And if we examine the meaning of the prophetic words from a different point of view, then we can discover something else, useful for our souls. "Woe," says the Prophet, "to those who rise up in the morning and persecute strong drink," that is, to those who, as soon as the darkness of ignorance is dispelled for them by the introduction of the knowledge of God, because the Sun of righteousness has risen, from the lawless and godless, as they were before, renamed pious and numbered with the Church of God, are overcome by carnal passions to such an extent that they come out of their minds and fall as darkened by drunkenness. And the prophetic word laments the fate of such people, that is, even after God's instruction of those who give themselves over to the intoxication of the passions. For He knows those who are drunk often and without wine, Who says: "Woe" to you, "drinking without wine" (cf. Isaiah 28:1). For just as wine, taken in beyond the need or beyond the strength of the drinker, usually darkens the mind, so the passion of lust, or sorrow, or anger, having taken possession of reason, makes those possessed by it devoid of reason. That is why pitiful and threefold pitiful are people who are not only immersed in ecstasy at the beginning of life, but "wait for the evening," that is, give themselves over to passions until the west of life. Just as in one respect "morning" is called that illumination which is produced in the hearts by the knowledge of God, so in another respect it is also that state when the mind comes to maturity and we begin a rational life. In both cases, the previous life is darkness and night, either because the mind has not yet been perfected and the soul is immersed in foolishness, or because the understanding is covered with deep darkness, because of alienation from God. Therefore, "woe to those who rise in the morning," that is, to people who have barely put aside the foolishness of youth, and instead of courageously overcoming the passions by the power of reason, they are overthrown by them and pursue the passions, as if they were some kind of ecstasy. For very miserable are those in whom such rapture does not cease at the beginning and end of life. There are many differences between those who are drunk: some immediately ceased to indulge in drunkenness with the onset of morning, others ceased to do so after some time, and still others prolonged their intoxication for a long time. Therefore it is beautiful, immediately after awakening, to seek a sober and hierarchical life, so that, without drinking either wine or strong drink, one may become worthy to enter the Holy World. For it is written: "And the Lord spake unto Aaron, saying, Thou shalt not drink wine or strong drink, thou and thy sons are with thee, when ye enter into the tabernacle of witness" (Lev. 10:8-9). But since it is difficult in human nature to succeed in infallibility, the second voyage is called to rise soon after morning from ecstasy.

For those who have become accustomed to wine and seek "where there are feasts," their thoughts are so occupied with these searches that they are unable to look upon "the works of the Lord" and to think about the works of "His hand." Their intoxication is increased by the harp and the singer, which is the invention of Jubal, who came from the family of Cain. For it is written: "And Lamech took to herself two wives: the name of the one is Hell, and the name of the second is Sella. And Jomil gave birth to Hell: this is the father of the cattle-feeders who dwell in the villages. And his brother's name was Jubal: this is the one who showed the singer and the harp" (Gen. 4:19-21). With such "harp" and "music" Laban was familiar, and with them he wanted to let Jacob go. "And if thou hadst told me, thou wouldst send thee away with gladness, and with music, and tympanums, and harps" (Gen. 31:27). But the Patriarch avoided this as an obstacle to look upon the works of the "Lord" and to think of "the works of His hand." And in Nebuchadnezzar, during the renewal of the image, at the sound of "the trumpet, the flute, and the harp, the samvika and the psaltery, and the concord, and every kind of music," "people, nations, and tongues" fell down on their faces (cf. Dan. 3:7). And those who had previously refused to drink the wine of Babylon and abhorred the enjoyment of the royal table, did not bow down, but despised all human power and extinguished the very power of fire. If, however, it is a sin not to look "upon the works of the Lord" and not to think of the works of "His hand," then let us lift up the eyes of our understanding, let us see the fundamental laws of the works of God, "comparatively from the majesty of the beauty of creatures" with the created "Creator" of creatures (cf. Wis. 13:5). And since the "invisible" nature of God "from the foundation of the world is thought by creatures" (cf. Rom. 1:20), and perhaps the sensual comprehension of creatures is called "vision," and the mental comprehension of the pre-worldly is called "thinking," which is why the Prophet says: "They do not look at the works of the Lord," that is, they do not consider sensible objects through sight, "and they do not think of His works," that is, they do not seek to comprehend the invisible through the activity of the mind.

