And so do we. While our soul suffers from a cruel disease, gives itself over to anger, backbiting, reckless desires, vanity, indignation, clings to the earth and is tormented by so many beasts, we, not caring about deliverance from passions, take care of the house and the slaves. If a bear secretly escapes from somewhere, we lock up our houses, hide so as not to meet her; and here, despite the fact that not one beast, but a multitude of them, i.e. impure thoughts, torment our soul, we do not even feel them. Living in the city, we watch very strictly over the beasts, imprison them in deserted places and in caves, and keep them chained not in the city square, or near the judgment seat and the royal palaces, but somewhere in the distance. And into the soul - this place of council, these royal palaces, this judgment seat - the beasts invade and make a cry and noise around the very mind and the throne of the king. From this everything comes into disorder, everywhere there is indignation, both within and without us, and each of us is very much like a city that was disturbed by the barbarians who came upon it. The same thing happens to us as it happens to birds, when a serpent occupies their nest. Uttering a pitiful squeak, they fly everywhere in fear and confusion, not knowing how to free themselves from danger.

7. Therefore, I beseech you, let us destroy the serpent, let us imprison the beasts, let us kill them, and cut off evil thoughts with the sword of the Spirit, so that the prophet will not threaten us in the same way as he threatened the land of Judah: "But the beasts of the desert will dwell in it, the houses will be filled with owls; the ostriches will settle, and the shaggy ones will jump there. Jackals will howl in their palaces, and hyenas in houses of pleasure" (the onocentaurs will dwell there, and hedgehogs and serpents) (Isaiah 13:22, 21 Isaiah 14:23 – "And I will make it a dominion of hedgehogs and a swamp, and I will sweep it away with a broom of destruction"). Truly, people are worse than jackals (onocentaurs). They are unrestrained like wilderness beasts. Such are for the most part young men. Given over to fierce passions, they jump and jump, rushing unrestrainedly everywhere and not caring in the least about what is due. And their fathers are to blame for this.

Fornication and adultery arise from the fact that young men are given freedom. If he had a sensible wife, he would have taken care of the house, fame and honor. But you will say: he is still young. And I know it. But if Isaac entered into marriage in the fortieth year from birth, and until that time he preserved virginity (Gen. 25:20), then how much more should young men have this virtue in a state of grace. But what should I do? Not only do you not want to take care of their chastity, but you look on with indifference when they dishonor, defile themselves, and indulge in various vices, not knowing that the benefit of marriage depends on the preservation of purity of the body, without which there is no benefit from marriage. And you can have the opposite. When your children have already defiled themselves with innumerable vices, then unite them in the bonds of marriage; but already in vain and in vain. But you say: it is necessary to wait for the time when the son will become famous and glorify himself by the deeds of state, but you do not care about the soul in the least, but look indifferently at its fall; For this reason we have such confusion, disorder and disorder in everything, that we do not care about the soul, neglect what is necessary, and turn all our care to matters of little importance. Do you not know that you can do no better than by preserving him from the impurity of fornication? For there is nothing more precious than the soul: "What shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul" (Matt. 16:26)? But the love of wealth has transformed and overthrown everything, and has destroyed the true fear of God. As a tyrant destroys a fortress, so it has overthrown the souls of men. Wherefore we care neither for the salvation of our children, nor for our own, but only for becoming rich, and leaving wealth to our heirs, and they to theirs, and so on; and in this way we only transfer our property to others, and do not possess it ourselves. This is where madness comes from; this is why free people become worse than slaves. For we punish the slaves, if not for them, at least for ourselves; but the free do not enjoy even such care, and turn out to be worse even than slaves. And what do I say about slaves? The lot of our children is worse even than cattle; we care more about donkeys and horses than about children. If someone has a hinny, he tries in every possible way to find the best groom, who would be honest, not a thief, not a drunkard, and who would know his business. If we need to give a mentor to our son, then we simply, without any choice, take whoever happens. And yet there is nothing more difficult than the art of education. Indeed, what art can be compared with the art of educating the soul and enlightening the mind of a young man? A person who knows this art must be more attentive than any painter and sculptor. But we do not care about this at all, but pay attention only to the fact that the student learns to speak. And we care about this only for the sake of wealth. He learns to speak not in order to be able to speak well, but in order to enrich himself, so that even if it were possible to acquire wealth without knowing how to speak, we would not care about this either. Do you see what power the passion for money has over us? How has she subdued all things under her power, and bound us like slaves and beasts, and draws us whither she wills? But what is the use of such reproofs to us? We arm ourselves against this passion with words, and it conquers us with deeds. However, let us not cease to strike her with the words of our lips. If there is any benefit from this, then it will extend to us and to you. If you do not abandon your former vices, at least we have done everything on our part. May God deliver you from this illness, and may He give us the opportunity to acquire praise through you. To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

