i) You must be aware of your weakness.

How great a good thing is gathered in one who has attained the knowledge of his weakness — that the ninth is in number — this you will understand if you delve into the sixth psalm of the divine David, in which it says: "Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak" (v. 3), and in another place: "I am a worm, and not a man, a reproach of men and a humiliation of men" (Psalm 21:7). And St. Isaac says: "Blessed is the man who knows his weakness, because this knowledge becomes for him the foundation, the root, and the beginning of all goodness. For as soon as someone comes to know and truly feels his weakness, he immediately oppresses his soul in its vain pride, which darkens the mind, and treasures his own protection" (Verse 61 from the beginning); And: "A man who has attained the knowledge of his measure has attained the perfection of humility."

j) It is necessary to endure temptations valiantly.

The last chapter of this discourse, which fulfills the number of the decimal number we have assumed, shows that you must valiantly endure the various and manifold temptations that have befallen you, and resist them with patience and courage. Therefore, listen to what is written about this in the Holy Scriptures. "This is what the Christ-bearer Paul says: brethren! our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, and against the powers, and against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against the spiritual wickedness in high places (Heb. 6:12); again: "Thou art without chastisement, but all are partakers of him, for thou art adulterers, and not sons" (Heb. 12:8); also: "The Lord loveth him, chastens him, and beateth every son, and receiveth him" (- — 6). And the thought of the brother of God James in the first chapter of the Epistle is this: "An inexperienced man is unskilled." — St. Elijah Ekdik says: "Every Christian, who rightly believes in God, should not give himself over to carelessness, but always wait for temptation and be ready to accept it; so that when it comes, we may not consider it strange and not be troubled by it, but gratefully endure the burden of sorrow, remembering that it sings with the Prophet: "Tempt me, O Lord, and try me" (Psalm 25:5); and again: "And Thy chastisement shall correct me in the end" (Psalm 17:36). Behold, He did not say, Thy chastisement shall bring me down, but, He shall correct me in the end" (Tsvetosobr 1).

Do not seek the causes of temptations, from whence they are found, but only pray to endure them gratefully, as St. Mark says: "When a temptation is found, do not seek from what and for what purpose it has come, but (take care of it) in order to endure it gratefully and without malice" (St. Mark on Justification by Works, ch. 198); again: "If there is no person who would please God without temptations, then one should thank God for every sorrowful event" (ibid., ch. 200); Also: "Any sorrow convicts the mood of our will, whether it is inclined to the right or to the left. That is why the sorrow that has occurred is also called a temptation, because the one who has been subjected to it is subjected to the test of his innermost dispositions" (ibid., ch. 204). And St. Isaac with many other things also says this: "Temptation is profitable for every man. For the temptation was profitable for Paul, let every mouth be stopped, and the whole world of God shall be guilty (Rom. 3:19). Those who are mobile are tempted to add something to their riches, and the weak, so that they may preserve themselves from harm, those who sleep, in order to prepare them for awakening, those who are far off, so that they may draw near to God, their own to God (God's household, those who are in the house), so that they may dwell boldly in Him. A son who has not been exercised (in lifting up difficult things) does not receive wealth from his father's house for his own benefit. Why does God first tempt and torment, and then reveals the gift of grace? Glory to the Lord, Who leads us into the sweetness of health with bitter medicines! There is no person who does not grieve during training; And there is no one who does not think that the time is bitter when he drinks the poison of temptations. Without them, it is impossible to acquire a strong constitution (soul). But it is not our strength to endure them either. Whence comes the poverty, which is made of clay, having the strength to resist the erosion of the water, if the divine fire did not make it strong? If we submit to the yoke of God's will and pray in humility with unceasing desire, then through patience we will receive everything in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Verse 37, pp. 231-2). And in the Book of the Wisdom of Sirach it is said: Child, if you begin to work for the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation. and be patient, and be not quick in the time of guidance" (Sir. 2:1, 2).

We must trust in God and expect from Him that which is useful.

Establish the cat of hope (Heb. 6:19) in God, who is able to save, and expect from Him an abundance of temptations in the time of need. For, as the Apostle says, God is faithful, Who will not leave us to be tempted more than we can, but will create with temptation also an abundance (1 Corinthians 10:13). Listen to what the Scripture says: "Tribulation worketh patience, but patience is art, and art is hope. but hope shall not put to shame" (Romans 5:3-5). He who endures to the end will be saved (Matt. 24:13). "In your patience gain your souls" (Luke 21:19). "Have all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that patience worketh the temptations of your faith: but patience may be a perfect deed, that ye may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Blessed is the man who endures temptation: for he who is not skilled shall receive the crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love Him (James 1:2-4, 12). "Unworthy of the passion of the present time for the glory that desires to be manifested in us" (Romans 8:18). "Being patient with the Lord, they will hear me, and hear my prayer: And bring me out of the pit of passions, and out of the mud, and set my feet on the stones, and straighten my feet: and put into my mouth a new song, a song to our God" (Psalm 39:1-4). Blessed Symeon Metaphrastes also writes: "The soul, being bound by the bonds of love for God, counts sufferings for nothing, but delights in sorrows and blossoms in suffering. And when he suffers nothing for the Beloved, then he thinks to suffer even more. and flees from consolation as from torment."

17) On the fear of God, that He is twofold: one of the novices, the other of the perfect.

Let us not be lazy now to remember the twofold fear of God. as the Holy Fathers. in the order of virtues, the fear of God is placed after faith.

About the first fear of God, the novices.

Know, then, my beloved, that the fear of God is twofold: one of the novices, and the other of the perfect. — Of the first fear it is written: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 110:10; Proverbs 1:7); come, children, hear me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord (Psalm 33:12); by the fear of the Lord everyone turns away from evil (Proverbs 15:27), and where there is fear, the observance of the commandments. And St. Isaac says: "The fear of God is the beginning of virtue. It is revered as a product of faith, and is sown in the heart when the mind withdraws from worldly vanity, in order to gather its flowing thoughts from scattering by unceasing immersion in the future reorganization of all things" (Verse 1 first); Also: "The beginning of true life in man is the fear of God; but he does not tolerate dwelling in the soul along with the scattering of thoughts" (ibid., p. 4); again: "Be wise, then, to lay the fear of God at the foundation of your procession, and in a few days you will stand at the gates of the kingdom, not whirling along the way" (ibid., p. 7).

About the second, the perfect fear of God.

Of the second, or perfect fear of God, it is said: Blessed is the man, fear the Lord, in His commandments the earth shall ascend (Psalm 111:1); blessed are all those who fear the Lord, walking in His paths (Psalm 127:1); fear the Lord in all His holiness, for there is no deprivation for them that fear Him (Psalm 33:10); Behold, so shall man be blessed, fear the Lord (Psalm 127:5); the fear of the Lord is pure, abiding for ever and ever" (Psalm 18:10). St. Peter of Damascus also writes: "The sign of the first fear is to hate sin and be angry with it, as one who is bitten by it is angry with the beast; and there is a sign of perfect fear — to love virtue and fear transformation; for there is no one who has not been perverted: why in this life, in all things, we must always fear the fall" (Book 2, Homily 3, p. 14). "Wherefore thou also, hearing these things wisely, strive to keep within thyself, together with all the virtues mentioned above, unceasingly, as it should be, the first fear. For he is, as it were, the treasure of every good deed, the strongest. Remaining in this way, you will always have your feet directed to doing all the commandments of our Lord Jesus Christ. Stretching further along this path, you will also acquire perfect fear, pure, according to the love of virtues and the mercy of our good God.

18) For the commandments and faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must not spare life itself when the time requires it.