5. Таким образом, Христос не считает их недостойными того, чтобы они были призваны к Его трапезе вместе с царем, – и они и он призываются вместе, – а ты, может быть, считаешь унизительным для себя, если другие увидят, что ты подаешь нищим, или говоришь с ними? О, какое высокомерие, какая надменность! Смотри, чтобы нам не претерпеть того же, что никогда претерпел богач. Он тоже не хотел и взглянуть на Лазаря и не давал ему ни пристанища, ни крова, и Лазарь лежал вне его дома, за воротами, и не удостаивался от него ни одного слова. Но смотри, как он, когда имел крайнюю нужду в его помощи, тоже не получил ее. Если мы стыдимся тех, кого не стыдится Христос, то стыдимся Христа, стыдясь друзей Его. Пусть наполнится трапеза твоя хромыми, увечными; Христос приходит в лице их, а не в лице богатых. Ты, может быть, смеешься, слыша это. Поэтому, чтобы ты не подумал, что это мои слова, послушай, что говорит сам Христос, и не смейся, а трепещи. "Когда делаешь обед или ужин", – говорит Он, – "не зови друзей твоих, ни братьев твоих, ни родственников твоих, ни соседей богатых, чтобы и они тебя когда не позвали, и не получил ты воздаяния. Но, когда делаешь пир, зови нищих, увечных, хромых, слепых, и блажен будешь, что они не могут воздать тебе, ибо воздастся тебе в воскресение праведных" (Лук. 14:12–14). Здесь и славы больше, если ты любишь ее. В самом деле, от первых и зависть, и ненависть, и пересуды, и злословие, и большое опасение, как бы не случилось чего-нибудь неприличного; при том, если званные будут важнее тебя, ты стоишь перед ними, как раб пред господином, опасаясь с их стороны укоризн и злословия. А со стороны последних ничего такого не бывает; но что бы ты ни подал им, они все принимают с удовольствием, и за все – великая благодарность, громкая слава и глубокое уважение. Все, которые узнают об этом, не столько хвалят тех (кто угощает знатных), сколько этих (кто угощает бедных). Если не веришь этому ты, богач, созывающей вождей и правителей, то сделай опыт, созови бедных, наполни ими трапезу, – и увидишь, не все ли будут хвалить тебя, не все ли будут тебя любить, не все ли будут считать тебя за отца. От тех угощений нет никакой пользы, а за эти уготовано небо и небесные блага, – коих и да сподобимся все мы, благодатью и человеколюбием Господа нашего Иисуса Христа, с Которым Отцу со Святым Духом слава, держава, честь, ныне и присно, и во веки веков. Аминь.

ТОЛКОВАНИЕ НА 2-е ПОСЛАНИЕ К ФЕССАЛОНИКИЙЦАМ

ВВЕДЕНИЕ. БЕСЕДА 1

1. Сказав в первом послании, что "день и ночь молимся о том, чтобы видеть вас", и что, "не терпя более, мы остались в Афинах одни, и я послал Тимофея" (1 Фес.3:10, 1–2), (апостол) во всех этих (местах) выражает (пред фессалоникийцами) свое желание, которое он имел – придти к ним. Но так как, вероятно, он еще не имел возможности отправиться к ним и восполнить недостатки их веры, то по этой причине присовокупил это второе послание, желая посланиями заменить для них недостаток своего личного присутствия. А что он не ходил к ним, об этом можно догадываться из того, что он в (этом) послании к ним говорит: "Молим вас, братия, о пришествии Господа нашего Иисуса Христа" (2 Фес. 2:1). Между тем в первом послании он им говорил, что "О временах же и сроках нет нужды писать к вам, братия" (1 Фес.5:1). Итак, если бы он был у них, то не имел бы надобности писать. Но так как исследование (этого вопроса) обращало на себя особенное внимание, то он и прибавил (к первому) это послание, подобно тому, как он говорит и в послании к Тимофею, что иные "отступили от истины, говоря, что воскресение уже было, и разрушают в некоторых веру". (2 Тим.2: 18).

Это они делали с тою целью, чтобы верующие, не ожидая в будущем ничего великого или светлого, отказались от своих подвигов.

