1. Since (the apostle) required (of the Romans) great severity in life, commanding them to be dead to the world, to die to iniquity, and to remain firm in regard to the action of sins, and since it seemed that he was saying something great and heavy, even exceeding human nature, therefore, desiring to prove that he did not require anything excessive, or even so much as would be due of man, He who has made use of such a great gift (of grace), but which is very commensurate with human strength and easy, he reveals it from the contrary, and says, "I speak according to the reasoning of men," that is, he seems to have spoken according to human considerations, in relation to what usually happens; By the word "according to human reasoning" he denotes proportionality, as in another place he says, "A temptation has come upon you that is not other than that of men" (1 Cor. 10:13), that is, that is, commensurate with strength and small. "As ye have given your members into bondage uncleanness and iniquity unto iniquity, so now present your members as servants of righteousness unto holy works." Though there is a great difference between the masters, yet (the Apostle) demands that they be served equally. It would be necessary to offer much more, and as much more, as the dominion of righteousness is greater and better than the dominion of sin, nevertheless (says the Apostle), I ask nothing more, because of your "weakness." And he did not say, "Because of the weakness of your will or diligence," but, "Because of the weakness of your flesh," to make the speech less disagreeable. But one thing is uncleanness, and another is holiness, another is iniquity, and another is righteousness. And who is so miserable and poor as not to bring the same zeal into the service of Christ with which he served sin and the devil? Listen, however, to what (saith the Apostle) further, then thou shalt know plainly that we do not bring even this little. Since what was thus said seemed simply incredible and improbable, and no one would consent to hear that he did not serve Christ as much as he served the devil, he reveals this in the following words, and proves the certainty, bringing slavery itself into the middle, and saying how sin was served. "For when you were slaves to sin," says (the apostle), "then you were free from righteousness" (Rom. 6:20). It makes sense that when you have lived in wickedness, wickedness, and terrible evil, you have lived with such obedience to sin that you have done nothing good at all. This is "free from righteousness," that is, you were not subject to righteousness, but were utterly alien to it. You have not divided the work of service between right and sin, but you have given yourselves over entirely to iniquity. Wherefore even now, since ye have laid aside the righteousness, give yourselves wholly to virtue, and do nothing evil at all, that ye may accomplish even an equal measure. But not only is there no resemblance in dominion, but there is a great difference in slavery itself; This is the same thing that he reveals with great clarity, and shows what slavery was before and what it is now. And he does not yet speak of the harm that came from this case, but for the time being only of disgrace. "What fruit did you have then? [Such works] of which you yourselves are now ashamed" (v. 21)? Slavery was such that even the memory of it now brings shame. And if the memory makes you ashamed, then how much more so is the matter itself. Thus you have now received a twofold benefit: you have been freed from shame and have learned the condition in which you have been; In the same way, as at that time they suffered a twofold harm: they did what was shameful, and were not aware of shame; This is even worse than the first, and yet you remained in slavery. Having thus sufficiently proved the harm of former acts on the ground of shame, he proceeds to the consequence itself. What is the consequence? "Their end is death" (v. 21). As shame does not yet seem to be a very heavy burden, he passes on to the most terrible thing, that is, death, although what has been said above has sufficed. Consider, then, how excessive is the evil, when, having been freed from punishment, they could not rid themselves of shame. What reward can you expect for such a deed, from which you are covered with shame and blush at the mere remembrance, although you have already been delivered from punishment and enjoy an abundance of grace? But this is not slavery to God. "But now," continues (the apostle), "when you have been delivered from sin, and have become servants of God, your fruit is holiness, and the end is eternal life" (v. 22). The fruit of former works, even after deliverance, was shame, but the fruit of the present is sanctification, and where there is sanctification, there is much hope. The end of those works was death, and the end of these is eternal life.

