Fire is recognized by the Persians as a god, and the barbarians living in that country still worship it. Wherefore God, desiring to bring down wickedness at its very foundation, permitted such a kind of plague, in order to grant victory to his servants before the eyes of all the worshippers of fire, and to convince them by their very deed that the gods of the Gentiles fear not only God, but also the servants of God.

4. Also note how the enemies weave the crown of victory, how the enemies themselves become witnesses of the triumph! "And Nebuchadnezzar sent," says the Scriptures, "to assemble the satraps, the governors, the governors, the chief judges, the treasurers, the lawyers, the magistrates, and all the governors of the province, that they might come to the solemn unveiling of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they were gathered together" (Dan. 3:2-3). The enemy makes a spectacle, gathers the spectators himself, appoints the contest himself; and (constitutes) the spectacle not from accidents, not from ordinary people, not all from the most honorable and rulers, so that their testimony may be more reliable for the people. They were all called together for one thing, and they saw another; they came to worship the image, but departed with contempt for it, being amazed at the power of God, revealed in the miraculous events with the youths. And notice: where the spectacle was arranged. Not in a city, or in any village, but in flat and open fields, this public spectacle is arranged. In the field of Deir, outside the city, an image was set up, and the messenger, passing everywhere, cried out: "It is announced to you, peoples, nations, and tongues: while you hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe, the harp, the harp, and the symphony, and all the musical instruments, fall down and worship the golden image which King Nebuchadnezzar has set up" (and indeed, to worship the idol meant "mouth"); "And whosoever shall not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into the fiery furnace" (Dan. 3:4-6). You see what a difficult struggle, what an insurmountable net, what a deep abyss and rapids on both sides! But do not be afraid: the more intrigues the enemy uses, the more he will reveal the courage of the youths. For this purpose the harmony of so many musical instruments was prepared, for this the furnace was kindled, so that the souls of the spectators might be seized either by pleasure or by fear. Who is firm and unyielding? Let the charming melody of harmonious music soften it, said the tormentor. Is it worth it above this network? Let the sight of the flame frighten and strike him. Thus both fear and pleasure worked: pleasure crept into the soul through hearing, fear through sight. However, neither the one nor the other defeated the courage of the youths; but as they were cast into the fire, they overcame the flames, so they laughed at all pleasure and fear. All this the devil had prepared for them, because he did not doubt the king's subjects, on the contrary, he was firmly convinced that none of them would oppose the king's command. But when all have fallen and have been defeated, then only the youths are brought into the middle, so that the victory may be more brilliant because of this, that they are victorious and triumphant among such a multitude of people. It would not have been so surprising if they had shown courage in appearing first, before anyone stumbled.

Look also at the malice of the accusers, how they both cunningly and cruelly accused the youths: "There are," they say, "men of Judah, whom you have appointed over the affairs of the land of Babylon" (Dan. 3:12). Not only did they remind them of their origin, but they also mentioned honor, in order to kindle the king's anger; It is as if they were saying: slaves, captives, deprived of their fatherland, you have made our leaders, and they despise this honor, and insult him who has honored them with such an honor. Therefore they say: "These men do not obey thy commandment, O king, nor serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Dan. 3:12). This accusation is the greatest praise; These reproaches are approval and testimony beyond doubt, because it is presented by the enemies themselves! What about the king? He commanded them to be brought out into the middle in order to frighten them in every way; but nothing shook them, neither the anger of the king, nor the fact that they stood alone in the midst of such a multitude, nor the sight of the fire, nor the sound of the trumpets, nor the fact that everyone looked at them with eyes sparkling like fire; but having laughed at all this, they, as if about to throw themselves into the streams of a cool spring, entered the furnace, pronouncing these blessed words: "We will not serve thy gods, neither will we worship the golden image which thou hast set up" (Dan. 3:18). It is not without purpose that I have told this story, but that you may be convinced that neither the wrath of the king, nor the cunning of the soldiers, nor the envy of the enemies, nor captivity, nor the wilderness, nor fire, nor the furnace, nor a thousand calamities, nothing can conquer or frighten the righteous. If where the king was impious, the youths were not afraid of the wrath of the torturer; how much more should we, who have a king who loves mankind and is meek, not lose heart, but thank God for this sorrow, having learned from what has been said that sorrows make more glorious, both before God and before men, those who know how to endure them courageously. If the youths had not become slaves, we would not have known of their freedom; if they had not become captives, we would not have understood the nobility of their souls; if they had not lost their homeland, we would not have learned that they are worthy of the heavenly homeland by virtue; if the earthly king had not been angry with them, we would not have understood the good will of the King of Heaven towards them.

