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He will have no advantage from his plot, other than to compel us to take up the same prayer often. For if when approaching a man we show so much earnestness as often not even to see those standing near, but to strain our mind and imagine only him whom we are approaching; much more ought we to do this in the presence of God, and to persevere in our prayers, not letting our thoughts be led about hither and thither. For if the tongue utters the words, but the mind wanders outside, looking about at the things of the house, imagining the things of the marketplace, there will be no benefit for us then, but even greater condemnation. For if we attend upon men for so long a time, serving in the army and enduring hardship, serving in a slavish manner, and at the end often falling short even of our hope; shall we not persevere in attending upon our Master with fitting earnestness, where it is in every way possible to receive a reward much greater 63.582 than our labors? and of how great a punishment are these things worthy? For even if there were nothing to receive, is not this very thing, to converse with him continually, the cause of countless good things? For prayer is a great good, and through it to converse with God. For if someone conversing with a virtuous man reaps no small benefit from him, how many good things will he enjoy who is deemed worthy to converse with God? How then is it not absurd, that we command our servants to serve all the time, but we do not even devote the lesser leisure to God? You do not know what is profitable, O man; often you ask for things that are harmful and perilous. But he who cares more for your salvation does not attend to your request, but before the request, provides what is profitable for you. For if earthly fathers do not in every case give what their children ask, not because they despise those who ask, but because they care for them more; much more does God, who both loves more and knows more than all what is profitable for us, do so. Therefore, when you grow weary of praying, and do not receive, consider how many times you have heard a poor man calling you, and you did not listen, and he did not become indignant, nor insult you; and yet you do this out of cruelty, but God out of loving-kindness. If, therefore, you yourself, not hearing your fellow servant out of cruelty, do not think you deserve to be accused, do you accuse the Master of the servant for not hearing out of loving-kindness? If, then, the blessed David, being a king, and overwhelmed with countless cares, and pulled from all directions, called upon God seven times a day, what excuse or pardon could we have, who have so much leisure, and do not supplicate him continually, and that when we are about to reap so great a profit? For it is impossible, impossible, for a man who prays with fitting eagerness, and calls upon God continually, ever to sin. For he who has warmed his mind, and raised up his soul, and removed himself to heaven, and has thus called upon his own Master, and has remembered his sins, and has conversed with him about their forgiveness, and has besought him to be propitious and merciful, from his engagement in these words, lays aside every care of this life, and is winged, and becomes higher than human passions. For not so do springs of water make gardens more flourishing, as the springs of tears watering the plant of prayer make it grow up to a very great height, and prepare the one who prays to stand in the presence of the Lord; for from this especially does it also come to be heard. Since, if the body lies on the earth, and the mouth babbles in vain, while the mind wanders everywhere in the house and the marketplace, how will such a person be able to say that he prayed in the presence of God? For he prays in the presence of the Lord who gathers his soul from all sides, and has nothing in common with the earth, but has removed himself to heaven itself, and has cast out every human thought from his soul. For thus must the one who prays, pray, as his whole