2. Have you noticed that (the apostle) points to one thing as given and the other as expected? But according to the given, there is confidence in what is expected, according to the sanctification, in life. And lest thou be able to say that all things are only things to be expected, (the Apostle) proves that thou hast already received fruit here: first, thou hast been freed from iniquity, and from those evil deeds, of which the mere remembrance brings shame; secondly, he was enslaved to the truth; thirdly, he was sanctified; Fourthly, he has attained to life, and not temporal life, but eternal life. But for all this, says the Apostle, serve God at least as much as you have served sin. In spite of the fact that Vladyka has an incomparable superiority, and the difference in both the service itself and the rewards for which you serve is great, I do not demand anything more for the time being. Then, as he mentions the arms and the king, he goes on to say, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (v. 23). Having said that death is the wages of sin, he did not preserve the same order with regard to good works, nor did he say, "The reward of your merits," but "the gift of God," showing that we were not freed of our own accord, nor received a duty, nor a reward, nor a reward for our labors, but all this happened by grace. And from this we see the advantage of grace, because it has not only set us free, and not only brought us to a better place, but has accomplished all this without our efforts and labors; she not only delivered, but bestowed much more, through the Son. All this he pointed out, because he also spoke about grace and had to reject the law. And in order that both might not dispose to greater carelessness, he inserted the doctrine of the strictness of life, constantly urging the hearer to concern himself with virtue. Likewise, by what death has called the bondage of sin, he again wants to terrify and affirm about the future. By what brings to mind the past, it also induces them to gratitude and strengthens them against whatever they meet. And so, having finished his moral teaching, he returns to the dogmas and says, "Do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law)" (7:1). Since he has said that we have died to sin, he proves here that not only sin, but also the law has no power over us. And if the law has no power, how much more is sin. And wishing to make the speech pleasant, he explains it by an example taken from human life. And he seems to speak of one thing, but offers two proofs of the subject: first, that the wife, after the death of her husband, is not subject to the law concerning that husband, nor is she forbidden to become the wife of another; And secondly, that in the present case not only the husband is dead, but also the wife, so that a double liberty may be enjoyed. If, after the death of her husband, she was freed from power, how much more did she become free when she herself was dead. If one circumstance frees her from power, how much more so both circumstances together. And so, when he comes to expound the argument concerning this, he begins his discourse by praising his hearers, and says, "Do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law)," that is, I speak of a matter very well known and clear, and I say to those who know all these things exactly, "that the law has power over a man as long as he lives" (7:1). He did not say, "Over man or wife," but, "Over man," for that name belongs to both. "For he that hath died," he says, "hath been freed from sin" (6:7). Therefore the law is laid down for the living, but does not extend to the dead. Do you notice how he depicted a twofold freedom? Later; After alluding to this at the beginning, he speaks of the wife in his argument, saying: "A married woman is bound by law to a living husband; and if her husband dies, she is exempt from the law of marriage. Wherefore, if she marries another while her husband is alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, and will not be an adulteress if she marries another husband" (7:2,3). (The Apostle) reveals this often and with great accuracy, because he is firmly convinced of the truth he is proving. And by the name of the husband he means the law, and by the name of the wife of all believers. And then, he draws a conclusion that does not agree with the previous one. It should have been said, "Wherefore, my brethren, the law shall have no power over you, for it is dead." But he did not say so, but in the foregoing he alluded to it, and in conclusion, in order to make his speech not offensive to the Jews, he represented the woman already dead, and said, "In the same way, my brethren, ye are dead to the law," v. 4. If both circumstances give the same liberty, what hinders the obedience of the law, if the matter does no harm? "A married woman is bound by law to her living husband." Where are the slanderers of the law now? Let them hear how (the Apostle), being in necessity, does not deprive him of his dignity, but speaks respectfully of his authority, saying that if the law lives, the Jew is bound to it, and that those are adulterers who transgress and forsake the law while he is alive; And if anyone leaves him after death, it is not at all strange, for even among men he who does such things is not to be condemned. "And if her husband dies, she is exempt from the law of marriage."