And in order that we may understand the word "morning" more clearly, namely, that the return from darkness, which occurs in souls, either from the foolishness of youth or from ignorance of God, and the first entry into the truth is called morning, collect many passages from the Prophets where the words πρωια or ορφρος (morning) are used, and from a comparison of a greater number of passages it will be seen what has been said. For example: "I have sent in the morning" (ορφρω) "prophet" (cf. Jeremiah 25:4). And "in the morning" (πρωι) "hear my voice" and "in the morning" (πρωι) "I will stand before Thee, and see me" (cf. Psalm 5:4). And "from the night my spirit will matinate" (ορφριζει) "my spirit to Thee, O God" (cf. Isaiah 26:9). And "voutria" (εις τας πρωιας) "slew all the sinful earth" (cf. Psalm 100:8). And "evening shall be wept up, and in the morning" (εις το πρωι) "joy" (Psalm 29:6).

Why, then, are prophets sent "in the morning" in accordance with the other blessings of God manifested to men? For every word that comes from God reaches us, who are able to hear the will of God, touching not those who are still in childish foolishness, but those who already have natural concepts of distinguishing between good and evil. It is about them that the prophetic word says, that as soon as they bow down and as it were raise the eyes of the soul from their former ignorance to understanding, and receive a certain light with the eyes of the heart, the word of God immediately falls in them, determining what should be done and what is worthy.

The same meaning is in the psalm: "In the morning hear my voice, in the morning I will stand before Thee" (Psalm 5:4). As long as it is night around our souls and the sun has not risen, it is impossible for us to be heard from God. But when the soul, having been cleansed of ignorance of God, lifts up prayers, standing in the brightness of the rational and spiritual day, then it has a God who hears its voice. That is why the Prophet says: "In the morning I will stand before Thee, and behold me." For if you want to stand up for God, then do not rise up for any evil work, but fulfill what was commanded to Moses: "Stand in this place before Me" (cf. Exodus 33:21), stand firm, unshakable, immovable, rise to Him in faith, so that you may become worthy to see the spectacles of truth. "I will arise Thee," says the Prophet, "and see me." As long as a man considers the beauty revealed in visible things, he is called a naturalist or naturalist. And when, having stretched beyond this, God Himself arises, already knowing to what extent all things are exceedingly beautiful, and from the beauty which is visible in all this, having ascended to that which is truly beautiful and pleasing, which is usually visible only to pure souls, then, having penetrated into something higher in nature, and by others called supernatural (μεταφυσυκα), he can become a seer (εποπτικος). Wherefore He says: When I "arise Thee" and draw near with my mind to the contemplation of Thee, then, through the illumination of knowledge, I shall perceive the activity of secret vision. In accordance with this is what has been said: "The heavens shall reveal the glory of God" (Psalm 18:2), not because they emit a voice perceptible to our ears, but because he who has exercised himself in the laws of the world and has come to know the structure of all that is heavenly from it, as if it were uttering a voice, studies the greatness of the glory of the Creator. The Prophet also incites us to this, saying: "Look at the height of your eyes, and see who shews" (Slavic: create) "all this?" (Isaiah 40:26), for to reason exaltedly means to look upwards and through the visible to be raised to the thought of the Creator.

And "from the night to matins to God" means something similar to the following. When the night begins to pass, and the day draws nigh, and we, "as in the days," begin to walk "decently, putting aside dark works, goats and drunkenness, fornication and fornication" (cf. Rom. 13:12-13), then we can say: "From the night my spirit shall morning unto Thee, O God." And what it means to make morning in oneself, the Prophet gives to understand by the added words. He says: "The light of Thy command is not upon the earth." For light is the commandments by which the darkness of ignorance is dispelled, which is why "the commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes" (Psalm 18:9).

