Epistula Magna

 are possible with the God who has promised for the passions of sin later came upon the soul and the body because of the transgression of the first-fo

 gives himself to all the well-pleasingness of the commandments, to that extent he also acquires the participation of the spirit for the spiritual incr

 [as] one who, as a bride of Christ, longs to be joined to the heavenly king who is pure and undefiled. For the soul that longs to be joined to him and

 the worse work of destruction, numbering hidden and manifest sins as one, he says: And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up

 to have fellowship and to be united, but only with the Spirit of God, 247 being united and clinging to it, he commanded the soul to bear the sacred of

 But in another epistle, teaching about the same things and showing the disciples the abundance of spiritual wealth and exhorting them to hasten to att

 he sets forth the goal. And because we are not sufficient for the struggle against the principalities and the powers and the spiritual forces of wicke

 let us have affliction and struggle and a ceaseless race, daily stretching forward always to the things that are before and forgetting the things that

 and having entered with exultation, since indeed he has become the agent of great salvation for himself, if with long-suffering and patience he remain

 he who humbles himself will be exalted and again: Whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be the last of all and the servant of all just as th

 the adversary always hinders the mind in good things, from loving the things above by the memory of good things, but rather, by enticing the will thro

 occupying ourselves with love always. and thus we shall be able to receive daily increase and progress towards divine love, being helped by the divine

 the soul's love is stretched out toward God and therefore if someone wishes to persevere unceasingly in prayers and to be at leisure for fasting acco

 surrendering the mind to such things and by reason of a lack of discernment being fully convinced by the bodily kneeling, while the mind is in a state

 a lack, his own work and toil, should he think the fruits of the spirit to be, he possesses much vain conceit and falls from great spiritual goods, no

 the future hope of the resurrection 279 immortal and it is possible to take up the sufferings of Christ readily and easily. Let those who have not ye

 being done That, he says, they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. And the apostles, having legislated through the Spir

 the need of those who serve and give rest, and again the surplus of those who serve and work for the need of those who devote themselves to prayers. F

 we are deemed worthy of Christ, let us have communion with one another in all good things for the edification and benefit both of ourselves and of our

 of practices will it be to attain unless through what we have said before, setting forth through many things at the same time also the scriptural test

 believe in truths, that it is necessary for the one who has truly come to serve God to arrive at the measures of impassibility and freedom. Since ther

 workers or certain slaves are told by their master to reap three plethra each day, and one worker, having received such a command from his master, giv

 is promised to those who have consecrated themselves. For those who consider it impossible for this accomplishment to happen in men through the Spirit

 to those who obey the spirit, that it is necessary for the one who has approached God in truth, believing in his promises with a whole heart and striv

[as] one who, as a bride of Christ, longs to be joined to the heavenly king who is pure and undefiled. For the soul that longs to be joined to him and desires to become one spirit with him must be made like that blameless and spotless beauty, according to what was said by the blessed John: And everyone, he says, who has this hope purifies himself, just as he is pure; and Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ. For the soul that has denied carnal communion, has withdrawn from the world and practices virginity, and has professed herself for union and communion with the incorruptible bridegroom, must be purified not only from manifest sins such as fornication or theft or murder or gluttony or slander or lying or idle talk or clamor or laughter or coarse jesting or love of money or greed, but much more must it be cleansed from the more violent passions of the soul and secret sins, that is, desire, vainglory, pleasing men, hypocrisy, love of power, deceit, malice, hatred, unbelief, envy, pride, jealousy, self-satisfaction, self-love, arrogance, and the similar invisible passions of dishonor. For Scripture knows to consider the secret sins of the soul, if we believe the words of the spirit, equal and similar to external sins; For the Lord, it says, has scattered the bones of men-pleasers, and The Lord abhors the man of blood and deceit, 242 counting deceit and murder as one transgression; and against those who speak peace with their neighbors, but have evil in their hearts, Give to them, Lord, according to their works. And again: For you work iniquity in your heart upon the earth. And the Lord, reproaching the men-pleasers, says: They do all things to be seen by men; wherefore he also commands, saying: Take heed that you do not do your alms before men; for if not, you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven; that is, do not wish to seek from men and hunt for praise or glory for good deeds, but rather from God, whose glory is true and eternal and whose dishonor is eternal. And the Woe to you when men speak well of you, that is, when you wish to hear well from men and to rejoice in the glories and praises that come from them; since how was it possible for those who do good not to be manifest to all? when the Lord himself says: Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Strive for the glory of God, he says, in doing every good deed and not for your own glory, nor seek and rejoice in the praises of short-lived 243 men, but expect praise and glory from God alone; just as the blessed David says: From you is my praise, and again: In the Lord shall my soul be praised; as also the apostle commands that even eating and drinking be done for the glory of God. For whether you eat or drink or do anything, he says, do all to the glory of God; for the Lord showed that those who seek glory or praise from men are unbelievers, saying How can you believe, when you receive glory from men and do not seek the glory that is from the only God? And John, comparing hatred with murder, says: He who hates his brother is a murderer; and You know that no murderer has eternal life in himself. He compares the secret hatred that arises against his brother with murder. But also the apostle Paul, speaking of those who were given over to passions of dishonor because of their foolish and disobedient heart, and enumerating their... on

