But keep for yourself one rule, beloved, according to which you could please God and benefit yourself and your neighbor. If thou shalt mortify thyself and live alone, then listen to what the Lord says: "As ye will, let men do unto you, and ye do unto them likewise" (Luke 6:31). And if, because of mortification of the flesh, you always need the service of others; then beware of doing harm to your neighbor.

For this reason God also dwelt and was glorified in them, and some, seeing them themselves, others, hearing about them, glorified God.

And if a man does not cleanse himself from every evil deed, from impure thoughts, from evil desires, from anger, irritability, envy, pride, vanity, hatred, reproach, slander, idle talk, carelessness (and why should I now enumerate everything one by one?), in a word: from everything that is hateful to God, and if, turning away from them, he does not keep himself apart; then God will not dwell in him. Tell me; If anyone had thought of throwing you into the mud so that you would remain there forever, would you have endured it? And so, if you, worm, do not agree to endure this, then how can the undefiled, most pure, one, holy, and holy God who rests in the saints dwell in you, filled with such a stench?

Therefore, let us purify ourselves, beloved, so that God may dwell in us, and we may be vouchsafed His promises. Let us not insult His holy name, which is called upon us, let not the name of our God be blasphemed for our sake. Let us spare ourselves and understand that our name is one with the name of Christ. His name is Christ, and we are called Christians. The Spirit is God (John 4:24); let us also become spiritual. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, that freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). Let us try to acquire this freedom. Let us consider what kind of life He has vouchsafed us; let us understand that He has called us to His marriage; let us love ourselves as He has loved us; let us love Him, that He may glorify us; let us be attentive to ourselves, so that on the day of judgment we do not fall into double punishment; For we have forsaken the world, and think of the things of the world, and have despised the things of the world, and have taken care of the things of the flesh, and have fled after the things of the flesh.

I am afraid that this day will overtake us suddenly, and lest, being naked, poor and unprepared, we begin to reproach ourselves. For it was the same with those who lived in the days of Noah: yadahu, piyahu, marrying and trespassing, kupovahu, selling, until the flood came and destroyed all (Luke 17:27, 28). It was a wondrous thing, brethren: they saw wild beasts gathering together, elephants coming from India and Persia, lions and leopards crowding with sheep and goats and not hurting them, creeping things and birds, although no one was chasing them, flocking and settling around the ark - and this continued for a sufficient number of days; and Noah himself diligently equips the ark and cries out to them, "Repent." But they did not respect this, and in view of the extraordinary concourse of dumb and wild animals, they did not come to a state of contrition for their salvation. Wherefore let us fear, beloved, lest the same thing happen to us; for what is written has already been fulfilled, the foretold signs have come to an end; there is nothing left but to come to our enemy, the Antichrist; for all things must be fulfilled until the end of the Roman kingdom.

Therefore, whoever wants to be saved, let him try, and whoever wants to enter the kingdom, let him not be negligent; whoever wants to be delivered from the fire of hell, let him strive lawfully; Whoever does not want it to be thrown to a worm that never sleeps, sober up. Whoever wants to be exalted, let him humble himself; whoever desires to be comforted, let him weep. Whosoever enters the bridal chamber and rejoices, let him take the lamp that burns brightly, and the oil in the vessel. Whoever expects to be invited to this marriage, let him get himself a bright garment.

The city of the King is full of gladness and gladness, full of light and delight, and to those who dwell in it exudes pleasantness along with eternal life. And so, whoever wants to live in the same city with the king, hasten his march, for the day has bowed, and no one knows what will meet on the way. As a traveller, though he knows that the journey is long, lies down and sleeps until evening, and then when he wakes up, he sees that the day is already bowing, and as soon as the march begins, suddenly there is a cloud, hail, thunder, lightning, and trouble on every side, and he is not able to reach his lodging for the night, nor to return to his former place: so we also will endure the same thing if we neglect in the time of repentance, for we are strangers and strangers (Psalm 38:13). Let us try to enter our city and fatherland with wealth.

Spiritual merchants, brethren, we seek the pearl of great price, which is Christ our Saviour, praise and unstolen treasure: therefore with great diligence let us acquire this pearl. Blessed and thrice blessed is he who has tried to acquire it; but very poor is he who has neglected to acquire the Creator common to us, and from Him to be gained.

Do you not know, brethren, that we are the rod of the true vine, which is the Lord? See to it that none of us is barren. For the Father of Truth is the worker; but he cultivates this vineyard, and lovingly cares for those who bear fruit, that they may bring forth more fruit; but whoever does not produce fruit, he cuts them down and throws them out of the vineyard, so that they may be burned with fire. Therefore be attentive to yourselves, lest you be barren, cut down, and given over to the fire.

We are also the good seed sown by the Creator of heaven and earth, the Householder Christ. Now the time of harvest has come, and the sickles are in the hands of the reapers: they await only the wave of the Lord. Take heed, therefore, that no one be found to be tares, and be bound in sheaves, and burn with everlasting fire (Matt. 13:30).

Do you not understand, brethren, that we must cross the terrible sea? That is why perfect and wise merchants, having their goods ready in their hands, wait for the wind to blow in their favor, so that, having crossed the sea, they may reach the harbor of life. And I, who are careless and absent-minded like me, and do not keep in mind how to cross this sea, I am afraid that the wind will suddenly blow, and that we will not be unprepared; and having bound us, they will throw us into the ship, and there we will weep over the days of our slothfulness, seeing that others rejoice and rejoice, and we are in sorrow. for in that harbor everyone boasts of his own wealth and his purchase.

Do you not know, beloved, that the King of kings has called us to be married in His palace? Why then do we give ourselves over to negligence, and do not try to obtain for ourselves bright garments, and brightly burning lamps, and oil in our vessels? How can you not judge that no one enters there naked? And if anyone persists in entering without a wedding garment, you know what he will endure. By order of the King, they will bind his hands and feet and throw him into utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 22:13). I am afraid, beloved, that the passions of the flesh will cast us out of the bridal chamber of us, dressed only in our conscience.

Since the mouth is open, and has neither doors nor guards, our word comes out indifferent, and with the word the heart is plundered; the lips that do not observe the secrets of the heart steal its thoughts, and when it thinks that it is enclosed within, considering itself invisible, it is exposed by the lips to all to see. The pleasantness with which we slander others means that we are full of hatred. Therefore, let no one be deceived by outward reverence; thinking to convince with outward reverence, a person deceives both himself and his brother. In his address, the mendacity of his reverence is revealed. If you want to know the thoughts of the heart, pay attention to the mouth; From them you learn what the heart cares for and strives for, whether it is earthly or heavenly, spiritual or carnal, pleasure or abstinence, covetousness or non-acquisitiveness, humility or arrogance, love or hatred. From the treasures of the heart the mouth offers food to those who come, and what the tongue is occupied with shows that the heart loves Christ, or anything from the present age. And the invisible soul is made visible by bodily actions, whether it is good or evil, and although it is good by nature, it is transformed into evil by free will.

But perhaps someone will say that "passions are natural, and those who give themselves over to passions are not subject to blame." - Be attentive to yourself, so as not to accuse you of the beautiful creation of the good God; for He hath created all good things, and adorned nature with all good things. Therefore, if anyone hungers, he is not accused, if he eats in moderation, because he is hungry by nature. In the same way, if anyone thirsts, he is not blamed if he drinks in moderation, because thirst is natural. If anyone sleeps, he is not blamed, if he does not sleep excessively, and does not fall asleep because of effeminacy, so that nature is overcome by the habit of excessive sleep; for nature and habit serve as heralds of both sides: nature shows slavery, habit means volition, and man consists of both. Volition, being free, is like a farmer, instilling in our nature both bad and good habits, as it pleases. Bad habits are instilled in the following way: gluttony by hunger, drunkenness by thirst, effeminacy by sleep, evil thought by view, falsehood by truth. And in like manner he instills the good virtues in the following way: abstinence with food, patience with thirst, vigilance with sleep, truth with falsehood, and chastity with the view. Our will, as has been said, like a farmer, in the twinkling of an eye eradicates bad habits, and instills good, overcoming nature. Nature is the land that we cultivate; volition is the farmer, and the divine Scriptures are counselors and teachers, teaching our farmer what bad habits he should eradicate, and what good virtues he should inculcate.