This is what God usually does. Hinting at this, Paul also says, "He who comforts us in all tribulation" (v. 4). But by this he shows something new. What is it? That God doesn't do it once, not twice, but always. Not so that he comforts now, but forsakes at another time; but always and in every time of sorrow He gives consolation. For this reason (the Apostle) said: "He who comforts," and not "he who comforts," and "in all tribulation"; not in one or the other, but "in all our afflictions, that we also may be able to comfort those who are in every affliction with that consolation with which God comforteth ourselves." Do you see how he prepares a justification for himself, reminding the listener of the great tribulation? And at the same time he humbles himself when he says that this mercy itself was shown not for the sake of his dignity, but for the sake of those who should receive edification from him. For this reason, he says, God has comforted us, that we may comfort one another. But in these same words he also makes the dignity of the apostles felt, when he shows that, having received consolation and rest, he does not give himself over to carelessness, as we do, but proceeds to excite, strengthen, and restore others. And some also give the words (of the Apostle) such a meaning that our consolation is at the same time a consolation for others. And it seems to me that here, in the form of an introduction, he also directs his speech against the false apostles, who boast in vain, sit at home and indulge in bliss. However, he does not hint at this directly, but as if in passing; his main goal was to justify himself in his slowdown. "If," he says, "we ourselves are comforted in order to comfort others also, then do not reproach us for not coming to you, because all this time we have spent on repelling the evil intentions, attacks, and various evils that are brought against us." "For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, our comfort also abounds in Christ" (v. 5). In order not to discourage his disciples by describing his misfortunes too strongly, he also shows the great riches of consolation, and thus encourages their spirits; and not only by this he encourages them, but also by reminding them of Christ, saying of his sufferings that they are the sufferings of Christ, and thus, before any other consolation, derives consolation from the sorrows themselves. Indeed, what can be more pleasant than to be a partaker of Christ, and to endure suffering for His sake? What can be equal to this consolation? And not only in this way, but also in other ways, he restores the souls of the afflicted. With what? By saying, "multiply." He did not say, "How the sufferings of Christ overtake us," but, "How they abound," showing that (the apostles) endure not only the sufferings of Christ, but even greater. We have endured, he says, not only the sufferings that He endured, but also those that abound. Christ was persecuted, persecuted, beaten, died. But we, he says, have endured more. This alone is enough for consolation. And no one suspects exaggeration here. Here he says in another place: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I make up for what is lacking in my flesh" (Colossians 1:24). And in neither place is there impudence or self-boasting. Just as (the Apostles) performed greater signs than Christ Himself ("He that believeth on Me," says the Lord, "shall also do more than these" – John 14:12), – although He does all this, working in them – so they suffered more than He – although this again belongs to the Lord alone, Who comforted them and gave them strength to endure the evils that befell them.

4. Wherefore Paul, too, feeling himself how much he has said, see how again he softens what he has said, saying, "By Christ also our consolation abounds"; he attributes everything to the Lord, glorifying His love for mankind as well. Not only, he says, as much as we grieve, so much more we are comforted, but much more. He did not say that consolation is equal to suffering, but: "consolation abounds" [consolation abounds], so that the time of podvig is at the same time the time of new crowns. Indeed, tell me, what can be equal to how to endure scourging for Christ and be worthy of conversing with God for it, to be stronger than all, to triumph over one's persecutors, to be above the whole universe, and to expect such blessings as "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man" and the ear did not hear, and the heart of man did not ascend] (1 Cor. 2:9)? What can be equal to enduring sorrows for the sake of piety, and for this to be vouchsafed innumerable consolations from God, to receive the remission of so many sins, to be worthy of the Spirit, sanctification and justification, to fear and tremble at no one, and to be the most glorious of all in the midst of the most misfortunes? Therefore, let us not be discouraged in times of temptation. None of those who love amusement, who rest carelessly and enjoy themselves, none of those who lead a pampered and distracted life, can be a partaker of Christ. But whoever spends his life in the midst of sorrows and temptations, and walks the narrow path, is close to Him. After all, He Himself walked the same path - why He said: "The Son of Man has not where to lay His head" (Matt. 8:20).

