THIRD HOMILY 31

FIRST WORD.

Stagirius, who came from a noble and wealthy family and was brought up in the rules of the Christian faith, in his pious mood renouncing wealth and worldly occupations in Antioch, devoted himself to the ascetic life of hermits, in which soon, by God's permission, he was subjected to the action of a demon (a demon or an evil spirit), suffered from fits of demonic possession, which caused him such torment and such spiritual despondency that he even attempted to take his own life. St. John Chrysostom, having learned of the miserable condition of Stagirius, with whom he was on friendly terms, wished to give him spiritual consolation by means of written exhortations, not being able to visit him personally because of his own illness, which had befallen him after his exploits in the wilderness at the end of 380 A.D. X. At this time or at the beginning of the year 381, the proposed three words of the saint could have been written.

We should now be with you, my most dear Stagirius, and take part in your sufferings, and at least to the best of our ability, alleviate your despondency, comforting you with words, helping with deeds, and using all other means; but since bodily weakness and a headache have compelled us to remain at home, and have deprived us of the opportunity to serve in such a useful work, let us not hesitate to accomplish to the best of our ability what still remains for your comfort and for our benefit. Perhaps this will help you to bravely endure the present calamity; if we do not succeed in this, then at least the thought that we have not omitted anything due on our part will ease our soul. Whoever has done everything that he considers useful for the cessation of the sufferings that have befallen his neighbor, even if he does not succeed in this, is at least freed from the reproaches of conscience and, having laid aside the burden of these reproaches, must bear only the weight of sorrow. If I were one of those who are pleasing to God and can do great things, I would not cease to pray and ask God for a person who is precious to me; but since the multitude of sins deprives me of this boldness and strength, I will try to offer you verbal consolation. So it is with those who suffer from bodily illnesses: the abolition of suffering and the cessation of illness is the business of physicians, but the consolation of the sick is not forbidden to the slaves who serve them; they are especially the ones who speak much in favor of their masters, if they are well disposed towards them. Therefore, if we say anything that can put an end to your excessive sorrow, then that which we desire will be fulfilled; but if we do not find anything of the kind to say, then surely He will approve of our zeal, Who through Blessed Paul commanded us to weep with those who weep and to follow the humble (Rom. XII, 15,16). The reason for your despondency, apparently, is one – the fury of the evil demon; but one can find many sorrows born later from this root. I say this now not on my own behalf, but on the basis of those complaints which I often heard from you when you were with us; and in the first place (you complained) that in former times, when you led a worldly life, you did not tolerate anything like this, but when you were crucified to the world, then you also felt such an illness that is capable of confusing and throwing you into despair; secondly, that many of those who live in pleasure, having been subjected to the same disease as you, after a short suffering have been freed from this illness and have completely recovered, so that they have married, have fathered many children, enjoyed the pleasures of the present life, and have not been subjected to such an illness again, – but you spend so much time in fasting, all-night vigils and other feats, and yet you do not receive liberation from the sufferings that have befallen you; thirdly, that the holy man who manifested such great power on other people, could not do the same on you, beloved, and not only he, but also those who were with him, who are even stronger than he, all departed from you equally unsuccessful. Moreover, according to your words, you grieve greatly because the power of despondency has so taken possession of your soul that you often almost threw yourself into a noose, or into a river, or into an abyss. There is also a fifth complaint, which consists in the fact that you see how your peers and those who have begun to lead an ascetic life together with you are enjoying themselves, while you are still in the most severe storm and live in the most terrible prison. According to your words, it is not so much that those who are bound in iron should weep as those who are bound with these chains. Then, you told me, there is something else that troubles you greatly: you fear and tremble for your father, lest he, having learned of this, cause great trouble to the saints who received you at first; for, trusting in his own strength and riches, and giving himself up to tribulation, he will dare to do anything against them, and will not refrain from anything he pleases. Until now, his mother could hide what had happened to him and distract him when he was looking for you; but in the course of time the mother's pretense would be revealed, and he would treat her and the monks cruelly. But the height of misfortune is that you cannot hope for the future, and you do not know for sure whether this illness will ever cease and end, after you have hoped so many times for healing and then again subjected to the same torments. All this, of course, is capable of disturbing the soul and filling with great confusion, but a soul that is weak, inexperienced and careless. If we wish to be somewhat attentive and to judge piously, then let us scatter these causes of despondency like fine dust. Do not think that I now promise you this so easily because I myself am a stranger to this sorrow and storm. Even if my words seem incredible to others, I will nevertheless speak; And you yourself, of course, will not distrust us along with others. When the unclean demon first attacked your soul and threw you down while you were praying with everyone, although I was not present (for which I thank the loving God), I nevertheless learned everything exactly, as if I were there. My friend and your friend Theophilus the Ephesian, having come, told me in detail about everything: about the writhing in the hands, about the crooked eyes, about the foam on the lips, about the terrible and inarticulate voice, the shaking of the body, the prolonged fainting, and the dream that you had that night: it seemed to you," he said, "that a wild pig, stained with mud, was constantly rushing at you and fighting with you; and when the one who slept beside you, alarmed by this vision, woke up, he saw that the demon was tormenting you again.

