Alas! What should we feel when we appear naked and open, expecting to be led into the terrible judgment seat?! Alas, alas! Where will the frivolity be then? Where is the courage of the flesh? Where is the deceitful and useless beauty? Where is the human sweetness? Where is the relentless and shameless audacity? Where are the elegant clothes? Where is the sweetness of sin, which is truly impure? Where then will there be those who impute pleasure and pus to husbands? Where is the negligence of those who live negligently? Where are the fun and luxury? "Everything was gone, everything dissipated like thin air. Where then will be the love of money and covetousness, and the consequence of them is lack of mercy? Where then will there be inhuman pride, abhorring everyone and only recognizing itself as something significant? Where then will be the empty and vain human successes and glory? Where is the power and autocracy then? Where is the prince, where is the leader, where are the rulers, where are those who boast of the abundance of riches and do not think about God? Then, seeing this, he was surprised... and I received trembling: there are sicknesses, as they give birth; is broken by a stormy spirit (Psalm 47:6-8). Where then is the wisdom of the wise? Where are their vain tricks? Alas, alas! they were troubled, they were astounded, like a pian, and all their wisdom was swallowed up (Psalm 106:27). Where then is the wise; where is the scribe; where is the questioner of this vain world (1 Cor. 1:20)? All wisdom is lost, my brother. Think about how we must feel when we give an account of what we have done, great or small, because even for an idle word we will give an answer to the Righteous Judge!

What should we feel then, into what ineffable joy we will come, when the King mercifully says to those who stand at His right hand: "Come to the blessing of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matt. 25:34)! Then, my brother, you will receive the Kingdom of splendor, and the crown of goodness from the hand of the Lord (Wis. 5:16), and then you will reign together with the Lord. Then you will inherit the blessings that God has prepared for those who love Him, then, finally, you will no longer be careless, and nothing will cause you to fear. Consider, my brother, what it means, according to what we have said, to reign in heaven, for thou shalt receive... crown... from the hand of the Lord, and thou shalt reign with Christ. Consider, my brother, what it means to always see the face of God, what it means to have God as a light for you, for then the sun will not be for you in the light of the day, as Isaiah says, below the rising of the moon will shine on your night; but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and God thy glory (Isaiah 60:19-20). Behold, my brother, thou hast heard what joy awaits those who fear the Lord and keep His commandments.

Consider then also the destruction of sinners, when they are brought into the dreadful judgment seat. What shame will they feel in the face of the Righteous Judge, without a word of justification? With what regret will they see themselves set up as the King? What darkness will fall upon them, when the King shall cry out to them with wrath, and with His wrath shall bring them into confusion, saying, "Go ye into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his enemy" (Matt. 25:41)? Alas, alas! In what sorrow and distress will their spirit be, when all will loudly say: "Let sinners return to hell, all tongues that forget God" (Psalm 9:18)! Alas, with what a pitiful cry they will torment themselves and shed tears, when they lead them to bitter torments for endless ages! Oh, what a place this is, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, this so-called Tartarus, which Satan himself is terrified of! Oh, what a hell of unquenchable fire this is, what a sleepless, poisonous worm it is! Oh, what a terrible, eternal, ever-continuing pitch darkness it is! Oh, what unmerciful, merciless angels these are, assigned to torture, because they reproach and punish severely! Then the tormented will cry out to the Lord, and He will not hear them! Then they will know into what vanity everything that happened in life has turned, and how the very thing that was considered pleasant here turned out to be bitter than gall and poison. Where, then, is the falsely named pleasure of sin? For there is no other pleasure than to fear the Lord. Only this pleasure is genuine; it really fills the soul from fat and color (Psalm 62:6). Then they will condemn themselves and their deeds that they have done. Then they confess that the Judgment of God is righteous. "We heard this," they will say, "and we did not want to turn from our evil deeds." But, in saying this, they will not gain any benefit for themselves!