3. Do you notice how by this example he shows that the law is dead? But it is not in conclusion that he expresses this. "With a living husband ... is called an adulteress." See how persistent he is in accusing the violators of the living law. Since the law has ceased to exist, it is possible to replace it with faith without any fear, without in the least offending it. "If the husband is alive," says the Apostle, "the wife marries another, she is called an adulteress. … In the same way, my brethren," it should have been said, "Since the law is dead, you are not guilty of adultery, having married another man; But the Apostle did not say so, but how? "Dead to the law." If you are dead, you are not under the law. If the wife, after the death of her husband, is not subject to liability, how much more is she free from it when she herself dies. Have you noticed the wisdom of Paul, how he proved that by the will of the law it is possible to be separated from the law and become the wife of another husband? The law, he says, does not forbid marrying after the death of the first husband. And how can he forbid it, when even during the life of the husband he allows the wife to marry another, if she has received a divorce? However, (the apostle) does not mention that which was chiefly the fault of women, for though it was permitted, yet it was not altogether free from accusation. And when he has the opportunity to gain the victory by means of what is necessary and universally acknowledged, then he does not seek superfluous proofs, because he has no need of them. The wonderful thing, then, is that the law itself absolves us from guilt if we depart from it, so that it is the will that we should belong to Christ. And the law itself is dead, and we are dead, and the rights of power are doubly destroyed. But (the Apostle) is not satisfied with this alone, but adds a reason; He did not merely mention death, but again added that it was the Cross that accomplished it, and thus made us guilty. He doesn't just say, "You are free," but, "By the death of the Lord." It is said, "Died to the law in the body of Christ." And he convinces not only from this, but also by the superiority of the second husband, adding: "To belong to another, who rose from the dead." Then, so that they would not object: "What? What if we don't want to marry another husband? For the law does not acknowledge a widow who is remarried as an adulteress, nor does it compel her to a new union," lest this be said, (the Apostle) and proves that we ought to desire a new union, because of what Christ has already done for us. This he expressed more clearly in another place when he said, "You are not your own"; and, "You have been bought with a price," and again, "Do not become slaves of men" (1 Cor. 6:19,20; 7:23); and again, "One died for all... that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them" (2 Cor. 5:14,15). He meant the same thing here, when he said, "by the body." Then he convinces with high hopes, saying, "Let us bear fruit to God." Then you offered the fruit of death, but now to God. "For when we lived according to the flesh, then the passions of sin, [revealed] by the law, were at work in our members to bring forth the fruit of death" (Rom. 7:5). Do you see the fruit of the first husband? And he did not say, "When we were under the law," avoiding in every way to give any pretext to heretics, but he said, "When we lived according to the flesh," that is, in evil works, in the life of the flesh. He does not understand that hitherto they were in the flesh, but now they walk being incorporeal. Having said this, he does not say that the law was the cause of sins, nor does he deliver him from hatred, since the law has taken the position of a strict rebuke, revealing sins; And whoever gives great commands to a man who is not disinclined to obey, increases the transgression also. Wherefore he did not say, "The passions of sin which are under the law," but he says, "Found by the law" (δια του νομου), and did not even add, "Those which are," but simply, "by the law," that is, by the law, which are found or known. Then, in order not to accuse the flesh, he did not say, "The passions which were produced by the members," but, "At work in our members," showing that there is another principle of depravity in man, which does not depend on the governed members, but on the active thoughts. The soul occupied the position of an artist, and the nature of the flesh was like a harp and sounded as the artist made it sound. That is why the discordant game should be imputed not to the gusli, but to the artist. "But now," continues (the apostle), "having died to the law by which we were bound, we are freed from it" (v. 6). Do you see how he spares both the flesh and the law here again? He did not say that the law was abolished, or that the flesh was abolished, but, "We are set free." But when were they "liberated"? When the old man, possessed by sin, died and was buried. This is what the Apostle expressed, saying, "Dead to the law by which they were bound." It was as if he were saying, "The bonds that held us have decayed and been broken, so that the one who holds us, that is, sin, has nothing to hold." But don't fall, don't give yourself up to more carelessness; Thou hast been set free to serve again, not as before, but "that we may serve God in the renewal of the spirit, and not according to the old letter." What is Paul talking about here? It is necessary to reveal this so that we do not become embarrassed every time we encounter such an expression. When Adam sinned, says (the apostle), his body became mortal and passionate, it was found to be a multitude of natural defects, it became a stubborn and unbridled horse; but Christ, having come, by baptism, made the body lighter for us, lifting it up with the wing of the Spirit.

