Spiritual Homilies 1 part 18/36

Whether, then, it was written about various wars, it was written mysteriously on account of the present invisible wars of the spirits of wickedness that are waged against the soul; or whether it was spoken concerning certain histories on account of the mysteries now taking place in the soul; or whether the Holy Spirit spoke many other words in the Scriptures (as about cities or certain other matters)—

all things were written on account of the mysteries now taking place in the soul, even though those things truly happened then in outward manifestation; but the Holy Spirit, taking occasion from all the visible things and events of that time, spoke concerning the things that were about to happen to the soul now.

Therefore all that was written, as has been said before, was written spiritually for our benefit.

What then? Is prophecy ineffective, and the word of God false? For behold, none of these things has happened in visible reality, except that God spoke spiritually and mystically through the saints, and it truly did happen and is happening spiritually.

He came to gather together all Israel, that is, all the thoughts of the pure nature of the soul itself that had been scattered by wickedness in this age, that is, the saints of the Jerusalem above.

He came and sat upon his throne, man, and reigned over Jerusalem, the soul, forever, and of his kingdom there is no end.

For every soul that he has redeemed from the authority of darkness, and transferred into his kingdom, and in which he has taken his seat and reigned as king over the true Jerusalem, the soul itself, and over the true Israel, man himself, and every soul he has freed from sin forever, in that soul he reigns and dwells, and of his kingdom there is no end.

Concerning these mysteries the prophets spoke, and concerning this redemption—of his kingdom there is no end.

Concerning these mysteries the prophets spoke, and concerning this redemption they foretold, and concerning this kingdom, and this Jerusalem, and this throne, as we have demonstrated from the very facts, and truly all the Scriptures of the holy prophets have been fulfilled:

For in truth Christ the king came and redeemed Jerusalem, that is, the soul, from her enemies and from those who had oppressed and tyrannized her in the wickedness of darkness; he cast down the mighty from their thrones and exalted the humbled soul, and Christ reigned in her, and made her an eternal throne for himself, and of his kingdom there is no end.

For he redeemed the Israelite man, who was created according to his image, and thus the word of God was truly fulfilled.

But if, as we see, none of these things has happened in the visible realm, and it does not truly happen in secret within the soul, where is the true word of God? Where were the sayings of the Spirit fulfilled? Are then all the things foretold in vain, and the prophets liars? God forbid!

Where then did Christ reign? For behold, in the visible realm he did not reign—clearly he made the pure soul a throne for himself. And where did he gather and redeem Israel? Clearly he redeemed man from his fearsome enemies and gathered him together after he had been scattered.

Let us, then, also entreat God, our Lord Jesus Christ, the true King, that he may redeem us also from our enemies and reign in us, delivering us from the kingdom of sin, and take his seat upon the throne of our soul forever, and build and restore and renew our thoughts, making us a new and heavenly Jerusalem and begetting us of his Spirit, that he may dwell and walk about in us according to his promise unto all the ages; for to all who truly believe in him, and hope, and ask, and entreat him, and expect, he grants this redemption now, and reigns in every perception and working of full assurance within them in truth forever.

Just as, if there is a chariot drawn by mules, the charioteer, holding the reins, must skillfully guide each animal on a straight course, and must restrain and check whatever wishes to bolt disorderly, so that the chariot, being led straight and in order along the way, may be able to enter the city without danger; so also the whole compound of soul and body—the mind, as charioteer, being instructed by reason, ought to direct the natural movements of the thoughts according to the will of God, and must nobly check every movement of natural thought that leaps forward disorderly and wants to run contrary to right reason, so that thus the whole chariot of our soul and body, moving rationally and by the will of God along the royal road of the divine Scriptures, may be able to arrive at the heavenly city of the saints.

For consider every thought of natural movement—whether it happens to be concerning food or drink or clothing or all sorts of bodily needs—to be, in my view, a kind of insatiable chasm (in that it desires ever more), and especially one that is stealthily seduced by wickedness in a pleasure-loving way, under the pretext of fulfilling a natural need.

If, then, the mind gives in and is carried along by its own will, not restraining the rashness of the thoughts in their insatiable disposition, it falls, as it were, into some immeasurable deep and chasm, and, always running about and laboring over fleshly things, and being wholly occupied with them, does not attain to and fulfill the good, because the mind becomes engrossed in the bodily preoccupations of its needs.

Therefore, obeying the word of God in every way, one ought to restrain oneself and manage the bodily needs in a measured and strictly disciplined manner, and choose the more afflicted and impoverished way of life, so that, fulfilling the life of the body through few needs, and devoting the greater part of our time to spiritual worship and the angelic life of perseverance toward God, we may be able, having steered our own short-lived life according to the will of God, to become heirs of eternal life.

For just as if there is someone who has wounds on his body, but anoints himself with mud or filth, and coming to the physician entreats to be healed, and the physician says to him:

"If you wish to be healed, first wash off the mud, that is, the filth, lying upon your wounds, so that, once washed, they may become manifest and clear, not covered over by any filth, and I, as I know by my art, will heal the afflicted members;"

"for while filth lies upon the wounds, the medicinal remedies do not work, and it is impossible to be healed." ... So also, through the transgression of Adam, every soul was invisibly wounded by the evil one with various wounds, and through the ancient corruption became subject to the passions, according to the true voice of the Lord which says:

"For from within, out of the heart, proceed evil thoughts"; and having enumerated them, he made known that the working of the passions, invisibly moving within, in the thoughts, comes forth outwardly. And the apostle also, saying:

"Cleanse me from my hidden faults, and spare your servant from those of others."

...being enticed by the world as though by a kind of filth or mud, and being anointed with a covering of the passions hidden within, and defiling itself, so to speak, it entreats the heavenly physician, desiring that the inward passions of evil thoughts be healed.

But the Lord says to her, just as there the bodily physician said to the wounded man, "First wash off the mud lying upon your wounds, and thus you will be able to obtain healing"—that is: "Cast away, O soul, whatever evils you accomplish through your own wills; hate them, withdraw from worldly and evil preoccupations; let the passions, stripped of your consent, lie idle and inactive within you; do not defile yourself by voluntary will through the coupling and evil cooperation of the invisible, hidden defilements of wounds—and I will heal your passions of evil thoughts, incurable among men, and restore you to the ancient nobility of your pure nature, that you may again truly be the image and likeness of God, having all the virtues of the Spirit imprinted in yourself through the natural and innate law; and thus, having communion with the Holy Spirit through effective grace, and having received back the heavenly Bridegroom Christ, and having been prepared beforehand, together with the body, to be a house and temple for him through sanctification, you may eternally enjoy the eternal goods of the kingdom."

This promise the Lord made through the apostle, saying:

...that he might present the church to himself in glory (which is the soul of the saints), not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it might be holy and without blemish.

For just as, if pure water flows from a pure spring through pipes, but muddy and filthy water enters the spring from outside, the pure water flowing through the pipes becomes polluted, as though some torrent had flowed in above it; so also, through the transgression of Adam, the muddy water of the evil one's wicked thoughts, entering through the senses of the body as through pipes, into the pure and clear stream of the soul's good thoughts, muddies it through the passions and disturbs it, and pollutes the pure and translucent water of the soul's upright reasonings, through the corruption that has gone before.

Therefore there is need only of God, and of much cooperation of our own will in all the virtues, so that by the power of grace he may restore the soul to its own pure nature, so that, being found pleasing to God in all virtues and being made blameless through the help of the Holy Spirit, it may become worthy of eternal life.

For the evil one keeps watch over the natural thoughts and the natural movements of the soul, so as to mix in his own passions of malice, in order that, under the pretense of the fulfillment of natural needs, he may be able to deceive man with a plausible appearance.

So great, then, is the precision needed in fulfilling natural needs, on account of him who, under the pretext of natural need, mixes in his own passions of malice.

Just as, if there are trees full of fruit, imagine, if you will, that beside each single tree a wild beast lies in wait:

If, then, one does not go with all attentiveness, skill, and sobriety, so as to be able to take the fruits of the tree, he cannot pass by unbitten by the beasts.

