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of idols from the mind, so that, having lingered among them, it may not become at the time of prayer like a smoking firebrand. The irascible fall into these temptations, and especially those who are easily kindled to anger, who are far from pure prayer, and from the knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ.

CHAPTER 17. The thoughts of this age the Lord, just like certain sheep,

has delivered to the good shepherd, to man; for He says, He has given the age in his heart; having yoked to him irascibility and desire for assistance, so that, through irascibility, he might put to flight the thoughts of wolves, and through desire he might love the sheep, though often buffeted by rains and winds. And besides these things He has given him also a law, that he may shepherd the sheep, and a place of green pasture, and water of rest, and a psaltery, and a harp, and a rod, and a staff, so that from this flock, he may be both fed and clothed, and gather mountain grass. "For who," he says, "shepherds a flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock?" Therefore the one who withdraws must guard this flock by night and by day, lest any of the thoughts be devoured by wild beasts, or fall among robbers. But if indeed any such thing should happen in the glen, he must immediately snatch it from the mouth of the lion or the bear. The thought concerning a brother is devoured by wild beasts, if it grazes within us with hatred; and that concerning a woman, if it turns within us with shameful desire; and that of silver and gold, if it lodges with avarice. And the thoughts of the holy gifts, if they are grazed in the mind with vainglory; and it will happen likewise with the other thoughts, when they are stolen by the passions.

CHAPTER 18. But it is not only during the day that one must watch these things, but also by night

keeping vigil and guarding them. For it happens that even by shameful and wicked imaginings one loses what is one's own; and this is what is said by the holy Jacob: "I did not bring to you a sheep torn by beasts; I made good the loss myself for thefts by day and thefts 79.1221 by night. And I was consumed by the heat of the day, and by the frost of the night, and sleep departed from my eyes." But if some fatigue and acedia come upon us, let us run up a little to the rock of knowledge and converse with the psaltery, striking the strings through the virtues of knowledge. And let us again pasture the sheep under Mount Sinai, so that the God of our fathers may also call us from the bush, and grant to us the words of signs and wonders. Christ raises a rational nature that has been put to death by wickedness, through the contemplation of all the ages; but His Father raises the soul of this nature that has died the death of Christ, through knowledge of Himself. And this is what is said by Paul: "If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him." When the mind, having put off the old man, puts on the one from grace, then it will also see its own state at the time of prayer, resembling sapphire or a heavenly color, which Scripture also names the place of God, seen by the elders under Mount Sinai.

CHAPTER 19. When one of the enemies, having attacked, wounds you, and you wish the

to turn his sword, as it is written, against his own heart, do as we say. Divide within yourself the thought cast by him, whatever it is, and of how many things it is composed, and which part of it especially afflicts the mind. What I mean is this: Let the thought of avarice be sent by him

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εἰδώλων τὸν νοῦν, ἵνα μὴ χρονίσας ἐν αὐτοῖς, γένηται κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς, ὥσπερ δαλὸς καπνιζόμενος. Τούτοις δὲ τοῖς πειρασμοῖς οἱ θυμώδεις περιπίπτουσι, καὶ μάλιστα οἱ ῥᾳδίως πρὸς τὰς ὀργὰς ἐξαπτόμενοι, οἵτινες μακράν εἰσι καθαρᾶς προσευχῆς, καὶ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΖʹ. Τὰ νοήματα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ὁ Κύριος καθάπερ πρόβατά τινα

