7

being brought into operation; for it produces knowledge of true prayer, so that the mind henceforth stands outside of all agitation, despondency, and negligence.

CHAPTER 76. The bowls of incense are said to be the prayers of the saints, which the twenty-four elders offer.

CHAPTER 77. But the bowl should be understood as friendship towards God, that is, the perfect and spiritual love, in which prayer is performed in Spirit and in truth.

CHAPTER 78. When you think you do not need tears in your prayer on account of sins, consider how far you have departed from God, you who ought to be in Him always, and you will weep more fervently.

CHAPTER 79. Indeed, knowing your own measure, you will mourn sweetly, calling yourself wretched according to Isaiah, as one who is unclean, and has unclean lips, and dwelling in the midst of such a people, you yet dare to stand before the Lord of Sabaoth.

CHAPTER 80. If you pray truly, you will find much assurance, and angels will come to you and they will illumine you on the reasons for things that happen. 79.1185

CHAPTER 81. Know that the holy angels urge us to prayer, and stand beside us rejoicing together, and praying for us. If therefore we are negligent, and accept contrary thoughts, we greatly provoke them, because they struggle so much for us, while we are not willing even to beseech God for ourselves; but despising their service, and abandoning their God and Master, we converse with unclean demons.

CHAPTER 82. Pray gently, and without disturbance, and chant with understanding and rhythm, and you will be like an eaglet lifted up on high.

CHAPTER 83. Psalmody calms the passions, and makes the incontinence of the body be still. Prayer, on the other hand, prepares the mind to perform its proper activity.

CHAPTER 84. Prayer is an activity appropriate to the dignity of the mind, that is, its superior and sincere judgment.

CHAPTER 85. Psalmody is a type of the manifold wisdom, but prayer is the prelude to immaterial and manifold knowledge.

CHAPTER 86. Knowledge is most beautiful, for it is a co-worker with prayer, awakening the intellective power of the mind to the contemplation of divine knowledge.

CHAPTER 87. If you have not yet received the gift of prayer or psalmody, persevere, and you will receive it.

CHAPTER 88. And He also told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Therefore, do not lose heart for now, nor be discouraged for not having received; for you will receive later. And He added to the parable this: “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this woman troubles me, I will give her justice.” So will God give justice quickly to those who cry to him night and day. Take heart, therefore, persevering laboriously in holy prayer.

CHAPTER 89. Do not wish for things to happen concerning you as seems good to you, but as pleases God, and you will be untroubled and thankful in your prayer. 79.1188

CHAPTER 90. Even if you think you are with God, beware of the demon of fornication. For he is exceedingly deceitful, and most envious, and he wants to be quicker than the movement and watchfulness of your mind, and to snatch it away from God as it stands before Him with reverence and fear.

7

ἐνεργουμένην· γνῶσιν γὰρ ἐμποιεῖ τῆς ἀληθοῦς προσευχῆς, ὥστε ἑστάναι λοιπὸν ἐκτὸς παντὸς κλόνου, ἀκηδίας τε, καὶ ὀλιγωρίας τὸν νοῦν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Οςʹ. Αἱ φιάλαι τῶν θυμιαμάτων αἱ προσευχαὶ εἶναι λέγονται τῶν ἁγίων, ἃς εἰκοσιτέσσαρες πρεσβύτεροι ἐπιφέρονται.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΟΖʹ. Φιάλην δὲ ὑποληπτέον τὴν πρὸς Θεὸν φιλίαν, ἤτοι τὴν τελείαν καὶ πνευματικὴν ἀγάπην, ἐν ᾗ ἡ προσευχὴ ἐνεργεῖται ἐν Πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΟΗʹ. Ὅταν δόξῃς μὴ δεῖσθαι δακρύων ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ σου δι' ἁμαρτίας, σκόπει πόσον ἀφέστηκας Θεοῦ, ὀφείλων εἶναι ἐν αὐτῷ διὰ παντὸς, καὶ θερμότερον δακρύσεις.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΟΘʹ. Ναὶ μὴν ἐπιγινώσκων τὰ μέτρα σου, ἡδέως πενθήσεις, ταλανίζων ἑαυτὸν κατὰ τὸν Ἡσαΐαν, ὡς ἀκάθαρτος ὢν, καὶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχων, καὶ ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ τοιούτου ὑπάρχων, τοὐναντίον τολμᾷς Κυρίῳ Σαβαὼθ παρεστάναι.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Πʹ. Ἐὰν ἀληθῶς προσεύχῃ, πολλὴν πληροφορίαν εὑρήσεις, καὶ ἄγγελοι συνελεύσονταί σοι καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν γινομένων φωτιοῦσι. 79.1185

