69. For a long time you have been enslaved to the flesh to destruction, but now sober up in mind, enslave the flesh to the spirit, cleave to the Lord, and He will grant you the petition of your heart. Loving peace, sweetness, and gluttony, thou hast been likened to senseless beasts; now strive to return the first goodness, seek the highest, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God (cf. Col. 3:1). Thy true fatherland is the heavenly Jerusalem, and thy fellow-citizens and friends are the firstborn, written in the Book of Life. Look at heaven, earth, and sea, and consider that if the visible is beautiful, then what should the invisible be like, do not stop at the first, but seek the second.

70. From the fulfillment of God's commandments in meekness and patience is born an undistracted and daring prayer, which presents to the Mystic God a mind naked from every substance, dispelling all the charms and temptations[33] of the demons. The flattering enemy, during the lifting up of the heart to God, predatorily creeps up and tries to entertain the pure and undisturbed communion of the soul with God, so that the fire that consumes it does not burn in its teaching, for the warmth of the heart in prayer is a burning flame for the demons.

71. As the sun, striking with its rays a glass vessel filled with water, warms both it and the water, so the invisible sun, Christ the Lord, reflected in the mind prayerfully contemplating Him, warms the entire nature of the soul.

72. Let our loins be girded and our lamps burning, for we do not know at what hour the thief, that is, death, will come. Let us not cease to beseech God with a broken heart, that He may deliver us from all those who persecute us, that they may not rapture our souls like a lion, who do not deliver but save us (cf. Psalm 7:3).

73. If you see a wise man, make your walk to him more often, and let your foot wipe out the threshold of his doors. Learn from him with diligence and enlighten your mind, delving into the power of the teaching offered to you.

74. Be diligent in attentive reading of the Divine Scriptures and do not be lazy to approach them often, whether you understand the power of words or not, for frequent instruction in it will resolve what is incomprehensible at the beginning. Often, what we do not understand today, we will understand tomorrow, by the grace of God, Who invisibly opens our minds to understand the Scriptures.

75. If you wish to adorn yourself with good works, adorn yourself everywhere and always. It is not the place that gives the power of virtue, but the mood of thought and disposition. Nothing can harm the sober and vigilant even in the midst of the city, as in the wilderness.

76. Where there is chastity, honesty, and the assembly of all virtues, there the grace of the Holy Spirit is abundantly kindled. The Apostle Paul says: "Have peace, and holiness with all" (Heb. 12:14). Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of the flesh and spirit, let us be sober and vigilant (cf. 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:6).

77. After the meal, it is a time of thanksgiving, not of idle talk, not of sleep, but of prayer.

78. Prepare your deeds for the end, so that you may stand before that dreadful throne without condemning deeds. As long as we are here, we have good hopes, and when we depart, we will no longer have time for repentance.

79. Examine the Scriptures (John 5:39), for how can one be saved without frequent feeding on the reading of the Scriptures? Whoever wishes to please God must not only read His word, but must be skilful in his work, not slothful, and not given over to vanity.

80. Strive to abstain from all (1 Corinthians 9:25): from idle talk, condemnation, foul language, vanity, covetousness, and gluttony, although sometimes it happens that he meets with some temptation in his conscience. Every day he compels himself to fast, to the narrowness of his life, to poverty, for otherwise it is impossible to please God.

81. Do not judge a person by his outward appearance, but first test his inner mood. In the tree, what are you looking at – the leaves or the fruit? So it is in man, lest the wolf be mistaken for a sheep. It is not the external that constitutes man, but the internal. What is the use if you have honor and riches, but have no soul?

82. Marriage is not a sin, but fornication. A wife is a helper, not a libeler[34].