VI.7. And just as (wise) pedagogues often, for the sake of teaching and strengthening morals, do not spare the children who are their masters, and bring them up with the rod, greatly favoring them and caring for them in the hope that they will become prudent and famous people in the world, so you, ascetic primates, punish the ill-mannered and infantile brethren, not with the passion of anger or arrogance, but with the mercy of Christ and for the sake of spiritual benefit, hoping that for those you are raising it will be useful in the Kingdom of Heaven. And it is in this mood that you have care for the infancy of the brethren, exhorting or rebuking, as it has been said, each for his own benefit; show concern only with zeal for God and with the mercy of Christ; punish without being carried away by evil passion or as if avenging yourself, so that, manifesting your perfect work, which you have taken upon yourselves for God's sake, you may be heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.

VI.8. For this is the only way in which the truly angelic life on earth proceeds, when the primates and subordinates are unanimously guided by such a way of thinking; when all the brethren submit to one another with great joy, considering each other masters and "in reverence warning one another" (Romans 12:10). The brethren must live in the news in simplicity and purity of heart, unanimity, peace, straightforwardness, and with all humility. Let no one, exalting himself before another, consider himself better or greater, even if he has succeeded, but, on the contrary, as a disciple of Christ, let him consider himself the worst of all men, since the Lord says: "He who exalts himself shall be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matt. 23:12; Lk. 14:11; 18:14). And again: "Whosoever will be first, let him be the last of all, and the servant of all" (Mk. 9:35; 10:43; Matt. 20:27), since "the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Mk. 10:45). And the Apostle says: "For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; but we are your servants for Jesus" (2 Corinthians 4:5).

VII.1. As those who wish to be imitators of Christ, we call you to peace with one another, submission and good service to one another. If possible, we must prepare ourselves to die for our neighbor, having as an example and example the Lord, Who cooperates with you in all good things, according to what is said: "To them that love God all things work together for good" (Rom. 8:28), so that through love, simplicity, unpretentiousness, and modesty, the "union of peace" in the one Body and Spirit of Christ may be preserved in the brotherhood (Eph. 4:3-4): when we are said to submit to one another in the fear and love of Christ.

VII.2. Therefore, everyone who wishes to take root in such morals, let him always and first of all strive in his heart, seeking it from God, to the unceasing possession of the sacred love and fear of God, which is the first and great commandment; By means of constant and unceasing remembrance of the Lord and heavenly desire, let each one daily, according to progress through the grace (of God), multiply and increase this love. For only through much diligence and labor, care and struggle can we acquire love for God, which by the grace and gift of Christ acquires visible forms in us. As it is said about Wisdom: "And if thou seekest it as silver, and hast tried it as treasures, then thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God" (Proverbs 2:4-5). For (having acquired Divine love) in this way, we can easily fulfill the second commandment – the commandment of love for one's neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40).

VII.3. For the former should be placed in the first place, and it should be cared for as the first; the second, which follows it, must be carried out in the appropriate sequence. If someone wanted to neglect the great and first commandment – the commandment of love for God, which is inherent in being formed from an inner good disposition and conscience in combination with sound thoughts about God and, of course, with the help of God's grace – and instead of it he would strive for the second commandment, only outwardly caring for service (to his neighbors), then it would be impossible for him to fulfill this (second commandment) intact and purely.

VII.4. For the vicious method (of interpretation), which seeks the meaning (of Scripture) apart from the remembrance of God, the love of God, and the seeking of God, amounts to that which makes (the fulfillment of) the divine commandments burdensome and burdensome; murmuring, sorrow, and reproach of service to the brethren are produced in their souls; or he by means of self-conceit and pride forces (a person) to become an apostate from the truth and consider himself worthy of all respect, great and having reached the heights in the fulfillment of the commandments.

VII.5. And when a man is proud of himself, (supposing) that he does good and keeps the commandments, then he sins, because he judges himself and does not accept Him who judges in truth. For only when, according to the words of (the Apostle) Paul, the Spirit of God "bears witness to our spirit" (Romans 8:16), then do we find ourselves truly worthy of Christ and children of God, and not when, filled with self-conceit, we justify ourselves. For, he says, "he is not worthy who praises himself, but whom the Lord praises" (2 Corinthians 10:18). If a person does not keep remembrance of God and finds himself outside the fear of God, then he necessarily seeks glory and hunts for the praise of those whom he serves. Such a person (shows himself) to be an unbeliever and is rebuked by the Lord: "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and do not seek the glory that is from the One God?" (John 5:44.) (Therefore the lover of glory) is like one who cleanses the outside of the cup and dish, while inwardly he is full of theft and all covetousness (Matt. 23:25). And if the mind itself and the disposition of the soul (of man) are always absorbed in contemplation of God and longing for Him, then by the remembrance of goodness and the love of God he constantly adorns his thoughts, and they become true, reverent, and pious.