Alas, to me, burdened with unparalleled sins! The number of my sins is greater than the number of the sand of the sea, and I am weary of them as of many iron bands, for I have no boldness to look up to the heights of heaven! To whom shall I turn besides Thee, O Lover of mankind? Have mercy on me, O God, according to the commands of Thy mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy mercies cleanse my iniquity (Psalm 50:1). To Thee I have recourse, to Thy great goodness and to Thy kindness. I have angered Thee, and I run to Thee because of Thy great malice. I have despised Thee, and I turn to Thee because of Thy great love for mankind, and beseeching Thee, I cry out: Turn away Thy face from my sins, and cleanse all my iniquities. Build up a pure heart in me, O God, and renew the spirit of righteousness in my womb for the sake of Thy one name (Psalm 50:11-12). I have nothing that I can bring to Thee, neither a good deed nor a pure heart, but, trusting in Thy mercies, I cast myself down, that Thou mayest bring me into contrition and constant obedience to Thy commandments, and that I should not fall into sin again with such ease, but henceforth serve Thee in reverence and righteousness all the days of my life.

Therefore, I beseech you, brethren, who hope for this, to seek undefilement, and to find him blameless in the world (2 Pet. 3:14). When, brother, an evil thought enters into you, draw your sword, that is, bring the fear of God to your thoughts, and you will cut off all the power of the enemy. And instead of a military trumpet, use God's Scriptures. As the trumpet with its sound gathers the soldiers, so the Scriptures of God, calling upon us, bring our thoughts to the fear of God; our thoughts, like warriors, fight with the enemies of the King. One more thing. Just as the trumpet with its sound during battle and in young wrestlers arouses the readiness to go against opponents, so the Divine Scripture arouses your zeal for good and strengthens you for the struggle with the passions.

Therefore, my brother, to the best of your ability, compel yourself to read the Scriptures as often as possible, so that it may gather your thoughts, which the enemy scatters by his evil tricks, putting evil thoughts into you, or inflicts frequent sorrows on you, or brings you many successes and worldly comforts, — doing all this out of your own wickedness, with the intention of removing man from God. Often, if he has not been able to bring someone to evil and bring him down with thoughts, then he brings sorrow upon that person in order to darken his mind, and then to be able to sow anything in him. (The enemy) begins to inspire and repeat (in his soul) with oaths the following thoughts: "Since I began to strive for good, I have seen evil days; but I will do evil, that good may come." Then, if someone does not turn out to be sober, the enemy, like hell, will swallow him up alive.

And if he is not able to bring him to evil, then he gives him all the comforts of life, exalts him and leads him into great deception, which is more dangerous and worse than all passions, for it makes a person proud and insane, draws the mind into the abyss of voluptuousness, makes a man open his blasphemous mouth to heaven, for it is written: "Set his mouth in heaven" (Psalm 72:9); makes it so that a person does not know God, does not know his weakness and does not think about the day of death. Such deception serves as the path to all evil. Whoever loves to walk in this way will come to the mysteries of death. This is the path of which the Lord said: "A broad and broad way leadeth unto destruction" (Matt. 7:13). Behold, thou hast heard, my brother, why the enemy sometimes brings comforts of life, and sometimes brings sorrow. To those who are inclined to find out in a person his disposition, he takes up arms against it, in order to oppose him with his own iniquities.

Therefore, my brother, be sober with all caution and try always to study your reading diligently, so that it may teach you how to avoid the snares of the enemy and attain eternal life. The reading of the Divine Scriptures brings the wandering mind into concentration and gives knowledge of God, for it is written: "Be abolished, and understand that I am God" (Psalm 45:11). You hear, my brother, that he who exercises himself in the reading of the Divine Scriptures with a pure heart acquires the knowledge of God. Therefore, brother, do not be negligent about your soul, but exercise yourself in reading and prayer, so that your mind may be enlightened, that you may become perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:4). Others boast of conversing with nobles, princes, and kings, but you boasted before the angels of God that in the Holy Scriptures you converse with the Holy Spirit, for through them the Holy Spirit speaks.

