Truly it is fitting now to exclaim: "Who shall speak the power of the Lord, declare all His praises" (Psalm 105:2)? How many have not only overthrown but trampled down the images of God? Because when you strangle a debtor, when you rob, when you drag him out, you trample on the image of God. Listen to how Paul says, that "a man shall not cover his head, for he is the image and glory of God" (1 Cor. 11:7), and again, as God Himself says: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Gen. 1:26). If you say that man is not of the same nature as God, then what of it? And the copper statue is not of the same nature as the king, and yet the guilty are punished. So it is with people: even if they are not of the same nature with God, just as they are not really of the same nature; but they are called the image (of God), and for the sake of this name they ought to be honored. And you trample on them for a little gold, strangle them, drag them out, and have not yet suffered any punishment.

7. God grant that some kind and happy change will take place. I, however, predict and declare that if this cloud passes, and we remain as careless as before, we will be beset by calamities even more grievous than those which we now expect. And even now I am afraid not so much of the king's wrath as of your carelessness. In order to receive our forgiveness, it is not enough to pray for two or three days; it is necessary to make a change in the whole life, and to abandon vice, to remain constantly in virtue. As for the sick, if they do not constantly lead a right life, it is of no use that they spend two or three days prudently; In the same way, sinners, if they do not abstain from vice forever, will receive nothing from a two-day or three-day correction. As they say, he who washes, and then gets dirty in the mud again, does not receive any benefit; so he who repented for three days and returned to his former did not make any progress (in virtue).

Let us not act now as we always do. When we were so often beset by earthquakes, famines, and droughts, we became three or four days more modest and temperate, and then returned to our former ways: this is why the real misfortune happened. But, if not before, at least now let us be constant in piety, let us preserve forever the same modesty, so that we may again have no need of another blow. Couldn't God have prevented what happened? But He allowed this in order to bring those who offend Him more to reason and humble those who offend Him by the fear of His fellow servant. And no one tell me that many of the guilty have taken refuge, and many of the innocent have been captured; and this, I hear, is often said by many, not only in times of present excitement, but also in many other similar circumstances. What then shall we say to those who say this? - That if the arrested person is innocent of the present indignation, nevertheless, at some time committed another more grievous sin, and since he did not correct himself afterwards, he is now punished. This is how God usually acts: when we sin, He does not immediately punish for our transgressions, but postpones punishment, giving us time to repent, so that we may be corrected and changed. But if, from the fact that we are not punished, we conclude that the sin has already been blotted out, and we give ourselves over to carelessness; then after this we will certainly be punished where we do not expect. And this happens so that when we sin and are not punished, we do not remain calm until we change, knowing that we will certainly be punished where we do not expect. And therefore, beloved, if you sin and are not punished, do not be puffed up with this, but all the more be afraid, knowing that it is easy for God to repay you whenever He wills. Then He did not punish you in order to give you time to repent. Let us not say that such and such an innocent person has been seized, and another guilty person has taken refuge. The innocent one, who is now seized, has received, as I have said, the punishment for other sins; but he who has taken refuge now, if he does not reform, will fall into another snare. If we reason in this way, we will never forget our sins, but, always fearing and trembling lest we ever be punished, we will easily remember them. Usually, nothing reminds us of sin so much as reprimand and punishment. This is evident from the example of Joseph's brothers. Though thirteen years have passed since they sold the righteous man; but, fearing punishment and fearing for their lives, they remembered the sin, and one said to another: "As if we were punished for sin against our brother" Joseph (Gen. 42:21). You see how fear reminded them of that crime. When they committed a sin, they did not feel it; and when they were waiting for punishment, they remembered (about sin).

Knowing all this, let us change and correct our lives, and, having first been delivered from the calamity that oppresses us, let us take care of piety and virtue. In the meantime, I want to offer you three commandments that you would fulfill during Lent: do not slander anyone, do not be at enmity with anyone, and completely banish from your lips the evil habit of swearing. As every man, when he hears that a tax has been imposed, hastens home, and, calling his wife, children, and slaves, thinks with them and consults how he should pay this tax; so shall we do with regard to these spiritual commandments. Everyone, returning home, call for your wife and children, and say that today there is a spiritual tax imposed - a tax on which will depend liberation and deliverance from the present calamity - a tax that makes those who pay not poor, but richer; Here it is: not to be in enmity with anyone, not to slander anyone, and not to swear at all. Let us think, take care, consult how we can fulfill these commandments; let us make every effort, let us remind each other, let us correct each other, so that we may go there as debtors, and then, when we need to borrow from others, we will not be subjected to the fate of foolish virgins, and we will not be deprived of eternal salvation. If we set our lives in this way, I give you my word and promise that for this there will be an end to the present calamity and deliverance from these evils, and, most importantly, the enjoyment of eternal blessings. It would be necessary to impress upon you the fulfillment of all the virtues; but I consider the best way of correction to fulfill the commandments in parts, first taking up one, then moving on to others.