And what is said in the hundredth Psalm: "I have slain all the sinful earth" (Psalm 100:8), as anyone can see, is said mysteriously and covertly. This does not mean that at the beginning of each day I defiled my hands with human blood. This is not what the prophetic word says. This, in addition to being vile, would also be incredible. For how could he beat all the sinners on earth with his hand every morning? It would have been impossible to overcome all of them alone, because, as probably, there were many sinners. If I had overcome them in the war, then, of course, I would have beaten them all in one morning, and not every morning I would have beaten them. Wherefore what does it mean: "Thou hast slain all the sinful earth, that all they that work iniquity shall consume from the city of the Lord" (Psalm 100:8)? Let us listen to what is said with the best understanding, so as not to say anything contrary to the prophetic word, which is not permissible. The city of the Lord is the totality of the human constitution, and the "sinful earths" are none other than those of whom the Saviour says that "from within proceed from within the heart thoughts of evil, envy, murder, adultery, theft, false witness," and the like (cf. Matt. 15:19; Mk. 7:21). It is these sinners of the earth, who come from earthly flesh, that he who purifies himself destroys in his own composition at every thought of God. For this reason there is a "morning" in the soul at each ascent of the salvific teaching; and on this very morning all thoughts that produce iniquity must be destroyed. For if the first movements towards vice are not stopped in the soul, then thoughts will necessarily pass into action. For example, a thought that inspires adultery is a "sinner of the earth"; it induces "to look upon the woman to lust after her" (cf. Matt. 5:28). Therefore, if he is not killed in the soul by a sharp word that destroys the passions, as if with a sword, and this is not done "in the morning," that is, after he has been brought out, then, after adultery in the heart, he will lead a person to a greater degree of this sin, causing him to fall into sin with his body. I think that what is said in Jeremiah agrees with this: "Cursed is he who does the works of the Lord with negligence, and forbids his sword from blood" (cf. Jeremiah 48:10). Whoever wishes to escape the burden of this oath must not give rest to the spiritual sword "from the blood" of such sinners.

Likewise, what has been said now about the word "morning." Woe to him who, having risen from the darkness and night of ignorance, from the first age, as soon as reason shines in him, barely awakens from sleep, and is already "chasing away strong drink"! And those who are overcome by the passions, some remain in the rapture of passion, while others, having purified their minds, gaze upon the beauty of the visible and think about the persons (υποστασεις) and the essences of the mental world (των νοητων). For the visible, attentive examination is needed, therefore "looking," and the mental requires an inquiring mind, which is why it is said "thinking." However, first it is necessary to look at the works of the Lord, and only then to move on to thinking about them. Such was the one who said of himself: "For this is to give me the knowledge of things that are not false, to know the composition of the world and the action of the elements, the beginning and the end and the middle of times, the returns of changes and changes of times, the circles and stars of the arrangements, the nature of animals and the wrath of beasts, the strength and thoughts of men of the winds, the difference of the years and the power of the roots" (Wis. 7:17-20).

(13) "For my people were captive, because they did not know the Lord, and there were many dead for the sake of hunger and thirst for water."

Historically, this can be interpreted about the time of the last siege of the Jews, when some were taken into captivity, and others perished from hunger and thirst. The reason why they endured this is also obvious, namely, that they did not know the Lord who had come to them. Therefore, the exhortation contained in these words can be applied to us as well. I say this because those who "persecute" drunkenness, who drink wine while playing forbidden musical instruments, who occupy their eyes with indecent spectacles, and do not want to "behold the works of the Lord," as lovers of pleasure rather than God-loving, become captives and subordinates of the opposers. But they "had a multitude of the dead for the sake of famine" and for lack of water. For "dead" are "sins" (cf. Eph. 2:1) who do not eat the food befitting souls, and neither dead are those who are "brought up in the water of rest" (cf. Psalm 22:2), who do not even try to drink of the water of which the Lord says to the Samaritan woman: "Whoever drinks of the water which I will give him shall not thirst for ever" (John 4:14). For you hear: "there was a multitude of the dead" not only "famine", but also "thirst for water", because they drank the same water that the Samaritan woman also drank, for it is said: "He who drinks of this water shall thirst" (John 4:13), but they did not drink "water flowing into eternal life" (John 4:14). And this leads us to seek knowledge. For if through the ignorance of the Lord they become captives, then we should be zealous for the gift of knowledge.

But perhaps true deadness occurs in the souls of the inattentive not from the "famine" of bread and not from the "thirst" for this sensual water, but from the famine of "hearing the word of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). For "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). For this reason "the Lord shall not kill the souls of the righteous with hunger" (cf. Proverbs 10:3), and "the youngest shall not be old, and hath not seen the righteous, begging bread below his seed" (Psalm 36:25), and "the sons of marriage, until the bridegroom is with them, cannot fast" (cf. Mk. 2:19). And where there is hunger and thirst, there is deadness. Therefore, in order that we may not die of hunger, let us seek the most heavenly bread, and that we may not faint with thirst, let us seek that water of which the Lord said: "Drink of the water which I will give him, and he shall never thirst."

