Беседа XXV

“But Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood of water came 187 on the earth” (Gen. 7:6). 1. I want to again take up the same subject about which I recently talked with your love, and again consider the story of the righteous Noah. Great indeed is the wealth of the virtues of this righteous man, and we must, if possible, examine everything in detail in order to thus bring you the most benefit. Just pay attention, please, so that not a single thought contained (in this story) escapes you. But first, we need to remind your love where our previous teaching stopped, so that, starting today’s word, we can connect you with the previous and subsequent ones. In this way the present word will also be clear to you. Where did our teaching stop? “The Lord God said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your house, because I have seen you righteous before Me in this generation.” Bring unto you seven seven from clean cattle, and two two from unclean cattle... In yet seven more days, I will bring rain upon the earth forty days and fourty nights, and I will consume every rising that I have made, from the face of the earth, from man to beast. “And the Lord God did unto Noah all things that were commanded unto him” (Gen. 7:1–5). At this point we stopped the word and stopped teaching. You yourself, perhaps, remember when we told your love about the reason why God commanded Noah to introduce from the “clean... seven seven, and from the unclean two two.” Let us consider further reading today and see what the Divine Scripture tells us about after Noah’s entry into the ark. If at any other time, then especially now we must show great zeal - now that, for the sake of the Lenten season, we often enjoy the most pleasant conversation with you, and are free from satiety with pleasures, and with an excited mind we can listen attentively to the proposed teaching. So, we must say where we started today’s reading. “But Noah was six hundred years old,” it is said, “and a flood of water came upon the earth.” Be careful, please, and do not skim these words superficially. A certain wealth is hidden in these short words, and if we strain our minds, we can learn from them both the extraordinary height of the Lord’s love for mankind and the great increase in the wickedness of the people of that time. “Noe be,” it is said, “six hundred years old.” It is not without reason that Divine Scripture told us here about the number of years of the righteous man, and not only so that we would know how old the righteous man was, but because it had previously told us that “Noah was five hundred years old” (Gen. 5:32). Having informed us about such a number of years, (Scripture) then spoke about the strong desire of people for vice, how “a man’s mind is set on evil from youth” (Gen. 8:21), which is why God said: “My Spirit shall not dwell in these men, for they are flesh” (Gen. 6:3), foreshadowing to them with these words about His great wrath. Further, in order to give them enough time to repent and avoid wrath, (God) says: “Their days shall be a hundred and twenty years,” i.e. I will endure even after five hundred years, because this righteous man did not cease, for five hundred years, to admonish them all in his own name, and, if only they wanted to listen, he inspired them to abandon sin and turn to virtue. With all this, says God, and now I promise to endure another hundred and twenty years, so that they, taking advantage of this time as they should, turn away from wickedness and begin to do good. However, (God) was not satisfied with this promise of one hundred and twenty years, but also commanded the righteous to build an ark, so that the very appearance of the ark would give them sufficient admonition, and none of them would remain ignorant of the greatness of the threatening punishment. The very fact that this righteous man, who had reached the highest perfection, cared so much about building the ark, could have led all sensible people into fear and apprehension and forced them to appease such a meek and humane Lord. If, in fact, those barbarians, i.e. Ninevites... Again, they must be presented as an example, so that in this way both the excessive wickedness of these (Noah’s contemporaries) and the great gratitude of those (the Ninevites) will be more clearly revealed. And our Lord himself, on that terrible day of judgment, will put some slaves against others and then pronounce condemnation (over sinners), denouncing them that, having received the same means and benefits (with the righteous), they did not strive like them in virtue. He often makes comparisons and unequal sides, in order to subject the careless to greater condemnation. That’s why he said in the Gospel: “The men of Nineveh will stand up in judgment with this generation and condemn it: because they repented of Jonah’s preaching: and behold Jonah is here” (Matthew 12:41). As if He had said this: the barbarians, who did not use any