See to it that no one knows thy work, except thy superior and guide, praying fervently also for us who are unworthy, who speak but do not do good, that we may first be vouchsafed to do what is pleasing to God, and then to speak and advise others. For, according to the word of the Lord, whosoever shall do and teach, this great shall be called (Matt. 5:19). To thee may the Almighty and the All-Merciful Lord grant strength, and may He be pleased to hear these things wisely, and to do them with all diligence: for, according to the divine Paul, they are not hearers of the law who are righteous in the sight of God, but creators (Romans 2:13). And may He guide you to every good and salvific work, and may He guide you in the mental and sacred work that is set before you by the Spirit through the prayers of the Saints. "Amen."

But as a little is ahead, we have said something about active prudence. it is now opportune, according to our strength, to speak briefly about the all-embracing and most perfect prudence: since it is greater than all the virtues, according to the testimony of our great fathers.

Chapters 41 – 60

41) On all-embracing and perfect prudence; and of him who lives unnaturally and carnally, who is by nature and soul, and who is above nature and spiritually.

Whoever lives and acts carnally and unnaturally has completely lost his prudence; but whoever, deviating from evil, has begun to do good, as it is written: "Turn away from evil, and do good" (Psalm 33:15), he, as soon as he is still led into the realm of good and inclines his ear to the teaching, does not cling to a certain sense of discernment peculiar to a novice. Whoever by nature and soul, i.e., meaningfully and intelligently lives and acts, which is why he is called the middle, sees and discusses both what concerns him and what concerns those who are like him. Whoever finally lives above nature and spiritually lives is as one who has passed beyond the boundaries of the passionate, the newly-born, and the middle. and by the grace of Christ, he who has attained perfection, i.e. essential enlightenment, and the most perfect discernment, sees himself and discusses himself most clearly, and also sees and discusses everyone definitively correctly, not being seen and discussed correctly from anyone, although in the sight of all, as the Apostle says: "The spiritual one rises up for everything." but he himself does not rise up from a single one (1 Corinthians 2:15).

42) More about prudence, in analogies.

Of these, the first is like one who walks in the deep night and impenetrable darkness; Why, like one who wanders in impenetrable darkness and is covered with darkness, not only does he not see himself and does not discuss himself, but he does not even understand it. whither he goes, and where he lays his feet. as the Saviour says: "Walk in darkness not tidings, but goeth forth" (John 12:35). "The second is like one who walks on a bright night, illuminated by the stars; Why, being little illuminated by the twinkling of the stars, we are not illumined in any way. little by little he walks, often stumbling his feet over the stones of imprudence and being subjected to falls. This one sees and discusses himself a little, as in the shadows, as it is written: "Arise, sow, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give thee light" (Ephesians 5:14). "The third is like one who walks in a full moon and quiet night; Wherefore, being guided by the rays of the moon, he goes less astray, and stretches out into the foreground, — he sees himself as in a mirror, and discusses as well as those who come to him, as it is said: "To him, that is, to the prophetic word, heed, as to a light shining in a dark place, do good, until the day shines, and the dawn shines in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19). "The fourth is like one who walks at noon, the purest, illuminated by the bright rays of the sun; Wherefore such a man sees himself perfectly as in the sunlight, and discusses fully and faithfully, and raises up many others, or rather, raises them all. according to the above-quoted words of St. Paul, — and everything that meets him, whatever it may be and however it may be — walking himself without erring and leading those who follow him without stumbling to the real Light, life and truth. Of such it is written: "Ye are the light of the world" (Matt. 5:14); and the divine Paul says: "God, who hath spoken out of darkness to shine light, which hath shone forth in our hearts, unto the enlightenment of the mind of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ" (2 Corinthians 4:6); and the blessed David: "Thou hast been marked upon us by the light of Thy countenance, O Lord" (Psalm 4:7); again: "In Thy light we shall see the light" (Psalm 35:10); and again the Lord Himself: "I am the light of the world: walk in Me, not to walk in darkness, but to have the living light" (John 8:12)

43) On the transformation and change that happens to every person, and on the high glory of humility.