5. Therefore, if He is pleased with you, do not despair, even if they cast you into the furnace; and if He is angry, do not give yourself over to presumption, even though you are in paradise. Adam was in paradise, but as he angered God, paradise did nothing to help him; the youths were in the furnace, but how they pleased (God) that the furnace did not harm them. Adam was in paradise, and he fell, because he became careless; Job sat on a festering pot, and conquered, because he was vigilant. How many times is paradise better than festering?.. Yet the superiority of the dwelling did not help the inhabitant when he gave himself up, just as the uncleanliness of the place did not harm him who was guarded on all sides by virtue. Let us also strengthen our souls, and then we will be the most blessed of all, even if the loss of wealth and even death reach us, if only no one steals our piety from us. This was also commanded by Christ, saying: "Be ye wise as serpents" (Matt. 10:16). Like a serpent, he is ready to lose his whole body in order to save his head; so do not lose heart, even if you have to lose wealth, even if you have to lose your body, even if you have real life, even if you have everything, even if you preserve piety: for if you depart with it, God will restore everything to you in greater splendour, and will resurrect your body in greater glory, and instead of riches He will give you such blessings that no word can express. Did not Job sit naked on a festering pit, leading a life that is more painful than a thousand deaths? But since he did not abandon piety, he again received in abundance all the former things - health and beauty of body, all the composition of children, possessions, and, what is most important, a resplendent crown of patience. As it happens with trees, that even if someone plucks the fruit with leaves, even if he cuts off all the branches, but if the root remains, the tree grows again in perfect integrity and even greater beauty; so it is with us: if the root of piety remains, then, even if wealth is taken away, even if the body is upset, everything returns to us again with greater glory. Therefore, abandoning all spiritual anxiety and excessive solicitude, let us turn to ourselves, and adorn both body and soul with the beauty of virtue, "presenting the members" of our body "as instruments of righteousness" and not "as instruments of iniquity" (Romans 6:13); And first of all, let us accustom the tongue to be a servant of spiritual grace, spewing out from the mouth every poison of backbiting and foul language. It is in our power to make each member an instrument of both deceit and truth. Listen to how they have made their tongue an instrument of sin, and others an instrument of righteousness: "their tongue" is a "sharp sword" (Psalm 56:5); and another says of his own tongue: "My tongue is the reed of a scribe" (Psalm 44:2). That tongue committed murder, and this one wrote the divine law, and therefore this one was a sword, and this one a reed, not by its own nature, but by the will of those who used it; the nature of both is the same, but the action is not one. And in relation to the mouth one can again see the same thing. The lips of some were full of rottenness and deceit, and therefore the one who rebuked them said: "Their lips" are "full of curses, deceit, and lies" (Psalm 9:28), but his own mouth is not so; nay, "my mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditations of my heart shall be knowledge" (Psalm 48:4). Others, again, had their hands defiled by iniquity, and condemning them, he again said: "Who have wickedness in their hands, and whose right hand is full of bribery" (Psalm 25:10); and his hands were not exercised in anything else but to reach out to heaven, which is why he said of them: "The lifting up of my hands is like an evening sacrifice" (Psalm 140:2). And in relation to the heart, one can again see the same thing. Their heart is vain, but his heart is true, and therefore of their heart he says: "Their heart is vain" (Psalm 5:10), and of his own: "A good word has poured out of my heart" (Psalm 44:2). The same can be seen in relation to hearing. They had a beastly hearing, merciless and implacable, and condemning them, he said: "Like a deaf adder that stops its ears" (Psalm 57:5); but his hearing was the receptacle of the Word of God, which he showed when he said: "I will incline my ear to the parable, and with the harp I will reveal my riddle" (Psalm 48:5).

