Слово 57. Об удалении от мира и от всего смущающего ум

God showed great honor to people by the twofold teaching 459 with which he bestowed upon them, and everywhere he opened the closed door for them to enter into saving knowledge. Do you want a faithful witness to what has been said? Be yourself and you won't die. And if you want to know this from the outside, then you have another teacher and witness who will unmistakably guide you on the path of truth. A confused mind cannot avoid oblivion, and wisdom does not open its door to it. He who, with precise knowledge, has been able to comprehend to what equality the common end of all leads, has no need for another teacher to renounce the things of life. Initially, the natural law given by God to man is the consideration of His creatures. The written law was added after the fall. He who does not voluntarily withdraw from the causes of passions is involuntarily drawn into sin. The causes of sin are the following: wine, women, wealth, bodily health; however, not because these are sins by nature itself, but because nature is conveniently inclined by this into sinful passions; and therefore a person must carefully guard against this. If you always remember your weakness, you will not exceed the limit of caution. Poverty is disgusting to people, but a high-hearted soul and an arrogant mind are much more disgusting to God. People honor wealth, but God has a humble soul. When you want to begin good deeds, first prepare yourself for the temptations that will befall you, and do not doubt the truth. For it is the enemy’s custom, when he sees that someone has begun a good life with ardent faith, to meet him with various terrible temptations, so that, coming from this into fear, he cools down in his good will and no longer has the ardor to approach godly deeds. And the opponent does this not because he has such power (then no one could do anything good), but because God allows him, as we learned from the righteous Job. Therefore, prepare to courageously face the temptations that are sent to the virtues 460, and then begin to practice them. And if you are not prepared to face temptations, then refrain from doing virtues. A person who doubts that God is a helper in good deeds is afraid of his shadow, and in times of prosperity and abundance he languishes with hunger, and in the silence that surrounds him, he is filled with storms. But whoever trusts in God is strong in heart, and his honor is evident to all people, and his praise is before all his enemies. The commandments of God are higher than all the treasures of the world. Whoever acquires them 461 finds God within himself. He who always rests in the care of God has acquired God as a steward 462 . Whoever desires to fulfill the will of God will have heavenly Angels as guides. He who is afraid of sins will make a terrible procession without stumbling and, in times of darkness, will find light before him and within himself. The feet of the one who fears sins are protected by the Lord, and when he crawls, God’s mercy transforms him. Whoever considers his sins to be small will fall into something worse than before and will suffer sevenfold punishment. Sow alms in humility and you will reap mercy in judgment. When you have destroyed something good, acquire it again. You owe an obol to God: instead of it He will not take pearls from you; for example, if you have destroyed chastity, God will not accept alms from you if you are in fornication, because He wants your body to be holy, since you have violated the commandment. Will you really, thinking of leaving the acquisition of the world, fight for something else? You left what you planted, and did you come to fight with others? 463 Saint Ephraim said that during the harvest you will not fight the heat with winter clothes. So everyone who sows will also reap. And every ailment is cured with its own medicines. You may be overcome by envy - why are you trying harder to fight sleep? While the offense is still small and has not matured, destroy it before it spreads and matures. Do not indulge in negligence when the shortcoming seems small to you, because later you will find in him an inhuman ruler and will run before him like a bound slave. And whoever first resists passion soon dominates it. He who can joyfully endure an insult, even having in his hands the means to repel it, has received consolation from God through faith in Him. And whoever with humility endures the accusations brought against him has achieved perfection, and the holy Angels are amazed at him. For there is no other virtue so high and difficult. Don't believe yourself that you are strong until you are tempted and find yourself unchangeable. So test yourself in everything. Acquire right faith in yourself, so that you can trample on your enemies. Let your mind not be arrogant, and do not rely on your strength, so that you are not allowed to fall into natural weakness; and then by your own fall you will understand your weakness. Do not trust your