[1] In the Synodal translation, "the sons of Israel."

DISCOURSE 60

"But if your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him between you and him alone; if he hearkens to thee, thou hast gained thy brother" (Matt. 18:15).

1. Since the Saviour pronounced a stern rebuke against the seducers and struck them with fear, so that, in view of this rebuke, those who are tempted in their turn should not fall into carelessness, and, considering everything, considering it not to concern them, out of false hope that everything should serve them, fall into insane pride, see how He restrains them also. He commands them to be rebuked, but to be rebuked only in private, so that the rebuke in the presence of many witnesses does not seem too heavy, and the rebuked, instead of reforming, does not become even more impudent. Therefore he says: "Rebuke him between you and him alone; if he hearkens to thee, thou hast gained thy brother." What does it mean, "if he listens"? If he condemns himself, if he confesses his sin. "That thou hast gained thy brother." He did not say, "Thou hast sufficiently avenged him," but, "Thou hast gained thy brother," showing that from enmity comes harm to both. He did not say: he received benefit only for himself; but: And you, on your part, have acquired it. And by this he showed that both had lost much before, one losing his brother, and the other his own salvation. He taught the same thing when He sat on the mountain; then He sent the offender to the offended, and said: If you, standing before the altar, "there remember that your brother has something against you, ... go first and be reconciled to your brother" (Matt. 5:23,24); then He commanded the offended to forgive his neighbor: "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors" (Matt. 6:12) – thus He taught to speak in prayer. Here He also uses another method: He does not send the offender to the offended, but the latter to the first. Since the offender, out of shame, would reluctantly go to ask forgiveness, he sends the offended person to him, and sends him with the very intention of correcting the disorder that has occurred between them, and does not say: accuse, or reproach, or demand judgment and punishment against him; but only - rebuke. He who has offended you, out of anger and shame, is as if in slumber; but you, who are healthy, must come to the sick, and in order that your healing may be accepted more quickly, you must not judge in public. The word "rebuke" means nothing else here: remind him of his sin, and tell him what you have suffered from it. If this is done as it should be, then you will do two things: you will justify yourself, and you will persuade others to reconcile. But what if he doesn't listen and persists? "Take with you one or two more, that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be confirmed" (Matt. 18:16). The more shameless and bold he is, the more we should have recourse to medicine, and not to anger and indignation. And the doctor, seeing that the illness does not cease, does not leave the sick person and does not become angry with him, but all the more does he take care of him. The Saviour commands us to do the same here. You were weak when you were alone; Be stronger with the help of others. Two can rebuke the sinner. Do you see how the Saviour seeks the benefit not only of the offended, but also of the offended? Offended is the one who is seized by passion; he is sick, weak, and infirm. That is why the Saviour sends to him the offended, now alone, sometimes with others. And if he persists even then, he sends with the church, saying, "Speak," he says, "to the church," v. 17. If He had sought only the benefit of the offended, He would not have commanded the penitent to be forgiven up to seventy times seventy times, nor would He have indicated so many physicians for his illness, but since he remained obstinate after the first rebuke, He would have ordered him to be abandoned; on the contrary, He commands him to be healed once, and twice, and three times, and now to one, then to two, then finally to many. When it came to those who were outward, He did not command anything of the sort, but said: "But whosoever smites thee on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other" (Matt. 5:39), but here it is not so. Paul teaches the same thing, saying: "Why should I judge also those who are outside" (1 Cor. 5:12)? And the same Paul commands both to rebuke and convert the brethren, and to cut off the disobedient, so that they may be ashamed. And the Saviour does the same here, when He prescribes such a rule concerning the brethren; He gives three to the offender teachers and judges, who would admonish him in what he did during His drunkenness. Though he himself has spoken and done all the obscenities, yet he has need of outside admonition, just like a drunken man. Anger and sin lead a person into a stronger frenzy than any drunkenness. Who was wiser than David? But he, too, when he sinned, felt nothing, lust took possession of his whole mind and, like smoke, filled his soul. For this reason he had need of a prophetic lamp and of those words that would bring to his memory what he had done. That is why here too the Saviour brings to the sinner such people who would tell him about his action.