(14) "And enlarge your soul in hell and open your mouth until you cease, and the glory and the greatness and the riches and their destroyers will come down, and rejoice in it." (15) "And man will humble himself, and man will be dishonored, and the eyes of those who look high will be humbled."

Presenting to us the multitude of those who are perishing, the Prophet said that hell has enlarged its mouth. As it is said of animals that greedily grasp food because of great hunger and expand their mouths stretched out to food, so, says the Prophet, it is said of hell that he will enlarge his mouth. But perhaps this word shows that the abode of hell is a place in the interior of the earth, walled everywhere and not bright, and that in these dungeons there is an mouth, through which descend souls condemned to torment; and it, because of the multitude of those who are perishing, in order to receive all, has become enlarged. For hell is not an animal or a force, according to the fables of the pagans, placed over the dead. For this reason, those who, "because they do not know the Lord, have been taken captive" and are exhausted by hunger and thirst for spiritual food, descend into hell, together with the glorious, and the great, and the rich, and the destroyers. Three threats are proclaimed to sinners: captivity, deadness, and descent into hell. For "captivity" is called the fall from the previous life through the deception of the enemy, who has distracted us from the bliss of paradise, "deadness" is alienation from the life-giving commandment, and "descent into hell" is excommunication from God for the increase of sin and for disposition contrary to good. Just as the righteous have already been resurrected with Christ and placed "in heaven" (cf. Ephesians 1:20), so the unrighteous are already called captive, and dead, and descended into hell, because of mortal sins. But the Prophet enumerated various hosts of those who descend into hell: first, he named the "glorious," perhaps these are people who, enjoying a certain good reputation, have absolutely no testimony in life corresponding to their apparent appearance; then come the "greatnesses," who by some power and authority prevail over the many, and the "riches," who have unjustly acquired a great multitude of possessions, or have an insatiable desire for more; and finally, their "destroyers," who, like a pernicious disease that spreads through communication, corrupt those who approach them, and are justly called destroyers, either for unsuitable teaching or for encouragement to sin. "And rejoice," it is said, "in him." This, perhaps, is a Jew in the flesh, rejoicing over earthly Jerusalem and not raising his eyes to the blessedness that is prepared for the saints of God. Note, then, that "in it" is said according to common usage, as it is often the custom to ascribe to private houses the privileges of those who live in them. Such is the following saying: "His foundations are on the mountains of the saints" (Psalm 86:2). Therefore "rejoice in it" will descend into hell.

"And a man shall humble himself," says the Prophet, "and a man shall be dishonored." He must endure humiliation not so much by place as by will. For the righteous are exalted by heavenly wisdom, but the wicked are humbled by his sympathy with the things below. And an ordinary person who exalts himself only by the advantages common to his nature, and yet does not live in accordance with the abilities that were given to him in the first dispensation, such a person "humbles himself"; but whoever has already made some progress and is worthy to be called a man, but has weakened and given himself over to passions, he will be "dishonored." Therefore, "a man will humble himself," and "a man will be dishonored"; the former because he did not preserve what was common, and the latter because, having turned to the worst, he had lost even that good which he had acquired for himself by asceticism. A person humbles himself; "For the eyes of the Lord are exalted, but man is humble" (Isaiah 2:11); but a man will be dishonored, as he who despises God by transgressing the commandments, for he who despises Him will be dishonored, as we hear those who say to the Lord in the First Book of Kings: "Those who glorify Me will be glorified, and those who despise Me will be dishonored" (1 Samuel 2:30). Therefore the husband will be dishonored by his own sin, because sin causes dishonor. For it is said: "These shall arise into eternal life, but they shall be reproach and everlasting shame" (Dan. 12:2). Honor is the reward of distinction, and distinction is the reward of virtue; and honor and distinction are given to the saints, and the contrary to the wicked, because God vouchsafes honor to the worthy, since He Himself is truly honorable and willingly gives honor. Therefore the dishonored cannot give honor. And everyone is dishonored by the shameful passions open to all creation.