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it being incumbent to perform the commandments so as to please God, it is impossible otherwise for the precision of the work to be achieved, if it is not accomplished according to the will of the one who gave the order. And in precise diligence concerning the work towards the will of God, one will be united to God through remembrance. For just as the smith in the working, for instance, of the axe, remembering the one who commissioned it, and bearing him in mind, and conceives that shape and size, and directs the work towards the 31.924 will of the one who prescribed it (for if he should forget, he will make something else, or different from what he proposed); so also the Christian, directing every action, both small and great, towards the will of God, at once adorns the deed with precision, and preserves the mind of the one who commanded, and fulfills what has been said: I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. And he accomplishes that which was commanded: Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. But by corrupting in the work the precision of the commandment, he is shown to be weak in the remembrance of God. Remembering therefore the voice of the one who said: Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord; and, I am a God at hand, and not a God afar off; and, Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them; one must perform every action as done under the eyes of the Lord, and every thought as observed by him. For thus also constant fear will be present, hating injustice, as it is written, pride and arrogance and evil ways, and love is perfected, fulfilling what was said by the Lord, that I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me, the soul being in continual full assurance that good deeds are acceptable to the judge and rewarder of our life, and those that are contrary immediately receive condemnation. And I think that with this is also achieved the goal that not even the commandments of the Lord themselves be done for men-pleasing. For no one in full assurance of the presence of the greater turns to the lesser; but, even if it happens that what is done is acceptable and well-pleasing to the more glorious person, but appears unwanted and blameworthy to the inferior, esteeming the approval of the superior as of more worth, he despises the censure of the lesser. And if it is so among men, will the truly sober and healthy soul, in full assurance of the presence of God, having ever abandoned doing something to please God, be turned to the opinions of men; or will it ever, having neglected the commandments of God, serve human custom, or be constrained by common prejudice, or even be shamed by dignities? Such was the disposition of the one who said: Transgressors have told me idle tales, but not as your law, O Lord; and again: I spoke of your testimonies also before kings, and was not ashamed. 31.925

QUESTION 6. That it is necessary to live apart. RESPONSE. To live apart in one's dwelling also contributes to the soul's not being distracted. For that it is harmful to have one's life intermingled with those who are disposed without fear and with contempt toward the precise keeping of the commandments, the word of Solomon also shows, teaching us that you should not be a companion to an angry man; and with a wrathful friend do not associate, lest you learn his ways, and get a snare to your soul, and, Come out from among them, and be separate, says the Lord, tends to the same end. Therefore, so that we may not receive incitements to sin, either through our eyes or through our ears, and become accustomed to it imperceptibly, and as if certain impressions and characters

