In this way, however, I do not seem to have depicted the slightest part of his love. And that these words are not exaggerated, anyone can know for sure by reading what we have written on this subject to Demetrius. This is how one should love Christ, this is how one should renounce the present. Such were the souls of the holy prophets; That is why they received other eyes. To renounce the present was the work of their own zeal; and that later their other eyes were opened to the contemplation of the future, this was already a work of God's grace. Such was Elisha: because he distanced himself from all worldly things, loved the kingdom of heaven and despised all things that are present, that is, the kingdom and power, and glory and universal respect; then he saw something that no one had ever seen before - a whole mountain, covered with a line of fiery horses and chariots and warriors (2 Kings 6:17). Whoever is seduced by the present will never be worthy to contemplate the future; but whoever despises the things here and considers them no better than shadows and dreams, will soon receive great and spiritual blessings. In the same way, we reveal the wealth that belongs to men to our children when we see that they have become men and despise all the things of childhood; but as long as they are deceived by the latter, we consider them unworthy of the former. A soul that has not learned to neglect the unimportant and mundane will not be able to contemplate the heavenly, just as the one who contemplates the latter cannot but laugh at the former. Blessed Paul also said this; although his words refer to dogmas, they can nevertheless be applied to morals and gifts, namely: "The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God" (1 Cor. 2:14).

3. And so, as I have said, we must seek the wilderness life not only in some places, but also in the very will, and first of all to lead our souls into the most uninhabited (the wilderness). With such a disposition, Blessed David, who lived in the city, ruled the kingdom and was burdened with innumerable cares, was embraced by the love of Christ more strongly than those who lived in the wilderness. Such tears, sighs, and sobs are scarcely seen day and night in any of those who are now crucified (for the world), if there is one to be found. In doing so, we must not only pay attention to the tears, but also delve into who shed them; for it does not matter whether he who is endowed with (royal) dignity, revered by all, and is not subject to anyone's reproof, humbles himself, humbles himself and wears himself out, or does the same thing who has nothing of the kind. The Tsar is brought to a point of weakness and prevents him from gathering his courage. He also weakens and pampers himself from daily luxury, and is haughty with power and is drawn to pride; he is inflamed by the love of glory, and no less by the love of the flesh, born of power and nourished by luxury. Moreover, the whirlwinds of care, rushing at him from all sides, disturb his soul no less than those passions, and therefore contrition, meeting so many obstacles, cannot find access (to it); for even a soul free from all this can hardly implant this good in itself. And the private man, unless he is exceedingly depraved, is a stranger to all this confusion; therefore he can give himself up (to contrition) with less inconvenience than he who enjoys such power, authority and honor. Just as it is difficult and even impossible to mix fire with water, so I think it is impossible to combine pleasure (of earthly goods) with contrition, because they are opposite and incompatible with each other. The one is the mother of tears and sobriety, and the other of laughter and immoderation; one makes the soul light and inspired, and the other brings it into a state heavier than any lead. But I have not yet said the most important thing, that (David) lived in a time when there was no need for special strictness in the way of life; And we have begun the podvig when a great punishment is imposed not only for other sins, but also for laughter, and on the contrary, weeping and sorrow are constantly approved. However, this blessed one, having broken down all obstacles, gave himself over to contrition as much as if he were one of the common people and had never seen in a dream either the kingdom or the royal splendour; And in purple, and in diadem, and on the royal throne, He showed the same contrition as He who sits in sackcloth, on ashes, and in the wilderness. Whoever really has this good disposition exerts the same power as the fire in the thorns, and even though (such a person) is oppressed by a multitude of evils, even though he is entangled in many ropes of sins, even though the flame of lust burns strongly in him, and a great confusion of worldly affairs surrounds him, this (contrition), as if with a strong scourge, will completely dispel all such things and remove them from the soul. As light dust cannot withstand the pressure of a strong wind, so the multitude of lusts cannot withstand the force of destruction rushing upon them, but disappears and disperses more quickly than any dust and smoke. If carnal love so enslaves the soul that it distracts it from everything and subordinates it to the influence of one beloved, then what will not love for Christ and the fear of being separated from Him do? Both of these things stirred the soul of the prophet so much that he sometimes said: "As a deer longs for streams of water, so does my soul desire for You, O God!" (Psalm 41:2) and again: "My soul is to Thee, as the thirsty earth." (Psalm 142:6) and: "My soul is cleaved to Thee" (Psalm 62:9); and sometimes: "Lord! Do not rebuke me in Thy wrath, nor punish me in Thy wrath" (Psalm 6:2).

