The Great Letter 1 part 2/4

And if we have seemed to extend the discourse at greater length concerning the goal of godliness—what manner of goal the Lord and the apostles and all the God-inspired Scriptures hand down to us, setting it forth through many testimonies—we consider that we have not done so unseasonably, that in every way we may be unhesitatingly and undoubtingly assured what is the hope of our faith and what the goal and what manner of course is set before us, especially those who have taken up the solitary life and have lifted themselves above worldly bonds and fleshly fellowship and have chosen to keep virginity in the Lord; that each man and each woman, taking heed where he or she has been called and unto what measure he or she ought to attain, may cease from all self-conceit on account of certain accomplishments achieved—truly accounting themselves to be nothing, on account of the exceeding greatness of the perfect measure of the calling and of the unsearchable riches of the love of Christ—and may in every way and with all strength and all earnestness ever readily give themselves over to the good, according to the word of the Lord, denying, along with all the things of this age, even their own soul also, taking up the cross daily with joy and exultation and following Him, having the Lord Himself in all things as our pattern and way and example and goal, according to that which was said:

"Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ," and again:

lest at any time, being content and resting in certain gifts of the Spirit, or in some few accomplishments, and as having already attained unto perfection, we be deceived by the cunning of vice through a conceit of righteousness, falling short of the greater advancements of the Spirit;

let us hold to affliction and contest and an unceasing course, day by day ever stretching forward to the things which are before and forgetting the things which are behind, ever hungering and thirsting after righteousness, having a broken heart, inasmuch as we have not yet attained unto the calling whereunto we were called, nor laid hold of the perfect measure of Christianity, nor as yet reached unto the perfect love of Christ;

for those who truly long to attain the aforesaid and foreshown highest goal are ever wounded with yearning toward that calling of unutterable perfection, being content and resting in none of the lesser good things—not in righteousness of fastings, or vigils, or alms, or participation in the gifts of the Spirit—even unto their last breath;

but, giving themselves over wholly and completely to all that is good and noble and to all the virtues, and thus remaining ever in want for the sake of virtue, they will never think that they fulfill the law of wisdom;

but, although they are honored by God, they account themselves unworthy, and although they are in spiritual advancement, in their own eyes they are as beginners, and although they are great, they make nothing of themselves and judge themselves to be as nothing;

and thus, in so far as they believed and in so far as they loved, they will receive the recompenses of the good tidings of the kingdom.

Such souls will be able to please God and to become heirs of the kingdom—those who have a broken heart and are poor in spirit, who ever hunger and thirst after righteousness, longing for the perfect honors on account of their highest love toward God; they shall be recompensed with the highest gifts.

And concerning the hope of the goal—what manner of hope they especially ought to have who have taken up the solitary life and embraced virginity—enough has been said;

but concerning the gathering and the sacred forming together of the monasteries of the brotherhood—how they ought to live and continue together with one another, and through what kind of toils and sweats and practice the lovers of truth can attain the aforesaid goal of godliness—it is necessary to speak, so that the diligent and steadfast, having set foot upon the road that leads to the heavenly city, may readily so run until they lay hold of it.

First of all, let him who runs toward the goal of godliness and desires to walk in the footsteps of the Lord, having withdrawn from the world and from fleshly pleasures and having given himself over to the brotherhood—having denied, according to the Gospel, father, mother, children and wife, brothers and sisters, kindred, wealth, glory, noble birth—and having come into the monastery as unto the fullness of all good things,

let him further also deny his own soul.