Therefore, try to read the Divine Scriptures and constantly remain in prayer. For whenever you converse with God by means of them, your body and soul are sanctified. Knowing this, try to practice the Scriptures more often. If your hands are not idle, pray with your mind. Blessed Anna, the mother of the Prophet Samuel, prayed in this way, and only with her lips did she pray (1 Samuel 1:13). But her prayer entered into the ears of the Lord of hosts, and her petition was given to her (1 Samuel 1:27). Therefore, my brother, although your hands are not idle, pray with your mind. But if you do not know how to read, do not depart from the place where you can listen and profit, for it is written: "If you see a man of understanding, make morning to him, and let your foot rub the degrees of his doors" (Sir. 6:36). So it is useful, my brother, not only for those who do not know how to read, but also for those who can, because many read, but do not know what they are reading.

And so, monk, see to it that you do not despise your gift, given to you by the gift of Christ. But take care and seek how you can please God, so that you may be vouchsafed the blessedness of the saints. For it is written: "Blessed are they that test His witnesses, they shall seek Him with all their heart" (Psalm 118:2). See to it that when you want to read, the enemy does not interrupt you, bringing despondency upon you and throwing you into distraction, and saying: "Do such and such a deed first, since it is not great, and then you will read with a calm spirit." When the enemy inspires this and gives zeal to needlework, it means that he leads to these thoughts in order to distract you from reading. But when he sees that his brother reads diligently and derives benefit from it, he attacks him, trying to hinder him with other pretexts. Therefore, do not believe him, but be like a deer thirsting and desiring to come to the springs of water, that is, to the Divine Scriptures, in order to drink from them and quench your thirst, which burns you with passions.

But drink of them, I will say so, and profit, so that when the Lord grants you to read and learn which word from the Scriptures, it will not pass by, but you will learn with your mind, engrave it in your heart, and keep it indelibly in your memory. It is written: In those who are justified I will learn (Psalm 118:16). And it is also said: "In my heart hide Thy words, that I may not sin against Thee" (Psalm 118:11). And again: In what way will he correct his youthful path? Wherefore thou shalt keep Thy words (Psalm 118:9). Do you see, brother, how by remembering His words a man straightens his way?

Who remembers the Word of God and does not correct himself? "Is he an unskilful and pitiful man? But she doesn't remember anything at all. On the contrary, he also forgets that he imagines himself to be remembering. To such a person God says: "Wherefore shalt thou tell My justifications, and receive My covenant with thy mouth" (Psalm 49:16)? Therefore he commands to take away from him also what he thinks he has for himself. Such a one thinks of himself that he has faith, because he calls himself a Christian, but by his works he denies it, and he is worse than an unbeliever. Therefore God commands to take away from him the Holy Spirit, Whom he received on the day of redemption and, as he thinks, has in himself. And such a person becomes like a clay vessel with wine, which cracked and through it lost the wine. Anyone who sees it and does not know what has happened thinks that it is complete; but when it comes to it, it will be evident to all that it was empty. In the same way, this man, according to the examination, will be empty on the day of judgment. And then it will be obvious to everyone what he is. Such people will say to the King on that day: Lord, is it not in Thy name that I prophesied... and in Thy name I have created many powers (Matt. 7:22). And the King shall answer and say unto them, Amen, I say unto you, I have no knowledge of you.

Do you see, brother, that such a man has nothing at all? Therefore, remember the words that you hear, and correct your path. See that you do not allow the birds of the air to fly and eat the seed of the Son of God. For He Himself said, "The seed is the Word of God, which ye have heard" (Luke 8:11). Hide the seed in the bowels of the earth, that is, the Word within your heart, that you may bear fruit to the Lord in fear. When you are reading, read with diligence and diligently, with great attention, dwell on each verse, and do not only try to turn the pages, but, if necessary, do not be lazy and read the verse twice, and three times, and several times, in order to understand its power.

And when you sit down to read or listen to the reader, pray first to God, saying: "Lord Jesus Christ! Open the ears and eyes of my heart, that I may hear Thy words, and understand them, and do Thy will: for I am a stranger on earth, hide not Thy commandments from me, but open my eyes, and I will understand the wonders of Thy law (Psalm 118:19, 18). In Thee I trust, O my God, that Thou mayest enlighten my heart."