Whoever begins to observe this fivefold number of the virtues indicated before him wisely and wisely, let him know beyond doubt that from now on he is still become, as in a pledge, a partaker of the blessedness of the righteous. Such are the appurtenances of ever-memorable obedience, as if it were its root and foundation. Now listen to what its branches are, what is its fruit and shelter.

"From obedience," says Climacus again, "humility is born; from humility – the gift of reasoning; from discernment — clairvoyance, and from this — foresight" (Verse 4:105), which is the work of the one God, and a most abundant and most natural gift, given by Him to those who are blissfully adored. In addition to what has been said, let it be known to you that in proportion to the faithfulness and sincerity of your obedience, humility will also flow out in you; and again, to the extent of humility, reasoning; the same must be said further about the subsequent virtues. Why, as much as you have strength, strive your mother-in-law without stumbling through obedience; and you will infallibly stretch out on the front. If, however, in the stage of obedience you are lame in any way, then know that you will not accomplish well the other length of the race that is set before you, that is, life in Christ, and you will not be crowned with the crown that is given to conquerors. Wherefore let obedience, and the appurtenances which we have indicated above, be to thee a kind of guide, as it were a compass, such as navigators use to determine the proper path, so that, looking at them unswervingly, thou mayest safely sail through the great sea of virtues, and thus attain the undisturbed abode of impassibility. If any storm and agitation come upon you; then this also shall be with you according to the measure of your obedience. The devil himself cannot harm a true novice, according to the Holy Fathers. But in order to briefly show you what is the honorable height of the most glorious obedience, let us recall one more saying of the Holy Fathers.

Again says this most radiant lamp of life according to Christ, this new Bezalel of the heavenly ladder: "The Fathers call psalmody a weapon; prayer is a wall; immaculate tears — to the bath; and blessed obedience was called confession, without which none of the passionate will see the Lord" (Verses 4:8). This, as it seems to us, is sufficient for the most effective demonstration and praise of the three-blessed obedience through this inimitable example. But we can also see by experience what a great thing obedience is, if we turn our gaze to what has happened before, and consider what was the cause of our damage and mortality, when we were not created as such in the beginning, and what is again the cause of our renewal and immortality. We find that the cause of the first, i.e., our damage, was Adam's self-belief, self-will, and disobedience, from which the abandonment and transgression of the divine commandment, and the second, i.e., renewal and incorruption, the productive principle is the second Adam, our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, unity of counsel with God the Father and obedience to Him, from which comes the keeping of His commandment. I do not speak of Himself, says the Saviour, but the Father who sent Me, He will give Me a commandment like a river, and that I will declare: And I know that His commandment is eternal life. For as I speak, as the Father has spoken unto Me, so do I speak" (John 12:49, 50).

Thus, just as in the forefather and in those who are in His image the root and mother of all evil is arrogance, so in the new God-Man, Jesus Christ, and in those who resolve to live in His image, humility is the beginning, source, and foundation of all good. Such a system and order, as we see, is observed by the most heavenly, higher than us, the sacred world of all the God-like Angels and our earthly Church. And from this we learn to believe that those who deviate from this fundamental law, and choose to live according to their insolent self-will, are cut off from God, from the most radiant heavenly inheritance and from the universal Church; for which they are expelled from everywhere and sent into utter darkness and hellfire. This, we believe, will be suffered by the evil evil-doers who are on the side of the fallen Lucifer, and the chatterboxes who have appeared from time to time from among the ill-thinking heretics, as the God-written words represent; for because of their self-will and pride, they are miserably rejected from the divine glory and the holy assembly of those who please God.

But it has been said to some of the wise that medicine is contrary to the contrary.

For salvation, says the Most Wise, is in many counsels (Prov. 11. 14); — and: a husband without advice is his own enemy. If, however, it happened that some of the venerable fathers even without such a feat of obedience attained divinely created silence and perfection according to God; then this happens by a special revelation of God, and very rarely. And what is rare, as it is written somewhere, is not the law of the Church, just as one swallow does not make spring, but you, believing that true obedience is, as it were, a kind of preparatory training for the kindest silence, leave aside that which was rare in a special dispensation, and conform to what is common to all decreed by the reverend fathers. In this way you will be vouchsafed the recompense determined for those who live lawfully.