4. Let no one tell me that David wrote this (sixth) Psalm in lamentation for his sin. This is not true, and the inscription on the top (of the Psalm) does not admit of such a supposition. If the content (of the psalm) could not be indicated in the inscription, then it would be possible, if you wish, to apply this psalm to the circumstances of that sin; but when we know (another) psalm spoken on these circumstances, and the present psalm has a different content, then, I beseech you, let us not throw the divine into disorder, and give more importance to our own judgments than to the dogmas spoken from the Spirit. What is the inscription (of the 6th Psalm)? Of the eighth, "On eight-stringed" (Psalm 6:1), he speaks (David). What eighth day is this, if not that day of the Lord, great and glorious, like a burning furnace, which will make even the powers of heaven tremble ("and the powers of heaven," it is said, "shall be shaken," Matt. 24:29), and will bring forth the fire that precedes the King (Christ)? He called this day the eighth, indicating the change of the (present) state and the renewal of the life to come. The present life is nothing but one week: it begins on the first day and ends with the seventh: and then it revolves again within the same limits, ascending to the same beginning and descending to the (same) end. Therefore no one would call the Lord's (Sunday) the eighth, but the first; because the cycle of the week does not extend to the eightfold number. But when all that is present ceases and is destroyed, then there will be a course of the eighth day; it will not return to the beginning, but will rush into further spaces. And so, the prophet, out of great contrition, always had in mind the (last) judgment, in the midst of such honor and pleasures he constantly saw before him that day, which we hardly remember in sorrows, and, constantly contemplating the destinies of God, he wrote this psalm. What does he say? "Lord! Do not rebuke me in Thy wrath, nor punish me in Thy wrath" - calling the great power of punishment by rage and wrath (he knew that God is free from all passion), although he considered himself worthy not of torment and punishment, but of honor and crowns. His faith, by which he threw down the tower of the foreigners (Goliath) and all the people of Judah plucked out of the very gates of death, and the good deed which he had shown not once, not twice, but many times to his persecutor (Saul), and before that the sentence pronounced against him by God Himself, sufficiently show the valor of this man more than his merits themselves. The works (of men), however great and wondrous they may be, may nevertheless be suspected of depravity, although the merits of this righteous man (David) are for the most part free from all suspicion. But when God testifies, then the sentence is not subject to any suspicion; and if David had not given the surest proof of his prowess, he would not have received the heavenly testimony. What does God say about him? "I have found a man after my own heart, David the son of Jesse" (Acts 13:22; cf. 1 Sam. 13:14). And yet, after such judgment (of God) and after such feats of his, he pronounced the words peculiar to those who are condemned and have no boldness before God, fulfilling the Gospel commandment: "When you have done all that is commanded you, say, We are worthless servants, because we have done what we ought to have done." (Luke 17:10). What more than this did the publican, who was really full of many sins, who did not dare to look up to heaven, or utter many words, or stand near the Pharisee? This one reproached him, saying: "I am not like other men, robbers, offenders, adulterers, or like this publican" (Luke 18:11); but he received his words as if he had heard nothing offensive, and not only did he not be indignant, but honored the offender and the proud man with such honor that he recognized himself unworthy of the land which he trampled underfoot; he uttered nothing but a confession of his sins, and, beating his chest hard, fervently implored God to be merciful to him. However, it is not at all surprising that he did so, because a multitude of sins forced him, willingly and unwillingly, to bow his head; and that the righteous and unconscious of himself approached (to God) with the same self-condemnation as the publican, is surprising, and shows a soul truly broken. For what is the difference between the words: "Be merciful to me a sinner" (Luke 18:13) than the words: "Lord! Do not rebuke me in Thy wrath, nor punish me in Thy wrath"? The latter express even more than the former. The publican did not dare to look at heaven, but the righteous one (David) did much more than he did. The one said, "Be merciful to me," but this one did not dare to say even this; He did not say, "Rebuke me not," but, "Not in Thy wrath"; He did not say, "Punish me not," but, "Not in Thy wrath," and prayed, not that he might not be punished, but that it would not be grievous to be punished. Thus, from everything we can see the humility of his soul - both from the fact that he considered himself worthy of such a punishment, and from the fact that he did not dare to beg God for perfect forgiveness, and this is characteristic of those who are extremely condemned and confess themselves to be more sinful than all people. And even more important is that he asks for deliverance from the grievous punishment from the mercy and love of mankind of God, as if he were weak. "Have mercy on me," he says, "for I am weak" (Psalm 6:3). What is this? He who has received such a testimony and does not forget the destinies of God ("Thy judgments," he said, "I have not forgotten" Psalm 118:30), shining brighter than the sun, says these words? Yes; then it is surprising that he who did such great deeds did not say or think anything great about himself, but considered himself the last of all and asked for salvation from the love of God alone. It was as if he were saying: I am worthy of unrelenting punishment and eternal torment; but, as I am no longer able to endure, I pray for deliverance from present calamities, like slaves who have done much evil, who cannot say that they have not sinned, but since the pain of the scourges is unbearable, they beg at last for the cessation of the blows. But here, I think, David understood another weakness. Which one? The weakness that came from sorrow and sighing in him. When excessive sorrow overtakes us with great force, it devours all the strength of the soul. This, I think, was experienced by the righteous man from strong self-condemnation and from the fact that he was not carried away by pleasant hopes, but always the opposite. This is clearly expressed by him in the following words. Saying: "Lord! Do not rebuke me in Thy wrath, have mercy on me", he added, "for I am weak; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are shaken; and my soul is greatly shaken (Psalm 6:3-4). But if he whose conscience was so clear prays that his deeds may not be subjected to strict examination, what shall we do, who are burdened with so many vices, who are so far from his boldness, and have not shown even the slightest part of his confession? Why then did this blessed one utter such a confession? He was convinced that no one can be justified before God, that even the righteous can hardly be saved; therefore he beseeches (God) - sometimes thus: "Enter not into judgment with Thy servant" (Psalm 142:2); and sometimes thus: "Have mercy on me, for I am weak" (Psalm 6:3).