And what is the denial of one's own soul but to give oneself over wholly and completely to the brotherhood, and to do one's own wishes not at all, but rather, ever hanging upon the word of God, thence to adorn the soul with the holy and pure thoughts of the commandments, and to account these salutary and sweet;

to have nothing at all in his own power except the garment he wears, that on every side he may be able to be free from care, accomplishing only with joy the things enjoined upon him;

and as a bought and grateful servant let him account all the brethren—and especially those who are set over—in all things as lords and masters for Christ's sake, even as the Lord Himself said:

"Whosoever wishes to be first among you and great, let him be the last of all and the servant of all and the slave of all"—not hunting, so far as in him lies, after glory or honor or praise from the brethren themselves for his service or way of life, according to that which was said:

and having entered in with exultation, as one who has become for himself the cause of great salvation—if with longsuffering and endurance he abides to the end in this good and soul-profiting servitude, beholding as in a mirror all as lords, as members of Christ's household and heirs of the kingdom, and rendering all subjection to each one, and especially to the ascetics who are set over and who have taken upon themselves the burdens of the cares of virtue, ever accounting himself a debtor of the service which is rendered to the brethren with love and simplicity, according to that which was said:

"Owe no man anything, but to love one another."

But you also, the ascetics who are set over the brotherhood, having undertaken a great work, so contend through humility against the artful methods of vice, that you may not, through the passion of pride—as though lording it over the brethren who are subject to you—lifting yourselves up, bring upon your soul loss and the greatest harm instead of the greatest gain.

But as compassionate fathers who have given themselves over to serve the brotherhood for God's sake rather than to rule, and caring in all things on their behalf, both bodily and spiritually, and being earnest for each one's soul-profit, take care of them as of children of God, that thus, gaining and cherishing the whole sacred company of the brotherhood unto spiritual profit, you may receive the heavenly reward from God;

and outwardly indeed keep the order of the one set over—such as to ordain or command or counsel the more approved of the brethren, or to rebuke someone, or to reprove where it is needful, or to exhort where it is fitting, according to the apostolic injunction—lest, under pretext of humility or meekness, the monasteries through ignorance be in confusion, the order of the succession of those set over and those who are subordinate not being preserved;

but inwardly, in your mind, account yourselves as unworthy servants of all the brethren, and as good tutors entrusted with their master's children, with all goodwill and fear of God be earnest to perfect each one of the brethren unto every good thing, knowing that a great and unfailing reward for such labor is laid up for you with God.

And just as those who tutor children often, for the sake of their lessons or the forming of their character, not sparing their own masters' children, even discipline them with stripes, showing great goodwill and earnestness toward them in the hope that they may become prudent and honorable in the world; so also you ascetics, do not, through the passion of anger or haughtiness, take revenge upon the untrained and childish brethren, but with the compassion of Christ and with the aim of spiritual profit and the hope of making useful unto the kingdom of heaven those whom you tutor;

in such a disposition turn back the childishness of the brethren, dealing with each one for his profit, as has been said, whether by exhortation or by rebuke.

Only effect the conversion with zeal for God and the compassions of Christ, and do not take revenge through the passion of vice as though avenging yourselves, that, having shown your labor perfect which you undertook for God, you may be heirs of the heavenly kingdom.

For thus is truly the angelic life upon earth, when both those set over and those subordinate are perfected in such a disposition;

when all the brethren, submitting to one another with all joy, account one another as lords and in honor prefer one another.

In simplicity, then, and integrity and concord and peace and singleness of heart, with all humility, the brethren ought to dwell with one another.

Let no one, exalting himself against another, account himself greater and better even than the least, but on the contrary let him account himself the most needy of all men, as a disciple of Christ, even as the Lord Himself said:

"He that humbles himself shall be exalted";

"Whosoever wishes to be first among you, let him be last of all and servant of all";

even as also "the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."

We exhort you therefore, as those who wish to be imitators of Christ, unto the refreshing of one another and submission and kindly servitude;

if possible, let us even make ourselves ready to die for our neighbor, having the Lord as our pattern and example and as our fellow-worker in all good things, according to that which was said:

"For those who love God all things work together unto good"—that, through love and simplicity and freedom from jealousy and freedom from conceit, the bond of peace may be kept in one body and Spirit of Christ in the brotherhood, all submitting, as has been said, to one another in the fear and love of Christ.

Let each one, then, who wishes to be in such a character, above all things and everywhere be earnest in his own heart for the sacred love and the fear of God—which is the first and great commandment—and let him seek from God to have it unceasingly, and through the continual—or rather unceasing—remembrance of the Lord and through heavenly desire let him day by day, by advancement, through grace, increase and gain it the more.