τῷ ἀγαθῷ ποιμένι τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ παρέδωκε· καὶ γὰρ, φησὶν, τὸν αἰῶνα δέδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· συζεύξας αὐτῷ θυμὸν, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν πρὸς βοήθειαν, ἵνα, διὰ μὲν τοῦ θυμοῦ, φυγαδεύῃ τὰ τῶν λύκων νοήματα, διὰ δὲ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας στέργῃ τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὑετῶν, καὶ ἀνέμων πολλάκις βαλλόμενος. ∆έδωκε δὲ αὐτῷ πρὸς τούτοις καὶ νομὸν, ὅπως ποιμαίνῃ τὰ πρόβατα, καὶ τόπον χλόης, καὶ ὕδωρ ἀναπαύσεως, καὶ ψαλτήριον, καὶ κιθάραν, καὶ ῥάβδον, καὶ βακτηρίαν, ἵνα ἐκ ταύτης τῆς ποίμνης, καὶ τραφῇ, καὶ ἐνδύσηται, καὶ χόρτον ὀρεινὸν συναγάγῃ. «Τίς γὰρ, φησὶ, ποιμαίνει ποίμνην, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ γάλακτος τῆς ποίμνης οὐκ ἐσθίει;» ∆εῖ οὖν τὸν ἀναχωροῦντα φυλάττειν νύκτωρ, καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τοῦτο τὸ ποίμνιον, μήτι τῶν νοημάτων γένηται θηριάλωτον, ἢ λῃσταῖς περιπέσῃ, εἰ δὲ ἄρα τι τοιοῦτο συμβαίη κατὰ τὴν νάπην, εὐθέως ἐξαρπάζειν ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ λέοντος ἢ τῆς ἄρκτου. Γίνεται δὲ τὸ νόημα τὸ περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ θηριάλωτον, εἰ μετὰ μίσους νέμοι τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸ περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς, εἰ μετ' αἰσχρᾶς ἐπιθυμίας στρέφοιτο παρ' ἡμῖν, καὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀργυρίου, καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου, εἰ μετὰ πλεονεξίας αὐλίζοιτο. Καὶ τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἁγίων χαρισμάτων, εἰ μετὰ κενοδοξίας κατὰ διάνοιαν βόσκοιτο· καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ νοημάτων ὡσαύτως συμβήσεται, κλεπτομένων τοῖς πάθεσιν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΗʹ. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ δεῖ ταῦτα τηρεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νύκτωρ

ἀγρυπνοῦντας φυλάττειν. Συμβαίνει γὰρ καὶ φανταζόμενον αἰσχρῶς, καὶ πονηρῶς, ἀπολέσαι τὸ ἴδιον· καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου λεγόμενον Ἰακώβ· «Οὐκ ἐνήνοχά σοι πρόβατον θηριάλωτον, ἀπ' ἐμαυτοῦ ἀπετίννυον κλέμματα ἡμέρας, καὶ κλέμ79.1221 ματα νυκτὸς, καὶ ἐγενόμην συγκαιόμενος τῷ καύσωνι τῆς ἡμέρας, καὶ τῷ παγετῷ τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἀφίστατο ὁ ὕπνος ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν μου;» Εἰ δέ τις ἐκ τοῦ καμάτου καὶ ἀκηδία ἡμῖν προσγένηται, μικρὸν ἀναδραμόντες ἐπὶ τὴν τῆς γνώσεως πέτραν τῷ ψαλτηρίῳ προσομιλήσωμεν, πλήσσοντες διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν τῆς γνώσεως τὰς χορδὰς, βοσκήσωμεν δὲ πάλιν ὑπὸ τὸ Σιναῖον ὄρος τὰ πρόβατα, ἵνα ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς βάτου καλέσῃ, καὶ τοὺς λόγους τῶν σημείων, καὶ τῶν τεράτων καὶ ἡμῖν χαρίσηται. Φύσιν μὲν λογικὴν ὑπὸ κακίας θανατωθεῖσαν ἐγείρει Χριστὸς διὰ τῆς θεωρίας πάντων τῶν αἰώνων· ὁ δὲ τούτου πατὴρ τὴν ἀποθανοῦσαν ταύτης ψυχὴν, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐγείρει διὰ γνώσεως τῆς ἑαυτοῦ. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Παύλου λεγόμενον, τὸ, «Εἰ συναπεθάνομεν τῷ Χριστῷ, πιστεύομεν, ὅτι καὶ συζήσομεν αὐτῷ.» Ὅταν ὁ νοῦς τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποδυσάμενος τὸν ἐκ χάριτος ἐνδύσηται, τότε καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ κατάστασιν ὄψεται κατὰ καιρὸν τῆς προσευχῆς, σαπφείρῳ ἢ οὐρανίῳ χρώματι παρεμφερῆ, ἥντινα καὶ τόπον Θεοῦ Γραφὴ ὀνομάζει ὑπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ὀφθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄρους Σινᾶ.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΘʹ. Ὅταν τῶν ἐχθρῶν τρώσῃ σέ τις παραβαλὼν, καὶ βούλει τὴν

ῥομφαίαν αὐτοῦ στρέψαι, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον, ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ ποίησον οὕτως, ὡς λέγομεν. ∆ίελε κατὰ σαυτὸν τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ βληθέντα λογισμὸν, ὅστις ποτέ ἐστι, καὶ ἐκ πόσων πραγμάτων συνέστηκε, καὶ ποῖον τοῦτό ἐστι μάλιστα τὸ θλίβον τὸν νοῦν. Ὃ δὲ λέγω, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἔστω πεμφθεὶς ὁ τῆς φιλαργυρίας ὑπ' αὐτοῦ