b. Therefore, knowing this, let us guard ourselves on all sides with virtue, and thereby turn away the wrath of God. Let us make the members of our body instruments of righteousness; let us accustom the eyes, and the mouth, and the hands, and the feet, and the heart, and the tongue, and the whole body to serve one virtue. Let us also remember the three commandments of which I spoke to your love, when I urged you not to be at enmity with anyone, not to speak ill of anyone who has offended you, and to cast out from your lips the sinful habit of swearing. We will speak of the other two commandments at another time, and throughout this week we will speak to you about oaths, beginning with an easier commandment. It is not at all difficult to overcome the habit of swearing, if we want to make at least a little effort, reminding each other, admonishing each other, reprimanding each other, and subjecting those who forget to punishment and responsibility. And what good is it for us to abstain from food, if we do not expel vicious habits from the soul? Now we have spent the whole day without food, and in the evening we will set ourselves a meal, unlike yesterday, but different, more modest. But can any of us say that today he has changed his life, as well as his meal, that he has abolished the vicious habit, as well as food? I don't think so. What is the use of fasting for us? Therefore, I urge and will not cease to persuade you, taking each commandment separately, to use two or three days to fulfill it. Others compete with each other in abstaining from food, and enter into a wondrous competition among themselves: some spend two whole days without food, while others, having removed from their table not only wine and oil, but also all concoctions, use only bread and water during the whole of Great Lent. In the same way, we will begin to compete with each other in order to eradicate the use of oaths: this is more useful than any fasting, it is more beneficial than any strict life. Let us show in abstaining from oaths the same diligence that we apply to abstaining from food; otherwise we will be accused of extreme foolishness, that we do not pay attention to what is forbidden, but show all concern for indifferent things. It is forbidden not to eat, but it is forbidden to swear; and we, by refusing what is permitted, encroach on what is forbidden. Therefore, I ask your love to make some kind of change, and show us the beginning of it from here. If we spend the present fast with such zeal that this week we cease to swear altogether, the next week we will extinguish our anger, the next week we will eradicate backbiting, and in the future we will correct ourselves in many other things; then, ascending higher and higher by this path, little by little we will reach the very summit of virtue. Then we will avoid the present danger, and propitiate God; and the multitude of people will return to our city, and now we will teach those who have fled to entrust the hope of our salvation - not to places of safety, not to some kind of refuge and solitude, but to spiritual piety and good morals. In this way we will attain both earthly and heavenly blessings, which may we all be worthy of, through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom and with Whom be glory to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

ABOUT STATUES

CONVERSATION FIVE

Also an exhortation to the people to bravely endure the threatening calamity, following the example of what happened to Job and the Ninevites; and that it is not death that should be feared, but sin; and that it means to die badly; and that one should be careful to avoid oaths.

