“let him not boast” “before” me but let him say: “I am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God,” and perceiving my future beneficence toward him after the stumblings in his youth under the pretext of piety let him say: “But by the grace of God I am what I am”; and being hindered by his conscience because of the things done against Christ while he was still a youth he will not be puffed up “by the abundance of the revelations” that will be manifested to him for his benefit. 7.1 And concerning the prayer at the rising of the sun, these things must be said. There is something of the sun's power that is within us, and it praises God along with the moon; “for praise him,” he says, “sun and moon”; it is clear that this applies to the moon and consequently to all the stars; “for praise him,” <he says,> “all the stars and the light.” Just as, then, we have said that God, using that which is in our power in each of the things on earth, has rightly arranged them for some need of the things on earth, so it must be supposed that by what is in our power of the sun and moon and stars, which is fitting and firm and stable and wise, He has arranged “all the host of heaven” and the course and motion of the stars in harmony with the universe. And if I do not pray in vain concerning what is in another's power, much more so concerning what is in the power of the stars in heaven which dance for the salvation of the universe. And yet it can be said of things on earth that certain impressions, arising from surrounding circumstances, provoke our uncertainty or our inclination to the better, to do or say this or that; but in the case of the heavenly bodies, what impression could arise to displace and move from its beneficial course for the world each of those which have such a soul perfected by reason and possessing it from their own cause, and using such an ethereal and most pure body? Furthermore, it is not unreasonable to use such an example to encourage prayer and to discourage neglect of prayer. Just as it is not possible to beget children without a woman and the activity useful for procreation being employed, so one would not obtain certain things, not having prayed thus with such a disposition, believing thus, not having lived this way of life before the prayer. One must not, then, use vain repetitions, nor ask for small things, nor pray for earthly things, nor come to prayer with “anger” and troubled thoughts, but neither is it possible to conceive of leisure “for prayer” occurring without purification; nor is it possible for the one who prays to obtain forgiveness of sins, if he does not from the heart forgive the brother who has transgressed and asks to receive pardon. 8.2 I think that benefit accrues in many ways to the one who prays in the proper manner or who strives for this as much as possible. And first, the one who is intent in mind on praying has certainly benefited in some way, through the very state of being in prayer, by presenting himself to God and, having composed himself, speaking to Him as present, as one who oversees and is present. For just as such images and reminders of certain things about which the reminders have occurred, defile the thoughts which have arisen in these images, in the same way it must be believed that the remembrance of God, who is believed to be and who understands the movements in the inner sanctuary of the soul, is beneficial, while it orders itself to be pleasing as to one who is present and watching and reaching every mind, to him who tests “hearts” and searches “reins.” For even if, hypothetically, no further benefit beyond this should come to the one who has set his thought to pray, it must be considered that he who has so reverently ordered himself at the time of prayer has received no small thing. And from how many sins this, being done often, keeps one, and to how many right actions it leads, those who have given themselves more continually to prayer know by experience. For if the remembrance and recollection of a distinguished man who has profited in wisdom provokes us to emulate him and often hinders impulses toward the worse, how much more the remembrance of God the Father of all with that toward him