2. When he told us about this, he brought upon us the same darkness into which the demon plunged you, beloved! But when, after a long time, I came to my senses, everything unpleasant in this world ceased to seem unpleasant to me, and everything pleasant – pleasant; Having long known all the vanity of life, I felt it even more, and my love for your piety became stronger. Such is the nature of misfortunes: they usually strengthen friendship; This is evident from the fact that they can easily stop enmity. And there is no man so cruel and insensitive, who, seeing his enemy in misfortune, could still harbor hatred for him. But if we pity even our enemies, and treat them as friends, when we see them suffering some misfortune, then think what I must have felt when I saw in the grievous torments of despondency the one who is most dear to me, and whom I cherish as my own head. Do not think that we are strangers to your sorrow, and therefore do not accept my consolation with suspicion. Though I, by the mercy of God, am free from the torments and attacks of the evil demon, yet no less than yours I feel despondency and sorrow from these torments, as anyone who knows how to love as one should love will believe me. Let us shake off this dust; then this despondency will be tolerable and easy by its nature, if only we do not want to carelessly allow this feeling to drag us into the abyss, but try to cheer up and think about what we need to do. Many of the seeming misfortunes seem great and intolerable until they have been well considered; but whoever considers them wisely will find that they are much easier than they were thought of; This, I hope, will happen now. Be of good cheer, therefore, and do not follow the vain and foolish opinion of the multitude, and do not make the enemy stronger against us. If I were to speak to any of the unbelievers, or those who think that everything happens by chance, or who attribute the providence of the world to evil demons, then I would have much work to do in order first to refute the false opinion and inspire conviction in the true Providence for the universe, and then to turn to consolation; but since, by the grace of God, you have known the Holy Scriptures from childhood, and, having received from your ancestors the true and salvific dogmas, you undoubtedly believe that God provides for everything, and especially for those who believe in Him, then, leaving this part of the speech, we will begin with something else. When God created the angels – or rather, let us speak from the highest – before the angels and the other powers of heaven came into being, there was a God who did not have the beginning of His being. As a Being who never needs anything (for such is the Godhead), he created angels, archangels, and other incorporeal beings; He created it solely according to His goodness, and not for any other reason. If He had not been supremely good, He would not have created those whose service He did not need. After creating them, He creates, again for the same reason, both man and this whole world. Having endowed man with innumerable blessings, He made this small and feeble creature ruler over so many creatures, making him on earth what He Himself is in heaven. For the words, Let us make man in our image and after our likeness (Gen. 2:11). I, 26) mean nothing else than that man has been given dominion over earthly things. Having created him and placed him in such honor, God assigned to him, as a king, the royal, most beautiful place on earth – paradise. In addition, wishing to show him in another way how superior he is to other creatures, God brings all the animals to him and commands him to give them all names; but he does not give him any of them as helpers, giving him also the reason: "Thou shalt not find," he says, "a helper like unto him" (Gen. 2:11). II, 20). Having thus shown man that he occupies the middle ground between the two natures (heavenly and earthly), that he is above all earthly things, and that of the multitude of these creatures none is equal to him, God then creates a woman, and thereby honors him with a new honor, and clearly shows that the woman was created for him, as Paul also says, For man was not created for the woman's sake, but the wife for her husband's sake (1 Cor. XI, 9). And not only did God distinguish man by this, but also by imparting to him the gift of speech to one of all creatures, vouchsafed him the knowledge of Himself, allowed him to enjoy communion with Himself as much as was possible for him, promised to give him immortality, filled him with great wisdom, and bestowed upon him spiritual grace, so that he uttered certain prophecies. God gave all this to man at a time when no good deed had yet been done on his part. What did man do after so many and great blessings? He trusted the enemy more than the one who gave him all this, and, despising the commandment of the Creator, he preferred to deceive the one who tried to completely destroy him and deprive him of all blessings – he preferred in spite of the fact that the devil did not show him any favor, neither great nor small, but only said a few words to him. But did God destroy man because he showed such ingratitude at the very beginning and, so to speak, at his first step? In justice, it would be necessary to destroy and expel from among the living the one who, having received innumerable blessings, at the very beginning of his life paid for these blessings with disobedience and ingratitude. But God continued to do good to him no less than before, showing that even though we sinned a thousand times and departed from Him, He would never cease to arrange our salvation, and that if we were converted, we would be saved; but if we persist in evil, then at least it will be clear that God does everything that depends on Him. In the same way, the expulsion from paradise, and the removal from the tree of life, and the condemnation to death seem to be the work of the one who punishes and avenges, but in fact it is no less than the former work of the Providence (of man). Although these words seem strange, they are true: the events were certainly opposite to one another, but the goals of both are the same and agree; That is, the expulsion from paradise, the settlement in view of it, the prohibition (to eat) from the tree of life, the removal from this tree, the condemnation to death, the temporary postponement of this condemnation, all this, just like the former beneficence, is done for the salvation and honor of man. Of the former I will say nothing (for it is obvious to everyone), but of the latter it is necessary to say.

3. How do we know that the latter is also done for the benefit of man? (We will know) if we consider what he would have been subjected to if this had not happened. What would he have been subjected to? If man, after the devil's promise to make him equal to God after transgressing the commandment, had remained in the same honor, he would have fallen into three extreme calamities. Firstly, I would consider God to be malevolent, a seducer and a liar, and secondly, a real deceiver, the father of lies and malice, a benefactor and a friend; and besides, he would continue to sin indefinitely. But God delivered him from all this, then expelling him from paradise. In the same way, if the doctor does not touch the wounds, then he allows it to fester more; if it cuts out, it stops the further spread of the rottenness of the ulcer. What of this? – someone will say, God did not stop there, but still imposed on man feats and labors; for nothing is so incapable of making use of rest as human nature. If even now, when such labors lie upon us, we sin unceasingly, then what would we not dare to do if God left us in pleasure and inactivity? For all wickedness, says the Scriptures, was taught by idleness (Sirach. XXXIII, 28). This saying is confirmed by both daily events and what happened to our ancestors. And the gray-haired people, says the Scriptures, eat and drink, and rise up to play (Exod. XXXII, 6). And again: "Fat, thicken, widen, and the beloved is denied" (Deut. XXXII, 15). Blessed David also says in agreement with this: "When I kill, then I seek him, and turn to God, and morning to God" (Psalm. LXXVII, 34). And to Jerusalem God says through Jeremiah, "Thou shalt always be punished, O Jerusalem, that my soul may not depart from thee" (Jer. VI, 7, 8). And that not only evil, but also good people are salvific to be subjected to humiliation and suffering, the prophet also says about this: "It is good for me, O Lord, for Thou hast humbled me, that I may learn by Thy righteousness" (Psalm. CXVIII, 71). After him, Jeremiah also says the same thing, though not in the same words: "It is good for a man, when he takes up the heavy yoke of his youth, sits down on one, and is silent" (Lamentations. III, 27, 28); and for himself he prays to God thus: "Do not spare me to alienation in the day of death" (Jer. XVII, 17). And Blessed Paul, who shone so brightly with grace and surpassed human nature, nevertheless had need of this beneficial remedy; Wherefore He said: Give unto me the foul man of the flesh, O angel of Satan, that he may do me mischief, that I may not be exalted. For this the Lord prayed three times, and said to me: My grace prevails over thee: for My power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. XII, 7-9). Although the preaching of the Gospel could have been accomplished without persecution, without sorrows, without labors and podvigs, Christ did not want this, caring for the preachers. Wherefore He said unto them, In the world ye shall be in sorrow. XVI, 33). And he commanded those who would enter the kingdom of heaven to walk the narrow path, for otherwise it would be impossible to reach it (Matt. VII, 13). Thus, sorrows, temptations, and all the troubles that happen to us prove God's care for us no less than joys. And what do I say about the sorrows here? The very threat of hell, no less than the promise of the kingdom of heaven, shows God's love for mankind. If He had not threatened with hell, then it would not have been possible to achieve heavenly blessings soon. The promise of good things alone is not sufficient to induce virtue, if the fear of punishment does not encourage those who do not strive for it. That is why God expelled the first-created man from paradise in the beginning, since the honor granted to him would have made him worse if he had remained firm and unshaken after breaking the commandment. And what do I say about Adam? What would Cain not have done, living in paradise and enjoying its pleasures, if he, having lost it and having before his eyes the punishment that had befallen his father, did not come to his senses, but fell into even greater wickedness: he was the first to invent and commit murder, and the most criminal murder? He did not come to this new evil deed little by little and not in the course of a long time, but suddenly and suddenly he reached the very summit of impiety, – he lay in wait and killed him who came from the same womb with him and did not offend him in any way; or did Cain consider it an insult to himself that Abel pleased God? However, in my opinion, even here you can see God's love for mankind: when Cain offended God Himself, the Creator admonishes him with words and comforts him in sorrow; but when he has committed a crime against his brother, then God manifests His wrath and imposes punishment. Meanwhile, the former deserved the same, if not more cruel punishment. If it is considered a transgression and an offense among people when one of the slaves saves the best for himself, and gives the worst to the master, how much more does this apply in relation to God? But Cain committed not only this sin, but also another no less – he envied his brother's honor. If he had repented of his sin, he would have pleased God with this beautiful change; but it was not from repentance, but from envy and hatred that his confusion arose, as the end of the affair showed. Cain was almost angry with God because God, offended by him, did not honor him and did not prefer evil to good; but God, in spite of the fact that Cain's sins required a heavy punishment, treats the sinner much more mercifully than he deserved, and tries to calm his irritated soul. For Cain's sorrow came from irritation; wherefore God saith unto him, Be silent (Gen. 2:10). IV, 7). Thus spoke God, although He knew to what extent Cain's wickedness would reach; but He wanted to take away from the ungrateful any pretext (for murmuring). If Cain had been punished in the beginning, many would have said so; "Would it not have been possible to impress in advance with words, to admonish and frighten, and then to punish, if Cain had remained in his former disposition? His punishment is very cruel and severe." That is why God endures the insults inflicted on Him for a long time, in order to stop the mouths of such people, and at the same time to show that He punished the father of Cain in His goodness, and moreover, to lead subsequent people to repentance by His mercy. When Cain, through his stubbornness and impenitence of heart, gathered for himself anger (Rom. II, 5), then He punishes; if Cain had remained unpunished even after the murder, he would have decided on another, even greater evil. Nor can it be said that he sinned through ignorance: could he not know what his younger brother knew? However, if you will, let us assume that the first (crime) arose from ignorance; But after he heard, "Be silent," after he had received forgiveness, did he ignorantly decide to kill, defile the earth, and violate the laws of nature? Do you see that the former did not come from ignorance, but from malice, deceit, and extreme impiety? What is the punishment for all this? Groaning and trembling shalt thou be on the earth, saith God (Gen. 2:10). IV, 12). The punishment seems to be heavy; but it will not be so if we reflect on sin and carefully consider the punishment itself. Cain, after he had offered the sacrifice unjustly (Gen. IV, 7), was offended by the fact that he who had offended God was not honored by the offended God, rejected His suggestion, was the first to dare to commit murder, or rather, a sin even more criminal than murder, grieved his parents, and lied before God. Food, he said, I am my brother's watchman (Gen. 2:10). IV, 9)? And for all this he is punished only with fear and trembling! However, it can be said that the goodness of God is seen here not only from the fact that punishment is lighter than sin, but from the fact that there is no small benefit in punishment. And the benefit is that all subsequent people are brought to their senses by Cain's punishment and become better. Therefore, God did not immediately put Cain to death; for it makes no difference whether to hear that a certain Cain, who killed his brother, was put to death, or to see this murderer being punished. In the first case, they could not believe the story because of the excessiveness of the crime; and now that Cain was visible, and many had long witnessed his punishment, the event became evident and certain both to his contemporaries and to posterity. But, it will be said, what is the use of this for himself? Very great: God was also concerned about his salvation, when by verbal admonition He moderated his rage, as far as depended on Him. But if we consider the punishment itself, then it will also be of great benefit. If God had killed Cain immediately, He would not have given him time to repent and reform. Now, continuing to live in fear and trembling, he could have received great benefit from such a life for himself, if he had not been extremely insensible and more of a beast than a man. In addition, the present punishment lessened the severity of future torment for him; for by the punishments or calamities which God sends upon us in the present life, a great part of future torments is removed. Evidence for this can be cited from the divine Scriptures. Christ, speaking to His disciples and telling about Lazarus, says that Abraham, when the rich man asked him to sprinkle a burning tongue with the tip of his finger, said to him: "Child, remember, how thou hast received thy good in thy belly, and Lazarus is also evil: but now here he is comforted, but thou art afflicted" (Luke 1:11). XVI, 25). And Paul (when I speak of Paul, I also mean the commandments of Christ, because this blessed soul was moved by Him), when he writes to the Corinthians about the fornicator, commands that he be delivered over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. V, 5). And again, conversing with them about those who unworthily partake of the mysteries, he says: "For this reason there are many infirmities and infirmities in you, and they sleep till trouble." For if they reasoned with themselves, they were not condemned. But we are punished by those who are judged by the Lord, that we may not be condemned in peace (1 Cor. XI, 30-32). Do you see the ineffable love of humanity and the boundless riches of goodness? Do you see how God does and undertakes everything so that we, even if we have sinned, may suffer punishment lighter than we deserve, or even completely get rid of it?

4. But if anyone says, "Why did God not destroy the ancient tempter?" If the evil one took possession of us by force, then this question would have some validity; but since he does not have such power, but only tries to persuade us (whereas we may not bow), why should we remove the reason for merit and reject the means of attaining crowns? Moreover, if God, knowing that the devil is invincible and can subdue everyone, had left him in the world, then such a question should not have been asked; and then we ourselves would be guilty if he overcame and conquered those who do not resist him, but submit voluntarily. However, what has been said would not be enough for those who do not want to come to their senses. And if there are many who have already overcome the power of the devil, and there will be many more who will overcome it, why should those who are glorified and gain a brilliant victory be deprived of this honor? God left the devil for this reason, so that those who had already been defeated by him would overthrow him himself; and this is heavier for the devil than any punishment and can bring him to final condemnation. But, someone will say, not everyone can overcome it. What of this? It is much more just that the valiant should have a reason to reveal their good will, and the unvaliant should be punished for their own negligence, than that the former should suffer harm for the latter. Now the wicked one, if he suffers harm, it is because he is defeated not by the enemy, but by his own negligence, as is proved by the fact that many defeat the devil. Then the virtuous would suffer harm for the wicked, because because of them they would have no reason to show their courage; And it would be the same as if the steward of a fight, having two wrestlers, one of whom is ready to face the enemy, to show much courage and receive a crown as a reward, and the other preferring inactivity and merriment to a tiring struggle, removed the opponent and let them both go idle. Here the brave would suffer harm because of the unworthy; and the latter is bad, not because of his braveness, but because of his own unworthiness. Moreover, although the present question apparently concerns the devil, such reasoning, extending further along the connection of thoughts, will in many respects lead to the accusation and condemnation of God's Providence and will subject the entire universe to reproach. Thus it will condemn the creation of the mouth and the eyes; for through the eyes many receive a desire for what should not be desired, and fall into adultery, and with the lips of others they utter blasphemy and teach pernicious doctrine. Was it therefore necessary for people to be without a tongue and without eyes? So let us cut off the legs, and cut off the hands; for sometimes the hands are red with blood, and the feet run to sin. And the ears could not escape the same severe condemnation, because they also receive vain rumors and transmit to the soul a pernicious teaching; let us cut them off also. And if so, then the food, and the drink, and the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the sun, and the light, and the moon, and the chorus of the stars, and all the kinds of dumb animals, all of them will be useful when the one for whom they were created is so miserably disfigured? Do you see to what ridiculous and absurd thoughts such speculation inevitably leads? The devil is evil for himself, not for us; but we, if we wish, can gain much good through him, of course, against his will and desire; in this is revealed the special miracle and superiority of God's love for mankind. The fact that people are made better in itself torments and torments the devil; and when we achieve this through him, he will not be able to endure such a shame. But how is this achieved through him? When, fearing his cruelty, constant slanders and incessant intrigues, we will drive away from ourselves heavy sleep, be awake and always remember the Lord. These are not my words, but those of Blessed Paul, listen to how he awakens those who sleep from among the faithful with almost the same words. In the Epistle to the Ephesians he says thus: "We wrestle 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" (Eph. VI, 12). Thus he spoke, not to deprive them of courage, but to encourage them. And Peter says, "Be sober, be watchful, for the devil is not your adversary, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, but resist him in the firmament by faith" (1 Pet. V, 8, 9). He said this, wishing to make us more courageous and to inspire us to cleave more to God. Whoever sees the advancing enemy is more likely to run and cling to him who can help. In the same way, little children, when they see something terrible, run into their mother's arms, grasp her clothes, hold on to them tightly, and do not lag behind, despite the efforts of many to drag them away; and when there is nothing to fear, they do not listen to her call or impulse, reject her invitations, turn away when she tries in every way to lure them to her, and do not even look at the food offered. For this reason, many mothers, when persuasion does not work, contrive by means of scarecrows and horrors to bring their children back to them, and persuade them to run to them again. This happens not only with children, but also with us. When the evil one frightens and confuses us, then we come to our senses, then we come to know ourselves, then with great zeal we turn to God. But if the devil had been destroyed at the very beginning and did not exist, then perhaps many would not have believed what happened, i.e. that he deceived man and deprived him of many blessings; but they would say that God did this out of ill-will and envy. If even now, after such clear proofs of the devil's deceptions, some dare to say this, then what would they not have said, what would not have been said, if they had not experienced his malice at all? However, if we pay strict attention to deeds, then (it can be noted that) the devil does not always push us to evil; although he does us much evil, we also do much harm to ourselves, solely because of our carelessness and negligence. Let's turn again to where we started. When did the devil approach Cain and urge him to commit murder? With his mother he spoke openly and seduced her, but with him he did not do this; if it is said that he put evil thoughts into him, then this also depended on Cain himself, who accepted the suggestion, obeyed and gave the devil a reason to attack. However, God did not abandon Cain even then, but continued to teach and admonish him, by which, apparently, He punished him. But what do I say about the punishment of Cain, one man, when even the flood, in which so many people perished, can reveal to us God's providence? And in the first place, God did not bring this calamity suddenly or suddenly, but foretold it, and not a short time in advance, but another hundred and twenty years in advance. Then, so that the people, because of the remoteness of the prophesied, would not forget and fall into carelessness, He commanded that an ark be built before their eyes, which spoke more clearly than any words about the threat of God. Cain had already been erased from people's memory, and this ark, which was before their eyes, constantly reminded them of the impending disaster. But even after this people did not come to their senses, but continued to cause and bring disaster upon themselves. God would never want to threaten the flood and bring it, just as he would not want to threaten hell, but we ourselves are the cause of everything. Knowing this, the all-wise one said: "God do not create death, nor rejoice in the destruction of the living" (Wis. Sol. I, 13). And God Himself through the prophet says thus: "I do not desire the death of the sinner, but that he should be converted and live" (Ezek. XVIII, 23, cf. XXXIII, 11). If we do not convert, then we bring perdition and death upon ourselves, and not God, who does not want us to perish, and shows the way to avoid the devil. But is this the only thing we can say about the flood, and will we not find any benefit resulting from it? It is impossible to say how much benefit came from it both for the dead themselves and for subsequent people. The former were deterred from further crimes; and the latter received even greater benefit, since together with the sinners themselves was destroyed, so to speak, the leaven and the cause of evil. If men can easily invent evil without example, what would they not do if many encouraged them to do evil things? In order to prevent this from happening, so that subsequent people would not have so many teachers of evil, God destroyed all of them at the same time.

5. But how wise, or rather, how insane is the judgment of those who, not wishing to do anything good, invent and say everything in order to lay the blame of their own sins on God! If, they say, God had not allowed it, then the devil would not have approached, and would not have deceived him immediately. But then Adam would not have known what good he had, and would never have humbled his pride. Who thought so highly of himself that he hoped to be a god, which he would not have dared to do if he had not been enlightened? Suppose the devil had not inspired anything in Eve and had not said a word to her about the tree: would it be possible that in this case the forefathers would never have fallen? This cannot be said. Whoever so easily obeyed his wife, even without the devil, on his own, would soon fall into sin, for which he would be subjected to even greater punishment. Moreover, in the present event, it was not only the deception of the devil that was the cause of all evil, but the woman was carried away by her own lust and fell. This is also indicated by the Scriptures, saying: "And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and as it pleased her eyes to see, and it was beautiful to understand: and she took up of its fruit, poison" (Gen. 2:10). III, 6). I say this now not in order to free the devil from accusations of deceit, but to show that if the first people had not fallen voluntarily, no one would have forced them to fall. Whoever so easily accepted deception from another, was careless and inattentive even before the deception; and the devil would not have had such success if he had entered into conversation with a vigilant and attentive soul. But there are people who, when they are refuted from this side, abandoning the devil, turn to the commandment and, without touching the person who has sinned, accuse God and say: why did He give people a commandment, when He knew that they would sin? And these are the words of the devil and the fabrications of the wicked mind. God, in giving the commandment, showed greater care (for people) than if He had not given it; This is evident from the following. Let us suppose that Adam, whose will was so careless, as the consequences showed, would not have received any commandment, and continued to enjoy blessedness: would his carelessness and effeminacy from these pleasures have led him to the worse, or to the better? It is obvious to everyone that he, unconcerned about anything, would have reached the extreme degree of evil. If, still uncertain of immortality, with only a doubtful hope in it, he had come to such pride and madness that he hoped to become a god, although he saw that the one who promised him this was in no way trustworthy, what madness would he not have reached, if he had undoubtedly possessed immortality? What sin would he not commit? Would I ever obey God? In accusing God, you act like those who would blame the one who forbids fornication, because those who heard this prohibition would commit fornication. Are not such words utterly insane? If the devil were to approach a person who had not received the commandment with advice to depart from God, he would easily persuade him to do so; for whoever despised Him who gave it after receiving the commandment, if he had heard nothing from Him at all, would soon forget even that he was under the power of the Lord. Therefore, God taught him beforehand by His commandment that he had a Lord, Whom he must obey in everything. But, it will be said, what benefit has come from this? Even if there were no benefit, this should not be blamed on God who gave the instruction, but on the man who did not heed this beautiful suggestion. Meanwhile, the granting of the commandment did not remain useless even after its violation: the fact that the first people hid themselves, and confessed their sin, and tried to lay the blame of the crime on the wife, and the woman on the serpent – all this shows that they feared, trembled, and recognized the power of God over them. And how useful it was to pass from the satanic hope of being gods to such fear is understandable to everyone. He who dreamed of equality with God has humbled and humbled himself so much that he fears punishment and torment and confesses his sin! Not to sin unconsciously, but to quickly notice and recognize one's sin is a very important matter, the beginning and path leading to correction and change for the better. Thus, it is impossible to know or explain all the goodness of the Lord to us; I will tell you the main thing that we know. After such disobedience, after so many sins, when the power of sin took possession of the whole world, when the human race had to suffer the most severe punishment, to perish completely, and to be blotted out of its very name, then God did us the greatest favor, He delivered His Only-begotten to death for the enemies who had departed, turned away, and hated Him, and through Him He reconciled us to Himself, and promised to give us the kingdom of heaven, eternal life and innumerable blessings, which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor ascended into the heart of man (1 Cor. II, 9). What can be compared with this solicitude, philanthropy, goodness? For this reason He Himself says: "As the heavens are separated from the earth, so is My way from your ways, and your thoughts from My thoughts" (Isa. LV, 9). And the meek David, speaking of His love for mankind, says: "According to the height of the heavens from the earth, the Lord has established His mercy on those who fear Him: if the east is far from the west, He has removed our iniquities from us." As a father is generous to his sons, so be the Lord merciful to those who fear Him (Psalm. CII, 11-13), and even more than the father, but we know of no other better example of the highest love. Isaiah gave an example of this, pointing to a mother who is much more attached to her children than a father. He says thus: "Shall a woman forget her child's food, if she does not have mercy on the offspring of her womb?" And if the woman forgets these, I will not forget thee, saith the Lord (Isa. XLIX, 15), thus showing that God's mercy is higher than natural affection. Thus spoke the prophets; And Christ, speaking to the Jews, said: "If you, who are deceitful, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him" (Matt. VII, 11), expressing by these words nothing else than that as much as good differs from evil, so does God's care differ from that of parents. But do not stop there, but penetrate the mind even further. This is said in relation to your understanding; but with Him whose wisdom and goodness are boundless, His love for mankind is the same. If we do not notice His love for humanity in every event, then this is also a sign of His infinity. God daily arranges for our salvation many things that are known only to Him. He does good to our race according to His goodness, needing neither glorification from us nor any other retribution, and therefore leaves very much hidden from us; and if He sometimes does, He does this for us, so that we, imbued with a sense of gratitude, may be vouchsafed His even greater help. Let us thank Him not only for what we know, but also for what we do not know; for He does good to us, not only when we desire it, but also when we do not. Knowing this, Paul also inspired to give thanks always and for everything (Eph. V, 20). And that God cares not only for all in general, but also for each individual, this can be heard from Himself when He says thus: "There is no will before your Father in heaven, let one perish from these little ones" (Matt. XVIII, 14), meaning those who believe in Him. He desires that all those who do not believe in Him should be saved, having corrected themselves and believed in Him, as Paul also says: "Who desires to be saved by all men, and to come to the understanding of the truth" (1 Tim. II, 4); and He Himself said to the Jews, "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matt. IX, 13); and again, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice (Matt. IX, 13; OS. VI, 6). Even when people, even with such care for them, do not want to correct themselves and know the truth, and then He does not abandon them; but since they voluntarily deprive themselves of heavenly life, He provides them with at least all that is necessary for the present life, commands the sun to shine on the evil and the good, sends rain on the just and the unjust, and gives everything else for the continuation of the present life (Matt. V, 45). But if He thus cares for His enemies, will He ever leave without care those who believe in Him and please Him according to their ability? No, no; for them He careth more than all others: and the heads of your heads, He says, are all things that are considered (Luke 1:11). XII, 7).

