Animals exhibit cunning and cunning. The same pernicious evil exists in humans. We see how he pretends, how he shows himself to be kind, while being evil inside. We see how he is cunning, disingenuous, flattering, lying, deceiving, hypocritical. Theft is noted in livestock. The same is seen in man. It is impossible to count how many obvious, secret and flattering methods of theft a person comes up with, so few people are free from it, and especially merchants, craftsmen, clerks, gentlemen, landowners who have peasants, treasurers, the rich, the famous, and others who love peace, wealth, glory and honor. Gluttony is noticeable in cattle - the same is true in humans. Impurity is visible in livestock. We see the same in man. We see that the poor man is wallowing in voluptuousness like a pig in the mud. There is laziness in livestock. We see it in people too. We see how careless he is about himself and his salvation. But what is worse than that and even further increases human poverty and wretchedness - those evil morals that are found in various animals are all present in one unrenewed person. Wordless - some are proud, but others are humble. Some are cunning and crafty, but others are simple. Some are angry and angry, but others are meek. Some are lazy, but others are cheerful. And in the poor sinner there is all sorts of bestial evil; he is proud, angry, predatory, lazy, cunning, crafty, unclean, etc. Oh, what a deadly poison, what a great and pernicious evil lies hidden in the human heart! How poor and damned man is! The appearance shows a person as he was created, but inside he is a true animal, even worse than an animal, since not just any animal, but all animals have evil in themselves. O poor man! What a state you have come to, having sinned before your Lord and Creator, by listening to the advice of your evil enemy! Oh, highly revered creation of God, a creation fertilized with the image and likeness of God, what vileness and vileness has it fallen into! Where is your pristine beauty and splendor? Where is your holiness, purity, truth and integrity? Where is your Divine light, which enlightened your soul and mind? Where is your godlike bliss, which your Creator bestowed upon you in the beginning? All this has gone away from you! Your sin has deprived you of all this. He deprived me of bliss and plunged me into all kinds of disaster and damnation. He deprived the beloved of light and plunged him into destructive darkness. He deprived the Divine image and likeness, and depicted animal ugliness. You were created in the image and likeness of God, but you became ugly and like an animal. “Man, being in honor, did not understand, and became equal to foolish beasts and became like them” (Ps. 49:13, 21). He was free, but became a prisoner; was holy and pure, but became defiled and vile. He was kind and bright, but remained ugly and dark. It was the temple of the Holy Spirit, but became the dwelling place of unclean spirits. O fierce fall! O most unfortunate changes! Fierce is that time, day and hour in which a man listened to the evil serpentine advice and transgressed the commandment of his Creator! “Remember, Lord, what happened to us; look and see our reproach. The joy of our hearts has ceased; our face turned to tears. The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us that we have sinned! This is why our hearts were troubled; because of this our eyes are darkened” (Lamentations 5:1, 15–17). Poor man, you who were baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity and wrote down your name to Jesus Christ the Son of God! Look what abomination lies hidden in the human heart! What good does it do you that you confess the name of God and often cry out: “Lord! Lord!”, but do you have an evil and bestial disposition in yourself? How can one who has such uncleanness enter the kingdom of God if he does not turn to God with all his heart and is not renewed by true repentance, contrition of heart, warm tears and the grace of the Holy Spirit? “And without are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices iniquity” (Rev. 22:15). “And nothing unclean shall enter into it” (Rev. 21:27). “Remember us, O Lord, with favor towards your people; visit us with Thy salvation, that we may see the prosperity of Thy elect, that we may rejoice in the joy of Thy people, and that we may glory in Thy inheritance. We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have committed iniquity” * (Ps. 105:4-6). Translation by P. Yungerov – Editorial office of “The ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: