Spiritual Homilies 1 part 15/36

But even if the grace of the working still remains present, through God's great and boundless love for mankind, yet if the man is not in accord with the Spirit, it will turn into condemnation and punishment and reproof for such a one, because though God's great love for mankind has come upon him, he himself did not withdraw from his own desires; and so, once more, being demanded by Satan, he is delivered over to great afflictions, so that, even if only through the afflictions, being disciplined, he may learn to be humble-minded.

For just as Job, being exceedingly rich in worldly goods, was demanded by the evil one and was tried, for the sake of the man's contest and testing.

'Rejoice unto him with trembling'; and again:

'Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling'; and elsewhere:

'Be not high-minded, but fear' — for the wealth of his grace lies in the authority of God.

But if he is not thus in much humility and contrition, such a one is demanded by Satan and is delivered over, and is stripped bare of the grace that had come upon him, and is tempted and tested in many afflictions.

And then his conceit and vain arrogance is made manifest, and thus he comes to know that he himself is naked and wretched.

He, therefore, who is rich in the grace of God ought to exist in much humility and contrition of heart, and to consider himself as poor and having nothing.

For the gift is not his own; another gave it, and whenever he wills, he who gave it can also take it away — so that, by humbling himself thus before God and men, he may be able to remain and be kept in the grace of the Lord that has come upon him, just as the Lord also said:

'He who exalts himself shall be humbled.'

Although he is elect of God, let him be, in his own eyes, as one disapproved; although he is a faithful and worthy servant of the Lord, let him reckon himself as altogether useless; although he is great before the Master —

— let him consider himself, in his own eyes, as being nothing.

Such souls are well-pleasing before the Lord and will be able to pass through this present age without falling, and are deemed worthy by the Holy Spirit to enter perfectly into the life of the kingdom.

The spiritual working of the grace of God is perfected with much longsuffering and wisdom and a certain mysterious dispensation, with much patience, over times and seasons, while the man contends.

And then the work of grace is shown to be perfect in him, once his free choice has been proved, after much testing, to be pleasing to the Spirit, and has demonstrated its proof and patience over many periods of time.

Let us, then, set forth this sequence from the God-inspired scriptures by means of the types that have come to pass openly.

What I mean is this:

In the case of Joseph, over many occasions and times, the will of God determined concerning him was accomplished; and having first been tested in many afflictions and toils and distresses, he endured all things nobly, and in all things was found a servant approved and faithful to God.

Then he became king of Egypt and nourished his kindred, and the prophecy of the visions was accomplished, and the will of God, through long periods of time and much dispensation, received its fulfillment.

God anointed him king through Samuel the prophet:

and when he was anointed, then he was fleeing, being pursued by Saul to be put to death.

And where, as regards speed, was the anointing of God, and where were the promises? For after being anointed, he was then afflicted, driven into desert places even to the point of lacking bread, and fleeing for refuge among the nations because of the plot that Saul was carrying out against him.

You see: the one whom God anointed as king is surrounded by such afflictions. Then, having been tested and afflicted and tried over long periods of time, and having shown patience, he once and for all believed in God and was fully assured within himself that what he did through the prophet's anointing was for me, and that whatever God said should come to pass concerning me must undoubtedly come to pass.

choosing rather, according to the apostolic word, God, than to have the temporary enjoyment of sin —

— and having become a fugitive from Egypt, he who had been raised in such luxury and royal enjoyment spent a long time in the labor of shepherding.

And afterward, having thus been shown by his great patience to be approved and faithful to God, and having endured through many trials, he became a redeemer and leader and king of the people, and by God he was called a god to Pharaoh:

For through him God scourged Egypt, and through him displayed his great wonders to Pharaoh, and in the end drowned the Egyptians in the sea.

Behold, after how many years the will and purpose of God was shown, and after how much testing and affliction it was brought to completion.

Likewise also concerning Abraham:

How many years beforehand did God promise to grant him a son, and yet did not give him at once — rather, in the meantime, how many years of trials and temptations came upon him.

But he himself, with patience, endured all that came upon him, and fully assured himself in faith that the one who had promised, being incapable of falsehood, would fulfill his own word; and thus, being found faithful, he obtained the promise.