knowledge, so that the enemy does not use it to catch you with his cunning. Let your tongue be meek, and let dishonor never befall you. Have sweet lips, and everyone will be your friend. Never boast in your speech about your deeds, lest you be put to shame. In everything that a person boasts about, God allows him to change, so that he can be humbled and learn humility. Therefore, you must leave everything to God’s foreknowledge and not believe that there is anything unchangeable in this life. Having become this way, constantly raise your eye to God, because the protection and Providence of God embraces all people, but it is invisible, except for those who have cleansed themselves from sin and always think about God, and, moreover, about Him alone. Mostly, the Providence of God is revealed to them when, for the sake of God, they enter into great temptation. For then they feel the Providence of God, as if seeing it with their bodily eyes, in accordance with the measure and cause of the temptation that befalls each of them, and this 464 is in order to arouse these ascetics to courage, as was the case with James, Joshua, the three youths, Peter and other saints, to whom he appeared 465 in some human form, encouraging and confirming them in piety. If you say that this was given by God to the saints by special providence, and they, according to their dignity, were made worthy of such visions, then let your models of courage be the holy martyrs, who, often many together, and sometimes individually, in many and different places, fought for Christ and, by the power that came upon them, courageously endured in their mortal bodies planing with iron and all kinds of torment, unbearable for nature. For the holy Angels clearly appeared to them, so that everyone would understand how on those who for the sake of God endure every temptation and every sorrow in every possible way, God’s Providence abundantly reveals itself to demonstrate their valor and to shame their enemies. For as much as the saints took courage at such visions, their opponents were irritated and driven into a frenzy by their patience. Is it necessary to say something about ascetics who are alien to this world and about hermits? They turned the desert into a city and turned it into a village and abode of Angels. According to the improvement of their lives, Angels always came to them and, as servants of the one Lord, sometimes in company, stayed with those who all the days of their lives loved the desert and, out of love for God, had their dwellings in the mountains, dens and abysses of the earth. And since they, having left earthly things, loved heavenly things and became imitators of the Angels, the holy Angels themselves, in justice, did not hide their appearance from them for this and fulfilled their every desire, and from time to time they appeared to them, teaching them how they should live, and sometimes they explained what they were perplexed about; sometimes the saints themselves asked them what needed to be done; sometimes the Angels guided those of them who were mistaken on the path; sometimes they delivered those who fell into temptation; sometimes, in the event of sudden misfortune and threatening danger, they were rescued from this, saving them, for example, from a serpent, or from a (falling) rock, or from an arrow, or from a thrown stone; sometimes, if the enemy was clearly attacking the saints, they appeared visibly and said that they had been sent to help them, and gave them courage, bravery and joy; and at other times they performed healings through them, sometimes they healed the saints themselves who had undergone some kind of suffering; sometimes their bodies, exhausted from not eating, were given supernatural strength by the touch of a hand or words and strengthened them; sometimes they brought them food, bread and even vegetables 466 or some other foodstuffs to eat with bread; and to some of them the time was announced, and to others the manner of their repose. And is it necessary to list the many things that prove the love of the holy Angels for us and their every possible care for the righteous? They look after us like older brothers look after younger ones. This was said so that everyone could understand that “the Lord is near to all who call on Him in truth” (Ps. 145:18), and to see what His providence is for those who have dedicated themselves to please Him and follow Him with all their hearts. If you believe that God is looking after you, why should you worry and worry about the temporary things and the necessities of your flesh? And if you do not believe that God provides, and therefore, apart from Him, you yourself take care of what you need for yourself, then you are the most pitiful of all people. Why do you live and will you live? “Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will nourish you” (Ps. 54:23). “And do not be afraid of the fear that comes” (Proverbs 3:25). Whoever has once devoted himself to God forever spends his life in peace of