special guidance, who did not hear prophetic teachings, who did not contemplate signs, who did not see miracles, but who heard from one man who escaped from a shipwreck such words that could plunge them into complete despair and bring them to the extreme, to the point of contempt for his very words - these barbarians not only did not neglect the words of the prophet, but also, having received a short, three-day term, showed such strong and zealous repentance that they rejected God’s determination. They, he says, will condemn this race, which enjoyed such great care from Me, brought up in the books of the prophets, who saw signs and wonders every day. Further, in order to show both the extreme unbelief of the Jews and the inexpressible obedience of the Ninevites, the Lord added: “as I repented of the preaching of Jonah, and behold Jonah is here.” Those, he says, having seen the poor man - Jonah, accepted his preaching and brought the most severe repentance; and these, seeing the much greater Jonah, the very Creator of all creation, who moved among them, every day performed so many and great miracles, cleansed lepers, raised the dead, corrected natural defects, cast out demons, healed diseases, granted remission of sins with full power - they did not show the same faith as the barbarians. 2. But let us return to the order of the word, so that you recognize the extreme insensitivity of Noah’s contemporaries, and the great gratitude of the Ninevites, learn how these, being limited to a three-day period, did not despair of their salvation, but, hastening to repent, washed away their sins, and were worthy of the mercy of the Lord, and they, having received a one hundred and twenty year reprieve for repentance, did not use it for good. Therefore, the Lord, seeing their extreme corruption and complete rigidity in vice, brings swift destruction upon them, and thus destroys and eradicates the evil leaven of their wickedness. That is why it is said: “But Noah was six hundred years old, and the flood of water came upon the earth.” Now we know that when the threat and prediction of God was made, Noah was five hundred years old, and when the flood came, he was six hundred years old. This means that a hundred years have passed in between; but they did not take advantage of these hundred years, although the very construction of the ark by Noah taught them so much. But perhaps someone wants to know why the Lord, having said: “Their days will be one hundred and twenty years,” and promising to endure for so many years, brought the flood before these years expired. And this serves as the greatest proof of His love for mankind. He saw that people sin incorrigibly every day, and not only do not take advantage of His ineffable long-suffering for their own good, but also multiply their wounds; Therefore, he shortened the term so that they would not become worthy of even greater punishment. And what, you may ask, would be an even greater punishment than this? There is, beloved, a greater, and more terrible, and endless punishment - a punishment in the next century. Some, having suffered punishment here, although they will not escape the torment there, will nevertheless suffer a lighter punishment, reducing the greatness of the torment there by the suffering here. Listen to how Christ speaks about this, predicting grief for Bethsaida. “Woe to you Chorazim,” He says, “woe to you Bethsaida,... for even though in Sodom there was power that was in you... of old you repented in sackcloth and ashes. Again, I tell you: the land of Sodom and Gomor will be more tolerable on the day of judgment than it is for you” (Matthew 11:21–24, 10:15) 189. Do you see, beloved, how with the word “more joyful” the Lord showed that those who were subjected to such a great punishment here, those who suffered such an extraordinary and strange burning, although they will suffer punishment there, it will be the lightest, because here they have already experienced such anger? So, so that Noah’s contemporaries, by multiplying their iniquities, would not deserve greater punishment, the good and humane Lord, seeing their unrepentance, shortened the time that He promised to endure. Just as in relation to those who show themselves to be obedient, He, out of His characteristic goodness, cancels His sentences, accepts those who turn and delivers them from threatening punishment, so, on the contrary, when He promises to grant either some benefits or time for repentance, but sees that people have become unworthy, then He cancels His promises. Therefore, He said through the prophet: “Finally I will speak against languages and kingdoms, that I will uproot (them) and destroy...: and if they turn..., I will also repent of the same words that I will do to them” (Jer. 18:7-8), and further: “I will finally speak against languages and kingdoms 190, that I will build... (I): and if they create Evil one..., I will also repent of the good things I have done to them” (Jer. 18:9-10). Do you see how He takes from us a reason to show us either mercy or wrath? That is why now, since (Noah’s contemporaries) did not take advantage of the proper increase in time, He shortens the period. That is why Blessed Paul said to insensitive people who rejected the salvation given to us through repentance: “Or are you careless about the riches of his goodness and meekness and long-suffering, ignorant, because the goodness of God leads you to repentance? Because of your cruelty and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:4-5). Do you see how this wonderful teacher of the universe clearly showed us that those who do not, as they should, use God’s long-suffering, given to us for repentance, deserve greater condemnation and punishment? That is why even now the man-loving God, as if justifying himself and showing the reason why He brought the flood before the end of the period, points out to us the number of years of the righteous man, and says: “But He was six hundred years old.” In fact, those who did not want to change for a hundred years, what profit would they have received from twenty years, except that they would have added even more sins? For His part, God, wanting to show the immeasurable greatness of His unspeakable love for mankind and His goodness, did not fail to inform them seven days in advance about the approach of the flood, so that they, amazed at least by this shortness of time, would discover any change. 3. Observe the Lord’s love for mankind and from the various ways in which He, like a skilled physician, healed the illness of these people. Since their wounds were incurable, He gave them such a long respite, wanting them, even if brought to their senses for a long time, to reject His angry sentence. Since God cares about our salvation, he usually always predicts what executions he wants to inflict, just so as not to inflict them. If He wanted to induce, He would not have said; but He foretells with the intention that we, having learned about this and being enlightened by fear, would reject anger and cancel His judgments. Nothing pleases Him more than our conversion and transition from sin to virtue. Look how He healed the illness of these people. First, He gave them such a long delay for repentance, then, when He saw their insensitivity, which is why they did not take advantage of such a long time, already before the very, so to speak, doors of the flood, He predicted, however, not in three days, like the Ninevites, but in seven. Knowing the immeasurable love of our Lord for mankind, I can boldly say that even in seven days, if they had wanted to sincerely repent, they would have averted the disaster of the flood from themselves. When neither the previous long delay, nor the last short period could deviate them from sin, God brought a flood on them, when Noah was six hundred years old: “But Noah was six hundred years old, and a flood of water came upon the earth.” Do you see, beloved, how useful it was to know the number of years of the righteous man; how old was he when the flood came? Now let's consider what is said next. When the flood came, “Noah, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives, went down into the ark, - it is said, - for the sake of the flood” (Gen. 7:7). “And from clean birds and from unclean birds... and from... reptiles... two two. All of them went down 191 to Noah into the ark, male and female, as the Lord commanded 192 Noah” (Gen. 7:8-9). It is not without reason that it was added: “just as the Lord commanded Noah,” but in order to again give praise to the righteous man for the fact that he did everything as the Lord commanded and did not omit anything that was told to him from Him. “And it came to pass in seven days,” as i.e. The Lord promised, “and the flood waters came upon the earth in the six hundredth year in the life of Noah, the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month” (Gen. 7:10–11). Notice the accuracy of Scripture, how it shows us not only the year, but also the month, and even the day on which the flood occurred, in order to better enlighten subsequent people with its narrative and present the event as more terrible, it says: “On that day all the fountains of the deep were split open, and the abysses of heaven were opened. And there was rain on the earth for fourty days and fourty nights” (Gen. 7:11–12). Look at the condescension that Holy Scripture uses here, how it speaks about everything in human terms. It’s not that there were abysses in the sky, but Scripture expresses itself in our usual words, as if to say: the Lord only commanded - and the water immediately obeyed the command of the Creator, and, flowing from all sides, drowned the whole world. And that God brought the flood in forty days and nights, and this again serves as the greatest evidence of His love for mankind. In His great goodness, He wanted at least some of them to come to their senses and avoid ultimate destruction, seeing before their eyes both the death of their neighbors and the disaster threatening them. One might, in fact, think that on the first day a significant part of the people had already drowned; in the second even more; exactly the same on the third and other days. That is why God appointed the flood to last forty days and forty nights, in order to take away from them any reason for justification. If He had willed and commanded, He could have drowned everything in an instant; but, since He listened to His love for mankind, He appointed such a length of time. It further says: “On that day Noah went down into the ark 193, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, and Noah’s wife, and his sons’ three wives, and all the animals 194 ... according to their kind, ... as the Lord God commanded 195 Noah” (Gen. 7:13–15, 9). When, i.e. The flood began at the command of the Lord, Noah entered the ark with his sons and his wife, and with his sons' wives, and animals of all kinds entered with him. “And the Lord God shut the ark from outside it” (Gen. 7:16). 4. Notice here the condescension in the word. “God shut the ark 197 from outside,” to show us that He placed the righteous in perfect safety. “Shut it,” and, moreover, “from the outside,” so that the righteous cannot see how everything perished, and from this he feels the strongest sorrow. He was already grieving and indignant when he just imagined this terrible flood in his mind and imagined the destruction of the human race, the total extermination of all animals, people, and cattle, and, so to speak, the destruction of the earth itself. Even though those who perished were evil people, the souls of the righteous usually feel great sorrow when they see people in misfortune. Therefore, you will find that all the righteous and prophets interceded for the guilty, for example, the patriarch (Abraham) for the Sodomites (Gen. 18:25). And of the prophets, one, for example, said: “Oh, cruel to me,... Lord, you consume the remains of Israel for food” (Ezek. 9:8), and the other: “Will you make men like the fish of the sea... elders who have no property” (Hab. 1:14)? If, therefore, the righteous man was already troubled in spirit and grieved in heart, then so that the very spectacle (of universal destruction) would not plunge him into even greater contrition, God imprisoned him in the ark, as if in a prison; so he could not see with his own eyes what was happening and this made him timid. Naturally, seeing the extreme increase in water, he would begin to worry about how not to drown himself. So, sparing him, God, the lover of mankind, does not allow him to see either the swiftness of the waters, or how the death (of people) and the devastation of the universe took place. When I think about the stay of this righteous man in the ark, I am amazed and amazed, and attribute everything to the same love of God. In fact, if it did not strengthen his soul and did not make the difficult easy, then how, tell me, could he endure his situation, being imprisoned in the ark, as in a prison and a terrible prison? How could he resist such pressure of the waves? If those sailing on a ship, using the aid of sails, and having a helmsman who sits at the stern and with his art resists the pressure of the wind, die of fear and despair, so to speak, of their salvation when they see that the excitement has increased extremely, then what will we say about this righteous man? The prisoner, as I said above, in the ark, as in a dungeon, he rushed here and there, could not see the sky there, nor direct his eyes to any other place, in a word, he did not see anything that could give him some consolation. Those sailing on the sea, even if the excitement increases, can look up at the sky, see the tops of mountains and a distant city, and from this receive at least a little relief. Even if the storm intensifies and becomes furious to the extreme, then after ten days or more, after many dangers and storms, having been thrown to the ground and somewhat calmed down, they forget all these misfortunes. But this is not the case here; on the contrary, Noah lived for a whole year in this extraordinary and strange prison, not being able to breathe air. How could he really do this when the ark was tightly shut on all sides? How did he bear it, tell me, how did he bear it? Even if their bodies were made of iron and adamant, then how could they (live) without using either air or wind, which usually refreshes our body no less than air, and without being able to nourish their eyes with the spectacle of the sky or the variety of flowers that decorate the earth? How can they, having lived like this for so long, not become completely blind? And if we wanted to judge this based on human considerations, then we would need to think about where they received enough drinking water from while they lived in the ark? But leaving this aside, (I ask) how could this righteous man, as well as his sons