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ἐπικει μένου, τοῦ εὐαρέστως τῷ Θεῷ ποιῆσαι τὰς ἐντολὰς, ἀδύνατον ἄλλως τὸ ἀκριβὲς τοῦ ἔργου κατορθω θῆναι μὴ κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ ἐκδεδωκότος ἐπιτε λούμενον. Ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀκριβεῖ πρὸς τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ τὸ ἔργον σπουδῇ συνάπτεσθαι τῷ Θεῷ διὰ τῆς μνήμης ὑπάρξει. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ χαλκεὺς ἐν τῇ ἐργα σίᾳ, εἰ τύχοι, τῆς ἀξίνης, τοῦ ἐκδεδωκότος αὐτῷ μεμνημένος, καὶ ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ φέρων αὐτὸν, καὶ σχῆμα ἐκεῖνο καὶ μέγεθος ἐννοεῖ, καὶ πρὸς τὸ 31.924 βούλημα τοῦ ὑποθεμένου τὴν ἐργασίαν εὐθύνει (ἐὰν γὰρ ἐπιλάθηται, ἄλλο τι, ἢ ἀλλοῖον ποιήσει παρ' ὃ προ έθετο)· οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστιανὸς, πᾶσαν ἐνέργειαν καὶ μικρὰν καὶ μείζονα πρὸς τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ κατευθύνων, ὁμοῦ τε τὴν πρᾶξιν τῇ ἀκριβείᾳ κατα κοσμεῖ, καὶ τὴν τοῦ προστάξαντος ἔννοιαν διασώζει, καὶ πληροῖ τὸ εἰρημένον· Προωρώμην τὸν Κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διαπαντὸς, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ. Καὶ κατορθοῖ τὸ προστεταγμένον ἐκεῖνο· Εἴτε ἐσθίετε εἴτε πίνετε, εἴτε τι ποιεῖτε, πάντα εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ ποιεῖτε. Παραφθείρων δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐργασίᾳ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς ἐντολῆς, δῆλός ἐστι περὶ τὴν μνήμην τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀσθενῶν. Μεμνημένους οὖν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ εἰπόντος· Οὐχὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐγὼ πληρῶ; λέγει Κύριος· καὶ τὸ, Θεὸς ἐγγί ζων ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν· καὶ τὸ, Ὅπου εἰσὶ δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν· πᾶσαν ἐνέργειαν, ὡς ὑπὸ ταῖς ὄψεσι τοῦ Κυρίου γινομένην, καὶ πᾶσαν ἔννοιαν, ὡς παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐποπτευομένην, ἐπιτελεῖν χρή. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ φόβος διαρκὴς ἐνυπάρξει, μισῶν ἀδικίαν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ὕβριν τε καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ ὁδοὺς πονηρῶν, καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη τελειοῦται, πλη ροῦσα τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰρημένον, ὅτι Οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμ ψαντός με Πατρὸς, ἐν πληροφορίᾳ διηνεκεῖ τῆς ψυχῆς οὔσης τοῦ καὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς πράξεις ἀποδεκτὰς εἶναι τῷ κριτῇ καὶ ἀθλοθέτῃ τοῦ ἡμετέρου βίου, καὶ τὰς ἐναντίως ἐχούσας αὐτόθεν δέχεσθαι τὴν κατά κρισιν. Οἶμαι δὲ τούτῳ συγκατορθοῦσθαι καὶ τὸ μηδὲ αὐτὰς τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου πρὸς ἀνθρωπ αρέσκειαν γίνεσθαι. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ κρείττονος πρὸς τὸν ἐλάττονα ἐπι στρέφεται· ἀλλὰ, κἂν συμβῇ τὸ γινόμενον τῷ μὲν ἐνδοξοτέρῳ προσώπῳ ἀπόδεκτον καὶ εὐάρεστον εἶναι, τῷ δὲ ὑποδεεστέρῳ ἀβούλητον καὶ ψεκτὸν καταφαί νεσθαι, πλείονος ἀξίαν τιθέμενος τὴν τοῦ ὑπερέχοντος ἀποδοχὴν, καταφρονεῖ τῆς τοῦ ἐλάττονος μέμψεως. Εἰ δὲ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπων οὕτως, ἥ γε ὡς ἀληθῶς νήφουσα καὶ ὑγιαίνουσα ψυχὴ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ παρουσίας, ποτὲ ἀφεμένη τοῦ πρὸς εὐαρέστησιν Θεοῦ ποιεῖν τι, πρὸς τὰς παρὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δό ξας ἐπιστραφήσεται· ποτὲ δὲ ἀμελήσασα τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ προσταγμάτων, ἀνθρωπίνῳ ἔθει δουλεύσει, ἢ ὑπὸ κοινῆς προλήψεως κρατηθήσεται, ἢ καὶ ὑπὸ ἀξιωμάτων δυσωπηθήσεται. Τοιαύτη διάθεσις ἦν τοῦ εἰπόντος· ∆ιηγήσαντό μοι παράνομοι ἀδολεσχίας, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ὁ νόμος σου, Κύριε· καὶ πάλιν· Καὶ ἐλάλουν ἐν τοῖς μαρτυρίοις σου ἐναντίον βασι λέων, καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχυνόμην. 31.925

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ς ʹ. Ὅτι ἀναγκαῖον τὸ ἰδιάζειν. ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ. Συντελεῖ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀμετεώριστον τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ τὸ ἰδιάζειν κατὰ τὴν οἴκησιν. Τὸ γὰρ ἀναμεμιγμένην ἔχειν τὴν ζωὴν τοῖς ἀφόβως καὶ καταφρονητικῶς πρὸς τὴν ἀκριβῆ τήρησιν τῶν ἐντολῶν διακειμένοις βλαβερὸν καὶ ὁ τοῦ Σολομῶντος ἀποδείκνυσι λόγος, διδάσκοντος ἡμᾶς, ὅτι Μὴ ἴσθι ἑταῖρος ἀνδρὶ θυμώ δει· φίλῳ δὲ ὀργίλῳ μὴ συναυλίζου, μήποτε μάθῃς τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ, καὶ λάβῃς βρόχους τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ τὸ, Ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀφορίσθητε, λέγει Κύριος, πρὸς τὸ αὐτὸ φέρει. Οὐκοῦν ἵνα μήτε διὰ ὀφθαλμῶν μήτε διὰ ὤτων ἐρε θισμοὺς εἰς ἁμαρτίαν δεχώμεθα, καὶ κατὰ τὸ λαν θάνον προσεθισθῶμεν αὐτῇ, καὶ ὥσπερ τύποι τινὲς καὶ χαρακτῆρες