12

to pass through this life. For many, having amassed many things from their youth, upon reaching the middle of life, when temptations from the spirits of wickedness rose up against them, did not bear the weight of the storm, because the art of steering was not with them, but they endured the loss of all those things. Whence some were shipwrecked concerning the faith; while others lost the self-control which they had gathered from their youth, when an unexpected 31.421 tempest of wicked pleasure, like a storm, rushed upon them. A most pitiable sight it is, for one, after fasting, after harsh discipline, after earnest prayer, after copious tears, after continence for perhaps twenty or even thirty years, to be shown bare of all things through inattention and negligence of soul, and for him who was flourishing in the practice of the commandments to become like some very wealthy merchant, who, glorying in the multitude of his cargo, his ship being carried by a fair wind, having crossed the dreadful seas, was suddenly shown to be destitute of all things when his ship was wrecked at the very harbors; if this one also should lose in a single assault of a demon the things acquired with countless toils and sweats, submerged by sin as by some savage tempest. A fitting voice for one who has shipwrecked all virtue at once: I came into the depths of the sea, and a tempest overwhelmed me. Therefore, hold securely the rudders of life; steer your eye, lest the fierce wave of desire rush in upon you through your eyes; your hearing, your tongue, do not receive anything harmful, nor utter anything forbidden. Let not the squall of anger overturn you; lest the terrors of fears overwhelm you, lest the weight of grief submerge you. The passions are waves; by holding yourself higher than them, you will be a safe pilot of life. But if you do not skillfully and steadily avoid each of these, you will be tossed about like some unballasted ship by the things that are always assailing you, and you will vanish in the sea of sin.

Hear, therefore, how the science of steering may also become yours. It is the custom for sailors to look up to heaven, and from there to take guidance for their voyage, by day from the sun, and by night from the Bear, or some other of the ever-visible stars; and by these to always ascertain the straight course. And you, therefore, keep your eye toward heaven, according to him who said: Unto thee have I lifted up my eyes, who dwellest in heaven. Look toward the sun of righteousness; and being guided by the commandments of the Lord as by some brilliant stars, keep your eye sleepless, giving no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids, so that you may have sufficient guidance from the commandments. For thy law, he says, is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my paths. For if you never slumber at the helm, as long as you are in this life, in the unstable nature of the world's affairs, you will also receive the cooperation of the Spirit, 31.424 who sends you forward, and safely carries you through with gentle and peaceful breezes, until you are saved and brought to that calm and fair harbor of the will of God; to whom be the glory and the power unto the endless ages of ages. Amen.