mind. Without non-acquisitiveness, the soul cannot free itself from the rebellion of thoughts and, outside the silence of feelings, it will not feel peace in thought. Without entering into temptation, no one will acquire spiritual wisdom. Without diligent reading, he will not understand the subtlety of thoughts. Without silence of thoughts, the mind will not move into the hidden mysteries. Without the trust of faith, the soul cannot boldly venture into temptation. Without experiencing the clear protection of God, the heart is unable to hope in God. If the soul does not taste with knowledge 467 the sufferings of Christ, then it will not have fellowship with Christ. Consider as a man of God the one who, out of great mercy, killed himself for a necessary need. For whoever shows mercy to the poor has God as his guardian. And whoever becomes poor for God’s sake will find endless treasures. God has no need for anything; but he rejoices when he sees that a person reposes His image and honors it for His sake. When someone asks you for what you have, do not say in your heart: “I leave this for my soul to rest in; God will give him from another place what he needs.” Such words are appropriate for unrighteous people and those who do not know God. A righteous and good man does not yield his honor to another and will not allow the time of grace 468 to pass without action. A poor and needy person is supplied by God, because the Lord does not leave anyone; but you, having sent the poor one away from you, have deviated from the honor given to you by God and removed His grace from yourself. Therefore, when you give, have fun and say: “Glory to You, God, that you have made me worthy to find someone to put to rest!” If there is nothing to give you, rejoice and, thanking God, say: “I thank You, my God, that you have given me this grace and honor to become poor for the sake of Your name, and have made me worthy to taste the sorrow laid on the path of Your commandments, in sickness and poverty, as Your saints who walked this path tasted!” And when you are sick, say: “Blessed is he who has been found worthy to be tested by God in that for which we will inherit life.” For God sends illnesses for the health of the soul. One of the saints said: “I noticed that a monk who does not work pleasingly to the Lord and does not strive zealously for the salvation of his soul, but carelessly learns virtues, is certainly allowed by God to fall into temptation, so that he does not remain idle and from his much idleness he does not deviate into the worse.” Therefore, God plunges the lazy and careless into temptations, so that they think about temptations and not about vain things. God always does this to those who love Him, in order to enlighten, make wise and teach them His will. And when they beg Him, He will not quickly heed them, until they are exhausted and until they firmly understand that this happened to them because of their negligence and laziness. For it is written: “Whenever you stretch out your hands to Me, I will turn My eyes away from you; and even if you increase your prayer, I will not hear you” (Is. 1:15). And although this is said about others, in any case it is written in general about those who have abandoned the path of the Lord. But since we say that God is abundantly merciful, then why, when we constantly ask en masse and in temptations, are we not heard, but does He despise our petition? This, of course, is what the prophet teaches us, saying: The hand of the Lord is not small to show mercy, and the Lord is not hard of hearing to hear. But our sins separated us from Him, and our iniquities turned away His face so as not to hear (see Isa. 59: 1-2). Remember God at all times, and He will remember you when you fall into trouble. Your nature has become receptive to passions, many temptations in the present world, and evil is not far from you, but it flows inside you and under your feet. Do not move from the place where you have stood; when God deigns, you will be freed from this. Just as the eyelids are close to each other (before the eyes), so temptations are close to people; and God wisely arranged this for your benefit, so that you would constantly knock on His door, so that the fear of sorrow would instill the remembrance of Him in your mind, so that you would draw closer to Him in prayer and your heart would be illuminated by the unceasing remembrance of Him. And when you beg, he will hear you; and you will understand that the one who delivers you is God, and you will know the One who created you, who provides for you, who preserves you, and who created two worlds for you: one as a temporary teacher and mentor, the other as a fatherly home and an eternal inheritance. God did not make you inaccessible to the deplorable, so that you, having desired to be a god, would not inherit the same thing that was originally inherited by Dennitsa, and later, for exaltation, became Satan. And also He did not create you steadfast and motionless, 469 so that you would