Chapter LIII
On Prayer And The Other Things Which Are Necessarily To Be Sought In Constant Recollection And Which It Is Very Profitable For A Man To Recite With Discrimination And To Retain
That a man have trust in the petition of his prayer through trust in God, · is the chief part of the gift of faith. The assurance of faith in God is not a correct confession, though this is the mother of faith, but a soul that looks on the truth of God by the power of behaviour. When thou findest faith and what is related to it, in the holy scriptures mingled · with behaviour, do not consider it in the sense of true confession. Faith which gives the conviction of trust is never demanded by the imperfect, or by those whose mind is perverted so that it cannot attain truth. The assurance of truth reveals itself in the soul - in accordance with the elevation that is the result of behaviour - in an attitude which tends toward the legislation of our Lord. The light of the soul consists in constant meditation upon the scriptures. For they trace in the intellect profitable recollections with regard to watchfulness against the affections and for perpetual abiding with God, in love and in purity of prayer.
t) Bedjan's tl-�c),;w is a misprint for �b
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They trace before us the way which is made peaceful by 38o the steps of the saints. Yet do not confide in the signs of the words when they are not accompanied by great alertness and perpetual affectability through constant prayers. Accept without doubt words that are spoken from experience, even if they are uttered by a simple man. Even the great treasury of earthly kings does not abhor to take increase from the money of the mendicant. And from small sources the large streams of the rivers increase. If the recollection of the excellent renews in us the desire of excellence when we commune with them mentally, the recollection of the impudent also renews in our mind impure desire when we are reminded of them. This is because the recollection of all these develops in our mind the distinct lines of their deeds. And with their finger as it were they show us their evil deeds or the elevation of their behaviour, in accord with their belonging to one or to the other kind. And the recollection with its stings - be they right or left ones - spurns us to meditate upon the baseness of our mind (while the images of their noble behaviour are depicted in our imaginations) and to look upon them zealously. So not only the meditation upon evil injures those who are captured by it, but also the sight and the recollection of those who perform evil. And not only is the performing of excellent things greatly profitable to those who accomplish them, but also the imaginative representation formed by the recollection of the persons who perform those things. And on account of 381 this it can be understood that those who are near to reaching the stage of purity, are deemed worthy of seeing perpetually holy men in nightly visions. And during the whole day the images of the saints which are printed in their soul are to them a source of joy by their intellectual intercourse with them. And on account of this they turn with renewed fervour towards the performance of good works and an intense fire of love unto excellence is kindled in them. It is said that the holy angels assume the appearance of honoured and excellent men and show themselves to the soul in visions during sleep when the emotions are distracted, for the sake of joy and higher incitement. And during the day they set [thy solitary] astir by the recollection of the visions, and so they are fired anew to their labour by their joy at
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those holy men. And so the latter are promotors of the former's course. In the same way, at the time of the heat of battle, those who are accustomed to evil intercourse, are visited by the demons in this likeness. They assume a likeness in which they show themselves to the soul, namely visions highly exciting amidst the recollections of the day to those who converse with these. Sometimes also they do this by frightful visions which terrify the soul and weaken it, and which accentuate the difficulty of behaviour in solitude and reclusion, and the like. We ought therefore, · o my brethren, to use discrimination regarding recollections, in our meditation, [choosing] which of them we should cherish and which we should dispel hastily as soon as they approach our mind, according to whether they 382 proceed from the activity of the demons who provide the affections with matter, or from desire or anger, or from the holy angels such as give indications that cause joy and knowledge and profit by the deliberations which they excite through their offerings to us, or by the recollection and perception of former deeds some of which stir in the soul deliberations that are useful in any direction. Experience concerning the two we must acquire by discriminating knowledge, as also experience concerning their aspect, their intercourse, even concerning their way of working. Each of the two has at once to be · met with a distinct prayer. Love which is maintained by [outward] things is to be compared with a small flame whose light subsists by the sustenance of oil; and with a stream subsisting through rain, and whose flow ceases as soon as the supply which maintains it becomes deficient. Love of which God is the cause, is as a source welling from the depth, whose current will never cease. For He alone is the source of love whose supply does not fail. Thou desirest to perform the recitation of Psalms during thy service with delight, and thou wishest to perceive the spiritual words which thou recitest? Abandon the performance of a certain quantity and ignore the measures of service; and say the words in the way of prayer, and leave the usual iteration. Understand what I say. As to those sections which bear the character of a history, let thy spirit consider their repetition as the recitation of some providential act of God, in order that by the deep significance which is in them the soul be 38 3 awakened unto amazement at Providence; and from here it
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may be stirred to praises or to profitable affection. The passages which are prayers, take them unto thyself. When thy mind has become established in them, confusion has given way and disappeared. For in the service of bondage there is no peace of mind, nor is there trouble of confusion in the liberty of the children. For confusion is wont to suck away the taste of insights and to rob them of their intellect, as the leech which with the blood of the limbs sucks the vitality of the body. For it is possible, to say of confusion that it is the mount of Satan even. Satan, as a chariot-driver, is wont to ride on it constantly, taking with him a multitude of affections. Thus he invades the poor soul making use of the darkness of its confusion. And this thou hast to understand clearly, lest in the sentences of thy recited Psalms and of thy prayer thou becomest a conductor of words as if they came from a strange person. For thou shouldst not think that thou art sedulously promoting the work of the apostles if thou art wholly devoid of the passion and the joy which is in it. But thou shouldst say the words beseechingly, as originating in thyself, with intelligence and with passionate discrimination, as one who is aware of his being occupied with ritual of his own. Dejection is caused by distraction of mind; distraction by neglect of labours and recitation and by intercourse left to chance. Not to use conversation with those who speak to us, but 3 8 4 to cut off their speech entreatingly, is a sign of a mind that has found wisdom and power by grace. For its true knowledge frees it from much labour; and by its treading short ways it cuts off the many windings of a long way. For we have not at all times the power to reduce to silence all contrary deliberations by arguments, and it may happen, when we receive a blow, that for a long time we shall not be healed. Against those who are six thousand years old thou wilt stand thy trial. But they also are provided with means which may destroy thee, being mightier than thy wisdom and thy learning. But even if thou vanquishest, the dirt of their deliberations will defile thy mind and their stinking odour will linger in thy smell. But by the former method 1) thou wilt be free from all these and from fear, because there is no helper like God. _/
I) viz. by cutting off discussions
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Perpetual tears during prayer are a sign of divine mercy of which the soul is worthy because of its repentance which has been accepted; and with tears it begins to enter the plain of serenity. Unless the deliberations have been freed from the care of transitory things and have cast away the hope of the world and contempt for it has been established in them and they have begun to prepare provisions for the day of a man's departure, because the thought of things beyond earthly ones has been established 1) in the soul - it is not possible that the eyes shed 385 tears. Tears originate from pure meditation without distraction and from perpetual meditations without deviation, and by some subtle recollection which falls into the mind and affects the heart by the anxiety it causes. Then tears become frequent. When thou turnest towards perpetual handiwork in thy solitude, do not make the commandment of the fathers a pretext for love of money. In order to avoid despondency thou must have some trifling occupation which does not trouble the mind. If however thou desirest to bestow more care upon it, for the sake of alms, know then that the order of prayer is more excellent than alms; if thou desirest to do so because of thy need, without being covetous, that which is sufficient to fulfill thy want is what our Lord provides thee with. He never has left His servants in want of transitory things. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you, before ye ask, says our Lord 2). One of the saints 8) has said: it is not the aim of thy discipline that thou shouldst appease the hungry and that thy cell should become a place of congregation for strangers. For this behaviour is rather meet for those who are in the world, but nor for solitaries who are free from thoughts of visible things and who preserve their mind by prayer. If ever thou wilt be deemed worthy of the solitary state and avoid heavy 386 loads in the kingdom of its freedom, let not the customary thought of fear terrify thee with its many and varying deliberations. But as a man who believes that there is a guardian with him and who knows accurately through his wisdom that he and all creatures are under one Lord, and that one will moves them all and stops and governs them, and that no fellow is able to injure his comrade without the commandment
1) Reading �;,� 2) Matthew 6, 33 3) Perhaps Euagrius; cf. Book of the Dove, p. 30
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of the Governor, and that all is under His care make up - ·