Так как эта надежда укрепляла их и не позволяла изнемогать им (в борьбе) с настоящим, то диавол, желая исхитить у них этот якорь, – здесь он, не будучи в состоянии уверить их в том, что будущее ложно, пошел к цели другим путем, – и воздвигнув некоторых злонамеренных людей, покушался обольстить легковерных тем, что будто все эти великие и светлые (надежды) уже исполнились. Итак, прежде эти люди говорили, что было уже воскресение мертвых, а теперь они утверждали, что уже приближается суд и пришествие Христово, чтобы таким образом и на самого Христа взвести обвинение во лжи и, доказав, что в будущем нет ни воздаяния, ни суда, ни наказания, ни мучений для тех, которые творили зло, одних соделать еще более дерзкими, а других повергнуть в уныние. Но, что хуже всего, одни из них покушались только возвещать слова, будто бы сказанные Павлом, а другие даже выдумывали подложные послания, будто бы им написанные. Потому, преграждая им всякий путь, (апостол) говорит: "не спешить колебаться умом и смущаться ни от духа, ни от слова, ни от послания, как бы нами посланного" (2 Фес. 2:2). "Ниже духом", – говорит, указывая этим на лжепророков. Но откуда узнаем это, спросит кто-либо? Из того, что прибавлено ниже; для того (апостол) и присовокупил: "Приветствие моею рукою, Павловою, что служит знаком во всяком послании; пишу я так: 18 благодать Господа нашего Иисуса Христа со всеми вами. Аминь" (2 Фес.3: 17,18). Он не то говорит, что слова эти служат признаком, – вероятно, и другие могли – подражать ему в этом, – но то, что я пишу приветствие моею собственною рукою, как это и теперь у нас бывает: по подписи можно узнать того, кто посылает письмо. (В этом послании апостол) утешает (фессалоникийцев), которые были очень угнетаемы бедствиями, с одной стороны, похваляя их за настоящее (подвиги), с другой – обращая (их внимание) на будущее, на наказание и награды праведных, уготованные им. По этому поводу он довольно ясно и подробно рассматривает этот вопрос, не открывая впрочем самого времени, хотя и указывает на признак этого времени – на антихриста. Душа немощная преимущественно тогда убеждается, когда не только услышит о чем-либо, но еще узнает нечто более. Так и Христос имел об этом великое попечение, когда, сев на горе, с точностью изложил ученикам своим все, что касалось кончины (мира). Для чего? Для того, чтобы не нашли для себя места те, которые вводят антихристов и лжехристов. И Он тоже указал на много признаков, и в числе их на важнейший, сказав: когда проповедано будет между всеми народами евангелие (Mф. 24:14), и на другой – чтобы не обольщались относительно Его пришествия: "как молния", – сказал Он, придет (Mф. 24:27), которая не скрывается в каком-либо углу, но сияет повсюду. Не будет нужды в вестнике (Его пришествия), – так оно будет блистательно, – подобно тому, как и молния не имеет нужды, чтобы кто-либо возвестил об ее появлении. Он сказал также в другом месте и об антихристе, когда говорил: "Я пришел во имя Отца Моего, и не принимаете Меня; а если иной придет во имя свое, его примете" (Иоан. 5:43).

Он сказал также, что признаком этого времени будут служить непрерывные и невыразимые бедствия, и что должен придти Илия. Итак, фессалоникийцы недоумевали тогда относительно этого предмета, между тем их недоумение доставило нам пользу. Не только им, но и нам это полезно, чтобы отстать от детских сказок и болтовни старух. Разве вы не слыхали часто, еще в детстве, как некоторые много рассказывали об имени антихриста и о том, что он преклонит свои колени? Диавол старался посеять эти вымыслы в наши еще незрелые умы для того, чтобы это лжеучение росло вместе с нами и чтобы потом ему легче было обольстить нас. Не забыл бы сказать об этом Павел, говоря об антихристе, если бы это было полезно. Поэтому не будем заниматься исследованием этого. Он (антихрист) придет не так, не преклоняя колени, но "противящийся и превозносящийся выше всего, называемого Богом или святынею, так что в храме Божием сядет он, как Бог, выдавая себя за Бога" (2 Фес.2:4). Подобно тому, как диавол пал от гордости, так и тот, кто будет орудием его, будет напитан гордостью.