and wives, endure being together with cattle, animals and birds? How could he bear the stench? How did you endure life with them? And what can we say about this? How could the animals themselves survive without dying for such a long time, unable to attract air or move, but locked in one place? You, of course, know that we, as well as animals, even if we use air and other amenities, but are constantly confined in one place, inevitably get upset and die. How could this righteous man, with all those in the ark, withstand so much time? Not otherwise than with the help of the highest, omnipotent power. Wasn’t it the work of a higher power that the ark rushed back and forth, without a helmsman, and did not perish from such a pressure of the waves? It is also impossible to say that the ark was (built) like a ship, and from that it was possible, with the help of art, to direct its course. The ark was tightly fenced on all sides, and, by virtue of the command of the Lord, the swiftness of the water did not harm it; on the contrary, having become higher than her, he kept his inhabitants in complete safety. So, beloved, when God does something, do not dare to examine His deeds for human reasons: they exceed our understanding, and the human mind is never able to comprehend and comprehend what He has accomplished. 5. Therefore, after hearing God's commands, we must believe and obey His words. As the Creator of nature, He transforms and changes everything according to His will. “And the Lord God shut the ark from without.” Great is the virtue and strong is the faith of this righteous man. She, after all, she helped him both build the ark and complacently endure cramped life in such a dwelling, along with the beasts and all other animals. That is why blessed Paul, remembering him, exclaimed in his praise: “By faith we received Noah’s answer concerning these things, which, having not seen, feared, and made an ark for the salvation of his house: with it he would judge the world, and he would be an heir of the righteousness that is by faith” (Heb. 11:7). Do you see how faith in God, like a strong anchor, supported him in the fact that he built the ark and could live in it? She also served as a means of salvation for him: “He who,” it is said, “condemn the world, and be the heir of the righteousness that is by faith.” Not that Noah himself condemned (his contemporaries); no, the Lord condemned them by comparison (them with Noah), because they, having everything that the righteous man had, did not follow the same path of virtue with him. So, Noah, by the faith that he showed, condemned these people who showed complete unbelief: they did not believe the prediction (about the flood). And with all this, I am especially amazed at the virtue of the righteous man, and at the inexpressible goodness and love of the Lord, when I think how he could live among the beasts, i.e. lions, lynxes, bears and other wild and indomitable animals. Remember here, beloved, the high power that the first man enjoyed before the crime, and think about the goodness of God. Since the disobedience of the first man reduced the power granted to him, and then God found another man who tried to restore the ancient image in himself, preserved the purity of virtue and showed deep obedience to the commandments, he elevates him to his former dignity, as if by experience showing us the greatness of the power that Adam had before his disobedience. Thus, the virtue of the righteous, assisted by the mercy of God, restored its former power, and the animals again recognized their subordination. In fact, the animals, when they see the righteous man, immediately forget their nature; or better yet, not nature, but their cruelty, and, remaining the same by nature, they turn from the fierce into the meek. And so, this very thing happened to Daniel. Being surrounded by lions, he remained fearless, as if being among sheep: the boldness of the righteous curbed the nature of the animals and did not allow them to show their brutality. In the same way, the wonderful Noah easily lived with the animals; and neither the tightness of the place, nor the length of time, nor such confinement, nor deprivation of air, could lead him into stupor, but everything was made easier for him by faith in God, and in this terrible prison he lived as we do among the meadows and groves. The commandment of the Lord made things easy and difficult for him. This is the property of the righteous: when they endure for God, they do not look at what is being done, but reflect on the reason - and easily endure everything. So Paul, the teacher of languages, called prisons, attacks, daily dangers, manifold and unbearable sorrows easy, not because they were such in themselves, but because the reason for which they were allowed put him in such a mood that he did not pay attention to the disasters that were happening. Listen to what he says: “For even though our sorrow is now light, it will increase