«μὴ καυ χήσηται» «ἐνώπιον» ἐμοῦ ἀλλὰ λέγῃ· «οὐκ εἰμὶ ἱκανὸς καλεῖσθαι ἀπόστολος, διότι ἐδίωξα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ,» καὶ αἰσθόμενος τῆς ἐσομένης μου εἰς αὐτὸν εὐεργεσίας μετὰ τὰ ἐν νεότητι προφάσει θεοσεβείας πταίσματα εἴπῃ· «χάριτι δὲ θεοῦ εἰμι ὅ εἰμι»· καὶ κω λυόμενος δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος διὰ τὰ ὑπὸ νεανίου αὐτοῦ ἔτι τυγ χάνοντος πεπραγμένα κατὰ Χριστοῦ οὐχ ὑπερεπαρθήσεται «τῇ ὑπερ βολῇ τῶν» ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ φανερωθησομένων αὐτῷ «ἀποκαλύψεων.» 7.1 Καὶ πρὸς τὸ περὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τῷ ἀνατέλλειν τὸν ἥλιον εὐχῆς ταῦτα λεκτέον. ἔστι τι καὶ τοῦ ἡλίου ἐφ' ἡμῖν, καὶ αὐτοῦ αἰνοῦν τος μετὰ τῆς σελήνης τὸν θεόν· «αἰνεῖτε γὰρ αὐτὸν,» φησὶν, «ἥλιος καὶ σελήνη»· δῆλον δ' ὅτι καὶ τῆς σελήνης καὶ ἀκολούθως πάντων τῶν ἀστέρων· «αἰνεῖτε γὰρ αὐτὸν,» <φησὶ,> «πάντα τὰ ἄστρα καὶ τὸ φῶς.» ὥσπερ οὖν εἰρήκαμεν τῷ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἑκάστου τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς καταχρώμενον τὸν θεὸν εἴς τινα χρείαν τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς κατατεταχέναι εἰς δέον αὐτά, οὕτως ὑποληπτέον τῷ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἄστρων, ἀραρότι καὶ βεβαίῳ ὄντι καὶ σταθηρῷ καὶ σοφῷ, δια τεταχέναι «πάντα τὸν κόσμον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ» καὶ τὴν τῶν ἄστρων ἁρμονίως τῷ παντὶ πορείαν καὶ κίνησιν. καὶ εἰ περὶ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἑτέρου μὴ μάτην εὔχομαι, πολλῷ πλέον περὶ τοῦ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ σωτηρίως τῷ παντὶ χορευόντων ἀστέρων. καίτοι γε ἔστιν εἰπεῖν περὶ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ὅτι τοιαίδε τινὲς προσγενόμεναι ἐκ τῶν περιεστώτων φαντασίαι προκαλοῦνται τὸ ἀβέβαιον ἡμῶν ἢ τὸ ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον ῥεπτικὸν ἡμῶν πρὸς τὸ ποιῆσαι ἢ εἰπεῖν τάδε τινὰ ἢ τάδε· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ ποία δύναται ἐγγενομένη φαντασία ἐκστῆσαι καὶ μετακινῆσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ὠφελίμου τῷ κόσμῳ πορείας ἕκαστον τῶν τοιαύτην ψυχὴν ὑπὸ λόγου κατηρτισμένην καὶ παρὰ τὴν αὐτῶν αἰτίαν ἐχόντων καὶ τοιούτῳ σώματι αἰθερίῳ καὶ καθα ρωτάτῳ χρωμένων; Ἔτι δὲ οὐκ ἄλογον καὶ τοιούτῳ τινὶ παραδείγματι χρήσασθαι πρὸς τὸ προτρέψασθαι ἐπὶ τὸ εὔξασθαι καὶ ἀποτρέψασθαι τοῦ ἀμελεῖν τῆς εὐχῆς. ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔστι παιδοποιήσασθαι χωρὶς γυναικὸς καὶ τῆς εἰς παιδοποιΐαν χρησίμου παραλαμβανομένης ἐνερ γείας, οὕτως τῶνδέ τινων οὐκ ἄν τις τύχοι, μὴ οὕτως εὐξάμενος μετὰ διαθέσεως τοιᾶσδε, πιστεύων οὕτως, οὐ πρὸ τῆς εὐχῆς τόνδε βιώσας τὸν τρόπον. οὐ βαττολογητέον οὖν οὐδὲ μικρὰ αἰτητέον οὐδὲ περὶ ἐπιγείων προσευκτέον οὐδὲ μετὰ «ὀργῆς» καὶ τεταραγμένων λογισμῶν ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴν ἐλθετέον, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ χωρὶς καθαρεύσεως ἔστιν ἐπινοῆσαι γινομένην «τῇ προσευχῇ» σχολήν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτημάτων οἷόν τε τυχεῖν τὸν εὐχόμενον, μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας ἀφιέντα τῷ πεπλημμεληκότι καὶ συγγνώμης τυχεῖν ἀξιοῦντι ἀδελφῷ. 8.2 ὠφέλειαν δὲ ἐγγίνεσθαι τῷ ὃν δεῖ τρόπον εὐχομένῳ ἢ ἐπὶ τοῦτο κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν ἐπειγομένῳ πολλαχῶς ἡγοῦμαι συμβαίνειν. καὶ πρῶτόν γε πάντως ὤνατό τι ὁ πρὸς τὸ εὔξασθαι ταθεὶς κατὰ τὸν νοῦν, δι' αὐτῆς τῆς ἐν τῷ εὔχεσθαι καταστάσεως θεῷ παριστάναι ἑαυτὸν καὶ παρόντι ἐκείνῳ λέγειν σχηματίσας ὡς ἐφορῶντι καὶ παρόντι. ὥσπερ γὰρ αἱ τοιαίδε φαντασίαι καὶ ὑπομνήσεις τῶνδέ τινων περὶ τὰ, ὧν γεγόνασιν αἱ ὑπομνήσεις, μολύνουσι τοὺς λογισ μοὺς τοὺς ἐν ταῖσδε ταῖς φαντασίαις γεγενημένους, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον πειστέον ὀνησιφόρον εἶναι μνήμην πεπιστευμένου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κατανοοῦντος τὰ ἐν τῷ ἀδύτῳ τῆς ψυχῆς κινήματα, ῥυθμιζούσης ἑαυτὴν ἀρέσκειν ὡς παρόντι καὶ ἐποπτεύοντι καὶ φθάνοντι ἐπὶ πάντα νοῦν τῷ ἐτάζοντι «καρδίας» καὶ ἐρευνῶντι «νεφρούς.» ἵνα γὰρ καθ' ὑπόθεσιν μηδεμία ἔτι παρὰ ταύτην ὠφέλεια γένηται τῷ καταστήσαντι αὐτοῦ τὸν λογισμὸν εἰς τὸ εὔχεσθαι, οὐ τὸ τυχὸν ἐννοητέον λαβεῖν τὸν οὕτως εὐλαβῶς ἑαυτὸν ῥυθμίσαντα ἐν τῷ τῆς εὐχῆς καιρῷ. τοῦτο δὲ γινόμενον πολλάκις ὅσων ἀφίστησιν ἁμαρ τημάτων καὶ ἐφ' ὅσα φέρει τῶν κατορθωμάτων, ἴσασι τῇ πείρᾳ οἱ συνεχέστερον τῷ εὔχεσθαι ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδεδωκότες. εἰ γὰρ ὑπόμνησις καὶ ἀναπόλησις ἐλλογίμου ἀνδρὸς καὶ ὠφελημένου ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐπὶ ζῆλον ἡμᾶς αὐτοῦ προκαλεῖται καὶ πολλάκις ἐμποδίζει ὁρμὰς τὰς ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον, πόσῳ πλέον θεοῦ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων πατρὸς ὑπόμνησις μετὰ τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν