Amen.

CONVERSATION 19

"And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go into the field" (Gen. 4:8).

1. As incurable wounds do not yield to either sharp or emollient medicines, so the soul, once it has become a prisoner and given over to some sin, if it does not want to think about its own benefit, does not improve, no matter how much someone inspires it; it, as if it had no hearing at all, does not receive any benefit from admonition, not because it cannot, but because it does not want to. However, the will (of man) is not the same as bodily wounds. In the bodily nature, ailments are often incurable, but not so with the will: on the contrary, often an evil person, if he wishes, can change and become good, and a good person, if he is not vigilant, can become corrupt. The Lord of all, having created our nature free, although He does everything on His part, and following His love for mankind, and knowing the secrets hidden in the depths of the soul, exhorts, advises and warns against evil deeds, but does not coerce, but by offering appropriate actions, leaves everything to the will of the sick person. So it happened now with Cain. After such (God's) solicitude for him, see into what a frenzy he has fallen. Recognizing his sin, he had to take care of his correction; but he, like a drunken man, adds another ulcer to the first illness and earlier, and, not taking the medicine offered to him with such zeal, on the contrary, hastening to carry out the planned murder, begins the matter with cunning and cunning, and deceives his brother with flattering words. Thus is a beast-like man who has given himself over to evil. As great and venerable (by nature) this rational being is, especially when it strives to do good, so much does it resemble the fierce beasts in cruelty when it deviates to evil. Having fallen into their savagery, this meek and reasonable creature is far even superior to them in ferocity. Let us see what happened in the present case. "And Cain said," he said, "to Abel his brother, Let us go into the field." The words of the brother, but the intention of the murderer. What are you doing, Cain? Don't you know who you're talking to? Don't you think you're talking to your brother? Don't you think he was born of the same mother as you? Don't you understand the vileness of your enterprise? Do you not fear the Judge, Who cannot be deceived? Do you not tremble at the thought of an evil deed? Why do you drag your brother into the field and lead him away from his father's embrace? Why do you deprive him of paternal help? What kind of strangeness is it that you now drag your brother into the field, that you are now trying to do what you have not done before, and, substituting the mask of friendship for brotherly love, you want to deal with him as an enemy? What a frenzy! What ferocity! Let us suppose that you, in the blindness of the mind; you do not pay any attention to fraternal disposition, you do not know nature itself; but why hast thou so armed thyself against him who has done thee no wrong? For what fault do you want to cause them such grief on the part of your parents, and to be the first perpetrator of this terrible deed, do you want to be the first to show them this violent death? Is this how you pay them for their upbringing? What diabolical cunning has stirred you up to this matter? Can you say that the good will towards him (Abel) of the Lord, common to all, made him proud before you? Is it not to turn you away from this murderous intent that God has subdued your brother and placed you under your power, saying, "He draws you to himself, but you must rule over him"? Indeed, these words must be understood about the subjection of a brother (to Cain). And some say that God said this to him about the sacrifice he offered: "He draws you to himself," i.e., the gift, "but thou shalt rule over him," i.e., thou shalt use it thyself. And it seems to me that this is said about my brother. "And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him" (Gen. 4:8). A horrible act, a pernicious audacity, a hateful deed, an unpardonable sin, the plot of a brutal soul! "He rose up," he said, "against Abel his brother, and killed him." Oh, vile hand! Oh, miserable right hand! However, it is not the hand that should be called vile and pitiful, but the intention that this member served. Therefore let us put it this way: Oh, the audacious, vile, and miserable intention! And whatever we say, we will not say everything it deserves. How his hand was not numb! How could she raise her sword and strike a blow? How did his soul not fly out of his body? How was she able to carry out this lawless enterprise? How did she not hesitate and change her intention? Why didn't you think about nature? How did she not think, before doing the deed, about its end? How could he, after committing a murder, look at his brother's body trembling on the ground? How could he see a corpse prostrate on the ground and not immediately fall into exhaustion from this sight? If, after the lapse of so many years, every day we see the dying, dying of natural causes, and those who are not in the least close to you, we are crushed, and even though the dead is our enemy, we cease enmity, how much more should Cain shudder and immediately give up his spirit, when he saw that the one with whom he had recently conversed was a brother from the same mother and from the same father, born from the same womb with him, having attracted God's favor upon himself, suddenly lies, breathless and motionless, and trembles on the ground.