May we all be worthy of this by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with Whom be glory to the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

[1] i.e., the emperor.

ABOUT STATUES

CONVERSATION FOUR.

Exhortation to the people about firmness and patience by the examples of Job and the three youths, and about abstaining from oaths

BLESSED be God, Who has comforted your sorrowful souls, who has calmed your troubled thoughts! And that you have received sufficient consolation, you have shown by your zeal and zeal for listening, because a sorrowful soul and enveloped in a cloud of sorrow cannot willingly listen to instruction, but you, I see, listen to me with great eagerness and with full diligence, shaking away all sorrow and driving away real sorrow with the love of listening.

The square was empty, but the church was filled; this one arouses sorrow, this one gives joy and spiritual joy. And therefore, beloved, when you go out into the square, and sigh when you see her empty, run to your mother, and she will immediately console you with a multitude of her children, show you the full face of her brothers, and drive away all sorrow from you. In the city we look for people, as if we live in the desert, and when we run to church, we are overwhelmed by a multitude of people. When the sea is agitated and furious by a violent storm, fear compels everyone to flee from there to the harbor; so now the waves of the square and the storm of the city compel everyone to flock from everywhere to the church, and bind the members together in a union of love. Let us also thank God that we have received such fruit from sorrow, that temptation has brought us such benefit. Without temptation, there would be no crown; if there were no feats, there would be no rewards; if there were no struggle, there would be no honors; if there were no sorrow, there would be no consolation; If there were no winter, there would be no summer. And this can be seen not only in people, but also in the seeds themselves. And here, in order for a fat ear to grow, we need a lot of rain, a lot of clouds, a lot of cold: the time of sowing is also the time of rain. And now, when the bad weather has come, not in the air, but in the souls, let us also sow, during this bad weather, to reap in the summer; let us sow tears to reap joy. It is not I who say this, but the prophet declares: "Those who sow with tears will reap with joy" (Psalm 125:5). It is not so much the rain that falls on the seeds that helps them to vegetate and grow, as the rain of tears that grows and brings to maturity the seed of godliness; It purifies the soul, irrigates the mind, and helps the seed of the Teaching to grow rapidly. For this it is necessary to make a deep furrow, to which the prophet also convinces, saying: "Plough for yourselves new fields, and do not sow among thorns" (Jeremiah 4:3). As a farmer tears the earth deeply with a plough, preparing a reliable storehouse for seeds, so that, when sown, they do not remain on the surface, but hide themselves in the very bowels of the earth and take root safely: so must we do, and by sorrow, as with a plough, to dig up the depths of the heart. Another prophet convinces to this, saying: "Tear your hearts, and not your garments" (John 2:13). Let us tear our hearts asunder, so that if there is any evil plant and evil thought in us, we may uproot it and cleanse the fields for the seeds of godliness. If we do not renew (the field) now, if we do not sow now, if we do not shed tears now, when we have sorrow and fasting, then at what other time shall we give ourselves over to contrition? Is it in a time of rest and rejoicing? But this is impossible, because peace and joy usually lead to carelessness, while sorrow leads to solicitude, and causes the soul, scattered outward, and distracted by many things, to turn to itself. Let us not be discouraged because of the present calamity, but let us also thank God, for there is much benefit from sorrow. The farmer, having sown the seeds he has collected with great difficulty, prays that it will rain; and he who does not know the matter will look at all this with amazement, and perhaps. he will say to himself: what is this man doing? He scatters what he has gathered, and not only scatters, but also very carefully mixes with the earth, so that it cannot be easily gathered; and not only does he mix it with the earth, but he also prays that it will rain heavily, and that all that is sown will rot and turn into mud. And such a person is anxious when he sees thunder and lightning falling. But the farmer is not so: on the contrary, he rejoices and rejoices when he sees bad weather, because he does not look at the present, but awaits the future, thinks not of thunders, but of sheaves, not of rotting shifts, but of green ears, not of heavy rain, but of the dust on the threshing floor, which is most pleasant to him. In the same way, we will not look at real sorrow and sorrow, but at the benefit that comes from it, at the fruit that it bears. Let us wait for the sheaves on the threshing floor: for if we keep awake, we will be able to gather much fruit during this time, and fill the granaries of our souls. If we begin to watch, then not only will we not suffer any evil from this sorrow, but we will also receive innumerable blessings. But if we are careless, then peace will destroy us. Both harm the careless, but both benefit the diligent one. As gold retains its brilliance when it lies in water, and becomes still brighter when it is thrown into the furnace, clay and hay opposite, and when it falls into the water, the former is dissolved, and the latter rots, and when it falls into the fire, the former dries up, and the latter is burned: so also the righteous and the sinner, the former, and enjoying rest, remains as bright as gold immersed in water; and when he is tempted, he becomes even brighter, like gold tested by fire, but the sinner, even when he tastes rest, melts and rots like hay and clay thrown into water, and when he is tempted, he burns and perishes like hay and clay from fire.