not become similar to the nature of inanimate creatures and so that the good in you would not remain unprofitable for you and not deserving of reward, like natural bestial advantages in dumb ones. For it is easy for anyone to understand how much benefit, gratitude and humility are born from the fact that these thorns are sharpened against you. Therefore, it is clear that it is in our will to strive for good and avoid evil, and that we will internalize the honor and dishonor that flow from this. Shamed by dishonor, we are afraid; Excited by honor, we give thanks to God and reach out to virtue. God has multiplied these pestuns so that you, freed from them, made inaccessible to sorrows and becoming above all fear, do not forget the Lord your God, do not deviate from Him and do not fall into polytheism, like many who, although they were servile to you and struck by the same sorrows, in one instant of time, due to temporary and insignificant power or health 470, not only fell into polytheism, but also foolishly dared themselves call them gods. That is why God allowed you to be in sorrows. And sometimes he allows it so that you, by evading, do not anger Him and so that He, having subjected you to punishment, does not destroy you from His presence. I will not talk about wickedness and other blasphemies generated by prosperity and fearlessness of life, when no one else dares to say what was said before 471. Therefore, through sufferings and passions, God increased the remembrance of Him in your heart, and through the fear of the opposite he prompted you to approach the gates of His mercy, and through deliverance from this he instilled in you love for Him; having invested love in you, He brought you closer to the honor of adoption and showed you how rich His grace is. For how would you know such His providence and care if you had not encountered anything contrary? Therefore, love for God can most of all be increased in your soul by this very thing, that is, by understanding His gifts and remembering the abundance of His providence. All these blessings are generated for you by sorrows, so that you learn to give thanks. So, remember God, so that He always remembers you, and, remembering, He will save you, and you will receive all bliss from Him. Do not forget Him, soaring with your thoughts in vanity, so that He does not forget you during your battles. Be obedient to Him in your abundance, so that in sorrows you may have boldness before Him in heartfelt and constant prayer to Him. Purify yourself before the Lord, always having the remembrance of Him in your heart, so that, having spent a long time without remembering Him, you will not be found lacking boldness when you come to Him. For boldness before God comes from frequent conversation with Him and many prayers. Communication with people and being with them occurs through the body, and communication with God through spiritual remembrance, attentiveness in prayers and burnt offerings. By maintaining the remembrance of God for a long time, the soul is at times brought into amazement 472 and wonder. For “the heart of those who seek the Lord will rejoice. Seek the Lord,” condemned ones, “and be strong” in hope; “Seek His face” with repentance (Ps. 104:3-4), and sanctify yourself with the sanctity of His face, and be cleansed from your sins. You who are guilty of sins, flow to the Lord, who can forgive sins and despise transgressions. For with an oath He spoke through the prophet: “As I live, says... Lord, I do not want the sinner to die, but to be converted... and I live to be him” (Ezek.33:11); and again: “I have stretched out my hands all day long to people who do not repent and speak against people” (Is. 65:2); and again: “Ye die everywhere, the house of Israel” (Ezek.33:11); “Turn to Me, and I will return to you” (Mal.3:7); and one more thing: on the day on which a sinner leaves his way and turns to the Lord and does justice and righteousness, I will not remember his iniquities, but he will live while he lives, says the Lord (see Eze. 33:19). And if a righteous man forsakes his righteousness and, having sinned, commits unrighteousness, I will not remember his righteousness, but I will lay his trespass before him, and in the darkness of his deeds, remaining in them, he will die (see Ezek. 18:21-24; 33:14-18). Why is this? Because a sinner will not stumble in his sin on the day on which he turns to the Lord; and the righteousness of the righteous will not deliver him on the day on which he sins, if he continues in such sin. And God said this to Jeremiah: “Take yourself a scroll of the book,” and write what I said to you: from the day of Josiah king of Judah, until this day... all evil,” that, as I said, I will bring upon this people, so that, having heard and feared, man would forsake his wicked way and turn and repent, and I would take away their sins (Jer. 36:2-3). And Wisdom said: “cover” your sin so that it will not be good for anything; and whoever confesses his sins and forsakes them will