2. But let us see what it is like after this ungodly act and after such a crime, which does not deserve any excuse; – let us see what kind of condescension and love of mankind God of all things shows. "And the Lord spake unto Cain" (Gen. 4:9). Is it alone that He vouchsafed His discourse to one who committed such a crime as goodness shows? If we often despise people like us, when we see them committing such a crime, then how much more should we be amazed at the good God, Who showed so much patience, and quite rightly. He is a doctor and a loving father. As a physician, He uses all measures and means to restore health to those suffering from severe illnesses; and as a loving father, He desires, by the power of fatherly love, to bring to their former prosperous state (children) who have lost their nobility through carelessness. Since His goodness is immeasurably great, He wants to show His great love for mankind to him who dares to commit such iniquity, He says to him: "Where is Abel your brother" (Gen. 4:9)? Great and immeasurable is the condescension of God? He does not ask because He does not know; no, He did to him (Cain) as He did to his father: nothing prevents us from telling about it again. For how did God see him (Adam) hiding from the shame of nakedness, and ask, "Where?" (Gen. 4:9), not out of ignorance, but wishing to encourage him, so that through the confession of his fall he would wash away his sin (it is customary for Him from ancient times and from the beginning to demand of us to confess our sins and grant forgiveness), so now He asks Cain and says: "Where is Abel thy brother"? The philanthropic Lord assumes the appearance of ignorance in order to induce the one who committed such a crime to confess his sin by a question, and so that he may receive some forgiveness and (take advantage of) philanthropy. "Where is Abel thy brother"? What then is reckless, insensitive, stubborn, and shameless? He ought to have thought that (God) is inquiring, not out of ignorance, but in order to hear from him a confession, and to admonish us not to pronounce sentence on our brethren before the case is heard; it would be necessary to think about the Lord's care – how He, wishing to restrain him from undertaking, and knowing the plan of his soul even before putting it into action, used protective means; he ought to have pondered all this, stopped his fury, told what had happened, showed the ulcer to the doctor, and took medicine for him; and it also enlarges the wound, intensifies the hardening of the ulcer. "And he said," it said, "I don't know." Look, what a shameless answer! Are you talking to a man who can be deceived? Or do you not know, miserable and wretched one, who is conversing with you? Do you not understand that He inquires out of His great goodness, desiring only to find an excuse to show His love for mankind, and that you, after He has done everything on His part, no longer deserve any excuse, since you have brought yourself under punishment?

"He said, I do not know; Am I my brother's keeper"? Notice here how conscience convicts, how he (Cain), compelled, so to speak, by conscience, did not stop at this word: "I do not know," but added: "Am I my brother's keeper"? He just didn't denounce himself. And if everything were done according to the (natural) order and according to the law of nature, then you should also be the guardian of brotherly happiness, because nature inspired (you) to do so, and those born of the same mother should be the guardians of each other. And if you did not want this, and refused to be your brother's guardian, why did you become a murderer, and killed him who had done you no wrong, and thought that there was no one to rebuke you? But wait, and you will see that the one who is slain himself will be your accuser, and the one lying dead will loudly accuse you, who are alive and walking. "And God said, What hast thou done" (Gen. 4:10)? These words are also significant. Why, he says, did you do this? Why did you commit this godless audacity, this abominable act, this unforgivable deed, this intolerable madness, this new and unprecedented murder, which was introduced into human society for the first time by your hand? Why did He perform this great and terrible deed, which is heavier than that among sins? "The voice of thy brother's blood cries out to Me from the earth." Am I a man, and hear only the voice that comes out of the mouth? I am God, and I can hear him that cries by the blood, and that which lies on the ground. This is how far the voice of this blood goes, which ascends from earth to heaven and, passing through the heaven of heavens and the higher powers, reaches the very throne of the King, and complains of your murder, denouncing your impious deed. "The voice of thy brother's blood cries out to Me from the earth." Have you done such an offense to a stranger and a stranger? No, to his own brother, who has not offended you in any way. But could it be that My favor brought this murder upon him, and you, not having the strength to oppose Me, poured out your uncontrollable fury on him? Therefore I will inflict such a punishment on you that both your transgression and the punishment inflicted on you for it may not be forgotten, but that what has happened to you may be a lesson to all who follow. And because you did this and carried out your evil plan, and out of great envy decided to kill, "cursed art thou from the earth" (Gen. 4:11).