For this reason many are now undertaking a long journey by sea, and from the ends of the earth they go to Arabia to see this festering, and when they see it, to kiss the earth, which was the field of the exploits of this crown-bearer, and has received in itself blood more precious than any gold. It is not so much the scarlet robe that glitters, as this body shone then, stained not with someone else's blood, but with its own blood. And his wounds were more precious than any stones, because pearls in themselves do not bring us any benefit in life, and they do not supply any essential need for those who possess them, while those wounds bring comfort in all sorrow. And in order that you may be convinced of the truth of this, show him who has lost his lawful and only son an innumerable number of pearls: you will not ease his misfortune, nor heal his sorrows; but if you remind him of Job's wounds, you can easily heal him with these words: Why are you grieving, O man? Thou didst lose only one child, and the blessed one, having lost a whole host of children, was smitten even in the flesh, and sat naked on the pus, poured with pus on all sides, while his flesh gradually withered; and this was a man "blameless, just, and God-fearing, and shunning evil" (Job 1:1), whose virtue God bore witness to. If you say these words, you will extinguish the sorrow in the lamenting one and destroy all sorrow, and thus the wounds of the righteous are more useful than pearls! Therefore, imagine this ascetic and imagine that you yourself see that pus, and on this pus he sits – this golden statue sprinkled with precious stones, and I do not know what else to call it – because I cannot find such an expensive substance to which this bloody body could be likened. Thus this flesh was incomparably more precious than any substance, and the wounds were lighter than the rays of the sun. The rays illuminate the bodily gaze, and these enlighten the eyes of our mind; they completely blind the devil. That is why the devil, after that defeat, departed, and did not appear again. And you, beloved, know from here how great is the benefit of sorrow. As long as the righteous man was rich and enjoying peace, the devil had occasion to slander him; though falsely, he could nevertheless say: "Is it for nothing that Job fears God" (Job 1:9)? And when he had taken everything from him and made him poor, he did not dare to open his mouth. As long as Job was rich, the devil promised to fight with him, and threatened to overthrow him; and when he had made him poor, deprived him of everything, and plunged him into extreme illness, then he departed. While his body was healthy, the devil raised his hands against him, but when he covered his flesh with wounds, then, defeated, he turned to flight.

You see how much better and more useful poverty is for the prudent than riches, infirmity and sickness are health, temptation is calm, and how much more glorious and powerful they make ascetics! Who has seen or heard of such a wonderful contest? Ordinary wrestlers, as soon as they strike their opponents in the head, immediately win the victory and receive crowns; but the devil, when he smote the body of the righteous man, covered him with various sores and brought him to exhaustion, then he was overcome and departed; And though He pierced his side on all sides, yet He did not gain anything, because He did not steal the treasure that was stored there, but made it more visible to us, and through these holes He gave everyone the opportunity to look into the interior (of the sufferer) and see all his riches. When he hoped to gain the upper hand, then he departed with great shame, and uttered no more sound. What's wrong, the devil? Why are you running away? Has not everything been fulfilled according to your desire? Have you not destroyed his sheep, oxen, horses, and mules? Did He not destroy all his children, and wound all his flesh? Why did you run away? And for this reason, he answers, although everything was fulfilled according to my desire, yet that which I especially sought and for which I did everything else, was not fulfilled: he did not utter blasphemy against God! In order to achieve this, I did everything else; and since this did not happen, it is of no use to me to destroy his wealth, to destroy his children, and to defeat his body; the opposite of what I desired came out: I made my opponent more glorious and brilliant. Have you been convinced, beloved, how great is the benefit of misfortune? Job's healthy body was beautiful; but it became even more beautiful when it was ulcerated by wounds: for example, wool is beautiful even before dyeing, but when it becomes purple, it receives inexplicable beauty and pleasantness. And if the devil had not uncovered Job, we would not have known the valor of the conqueror; if he had not struck his body with sores, the rays would not have shone from within; if he had not planted him on a festering pot, we would not have known his riches. Not so brilliant is the king sitting on the throne, as glorious and brilliant was Job, sitting on the festering pit: after the royal throne is death, and after this festering is the kingdom of heaven.