receive mercy from God (Prov. 28:13). And Isaiah says: “seek the Lord,” and, having sought, “call on” Him, and, drawing near, “let the sinner and the unrighteous man leave his ways,” and turn to Me, and I will have mercy on you. “For My counsels are not as your counsels, nor are My ways as your ways” (Is. 55:6-8). “If you... listen to Me, you will destroy the good earth” (Is. 1:19). Come to Me and listen to Me, and you will live by your soul (see Isa.55:3). When you keep the ways of the Lord and do His will, then trust in the Lord and call on Him, “and again I say to you, saying: Behold, I have come” (Is. 58:9). When temptation comes upon the unrighteous, he has no hope to call on God and expect salvation from Him, because in the days of his repose he moved away from the will of God. Before you start fighting, seek help for yourself, and before you get sick, seek a doctor. Before sorrow comes upon you, pray to God - and during sorrow you will find Him and He will hear you. Before you crawl, call and beg; and before you begin to pray 473, prepare vows, that is, supplies for the journey from here. Noah's Ark was built in a time of peace, and its trees were planted for a hundred years, but during the wrath the unrighteous perished, but it became a covering for the righteous. Unrighteous lips are blocked from prayer 474; because the condemnation of conscience makes a person lacking boldness. A good heart joyfully sheds tears in prayer. In whom the world is dead, they gladly endure insults; and in whom the world is alive, they cannot tolerate insults, but, driven by vanity, they become angry and, from an unreasonable movement, become confused or overcome with sadness 475 . Oh, how difficult it is to fulfill this virtue and what glory it acquires from God! Whoever wants to succeed in this virtue, that is, accepting insults and being generous, needs to move away from his own 476 and become a wanderer; because in one’s own homeland it is impossible to succeed in this virtue. It is common for some great and strong to endure the suffering of this virtue among their own, and also for those for whom this world has died and who have renounced the hope of all real consolation. Just as grace is close to humility, so are painful adventures to pride. The eyes of the Lord are on the humble, to make them glad. Humility always receives mercy from God, but hard-heartedness and lack of faith encounter terrible cases. Humble yourself in everything before all people, and you will be exalted before the princes of this age. Preface everyone with your greeting and bow, and you will be honored more than those who bring Sufir 477 gold as a gift. Humble yourself and you will see the glory of God in yourself. For where humility grows, there God’s glory flows. If you try to remain in obvious humiliation, then God will make sure that you are glorified by all people; If you have humility in your heart, then in your heart God will show you His glory. Be convenient in your greatness, and not great in your smallness. Try to be neglected, and you will be filled with God's honor. Do not strive to be honored, being internally filled with ulcers 478. Disdain honor to become venerable; and do not love honor, lest you be dishonored. He who pursues honor runs away from him. And whoever runs away from honor, it overtakes him from behind and becomes a herald of his humility for all people. If you despise yourself so as not to be honored, then God will proclaim about you. If you suffer reproach for the truth, then God will command all His creatures to praise you, and they will open the door of the glory of your Creator before you, and they will praise you, because in you you really have His image and likeness. Who has seen a man shining with virtues, who appears to people to be insignificant, bright in life, wise in knowledge and humble in spirit? Blessed is he who humbles himself in everything, for he will be exalted. For whoever humbles and humbles himself in everything for God’s sake is glorified by God. Whoever hungers and thirsts for His sake, God will intoxicate him with His blessings. He who endures nakedness for the sake of God is clothed by Him with the robe of incorruptibility and glory. He who becomes poor for God's sake is comforted by His true riches. Humble yourself for the sake of God, and without your knowledge your glory will increase. Throughout your life, recognize yourself as a sinner, so that you may be righteous throughout your entire life. Be ignorant in your wisdom, and do not appear wise while being ignorant. If humility elevates a simple and unlearned person, then what honor, think, will it bring to the great and respectable? Run away from vanity and you will be glorified. Fear pride and you will be exalted. Vanity is not given to the sons of men, nor is arrogance given to the offspring of women. If you have voluntarily renounced everything worldly, then don’t quarrel with anyone over insignificant things. If you are disgusted by vanity, then run away from