Therefore, do not grieve if you endure sorrows, thinking to whom you partake through them, how you are purified through temptations, and what great benefit you receive from them. Truly, there is nothing grievous and sad except an offense to God. If this is not the case, then neither sorrow, nor intrigue, nor anything else can grieve the divinely wise soul. On the contrary, just as a small spark thrown into the great abyss of the sea is immediately extinguished, so any sorrow, even the greatest, when it is clung to a good conscience, is easily dispelled and immediately disappears. For this reason Paul always rejoiced, because he always struggled in matters pleasing to God, and did not even notice the great evils that befell him; although he felt sorrow as a man, he did not lose heart. In the same way, the great patriarch did not cease to rejoice, although many sorrows befell him. Look: he lost his homeland, was forced to undertake a long and arduous journey; having come to someone else's land, he did not have even an inch of property on it; here, again, hunger met him and forced him to move from one place to another; The famine was followed by the abduction of his wife, the fear of death, childlessness, war, danger, the malice of his neighbors, and finally, the greatest of all sorrows – the grievous and unbearable slaughter of the only-begotten and beloved son. He obeyed God unquestioningly; but do not think, therefore, that he bore all this indifferently. Even though he was supremely righteous, as he really was, he was still a man and subject to the infirmities of human nature. And yet nothing could slay him; He stood firm as a courageous warrior, crowning himself with a crown of victory after each temptation. In the same way, Blessed Paul, seeing the clouds of temptations that came upon him every day, in the midst of them, as in the midst of paradise, was comforted, rejoiced and rejoiced. But just as he who rejoices in this joy cannot be captivated by despondency, so, on the contrary, he who does not acquire it becomes easily perceptible to any sorrow, and suffers the same thing as the poorly armed, whom even a slight blow wounds. On the contrary, he who is well armed from everywhere conveniently repels every blow directed against him. But joy for God is stronger than any weapon, and whoever has it, nothing can bring him to despondency and faint-heartedness; on the contrary, he endures everything courageously. What can be worse than fire, what is more cruel than unceasing torment? Even if someone has lost innumerable riches, or children, or anything like that, this (fire and torment) is more intolerable than all sorrows. "Skin," it is said, "for skin, and for his life a man shall give all that he has" (Job 2:4). Thus, there is nothing more painful than torment; but joy for God and for the ear makes unbearable torments bearable and even pleasant. And if you were to remove from a tree or from a frying pan a barely breathing martyr, you would find in him such joy as it is impossible to depict. But they will say: "How can I suffer now, when the time of martyrdom has passed? What are you saying? Is the time of martyrdom now past?" It never passes, on the contrary, it is always before our eyes, if only we are awake. After all, it is not hanging only on a tree that makes a martyr. If this had been so, then Job would have been left without the crown of martyrdom. He did not stand before the judgment seat, did not hear the voice of the judge, did not see the torturer, was not shaved in the ribs, hanged and lifted up on a tree. And yet he suffered more than many martyrs; the reports of the messengers, who came one after another, struck him more than any blow and pierced him from all sides; and the mouth of worms, fiercer than a multitude of executioners from everywhere, tormented him.