thy mind to be courageous. For though some of them have been given freedom, yet they have no freedom in all things, and neither the demons nor the beasts of prey, nor malicious men are able to injure any man according to their good pleasure, until the divine will has given the command and until material opportunity has been given. It is not granted by the divine will that all freedom should realize itself, otherwise no flesh could live. For the Lord does not allow the freedom of demons or man to approach his creatures that they use it according to their good plea.sure. So thou hast to say to thyself: there is a guardian with me and there is no possibility for any of the creatures even to show themselves to me, if no permission from on high has been given. So if thou seest with thy eyes and hearest with thy ears their threatenings, even then thou must not believe that they will venture to act. If they had received an order 387 from the heavenly will, no speech and even not a word even would be necessary, but action would immediately follow will. And if this be the will of my Lord (so say to thyself), that the evil ones have power in his creation, then I must not resist this fact as if I were one taking pleasure in contradicting the will of his Lord. Thus, even in thy temptations, thou shalt be full of gladness, as one who knows and feels that his Lord is governor. Support therefore thy heart by confidence in the faith in the Lord without being afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flies by day 1). For the faith of the righteous in God makes the beasts of the field as lambs and goats 2). It is namely impossible to be a righteous man confiding in God unless this be true of thee, that for the sake of the service of righteousness thou art gone into the desert with its many troubles and that for it thou art administering the will of God. So thou labourest in vain when thou takest upon thee these pains. for God does not wish the pains of mankind, but that thou offer to Him as a sacrifice of love thy personal affections. All those who love God show Him this distinctive [sign of love] that they are willing to bear troubles for the sake of His love. For all those who desire to live in the fear of God through Jesus Christ, bear troubles. And then He makes them rule over his hidden treasures.
1) Psalm 91 1 5 2) Cf. Book of the Dove, p. 80
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One of the saints has said: There was an old, honoured solitary to whom I once went when I was shaken by tempta-388 tions. He was ill and had to lie down. When I had greeted him I sat down near him and said: Pray for me, Father, for I am very much shaken by the temptations of the demons. He opened his eyes and looked at me benignantly, saying. My son, thou art a boy; God will not admit the demons unto thee. I answered: If I am a boy I have to bear the temptations of strong men. Then he said to me: So God is trying to make thee wise. I said to him: How can I become wise, if I taste death every day? He said to me: God loves thee; be silent, God shall give thee His gift. Then he said to me: Thou must know, my son, that I have been making war upon the demons during thirty years, of which I have passed twenty without enjoying any help whatever. When twenty fi v e years had elapsed, rest began to show itself. As it approached, it increased and when twenty eight years had passed it had grown considerably. And now that thirty years have been accomplished rest has increased to such a degree, that I know not how this can happen. - Further he said: When I desire to stand performing service, I am allowed to accomplish one marmita 1). Further, even if I remain standing during three days, I am in ecstasy with God, without perceiving fatigue. - Behold how prolonged labours produce illimitable rest. One of the Fathers used to eat two times every week. He 389 said to us: 'The day on which I speak with someone, I am not able to keep the usual rule of fasting, but I am compelled to break it'. So we understand that the keeping of the tongue not only does excite the mind unto God but that it also in secret grants considerable force for the accomplishment of the visible labours which are performed through the body. And on account of a hidden service the. intellect will constantly be illuminated, as our Fathers say. For keeping the tongue excites the heart unto God, if we be silent with knowledge. This saint was much given to vigils saying: When of a night I stand till dawn and take rest after the recitation of Psalms, and then wake up from sleep, on that day I am as a man who is not in this world. No single earthly thought
1) a fifteenth part of the psalter.
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rises in my heart, nor do I want definite regulations, but all day I am in ecstasy. On one day such as this in which I was wont to take food (and since four days I had not eaten), when I rose in order to perform the evening service and to eat afterwards, I stood in the room of my cell in full sunlight. I perceived only that I began with the marmita which is the beginning of the service; but till the next day when the sun rose before me and the clothes on my body became warm, I did not perceive where I was. As the sun troubled me by burning my face my mind came back to me and behold, I saw that it was a 390 new day. And I thanked God because of His pouring out His grace upon mankind and because of His deeming worthy of such a greatness those who seek Him.
Here end the tales of holy men.