6. And so, when you think that you have left your father, home, friends, relatives, innumerable riches and great glory for Christ, and now you are suffering such sorrow, do not lose heart; from which perplexity is born, thereby our perplexity will be resolved. How? God cannot lie; and He promised everlasting life to those who would forsake all these things. Thou hast despised and forsaken everything: what then hinders thee from hoping for this promise? What is the temptation that has befallen you now? But what is it in relation to a promise? God did not promise us eternal life here; and even if this promise were to be fulfilled here, then there would be no need to grieve; for a pious person and a believer must rely so firmly on the promises of God, so that, seeing the events opposite to them, he will not be confused and not despair of their fulfillment. See what promise the faithful Abraham received, and what was he commanded to do? The promise was that his descendants from Isaac would fill the whole world; and the command required that he should sacrifice the same Isaac, whose descendants were to fill the whole earth. What then? Did this confuse the righteous man? No; and with such a disagreement and contradiction of the command with the promise, he was not troubled, did not doubt, and did not say anything like this: "God has promised one thing, and now he compels me to do another; from this son he promised me a great multitude of descendants, and now he commands me to slaughter him; How will it come to pass if this root is cut off? That's right, God deceived me and laughed at me." Abraham did not say anything of the sort, did not even think of it, and very rightly; for if God promises, then, even if there are thousands of obstacles to the fulfillment of the promise, one should not be confused and doubt about the fulfillment. The action of God's power in this is especially to find a way out of a hopeless situation; so also the blessed Abraham reasoned at that time. Wherefore Paul was amazed at his faith, and said, "By faith Abraham hath brought Isaac to temptation, and thou hast offered the only begotten, the promise which thou hast received" (Heb. XI, 17), pointing out and alluding to the very thing of which I have just spoken. And not only Abraham, but also his great-grandson Joseph, although he saw that the promise given to him remained unfulfilled for a long time and due to many circumstances, nevertheless remained unyielding, because he turned his eyes only to Him who promised; and if he had given himself up to human reasoning, he would have despaired of the fulfillment of the promise. The dream he saw foreshadowed the worship of his brothers and parents, and the events were not so, and in many ways did not correspond to this. In the first place, those who ought to bow down to him cast him into a pit, and, having sold him to foreigners, send him to a strange and distant land; These events seemed so contrary to the dream that the wretched ones themselves (his brothers) mocked him, and said, "Behold, this dreamer is coming: now come, let us kill him, and let us cast him into one from the pits, and we say, The beast will eat him, and we will see that his dreams will be" (Gen. 2:10). XXXVII, 19, 20). Then, those who bought Joseph again sell him, not to any free man, but to the king's slave. And this was not the end of his misfortunes, but, having been slandered by his mistress and being condemned, he lived for many years in prison, and although others came out of it, he remained there for a long time. In spite of so many circumstances that could have troubled his soul, he remained steadfast. Such is our position, or rather, it is even more difficult. God has promised us the kingdom of heaven, eternal life, immortality, and innumerable blessings, but what is happening and happening to us now – namely, death, corruption, punishment, torment and various and continuous sorrows – is far from corresponding to this. Why does God do this and allow such events that contradict the promises? In this way He accomplishes two great things: first, He presents us with an indubitable proof of His power, i.e., that He can bring about the fulfillment of a promise that seems to be the most improbable; secondly, it teaches our soul to believe in Him in everything, even if events seem to contradict the predictions. Such is the power of hope: it does not shame those who are sincerely devoted to it. But if those who received the promises of the blessings of this world did so, how much more should we do so, who hope for the fulfillment of good promises, not in the present life, but in the age to come. For this life, the Lord predicted sorrow and distress. What is it that troubles you? Why don't you trust God's promise? To despise the whole world for Him and then say that He does not care, can only be done by one who does not believe, doubts, and considers God's promise to be a deception; and this truly means to be possessed and to bring upon oneself the fire of hell. However, among people who are devoted to worldly affairs, are there those who live in peace? "Thus also Christ foretold: Amen, amen, I say unto you," He said, "that ye shall weep and weep, and the world shall rejoice" (John 2:10). XVI, 20). And among the previous generations, the Babylonians, even those who did not know God, enjoyed wealth, power, and honor, while the Jews lived in captivity, in slavery, and in extreme distress. And Lazarus, worthy of heaven and the kingdom of heaven, lay covered with wounds, which were licked by dogs, and constantly struggled with hunger; but the rich man lived in honor, surrounded by society, in luxury and pleasure; but all this did not help him in the least in hell, just as hunger and wounds did not prevent Lazarus from leading an honest real life; on the contrary, he, like a courageous fighter struggling in the most severe heat and heat, conquered and was crowned. For this reason a wise man said: "Child, if you begin to work for the Lord God, prepare your soul for temptation: direct your heart, and be patient, and do not be quick in the time of guidance" (Sirach. II, 1, 2). And a little later: "As gold is tempted in the fires, and men are pleasant in the furnace of humility" (v. 5). And in another place it is said: "Son, do not despise the chastisement of the Lord, you who are rebuked from it" (Prov. Sol. III, 11). Whoever throws gold into the furnace knows how long it must remain in the fire, and when it must be taken out; wherefore the wise man saith, Be not hasty in the time of guidance, and Solomon, teaching the same thing, said, Thou shalt be weakened by him, he that is rebuked. Sorrow is a great thing, a great thing for a person to become valiant and learn the virtue of patience. And what, someone will say, if by its excessiveness it shakes and overcomes (man)? God is faithful, Who will not leave you to be tempted more than you can, but will create with temptation also an abundance, that you may be able to bear it (1 Cor. X, 13). If punishment comes from love, and abandonment without punishment from hatred (Heb. XII, 7, 8), it is impossible that one and the same person both loves and hates the same person, punishes and at the same time leaves him unattended. Why, some will say, have so many fallen? Because they themselves fell away from God, and were not abandoned by Him. For behold, says the Scriptures, those who depart from thee shall perish (Psalm. LXXII, 27). And they distance themselves by not tolerating God's admonitions, but are angry and indignant at them. As if bad children, being sent by their fathers to their teachers, trying to avoid the labors and small punishments there, completely flee from their parents, they do not receive any benefit from this, but are exposed to much greater troubles, finding themselves in a foreign land and having to endure hunger, homelessness, sickness, dishonor, and slavery, so it is with those who do not endure with gratitude the inspiration of God, but they are indignant with Him: not only do they not receive any benefit from it, but they expose themselves to even greater calamities. For this reason we are commanded to endure and strengthen our hearts (Ps. XXVI, 14). But have you suffered much more grievously? – In the same way, educators of children do not assign equal and identical exercises to everyone, but weak ones, and give equally strong opponents to the strong; for whoever has an opponent weaker than himself will not have proper exercise, even if he struggles with him all day long. Why, some will say, has not God ordained all those who have devoted themselves to the same life to bear the same labors? Because God does not have one kind of exercise, and people do not all have need of the same things, even if they are in the same circumstances, just as many sick people suffering from the same diseases do not need the same medicines, but some need one another, and others another. Wherefore the modes of suffering are different and varied: one is tempted by prolonged illness, another by extreme poverty, another by insults and insults, and another by seeing the death of his children and relatives constantly and continually, this by universal contempt and abhorrence, and this by the accusation of what he does not know about himself, and by the burden of infamy brought upon him, and by another in another way, So it is impossible to list everything exactly. Each of these sufferings, in comparison with your misfortune, seems to you light and insignificant, but if you had experienced them yourself, you would have learned that your misfortune, of which you now lament, is much more bearable than them. However, if some are punished less than we are, we should not be tempted by this; for the increase of labor serves to increase the rewards, and is a firm bulwark against voluntary or involuntary attacks: it curbs pride, drives away carelessness, and makes us more prudent and pious. In general, if anyone wants to enumerate everything, he will find much benefit from temptations, and none of those for whom God cares much is without sorrow, although it does not seem so to us.