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΠΑʹ. Γίνωσκε, ὅτιπερ οἱ ἅγιοι ἄγγελοι προτρέπονται ἡμᾶς εἰς προσευχὴν, καὶ συμπαρίστανται ἡμῖν χαίροντες ἅμα, καὶ προσευχόμενοι ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· ἐὰν οὖν ἀμελήσωμεν, καὶ δεξώμεθα λογισμοὺς ἐναντίους λίαν παροξύνομεν αὐτοὺς, ὅτιπερ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀγωνίζονται τοσοῦτον, ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐδὲ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν βουλόμεθα ἱκετεῦσαι τὸν Θεόν· ἀλλὰ καταφρονοῦντες τῆς αὐτῶν λειτουργίας, καὶ τὸν τούτων Θεὸν, καὶ ∆εσπότην καταλιμπάνοντες δαίμοσιν ἀκαθάρτοις ἐντυγχάνομεν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΠΒʹ. Προσεύχου ἐπιεικῶς, καὶ ἀταράχως, καὶ ψάλλε συνετῶς καὶ εὐρύθμως, καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς νεοσσὸς ἀετοῦ ἐν ὕψει αἰρόμενος.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΠΓʹ. Ἡ μὲν ψαλμῳδία τὰ πάθη κατευνάζει, καὶ τὴν ἀκρασίαν τοῦ σώματος ἠρεμεῖν ἀπεργάζεται. Ἡ δὲ προσευχὴ ἐνεργεῖν παρασκευάζει τὸν νοῦν τὴν ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Π∆ʹ. Προσευχὴ ἐστὶ πρέπουσα ἐνέργεια, τῇ ἀξίᾳ τοῦ νοῦ ἤτοι κρείττων, καὶ εἰλικρινὴς κρίσις αὐτοῦ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΠΕʹ. Ἡ μὲν ψαλμῳδία τύπος τῆς ποικίλης σοφίας ἐστὶν, ἡ δὲ προσευχὴ, προοίμιόν ἐστι τῆς ἀΰλου, καὶ ποικίλης γνώσεως.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Πςʹ. Ἡ γνῶσις, καλλίστη ὑπάρχει, συνεργὸς γάρ ἐστι τῆς προσευχῆς, τὴν νοερὰν δύναμιν τοῦ νοῦ διυπνίζουσα πρὸς θεωρίαν τῆς θείας γνώσεως.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΠΖʹ. Εἰ οὐδέπω ἔλαβες χάρισμα προσευχῆς, ἢ ψαλμωδίας, ἐφέδρευσον, καὶ λήψῃ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΠΗʹ. Ἔλεγε δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ παραβολὴν πρὸς τὸ δεῖν αὐτοὺς πάντοτε προσεύχεσθαι, καὶ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν· οὐκοῦν μὴ ἐκκάκει τέως, μηδὲ ἀθύμει ὡς μὴ λαβών· λήψῃ γὰρ ὕστερον· καὶ ἐπήγαγε τῇ παραβολῇ, τό· «Εἰ γὰρ καὶ Θεὸν οὐ φοβοῦμαι, καὶ ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἐντρέπομαι, ἀλλά γε διὰ τὸ κόπους παρέχειν μοι τὴν γυναῖκα, ποιήσω τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῆς·» οὕτως οὖν καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ποιήσει τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν βοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας ἐν τάχει. Εὐθύμει τοιγαροῦν προσκαρτερῶν ἐμπόνως τῇ ἁγίᾳ προσευχῇ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΠΘʹ. Μὴ θελήσῃς ὥς σοι δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' ὡς Θεῷ ἀρέσκει τὰ κατὰ σὲ γενέσθαι, καὶ ἔσῃ ἀτάραχος, καὶ εὐχάριστος ἐν προσευχῇ σου. 79.1188

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ʹ. Κἂν μετὰ Θεοῦ δοκῇς εἶναι, φυλάττου τῆς πορνείας δαίμονα. Λίαν γάρ ἐστιν ἀπατεὼν, καὶ φθονερώτατος, καὶ βούλεται ὀξύτερος εἶναι τῆς κινήσεως καὶ νήψεως τοῦ νοός σου, καὶ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἀποσπᾷν αὐτὸν παρεστῶτα αὐτῷ μετ' εὐλαβείας, καὶ φόβου.