for us the weight of eternal glory” (2 Cor. 4:17). Hope, he says, of future glory and eternal bliss helps us to bear these continuous sorrows with complacency and consider them easy. Do you see how love for God takes away the power of misfortunes and does not allow (believers) to even feel their severity? That is why blessed Noah endured everything complacently: he was nourished by faith and hope in God. “And the Lord God shut the ark from without,” it says. And the flood came for fourty days and fourty nights on the earth... and the ark was carried along” (Gen. 7:16–18). See again how (Scripture) by its story intensifies the fear and magnifies the event. “There was,” it says, “the flood was fourty days and fourty nights, and the waters increased and took the ark and rose from the earth. And the waters increased in strength, and multiplied greatly on the earth, and the ark was carried on top of the waters. And the waters were great upon the earth” (Gen. 7:17–19). 6. Look how in detail (Scripture) tells us about the strong pressure of the waters - how they increased more and more every day. “The waters were great,” it is said, “and the waters rose great and covered all the high mountains, even as they swelled under heaven: the water rose up fifty liters of mountain, and covered all the mountains” (Gen. 7:19-20). The Lord, the Lover of Mankind, wisely arranged it by confining the ark so that the righteous would not see what was being done. In fact, if we, after so many years and so many generations, listening only to the story of Scripture, feel horror and are amazed, then how should a righteous person feel if he saw this terrible abyss with his own eyes? How could he bear this sight even for a short time? Wouldn't his spirit immediately leave him at the first sight, not being able to withstand the sight of so many disasters? Think, beloved, how we are now, even with a small flood, we indulge in fear, we fear for everything, and we despair for life itself. What would the righteous person have suffered if he had seen the water rise to such a height? Higher than the mountains, it is said, “the water rose fifty liters.” Remember here, beloved, the words spoken by the Lord: “My Spirit shall not abide in these men, for they are flesh” (Gen. 6:3), also: “the earth was corrupted... and the land was filled with wickedness” (Gen. 6:11), further: “the Lord saw the earth, and it was not corrupted: for all flesh corrupted its way” (Gen. 6:12). So, since the universe had a need for complete cleansing, it was necessary to wash it from all uncleanness, and destroy all the leaven of former corruption, so that not a trace of wickedness remained, but a renewal of the elements took place; then the Lord acted like a skilled artist who, taking a vessel that has become dilapidated with time and corroded, so to speak, by rust, throws it into the fire, and having driven off all the rust from it, remakes it, transforms it and brings it back to its former beauty. So our Lord, having cleansed the entire universe with this flood, and, so to speak, freed it from human wickedness, the filth of extreme corruption, made it most beautiful and again showed us its bright face, not allowing even a trace of the former ugliness to remain. “Rise above the mountains, fifty liters of water.” It is not without reason that Scripture tells us about this, but so that we know that not only people, and cattle, and four-legged animals, and creeping things were drowned, but also the birds of the air, and all the beasts and other dumb animals that lived on the mountains. For this reason it says: “Rise above the mountains fifty lactae,” so that you may be convinced that the Lord’s decree has been fully fulfilled. He said: “yet seven more days, and... I will bring a flood upon the earth,... and I will consume every rising that I have made from the face of the earth,” from man to cattle, and from creeping things to the birds of the air (Gen. 7:4). Consequently, the Divine Scripture tells about this not only to show us to what height the water rose, but so that we could, at the same time, know that not a single beast, nor cattle, nor other animal remained, but that they were all destroyed along with the human race. Since they were all created for man, when the latter was supposed to perish, naturally, they also share his death. Further, having told us to what height the water rose, namely, that it rose fifteen cubits above the mountain peaks, Scripture, observing its characteristic accuracy, also says: “and all flesh that moves on the earth... and birds... and animals 198 and every creeping thing that moves on the earth, and every man and every tree has the breath of life, and everyone who was 199 on the dry land will die” ( Gen.7:21–22). Not without reason, Scripture noted that everyone who was on dry land died, but - to let you know that everyone perished, but only one righteous man was saved, with all those who were in the ark - since they had