5. It is remarkable that David nowhere mentions his good works, but leaves his salvation to the love of God. This is characteristic of a contrite soul and a humble spirit; and from this it came to pass that he who performed great virtues feared and trembled more than sinners. And why David trembled and feared so much, listen to how he himself says: "If You, O Lord, take notice of iniquity, Lord! Who can stand?" (Psalm 129:3) He knew, he clearly knew, that we owe much to God and that the most trivial sins deserve great punishment; he foresaw for a long time what commandments Christ would give at his coming; he believed that not only murder would be severely condemned, but also insults and backbiting, and vicious thoughts, and laughter, and idle talk, and buffoonery, and other, even less important, vices. For this reason Paul, although he knew nothing about himself, said: "For [although] I know nothing about myself, yet by this I am not justified" (1 Cor. 4:4). Why? Because, even if he had done nothing wrong, as he had not really done it, he did not consider himself fully to have given the honor due to God. Even if we died a thousand times, even if we did every virtue, we would not repay God for the blessings given to us by Him. See: having no need of us, but being self-satisfied, He brought us from non-existence into existence, breathed (into us) a soul that (He did not give) to any of the earthly animals; He planted paradise, stretched out the sky, laid the earth under it, kindled the brilliant luminaries; He adorned the earth with lakes, springs, rivers, flowers and plants, and in the sky he set a choir of various stars; He made the night useful for us no less than the day, from the peace and strength provided by sleep. Sleep nourishes our bodies no less than food, as is evident from the following: often, we see, hunger is endured for many days, and without sleep it is impossible to remain even a few days. Night also cools and destroys in us the heat which accumulates in the course of the day, partly from the sun's rays, partly from the day's labours, and thus restores in us again the vigor for labour, and in the winter time it gives us still more peace and joy, forcing us to be under the shelter of our homes. And darkness was made an attribute of this time, not in vain and not without purpose, but for greater comfort. As compassionate mothers, wishing to put restless children to sleep, take them into their arms and, throwing a veil over their eyes, put them to sleep: so God, having spread darkness over the universe, as if a kind of veil, rests people from their labors. If this were not the case, then we would all be overwhelmed by fussiness or excessive love of money and from labor; and now we are involuntarily interrupted from our studies. And such a law (of nature) not only restores our bodies, but also our souls no less than bodies. How then everything is full of silence, free from noise, no one's cry is heard, as it happens in the daytime, when some grieve from poverty, others complain of injury, some mourn illness and bodily injury, others the death of relatives, some loss of money, some other human misfortune, of which there are so many! From all these misfortunes, as if from worries, the night delivers the human race and calms it in its harbor. Such are the blessings to us from the night; and the benefits of the day are known to all of us.