2. Thinking about all this, let us be encouraged from the despondency that has taken possession of you. These stories I offer to you, not that you may praise my speech, but that you may imitate the virtue and patience of those valiant men; so that you may know from your very deeds that of all the evils of men, sin alone is real evil, and not poverty, not sickness, not offense, not backbiting, not dishonor, and not even death, this seems to be the most extreme of all evils. For those who are inquisitive, these calamities are such only in name, and not in reality: to anger God and do anything displeasing to Him is the true misfortune! Indeed, what is terrible in death, tell me? Is it that it rather leads you to a quiet harbor and to that serene life? If man does not kill you, will not the very law of nature, at a certain time, separate the body from the soul? Let not now happen what we fear; But this will be a little later. I say this, not because I expect anything terrible or sad, but because I am ashamed of those who fear death. Do you expect such blessings, "eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and it has not entered into the heart of man" (1 Corinthians 2:9), and you are not in a hurry to enjoy them, you are negligent and delayed, and not only do you tarry, but you are also afraid and tremble? And how shameful are you not to grieve over death, when Paul sighed because of the present life, and in the Epistle to the Romans said: "All creation groans together and is tormented until now; and we ourselves, having the firstfruits of the Spirit, also groan within ourselves" (Rom. 8:22-23)? And he said this not to condemn the present, but out of a strong desire for the future. I have tasted, he says, of grace, and I do not endure delay; I have the beginnings of the Spirit, and I strive for complete possession; I ascended to the third heaven, I saw that ineffable glory, I saw the royal splendour, I knew what I was losing by being here, and therefore I sighed.

So let me, you say, become like Paul, and I will never fear death. And what hinders you, O man, from becoming like Paul? Wasn't he poor? Isn't he a tent maker? Isn't he an ordinary man? If he had been rich and of noble birth, the poor who were called to imitate him could certainly have excused themselves by their poverty. But now you can say nothing of the sort, because this man was a craftsman and earned his living by daily labors. In addition, in childhood you inherited piety from your parents, and from the first years you were imbued with the Holy Scriptures; and he was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an offender, and a destroyer of the church, but in spite of this, he was so suddenly changed that he surpassed all in the power of his zeal, and he cries: "Be ye imitators of me, as I am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). He imitated the Lord, and you do not imitate your fellow servant, you who have been brought up in piety from your youth, the one who has already changed and accepted the faith. Do you not know that sinners, although they live, are dead, and the righteous, although they die, are alive? And these are not my words, but the sentence of Christ, who said to Martha: "He that believeth on me, though he die, shall live" (John 11:25). Is our teaching a fable? If you are a Christian, then believe in Christ; if you believe in Christ, then show me faith in works. How will you show faith in deeds? - If you despise death, this is what distinguishes us from the infidels.

They rightly fear death, because they have no hope of resurrection; But you, who are on a better path and have the opportunity to inquire about the hope of the future, what excuse will you find when, believing in the resurrection, you fear death, like those who do not believe in the resurrection? But I am afraid, you say, not of death; I am not afraid to die, but to die badly, to be beheaded. So did John die badly because he was beheaded? And Stephen also died badly, because he was stoned? And all the martyrs, in your opinion, died a miserable death, because some were deprived of life by fire, and others by iron; some are thrown into the sea, others from the rapids; and some in the jaws of beasts, and thus died? To die badly, man, does not mean to die a violent death, but to die in sins. Listen to how the prophet is curious about this. "Evil shall kill the sinner" (Psalm 33:22), he says. He did not say, "A violent death is cruel," but, "Evil shall kill the sinner." And rightly so: because after their departure from here there is an intolerable punishment, endless torments, a poisonous worm, an unquenchable fire, utter darkness, insoluble bonds, gnashing of teeth, sorrow, distress, and eternal condemnation.

3. When such calamities await sinners, what will it profit them if they end their lives at home and in their beds? Nor will the righteous be harmed by ending their present life by the sword, or by iron and fire, when they have to pass on to eternal blessings. Truly, "evil will kill the sinner." Such was the death of the rich man who showed contempt for Lazarus, and although he ended his life at home, in bed, in the presence of friends, by his own death, yet after his departure he burned in fire and could not find there any consolation in the well-being of the present life. Not so with Lazarus: although he suffered a violent death in the courtyard of the rich man, among the dogs that licked his wounds (for what can be more painful than hunger?), yet, after his departure, he began to enjoy eternal blessings there, rejoicing in the bosom of Abraham. What harm was it to him that he died violently, and what profit did it do to the rich man that he died nonviolently?