4. That is why we are facing feats that are not the same as those of the ancients, since at that time the path was not so convenient. Therefore (Christ)

What Christ commanded is necessary and obligatory, and whoever fails to do so is subject to extreme punishment. That is why He said, "Except your righteousness surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:20). And whoever does not see the kingdom will surely fall into hell. That is why Paul said above, "Sin shall not rule over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace" (Rom. 6:14), so now he says, "That we may serve God in the renewing of the spirit, and not according to the old letter." Now it is not the condemning letter, that is, the Old Law, but the Helping Spirit. To the ancients, therefore, it seemed very surprising that any one should observe virginity; and now this phenomenon has spread throughout the universe; And death was then despised by only a few men, but now in the villages and in the cities there are innumerable hosts of martyrs, consisting not only of men, but also of women. Then, having said this, he again resolves the objection that arises, and in this solution proves what he desires. At the same time, he does not present the solution directly, but through opposition, in order to obtain an excuse to say what he wanted by means of the necessity of the decision, and to make his accusation less harsh. Thus, when he said, "In the renewal of the spirit, and not according to the old letter," he added, "What shall we say? Is it sin for the law? No way" (7:7). It has been said above that "the passions of sin, [revealed] by the law, are at work in our members," and again, "Sin must not rule over you, for you are not under the law, but under grace," and also, "Where there is no law, there is no transgression" (4:15); and again, "The law came afterward, and thus the transgression was multiplied" (5:20); And again, "The law worketh wrath" (4:15). As all this seems to have been an accusation against the law, the Apostle, in order to remove such a suspicion, raises an objection, and says, "What shall we say? Is it sin for the law? Not at all." He answered in the negative before the argument, in order to win over the listener and to heal the one who was offended, for when he had heard and ascertained the direction of the apostle's thoughts, he would examine with him what seemed perplexing, and would not suspect the speaker; That is why the Apostle proposed an objection beforehand. At the same time, he did not express himself - what should I say? but - "What shall we say"? It was as if advice and opinion were given, and as if the whole church were assembled, and the objection did not come from the Apostle, but came from the sequence of what was said and from the essence of the matter. That the letter kills, no one will deny, says the Apostle; that the Spirit gives life, and that is clear, and no one can dispute it. Now, if there is no doubt about this, what can we say about the law? That it is sin? "No way." So, solve the perplexity. Have you noticed how (the apostle) places an adversary beside him, and, adopting the tone of a teacher, proceeds to decide? What is the solution? The law is not sin, says the Apostle, that "I have not known sin except by the law." Pay attention to the height of wisdom. That the law is not a sin, he set forth by means of an objection, in order that, by rejecting it, and thus pleasing the Jew, he might persuade him to accept that which is less important. What's less important? That "I knew sin in no other way than by the law. "For I should not understand the desire," he says, "if the law did not say, Thou shalt not covet" (7:7). Do you see how, little by little, he shows that the law is not only the accuser of sin, but in some way gives occasion for it? However, he reveals that this is not the fault of the law, but of the foolish Jews. He also tried to stop the mouths of the Manichaeans, who accused the law, saying, "I have not known sin except by the law. For I should not have understood the desire, if the law had not said, Thou shalt not covet," adding, "Sin, having taken the occasion of the commandment, has produced in me every desire" (v. 8).

5. Do you notice how (the apostle) freed the law from accusations? "Taking the occasion," says the Apostle, and not the law, increased lust, and the contrary of what the law desired, and this depended on weakness, and not on its bad disposition. Whenever we have lust for something and then encounter an obstacle, the flame of passion burns stronger. But this does not come from the law, which has imposed a prohibition in order to turn away altogether, but from sin, that is, your carelessness and your evil will have used good for evil. But it is not the physician who is to blame for the bad use of the medicine, but the patient. God did not give the law to inflame lust, but to quench it; The opposite happened; But it's not his fault, it's ours. It would be unjust to blame one who does not allow a person with a fever to be satisfied, and thereby increases in him the passion of this pleasure which is fatal to him; The doctor's job is only to forbid, and it is up to the patient himself to abstain. What if sin has received an occasion from the law? Many bad people increase their own depravity by means of good commands. Thus the devil destroyed Judas, plunging him into the love of money and inducing him to steal what belonged to the poor; But it was not the fact that he was entrusted with the money-box that made him so, but the cunning of the will. And it drove Adam and Eve out of Paradise, causing them to eat of the tree, and the tree was not to blame for it, though they were given occasion. Do not be surprised that Paul used very strong language in speaking of the law; He confines himself to what is necessary, depriving those who think otherwise of the possibility of finding in his words a cause for objection, and showing great diligence to depict the present correctly. Therefore, do not simply evaluate the present speech, but look into the reason that made (the apostle) say so, imagine the fury of the Jews, and their insurmountable obstinacy, which he tried to overcome. He seems to speak much against the law, not to condemn the law, but to destroy the obstinacy of the Jews. If, on the other hand, the law is blamed for the fact that sin was occasioned by it, it is found to have happened in the New Testament. And in the New Testament there are innumerable laws, and that concerning many very important subjects; And everyone can see that the same thing happens here, not only with regard to lust, but with regard to every vice in general. "If I had not come and spoken unto them," says (Christ), "they would have had no sin" (John 15:22). This means that sin has found content here as well, and the punishment has become greater. In the same way, Paul, speaking of grace, says: "How grievous punishment do you think he will be guilty of who tramples on the Son of God" (Hebrews 10:29)? Consequently, even the worse punishment received its occasion from this, from a greater beneficence. Likewise, the Apostle says of the Gentiles that they became unresponsive because, being endowed with reason, contemplating the beauty of nature, and having the opportunity to be guided by this path to the Creator, they did not make proper use of God's wisdom. Observe, that good deeds have in many cases been the occasion for greater punishment for the wicked. But, of course, let us not blame God's blessings for this; On the contrary, after this let us be still more astonished at them, and condemn the mood of those who have made use of the good for contrary ends. We will do the same with regard to the law. But all this is easy and comprehensible, and only the following difficulty arises. Why does he say, "I would not understand the desire, if the law did not say, Thou shalt not covet"? For if man did not know lust until he received the law, why did the flood occur? Why was Sodom burned? So, what does (the apostle) say? About intense lust. That is why he did not say, "He has produced lust in me," but "every desire," hinting here at its strong development. What, you may ask, is the use of the law, if it has increased the passion? None, but even great harm. However, it is not the law that is to blame, but the carelessness of those who passed the law. Lust is produced by sin, and by means of the law, but when the law was not concerned with this, but with the opposite. Sin, then, has become much stronger than the law; But again, this is not the fault of the law, but of human ingratitude. "For without the law sin is dead" (Rom. 7:8), that is, not so well known. Though those who lived before the law knew that they were sinning, they knew it fully after the law was given. As a consequence, from that time on, they began to be subject to greater condemnation. For it is not the same thing to have nature as an accuser, or, together with nature, a law which gives clear precepts for everything. "I once lived without law" (v. 9). When, tell me? Before Moses. See how (the apostle) tries to prove that the law, both by what he has done and by what he has not done, has burdened human nature. When I lived without the law, he says, I was not so condemned. "When the commandment came, sin was made alive" (v. 9). "But I am dead" (v. 10). This seems to be an accusation against the law, but if one examines it carefully, one will find praise for the law. For the law did not produce a sin that did not exist before, but only revealed a hidden sin; This is the praise of the law. If before the law they sinned imperceptibly, after the coming of the law, although they received no other benefit, at least they knew exactly what they had sinned; And this was of no small importance in the matter of liberation from vice. But if men have not freed themselves from vice, this does not in the least speak against the law, which has done everything for this purpose, but all the blame falls on the people's own will, which has been damaged beyond all expectation.

6. For it is not at all in accordance with reason to receive harm from that which is profitable, wherefore (the apostle) said, "The commandment [given] for life served me unto death" (v. 10). He did not say, "It became death, or brought forth death," but, "[given] ... to death," thus explaining the strangeness and strangeness of such incongruity, and turning everything on the heads of men. If thou wilt know the end of the law, saith the Apostle, it hath led unto life, and for this purpose it has been given; But if death came from here, it is the fault of those who have accepted the commandment, and not of the commandment itself, which leads to life. He expressed this still more plainly in the following words, saying, "For sin, having taken the occasion of the commandment, deceived me, and put me to death by it" (v. 11). Have you noticed how he touches sin everywhere, absolving the law from all accusation? Wherefore he added, saying, "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and righteous, and good" (v. 12). If you wish, we will introduce into our discourse the interpretations and those who pervert these words (of the Apostle), because this will make our own thought clearer. Some say that he does not speak of the law of Moses, but of the law of nature, according to some, and of the commandment given in Paradise. But Paul's whole purpose was to abolish the law of Moses, of which he makes no speech, and it is only natural that the Jews feared and trembled at the law of Moses, and consequently resisted grace. Moreover, the commandment given in Paradise never seems to have been called a law either by Paul or by anyone. In order that this may be made more evident from the Apostle's own words, let us turn to his sayings expressed a little above. Talking attentively to the Jews about life, he said: "Do you not know, brethren (for I say to those who know the law), that the law has power over man as long as he lives? And so are you... died to the law" (7:1,4). If, then, this is said of a natural law, it appears that we have none, and if it be true, we are no more intelligent than the dumb. But it's not like that - no! There is no need to argue about the commandment given in Paradise, lest we enter into a vain debate about what is recognized by all. In what sense, then, does he say, "I have not known sin except by the law"? He does not mean perfect ignorance, but the most exact knowledge. And if this is said of the law of nature, what is the meaning of the words, "I once lived without law"? For neither Adam nor any other man seems to have ever lived without the law of nature; At the same time as God created (Adam), He also put this law into him, making him a reliable cohabitant for the whole human race. Moreover, nowhere does he seem to call the natural law a commandment, but this law is called a righteous and holy commandment, a spiritual law. But the law of nature is not given to us by the Spirit, because the barbarians, and the Gentiles, and all men, have this law. From this it is evident that (Paul), both above and below, discusses the law of Moses everywhere. Wherefore he calls him holy, saying, The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, and righteous, and good. Although the Jews were unclean, unrighteous, and covetous after the law, this does not take away the dignity of the law, nor does their unbelief destroy faith in God. From all this, then, it is evident that the Apostle is speaking of the law of Moses. "Has the good therefore become deadly to me"? - asks the apostle. "No way; but sin that turns out to be sin" (v. 13), that is, let it be proved how great an evil sin is, and also a careless will, a desire for the worst, a very evil thing, and a depraved mind, because this is the cause of all evil. (The Apostle) magnifies sin by showing the abundance of Christ's grace and teaching what a great evil it has delivered the human race from, since this evil became worse from all medical remedies, and grew even more from the means that retarded its development. Wherefore he adds, saying, "Sin is made exceedingly sinful by the commandment" (v. 13). Have you noticed how law is intertwined with sin everywhere? By what the apostle condemns sin, the more he proves the dignity of the law. And he achieved no small thing by showing how evil sin is, by revealing and depicting all its poisonousness. He expressed this in the words: "Sin becomes exceedingly sinful by means of the commandment," that is, so that it may be revealed what evil, what destruction is sin, and all this is revealed through the commandment. By this (the Apostle) also shows the superiority of grace over the law, a superiority, and not an opposite. Do not look at the fact that those who have passed the law have become worse, but consider that the law not only did not want to increase the evil, but even tried to suppress the evil that had existed before. And if he is powerless, then crown him for his appointment, and bow down still more before the power of Christ, for He has destroyed such a varied and insurmountable evil, and uprooted it, and destroyed it. And whenever you hear about sin, do not think that it is an independent force, but a vicious action, constantly beginning and ceasing, which does not exist before it is committed, and after it is committed it disappears again. It was because of sin that the law was given; And the law is never given for the destruction of anything natural, but for the correction of an arbitrary evil action.

7. Both the external (pagan) legislators and the whole human race are aware of this. They (the legislators) oppose only those vices that arise from negligence, but they do not promise to suppress those that are inherited from nature, because this is impossible. Everything that is natural remains unshaken, as I have repeatedly told you in other conversations. Therefore, having abandoned such labors, let us again engage in moral speech, or rather, this is a part of those labors. If we banish vice from ourselves and instill virtue in ourselves, we will clearly teach that vice is not a natural evil, and to those who ask where evil comes from, we can easily stop our mouths, not only by words, but also by deeds, when we appear before them free from their vices, although we have the same nature with them. Let us not look at the fact that virtue is difficult, but at the fact that it is possible to perfect ourselves in it, and if we try, it will be both easy and convenient for us. If you speak to me of the pleasantness of vice, tell me also of its end: for it leads to death, as virtue leads us to life. But it is better, if you will, to consider vice and virtue without reference to their end; We shall see that vice in itself contains great sorrow, and virtue contains pleasure. Tell me, indeed, what is heavier than a bad conscience? What is more beautiful than good hope? For nothing, nothing usually torments and oppresses us so much as the expectation of evil; Nothing supports and almost inspires as much as a good conscience. This can also be learned from the events that are taking place in front of us. Thus those who dwell in prison and expect to be condemned, even if they enjoy innumerable pleasures, live more restlessly than those beggars who walk in the streets, but are not conscious of anything evil in themselves, because the expectation of calamity does not allow them to experience real pleasures. And what can we say about the prisoners? Industrious artisans, who work all day long, are in much better spirits than free and rich people, who are conscious of something bad in themselves. That is why we consider gladiators to be pitiful; Though we see them getting drunk, making merry, and eating in taverns, yet we call them the most miserable, because the bitterness of the expected death is incomparably greater than these pleasures. And if such a life seems pleasant to them, then remember what I have often told you, that it is no wonder that he who lives in vice does not avoid the trouble and torment of vice. But we do not appease them for it, but, on the contrary, we consider them miserable because they are not aware of the calamities in which they are. What, for example, is to be said of adulterers, who, for the sake of trifling pleasure, are subjected to shameful slavery, waste of possessions, and incessant fear, in short, lead the life of Cain, and even more difficult, because they fear the present, tremble at the future, suspect friends and enemies, the knowers and the knowers. Even while they are asleep, they are not freed from this torment, for their unclean conscience creates terrible dreams in them and thus frightens them. But this is not the case with the chaste man: he leads a real life in joy and perfect freedom. Compare, then, the trifling pleasure with the innumerable agitations of these horrors, and the momentary labor of abstinence with the tranquillity of a lifetime, and you will see that the latter is more agreeable than the former. And he who desires to steal and appropriate to himself another's property, tell me, does he not endure innumerable toils, running incessantly, deceiving slaves, freemen, doorkeepers with flattery, frightening, threatening, acting shamelessly, spending nights without sleep, trembling, tormenting, and suspecting everyone? But he is not like that who neglects money. He enjoys full pleasure again, living without fear and in perfect safety. And if anyone considers other types of vice, he will see great confusion everywhere, many pitfalls. But what is most important is that in virtue the beginning is full of labor, and the continuation is pleasant, so that by this the work itself is made easier; In vice it is the other way around, for pleasure is followed by sickness and torment, so that the pleasure itself is lost. Just as he who expects crowns does not feel any real weight, so he who expects punishment after pleasure cannot enjoy pure joy, because fear confuses everything. Or rather, if we examine it more closely, we will find that the wicked, even before the punishment prescribed for evil deeds, have a great torment at the moment when they dare to do evil.

8. And if you like, let us look at people who seize other people's property and make money by all means. Let us not speak of fears, dangers, trembling, anguish, care, and the like, but let us suppose that this man enriches himself without sorrow, and is perfectly sure of the preservation of what he has. Let us admit all this, although it is impossible. But what kind of pleasure will this person get? The fact that he collected a lot? But this is precisely what prevents him from rejoicing; As long as a person desires something different and more, so long does his torment. All passion is then pleasurable when it stops. When we are thirsty, we come to our senses when we drink as much as we want, and while we are thirsty, even though we have exhausted all the springs, our torment is greater, and even if we have drunk a thousand rivers, our punishment is heavier. In the same way, even if you have acquired everything in the world, if you still feel passion in yourself, then the more you will suffer the more you begin to fulfill your desire. Understand, then, that some pleasure for you is not to gather much, but not to desire to be rich, and if you desire to be rich, you will never cease to suffer. After all, this desire is endless, and the longer the path you have traveled, the more you move away from the end. Is this not strangeness, insanity, utter madness? Let us, therefore, refrain from taking the first step into iniquity, or, rather, let us not touch evil lust at all, and if we do, let us flee at the very beginning, as the Proverb admonishes us, saying of the harlot woman: "Keep thy way farther from her, and do not come near the door of her house" (Prov. 5:8). I say the same thing to you concerning covetousness. Even if you were a little sunk into the sea of this madness, you can hardly get out of it; And just as in a whirlpool, no matter how hard you try, you will not easily overcome (the rush of water), so, and even worse, if you fall into the abyss of this passion, you will destroy yourself with all your possessions. Wherefore, I beseech you, let us beware in the beginning, and avoid the evil of the less, for out of the small is born the greater. Whoever in every sin is accustomed to say, "This is nothing," will gradually destroy everything. It is precisely this habit that says, "This is not yet a problem," which has introduced evil, opened the doors to the robber, and overthrown the walls of cities. In the same way, the most dangerous diseases are intensified in the body, when no attention is paid to the insignificant. If Esau had not sold his birthright, he would not have become unworthy of the blessing; but if he had not made himself unworthy of the blessing; he would not go so far as to desire fratricide. And Cain, if he had not loved the primacy, but yielded it to God, he would not have taken the second place; Then, being in the second place, if he had obeyed the admonition, he would not have committed murder; and again, having committed murder, if he had turned to repentance, and when God called him, if he had not given such a shameless answer, he would not have suffered further misfortunes.