We wish. that thou mayest also know that even those who have attained perfection. through self-purification and enlightenment, as far as possible [for in the present imperfect age there is no perfect perfection, but rather incomplete perfection], and such do not always remain unchanged, and because of natural weakness. and because of the sometimes creeping in the ascension. but even changes and thefts sometimes undergo as a test. and again they are vouchsafed the greatest intercessions. For immutability and immutability are the property of the age to come; but in the present age there is that time of purity. peace and divine consolation. then the admixture of impure agitation and sorrow, and this is in accordance with the life and success of each. and by whom the Lord is the message of fate, so that we may know from this our weakness [for blessed, says one who is conscious of his weakness], like St. Paul, let us not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises up the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9). And St. Isaac says: "One time after another, others repeatedly transgress the law, and by repentance they heal their souls, and grace accepts them; for in every rational being without number there are changes, and changes occur with every man every hour. And the prudent has many opportunities to understand this. But the trials that happen to him every day can especially make him wise in this. if he is soberly vigilant over himself. By the way, in order to observe oneself with one's mind and to know what a change in meekness and quietness the soul takes every day. and how from its peaceful dispensation it suddenly passes into confusion, and as it happens in great and unspeakable danger. "And it was this that Blessed Macarius evidently out of great care and zeal for the brethren wrote for their memory and instruction — not to give themselves up. during the change of resistances (or battles), into despair. for even those who stand in the order of purity always fall, just as cooling happens to the air, and without them being in negligence and decay, but on the contrary, when they walk in their order, falls happen to them, contrary to the goals of their striving" (Isaac p. 46, p. 283 4).

And a little further down he says: "Changes, says St. Macarius, are in everyone as in the air." Understand this, in everyone, because one thing is natural. Lest you think that he said this about the lowest and weakest, supposing that the perfect are free from change, and always stand unswervingly in one rank, without passionate thoughts, as the Euchites say, he added, in each.

He points here to these thoughts of chastity, hinting that before them there were bestial and unclean thoughts, and as if giving advice, saying: "If these chaste and modest thoughts are followed by an attack by the bad, let us not grieve and despair. "And always, during the repose of the grace-filled, let us not boast of self-praise; but in the time of joy let us expect sorrow" (ibid., p. 285).

Then he says: "Know that all the saints were in this matter. As long as we are in this world, along with the sorrowful, there is also an abundant consolation in secret. For every day and every hour is required of us the experience of our love for God, in the struggle and struggle against temptations. And this is what we have – not to grieve and not to lose heart in the podvig; and thus our path is straightened. But he who wishes to depart from this, or to evade, is the prey of wolves. What a marvelous thing that in this holy father, how he confirmed this thought with a brief word, proved that it was full of reason, and completely expelled all doubt from the mind of the reader! He says: he who deviates from this and has become a part of wolves does not want to walk the proper path, but has determined in his mind to acquire what he seeks, walking his own path, on which the feet of the fathers did not tread" (ibid., pp. 286-7).

Still lower: "Humility without works acquires forgiveness for many sins; And without it, on the contrary, things are useless. "As salt is to all food, so is humility to every virtue, and the strength of many sins can crush it. For this reason it is necessary to grieve (take care of) it in the soul unceasingly, with the humiliation of one's understanding; and if we acquire it, it will make us sons of God, and without good works it will present us to God, and without it all our works, all virtues, and all our deeds are in vain. "It alone is sufficient to present us before the face of God without outside help and to speak for us intercessorously" (ibid., p. 289). And again: "One of the saints said, 'When a thought of pride comes to you, saying, 'Remember your virtues,' you say to him, 'Look, old man, at your fornication'" (ibid., p. 290).