12

τὴν ζωὴν ταύτην διαπερᾷν. Πολλοὶ γὰρ πολλὰ συναθροίσαντες ἐκ νεότητος, περὶ τὰ μέσα τοῦ βίου γενόμενοι, ἐπαναστάντων αὐτοῖς πειρασμῶν ἐκ τῶν πνευμάτων τῆς πονηρίας, οὐκ ἤνεγκαν τοῦ χειμῶνος τὸ βάρος, διὰ τὸ τὴν κυβέρνησιν αὐτοῖς μὴ παρεῖναι, ἀλλὰ πάντων ἐκείνων τὴν ζημίαν ὑπέμειναν. Ὅθεν καὶ οἱ μὲν Περὶ τὴν πίστιν ἐναυάγησαν· ἄλλοι δὲ σωφροσύνην, ἣν συνήγαγον ἐκ νεότητος, ὥσπερ καταιγίδος τινὸς ἀδοκήτου 31.421 τῆς πονηρᾶς ἡδονῆς ἐπιδραμούσης, ἀπώλεσαν. Ἐλεεινότατον θέαμα μετὰ νηστείαν, μετὰ σκληραγωγίαν, μετὰ προσευχὴν ἐκτενῆ, μετὰ δάκρυον δαψιλὲς, μετὰ ἐγκράτειαν ἐτῶν εἴκοσί που ἢ καὶ τριάκοντα, δι' ἀπροσεξίαν ψυχῆς καὶ ἀμέλειαν γυμνὸν ἁπάντων ἀποδειχθῆναι, καὶ παραπλήσιον γενέσθαι τὸν τῇ ἐργασίᾳ τῶν ἐντολῶν εὐθηνούμενον ἐμπόρῳ τινὶ μεγαλοπλούτῳ, ὃς τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀγωγίμων ἐπαγγελλόμενος, ἐξ οὐρίας αὐτῷ τῆς νεὼς φερομένης, τὰ φοβερὰ πελάγη διαδραμὼν, πρὸς αὐτοῖς τοῖς λιμέσι διαῤῥαγέντος τοῦ πλοίου, πάντων ἀθρόως ἔρημος ἀπεδείχθη· ἐὰν καὶ οὗτος τὰ μυρίοις πόνοις καὶ ἱδρῶσι κτηθέντα μιᾷ προσβολῇ δαίμονος ἀπολέσῃ, ὥσπερ τινὶ ἀγρίᾳ λαίλαπι, τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ βυθισθείς. Πρέπουσα φωνὴ τῷ πᾶσαν ὁμοῦ τὴν ἀρετὴν ναυαγήσαντι· Ἦλθον εἰς τὰ βάθη τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ καταιγὶς κατεπόντισέ με. Ἔχε οὖν ἀσφαλῶς τῆς ζωῆς τὰ πηδάλια· κυβέρνα τὸν ὀφθαλμόν σου, μήποτέ σοι δι' ὀφθαλμῶν λάβρον ἐμπέσῃ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τὸ κῦμα· τὴν ἀκοὴν, τὴν γλῶσσαν, μὴ παραδέξῃ τι βλαβερὸν, μηδὲ φθέγξῃ τι τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων. Μή σε ἀνατρέψῃ τοῦ θυμοῦ ἡ ζάλη· μή πού σε ἐπικλύσωσι τῶν φόβων αἱ καταπλήξεις, μή σε καταβαπτίσῃ τῆς λύπης τὸ βάρος. Κύματά ἐστι τὰ πάθη, ὧν ὑψηλότερον σεαυτὸν ἀνέχων, ἀσφαλὴς ἔσῃ κυβερνήτης τοῦ βίου. Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ἐπιστημόνως καὶ εὐσταθῶς ἕκαστον τούτων ἐκκλίνῃς, ὥσπερ τι πλοῖον ἀνερμάτιστον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀεὶ προσπιπτόντων περιφερόμενος, ἐναφανισθήσῃ τῷ πε- λάγει τῆς ἁμαρτίας.

Ἄκουε τοίνυν πῶς ἄν σοι καὶ ἡ τῆς κυβερνήσεως ἐπιστήμη προσγένηται. Ἔθος τοῖς ναυτιλλομένοις πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀναβλέπειν, κἀκεῖθεν λαμβάνειν τὴν ὁδηγίαν τοῦ πλοῦ, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου, ἐν νυκτὶ δὲ ἀπὸ τῆς Ἄρκτου, ἤ τινος ἄλλου τῶν ἀειφανῶν ἀστέρων· καὶ τούτοις ἀεὶ τεκμαίρεσθαι τὴν εὐθύτητα. Καὶ σὺ τοίνυν πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἔχε τὸ ὄμμα, κατὰ τὸν εἰπόντα· Πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ. Ἀπόβλεπε πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης· καὶ οἷόν τισιν ἄστροις περιφανέσι ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Κυρίου κατευθυνόμενος, ἀκοίμητον ἔχε τὸ ὄμμα, μὴ διδοὺς ὕπνον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, μηδὲ τοῖς βλεφάροις σου νυσταγμὸν, ἵν' ἔχῃς διαρκῆ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἐντολῶν ὁδηγίαν. Λύχνος γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῖς ποσί μου ὁ νόμος σου, καὶ φῶς ταῖς τρίβοις μου. Ἐὰν γὰρ μηδέποτε ἐπινυστάξῃς τοῖς οἴαξιν, ἕως εἶ ἐν τῷ βίῳ τούτῳ, ἐν τῇ ἀστάτῳ φύσει τῶν τοῦ κόσμου πραγμάτων, καὶ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος συνέργειαν 31.424 λήψῃ, προπέμποντος εἰς τὸ ἔμπροσθεν, καὶ πραείαις αὔραις καὶ εἰρηνικαῖς ἀσφαλῶς σε διακομίζοντος, ἕως ἀποσωθῇς πρὸς τὸν ἀκύμονα ἐκεῖνον καὶ εὔδιον λιμένα τοῦ θελήματος τοῦ Θεοῦ· ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς ἀτελευτήτους αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων Ἀμήν.