7. If Blessed Paul endured much, and there is no one greater than him or even his equal, then how is it possible that other people do not need this help? If some have not come to their senses with such sorrows, it is no longer through the fault of Him who sent the punishment, but through their own negligence. If medicine had not been applied to them, one might have thought that they had perished from inattention to them; And now not a little has been done in order not to blame the doctor for anything, but only to the patients themselves, and their inattention. Though some, who lived honestly before the temptations, fell after they were subjected to them; others, who gave themselves over to all kinds of vices, did not experience any sorrow; and others from the first age to the last breath endured innumerable misfortunes – but we should not be confused and fall into despair by anything of the kind. If we could and should know the actions of God's Providence and did not know them, then we should be discouraged and confused; but if he, too, who was a partaker of the ineffable mysteries and ascended to the third heaven, was troubled before this abyss, and, having penetrated into the depths of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God, was only amazed and immediately departed, why do we strive in vain to know the incomprehensible and to investigate the unsearchable (Rom. XI, 33)? We will not contradict the physician when he prescribes the opposite of what seems to us useful, orders, for example, that a cold penis be dipped in cold water, and does many other apparently strange things; but having convinced ourselves beforehand that he does this according to the rules of his art, we willingly obey him, although he often makes mistakes. Why then shall we examine (the actions of) God, Who is so superior to us in all things, Who is Wisdom itself, and never errs? To whom an account should be demanded, let us believe unquestioningly; and from Him Whom alone we must believe, shall we demand justification and an account of His actions, and be indignant that we do not know this? Is this characteristic of a pious soul? No, I beseech and beseech you, let us not come to such madness, but of all that we are perplexed, let us say: "Thy destiny is a great abyss" (Psalm. XXXV, 7). Even that which we do not know clearly is a matter of God's wisdom. If we obeyed God because we knew the causes of events, then our reward would not be great, and our obedience would not be an expression of faith; but when we, not knowing them, lovingly submit to all His commandments, out of true obedience and sincere faith, then we bring the greatest benefit to our souls. We must be convinced of only one thing, that God sends everything for our benefit, and that the method itself is not to investigate, and not to grumble, and not to lose heart, when we do not know it. To know it is both impossible and useless for us; the first because we are mortal; the second because we are soon carried away by pride. With our children, we do many things that seem harmful to them, but in fact are useful for them; However, they do not dare to ask the reason, and we do not first convince them of the benefit of what we intend to do with them, but only inspire them to obey the commands of their parents and not to ask anything more. If we treat our parents in this way, who are of the same nature as us, and do not murmur against them, then we will grumble about God, Who surpasses us as much as God is higher than people, how can we grumble because we do not know everything? What can compare with such impiety? Blessed Paul indignantly said to such people: "Wherefore, O man, thou art against the testimony of God; food says to him who created it: "Why hast thou created me" (Rom. IX, 20)? I pointed to the example of children, and Paul gave a much better example, of the potter and the clay he was making. As clay assumes whatever form is given to it by the hands of the one who works it, so a man should act in accordance with what God commands, and accept with gratitude what He sends, without in the least contradicting or trying to find out (the reason for this); for this is incomprehensible not only to us, but also to the holy and wondrous men who lived before us. Thus Job said, "Because the wicked live, but they promise riches," and so on (Job. XXI, 7). And the blessed David said: "My feet have not been shed in a little: for having been jealous of the wicked, the world of sinners is in vain: for there is no inclination in their death, and no strengthening in their wounds: there is no substance in the labors of men, and they shall not receive wounds from men" (Psalm. LXXII, 2-5). After him, Jeremiah also said, "Righteous art thou, O Lord: I will cry unto thee as the way of the wicked" (Jer. XII, 1). They also were perplexed and asked, but not as the wicked, not murmuring against God and not accusing Him of injustice for His works. On the contrary, one of them said, "Thy righteousness is as the mountain of God, thy judgment is a great abyss" (Psalm. XXXV, 7), and the other, who suffered much, in all these things that befell him, did not give madness to God (Job. I, 22); And in his book, discussing creation and explaining the incomprehensibility of the wisdom and economy of God, he said: "Behold, these are the parts of His ways: and we shall hear a drop of the word in Him" (Job. XXVI, 14). And Jeremiah, foreseeing that some may doubt, before his question expresses the following judgment: Thou art righteous, O Lord, i.e. I know that everything is done by Thee justly, but I do not comprehend the way in which it is done. Well, did they learn anything more? No, they did not even receive an answer, as Blessed David explains in the words: "And I do not understand: this labor is before me" (Psalm. LXXII, 16). They did not receive an answer so that their descendants would learn not to ask about it. They asked only one thing, why the wicked enjoy prosperity and wealth, but even this they did not know; and the present ones want to know much more of them, because many more questions are being asked today than they did then. Let clear knowledge be given to Him Who knows all things before it is accomplished.

8. If, on the basis of what we already know, we ourselves should present some solution to the questions posed, in order to reassure those who are very anxious to know about it, then I say that after the kingdom of heaven has been revealed to us and the reward promised in the future life, it is no longer seemly to inquire why (on earth) the righteous live in sorrows, and the wicked in tranquillity. If everyone there expects retribution according to his merits, why should he be indignant at the circumstances here, happy or unhappy? Through these calamities, God strengthens those who are obedient to Him as courageous fighters, and the weaker, negligent, and incapable of enduring anything hard, He preliminarily disposes them to be ready for good deeds. Often the opposite also happens, that many of the righteous live in tranquillity and honor, and the wicked in dishonor and extreme calamity; This, first of all, refutes for us the preceding proposition, that the righteous suffer tribulations, and the wicked are blessed. If it still needs to be explained, then I will say that God does not arrange our good in the same way, but, as inexhaustible in means, paves for us many paths to salvation. Since many do not want to accept the teachings about the future life and resurrection, He still here shows in a small form the image of the (future) judgment, when He punishes the evil and rewards the good. This will be fully accomplished at that judgment, but it is being done in part now and here, so that those who, in view of such remoteness of the judgment, have given themselves over to sin, may at least understand the events of the present time. If none of the wicked were punished at all, and none of the good received a reward, then many of those who do not believe in the doctrine of the resurrection would deviate from virtue as the cause of evil, and would cling to sin as the cause of good; On the other hand, if all were to be rewarded according to their merits, some would think that the doctrine of judgment was superfluous and false. Therefore, so that this teaching may not be questioned, and so that the majority of the ignorant people may not become worse through carelessness, God is here punishing many of the sinners and rewarding some of the righteous; by not doing this to all, He confirms the doctrine of judgment, but by punishing some even before the judgment, awakening those who are asleep in a deep sleep. In view of the punishment of the wicked, many are corrected, fearing that they too may suffer the same; and because not everyone here receives the reward according to their merits, many involuntarily come to the idea that it has been postponed to some other time. A righteous God, of course, would not have allowed so many of the wicked to die unpunished, and the good to suffer innumerable calamities, if He had not prepared for both of them a different condition in the age to come. Wherefore He does not punish and reward all, but only some, such as the king of Persia and Hezekiah, though there were many wicked like that Assyrian, and virtuous like Hezekiah, but