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οὐδὲν πλέον ἔσται αὐτῷ τῆς ἐπιβουλῆς, ἢ τὸ πολλάκις ἀναγκάζειν τὴν αὐτὴν ἡμᾶς ἀναλαμβάνειν εὐχήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ προσιόντες τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνύμεθα τὴν σπουδὴν, ὡς μηδὲ τοὺς πλησίον παρεστῶτας πολλάκις ὁρᾷν, ἀλλὰ συντείνειν ἑαυτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, κἀκεῖνον μόνον φαντάζεσθαι ᾧ προσίεμεν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἡμᾶς χρὴ, καὶ ταῖς εὐχαῖς προσκαρτερεῖν, μὴ ὧδε κἀκεῖσε τὸν λογισμὸν περιαγομένους. Ἂν γὰρ ἡ γλῶττα μὲν προφέρῃ τὰ ῥήματα, ἡ δὲ διάνοια ἔξω ῥέμβηται, τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν περισκοποῦσα, τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἀγορὰν φανταζομένη, οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ὄφελον ἔσται λοιπὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείων ἡ κατάκρισις. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώποις μὲν τοσοῦτον προσεδρεύομεν χρόνον, στρατευόμενοι καὶ ταλαιπωρούμενοι, διακονοῦντες δουλοπρεπῶς, καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει πολλάκις καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐλπίδος ἐκπίπτοντες· τῷ ∆εσπότῃ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ, ἔνθα πάντως ἐστὶν ἀπολαβεῖν τὴν ἀμοιβὴν πολλῷ μείζω 63.582 τῶν πόνων, οὐ καρτεροῦμεν προσεδρεῦσαι μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης σπουδῆς; καὶ πόσης ταῦτα κολάσεως ἄξια; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδὲν λαβεῖν ἦν, αὐτὸ τοῦτο τὸ συνεχῶς αὐτῷ διαλέγεσθαι, οὐχὶ μυρίων αἴτιόν ἐστιν ἀγαθῶν; Καὶ γὰρ μέγα ἀγαθὸν εὐχὴ καὶ τὸ διὰ ταύτης τῷ Θεῷ διαλέγεσθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἀνθρώπῳ τις διαλεγόμενος ἐναρέτῳ οὐ μικρὰν ἐξ αὐτοῦ καρποῦται τὴν ὠφέλειαν, ὁ Θεῷ διαλέγεσθαι καταξιωθεὶς, πόσων ἀπολαύσεται ἀγαθῶν; Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἄτοπον, τοὺς μὲν οἰκέτας ἡμῖν κελεύειν ἅπαντα δουλεύειν τὸν χρόνον, ἡμᾶς δὲ μηδὲ τὴν ἐλάττω σχολὴν ἀπονέμειν τῷ Θεῷ; Οὐκ οἶδας σὺ τὰ συμφέροντα, ἄνθρωπε· πολλάκις αἰτεῖς ἐπιβλαβῆ καὶ σφαλερά. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος ὁ μᾶλλον κηδόμενός σου τῆς σωτηρίας, οὐ τῇ αἰτήσει σου προσέχει, ἀλλὰ πρὸ τῆς αἰτήσεως τὸ συμφέρον σοι προνοεῖται. Εἰ γὰρ οἱ πατέρες οἱ σαρκικοὶ οὐ πάντως ἃ αἰτοῦσιν οἱ παῖδες διδόασιν, οὐκ ἐπειδὴ καταφρονοῦσι τῶν αἰτούντων, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ αὐτῶν μᾶλλον κήδονται· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ καὶ μᾶλλον φιλῶν, καὶ πλέον ἁπάντων εἰδὼς τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν ποιεῖ. Ὅταν οὖν ἀποκάμῃς εὐχόμενος, καὶ μὴ λαμβάνῃς, ἐννόησον ποσάκις ἤκουσας πένητός σε καλοῦντος, καὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουσας, καὶ οὐκ ἠγανάκτησεν ἐκεῖνος, οὐδὲ ὕβρισέ σε· καίτοι σὺ μὲν ἀπὸ ὠμότητος τοῦτο ποιεῖς, ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀπὸ φιλανθρωπίας. Εἰ τοίνυν αὐτὸς τοῦ ὁμοδούλου δι' ὠμότητα μὴ ἀκούων, οὐκ ἀξιοῖς ἐγκαλεῖσθαι, τῷ ∆εσπότῃ τοῦ δούλου διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν οὐκ ἀκούοντι ἐγκαλεῖς; Εἰ οὖν ὁ μακάριος ∆αυῒδ βασιλεὺς ὢν, καὶ μυρίαις βαπτιζόμενος φροντίσι, καὶ πανταχόθεν περιελκόμενος, ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας παρεκάλει τὸν Θεὸν, τίνα ἂν ἔχοιμεν ἀπολογίαν καὶ συγγνώμην ἡμεῖς, τοσαύτην σχολὴν ἄγοντες, καὶ μὴ συνεχῶς αὐτὸν ἱκετεύοντες, καὶ ταῦτα τοσοῦτον μέλλοντες καρποῦσθαι κέρδος; Ἀμήχανον γὰρ, ἀμήχανον, ἄνθρωπον μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης προθυμίας εὐχόμενον, καὶ παρακαλοῦντα τὸν Θεὸν συνεχῶς, ἁμαρτεῖν ποτε. Ὁ γὰρ διαθερμάνας αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναστήσας, καὶ πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἑαυτὸν μετοικίσας, καὶ οὕτω τὸν ∆εσπότην τὸν ἑαυτοῦ καλέσας, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναμνησθεὶς, καὶ περὶ τῆς συγχωρήσεως τούτων αὐτῷ διαλεχθεὶς, καὶ παρακαλέσας ἵλεων γενέσθαι καὶ ἥμερον, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τούτοις διατριβῆς, πᾶσαν ἀποτίθεται βιωτικὴν φροντίδα, καὶ πτεροῦται, καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων παθῶν ὑψηλότερος γίνεται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω τοὺς κήπους αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ναμάτων εὐθαλεστέρους ποιοῦσιν, ὡς τὸ φυτὸν τῆς εὐχῆς αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν δακρύων ποτίζουσαι, πρὸς ὕψος μέγιστον ἀνατρέχειν ποιοῦσι, καὶ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τὸν εὐχόμενον ἵστασθαι παρασκευάζουσιν· ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ μάλιστα καὶ τὸ ἀκουσθῆναι γίνεται. Ἐπεὶ, ἂν τοῦ σώματος ἐπὶ γῆς κειμένου, καὶ τοῦ στόματος εἰκῆ ληροῦντος, ἡ διάνοια πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκίας καὶ τῆς ἀγορᾶς περιέρχηται, πῶς ὁ τοιοῦτος δυνήσεται εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ηὔξατο; Ἐνώπιον γὰρ Κυρίου εὔχεται ὁ πάντοθεν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν συλλέγων, καὶ μηδὲν ἔχων κοινὸν πρὸς τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἑαυτὸν μετοικίσας τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ πάντα ἀνθρώπινον λογισμὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκβαλών. Οὕτω γὰρ δεῖ τὸν εὐχόμενον εὔχεσθαι, ὡς ὅλην ἑαυτοῦ