If anyone begins to count all the rest (goods)

As if a man had built himself a brilliant palace, adorned with an abundance of gold and shining with the brilliant brilliance of stones, so God, having created the world, brought man into it to reign over everything. And it is still more surprising that the roof of this building (God) did not make it of stones, but made it of another most precious substance, and did not light the fire on a golden lampstand, but, having lowered the luminaries from above, commanded them to flow over the roof of this building, so that we might receive not only benefit, but also great pleasure; and he spread out the earth in the form of a rich meal. All this God has given to a man who has not yet done anything good. Although man, after such a gift, turned out to be ungrateful to his Benefactor, yet God did not deprive him of honor, but only expelled him from paradise and thereby punished him, in order to prevent the further growth of ingratitude, and to restrain him from striving for the worst. Thinking of all these things, and as one moved by the Spirit of God, contemplating many things beyond that, both that which was from the beginning (of the world), and that which happens every day, and that which happens to each one separately, and that which happens to all together, and that which happens manifestly, and that which is secretly greater than what is manifest, and also the works of the economy of the Only-begotten Son of God, and the good things to come, surveying everything in general and finding and contemplating the ineffable love of God in everything, the apostle, as if having fallen into an immeasurable abyss, comprehended how much and how great he owed (to God), and did not give Him even the slightest part. For this reason he spoke the aforementioned words, with great diligence he examined even his small sins, and consigned good deeds to oblivion (1 Cor. 4:4). And we are not like that; but of sins, however numerous and great, we neither speak nor remember; and if we do any small good deed, then we show it everywhere and do not cease to boast and puff up until we have abolished even the smallest good by vanity. With this in mind, David also said: "What is man, that Thou rememberest him" (Psalm 8:5)? In addition, accusing man of ingratitude, he said: "But man, being in honor, did not understand (this), was made equal to senseless beasts, and became like unto them" (Psalm 48:13).