God did not do to all as He did to them; The reason is, as I said, the time of judgment has not yet come. And that this teaching is not mine, listen to Him Himself, Who will then judge us. When they came to Him and told Him about the death of those crushed by the tower, and about the folly of Pilate, which he showed in relation to the dead, mixing their blood with sacrifices, then what does Christ say? Do you think that these Galileans are more sinful than all the Galileans, because they suffered in this way? but if ye do not repent, ye shall all perish. Or they are ten, on whom the pillar of Siloam falls, and slay them, do you think that they are the most due, more than all those who dwell in Jerusalem; no, I say to you, but if you do not repent, you will all perish (Luke XIII, 2-5). This is the reason for the slowdown. For this reason God does not suddenly punish all who are worthy of punishment, so that through the misfortunes of some all others may become better. So let the proposed question be resolved. But perhaps you also wish to solve the question which has been proposed above, and which is much more difficult than this? However, I think that when this is explained by us as far as possible, then the first question is also the beginning of the solution. What is it that perplexes you? The fact that many from the first age to death struggled with many misfortunes. To this, as well as to the former, I will say that God punishes them, first, for their own vices; and then that others may benefit from their misfortunes. If this does not happen to everyone, it is because now is not yet the time of judgment. Why, then, will you say, are some, before they reach the age when they can distinguish between good and evil, who are already punished as great criminals? There is not one reason for this, but many different ones. This can occur from the intemperance of parents, and from the negligence of educators, and from changes in the air, and from many other similar circumstances. Moreover, God knows about many of them that they will be vicious, and therefore He binds them in advance with punishments, as if with some kind of fetters. Do you not see that even among the poor, many of the poor, in the most deplorable situation, commit many crimes, not from grief or hunger, but solely from their depravity? Once I heard from some people that beggars, seizing a noble and beautiful woman, dishonored her in a deserted place. What need, what grief impelled them to such a deed? What crime would they not have committed, if misfortunes had not restrained them like chains? And who could endure the frenzy and unbridled imprisonment? Those possessed by a demon behave no better than they do. I am not talking about what they do during the fits of demonic possession, but about what happens after these attacks have ceased: they indulge in gluttony, and steal, and drink, and do much more abominable deeds. Therefore, just as the judge leaves many criminals to live in prison for a long time, and often they end their lives there, when he wants to warn the people, he takes one or two of them, sits down on an elevated place, and orders the criminal to be led to death in front of all those who are coming, not considering it necessary to do the same with all criminals in order to intimidate the rest; so also for God, when He deigns to admonish us, all the wicked are not needed, but He takes some of them, of whom He knows that they are incorrigible, and over them He manifests His power and wrath, and through this He does many useful things. By this he disposes the wicked to abandon their wickedness, if they will, and makes the good more attentive, and shows his long-suffering, and confirms to all, as I said above, the doctrine of the resurrection. But what is the use of this, you will say, to those who spent their entire first age in misery, and died before they had time to distinguish between good and evil? But tell me, what harm do they endure, when they are not yet aware of their misfortune, and know neither to grieve nor to rejoice? And not only by this I resolve the proposed question, but also by the fact that parents, brothers, and relatives are also brought to their senses by such misfortunes; and it is no small gain if, of that from which one suffers no harm, the other receives the greatest benefit. However, there may be some other secret reason for this, known only to our Creator.

9. One more question remains: Why did those who lived righteously before the temptations fall after the temptations? But who truly knows those who live righteously, except Him who created our hearts in private, and Who understands all our works (Psalm. XXXII, 15)? Many of those who appear to be virtuous often turn out to be the most vicious of all. This was also manifested in real life, but only in relation to some, on some occasion and out of some necessity. But when he who searches our hearts and bowels, who is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, who passes even to the division of soul and body, members and marrow, and who judges by thought and thought sits down to judge us (Heb. IV, 12), then you will see not only a few of the many, but all openly as they really are, and neither the wolf will be hidden by the sheep's skin, nor the coloring of the tomb by his inner uncleanness; for there is no creation manifested before Him, but all naked, and is declared before His eyes (Heb. IV, 13). This also Paul, explaining to the Corinthians, said: "In the same way before the time judge nothing, until the Lord comes, Who in the light will bring secret darkness, and will declare the counsels of the heart" (1 Cor. IV, 5). However, leaving the hypocrites, let us say about those who live righteously: how do we know that, having many virtues, they did not neglect the main of them – humility? For this reason God departed from them, so that they would know that they did good deeds not by their own power, but by the grace of God. But if anyone says that it is better to be proud of doing good than to humble oneself by sinning, he does not understand at all the harm of pride, nor the benefit of humility. Of course, you know well that a person who does good with pride, if only it is possible to do good in this way, will soon come to extreme destruction. Whoever has allowed himself to fall and has learned humility by falling, will soon, if he will, rise up and reform; but whoever does apparent good with pride and does not tolerate anything unpleasant, will never feel his sinfulness, but will increase the evil, and unnoticed by himself will depart from here without good works, like the Pharisee who entered the temple, thinking of himself that he was rich in every virtue, and went out when he learned that he was poorer even than the publican (Luke 1:11). XVIII, 10). There is another kind of evil that has great power to abolish good, gathered with great effort and labor, and that is the wind of vanity. It is indeed, like a rushing wind, blowing away all the treasures of virtue. Behold, the second reason for the fall of those who live righteously has been revealed to us, as thou hast said. Many, who seem to us to have endured and are enduring great labors for virtue, because they have done everything for the sake of honor with men, and not with God, are allowed to fall into temptation, so that, having lost human glory, for which they have endured all deprivations, and having learned that it is in essence no better than the flower of grass, they will finally cleave to God alone and do everything for Him. In addition, there are many other reasons for this, but, as I have said, they are hidden from us, but are known to our Creator – God. Let us not murmur against Him for what is happening to us, but let us give thanks: this is effective for grateful servants. You wonder that the unclean (spirit) attacked you, not in former times, when you were luxurious and surrounded yourself with worldly splendour, but now that you have given up all these things and given yourself entirely to God; but it is as if you were wondering why no one disturbs the spectators, but the one who has signed up for wrestling, prepared and went to the place of wrestling, is attacked by the opponent of all, strikes him in the head and hits him in the face. It is not surprising or deplorable that the demon should grieve, oppress, and trouble those who have decided to fight—for such is the law of struggle—but if it overcomes, and overthrows, and deprives of reward—this is terrible! And as long as he is not able to do this, he will not only do us no harm, but will also bring us the greatest benefit, giving us more honor by a strong struggle with us. In the same way, among warriors, the best is the one who can show the most wounds and who has engaged in single combat with the strongest of opponents; and of the wrestlers we are especially amazed at those who enter into battle with the invincible (as the bravest of opponents are called); and of the hunters, he is considered the strongest who goes out against the wildest animals. Is your demon shameless and fearless? But therefore I never cease to be amazed and amazed at you, that you, having received such an adversary, did not fall, did not betray yourself, but remained unyielding and did not yield to him in anything.