[ὡς] ἅτε δὴ νύμφην Χριστοῦ ἐπουρανίῳ βασιλεῖ καθαρῷ τε καὶ ἀμιάντῳ συναφθῆναι ἐπιποθοῦσαν. ἐξομοιοῦσθαι γὰρ ἐκείνῳ τῷ ἀμώμῳ καὶ ἀχράντῳ κάλλει χρὴ τὴν ἐπιποθοῦσαν αὐτῷ συναφθῆναι ψυχὴν καὶ εἰς ἓν πνεῦμα ἐπιθυμοῦσαν μετ' αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰωάννου· Καὶ πᾶς, φησίν, ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην ἁγνίζει ἑαυτόν, καθὼς ἐκεῖνος ἁγνός ἐστι· καὶ Μιμηταί μου γίνεσθε, καθὼς κἀγὼ Χριστοῦ. οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ φανερῶν ἁμαρτημάτων μόνον οἷον πορνείας ἢ κλοπῆς ἢ φόνου ἢ γαστριμαργίας ἢ καταλαλιᾶς ἢ ψεύδους ἢ ἀργολογίας ἢ κραυγῆς ἢ γέλωτος ἢ εὐτραπελίας ἢ φιλαργυρίας ἢ πλεονεξίας ἁγνεύειν δεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν τὴν ἀρνησαμένην μὲν κοινωνίαν σαρκικήν, κόσμου δὲ ἀναχωρήσασαν καὶ παρθενίαν ἐξασκοῦσαν, εἰς συνάφειαν δὲ καὶ κοινωνίαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου νυμφίου ἑαυτὴν καθομολογήσασαν, ἀλλὰ πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῶν βιαιοτέρων τῆς ψυχῆς παθῶν καὶ κρυπτῶν ἁμαρτημάτων καθαρεύειν αὐτὴν χρή, τουτέστιν ἐπιθυμίας κενοδοξίας ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας ὑποκρίσεως φιλαρχίας δόλου κακοηθείας μίσους ἀπιστίας φθόνου ἐπάρσεως ζήλου αὐταρεσκείας φιλαυτίας τύφου καὶ τῶν τούτοις ὁμοίων ἀοράτων τῆς ἀτιμίας παθῶν. Οἶδε γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ τὰ κρύφια τῆς ψυχῆς ἁμαρτήματα, εἴ γε πιστεύομεν τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ πνεύματος, τῶν ἐκτὸς ἁμαρτημάτων ἴσα καὶ ὅμοια ἡγεῖσθαι· Κύριος γάρ, φησί, διεσκόρπισεν ὀστᾶ ἀνθρωπαρέσκων, καὶ Ἄνδρα αἱμάτων καὶ δόλιον 242 βδελύσσεται κύριος, τὸν δόλον καὶ τὸν φόνον εἰς ἓν συναριθμῶν παράβαμα· καὶ κατὰ τῶν λαλούντων εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν πλησίον αὐτῶν, κακὰ δὲ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, ∆ὸς αὐτοῖς κύριε κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν. καὶ πάλιν· Καὶ γὰρ ἐν καρδίᾳ ἀνομίαν ἐργάζεσθε ἐν τῇ γῇ. καὶ ὁ κύριος μεμφόμενος τοῖς ἀνθρωπαρέσκοις φησί· Πάντα ποιοῦσι πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· διὸ καὶ παραγγέλλει λέγων· Βλέπετε μὴ ποιήσητε τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων· εἰ δὲ μή γε, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχετε παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ ὑμῶν τῷ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· τουτέστι μὴ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων ἐπιζητεῖν θέλετε καὶ θηρεύειν ἔπαινον ἢ δόξαν διὰ τὰ καλὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗ ἡ δόξα ἀληθὴς καὶ αἰώνιος καὶ οὗ ἡ ἀτιμία αἰώνιος. καὶ τὸ Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν ὅταν καλῶς ὑμᾶς εἴπωσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, τουτέστιν ὅταν θέλητε παρὰ ἀνθρώπων καλῶς ἀκούειν καὶ δόξαις καὶ ἐπαίνοις τοῖς παρ' αὐτῶν προσερχομένοις χαίρειν· ἐπεὶ πῶς δυνατὸν ἦν ἀγαθοεργοῦντας μὴ φανεροὺς εἶναι πᾶσιν; ὁπότε αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος λέγει· Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως ἴδωσι τὰ καλὰ ἔργα ὑμῶν καὶ δοξάσωσι τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ ἀγωνίζεσθε, φησί, πᾶν ἀγαθὸν ποιεῖν ἐπιτήδευμα καὶ μὴ εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν δόξαν, μὴ δὲ ἐπιζητεῖτε καὶ χαίρετε τοῖς ἐπαίνοις τῶν ὀλιγοχρονίων 243 ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἔπαινον καὶ τὴν δόξαν παρὰ θεοῦ μόνου ἐκδέχεσθε· καθὼς καὶ ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ λέγει· Παρὰ σοῦ ὁ ἔπαινός μου, καὶ πάλιν· Ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ ἐπαινεθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου· ὡς καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος ἕως τοῦ φαγεῖν καὶ πιεῖν εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ ἐντέλλεται γίνεσθαι. Εἴτε γὰρ ἐσθίετε εἴτε πίνετε εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, φησί, πάντα εἰς δόξαν θεοῦ ποιεῖτε· τοὺς γὰρ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων δόξαν ἢ ἐπαίνους ἐπιζητοῦντας ἀπίστους εἶναι ὁ κύριος ἀπέδειξεν εἰπὼν Πῶς δύνασθε ὑμεῖς πιστεύειν δόξαν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνοντες καὶ τὴν δόξαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ μόνου θεοῦ οὐ ζητοῦντες; ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης τὸ μῖσος τῷ φόνῳ συγκρίνων φησίν· Ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστί· καὶ Οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν ἑαυτῷ. τὸ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ μῖσος τὸ κατὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ γινόμενον τῷ φόνῳ συγκρίνει. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος τοὺς τοῖς πάθεσι τῆς ἀτιμίας παραδοθέντας διὰ τὴν ἀσύνετον αὐτῶν καὶ ἀπειθῆ καρδίαν διαγορεύων καὶ ἐξαριθμῶν αὐτῶν τὴν ἐπὶ