5. With what martyr, then, can he not be equaled? Truly (he is equal) with innumerable many. He endured the struggle and gathered crowns from everywhere - from the loss of property, and from the death of children, and from the rotting of the body, and from the reproaches of his wife, and from friends, and from enemies, and even from his servants - because they also spat on his face - and from hunger, and from dreams, and from excruciating pain, and from the stench. That is why I said that he could be equal not to one, not to two, not to three, but to an innumerable multitude of martyrs. In addition to what has been said, time itself gives a great advantage to his crowns, because he endured these sorrows before the law and grace, he endured them for many months, and all of them in the highest degree, moreover, all these misfortunes fell upon him suddenly, while each of them in itself is intolerable, not excluding even the loss of acquisitions, which, apparently (in)more tolerable than other evils. In fact, many have suffered blows, but have not suffered the loss of property; on the contrary, they preferred to endure scourging and many other torments rather than give up some of their possessions, so that the loss of them was considered the heaviest blow to themselves. Thus, the loss of property is a kind of martyrdom for the one who bravely endures it. But how, you say, can you bravely endure such losses? You will learn this when you learn that through one word of gratitude you will gain more than you have lost. For if, when we hear of the destruction of our goods, we are not troubled, but say, "Blessed be God," we shall thereby acquire much greater riches. And indeed, it is not so much that you will benefit by spending your wealth on the poor, by going everywhere and looking for the poor, by squandering all that you have on the hungry, as you will gain by this word alone. That is why I am not so much amazed at Job, who opened his house to the poor, as I am amazed and exclaim with amazement, seeing how he endured the loss of his possessions with thanksgiving. The same can be applied to the loss of children. And here you can receive no less reward than the one who laid it on the altar and was ready to sacrifice his son, if, seeing your offspring dying, you give thanks to the humane God. In fact, what will be lower than Abraham if he does this? Abraham had not yet seen (his son) lying dead, but was only preparing for it, so that if he had the advantage in that he wanted to sacrifice (his son), he stretched out his hand and took the knife, on the other hand, he yields in that his son is already lying dead. Abraham was also encouraged by the conviction that he was performing a valiant deed, and that this glorious deed was the work of his own courage; and a voice from heaven, heard by him, inspired him to this feat; here, on the contrary, there is nothing of the kind. That is why he who sees his only-begotten son prostrate and lying in the tomb, brought up in wealth and giving good hopes, must have an adamantine soul in order to meekly endure the misfortune that has befallen him. And if such a person, having tamed his natural agitation, is able to say with Job without tears: "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away" (1:21), then for this one word he will stand in line with Abraham and will be glorified together with Job. And if, having stopped the cries of women and forbidden the cries of those who mourn, he turns everyone to the praise of God, then he will receive innumerable honors both from God and from people: people will marvel at him, angels will applaud him, God will crown him with glory.

6. But how can I not cry, you say, when I am a man? (You can), if you think about the fact that both the patriarch and Job, being both men, did not experience anything of the kind, and moreover, both living before law and grace, and not yet knowing those divinely wise laws that we have; if you realize that the deceased has moved to a better country and passed to a better inheritance, and that you have not lost your son, but have only sent him to a safer dwelling. Therefore do not say, "I can no longer be called father." Why don't you be called father when your son lives? Have you lost your child? Have you ruined your son? On the contrary, you have acquired it, and possess it with greater security: by this you will not only be called a father here, but also in heaven, and not only have you not lost the name of a father, but have acquired the right to a still greater name: you will no longer be called the father of a mortal son, but of an immortal one, the father of a courageous warrior who dwells forever in the house of God. Do not think that he is already dead, if he does not stand before you. For if he were now on a journey, his bodily absence would not have terminated the bond of kinship between you. Do not fix your eyes on the face of the one lying down, for by doing so you will arouse suffering in yourself; but lift up thy thought from that which lies down to heaven. This lying corpse is not your son, but the one who flew away and ascended to an immeasurable height.

But if what you see saddens you, then say to yourself: this is a garment, and he threw it off in order to receive it again, but of greater value, this is a house, but it is destroyed in order to become lighter.

Therefore do not say that he is lost, and that he will be no more; these are the words of unbelievers; but say, He sleeps, and shall rise; he set out on his journey and will return with the King. Who says that? The one who has Christ speaking in him. "For if we believe," says (the Apostle), "that Jesus died, and rose again, and lives, then also through Jesus God will bring with Him" (1 Thess. 4:14). Therefore, if you seek a son, look for him where the King is, where the host of angels is, not in the tomb, not in the earth, so that, while he is exalted to such a height, you yourself will not remain prostrate on earth. If we are thus inquisitive, we will easily overcome any such sorrow.

Amen.

[1] In the book – Rom. 4:2.

CONVERSATION 2

"Do we grieve, [we grieve] for your comfort and salvation, which is accomplished by enduring the same sufferings that we also endure. And our hope in you is firm" (2 Corinthians 1:6-7).