For through much earnestness and toil and care and contest we are able to acquire love toward God, which by the grace and gift of Christ is formed within us, even as it is said in Wisdom:

"For if you seek her as silver and search her out as treasures, then shall you understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

For thus also the second commandment, love toward our neighbor, we are able readily and purely to fulfill;

for let the first things be set first and be made earnest of as first, and the second, following upon the first, will accordingly be accomplished;

for if anyone neglect the great and first commandment, the love toward God, which is constituted from the inward disposition and a good conscience and sound thoughts toward God, together with divine help and grace, but make only the outward care of the service of the second, it is impossible to accomplish it soundly and purely.

For the method of vice, finding the mind outside the remembrance and love and seeking of God, either makes the divine ordinances appear difficult and burdensome, working in the soul murmurings and griefs and complaints concerning the service rendered to the brethren; or, deceiving with a conceit of righteousness, it puffs up, and a man will account himself honorable and great and as one who keeps the commandments to perfection.

But when a man supposes within himself that he works good things and keeps the commandments, he has sinned in judging himself and not awaiting Him who truly judges;

for when the Spirit of God bears witness together with our spirit, according to the saying of Paul, then are we truly worthy of Christ and children of God—not when by our own conceit we justify ourselves.

"For not he that commends himself," he says, "is approved, but whom the Lord commends."

For if a man be found outside the remembrance and fear of God, of necessity he both seeks glory and hunts after praise from those served by him; and such a one is convicted of being an unbeliever by the Lord:

"For how," He says, "can you believe, who receive glory one from another, and seek not the glory that is from the only God?" Such a one is he who cleanses the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within is full of extortion and all covetousness;

...ever opposing the mind in good things, that it may not, by the remembrance of good things, love the things above, but, enticing the will through earthly desires, may keep it occupied;

(for this is the death and the defeat of the evil one, when the mind is found occupied in love and remembrance of God)—from this source can ever be constituted also the sincere love toward one's brother.

Likewise also the true simplicity and the meekness and the humility and the integrity and the goodness and the prayer and all the sequence of the holy commandments receives, of a truth, its exact fulfillment through the one and only and first commandment, the love toward God.

There is need, therefore, of much contest and hidden and invisible toil, and we must ever make a searching of our thoughts and exercise the enfeebled senses of our soul unto the discernment of good and evil, and rekindle through the straining and earnestness of the mind toward God the weakened members of our soul, ever recalling the mind, that it may become with the Lord one spirit, according to the saying of Paul.

And this hidden contest and meditation upon the Lord and toil night and day all of us must have in every practice of the commandment, whether praying or serving or eating or drinking or doing anything whatever, that every good practice of virtue which is done may be done unto the glory of God and not be found accomplished unto our own glory.

For the whole sequence of the commandments is sanctified and purely accomplished by you through the unceasing remembrance of the Lord and the fear and earnestness and love toward God; and thus we come to be apart from the evil one who defiles and stains the commandment.

And thus all the injunctions of the commandments will appear easy and light to us, the love of God making the commandments easy and relaxing the toilsomeness in their keeping; so that there will come about both an ease and a facility of the commandments through our love toward God;

for the whole contest and zeal of the adversary is this, as has been said: that he may be able to draw the mind away from the remembrance and fear and love of the Lord toward God, employing earthly enticements and turning it aside from that which is truly good unto the things that seem to be good.

For whatever good a man may do, the evil one wishes to stain and defile it, and strives to mix in with the commandment his own sowing of vainglory or conceit or murmuring or some such things, that the good and noble thing being done may not be done for God alone and out of a good readiness.

But that we may not seem to speak something of ourselves, let us establish these things from the Holy Scriptures;

for it is written that Abel offered a sacrifice to God from the fat and from the firstlings of the sheep;

and Cain likewise offered gifts from the fruits, it says, of the ground, but not from the first fruits;

"And God," it says, "looked upon the gifts of Abel, but unto the sacrifices of Cain He had no respect";

so that from this we learn that it is possible to do a good practice carelessly or contemptuously or for the sake of something else, and for it not to be acceptable to God;

and it is possible to do it according to the will of God, earnestly and soberly and for God alone, [faithfully], and it is found well-pleasing before Him;

for indeed the patriarch Abraham offered to Melchizedek, the priest of God, from the choicest spoils, and thus received the blessings from him.

...keeping love at work continually,

and thus we shall be able day by day to receive increase and advancement unto divine desire, being helped by the divine power of Christ; and the burden of the righteousness of the commandments will appear light to us as we accomplish them purely and blamelessly, the Lord Himself working together with us on account of our fervent impulse toward Him through faith and love and the good longing after all His commandments.

And concerning the manifest practice of asceticism, and what good practice is first and greatest, know this, beloved, that all the virtues are bound to one another and hang upon one another;

for, like a certain sacred and spiritual chain, one hangs from the other:

prayer from love, love from joy, joy from meekness, meekness from humility, humility from service, service from righteousness, righteousness from hope, hope from faith, faith from obedience, obedience from simplicity.

Just as, on the contrary side also, the evils are bound one from another:

hatred from anger, anger from pride, pride from vainglory, vainglory from unbelief, unbelief from hardness of heart, hardness of heart from negligence, negligence from slackness, slackness from listlessness, listlessness from despondency, despondency from accidie (sloth), accidie from impatience, impatience from love of pleasure; and the remaining members of vice hang one upon another;

so also in the good part the virtues are bound one to another.

And the head of all good earnestness and the crown of accomplishments is perseverance in prayer, through which, by asking from God, we are able day by day to gain also the rest of the virtues; since toward God alone is goodness, and a certain mystical fellowship of spiritual working and a joining of the disposition and of the very mind, in unspeakable love toward the Lord in prayer, comes about through divine visitation to those who are counted worthy; and he who compels himself to persevere in his prayers is day by day drawn by spiritual love toward heavenly desire and fiery longing for God, even as it is said:

"You have put gladness into my heart";

"The kingdom of heaven is within you."

And what else does the being of the kingdom "within" signify but the heavenly gladness of the Spirit, which is actively wrought in worthy souls—that enjoyment and joy and spiritual gladness in eternal light which the saints are to have in the kingdom? Of this the worthy and faithful souls are even now counted worthy to possess the pledge and the first-fruits, through the active fellowship of the Spirit.

"For He who comforts us," it says, "in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those in every affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted by God";

but also the saying, "My heart and my flesh have rejoiced in the living God," and, "My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness," and the like—through these it hints at the active gladness and comfort of the Spirit.

And the consequent injunctions of all the commandments are like the members of the head, which those who have given themselves over to God ought to fulfill according to their power.

Since therefore the goal of godliness is set before all as one—which we have set forth before through many scriptural testimonies—namely, to be counted worthy, through faith and much earnestness in all the virtues, of the fullness of the Holy Spirit and to acquire the complete deliverance from the passions, which is the cleansing of the heart wrought through the sanctifying Spirit in the faithful and devout souls;

the desire of the soul stretches forth toward God;

and for the rest, if anyone wishes to persevere unceasingly in prayer and to devote himself to fastings, according to the saying of Paul:

"Pray without ceasing," and, "Continue steadfastly in prayer," and that which was said by the Lord:

"How much more shall God execute vengeance for those who cry to Him day and night?"

"And He spoke," it says, "a parable also to this end, that they ought always to pray and not to lose heart."

And as for the putting on of the heavenly weapons, as has been said before, by what manner those who desire and believe shall be counted worthy to attain it, the apostle carefully indicated, saying:

If, then, any of the brethren longs to take up the contest of faith and prayer and repentance, loving the heavenly good things, such a one is to be accepted and is altogether praiseworthy both to men and to God;

wherefore let such a one be allowed and be helped with joy by the brotherhood of his fellow-members to persevere in prayer, that they too may have the reward from God on account of their like-mindedness with the brother and their good cooperation;

only that he who prays should, with all sobriety, make the searching of his conscience and have unceasing care and ceaseless contest, ever opposing all the matter of the vice of the many and superfluous thoughts, and ever forcing his mind toward the Lord in longing, and awaiting from Him the assistance of grace, that thus the fruits of his abiding and perseverance may day by day become manifest to all unto edification.

For he who has some wound of love and divine desire in prayer—or even if he has it not yet, but forces and contends and compels his will—giving himself over to such labor and seeking to acquire from God the heavenly desire and the true and spiritual prayer, according to that which was said:

"He who gives prayer to him that prays";

let such a one be allowed by the brethren with joy, and rather let them, as helpers, cooperate with him and urge him on, accounting the brother's advancement toward the better as their own gain, and let them do nothing out of strife or jealousy, being carried away by vice, nor let them hinder and cut short his good impulse toward God and the beginning of the contest of good earnestness, that God, beholding the goad of love toward one another, may recompense to all their requests, giving full assurance to each one on account of their straight and good purpose toward one another.

And these things you ought to do earnestly with much discernment, especially those of you who are set over the brethren, and to fashion both yourselves and the brethren who are with you in such a disposition, that no one may receive hindrance in the contest which he purposes to contend.

Just as, then, he who perseveres in prayer has taken upon himself the more capital work, so also he ought to take up a more abundant contest and much toil and unceasing earnestness, because there are many hindrances of vice in the perseverance of prayer:

sleep, accidie (sloth), heaviness of body, wandering of thoughts, instability of mind, despondency, impatience, faintness, and the rest of the workings of vice;

then affliction and the rising up of the wicked spirits themselves, warring and contending even unto blood against the soul that unceasingly and truly seeks God, hindering it from drawing near to God.

With all sobriety, then, and all earnestness and all contest, both bodily and of the soul, and with all endurance, he who perseveres in prayer ought to play the man;

and as one who truly bears the cross, let him be ever in contest and much toil and mourning and affliction for the sake of the kingdom;

...giving over his mind to such things, and through want of discernment being content with the bodily kneeling, while his mind stands in confusion or wandering.

For it is possible, if a man does not prepare himself to be supremely sober and does not at all times make the searching and attentiveness of the mind, ever longing for the Lord, that—being variously tripped up in secret by vice—he be lifted up or puffed up against the rest who are not yet able thus to persevere in prayer;

and thus, through such cunning devices of vice, he destroys the good work, betraying it to the wicked demon.

But just as he has undertaken greater works than prayer, so also he ought to possess greater toil and care and contest than the rest, lest somehow he suffer some theft at the hands of vice;

for against those who set themselves to do some greater good practice the evil one contends the more greatly, wishing to trip them up.

But in order that we may day by day bring forth the fruit of love and humility and simplicity and goodness and discernment through perseverance in prayer, and be manifest in all things as receiving advancement toward the better, let us contend that we may also provoke those who, on account of childishness, are not yet able to persevere in prayer—our good fruits being manifest to them—and bring them to a desire to give themselves readily and earnestly unto this contest.

For unless humility and love and simplicity and goodness adorn our prayer, the prayer—or rather the outward form of prayer—will profit us nothing.

And this we say not only concerning prayer, but concerning every labor and toil of virginity and prayer and fasting and vigil and psalmody, or service, or any toil and working of virtue whatsoever accomplished by us;

unless we find within ourselves the fruits of love and peace and joy and meekness and humility and simplicity and integrity and faith and longsuffering and ungrudging liberality, and offer such fruits to all, in vain and to no purpose have our toils and labors been;

for all that working and those labors ought to be done for the sake of these fruits;

but if the fruits of love and peace are not found in us, in vain and to no purpose has all the working been.

For such people are shown forth, in the day of judgment, as the five foolish virgins, who—because they did not gather here in the vessels of the heart the spiritual oil, which is the working of the aforesaid virtues through the Spirit—were named foolish and were shut out from the spiritual bridal-chamber of the kingdom; and the labor of their virginity, on account of the lack of the virtues and the want of the active indwelling of the Spirit, was reckoned for nothing.