So, what? If on a random road, unexplored by business, hardly anyone would dare to enter without a faithful guide; if no one goes to sea without a skilful helmsman; if no one undertakes any science or art without a teacher who knows the work, then who dares to embark on the study of art and the science of sciences, to enter the mysterious path leading to God, and to set out into the boundless sea of thought, that is, into the monastic life, like the life of the Angels, with self-confidence to reach the end, without a guide, without a helmsman and a teacher, experienced and true? In truth, such a person, whoever it may be, deceives himself, and before entering the path, he has already gone astray, as one who struggles illegally: on the contrary, without taking a step, he has reached the end who submits himself to the rules of the fathers.

What is this for? But not how, he says, I am flowing, or flowing (Gal. 2:2). When we see that self-wisdom itself, our Lord, Jesus Christ says of Himself: "Come down from heaven, not that I may do My will, but the will of Him who sent Me the Father" (John 6:38), and of the holy and life-giving Spirit He declares that He does not speak of Himself, but if He hears to speak (John 16:13).

Looking at this beneficent rite, which contains all that is both heavenly and earthly, we are seized with trembling, amazement, and horror at the thought of our weakness and sloth, and of the dangerous situation of those who, through frivolity and self-conceit, decide to live arbitrarily, or, what is also the case, without any rank, to ruin and ruin themselves. Truly terrible is this feat, robbers are innumerable on it, pirate ambushes are incessant, and shipwrecks are innumerable. Why very few out of many are saved. "But let them march as they will; For whatever is written, as it is written, fire will tempt (1 Corinthians 3:13). Or not just as they want, but as befits them, and let them want and let them live. May the Lord give understanding of all things (2 Tim. 2:7). And you, and everyone who desires to live according to God, according to these sayings of the Scriptures, as if by fringe, having understood all the golden and spiritual fabric of blessed obedience, strive to find for yourself, as indicated before, a teacher who is not lost and perfect. And the perfect, according to Christ-bearing Paul, are solid food, and those who have senses are taught by long study in the discernment of good and evil (Heb. 5:14). Seeking by this means, that is, with difficulty and with faith, you will not infallibly attain the goal you have assumed. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who interprets it will be opened, says the Divine Scripture (Matt. 7:8). And he, the found teacher, will teach you everything that is proper and pleasing to God in order and order. He will also guide you, and to something more pleasing to God and more spiritual, such as is not within everyone's power, and not accessible to everyone, if He sees that you willingly adhere to moderation in everything, simplicity and poverty, in brushes and drinks, in veils and garments, and are content with what is required by the time, what is decent and necessary, without seeking anything superfluous. pampering and delighting only the senses, as do those who live unreasonably, and unsheathing the sword against themselves and their salvation. For the great Apostle says: "If we have food and clothing, we shall be content with them" (1 Tim. 6:8).

But you also wish to learn from us, and to have from us a written exposition of everything concerning the beginning, middle, and end of life according to Christ. The question is praiseworthy, but it is not easy to answer it quickly. However, Christ will stretch out His right hand to help us to resolve your question, and we will do this, on the most honorable and perfect obedience, as on a firm and unshakable foundation, building the many-sung house of all spiritual dispensation, i.e. God-created silence. "And so, affirming ourselves on the sayings of the fathers, prophesied by the movement of the Spirit, we say thus:

16) Sincerely, and according to God, Who desires to be silent, in the Orthodox faith one must strive to be fulfilled with good works, and so on.

a) The Saviour says: "Not everyone shall say unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but do the will of my Father, Who is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21). Why do you, beloved, if you do not desire God-created silence only in naked words, which gives those who sincerely approach it here also to clearly accept the manifestations of God's kingdom of heaven, and in the age to come even more fully and perfectly), but in truth and deed you love it, striving in the Orthodox faith to be filled with good deeds as well. And at the same time, be at peace with all, as far as it depends on you (Romans 12:18), do not entertain yourself with anything, do not be too careful. that is, do not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by vain cares, be silent and quiet, grateful for everything, and conscious of your weakness. Over all this, watch over the eye that does not slumber and is alertly attentive to all the various and manifold temptations that happen to you every day, struggling with patience and good humor against every anxiety and with every sorrow that comes upon you.

As for the first and second, i.e., that in the Orthodox faith one should adorn oneself with good works, then the most glorious brother of God will be a teacher of this manifest to you, who thus says: faith without works is dead, as are works without faith; and: "Show me thy faith by thy works" (James 2:26, 18); and even before him, the Instructor of all and the Teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ, who said to His disciples: "Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that is commanded" (Matt. 28:19, 20). And the Theologian (Gregory) says that "God demands of every person who has baptism the following three virtues: right faith from the soul, chastity from the body, and truth from the tongue."

b) Faith is twofold.