6. It is characteristic of the grateful servant to look upon the good deeds rendered by all together as if they were his own, and to care and care as if he himself were a debtor for everything. So did Paul (it is good to remember him again) when he said that the Lord died for him: "But now," he said, "I live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20). He spoke thus not because he wanted to shorten the gift of Christ, but because he wished to present himself as guilty of everything and to arouse in everyone the same frame of mind. If Christ had come for one person, then His gift would not only not have diminished, but would have appeared even greater. Why is that? Because He would show such care for one person as one who seeks out one (lost) sheep; therefore (Paul) was troubled, and therefore he wept. If those who have borrowed money and are unable to repay, drowning in the great abyss of debts, do not eat or sleep from painful care, then what will not the righteous endure when he sees his debt (to God), which consists not in money, but in deeds? And we are not like that; but having paid very little, we behave as if we had paid everything, and even do even worse: we do not do this little with the zeal befitting free people, but inquire beforehand whether there is a reward for it, whether the reward is great, whether it will be imputed to ourselves, pronouncing the words of unfree and hired people. What sayest thou, faint-hearted and wretched man? Thou hast to do something pleasing to God, and yet thou standest anxious for the reward? If you were to fall into hell for such a deed, then would you have to evade, and not with great readiness to set about doing good? You do what is pleasing to God, and seek another reward. Truly you do not know what a great good it is to please God; for if you had known this, you would not have equaled any other reward (with this good). Do you not know that your reward will be greater when you do what is due, without expecting rewards? Do you not see that among men there is a special respect for those who have in mind to please (them) before rewards, and strive for this more than for their honor? Thus men behave so nobly even with those like themselves, but you, who have been so much favored by the Lord, and who expect so many blessings when it is necessary to do something useful for your salvation, first inquire about the reward. That is why we are always cold and pitiful, and are not ready for any noble cause; therefore, we cannot be in contrition and gather even a little courage. We do not think attentively about our sins, and do not examine the blessings of God, and do not look at those who have accomplished the greatest feats. We forget about good deeds because we also use well-being immoderately, and often calling ourselves sinners, we say this insincerely. This is evident from the fact that when we hear such a name from others, we become angry and irritated and call it an offense. Thus we have hypocrisy in everything, and we do not imitate the publican, who, when another reproached him with a multitude of sins, endured these reproaches and received fruit from his deeds - "this one went justified to his house more than the Pharisee" (Luke 18:14); and we do not even know what confession is, although we are full of innumerable sins. We should not only be convinced that we have a multitude of sins, but also inscribe all our sins, small and great, on our hearts, as in a book, and weep as if we had recently committed. Then we would humble the pride of our souls, constantly reminding it of our vices. Remembrance of one's sins is such a blessing that Blessed Paul often exposed even his atoned faults. Since he washed away all his former sins by baptism, and afterwards lived so purely that he was not aware of anything about himself and had no sins for which he should sigh, he remembered the sins that had already been washed away by baptism, and said: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first." (1 Tim. 1:15); and again: "I thank Him who gave me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, that He hath counted me faithful, appointing me to the ministry, me, who was formerly a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an oppressor" (1 Timothy 1:12-13), "I persecuted the church of God with cruelty, and desolate it" (Galatians 1:13); and again: "He is not worthy to be called an Apostle, because he persecuted the church of God." (1 Cor. 15:9). Such sins, although we are freed from the guilt of them, can nevertheless greatly excite the soul and dispose it to love God greatly. In the same way, Simon, when asked by the Lord "which" of the two debtors "will love more" the lender, saying, "I think he to whom he has forgiven more," heard, "Thou hast judged rightly." (Luke 7:42-43).

7. When we reflect on the multitude of our former sins, then we will know the abundance of God's mercy, then we will bow our heads, then we will humble ourselves; for the more grievous the sins of which we are guilty, the more we will be broken. Thus Paul remembered his former sins, but we do not want to remember those we did after baptism, which threaten us with danger and expose us to responsibility for them; but if the thought of any such sin comes to us, we immediately remove it and do not want to grieve the soul by remembering it even for a short time. And from this useless tenderness comes a multitude of evils for us, because being in such a state of self-satisfaction and effeminacy, we cannot confess our former sins (how is this possible when we accustom ourselves not to allow the remembrance of them?), and easily fall into subsequent ones. If this remembrance is always alive in us and the soul is troubled by fear, then it is convenient to eradicate its effeminacy and carelessness. But if you take off this bridle, who will finally restrain it and prevent it from rushing fearlessly through the rapids and falling into the abyss of destruction? For this reason the righteous (David) imagined the future punishment; therefore he wept, therefore he sighed, and very much! For you, great people, it is enough for you to remember the blessings of God, not to remember your own virtues, to delve into it with great diligence whether you have ever committed some small sin, to look at great men who were very pleasing to God; after all this, to reflect on the uncertainty of the future, on the inclination (of people) to fall and sin, which Paul also feared, and therefore said: "I am afraid, lest, preaching to others, I myself remain unworthy." (1 Cor. 9:27); And: "Whoever thinks that he is standing, take heed lest he fall." (1 Cor. 10:12). In the same way, David thought about all these things within himself, and, reasoning about the blessings of God, said: "What is man, that Thou rememberest him, and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? Thou hast humbled him not much before the angels: Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor" (Psalm 8:5-6). And he forgot about his good deeds so much that in his immeasurable wisdom he said: "Who am I, Lord, Lord, and what is my house, that Thou hast so magnified me! And this is not yet enough in Thy sight, O my Lord, Lord; but Thou hast also proclaimed the house of Thy servant afar off. This is already human. My Lord, my Lord! What more can David say to you?" (2 Samuel 7:18-20)? Often thinking about the virtues of his ancestors, he considered himself nothing in comparison with them. Thus, having said: "In Thee our fathers trusted," He added of himself: "I am a worm, and not a man" (Ps. 21:5,7). And he had the uncertainty of the future before his eyes, so that he said: "Enlighten my eyes, that I may not sleep in death" (Psalm 12:4). And he considered himself guilty of so many sins that he said: "Forgive my sin, for it is great" (Psalm 24:11). This, then, is enough for you, great men; and even with these remedies we still have a strong and sufficient basis for the destruction of pride and all arrogance. What is it? A multitude of sins, an evil conscience: when it takes possession of us, it does not allow us to rise to heights if we wish. Wherefore I beseech and beseech you, by the boldness which thou hast acquired before God by thy virtues, to give a hand (of help) to us, who pray continually, that we may and worthily mourn the burden of so many sins, and, weeping, enter upon the path that is favorable and leads us to heaven, so that we may not suffer together with the outcasts, descending into hell, where no one can confess (Psalm 6:6). And from where no one will free us. As long as we remain here, we can also receive great benefit from you, and you can greatly benefit us; and when we depart to a place where neither friend, nor brother, nor father can help or be with us during the punishment, then it will be necessary in distress and deep darkness and in the complete absence of comforters to endure endless punishment and to be unburned food for the all-devouring flame.

TO STAGIRIUS THE ASCETIC,

possessed by a demon.

FIRST WORD.

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

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Perhaps this will help you to bravely endure the present calamity; if we do not succeed in this, then at least the thought that we have not omitted anything due on our part will ease our soul. Whoever has done everything that he considers useful for the cessation of the sufferings that have befallen his neighbor, even if he does not succeed in this, is at least freed from the reproaches of conscience and, having laid aside the burden of these reproaches, must bear only the weight of sorrow. If I were one of those who are pleasing to God and can do great things, I would not cease to pray and ask God for a person who is precious to me; but since the multitude of sins deprives me of this boldness and strength, I will try to offer you verbal consolation. So it is with those who suffer from bodily illnesses: the abolition of suffering and the cessation of illness is the business of physicians, but the consolation of the sick is not forbidden to the slaves who serve them; they are especially the ones who speak much in favor of their masters, if they are well disposed towards them. Therefore, if we say anything that can put an end to your excessive sorrow, then that which we desire will be fulfilled; but if we do not find anything of the kind to say, then surely He will approve of our zeal, Who through Blessed Paul commanded us to weep with those who mourn and to follow the humble (Romans 12:15-16). The reason for your despondency, apparently, is one - the fury of the evil demon; but one can find many sorrows born later from this root. I say this now, not on my own behalf, but on the basis of those complaints which I often heard from you when you were with us; and first (you complained)