Likewise Noah, having been commanded by God in his five-hundredth year to construct the ark, while God at that time had promised to bring a flood upon the world, but brought it in his six-hundredth year — for a hundred years he patiently, in faith, constructed the ark, doubting in nothing whether God would do what he had said or not, but once and for all being fully assured in faith that whatever God had spoken must undoubtedly come to pass.

And so, his purpose having been found approved in faith and patience and much longsuffering, he alone was saved together with his household, having purely kept the commandment.

We have brought forward these instances from the scriptures in order to demonstrate that the working of the grace of God among men, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which a faithful soul is deemed worthy to receive, comes about with much struggle and patience and much longsuffering and temptations and trials, the free choice being tested through all afflictions.

And when he is found approved in all things and grieves the Spirit in nothing, but through all the commandments becomes in accord with grace, then he is deemed worthy to obtain freedom from the passions, and receives the fullness of adoption by the Holy Spirit, and perfectly acquires sanctification in the fullness of grace, and is shown to be a perfect son of the kingdom — so that the spiritual work of God, coming to pass in the soul, is fulfilled with longsuffering and vigor and patience and much attentiveness and struggle and testing.

Just as, then, in the case of the most faithful fathers, God, having dispensed the promises with much testing and temptations and longsuffering and passage of time, then fulfilled what he had promised according to his will, once they were found faithful and approved and patient and longsuffering, so also now, in the contest of Christians, once they have been tempted and tested over time and found approved and longsuffering and faithful in all patience, the promise of God and the perfect grace of the Spirit will be fulfilled in them — so that, just as by grace, so also by righteousness, we may inherit life, having been found approved, and after the struggles of our valorous deeds may justly be receiving the crowns and the victory-prizes of the kingdom.

Therefore let us refer the whole will of our purpose to God alone, always devoting ourselves to him and accomplishing, as far as is possible for us, his will alone.

We shall be shown to be athletes of Christ, and shall perfectly obtain for ourselves participation in his grace, and having acquired sanctification and purity of heart through his grace, may we be deemed worthy, both justly and by grace, to inherit the kingdom of God.

In the manner that a certain rich man, orderly in all things, wishing to build for himself a house, with all diligence adorns and decorates it and makes it fit for use as a dwelling and habitation for himself, so Adam from the beginning was created and formed as a pure and adorned vessel, fit for use as a dwelling-place for the Master, as a habitation for the King.

But after the transgression, the enemy sowed tares over it and planted a bitter tree there.

And just as a king, always visiting the cities subject to him through rulers and governors, whenever necessary comes himself in person, and especially in the face of an invasion of enemies — for then he takes along with him the whole people — so, from the time man fell into desolation and disorder from the beginning, through elders and patriarchs and prophets and the Law, God always exercised oversight of his own work; but at last the King himself came in person, a divine power against the opposing power, an encampment of angels against the battle-line of demons.

For he is born of a virgin woman, so that, raising up the fallen soul, he might restore and renew it, and might make it children who have come forth from above through the Holy Spirit.

For this is the wondrous work of the Godhead: that he put to death the bodiless one through flesh and blood.

For what labor would it have been for him to be destroyed in spirit and to die apart from the flesh? Yet he was pleased, being in the flesh, to be dishonored and to suffer as a lowly man, and through death to bring to nothing him who held the power of death, that is, the devil.

The sun, though having its whole orb in heaven, inclines wholly toward the earth, ministering to those on earth, and sending forth its rays everywhere illumines all things; and if you wish to gaze fixedly upon its orb, you are filled with its light. So also the Lord, having taken Adam from our race, bore him up on high, at the right hand of the Father, but made his whole mind be directed downward toward his kindred; and as many as gaze fixedly upon him and send their whole mind toward him are filled with the working of the fire of the Holy Spirit and of his light.

And just as the clouds, bearing rain and moistening it, and hanging on high, minister to the earth below and rouse and make green again the plants that are in it, so the Holy Spirit, from the rain of its divine shower — for the soul is God's earth — thus flourishing, kindles it anew, the reasonings being helped and strengthened.

And just as wool, when dyed, changes the nature of its color, so the soul, when dyed, is changed and transformed, running back from its ancient nature and rising up into the nature of the holy light and fire.

And just as wood, cast into fire, becomes entirely fire and burns up those who draw near or even touch it, so the spirits of wickedness, when they come upon a soul that bears the Spirit, are burned up.

Merchants, after leaving home and spending time abroad and increasing their wealth, if they are plundered by robbers in the middle of the road, have endured in vain the toil of so much time, having nothing in their hands; and one who builds a house for himself, if after finishing it he dies and does not remain to dwell in it, gains no benefit from all his labors —

— so also those who run the way of the Christians, if they do not remain steadfast to the end in the way of righteousness, gain no benefit from their prior labor.

At sea, even though favorable winds are driving it along, a ship is under fear, lest, before reaching the harbor, contrary winds should arise and it be sunk beneath the waves.

So too, the soul, after its disobedience, came to be in the middle between two spirits, good and evil; and once the old leaven of sin had entered in, thereafter thoughts arise upon the heart from these two spirits.

And there are also there thoughts foreign to its nature; for this reason the discerning man, distinguishing what is harmful from what is beneficial, condemns and banishes the former as enemies, while he honors and holds fast the latter as friends.

But those who hasten to learn Christianity only in word are like blind and lame men, altogether disabled, lying on their beds and able to do nothing else but merely talk.

For thus they too, being blind and lame and weak with respect to the inner man, hasten only to speak, in no way at all benefiting their own weak souls.

For just as the apostle Peter, by the word and power of God, raised up the man lame from birth and, having healed him completely, made him leap, so also now the same living Word, working essentially and substantially, raises up the inner man from his lameness to leap forth into the divine air.

The wisdom of the world, which men learn, is something invisible and without subsistence, and yet it remains, as it were a kind of nature, appropriated to the soul;

much more, then, do those who have been made wise by the wisdom of God and are guided by it possess their instruction and knowledge as abiding forever and ever.

Men, when they see their own friends in their own houses, display the tokens of love by the honor shown at table; but Christians, when visiting their own companions, ought to feast them, setting before them the heavenly table, and adorning it with countless and costly dishes—the words of the Spirit—from which the soul is gladdened and learns how it may remain unmoved from the good, like a strong pillar bearing the weights of a house.

And just as a father who has a beloved son will give him pearls or splendid garments, and in giving them will use threatening words concerning the safekeeping and care of what has been given, lest despising them he lose them,

or as tutors and teachers, in training their own pupils, hold forth the strap, and by fear of the whip compel them to attend more diligently to their lessons—so God trains his elect in various ways according to his dispensation, bringing afflictions upon them, and sets the opposing power directly against those who receive his grace and are regenerated by his Spirit,

for being exercised in temptations, they attain to patience and precisely keep safe, in security, what has been given them by God.

For human nature, when purified from sin, is lifted up with pride.

For this reason the God-bearing Paul, having received the comforting Spirit, says: "There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure by the revelations; concerning this I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me"—for from time to time the evil one receives authority against those being perfected in God, God permitting this by dispensation, to strike and afflict the body from without.

But within, he no longer has any pasture, nor is he able to enter and do wrong to the soul, since the inner man dwells in the Godhead, walled about by grace;

so that, if the weakness of the body and such a thorn had not been present, he would not have said that he himself was of human nature.

So then, in order that, knowing his own weakness, he might entreat God, it was permitted to be so with him;

for perhaps, had he reckoned, "I am God," he would have judged and utterly despised the whole world.

he is mocked, since they are in security and shut up within a safe and unassailable shelter, unable to leap in or break through; and again, the sheep, though within and trusting in the wall that surrounds them, are not altogether free from fear, but are seen to be somewhat startled because of the presence of the beast, even though they know for certain that the wolf will not master them nor enter into the fold.

Or as a walled city, unconquerable, having within it stored up a sufficiency of necessities, when besieged, being shut in within, is in great confidence and free from care; and yet the soldiers have fear, even though they trust in the wall and in the provisions laid up—for this reason, armed, they keep watch from the walls for the enemies, lest, coming upon them, they should employ some devices against the city.

Such was the case with the apostles.

For they too were called cities by God, walled on every side with a secure wall, the Holy Spirit of God, and filled within with every kind of good thing, with garments and ever-flowing treasures; and yet, being in this state, they had fear within—not lest they should fall from the way of life, but lest certain envious or malicious ones, on account of the wealth in their hands, should come upon them and afflict them.

So they had their fear in gladness, carefully guarding what had been given them by God.

For the psalmist also says:

Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice in him with trembling.

Without were fears, within were fightings.

Now these fightings have two modes: either they were warred against by men, being insulted and persecuted, or at certain times certain powers of the evil one were permitted to come from without upon their body, in some manner toward the same end.

In one age and world there are two natures, each working its own work, and they do not agree with one another in their activity.

For example, there is the sun shining upon the world under heaven, and there is the wind blowing; and the sun partakes nothing of the breeze and coldness of the wind—for it is of a hot nature—nor again does the wind partake of the heat of the sun, but each of them remains in its own substance.

So also are the souls that have tasted the grace of God, but have not yet arrived at the perfect measure.

For at one time the Holy Spirit works in them and gives them rest, while at another hour the winds of wickedness are at work; and both remain in their own operation, and neither does the unclean spirit partake of the purity of holiness, nor does the Holy Spirit take part in the filth of darkness.

And just as in the season of spring many changes and alterations occur in the air—for sometimes the whole sky is covered by clouds, and the sun, being hidden and veiled within, is not altered, nor does it suffer any harm from the mist lying over it, nor indeed does the sky lose its own comeliness, but at the time when the clouds are dispersed, the sky is seen to preserve its own brightness, and the sun, remaining in its own nature, sends forth its bright rays without hindrance—

so also are those who are still in a state of infancy.

But the perfect preserve the image of the summer season; there are no longer clouds and mists, but the sky and the sun are pure—so also they themselves are pure in mind and in the whole person, and are always perfected in light, partaking of no filth at all in the soul.

but their mind is in a harbor of rest, and forever set free from all wickedness;

there they always keep their aim and purpose, even though wickedness from without does not rest nor relax, but at certain times, together with a multitude of demons, transforms itself into many appearances and presents itself; and in this respect, by fighting, they benefit the soul.

For their nature is revealed to the mind that has been made wise, so that it may know their wiles;

but as the waves of the sea, and the trees on the mountains, and the continuous and unceasing outpourings of the rivers all surpass number, so also the spirits of wickedness, always moving in manifold ways, wage war every hour; and yet grace also works richly and variously in men.

For just as some young man, youthful in age and abundant in substance, lord of many possessions and rich in his storehouses, exulting in his prosperity, is puffed up beyond measure, being lifted up by the praises of flatterers, so also human nature, when it comes to rest and heavenly riches, begins to be puffed up and exalted.

For this reason grace itself relents and withdraws, so that the soul, being handed over to the spirits of wickedness, may be humbled and come to know its own weakness; yet at the time when the man is handed over, the Lord, being secretly present, holds the soul fast and guards it, since man would not be able to withstand the wiles and afflictions of the devil.

For those who have been newly regenerated by God are still infants and are in a state of infancy; and just as newborn babes come forth complete in all their members, yet because of their tenderness and smallness are unable to perform or accomplish anything, and therefore need much nurture and care in order to arrive at full growth, so those born of the Holy Spirit, being trained and nurtured by him, grow with the growth of the Lord.

Now then, when the bodies from Adam rise, do they stand naked before the Godhead, or do they have garments and are nourished with some other food, in the way that here the body is covered with garments and nourished with food—for it is necessary that men and women who are in this age be clothed with what is unseemly and be nourished with perishable food? If, then, having risen from the dissolution of the earth and returned to their original composition, do they still need the same things, or not? Answer:

This appears to me unseemly and unreasonable;

for we know that the whole comeliness and harmonious order of creation is abolished, being dissolved, and the earth no longer brings forth fruits for the nourishment of the body, and heaven passes away together with all its adornment.

From where, then, will food still be supplied to men, and garments be prepared, when the things that are seen are dissolved according to the sentence of the Lord? Or is it not clear that what is going to be given is something other than what is seen? For it is necessary both to be clothed and to be nourished.

But if the manna that was given to the Israelites in the wilderness was strange and foreign to their nature—for it is written that man ate the bread of angels—how much more in the age to come does God give to men food and garments foreign to their nature;

so then, as many as receive here in their hearts the pledge of the Spirit and the heavenly treasure, and as many as now wear glorious and heavenly garments, and as many as sow in the earth of their heart a heavenly and spiritual seed—these shall undoubtedly enjoy also the glory of the body.

For the beauty of God that is now hidden and dwells inwardly in the soul will, at the resurrection, come forth and be poured out, covering and glorifying the outward body with eternal light,

...the Spirit of God, and thus afterward the body also is glorified together with it.

For God, having from now clothed the soul with glory and caused it to be swallowed up by his fire, will, in the time that is awaited, clothe the body also, and will show it to be conformed to the body of his glory, giving there thereafter the rest of heavenly foods and garments, and the incorruptible occupation of the angels.

Among visible things, the night has its own work, and the day has its own work.

And the works of the night are evil;

for in it evildoers display their lawlessness; being aided by the darkness, they plot and steal, murder and commit adultery fearlessly, reproved by no one.

But the works of the day are luminous, works of righteousness and piety; for all things done in the light are light, being wrought in God.

So also those who work lawlessness, as if in the night, now indeed escape the notice of many, but afterward, all things being reproved by the light, are made manifest.

For those who, from now, conceive the seed of the evil one in their hearts, their mind being joined to the shameful works of the evil one, hasten to escape notice and to hide their evil deeds, but they cannot escape the notice of God;

for all things are naked and laid open to him, with whom is our reckoning.

For the darkness that now covers the soul and the heart will, on that day, cover the body together with them and overshadow it likewise;

for it is covered over by the dark folds of the evil one; but the good works of the righteous will shine forth like the sun, for neither can they be hidden.

And just as fruit-bearing trees, at the season of their stirring, having conceived the fruits within, are no longer able to hide what is contained within, the season by a certain drawing power and force bringing forth the fruits for food; and just as the body of the grain, buried in the earth, first takes root and conceives unseen in the belly of the earth, and thus growing and pushing forth toward the surface of the earth is made manifest as it is nourished, rising up into a stalk and yielding a full-grained ear; and just as the branch, stirring in the vine, first conceives within, in its heart, and thus brings forth into manifestation the fruits it has conceived, and yields the wine in its season—in the same way, Christians, having from now been sown and from now been planted in the heavenly vine, and having fixed their sweetest roots in the land of promise, cannot hide their fruits, but what has been conceived within will, on the day of resurrection, be embraced together with the body;

and it itself gladdening and bringing joy.

But so also, again, the works of sinners are made manifest.

For just as a chaste virgin who has fallen into fornication and conceived, and hastens to hide her foul-smelling licentiousness, cannot escape notice;

for the embryo, having come to full formation, comes forth, exposing the transgression of her who bore it—so also those who conceive sin in the heart and beget children of lawlessness cannot, on that day, escape the fearful and all-consuming fire, but their souls and bodies are condemned together.

This is what is sought after.

Let us, then, from now on be eager, in this brief time, to be deemed worthy to receive and conceive in our hearts the Holy Spirit of God, so that through him, on that day of judgment, our bodies also may be clothed with glory and rest; for the Lord restores such people to a new and incorruptible age, creating for them a new heaven and a new earth and new luminaries, and gives them his own image and the whole inheritance of the promise.

And such people are precious stones and choice pearls, standing before the Godhead;

for the righteous have been called precious stones, and eagles, and doves.

But Christ the master-builder destroys the buildings of darkness of evil reasonings, concerning which it has been said:

casting down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

For these things, entering in as it were into a wilderness, roar in our hearts; and he, having cast them down, sets in their place the foundation in our hearts, and his own rock, and, rolling up the remaining stones (I mean the reasonings of nature), raises them up to the topmost point of the building, to the heights of heaven, fitting them together with the holy body of Christ and joining them to the building of the holy apostles.

Now this divine building is composed of two substances;