So too, if one does not, with all sobriety and attentiveness, being governed by the divine word, fulfill the natural needs through the senses, he cannot pass through this age unbitten by the invisible beasts of the passions of malice; and for this reason there is need of continual sobriety, until grace shines forth upon our weakness.

...by their movements, the invisible robbers, the evil spirits, keep watch over the improvident, unguarded, and negligent soul, so that, along the roads, as it were, of the senses, through which the soul in this world fulfills its natural needs, if they find an opportunity, they may strip it of the virtues and cast it down into sins, which is the death of the soul.

There is need, then, of much watchfulness, sobriety, and understanding, according to what has been said:

"Keep your heart with all watchfulness;"

"for from it are the issues of life;" so that the ruling mind may always have, as a breastplate and weapon, the word of the holy commandments and trust in God, that it may be able to pass through this age fearlessly and without danger along the roads of the senses; and that it may station upright and pious reasoning as a guard, like a doorkeeper, at the gates of the soul, so that it may joyfully admit the familiar and household thoughts into the city of the heart, but repel the malicious and alien thoughts of wickedness, and shut the gates of the heart against base notions—that is, guarding itself altogether from any coupling with wickedness—so that thus the city of the soul, kept safe and free from conspiracy, may be able to please Christ the King.

For just as, if someone is held for a long time by a fever and cannot take the bread that sustains the body because of the fever's dominance, the wise physician contrives by his skill to nourish the sick man, and dissolving the bread in water gives it to him, so that, taking the bread as though it were water, he may receive it dissolved, and so, as the fever gradually diminishes, may offer him firmer food, until, through much attentiveness, he recovers and is restored to his natural condition, and thus partakes of bread and the various other foods with full vigor and enjoys them; so also the soul, having been afflicted through the transgression of Adam and having become subject to passions, is held each time in various ways by the fever of the passions of sin, and the heavenly physician, in his own wisdom, invisibly nourishes and warms the afflicted and passion-ridden soul with the heavenly bread (that is, the power of the Spirit) through the holy mystery of the bath of regeneration and the body of Christ, and through the Scriptures of the word of consolation—the soul not yet being able to receive the working of the Spirit in power and full assurance, either because of its infancy, or its little faith, or its negligence.

For every soul, obtaining in holy baptism, according to the measure of its faith, the remission of sins, partakes of the working of grace—one in power and full assurance, another in a more subtle working of grace, according to the aforementioned parable of the sick man—and thus, little by little, through all attentiveness and diligence in the virtues, as the invisible disease of the passions diminishes and the health of the virtues of the Spirit increases, the soul that seeks the Lord is restored to the natural health of dispassion, becoming able to be nourished effectively and with full assurance, henceforth, by the heavenly bread, which is the very power of the Spirit.

And the soul that has been counted worthy of such grace and has mastered the passions is truly shown to be a worthy child of the kingdom.

...of Christ, according to the voice of the blessed apostle, which is the complete redemption from the passions and the fullest and active indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

But just as, even in illnesses, there is much difference, and the inclination toward health is also varied:

For let us return again to the parable.

For one man sweats more quickly, and, the fever having receded almost all at once, is able more quickly to receive the firmer food of bread and the various dishes, and thus is more speedily restored to complete health—provided, however, that after rising from the illness through the sweat, he does not live disorderly in his diet, or take on inexperienced hardship of exertion contrary to the physician's advice;

otherwise the illness is stirred up again and becomes worse than before, and thus he is endangered and comes to the brink of death through his own carelessness.

But the one who does not sweat so quickly, but has the fever still lingering, according to the aforesaid parable, submitting to the physician, is nourished skillfully, and little by little the affliction diminishes and strength returns to the body, until the illness completely withdraws and complete health comes—provided, however, that he too maintains good order, being very attentive to himself and obeying the physician's instructions with all precision;

but if not, having overturned things again, he perishes worse than the aforementioned man, for he has need of greater watchfulness than the former.

However, danger or even death comes upon both, if they do not maintain good order in their diet, obeying the physician's advice. In the same way also the soul, if it has been more quickly counted worthy of effective grace—that is, has, as it were, sweated in the most grievous affliction and has laid aside the greatest part of the disease of the passions of sin—if it conducts itself with all attentiveness and good order of an exact way of life according to the gospel word of true healing, behold, it can become completely healthy more quickly, that is, receive complete redemption from the passions, according to the word of the apostle:

"Love," he says, "does not envy, is not boastful, is not puffed up, does not behave improperly, is not provoked, does not reckon evil," and so forth.

For this is the perfect health of the soul.

But if, carelessly and indifferently, in contempt of the gospel commandments, it passes through this present age as though it were already healed, and does not work out its own salvation in fear and trembling according to the precept of the blessed Paul—conducting itself with much humility, toil, and reverence—but instead, according to the law of relapse, dissolves back into the former disease of the passions of evil, having begun in the Spirit but completing in the flesh, and so continuing in this manner to the end, it is delivered over to the eternal death of sin, as the Lord says:

Take the talent away from him. And again:

and what he seems to have will be taken from him and given to the one who has—that is, to the one who does not grieve the Spirit through wickedness of manner, who does not insult the grace given through unseemly conduct, who perceives, worthily of honor, through the practice of the commandments, the heavenly grace of the adorable Spirit.

For this is truly the one who has—the one who, through complete well-pleasing conduct, honors the gift of the Spirit that has been given; and likewise also the one who is nourished by grace through hearing the divine word, and who does not yet possess the effective power of the Spirit, but is being administered by more subtle dispensations by the grace of God, the heavenly physician.

This one too needs greater attentiveness and watchfulness, obeying in all things the gospel word of true healing, so that little by little the disease of sin may recede and the perfect health of the virtues of righteousness may come upon him, until, being restored through grace to the perfect measure of dispassion, he can be found well-pleasing to God.

he becomes liable to eternal judgment because of his unguarded and pleasure-loving purpose, because, having begun to be healed from the grievous disease of the passions and to be helped by grace, he did not follow the gospel precepts, but as he walked according to his own will, such was the end that came upon him.

There is need, therefore, for both to obey the word of truth always, and to work out their own salvation with toil, zeal, and much striving, so that thus they may be counted worthy to become heirs of the kingdom forever.

A Reminder Concerning the Invisible Word of God. That which is called the Word of God demonstrates a certain spiritual work to the soul that receives it rightly and faithfully and in love, and effects a certain transformation.

For this invisible Word of God made all creatures, visible and invisible, and through him all things hold together.

For this Word is God:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

And all the angels and the saints, through the invisible power of the Word, are moved and live, and from his Spirit they eat and drink heavenly and spiritual food and drink.

And the life, it says, was the light of men, as the Lord also said:

Unless one eats my flesh and drinks my blood, he has no eternal life.

But we ought not to understand this bodily and materially, brothers, as many of the disciples, hearing this word, were scandalized, saying:

'How can this man give us his flesh to eat?' For the true flesh of life, which Christians eat, and the blood, which they drink, is his Word and the Holy Spirit; and in the eucharist of the bread it dwells and sanctifies through the word and the power of the Spirit, and it becomes the body and blood of Christ.

For also, says the apostle, we were all made to drink of one Spirit, as also the Lord said to those who understood this bodily:

The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

This Word, therefore, alters and transforms the natures of created things, in whatever manner he wills.

For God, having greatly loved the race of men, wills and desires to imprint upon them the very image of his own Spirit, and to make their souls holy.

If earthly men have much love toward earthly things—as, for example, the king imprints his own image upon gold, and again others paint their images in the most beautiful houses, so that, coming in and going out, they may see their own images in the things they have made—

if, then, men have such love for the things they have made, how much more does God will to inscribe and imprint upon his creatures and works the heavenly image of the life of the divine and heavenly Spirit, in the house of the body.

And again, he himself, taking the image of the worthy and faithful soul, has imprinted it into the luminous image of his Spirit, and dedicates it in his heavenly and not-made-by-hands house:

for earthly things happen to be shadows and images of heavenly things.

And indeed the apostle says:

Let us go forth to him outside the camp.

How then shall we go forth, and how shall we attain those spiritual goods, and by what conduct and in what manner shall we be well-pleasing, so that the sacred and heavenly image of Christ may be imprinted in us by the Spirit? For just as, when a king journeys from one homeland to another, the magistrates and citizens of the city go out further to meet him, for the honor of the king, and he rejoices over them, and his eye is upon them, and he gives them royal honors—

but the local inhabitants, or those remaining in other places, or the careless and foolish, do not even know that a king and ruler is visiting, because they did not go out to meet him:

Therefore they are neither counted worthy of honors, nor are they able to have boldness of access before the king.

Just as those upon whom his eye rests, to whom he grants ranks and authorities to judge and to render judgment, because they have his image and honors with them—so also the souls of Christians who have acquired the beauty of right and good purpose, and who come out to meet the heavenly King—that is, having left all things for his sake, and going forth from the mindset of this present age—are counted worthy of spiritual gifts, and receive authority against the evil spirits.

And just as the bodies of the saints, at the resurrection, are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, according to the word of the apostle, so also the spirits of those who are always engaged in good purpose and the practice of the virtues and much zeal in seeking after him, with longing and faith and love, and in the keeping of the holy commandments, and who are always expecting the visitation and participation of his grace, going forth to meet him, so that we may be counted worthy of spiritual honors, receiving authority over wickedness and becoming worthy of the indwelling of the Spirit, that thus we may be able to attain immortal life.

Or, just as those who dig for gold and silver are fully persuaded that it is in the earth, but they do not know in which place, so, taking tools, they dig in every single place, and until they find and obtain what they desire, they do not give up:

in the same way also the power of the Godhead is everywhere present, in the heavens and on earth and beyond all creatures, and all things are filled with his glory—for he is uncircumscribed and unbounded—but he does not appear to us because a veil of wickedness lies upon our heart on account of Adam's transgression of the commandment.

Henceforth, let each one dig with love toward him and faith and the right seeking of the mind, with the tools of the reasonings of the soul, longing for him alone and disregarding all things.

For if you dig in your heart with your thoughts, having expectation of the Lord, there you find him, and there Jesus, the treasure of life, is revealed to you.

Let one only dig in the mind, always looking around for him, and bound to him in longing, and thus the treasure of the immortal kingdom of the Spirit is found in the heart by those who seek him in truth.

...going forth from the body, are taken along, as its own rays, by the spiritual Sun of Righteousness, into the kingdom of the heavens, and, as his own members, in every way and everywhere they are always together with him.

For, it says, where I am, there my servant will be also. And again:

'Father, I will that where I am, there they also may be, that they may behold my glory'—that is, as many as are his members and partakers of his divine and immortal power.

For thus was his good pleasure, and thus he willed to grant to this lowly nature the power of the holy and divine nature of the Spirit, and to blend it with his own power of the Godhead, so that there might come about a communion, blending, and intertwining of Godhead and humanity.

O the ineffable good pleasure and the boundless goodness of the Savior!

For God the Word, having come upon the earth and taken up man, and having blended him with his own Godhead, sat down at the right hand of Majesty on high, so that he might also make the faithful and worthy ones, those who are born of the Spirit, co-enthroned and co-glorified as his own pure members.

But just as God differs from the world, so also the righteous who have been born of him differ from the rest of men.

Let us also, therefore, be diligent to please the Lord in all things, so that, having been found worthy of him, and having become partakers of his Spirit, and having been cleansed through him of all wickedness, and having been counted worthy to become his members, we may reign with him into the endless ages.

All the visible things of this world are a type of the invisible and unseen and hidden world of the Godhead.

There is the visible earth, in which the vine and fruit-bearing trees and seed and much wealth are planted.

So too there is an invisible, heavenly earth of life, where Christians have their wealth and their rest, and in this hidden earth of life their souls are planted, and they bear the fruits of the Spirit to God.

But these very things pertain to two persons.

You become the vine of the Lord, and he becomes yours:

I am the true vine.

And just as, in visible things, the branch is rooted and planted in the earth, so also the souls of the saints are planted in the heavenly vine (that is, in the Lord).

And there is a seed of the Holy Spirit, and a seed of man:

The mind is sown into the living earth of the divine Word, and again the power of the Spirit is sown in the rational earth of the believing soul.