2. Let us not lament the present calamity. If you have sins, they will be easily destroyed and scorched with sorrow. But if you have virtue, it will become brighter and more brilliant from sorrow. If you begin to be constantly vigilant and sober, then you will be above all harm, because the cause of falls, as a rule, is not the nature of temptations, but the carelessness of those who are tempted. Therefore, if you want to be cheerful and enjoy peace and pleasure, do not seek pleasure, nor rest, but try to make your soul have courage and be capable of patience, because if you do not have these qualities, you will not only be overcome by temptation, but even more quickly destroyed and overthrown by peace. And in order to be convinced that it is not the blow of calamities, but the carelessness of our soul that destroys our salvation, listen to what Christ says: "Whosoever heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, I will liken unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock; And the rain fell, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew, and rushed upon that house, and it did not fall, because it was founded on a rock. But whosoever heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; And the rain fell, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew, and fell upon that house; and he fell, and there was a great fall thereof" (Matt. 7:24-27). You see that it was not the blows of temptation, but the foolishness of the builders that was the cause of the fall, because there is rain there and rain there; and there are rivers, and there are rivers; and there are the pressures of the winds, and here it is the same; and this one built, and this one built; the same structure and the same temptations, but the end is not the same, because the foundation is not the same. Thus, it was not the nature of temptations, but the foolishness of the builder who built that was the cause of the fall. Otherwise, the house built on the stone would have fallen; but he did not tolerate anything of the kind. But do not think that this is said about the house: it is about the soul which, hearing the word of God, either confirms it or rejects it by its deeds. Thus Job built the house of his soul: "it began to rain," that is, fire fell from heaven and destroyed all the flocks; "rivers overflowed" - frequent, continuous, one after another heralds of disasters, which spoke of destruction: one - herds, another - camels, a third - children; "blow the winds" - the cruel words of the wife: "blaspheme," she said, "God and die" (Job 2:9); "And he did not fall" – the soul did not stumble, the righteous man did not utter blasphemy, but still gave thanks and said: "The Lord gave, and the Lord took away; blessed be the name of the Lord!" (Job 1:21). Do you see that it is not the nature of temptations, but the negligence of the careless, that is usually the cause of the fall? And sorrow makes the strong even stronger. Who said that? - Brought up in sorrow, blessed Paul; he said: "Out of tribulation proceedeth patience, out of patience experience, out of experience hope" (Romans 5:3-4). As strong trees are not uprooted by gusts of wind, no matter how much they rush at them or attack them from all sides; on the contrary, through these impulses they make them still firmer and stronger: so the holy soul and the pious living are not overthrown by the impulses of temptations and sorrows, but stir them up to even greater patience, just as they made Blessed Job more glorious and venerable. Now man is angry with us, a man who is obsequious and has the same soul as we are, and we are afraid; And then the treacherous and fierce demon was angry with him, and not only was he malicious, but he also raised all sorts of intrigues, used all his deceit, and yet he did not overcome the valiant righteous man. The king, as a man, is angry today and ceases from anger tomorrow, yet we die of fear; And then the devil was at enmity, who is never reconciled with mankind, but wages an irreconcilable battle with our race and an endless war, and nevertheless the righteous man laughed at his arrows. What excuse can we have, or what forgiveness, when we cannot endure human temptation, we who have been taught such wisdom by grace, while he, even before grace, in the Old Testament, so valiantly endured that difficult struggle?