If, however, those who lived before the law have gradually sunk into the very depths of evil because of such negligence, then think that we, who are called to great feats, will endure if we do not pay attention to ourselves with all diligence and do not extinguish the sparks of evil before a whole fire is kindled. For example, do you often break your oath? Do not only refrain from doing so, but also cease to swear, and then the former will become easy, for it is much more difficult for him who swears not to break his oath than not to swear at all. Are you used to insulting, blaming and beating? Make a law for yourself not to be angry or to shout at all; Then the fruit will be uprooted along with the root. Are you lustful and voluptuous? Make it a rule not to look at women, not to go to the theater, not to be curious about other people's beauty. It is much easier not to look at a beautiful woman at first than to see her and feel lust and calm the storm she has caused. After all, podvigs are easier in the beginning, and it is better to say that we do not need to fight if we do not open the doors to the enemy and accept the seed of vice. Wherefore Christ hath ordained the punishment of every one who looks upon a woman shamelessly, that we may be delivered from greater labour; He commands the enemy to be driven out of the house before he has become stronger, when it is easy to drive him out. What is the necessity of taking upon oneself the extra trouble and of fighting with one's opponents, when it is possible to obtain the trophy of victory without a fight, and to delight oneself with a reward before the struggle? Not to look at beautiful women is not so much trouble as to tame oneself by looking at them; It would be better to say that the former cannot be labor at all, but after you look at it, there is great trouble and trouble.

9.

He who has not seen a beautiful face is pure from the lust aroused by it, but he who desires to see it, having perverted the thought and defiled it a thousand times, then only rejects the defilement of lust when he wants to drive it away. That is why Christ, in order that we may not suffer from this, forbids not only murder, but also anger, not only adultery, but also an unclean look, not only perjury, but oaths in general. Even here it does not establish a measure of virtue, but, having legitimized it, it extends further. Having turned away from murder and commanded us to be pure from wrath, he commands us to be ready to endure evil, and to be prepared to endure it, not only to the extent that he who plots against us desires, but also to surpass it to a much greater degree, and to overcome the excesses of his fury by the abundance of our love of wisdom. He did not say, "If any man smite thee on the right cheek, bear it indifferently and be still," but he added that thou shalt offer him the other cheek, saying, "Turn unto him the other also" (Matt. 5:39). This is the brilliant victory, to give him more than he desires, and the limits of his evil desire to surpass in the riches of his long-suffering. In this way you will tame his fury, and from the second act you will receive the reward of the first, and you will tame his anger.

Do you see that it is always up to us not to tolerate evil, and not from those who do us harm? Or, to put it more correctly, we ourselves have the power not only not to tolerate evil, but even to experience good. And it is especially surprising that if we are vigilant, not only are we not offended, but even from those who offend us, we receive greater benefits than from others. Has anyone insulted you? Thou hast the power to turn this resentment into praise for thyself. If you offend on your part, you will bring shame upon yourself, but if you bless the one who insulted you, you will see that all those present praise you and glorify you. Do you understand how we, if we will, receive favor from those who offend us? The same can be said for money, punches, and everything else. If we repay the opposite for all these things, we will weave ourselves a crown both by what we have done evil and by what we have done good. And whenever someone comes to you and says, 'So-and-so has offended you, and in the presence of all he is always speaking ill of you,' you shall praise the offender in the presence of those who speak; Thus, even if you wish for revenge, you can also be satisfied. All who hear you, though they be very foolish, will praise you, but they will hate your offender as a man who is more fierce than any beast, because he has grieved you, not being in the least offended by you, while you, having suffered evil, have repaid him with good. And in this way you can prove that everything that has been said about you is unfair. Whoever expresses vexation when evil is said of him, proves by his sorrow that he confesses the truth of what has been said about him, and whoever laughs removes all suspicion of himself in those present. See, then, how much good you gain from this: first, you get rid of confusion and anxiety, and secondly, or better, consider it first, if you have sins, you will be cleansed of them, like the publican who magnanimously endured the accusation of the Pharisee. Moreover, by such an exercise you will make your soul wise, you will hear innumerable praises from everyone, and you will destroy all suspicion about yourself about what you have said. But if you want to mark the offender, it will follow in abundance, because God will punish him for what he has said, and before that the punishment and your love of wisdom will be like a cruel blow to him. Nothing ordinarily hurts our offenders so much as to laugh at the wrongs done to us. And just as the love of wisdom turns the very offenses for our good, so the consequence of cowardice is quite the opposite: we shame ourselves, and those present seem guilty of what they have said about us, and we fill our souls with confusion, and we rejoice the enemy, and we grieve God, and we increase the number of our sins. Having pondered all this, let us avoid the abyss of faintheartedness, let us hasten to the harbor of long-suffering, so that here too we may find rest for our souls, as Christ foretold, and attain to future blessings, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, dominion, and honor, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, Amen.

CONVERSATION 13