1. Having offered one and the main motive for consolation (namely, communion with Christ), (the Apostle) adds another, namely, that (the sorrows endured by the Apostles) contribute to the arrangement of the salvation of those who are instructed in the faith. "Therefore do not lose heart," he says, "do not be troubled, and do not give yourselves over to fear because we endure sorrows; on the contrary, this very thing should fill you with cheerfulness and hope. Indeed, if we were not subjected to sorrows, it would lead us all to destruction. How and why? For if we, out of faint-heartedness and fear of calamity, did not preach the word to you to teach you true knowledge, then your salvation would be in extreme danger." Do you see again the strength and firmness of Paul? The more they were troubled, the more he comforts them. "The more burdensome," he says, "our persecutions become, the more should good hope increase in you, because the more are the means to your salvation, the more opportunities for consolation are revealed. For what can bring you so much consolation as the great blessings which you receive from our preaching?" Having said: "Do we grieve, [we grieve] for your comfort and salvation" [if we grieve, for your consolation and salvation], he adds: "which is accomplished by enduring the same sufferings that we also endure" [acting in the endurance of the same sufferings, which we also suffer]. He expresses the same thing more clearly below, saying: "You share in our sufferings as well as in consolation" [as partakers of passion, as well as consolation], but here he expressed this for the time being, summarizing his speech with the words: "of the same sufferings." The meaning of his words is as follows: "We were not the only authors of your salvation, but you yourselves. As we, preaching, endure sorrows, so you, accepting our word, endure the same: we in order to pass on to you what we ourselves have received, and you in order to receive what is handed down and not to lose it." With what can we compare such humility of Paul, when he places even those who are so far removed from him in virtue on the same level of patience as himself? It is he who says: "which is accomplished by enduring the same sufferings" [acting in the endurance of the same sufferings], that is, not only by the fact that your salvation is arranged because you believe, but also by the fact that you suffer and endure in the same way as we do.

It becomes manifest, grows and exalts when it is combined with patience, suffering, and courageous endurance of all evils. Thus, the real power of salvation does not consist in not doing evil, but in (bravely) enduring evil. And he did not say, "which we do," but "which is done," showing that the grace that works in them has done much along with their own zeal. "And our hope in you is sure" (v. 7). That is, although you endure innumerable calamities, yet we are sure that you will not fall away even when you are persecuted. Not only do we not suspect that you will be troubled by our sufferings, but we also hope that you will remain firm even when you yourselves are exposed to dangers. See what fruit the first epistle (of Paul) bore in them! Here he praised them much more than he had praised and extolled the Macedonians in the first epistle. For these he feared, and therefore said: "And they sent Timothy to you to strengthen you and comfort you in your faith, so that no one may be shaken in these afflictions: for you yourselves know that this is what is destined for us" [Timothy sent to you, to strengthen you and comfort you in the faith, so that no one can be troubled in these afflictions. And again: "Wherefore I also, no longer enduring, sent to inquire concerning your faith, lest the tempter tempt you, and our labor be made in vain" (1 Thessalonians 3:2, 3, 5). Of the Corinthians he says nothing of the kind, but on the contrary writes: "And our hope in you is firm. If we are comforted, [we are comforted] for your consolation and salvation, knowing that you share both in our sufferings and in our consolation" [Our hope is known about you. That for their sake the apostles endured sorrows, he has already shown above, when he said: "Do we grieve, [we grieve] for your comfort and salvation" [if we grieve, for your consolation and salvation], and now he wants to show that (the apostles) were comforted for their own sake. And above he spoke of this, though not so definitely, when he said, "Blessed be God, who comforteth us in all our afflictions." And here again he says the same thing in different words, but much more clearly and edifying. "If we are comforted, [we are comforted], he says, for your comfort and salvation." The meaning of these words is this: "Our consolation turns into comfort for you, even if we happen to comfort you with words. If we receive only a little consolation, then even this is sufficient for your consolation. And even if we alone happen to receive consolation, and this will console you, because just as you accept our sufferings as if they were your own, so you must consider our consolation your own. If you participate in our sorrows, why do you not share in our joys? But if you have fellowship with us in all things, both in sorrow and in consolation, then do not blame me for delaying so long to come to you, for we are both sorrowful for your sake and comforted for you." Lest it seem grievous to anyone that it is said that for you we endure sorrows, he adds that "for you we are comforted; and we are not alone in suffering afflictions, for you, too," he says, "share with us in the same sufferings."