already left the dry land and entered the ark, according to God's command. “And every growth that was upon the face of the whole earth was destroyed, from man, even to cattle, to the creeping things, and to the birds of the air, and was consumed from the earth” (Gen. 7:23). Look how Scripture, once, twice, and repeatedly, reports that universal destruction occurred, and that not a single creature was saved, but everyone drowned in the water - both people and animals. “And Noah remained alone, and those with him in the ark. And the waters rose above the earth for an hundred and fifty days” (Gen. 7:23–24). For so many days the water kept rising. Here again think about the extraordinary generosity and courage of the righteous man. What could he not endure, imagining and, so to speak, seeing with his mind how human bodies and the bodies of animals, clean and unclean, all died the same death, and mixed together, without any distinction? What could he not endure when he reflected with himself about loneliness, about this desolate and sad life, which did not promise any consolation from either conversation or vision: when he truly did not know how long he had to live in this dungeon? While the water continued to roar and rage, his fear increased every day. Indeed, what pleasant things could he expect when he saw that the water remained in the same position for one hundred and fifty days, rising high and not falling at all? However, he complacently endured his situation, knowing that the Lord is omnipotent, and, as the Creator of nature, creates and transforms everything according to His will. He was not burdened by his stay in the ark, because God’s gracious help strengthened his strength and gave him sufficient consolation, not allowing him to lose heart and indulge in ignoble and base feelings. Since he had previously shown unflagging virtue, high righteousness and strong faith, the Lord had already granted him in abundance patience, courage, complacency in everything, the ability to live in the ark without suffering any harm or disorder from it and without being burdened by the community of animals. 7. We will also imitate this righteous man, and we will try to do everything that is required on our part in order to appear to us worthy of the gifts of God. He is waiting for an occasion from us to show His great generosity. Let us not, out of laziness, deprive ourselves of His gifts, but let us hasten and be zealous to make the beginning and embark on the path of virtue, so that, having received the highest help, we can reach the end. Without the help of a higher power, we cannot do anything good. So, having taken hold of our hope in Him, as if we were a sure and firm anchor (Heb. 6:19), let us hold on to it and not look at the labor of virtue, but think about the reward for the labor, and thus endure everything complacently. And the merchant, when he leaves the pier and goes out to the open sea, does not think only about sea robbers and shipwrecks, sea monsters and the pressure of the winds, about continuous storms and accidents, but also about the benefits that await after these dangers, and, feeding on hope, complacently endures all the troubles he encounters, only to get more money and return home with it. And the farmer also does not think only about the labor of cultivating the land, about heavy rains and the infertility of the land, about the attack of scorch, and about the devastation from locusts, but imagines in his mind both the threshing floor and the sheaves of grain, and therefore complacently endures everything, from the hope of profit without feeling the burden of labor; and although success is not known, nevertheless, he, consoled by pleasant hopes, does not despair of his labors, but does for his part everything that is necessary, in anticipation of receiving a reward for his labors. Again, a warrior, arming himself with his armor and preparing to go to war, does not think only about wounds, defeats, attacks by enemies and other disasters of war, but imagines both victory and trophies and thus puts on all the weapons; although the outcome of the war is unknown, he, however, having rejected all thought about it and picturing pleasant hopes for himself, puts aside all timidity, and, taking up arms, rushes against the enemy militia. If, beloved, the merchant, the farmer, and the warrior, despite the uncertainty of success, nor the high probability of failure, nor the many different obstacles, as you have heard, do not despair and do not give up work, consoled by hope, then we will be justified in the fact that we neglect virtue and do not willingly undertake any work for the sake of it, while our hope is undoubted, so many blessings have been promised to us, and the reward infinitely exceeds everything our works? Listen to blessed Paul, what he says after so many and grievous tribulations, attacks, bonds and daily deaths: “The passions of this present time are unworthy for the glory