Let us, beloved, always converse with one another about this, and instruct one another with such conversations. You and your conscience are witnesses to how much benefit we have gained from this trial. The incontinent has now become chaste, the insolent more modest, the careless careless; Those who have never seen a church, but have spent all their time at the spectacles, are now in church all day long. Tell me, do you grieve that God through fear has made you diligent, through sorrow has led you to the thought of His salvation? But your conscience is tormented, but your heart is tormented every day, waiting for death and the cruelest execution? And from this we will have a great increase in virtue, since through sorrow our piety increases. God can also stop all disasters today; but He will not cease sorrow until He sees that we have been cleansed, until He sees that there has been a change in us, and that repentance is firm and unshakable. And the goldsmith does not take the gold out of the furnace until he sees that it is well refined. In the same way, God will not remove this cloud until He has completely corrected us. He who has allowed the trial himself knows the time when to put an end to the trial. He who plays the zither does not stretch the string too much, so as not to break it, and does not weaken it too much, so as not to disturb the harmonic harmony; so does God: He does not leave our soul in constant rest, nor in prolonged sorrow, arranging both according to His wisdom. He does not allow us to enjoy rest always, lest we become more careless; but He also does not allow us to be in continuous sorrow, lest we lose heart and fall into despair.

3. Therefore, let us give Him a time for the cessation of calamities, and let us ourselves only pray, let us ourselves live godly; for our business is to turn to virtue, and to put an end to calamities is the work of God. God wants to extinguish this fire more than you, who are subject to trial, but He awaits your salvation. Therefore, just as from rest came sorrow, so from sorrow we must expect rest. Not always winter, and not always summer; not always waves, and not always silence; it is not always night, nor always day: so there is not always sorrow, but there will be peace, if only we will give thanks to God unceasingly in times of tribulation. The three youths were cast into the furnace and, in spite of this, they did not forget their piety, they were not frightened by the flames, but, enveloped in fire, they prayed more diligently than those who sat in the palace and did not tolerate any evil. Wherefore the fire became for them a wall, the flame a garment, and the furnace a fountain; having received them bound, she returned them loose: she took mortal bodies and did not touch them as immortal; she did not know nature, but honored piety. The torturer bound his legs, and his feet bound the power of fire. Oh, wonderful thing! The prisoners were allowed to burn, and then he himself was bound by the prisoners. The piety of the youths changed the nature of things, or rather, it did not change nature, but, what is even more surprising, without changing nature, it stopped (it) action. It did not quench the fire, but forced it, even in its grief, not to exert its power, and, what is also wondrous and wondrous, this happened not only to the bodies of the saints, but also to their clothes and shoes. Like the apostles, Paul's garments drove away diseases and demons, and the shadow of Peter put death to flight; so here also the shoes of these youths extinguished the fire. I don't know how to say it, because a miracle surpasses any story. The fire was both extinguished and did not go out; for when he touched the bodies of the holy youths, then he faded away, and when it was necessary to break the fetters, he did not fade away; and he broke the fetters, but did not touch the heels. You see what a coincidence. The fire did not lose its power, and did not dare to go beyond the fetters. The tormentor chained, and the flame was released, so that you would know both the ferocity of the barbarian and the obedience of the elements. Why did the torturer bind them, intending to throw them into the fire? - So that the miracle would be more majestic, so that the sign would be more wonderful, so that you would not take what is happening for a trick of the eyes. If this fire had not been fire, it would not have burned the fetters, and, what is more, would not have burned the soldiers who were outside the furnace. But now he showed strength on those who were outside, and on those inside the furnace he showed his obedience. And notice everywhere how the devil, by arming himself against the servants of God, destroys his own power, not of his own will, but because the all-wise and well-disposed God turns his weapons and cunning on his own head, which also happened here. The devil, at whose instigation the torturer was then acting, did not permit the saints to be beheaded with the sword, nor to deliver them over to beasts, nor to execute others in any similar way, but inspired them to cast them into the fire, so that even the remains of the holy youths would not be preserved, when their bodies were destroyed and their ashes were mixed with the ashes of the wood. But God turned this very thing to the overthrow of wickedness, and in this way.