And your father, having some idea of this, honored, as he supposed, these vessels, removing them from human use and dedicating them to his imaginary gods. And you, not thinking of the honor given by your father, fell into the abyss of arrogance and mocked the sacred chalices. For this reason their Lord, not taking care of inanimate things, but caring for people, informs them what the end of arrogance is, and by your punishment He gives many people a lesson in good manners. Thus said Daniel, and Belshazzar was put to death the same night.

This is how the Creator of all things always provided for all people, not only those descended from Abraham, but also for all the descendants of Adam, and through one people He brought all nations to the knowledge of God. And through him he offered teaching to all men, not only when he was pious, but also when he bore the punishment for his iniquities. And it was this Nebuchadnezzar, the arrogant torturer, who raised up a golden idol, commanding that all should worship him, and saying, "I will set my throne above the stars of heaven..." I will ascend above the cloud, I will be like the Most High (Isaiah 14:13-14), I will embrace the whole world with my hand as a nest, and I will take up the eggs that are left behind (10:14), not through all angels God taught chastity, but through those who were taken captive by Him. For when he saw that the three youths, not having fulfilled the royal law, had neglected this terrible furnace as a toy, walking on coals as on roses, and those who were devoted to such a flame sang to God, how he marveled at the miracle, how he marveled before the Creator of the miracle, commanded everyone to worship the God of the youths, called Him the Highest, called God and King of all.

In the same way, this Assyrian, who had raged against God and uttered these foolish words: "The Lord God will not save you from my hand, and where are the gods of the nations?" - he brought to the knowledge of his own powerlessness, forced one to flee, and those many thousands of whom he boasted of, in a short moment he put to death through a single angel.

Thus he sent Jonah to the Ninevites as a preacher of repentance; and he who does not wish to fulfill the commandment, but unwisely intends to flee, he binds with waves, and, as in a prison, delivers into the belly of a whale; and the foolish fish leads the prudent man to where he is commanded to preach.

When the time has come for the great mystery of the economy to be accomplished, and for the preaching to be scattered throughout the whole universe after the Divine incarnation, then this people, chosen at first from among all the nations by a special benevolence, also scatters throughout the whole universe, so that all, possessed by the charm of polytheism, may learn to hear that God is One. Creator of heaven and earth, and through this the preaching of the divine Apostles also became more convenient.

But perhaps another will say that the Jews not only did not contribute to the teaching about Christ, but even extremely opposed and served as an obstacle for the pagans who wanted to believe. On the contrary, if anyone wishes to investigate this exactly, he will find that the very opposition of the Jews contributed to the faith of the Gentiles, because the conversation with the Jews and the proofs adduced from the Law and the Prophets, both served as a clear rebuke of the foolishness of the Jews, so showed the Gentiles that the Christian way of life had been preached from ancient times. And the testimony borrowed from the enemies made the doctrine preached reliable.

And those who heard, seeing that the Jews themselves recognized these pronouncements as Divine, and also seeing the good deeds performed in the name of Christ, and accepting these signs as a pledge of the teaching taught, easily accepted the preaching, believed in the preached God, and abhorred the perverse Jewish interpretations. Therefore, the disobedience of the Jews not only did not serve as an obstacle to the Divine preaching, but by the very fact that they undertook to oppose, it gave credibility to the teaching, because the contradiction compelled the testimony to be put on the Lord's wednesday, and these testimonies exposed falsehood and revealed the light of truth.

For this reason God of all ages continued the economy of the salvation of mankind and applied care for this, befitting each time. Teaching this, Blessed Paul said: "As soon as there is a young heir, there is no better servant, the Lord of all: but there are rulers and stewards even unto the father's innocence." In the same way, when we were young, we were enslaved under the verses of the world: and when the end of the year came, God sent His Only-begotten Son, born of a woman, being under the law, that He might redeem those under the law, that we might receive sonship (Galatians 4:1-5). And that God began this dispensation, not according to His new discretion, but so He decreed from the beginning, let the same witness teach us, who in the Epistle to the Corinthians writes: "Wisdom is spoken in the perfect, but wisdom is not of this world, nor of the princes of this world, but by the word of the wisdom of God in secret, which God hath ordained before the world for our glory, For if they understood the Lord of glory, they did not crucify the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:6-8). For it was not out of envy of the well-being of people that they gave them the opportunity to acquire this highest blessedness, but not knowing the purpose of this mystery, they rose up against the Saviour of our souls and unwittingly became for us the providers of the highest blessings. Therefore, although the mystery was hidden, it was predestined before the ages.

And therefore, having learned this, having inquired into the entire extending Providence of God, seeing the immeasurable love for mankind, seeing the immeasurable mercy, cease to rage against the Creator, learn to sing hymns to the Benefactor, and repay the great blessings with a word of gratitude. Devour Him the sacrifice of praise (Psalm 106:22), do not defile the tongue with blasphemy, make it an instrument of singing, as it is made for this. Worship those of God's visions that are visible, and do not be curious about those that are hidden, but await the inquiry that will take place in due time. When we put off the passions, then we will acquire perfect knowledge. Do not imitate Adam, who dared to eat of the forbidden fruits, do not touch the hidden, but leave the knowledge of these things to the proper time. Listen to the Most Wise One, who says: "Thou shalt not say what is this; what is this for; for all things were created for their needs (Sir. 39:27). Therefore, gathering from everywhere the occasions for hymns and dissolving them into one hymn, lift it up with us to the Creator, and the Grace-giver, and the Savior Christ, our True God. To Him be glory and worship and majesty unto the endless ages of ages! Amen.

Слово. О Божественной и святой любви

Каковы подвижники добродетели, сколько заслужили венцов и как они блистательны, сие ясно видно из написанных нами о них повествований [1]. Ибо если в сих повествованиях и не все исчислены подвиги их, то и немногого достаточно, чтобы показать отличительную черту целой их жизни, потому что и оселок, не тратя всего подносимого к нему золота, но несколько будучи потерт об оное, показывает его добротность или малодобротность.

Так же и стрелка по немногим пущенным им стрелам с точностию узнает иной, хорошо ли будет он попадать в цель или станет стрелять мимо по неопытности в искусстве.

Так же можно распознавать (не буду говорить о каждом порознь) и других искусников: скороходов, представителей трагедий, кормчих, кораблестроителей, врачей, земледельцев и вообще всякого другого, каким кто занимается искусством. Достаточно малого испытания, чтобы показать знающих искусство и обличить невежество носящих на себе только имя знающего. Поэтому, как сказал я, если описано и немногое из того, в чем преуспел каждый, и сего достаточно к изучению всего образа жизни.

В настоящем же слове надлежит нам исследовать, разыскать и в точности дознать, по каким побуждениям подвижники предпочитали этот образ жизни и какими водясь помыслами, достигали самого верха любомудрия.