VII.6. This is achieved by much struggle and labor of the mind, because the adversary (in every way) hinders the mind from (realizing) the good, (striving, naturally) not so that the mind, with the help of remembrance of the good, is lifted up by love to the mountain, but that, seduced by earthly desires, it devotes (all his) will to them. And the consequence of remembering God and God's love is always pure love for one's brother. In the same way, true simplicity, meekness, humility, purity, kindness, prayer, and all the subsequent holy commandments, which are fulfilled in their true fullness (only) by means of the one, only, and first commandment, the commandment of love for God.

VII.7. With much struggle, with labor, secret and invisible, we must constantly devote ourselves to the task of investigating thoughts, the feeble organs of our soul must always be exercised in distinguishing between good and evil, and they, weakened (by sin), must be constantly enlivened by the zeal of the mind, forcing them to hasten to God, so that they may become, according to the words of (the Apostle) Paul, one spirit with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17), always attaching our mind to Him.

VII.8. This secret struggle, (constant) meditation on the Lord, and labor night and day we must have for the fulfillment of the commandment; this should be done when we pray, and when we serve, and when we eat, and when we drink, and when we do anything, so that every good deed of virtue may be done by us for the glory of God, and not for the sake of our own glory. For every observance of the commandments is sanctified, which we realize in purity (of heart) through unceasing remembrance of the Lord, fear (of God), diligence and love for God, — (only) then do we find ourselves outside (the power of) the evil one, (who is in the habit of) defiling and staining with dirt the commandment (of God). In this way the whole command (of God) concerning the commandments will become easy and accessible to us, since the love of God facilitates the commandments, and the difficulty (of their fulfillment) is weakened by the keeping of this love. Therefore, through our love for God, (all the others) commandments will become easy, accessible, and simple.

VII.9. For, as has been said, all the zealous warfare of the adversary is aimed only at distracting the mind from the remembrance of God, from the fear of God and love for the Lord. Therefore he uses (all) earthly deceptions to lead (man) away from the true good to what only appears to him: For whatever good man has done, it is the evil one who wants to defile and stain it, seeking to mix with the commandment the seed of vanity, self-conceit, murmuring, or anything of the kind that was later sown, so that (any) good and good do not come from God and good diligence alone. As a result, everyone (the Christian) must possess much knowledge and discernment in order to be able to discern the tricks and tricks of the evil one, completely detached from evil.

VII. 10. And so that it does not seem that we say this only on our own behalf, let us present (testimonies) from the Holy Scriptures. For it is written that Abel offered sacrifice to God from his firstborn sheep and from their fat. And Cain brought a gift of the fruit of the land. But God did not look upon the gifts of Cain, but upon the gifts of Abolius; but he did not accept Cain's sacrifice (Gen. 4:3-5). From this we learn that if any good deed is done negligently, carelessly, and for the sake of something (vain), then it will not be pleasing to God; and if it is done according to the will of God, with diligence, sobriety, faith, and for the sake of God alone, then it will be pleasing to Him. For the patriarch Abraham also brought a tithe of his best booty to Melchizedek, the priest of God (the Most High), and thus received a blessing from Him (Heb. 7:1-6; Gen. 14:17-20).

VII.11. By these (utterances) the Spirit, revealing the most sublime spiritual meaning (of the Scriptures), hints that the best, fattest, and first of all combinations of our nature—the mind itself, the conscience itself, our right understanding, the very loving power of our soul, and (in general) the beginnings of our entire human nature—must always and above all be offered to God as a sacred sacrifice of the heart, as (a tithe) of the best spoils and firstfruits of right thoughts; and at the same time one must constantly devote oneself to the remembrance of God, contemplation of Him, and love for Him. (Only) in this way will we be able to grow daily and succeed in Divine love, and God's power of Christ will help us. The burden of the righteousness of the commandments will seem light to us, who fulfill them purely and irreproachably, if, with the help of the Lord Himself, He unites us with Him, through faith and love, striving for Him and a good desire for all His commandments.

VIII. 1. As for the outward side of asceticism and which of the good deeds is the best and first, then know, beloved (brethren), that all the virtues are connected with each other and depend on each other, strung one on top of the other, as if in some sacred and spiritual chain. For prayer (depends) on love, love on joy, joy on meekness, meekness on humility, humility on service, service on hope, hope on faith, faith on obedience, and obedience on simplicity.