3. Do you notice, beloved, the difference in the curse? Do not ignore this, but judge the severity of the crime by the severity of the curse. How much greater this sin (Cain's) than the transgression of the first-created (Adam's) can be seen by the difference in the curse. There (the Lord) said: "Cursed is the earth for thy sake" (Gen. 3:17), and poured out a curse on the earth, taking care of man; but here, since the deed is disastrous, the insolence is blatant, the crime is unforgivable, he himself (the perpetrator of it) is cursed: "Cursed art thou," he says, "from the earth." He did much the same thing as the serpent that served as the instrument of the devil's plan; As he by means of deception brought about death, so this one, having deceived his brother and led him out into the field, armed his hand against him and committed murder. Therefore, just as the Lord said to the serpent: "Cursed art thou before all cattle and before all the beasts of the field" (Gen. 3:14), so also this one, because he did likewise. As the devil, moved by envy and malice, and unable to endure the unspeakable blessings bestowed upon man from the very beginning, in consequence of this envy decided to deceive him, which brought about death, so this one, seeing that the Lord was pleased with his brother, moved to murder out of envy. Therefore God said to him, "Cursed art thou from the earth." Cursed, that is, you will be from the very ground "which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand" (Gen. 4:11). You will be cursed by the very land that is stained with the blood shed so wickedly and by such an impious hand. Then the divine Scripture, defining the curse more clearly, says: "When thou till the earth, it shall no more give its power to thee" (Gen. 4:12). Great is the punishment, heavy is the burden of indignation. Thou shalt labor, saith he, and thou shalt exert thy utmost to cultivate the soil soaked with such blood, but thou shalt not receive the fruits of these great labors; whatever efforts you make, they will all be fruitless for you. And the punishment will not stop there, but "you will be an exile and a wanderer on earth." This is another great punishment – to groan and tremble incessantly.

For this reason I do not subject you to a speedy death, so that your deed may not be forgotten; I will make you drag out a life more grievous than death, so that you may know by your own experience what a crime you have committed. "And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear" (Gen. 4:13). Much and very useful for our salvation can be learned from here, if only we are willing to be attentive. "And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear." Here is a complete confession! So great, he says, is the sin I have committed, that I cannot receive forgiveness. Behold, he will say, he confessed (sin) and confessed with great accuracy. But there is no benefit from this, beloved, because confession is not timely. It should have been done in due time, when the Judge could be bowed to mercy. Remember now what I said a little while ago, that on that terrible day and at that impartial judgment seat, each of us confessed his sins, having before his eyes those terrible punishments and inevitable torments, but would not receive any benefit from it if he missed the time.

Repentance also has an unspeakable power, until the punishment is determined (at the last judgment). Therefore, I beseech you, as long as this wondrous medicine can be effective, let us make use of it, and while we are still in the present life, let us accept the medicine of repentance, knowing for sure that there will be no benefit to us from repentance when the spectacle is closed and the time of podvigs is over.

4. But let us return to the subject. Cain had to confess his sin at the same time when he was asked by the Lord: "Where is Abel thy brother?" to confess his sin, to fall down (before God), to beg and ask for forgiveness; but at that time he rejected the medicine, and now, after the sentence, when everything is already over, when the blood of the brother lying on the ground has loudly accused him, he confesses and does not receive any benefit from it. Wherefore the prophet also said, "First in the litigation of his right" (Proverbs 18:18). So this one, too, if he had preceded the rebuke of the Lord, might have been worthy of a certain love for mankind because of the infinite goodness of the Lord. There is no sin, no matter how great, that overcomes God's love for mankind, if we repent and ask forgiveness at the right time. "And Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear." Confession is sufficient, but not timely. "And he said, Thou hast now driven me out of the face of the earth, and from thy presence I shall be hidden, and I shall be an exile and a wanderer on the earth; and whosoever shall meet me shall kill me" (Gen. 4:14). See what touching words, but spoken inappropriately and inopportunely, did not have any power (before God). "And he said, Thou hast now driven me out of the face of the earth, and from thy presence I shall be hidden, and I shall be an exile and a wanderer on the earth; and whosoever shall meet me shall slay me." If You, He says, have made me cursed by the earth, if You Yourself have turned away from me and subjected me to such punishment that I will groan and tremble, then nothing will prevent anyone from killing (me) in such a state and deprived of Your blessing. I will be defenseless against anyone who wants to kill me, because I myself cannot defend myself with my paralyzed trembling limbs; moreover, when they learn that I am deprived of Your protection, then anyone who wants to will boldly kill me. What then is the loving and good Lord? "And the Lord God said unto him, Not so" (Gen. 4:15). Don't think, he says, that this will happen. No, it is impossible for anyone who wants to kill you, but by continuing your life I will increase your sorrow, and teach a lesson to the generations that follow, so that your appearance may serve as an admonition to them, and no one will follow your example. "And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain shall be avenged with all his might." Perhaps much has already been said by us, and we have brought (your) body into no small fatigue? But what to do? Seeing your attentiveness and ardent zeal for listening, I want to consider and explain the rest as much as possible. What does it mean: "He will be avenged with all his might"? But again I am afraid lest the abundance of words prevent you from keeping in mind what has been said, and not appear to be a burden to you. If you are not tired, then be patient; Having explained the place that is before us, we will conclude the discourse. "And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain shall be avenged to the fullest. And the Lord made a sign unto Cain, that no man that met him should kill him" (Gen. 4:15) Are you afraid, he says, lest they kill you? Do not be afraid: this will not happen, because whoever does this exposes himself to a punishment seven times greater; for this I also put a sign upon you, so that no one will kill you out of ignorance and be subjected to such a grievous punishment.

5. But it is necessary to show you more clearly how the murderer of Cain is subjected to a sevenfold punishment. Be attentive, I beseech you. If now, when, as we have often said to your love in previous days, it is a time of fasting, and we enjoy such silence and are free from thoughts that disturb our minds, if we do not now consider carefully what is offered in the divine Scriptures, then at what other time can we know this? And so, I advise, beseech and pray, and just now I do not embrace your knees, let us listen to what is said, with a strained mind, so that we may return home with a noble and lofty acquisition. What does it mean: "He will avenge himself fully"? First, the number seven in the divine Scriptures is taken in the meaning of a multitude, and this can be found in many places, for example: "the barren woman gives birth seven times" (1 Samuel 2:5) and the like. And here it is pointed out to you the gravity of the sin, that he (Cain) committed not one sin, but seven sins, and for each sin he had to suffer a great punishment. How do we list them? If we calculate, the first sin was that he envied his brother for God's favor towards him: and this one sin was enough to punish him with death); the second, that he (envied) his own brother; the third – that he used cunning; the fourth – that he committed murder; the fifth, that he had killed his brother; the sixth, that the first committed murder; the seventh, that he had lied to God. Have you had time to remember what was said, or, if you wish, will we enumerate these sins again, so that you may see how each and one of them was sufficient to subject him (Cain) to the greatest punishment? Who will forgive a man who is jealous of another because he enjoys God's favor? Here is one, but the greatest and unforgivable sin. Then this sin is even greater, when a brother is subjected to envy, and one who has not offended in any way: this is again an important sin. The third sin is that (Cain) used cunning, deceived his brother, led him out into the field, and was not ashamed of nature itself. The fourth is the very murder that he committed. The fifth, that he slew his half-brother; the sixth, that he was the first to introduce this kind of murder; the seventh, that, being questioned by God, he dared to lie. Therefore, God says to Cain, whoever tries to kill you is punished seven times over. So don't be afraid of it. Behold, I put upon you also a sign, by which whosoever meets thee shall know thee. Your relaxation for the rest of your life will be useful for the next generation, and what you have done alone without witnesses will be known to all, seeing you groaning and trembling, and this trembling of the body as if saying and calling out to everyone thus: "No one dare to do such a deed as I have done, lest he suffer the same punishment."

6. Hearing this, beloved, let us not merely listen to what has been said, nor only look at it, so that we may gather here every day and enjoy a spiritual meal, for there is no use in hearing alone without doing what we have heard. No, thinking about why Cain brought himself to such an unforgivable and grievous sin – that out of envy of his brother, who had not offended him in any way, he dared to commit such a cruel deed, i.e. to kill his own brother, let us beware not so much that we ourselves do not suffer evil, as that we do not harm others. He really suffers evil who wants to harm his neighbor. And in order that you may be convinced of the justice of this, see here also, who suffered evil, the one who killed or the one who was killed? Obviously, the one who killed. Why? For he who is slain, even to this day is sung by the lips of all, is blessed and crowned as the first martyr for the truth, of which Blessed Paul also says: "After death" Abel "speaks again" (Hebrews 11:4). And even then the murderer led a life more miserable than all men, and in subsequent times he is subjected to universal condemnation and is presented in the divine Scriptures as rejected and cursed by God. And this is still in the real, final life. And what is to follow with both in the age to come, and what will each of them, according to his work, receive from the righteous Judge, blessedness, or contrary to it, what word is he able to depict? No one can depict either these joys or sorrows.

Listen to what Blessed Paul says: "Those who have sinned without the law are outside the law and will perish" (Romans 2:12), i.e. they will suffer a lighter punishment, because they have not received from the law reproof, nor threat, nor correction. "But those who have sinned under the law shall be condemned according to the law." These, that is, as those who acted with the help of the law, will be subjected to the most grievous and intolerable punishments. And rightly so, because neither the law nor the examples of others who have suffered such misfortune have made them more prudent and humble. Therefore, I beseech you, although from now on let us understand the examples of others and direct our lives to obedience to the Lord and obedience to His laws.

Amen.