2. And why does He command the offended to rebuke and not to anyone else? Because the offender can more conveniently endure rebuke from him, as from the offended, offended, and harmed. It is not the same to hear rebuke from others who stand up for the offended, and from the offended one himself, especially when he is the only accuser. In fact, if someone who would have the right to demand satisfaction from him for an offense appears before the offender with concern for his salvation, then he is more likely to put him to shame than anyone else. You see, the rebuke here is not done in order to offend, but in order to correct. For the same purpose, the Saviour commands to take two for rebuke, not suddenly, but when the offended person himself will no longer have success; and even then he does not command to suddenly rebuke many, but commands to take only two, or one; and when the one who is rebuked despises these also, then he leaves him to the judgment of the Church. In this way, the Saviour takes great care that the sins of his neighbor should not be divulged. Although He could have left the right to tell the Church to the offended at the very beginning, in order that the sin should not be divulged, He commands that this be done after one or two reproofs. And what does it mean, "By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word was confirmed"? This means that you have done everything on your part, and have not omitted anything that you should have done. "But if he will not listen to them, speak to the church," that is, to its representatives; "And if he will not listen to the church, let him be to you as a heathen and a publican." Such a person is terminally ill. Remember that everywhere He presents the publican as an example of the most grievous sinner. And above He said: "Do not the publicans do the same" (Matt. 5:46)? And in another place: "Publicans and harlots go before you into the Kingdom of God" (Matt. 21:31), i.e. the most contemptible people. (Let those who seek unrighteous growth, and demand interest on interest, listen!). Why did He place a man who disobeyed the Church among the tax collectors? With the intention of comforting the offended and frightening him. But is this only a punishment? No; but listen further: "Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Matt. 18:18). He does not say to the Primate of the Church: bind him; but: if you also bind (the whole matter is left to the offended), then the bonds will also be insoluble. Therefore he will be subjected to extreme misfortune; But it is not the fault of the one who binds, but the one who does not want to submit. See what misfortunes he subjects the stubborn one: both to this punishment and to future torment! And this he threatens not so that this may happen, but so that, frightened by the threat, that is, by being cut off from the Church, and by the danger of being bound in heaven, he may become meek, and, knowing this, if not at the beginning, then at least after many condemnations, he may forsake his anger. Thus the Saviour established the first, second, and third judgments, and did not suddenly reject the sinner, so that if he did not listen to the first judgment, he would submit to the second, and if he despised this one as well, he would fear the third, and if he did not respect the latter, he would be horrified by the future punishment, the decree and judgment of God.

"Verily also I say unto you, that if two of you agree on earth to ask for any thing, whatsoever they ask shall be done unto them by my Father which is in heaven" (v. 19). "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (v. 20). See how else He destroys enmity, destroys petty calculations, and reconciles those who are at war, not only by proclaiming execution, but also by representing the blessings that flow from love. After the above-mentioned threats against enmity, He proclaims great rewards for concord. Those who are of one accord bow down to the Father for what they ask, and Christ dwells in their midst. But what is it? Is there not even two nowhere who live in harmony with one another? There are, of course, in many places, and maybe everywhere. Why don't they get everything? Because there are many other reasons that prevent you from receiving. They do not receive, for example, because they often ask for useless things. And why should we wonder if this happens to others, when Paul experienced the same thing: "My grace is sufficient for you," he was told, "for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor. 12:9)? They do not receive because they are not worthy to be listened to, without doing on their part what is required of them; and the Saviour seeks those who pray who would be like the apostles, which is why He says: (two) from you, i.e. virtuous and leading an angelic life. Or because prayers are offered against those who have offended, demanding vengeance and punishment for them, which is forbidden, namely, it is said: ?" Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you... and pray for them that despitefully use you" (Matt. 5:44). Or because unrepentant sinners ask for mercy, and it is impossible for them to receive it, even if not only they themselves asked, but even another, who has boldness before God, intercedes for them. And Jeremiah, who was praying for the Jews, heard in reply, "Thou shalt not pray for this people, nor offer up prayers or petitions for them; for I will not hear" (Jeremiah 11:14). But if all these requirements are fulfilled, that is, if you ask for what is useful, and do everything that is required of you, and lead an apostolic life, and are in harmony and love with your neighbors, then you will receive according to your prayer, because the Lord loves mankind.

3. Further, since the Saviour said: "From My Father," in order to show that He Himself is the giver, and not the Father alone, He added: "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:19). So, what then? Does it not happen that two or three are gathered together in His name? It happens, but rarely. Christ does not simply speak of the assembly, and not only demands it, but mainly, as I said above, at the same time of another virtue; And then he also demands this. His words have the following meaning: if anyone sets Me up as the first foundation of love for his neighbor, and if he has other virtues, I will be with him. But we see that many have other motives for love: one loves because he himself is loved; another because he is respected; others because their neighbor was useful to him in some worldly matter; and the fourth for some reason something else. But it is difficult to find someone who would love his neighbor sincerely and as he should - for Christ. Most are connected to each other only by worldly affairs. Paul did not love so: he loved for Christ; therefore, although he was not loved as he himself loved, he did not weaken his love, but allowed it to take root in himself. This is not the current love. If we examine all the causes of love, we shall find that in most cases they differ from the one indicated. And if anyone would allow me to make such an investigation in this crowded assembly, I would show that very many are united with each other by the species of life. This is revealed from the causes that produce enmity. Since they are united with each other by transitory benefits, therefore their love has neither ardor nor constancy; on the contrary, every offense, or loss of money, or envy, or love of vanity, or anything like that, easily destroys their love, which has no spiritual root. If there were such a root, then nothing worldly could destroy the spiritual. Love, which has Christ as its foundation, is firm, constant, invincible; nothing can break it, neither slander, nor danger, nor death, nor anything else of the kind. Whoever loves in this way, even if he has suffered a thousand defeats for his love, will not abandon it. He who loves because he is loved, if trouble happens to him, will interrupt his love; but whoever is united by this love will never leave it. That is why Paul said: "Love never faileth" (1 Cor. 13:8). What will you say to me in your defense? Why have you been offended by him who has been honored by you? Or that the one who was beneficent to you wanted to kill you? But if you love for Christ, then this very thing disposes you to greater love. What in others serves to destroy love, here the same serves to affirm it. Why? First, because such a person is the author of rewards for you; Secondly, because he has need of greater help and care for him. But even if he is hated, offended, killed, he does not cease to love, having a sufficient reason for love - Christ. Looking at Him steadfastly, he remains firm and unchangeable. And in the same way Christ loved enemies, ungrateful, offenders, reproaches, haters, who did not even want to look at Him, who preferred even wood and stones to Him – He loved them with the highest love, which cannot be found. He says: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). See how he cares also for those who crucified Him, and who showed so much fury against Him! Thus He said of them to the Father: "Forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34)! And afterwards he sent more disciples to them. And so, let us also be zealous for this love, and let us look upon it, so that, having become imitators of Christ, we may be worthy of both present and future blessings, by the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

DISCOURSE 61

"Then Peter came unto him, and said, Lord! How many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, "I say not to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" (Matt. 18:21-22).

1. Peter thought that he was saying something great, why, as if wishing to boast of love for his neighbor, he concluded his question with the words: "Up to seven times"? "Thou hast commanded," he says to Jesus, "to forgive the wrongs of one's neighbor; How many times do I have to do this? If, for example, a neighbor often sins and, after reproof, always repents, then how many times will You command us to forgive him? He who does not repent and does not condemn himself for sin, Thou hast commanded to be left after a threefold rebuke, saying: "Let him be unto thee as a heathen and a publican," and for the repentant Thou hast set no limit, but commanded him to receive it. And so, how many times should we forgive him, when he repents after being rebuked? Is seven times enough? What then does Christ, the loving and good God, answer? "I do not say unto thee, Up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." The number seventy times the week is taken here indefinitely, and signifies a continuous or permanent obligation. As the expression "a thousand times" is used to denote a multitude, so is the present expression. For example, in the words: "A barren woman gives birth seven times" (1 Samuel 2:5), by the word "seven" the Holy Scriptures mean a multitude. Thus, Christ did not determine the number of times we should forgive our neighbor, but showed that this is our constant and eternal duty. He explained the same thing in the following parable. In order that the command contained in the words, "Up to seventy times seven," might not seem great and difficult to anyone, He added this parable, in which He explains the meaning of the preceding words, puts to shame one who would pride himself on the forgiveness of offenses, and at the same time shows that such a command is not difficult, but on the contrary very easy. For this reason He has presented in it His love for mankind, so that you may know from this that even if you forgive your neighbor seventy times seventy times, even if you always forsake all his sins in general, then your love for mankind will be as far from the infinite divine goodness that you need at the future judgment when you demand an account from you, as a drop of water from the boundless sea, even more so. Here are the words of Christ: "Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to reckon with his servants; when he began to count, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and because he had nothing with which to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and to be paid" (Matt. 18:23-25). Then, when this debtor, who had been pardoned by his master, went out and began to strangle his companion, who owed him a hundred denarii, and thus angered his master, the latter gave orders to throw him back into prison until he had given him all. Such is the difference between sins against God and sins against man! As great as between ten thousand talents and a hundred denarii, and even more. The reason for this lies both in the difference in persons and in the continuous repetition of sins. In the sight of man we restrain ourselves and fear to sin; but we are not ashamed of God, although He looks at us every day, but on the contrary, we do everything and speak of everything fearlessly. And not only does the importance of sins depend on this, but also on the blessings and the honor with which we are honored by God. And if you wish to know what is meant by "ten thousand," and even much more, by "talents," that is, sins against God, I will try to show it briefly. But I am afraid that through this either I will give a greater reason for sin to those who are inclined to iniquity and love to sin unceasingly, or I will not plunge into despair the faint-hearted, who, like the apostles, may ask: "Who then can be saved" (Luke 18:26)? However, I will say that I may make the attentive more firm and good-natured. Those who suffer from an incurable illness and do not feel it, will not abandon their impiety and negligence without my words. If my words give them a greater reason for carelessness, the reason will not be in them, but in their insensibility itself. At least, my instruction can restrain the attentive and bring them to contrition of heart, and by showing them the gravity of their sins and revealing the power of repentance, it can dispose them more to it. Therefore, I consider it necessary to speak. In this way, in my discourse, I will set forth sins both in relation to God and in relation to people, and moreover, not particular, but general, since everyone can add private ones in consultation with his own conscience. And for this I will first depict the divine blessings. And so, what are God's blessings? He has given us existence and created for us all things visible: the sky, the sea, the earth, the air, and all that is contained in them: animals, plants, seeds; but it is impossible to enumerate all the works of God because of their infinite multitude! Of all the creatures that inhabit the earth, only in us has He breathed a living soul; He planted paradise, gave a helper, made rulers over all the dumb, crowned with glory and honor. Later, when a person turned out to be ungrateful to his Benefactor, He vouchsafed him an even greater beneficence.

2. In fact, do not only consider that God expelled man from Paradise, but also pay attention to the benefit that has come from this. After His expulsion from Paradise, He bestowed innumerable blessings on people, accomplished various works of salvation, and finally sent His only-begotten Son to those who were favored by Him and hated Him, opened the heavens to us, unlocked the doors of Paradise, and made us, His ungrateful enemies, sons. Therefore it is fitting now to say: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God" (Romans 11:33)! He gave us baptism for the remission of sins, freed us from punishment, made us heirs of the kingdom, promised innumerable blessings to those who live virtuously, stretched out His hand to us, and poured out the Spirit into our hearts. And so, after such innumerable blessings of God? What kind of disposition should we have towards Him? Would we repay not only the worthy, but even the smallest part of the debt, even if we died every day for Him Who loved us so much? Not at all. And this very thing would be in our favor. But do we have such dispositions towards Him as we ought to have? We violate His laws every day. Do not be offended if I turn my word against sinners: I will accuse not only you, but also myself.