that would be revealed in us” (Rom. 8:18). Even if we, he says, gave ourselves up to death every day - which, however, nature does not accept, although the will that overcomes nature, by the goodness of the Lord, is honored - still, even then our suffering would not be equal to the benefits that await us, and the glory that will be revealed in us. Look how great the glory that those who do virtue receive: it is above all the feats that anyone performs; let him reach the very height, but even then he will be even lower than it. In fact, what can a person do that would fully deserve the generosity of the Lord? And if Paul, such a great and lofty man, said: “The passions of this present time are unworthy for the glory that desires to be revealed in us,” if so said the one who says about himself: “I die every day” (1 Cor. 15:31), and: “I have labored more than all” (1 Cor. 15:10), then what will we say, who do not want to undertake even a little labor for the sake of virtue, but are always looking for peace, just looking, How can we avoid any trouble, and yet we know that it is impossible to achieve the (eternal) peace there if we do not love the ascetic life here? Indeed, the sorrows here dispose us to please God; and small deeds performed here give us great boldness there, if only we decide to act on the advice of this teacher of the universe (Apostle Paul). Think, beloved: what happens to us here, although regrettable, is nevertheless short-lived; and the blessings awaiting us there are endless and eternal. “What is visible,” says (the apostle), “is temporary, but what is invisible is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18). Let us endure the temporary with complacency and not shy away from the deeds of virtue in order to enjoy the eternal and unchangeable blessings, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Zlat. κατακλυσμὸς τοῦ ὕδατος ἐγένετο according to Lucian. and Bodleian. sp. and contrary to Alex. sp., where ὕδατος is absent, and instead of ἐγένετο ῇν is read. Although here ἐγὼ at Zlat. is not readable, but this cannot be viewed as a feature of the biblical text used by Zlat., in view of the fact that above (Conversation 24, section 6) this pronoun is read with ἐπάγω. Zlat.: Οὐαί σοι, Χωραζείμ, φησὶν, οὐαί σοι, Βηθσαϊδᾶ, ὄτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν ὑμῖν, πάλαι ἄν ἐν σάκκῳ μετενόησαν. Διὸ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται γῇ Σοδόμων και Γομόῤῥας ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως ἣ ύμῖν. The words of the Savior are conveyed here by the saint not in literal fullness, but in abbreviation, combining together the strongest expressions of Divine judgment set forth in the indicated two chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. Zlat.: ἐπὶ ἔθνη καί ἐπὶ βασιλείας according to Alex. sp. and contrary to Vatik. sp., where, according to Hebrew. the text reads: επί ἔθνος καὶ βασιλείαν; The Slavic translation agrees with the latter: “in the tongue and the kingdom.” Chrysostom reads: τῶν μὴ καθαρῶν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐρπετῶν δύο δύο. ᾿Απὸ πάντων εἰσῆλθε ... This reading is most consistent with Luciana. sp., without however reproducing its text with literal accuracy, but abbreviating it; in Lucian. sp. after the words: πετεινῶν τῶν μὴ καθαρῶν reads: καὶ ἀπὸ κτηνῶν τῶν καθαρῶν καὶ ἀπὸ κτηνῶν τῶν μὴ καθαρῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐρπετῶν τῶν ἐρπόντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῇς. ἀπὸ πάντων εἰσῆλθε ... Zlat.: Κύριος, according to the Bodleian. sp. and contrary to Cottonian. sp. and ev. text, where ὁ Θεός – Elohim. Zlat.: ... Νῶε εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν according to the list of Dorotheus (Holmes. Vetus Testam.) and contrary to Lucian. and other Greek sp. and ev. text, where the word: “into the ark” is read at the end of v. 13. Further, Chrysostom obviously shortens the biblical text, omitting a detailed listing of the various types of animals that entered the ark. Zlat.: Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς according to Lucian. and Bodleian. sp. and contrary to Alex. and other sp., where instead - ὁ Θεὸς - God or Κύριος - Lord. Zlat.: Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς according to Alex. and Lucian. sp.; in euros i.e. here Jehovah is Κύριος. Zlat.: ὁ Θεὸς, which clearly does not agree with the just given reading of the Divine Name and is probably a typo or typo in Min’s text. Zlat.: καὶ` τῶν πετεινῶν, καὶ` τῶν θηρίων with the omission of τῶν κτηνῶν – “and cattle”, read in Hebrew. text and in Greek. lists, not excluding Lucian's; and here the saint obviously shortens the text. Zlat.: καὶ πᾶς ὅς ῆ᾿ν according to Lucian. and many other Greek. lists and contrary to other lists, closer to the corresponding Heb. text that reads: καὶ πᾶν ὃ ῆ᾿ν (Field. Origenis Hexapla); Last comes the Slavs. translation: “and that’s all.” You might be interested in: