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LIX

A PROFITABLE DISCOURSE

 

True is the word of our Lord who has said that no one can possess love of God side by side with love of the world; nor mingle with the world and with God, nor care for the world and care for God. Apart from all that is connected with vain glory, many of us generally deviate because of bodily want, we who have promised to serve the kingdom of heaven but who do not remember the promise of our Lord who has said: If ye bestow all your care upon the {415} kingdom of heaven, I shall not leave you in want of the needs of sensible nature; but these things will come to you spontaneously before ye think of their use at the time of want, although I do not even let you want because of care for them.

Upon the soulless fowls which have been created in your behalf, God bestows care; and should He neglect you that care for righteousness? To him that cares for spiritual things, even partially, bodily things are prepared even when he does not provide for them, in accordance with their necessity and in their time.

He that shows care for the last named things more than is becoming, will fall from God, even involuntarily. While we bestow care upon things connected with the name of our Lord, He will provide us with both kinds, in accordance with the measure of our care and the importance of the want of each of them. We should however not ask God’s care in these bodily things for ourselves as a remuneration for our labours, but we should direct our whole service towards the future hope. For he that once has given himself to excellence with the love of his soul and longs after its service with his whole being, does not think of looking after bodily things, whether they are or are not. How many times does God allow the friends of excellence to be tempted by such things! And not only this; but He even allows many evil things to assail them from all sides; and He smites their body, as in the case of {416} Job, and gives poverty entrance to them an lets them be deprived of their human state, and smites them in all that| they possess, with this restriction only, that the plague should not attain to their life.

It is not possible that we should walk in the way of righteousness and that no troubles should hurt us, nor that the body should not suffer illness and pains, nor that we should remain without varying states, if we really desire to live in excellence. That however a man should wilfully kill or injure himself or harm himself in any way, is a cause of damnation. If he walks in the way of righteousness and follows his course towards God, together with many of his fellows, and one of these things should hurt him on his way, it is not becoming for him to deviate: but he shall accept them joyfully without scrutiny, thanking God because He has given him His gift, God for whose sake he has been deemed worthy to be entangled in temptations so as to become associated with the sufferings of prophets and apostles and the other saints who have endured troubles on behalf of the way of God; [thanking God] because He has deemed him worthy to bear afflictions for the way of excellence, even though they should happen through men, or through the demons or through the body.

These things are not permitted without the divine will, but they happen in order that thou mayest have a cause of righteousness. For it is not possible that God should give the opportunity of becoming excellent to him that desires to be with Him, otherwise than by bringing him into contact with temptations for the sake of truth.

That a man himself is not able to become worthy of such {417} a greatness that he should be led into temptations in behalf of these divine things with joy, but only by a gift from Christ, is witnessed by the blessed apostle. For so great is this thing, that he openly calls it a gift that a man for the sake of the hope in God should be prepared to suffer by faith, saying: For unto you it is given from God, not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for his sake1.

Then thank without a break Him that has delivered you from the dominion of the darkness of the world and has brought you near the kingdom of His son, and has made you fellows of all the children of light who have suffered for the sake of God, in order that you may gain the part that has fallen to| the lot of the saints in the light. And this is what Peter writes in his epistle: But if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye2. For you will have a share in Christ’s suffering. Therefore, when thou art free from affliction, do not leap up with joy, nor when circumstances assail thee cover thy face with sadness, reckoning this as something foreign to the way of God.

Behold, for years and generations, the way of God has been leveled by the cross and by death. How is this with thee, that thou seest the afflictions of the way as if they were out of the way? Doest not thou wish to follow the steps of the saints? Or doest thou wish to go a way which is especially {418} for thee, without suffering? The way unto God is a daily cross. No one can ascend unto heaven with comfort, we know where the way of comfort leads.

If any one trusts himself with his whole heart to God, God never wishes to take care away from him, namely care for the sake of truth. But thereby he knows that he is guided by God, when He continually sends him afflictions. But those who are guided under afflictions, are never allowed by divine care to fall into the hands of the demons, especially when they kiss the feet of the brethren and hide and cover their shortcomings as if they were their own.

He that wishes to be without care in the world yet guided by excellence, loathes this way. As the blessed commentator says in his interpretation of Matthew: For those who long after excellence, it is not possible to flee from afflictions. For afflictions will necessarily increase to the same measure as the soul fights against contrary powers. But when afflictions leave it, the soul in the first place leaves what belongs– to it.

He that says that he is without care, yet is guided by excellence, does not even know whence excellence is born in the soul. For we know what are the governors of excellence. By temptations the gate of heaven is opened before the soul. Our Fathers have guided us in this way. God who gives unto His saints victory in strife so that their deliberations are not turned away from the future hope, will guard and help us by their prayers. Amen.

{419} The righteous not only excel in beautiful works by their will but even in involuntary temptations they excel greatly by| their tried patience, because they valiantly endure all earthly troubles, expecting the amazing wages of the world to be. The soul which clings to the fear of God does not fear before anything which harms the body.

 

1 Philippians 1, 29

2 1 Peter 3, 14