2. Thus, taking them as partners in disasters, and attributing to them the cause of his calamity, (the Apostle thereby softens his word). "Therefore whether he builds snares for us," he says, "be strong in spirit, for we endure these things that your faith may be made stronger. Is consolation given to us, and you rejoice in it, because we receive it for your sake, so that you also may have some consolation from here, as partakers in our joy." And what he really says now of the kind of consolation which he received, not only being comforted by the Corinthians, but also knowing that they were relieved in afflictions, hear it later, where he made it clear, saying, "Knowing that ye share in our afflictions and in consolation," and consolation]. That is, just as when we are persecuted, you grieve, as if you yourself were persecuted, so we are sure that when we receive consolation, you receive it as if you yourself enjoyed it. What can be more humble than such a soul? He who has suffered so many tribulations calls those who have not suffered even the least part of them partakers in them; and speaking of consolation, he ascribes the whole reason for it to them, and not to his own labors. Then, since he spoke of afflictions vaguely, he goes on to name the place where he endured them: "For we do not want to leave you, brethren, ignorant of our affliction which was with us in Asia" (v. 8). "We tell you," he says, "of these things, so that you may not be ignorant of what has happened to us. We want you to know everything that happens to us, and we care very much about it." And this is the greatest proof of his love for them. He said the same thing in the first epistle: "For a great and wide door is open to me, and there are many adversaries" in Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:9). And so, wishing to make known to them his afflictions and all that he suffered, he says: "We do not want to leave you, brethren, ignorant of our affliction that was with us in Asia." He wrote a similar thing in his Epistle to the Ephesians; And when he sent Tychicus to them, he gave the same reason for his embassy: "And that ye also may know," he says, "of my circumstances and affairs, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, whom I have sent to you for this very reason, that you may know of us, and that he may comfort your hearts." what I do, Tychicus, beloved brother and faithful servant of the Lord, will tell you all things: "His messengers are to you on this matter, that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts" (Ephesians 6:21, 22). He does the same in the other epistles. And this was not superfluous, but on the contrary, it was very necessary, both because of his great love for his disciples, and because of his incessant temptations, in which the greatest consolation was to know each other's mutual condition, so that, if it was sorrowful, they might prepare for podvig and arm themselves with courage against dangers, and if it was joyful, then they would share the joy together. Here, however, he speaks both of the attack of temptations and of deliverance from them: "For we have been weighed down exceedingly and beyond our strength" – like a ship burdened beyond measure with some burden and ready to sink. It seems that (the Apostle) expresses the same thing by the words "excessively" and "beyond strength"; In reality, however, they are not the same thing. Namely, lest anyone should say: "However great the danger was, it was not great for thee," (in order to warn this) the Apostle added that it was both great and exceeded our strength, and moreover so much exceeded, "that we had no hope of living," that is, we no longer hoped to remain alive. What David calls "the gates of hell," "mortal sickness," and "the shadow of death" (Psalm 87), the Apostle expresses the same thing, saying that we were exposed to such a danger that it undoubtedly threatened death. "But we had in ourselves the sentence of death, that we might trust, not in ourselves, but in God, who raises up the dead" (v. 9). What does "sentence to death" [condemnation of death] mean? It means a sentence, a determination, an expectation of death. Thus did the deeds speak, such was the sentence pronounced by the circumstances that had happened, that is, that we must surely die. However, this did not happen in reality, but was limited only to our expectation. Although the state of affairs foreshadowed such an end, the power of God did not allow this sentence to be carried out, allowing it to be carried out only in our thoughts and expectations. That is why He says: "in themselves," and not in reality, "they had a sentence to death" [condemnation of death by Imech]. Why did God allow us to be exposed to such danger that we even lost hope and despaired of life? "That we may trust," he says, "not in ourselves, but in God."