2. Therefore, I beseech you, let us all try to distance ourselves from this passion, so that we do not fall into the same condemnation as him, so that we do not suffer the same punishment as him, so that we do not become partakers of his torments. "It must not be," he says, "of the new converts, lest he become proud and fall into condemnation with the devil." (Timothy 3:6). Consequently, the proud one bears the same punishment as the devil. The beginning of pride, it is said, is ignorance of the Lord (Sir. 10:14); the beginning of sin is pride, the first impulse and movement towards evil; however, perhaps both the root and the foundation. The beginning can mean either the first impulse to evil, or the foundation of it. Thus, abstinence from obscene spectacles may be called the beginning of chastity, i.e., the original impulse. But if we call fasting the beginning of chastity, then here the beginning will mean the foundation or support. In this sense, pride is the beginning of sin. It is with it that every sin begins and finds its support in it. No matter how many good deeds we do, this vice does not allow them to strengthen themselves in us and remain inseparable from us, but, like some root, prevents them from remaining unshaken in us. This is evident from the following. See how many (good works) the Pharisee did; yet this did not bring him the slightest benefit, because he did not cut off the root, which destroyed everything. From pride come despise the poor, passion for money, lust for power and love of glory. A proud person is disposed to avenge offenses. The proud cannot indifferently endure insults either from the higher or from the lower; and whoever does not calmly endure offense is not able to endure misfortune. This is how pride is the beginning of sin. But how can the beginning of pride be ignorance of God? Very simple. Whoever knows God as one ought to know, who knows to what extent the Son of God humbled Himself, is not exalted, and whoever does not know this is exalted. Pride leads to arrogance. Tell me: why do those who are hostile to the Church of God say that they know God? Is it not from pride? Do you see into what abyss their ignorance of God has plunged them? If God loves a contrite spirit, then on the contrary, He opposes the proud, and gives grace to the humble. So, there is no evil equal to pride. It turns a person into a demon, an arrogant, blasphemer, an oathbreaker; it arouses in him a thirst for murder. A haughty person is constantly crushed with sorrow, constantly vexed, constantly complaining. Nothing can quench his passions. Even if he had seen that the king was humiliatingly bowing down and revering him, he would not have been satisfied with this, but would have been even more inflamed. Just as the lovers of money, the more they acquire, the more they desire, so the proud: the more they enjoy honor, the more they seek it. Their passion gradually increases, and this is indeed (is passion), but passion knows no limit, but ceases only when you kill the one who is possessed by it. Do you not see that those who are devoted to drunkenness are constantly burning with thirst? Passion is not a natural need, but in a way a disease that perverts everything. Do you not see that people who are possessed by the so-called wolf hunger are constantly starving? This is a passion, according to doctors, that has exceeded natural limits. In the same way, people who are immoderately inquisitive and curious, no matter how much they learn, stop at nothing; This is their passion that has no boundaries. Again, those who find delight in fornication do not know how to put an end to their desires: "All bread is sweet to the fornicator; he shall not cease until he die" (Sir. 23:23). This is also a passion. However, although passions constitute a kind of illness, they are not incurable; on the contrary, they are capable of healing, and even more so than bodily ailments. If only we want to, we can put them out. How can pride be extinguished? For this, it is necessary to know God. If it comes from ignorance of God, then when we know Him, all pride will be removed from us. Think of hell, think of those who are much better than you, think of how guilty you are before God. If you think about it, you will soon tame your mind, you will soon humble it. But you can't do it? Are you very weak? Think about the present, about the nature of man himself, about how insignificant man is. When you see a dead man being carried across the square, his orphaned children seeing him off, a weeping widow, weeping servants, and sorrowful friends, you reflect on the insignificance of all that is real, that it is no different from shadow and dream. But you do not want to do this? Think of the people who possessed great wealth, who were utterly ruined during the war. Look at the houses of great and famous people, now reduced to ruins. Think how strong these people were, and now the memory of them has disappeared. Every day, if you wish, you can find such examples: the change of rulers, the taking of the property of the rich into the treasury. "Many of the rulers sat on the ground, but he of whom they did not think wore a crown" (Sir. 11:5). Doesn't this happen every day? Isn't our fate like a wheel? Read about this, if you will, both our writings and what is written by pagan writers, for their writings are full of such examples, if you despise ours out of pride. If you respect only the works of philosophers, then proceed to them, and they will teach you, telling you about the misfortunes that befell the ancients, poets, orators, sophists, and all writers in general. Everywhere, if you want, you will find examples of this kind. If you do not want to deal with all this, then think about our own nature, about its origin and the end that awaits it. Think about what you mean while you sleep? Can not the smallest animal kill you at this time? It often happened to many that a small animal, falling from the roof, deprived them of their sight, or was the cause of another misfortune. What then? Are you not inferior to all animals? What can you say against this? That you are endowed with reason? But you have no reason, because pride is a sign of foolishness. Why then do you exalt yourself after this, tell me? Maybe - the healthy state of your body? But in this respect, the advantage remains on the side of the dumb. This property is found in thieves, murderers, and grave robbers. Is it by his prudence? But pride is not characteristic of prudence, on the contrary, through it you deprive yourself of the right to bear the name of prudent. Therefore, let us bridle our thoughts, let us be modest, humble-minded, meek. Such are especially blessed by Christ, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit" (Matthew 5:3); and again, crying out, He says: "Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart" (11:29). For this reason He washed the feet of His disciples, in order to show us an example of humility. Let us try to benefit from all this, so that we may receive the blessings promised to those who love Him by grace and love for mankind (our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever, Amen).

CONVERSATION 2

"Paul, and Silvanus, and Timothy, unto the church of Thessalonica which is in God our Father, and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:1-2).

1. The greater part of men do and undertake everything in order to win the favor of both their rulers and those who are nobler than they are, and they esteem this (favor) highly, and consider themselves happy when they achieve what they desire. But if it is so important to earn the favor of people like yourself, then what does it mean to win grace from God? For this reason (the Apostle) always at the beginning of his epistles he lays down (this kind of good wishes) and prays for it, knowing that where there is the grace of God, there can be no misfortune, but no matter how great our misfortunes may be, they will all cease. And to teach you this (I will quote the following): Joseph was in bondage, was young, inexperienced, and simple-hearted, and suddenly the government of the house was entrusted to him, and he gave an account of it to the Egyptian nobleman. And you know what a hot-tempered and intractable people they are; Moreover, since power and power were added to this, his anger, aroused by the consciousness of his power, became even stronger. This is evident even from the way he acted afterwards. (Joseph) suffered as a result of the accusation of his mistress, although it was more probable that it was not the one who had the clothes in his hands who was subjected to violence, but the one from whom it was taken away. Therefore, it was necessary to say to her: if you had raised your voice, he would have fled and, realizing his guilt, would not have waited for the arrival of his master. But he (the Egyptian) did not take any of this into account, on the contrary; and being foolishly carried away by anger, he threw (Joseph) into prison. So reckless was this man. Though he was able to infer from other circumstances the good intentions and prudence of this man, yet in his extreme imprudence he took none of this into consideration. And so, he who was in the power of such an evil master, who was entrusted with the government of the whole house, who was a stranger, lonely and inexperienced, after God had poured out his grace on him abundantly, endured all temptations as if they meant nothing: the slander of the mistress, and the danger of death, and imprisonment, and finally approached the royal throne. And so, this blessed one (Paul) saw the significance of the grace of God, and therefore he prayed for it to be sent down upon them. However, he has something else in mind here. Namely, wishing to dispose them in favor of what he intended to write in the epistle, so that even if he rebuked and rebuked them, they would not depart from it, for this purpose, first of all, brings to their remembrance the grace of God, and thus softens their hearts, so that even if they should experience any grief when they remember the grace of God, by which they were saved from great evils, they did not fall into despondency, being subjected to lesser ones, but found consolation for themselves in it. Likewise, in another epistle he writes: "For if, being enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved by His life" (Romans 5:10)." Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Always in justice we ought to give thanks to God for you, brethren, because your faith is growing, vv. 2-3. Notice the excess of humility! By saying: "We must thank God for you," he makes them notice and understand that if others, looking at their feats, are first of all amazed not at them, but at God, then how much more should we (do so). On the other hand, he encourages their hearts by saying that they should not weep and weep over the sufferings they endure, but thank God. And if Paul gives thanks (to God) for the good things of others, what should befall those who not only do not give thanks, but are also tormented by envy? "For your faith increases, and the love of every man for one another aboundeth among you all" (v. 3). How, you ask, can faith grow? How? When we endure some calamities for its sake. Therefore it means much to remain steadfast (in the faith) and not to be shaken in thoughts; When the gusts of wind increase, when it rains heavily, when a fierce storm rises on all sides, when the waves thicken, and yet we remain steadfast, it is a sign of nothing else but that it has grown and exalted, and has become more exalted. Just as in a flood all flat and low places are soon covered with water, and those that are elevated remain inaccessible to it, so faith, which has reached a certain height, no longer falls. That is why (the Apostle) did not say, "It increases," but: "Your faith increases, and the love of each one for one another increases among you all." Do you see that in sorrows it helps us even when we mutually protect and support each other? This is also a great consolation. Thus, weak love and faith are shaken by sorrow, and firm love is made stronger. Indeed, a weak soul, being in sorrow, cannot endure anything; on the contrary, a strong soul then especially reveals strength. Pay attention to the love (of the Thessalonians). They did not act in such a way as to love one and not the other; On the contrary, their love was equal to all, as the Apostle pointed out when he says: "Your faith increases, and the love of each one for one another increases among you all," because their love equally extended to all, as to members of one body. True, in our time we find love between many, but such a love that is the cause of discord. In fact, when we unite in twos or threes, and these two, or three, or four are in great agreement with each other, and are separated from all the others, so that there will be no mutual cooperation and trust in all things between the two, then this will be the dissolution of love, and not love. Tell me: if the eye transfers the care it has for the whole body to one hand, and, leaving all the other members unattended, cares only for that one, will it not thereby harm the whole body? No doubt. In the same way, if we concentrate love, which should extend to the entire Church of God, on only one or two, then we will thereby harm ourselves, and them, and everyone in general. This is not characteristic of love, but of separation, disunity, and strife. Thus, if I were to take from the whole man a part torn off, although this torn part would in itself constitute something unified, coherent, and harmonious, yet it would remain a detached part, because it would not be connected with the whole body.

2. What is the use of loving so-and-so very much? This is human love. And if it is not human, and you love him for God's sake, then love everyone, because God commanded you to love your enemies as much. If He commanded us to love our enemies, how much more so than those who have not grieved us in any way? But I love (and enemies), you will say, although not so much. You'd better say that you don't love them at all. When you condemn (the enemy), when you envy him, when you plot against him, then how (can you say that) you love him? I don't do anything like that, you say. But when you hear something bad about him, and do not shut the mouth of the speaker, do not refuse to believe what is said, do not cease (such speeches), is this a sign of love? "The love of each one for one another is multiplied," he says, "among you all, so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God" (v. 4). In the first epistle he said that all the Churches of Macedonia and Achaia spread the word about them, having learned about their faith: "We need nothing," he says, "to tell about anything. For they themselves tell of us, what kind of entrance we had to you" (1 Thess. 1:8, 9); but here he says, "We ourselves boast of you in the churches of God." What do these words mean? There (the Apostle) says that (others) do not need us to tell them (about your exploits); but here he does not say that we speak of them, but that we boast and are exalted by them. Therefore, if we thank God for you, and boast of you before men, how much more should you do so in regard to that which gives us comfort. If your good works are worthy of others to boast about them, is it possible to say (that they constitute) for us the cause of sorrow? "We ourselves boast," he says, "we glory in you in the churches of God, in your patience and faith." Here he points out that a long time has passed (since the beginning of their sufferings), because patience is manifested over a long period of time, and not in two or three days. And he doesn't just talk about patience. Of course, patience is already expressed when a person does not enjoy the blessings promised to him; but in the present case he speaks of greater patience. What is it about? About the one that is born as a result of persecution. That he hints at this is evident from the fact that he further adds and says: "in all the persecutions and tribulations that you have endured." They lived constantly among enemies who tried to harm them on all sides, and in spite of this, they showed unbending and unshakable patience. Let those be ashamed, therefore, who, for the sake of human protection, change their convictions. Even at the very beginning of the (Gospel) preaching, the poor people who lived by day's labor entered into enmity with the people who ruled the state and occupied the first places in it – when not a single king or ruler was yet among the believers – they endured an irreconcilable battle, and in spite of this they did not renounce (their convictions). "The proof that there shall be a righteous judgment of God" (v. 5). See how he adds one consolation to another. He said that we thank God, said that we boast before people – and this is already comforting; but what the sufferer seeks most of all is to be delivered from calamities and to punish those who have done him harm. In fact, the soul, when it is weak, desires it most of all; on the contrary, the soul is wise and does not even desire this. What is the meaning of the words: "The proof that there will be a righteous judgment of God"? By this (the Apostle) pointed out a twofold recompense: one for those who do evil, and the other for those who endure it. It was as if He were saying: so that God's righteousness may be revealed in this, that He will crown you, and punish them. At the same time he comforts them, showing them that they will be crowned for their labors and cares, in accordance with the demand of justice. But first he says what concerns themselves. Indeed, even if someone strongly desires to avenge himself, he first of all seeks a reward for himself. For this reason (the Apostle) added: "That you may be worthy of the Kingdom of God, for which you also suffer." The cause of their suffering, then, is not that their persecutors are stronger than they are, but that it is by this way that they must enter the kingdom." "Through many," he says, "through tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). "For it is righteous in the sight of God to repay them that offend you with tribulation, and to you who are offended with joy with us, at the appearing of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with the angels of his power" (v. 6, 7). "For"[1] (είπερ) is here placed in place of "as" (έπεί), just as we use (this expression) when speaking of things which we consider indubitable and indisputable. Instead of saying, "Very just," he says, "If it is just in the sight of God that they should be vengeed, then He will surely take vengeance," just as if someone were to say, "If God cares about the things (of the world), if God has care." In the same way, he used the expression "if" to speak of what all were agreed upon, as if one were to say, "If God hates evil men," using this expression for the purpose of making others say that he hates, and such judgments are not subject to the slightest doubt, because they themselves knew that it was just. "To those who insult you," he says, "to repay with sorrow, and to you, who are offended, with joy with us."

3. What is it? Will the recompense be equal (to deeds)? No. On the contrary, see how from what he says afterwards it is revealed that the punishment will be much more severe and the reward much greater. Here is another consolation (the Apostle says) that those who participated in suffering will have the same portion in recompense – this is precisely the meaning of the expression: with us – thus equating them in crowns with those who have performed innumerable and much greater feats. Further, he adds to this an indication of the time of retribution, and by means of the description (of the event itself) he raises their thoughts, as if by his word he opens the heavens and presents them to the eye, and surrounds Him (the Lord) with an angelic host, thus drawing a brilliant image of both the place itself and what is on it, in order to thereby enable them (the Thessalonians) to recover somewhat. "But to you, who are offended, with joy with us, in the appearing of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with the angels of his power, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 8). If those who do not obey the Gospel will be punished, what will not those who still insult you in this disobedience experience? But notice, I beg you, the wisdom (of the Apostle). He did not say here, "Insulting you," but, "Not listening." Consequently, if not in vengeance for you, he says, then in vengeance for Himself (the Lord) must necessarily subject them to punishment. Thus this is said for the greater assurance that, in any case, (the persecutors) must be punished, and the previous one is for the assurance that (the persecuted) will be honored. Thus, the assurance of the inevitability of punishment leads them to faith, and the consolation is that (the persecutors) will be subjected to this suffering in revenge for the offenses inflicted on believers. Although this was said to them (the Thessalonians), it may also apply to us. Therefore, when we are in misfortune, let us meditate on this.

Let us not rejoice in the punishment of others because we have been avenged, but let us rejoice that we ourselves have escaped such punishment and punishment. For what profit does it profit us that others should be punished? Therefore, I beseech you, let us not nourish in ourselves such a spiritual disposition; Let the thought of the Kingdom motivate us to lead a virtuous life. It is true that he who is fully possessed is not guided by fear or desire to gain the kingdom, but by Christ himself, as Paul did. But we will think about the good things in the kingdom and about the torments in hell, and at least in this way we will properly educate and educate ourselves, we will thus urge ourselves to do what we must do. When you see something good and great in this life, then think about the heavenly kingdom, and you will be convinced that what you have seen is insignificant. When (you see) something terrible, then think of hell, and you will laugh at it. When carnal lust takes possession of you, think about fire, think about the very pleasure of this sin, that it is insignificant and that it does not even bring pleasure. If the fear of transgressing the laws which are here issued is so strong that it restrains us from doing evil, how much more is the remembrance of the future, the unceasing torment, the eternal punishment. If the fear of the earthly king restrains us from so many crimes, how much more so does the fear of the eternal King. How can we constantly arouse this fear in ourselves? If we are always attentive to the words of the Scriptures. For if the mere sight of a dead man humbles our mind to such an extent, how much more is Gehenna and the unquenchable fire, how much more is the undying worm? If we were constantly thinking about Gehenna, we would not soon descend into it. For this reason God threatens punishment. If the contemplation of hell had not been of great benefit to us, then God would not have threatened it; but since the memory of it can contribute to the proper fulfillment of great deeds, He has sown in our souls, as it were, a kind of salutary medicine, a formidable thought about it. Therefore, let us not neglect the great benefit that is born from this, but let us make it a constant subject of conversation during the morning and evening meals. Talking about pleasant things does not bring the slightest benefit to our soul, on the contrary, it makes it weaker, while talking about sad and sorrowful things cuts off from it all absent-mindedness and effeminacy, turns it to the true path and restrains it even when it has submitted to weakness.