Let us make a request to our mind, this main instrument for the acquisition of knowledge, so that it should give a significant definition to itself: what is it? Soul strength? But this expresses only the concept that has appeared in us from the impressions produced by the actions of the mind—it does not define the essence of the mind. We must say exactly the same about the human spirit, that is, about those sublime feelings of the heart which animals lack, about the feelings by which the heart of man differs from the heart of animals, and which constitute an elegant excess of feelings in the human heart before the hearts of animals. Spirit is the power of the soul. In what way are the powers of the soul united with the soul itself? The image of union is incomprehensible, since the image of the union of the body with its senses, sight, hearing, and other diverse sense of touch is incomprehensible. The feelings of the body leave the body at the time when it leaves its life, are carried away from it by the departing soul. This means that the bodily senses belong to the soul proper, and when it is in the body, they become, as it were, the senses of the body. From this follows the necessary natural consequence: the ability of the soul to feel the same as the body feels; The affinity of the soul with the body is not the perfect opposite which some have rashly ascribed to the soul and created spirits, and which is hitherto ascribed to them by ignorance. There is gradualness between creatures and a difference arising from gradualness, as well as between numbers. The difference can be very significant; but it does not destroy either affinity or gradualness. In this gradualness, the one is coarser towards us, the other more subtle; But everything created, limited, existing in space and time, cannot be alien to matter, that inseparable part of all that is limited. God alone is immaterial: He is distinguished by a decisive difference from all creatures; It is opposite to them in essence and properties, just as the infinite is opposite to numbers, all without exception. This is what we know about our soul, about our mind, about our heart! What do we know? Something, the most limited something.

Who knows all this with all satisfaction? There is only one God! He, by virtue of the nature of the infinite, has a perfect concept of everything, devoid of any defect, and He proved this concept by a perfect proof: the creation out of nothing of innumerable worlds, visible to us and invisible, known and unknown. It is characteristic of the infinite to animate the non-existent into existence, which no number, no matter how great they may be, can create. The proof of the infinity of the Mind which governs the universe continues to be magnificently expressed in the existence of all that exists. The smallest number of laws of creativity and existence, and even then to some extent, is comprehended by people. They also comprehended the fact that the whole of nature is embraced by the Legislation that surpasses human comprehension. If the mind is needed to comprehend a particle of laws, so much the more necessary is He to compose them.

Person! "Pay attention to yourself", consider yourself! From a clear understanding of yourself, as far as possible, you will look more clearly and correctly at everything that is subject to your gaze outside of you. In what way, on what occasion did I come into existence and appear in the field of earthly life? I appeared in this field involuntarily and unconsciously; I do not know the reason for the entry into existence from non-existence. I ponder, search for the cause, and cannot but confess that I must of necessity recognize it in the definition of the unlimited, unknown, incomprehensible Will, to which I am unconditionally subject. I came with the faculties of soul and body, as with appurtenances: they were given to me, not chosen by me. I appeared with various infirmities, as if already sealed with execution; He was a sufferer and doomed to suffering. I found myself in circumstances and surroundings, which I found, or which were prepared for me, I do not know. On the path of earthly pilgrimage I can very rarely act according to my will, fulfill my desire: almost always I am forcibly drawn by some invisible, omnipotent Hand, some Stream, to which I cannot offer any resistance. Almost constantly I encounter one unexpected and unforeseen thing. I depart from earthly life most suddenly, without any consent of mine to this, without any attention to my earthly needs, to the needs of those around me, for whom, in my judgment and theirs, I am necessary. I'm leaving the land forever, not knowing where I'm going! I leave in terrible loneliness! In an unknown land, into which I am entering by death, I will be met by one new, one that has never been seen before. In order to enter an unknown land, I must leave all earthly things on earth, I must throw off my very body. From there, from an unknown country, I cannot send any news about myself to earth, because there is no way for anyone clothed in a shell of earthly, coarse matter to hear the news from there. My life in this visible world is an uninterrupted struggle with death; Such is it from my cradle to my grave. I can die daily and hourly, but I do not know the day and hour of death. I know that I will die; There is not and cannot be the slightest doubt about this, but I live as if I were immortal, because I feel myself immortal. The presentiment of death has been taken away from me, and I would not have believed that it is possible for a person to die if I had not seen in all people that death is the inevitable fate of every person. The Gospel correctly depicts the weakness of our power over us. "No matter how much effort you make," says the Gospel to man, "you cannot add one cubit to your age [192] and make your white hair black" [193].

"Why is it done this way? It must be confessed that much of what has been said here has been said with palpable justice. The suffering state of mankind on earth, the condition before the eyes of all, must have its cause. But how can the offspring be guilty of the sin of the forefather, who is distant from the offspring and is already alien to the offspring? Posterity is punished: this is obvious. Why is it, the innocent, punished? Why does it carry a terrible eternal punishment? The execution passes from generation to generation, falls ponderously on each generation, wipes out each generation from the face of the earth, having previously subjected each generation to innumerable torments. Each generation appears on the face of the earth unconsciously, involuntarily, forcibly. Every man enters earthly life without the ability to act voluntarily with faculties, which in an infant must be likened to seeds rather than to plants. What participation of posterity in the sin of the forefather, participation worthy of such punishments, when there was and is no very possibility for posterity to take part in sin, either by subtle heartfelt agreement, or by the slightest deviation of the mind? Where is God's justice here? Where is goodness? I see one thing that is contrary to them." Thus cries out the weak man, blinded by his sinful, material life. Thus he cries out and calls before him to interrogate the fate of God.

Thus cries out the ignorance of God! Thus cries out human pride! so cries out man's ignorance of himself! so cries out a false conception of himself and of his whole situation! so they cry out, and no one hearkens to the cry.

A reckless undertaking sinks, as in a dark abyss, in its recklessness, tormenting the victims who have given themselves up rashly, carried away by this undertaking, tormenting them with fruitless torments in insoluble chains. Events take their course, there is no change in the economy of the universe, the destinies of God remain immutable. The insignificance and self-deception of people is proved to them positively and irrefutably by harsh experience.

The most precise mathematical consideration explains to man with all certainty the infinite difference between him and God, both in essence and in properties, although the same words are used to depict both because of the poverty of human language. The infinite is governed by quite different laws than anything that can be represented by numbers according to the method of positive science, on which all other sciences are based, just as the whole constitution of man is based on bones. From this axiom follows another axiom: the actions of the infinite are naturally inaccessible to the comprehension of all rational creatures that are depicted by number. A number, no matter how much it increases, remains a number, and differs from the infinite by an infinite difference, by which all numbers differ equally from the infinite. The striving to comprehend what is incomprehensible is nothing but the consequence of false knowledge composed of false concepts. This striving cannot but act in accordance with its origin: it must lead to the most disastrous consequences by the nature of all actions proceeding from falsehood. Where did this aspiration come from? Obviously: from a proud, erroneous opinion of oneself, which leads a person to give himself a meaning other than that given to him in the boundless universe.

I'm looking at myself! And here is the spectacle that was depicted before me when I examined myself! This is how I am described indisputably, described with true features, with living colors, described by the very experiences, the very events from my life! What conclusion should I draw about myself from this painting? The conclusion that I am by no means an original and independent being, that I am deprived of the most basic, most vital knowledge of myself. There is a need, a necessity, that someone should explain me more satisfactorily, that he should announce to me my purpose, that he should show me the right activity, and thus protect me from activity without meaning and without purpose.

This urgent need, this necessity, was recognized by God Himself. He recognized it and gave people the Revealed Teaching, which leads us to knowledge that is inaccessible to our own comprehension. In the divinely revealed teaching, God revealed Himself to man, to what extent the unlimited and inexplicable God can be explained and revealed to limited man. In the divinely revealed teaching, God revealed to man the meaning and purpose of man, his relationship to God and to the worlds, visible and invisible. God revealed to man the knowledge of man, as far as this knowledge is accessible to the mind of man. The complete and perfect knowledge of man, like that of every other creature, is possessed by one who is capable of full and perfect knowledge of all things, the all-perfect God.

Божественное откровенное учение, будучи сличено с познаниями, доставляемыми человеку точным рассматриванием себя, подтверждается этими познаниями и подтверждает их. Познания, подтверждаясь одни другими, предстоят пред человечеством в ярком свете неопровержимой истины.

Божественное откровенное учение возвещает мне, опыты жизни доказывают мне, что я - создание Божие. Я - создание Бога моего! я - раб Бога моего, раб, вполне подчиненный власти Бога, объемлемый, содержимый властию Его, властию неограниченною, самодержавною в точном смысле слова. Власть не совещается ни с кем, власть не дает о предположениях и действиях своих никому никакого отчета: никто, ни из человеков, ни из Ангелов не способен ни дать совета, ни выслушать, ни понять отчета. Искони бе к Богу Слово Его [194].

Я раб Бога моего, несмотря на то, что мне даны свободная воля и разум для управления волей. Воля моя свободна почти только в одном избрании добра и зла; в прочих отношениях она ограждена отвсюду. Могу пожелать! но пожелание мое, встречаясь с противоположною волею других человеков, с противоположным направлением непреодолимых обстоятельств, остается, по большей части, неисполнимым. Могу пожелать многого, но собственная немощь моя соделывает бесплодным многое множество пожеланий моих. Когда пожелание останется неисполненным, особенно когда пожелание представляется и благоразумным, и полезным, и нужным, - тогда сердце поражается печалию. Соответственно значению пожелания печаль может усиливаться, нередко переходить в уныние и даже отчаяние. Что успокаивает в лютые времена душевного бедствия, когда всякая помощь человеческая или бессильна или невозможна? Успокаивает одно сознание себя рабом и созданием Божиим; одно это сознание имеет такую силу. Едва скажет человек молитвенно Богу от всего сердца своего: да совершается надо мною, Господь мой, воля Твоя, - как и утихает волнение сердечное. От слов этих, произнесенных искренне, самые тяжкие скорби лишаются преобладания над человеком.

Что значит это? Это значит, что человек, исповедав себя рабом и созданием Божиим, предавшись всецело воле Божией, немедленно вступает всем существом своим в область святой Истины. Истина доставляет правильное настроение духу, жизни. Взошедший в область Истины, подчинившийся Истине, получает нравственную и духовную свободу, получает нравственное и духовное счастие. Эта свобода и это счастие не зависят от человеков и обстоятельств.

Аще вы пребудете во словеси Моем, сказал Спаситель иудеям, воистинну ученицы Мои будете и уразумеете Истину, и Истина свободит вы. Всяк творяй грех раб есть греха. Аще убо Сын Божий, Который есть Само-истина, высвободит, воистинну свободни будете [195]. Служение греху, лжи, суете есть в полном смысле рабство, хотя бы оно представлялось по наружности блестящей свободой. Рабство это - рабство вечное. Только тот совершенно и истинно свободен, кто - истинный раб Бога своего.