those who are chasing after it. Flee from covetousness, as well as from covetousness itself. Move away from those who seek pleasure, as well as from pleasure itself. Flee from obscenity, as well as from obscenity itself. For if the mere recollection of what was said disturbs the mind, then how much more is it looking at them and spending time with them? Get closer to the righteous and through them you will get closer to God. Treat those who have humility and you will learn their morals. For if the view of such is beneficial, how much more is the teaching of their lips? Love the poor, so that through them you too may receive mercy. Do not get close to lovers, so as not to be forced to stand outside your silence. Without disgust, endure the stench from the sick, and especially from the wretched, because you too are covered with body. Do not rebuke those who are grieving in heart, lest their rod 479 strike you, and you will seek comforters but will not find them. Do not disparage the crippled, because we will all go to hell equally honest. Love sinners, but hate their deeds and do not despise sinners for their shortcomings, so that you yourself do not fall into the temptation in which they are. Remember that you too are involved in earthly nature, and do good to everyone. Do not reproach those who demand your prayer and do not deprive them of softened words of consolation, so that they do not perish and their souls are not collected from you. On the contrary, imitate the doctors who heal inflammatory diseases with cool medicines, and the opposite with intoxicating medicines. When you meet your neighbor, force yourself to show him honor beyond his measure. Kiss his hands and feet, hug them often with great honor, place them on your eyes and praise him even for what he does not have. And when you are separated from him, say everything good and something honorable about him. For by this and similar things you will attract him to goodness, you will make him feel shame from the greeting with which you greeted him, and you will sow the seeds of virtue in him. From such a habit acquired by you, a good image is imprinted on you, you will acquire much humility in yourself and without difficulty you will succeed in great things. And besides this, if the one honored by you has any shortcomings, he will easily receive healing from you, ashamed of the honor that you showed him. May you always have this character - to be friendly and respectful to everyone. Do not irritate anyone 480 and do not hate anyone, either for their faith 481 or for their bad deeds, but beware of reproaching or reproaching anyone with anything, because we have an impartial Judge in heaven. If you want to convert someone to the truth, then grieve for him and, with tears and love, say a word or two to him, and do not become angry with him, and let him not see a sign of enmity in you. For love does not know how to be angry and irritated with anyone or reproach someone with passion. The indication of love and knowledge is humility, which is born from a good conscience about Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory and power with the Father and with the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages! Amen. Here we mean natural revelation in nature (see Rom. 1:20) and supernatural revelation in the written law. That is, he fulfilled them. In the Syriac text: “whoever has received His laws into his heart will find the Lord in them.” (“In them” is also read in one Greek manuscript). In the Syriac text: “he becomes a partner with God who always dwells in meditation on Him.” In the Syriac text: “Do not leave unjust gain in its place, and do not fast in its place! Do not leave crime in its place and do not fight against something else. Injustice is eradicated by mercy and renunciation, but you leave the plant in its place and fight against something else, as the great holy teacher Ephraim says.” The Greek translation refers to St. Ephraim is mistakenly classified as the following. However, the above words do not belong to St. Ephraim, and Isaac of Antioch. A special discovery of Providence. Actually: lupins, vegetables with intoxicating properties. That is, based on the experience of personal life. That is, a convenient opportunity for good deeds. In the Syriac text: “because of some wealth, short-term power and little eloquence.” In the Syriac text: "even if the above-mentioned sin is not committed." In the Syriac text: “before you are thrown into confusion.” Translated according to the Syriac text: “sin stops the mouth during prayer.” In the Syriac text: “whose thoughts are completely occupied with the care of this life, either out of empty vanity he will immediately be inflamed with anger or plunged into the gloomy thoughts that are excited by him” (vanity). Sufir is the same as Ophir (1 Kings 22:48), a gold-bearing area in India. In the Syriac text: “Do not be angry with anyone.” That is, for weakness of faith or for wrongness of faith. You might be interested in: