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to make progress in withdrawal, let him test himself. But if being unable he is diminished in virtue, let him return to the cenobium, lest, being unable to counter the devices of the thoughts, he fall from his senses. Just as sons are a consolation to a mourning widow, so also are labors a comfort to a soul that has stumbled, which scatter the despair of the thoughts, and sow the faith of repentance, and proclaim the mercies of Christ, and renounce the sins that have been committed. We ought not, therefore, to perform labors merely out of habit, but also in the understanding of thanksgiving, so that the soul may not be found bare of such philosophy; for if in each action we are conscious of the one who gives the outcomes of labors, let us seal it with thanksgiving. Just as a dog lies in wait to snatch bread from an infant, so an evil thought [lies in wait to snatch] understanding from the heart. Let us not therefore be silent about the contrary works, using malice, so that we may not give the soul over to them for plunder. Just as the chorus of stars, holding torches, brightens the heaven, so the truth of words, holding a lamp, brightens man. Let us therefore bear one manner of truth on the tongue, because the Lord makes men of one manner to dwell in a house. Just as fierce lightnings leaping forth portend thunder, so also precise sayings approaching signify faith. Let us therefore hasten to be faithful to the truth, so that we may also advance to love, the metropolis of the virtues. As the sun with its golden-gleaming rays smiles upon all the earth, so love with its light-gleaming actions rejoices in every soul; which if we possess, we have quenched the passions, and have shone unto the heavens. You will perform every labor until you attain holy love, because, this being absent, there is no benefit in the present things. For anger is made savage, and characters are made harsh, labors despaired of are mixed with vainglory. For humility of soul David fasted with mourning 79.1137, and let us too humble the soul through fasting.

CHAPTER 33. He who practices more harshly in bodily labors, neither for praise

should he labor, nor be lifted up by vainglory; for if in these things the demons will make the soul arrogant; and they will strengthen the harshness and the asceticism of the body with vainglory, and they will draw him on to engage in greater labors, so that he may also be lifted up more greatly; for they speak together from within, injecting these things through the thoughts, that "Just as so-and-so, having practiced austerely, and so-and-so was greatly named, and having died is still spoken of, so you also ascend to the highest height of asceticism, so that you may acquire glory for yourself, and your name may become great, so that you may also be spoken of exceedingly after death." Through those who are thus deceived, they not only war against your bodily labors, but also rather call them into an alliance, because through them they touch the soul in more grievous ways, for indeed they enthrone him, and exalt him to the teaching word, so that as a result of this he may be acclaimed as having the first place among the great laborers and gnostics. And they inject jealousy and envy for those who are acclaimed for their achievements, and for those whose practice is more admirable, and whose knowledge is near. But sometimes they also deceitfully put to sleep the burning of his flesh, displacing the impure thoughts from within, so that it may be thought that he has conquered the spirit of fornication by his allotted portion, and has purified his heart according to the brightness of the saints, and has ascended to the arch of holiness. And concerning the foods from which he abstained, and the consecutive fasts, they reckon for him the times in which he ought to boast as a champion, and to be lifted up over the brotherhood as if it were worthless; and so they make him recount his struggles as having been accomplished by his own strength alone, that "I did these things, and practiced in such a way, and

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ἀναχωρήσει προκόπτειν, ἑαυτὸν δοκιμαζέτω. Εἰ δὲ ἀδυνάτως ἔχων τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐλαττοῦται, εἰς τὸ κοινόβιον ἀνακαμπτέτω, μήπως ταῖς μηχαναῖς τῶν λογισμῶν μὴ δυνηθεὶς ἀπαντῆσαι, τῶν φρενῶν ἀποπέσῃ. Ὥσπερ χήρας πενθούσης παραμύθιον οἱ υἱοὶ, οὕτω καὶ ψυχῆς πταισάσης παρηγορία πόνοι, οἵτινες τὴν ἀπόγνωσιν τῶν λογισμῶν σκορπίζουσι, καὶ τὴν πίστιν τῆς μετανοίας κατασπείρουσι, καὶ τὰ ἐλέη Χριστοῦ ἀνακηρύττουσι, καὶ τὰ πραχθέντα ἁμαρτήματα ἀποκηρύττουσιν. Οὐκ ὀφείλομεν οὖν ὡς ἐκ συνηθείας μόνον τοὺς πόνους ἐργάζεσθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν συνέσει εὐχαριστίας, ἵνα μὴ γυμνὴ τῆς τοιαύτης φιλοσοφίας ἡ ψυχὴ εὑρίσκοιτο· ἐὰν γὰρ ἐφ' ἑκάστῃ πράξει σύνισμεν τὸν διδόντα τὰ τέλη τῶν πόνων, εὐχαριστίᾳ σφραγίζωμεν Ὥσπερ ἄρτον ἀπὸ βρέφους ἐνεδρεύει σκύλαξ ἐξαρπάσαι, οὕτω σύνεσιν ἀπὸ καρδίας λογισμὸς πονηρός. Μὴ οὖν ἐννεάζωμεν τῶν ἐναντίων ἔργων τῇ κακίᾳ χρώμενοι, ἵνα μὴ εἰς διαρπαγὴν τούτοις τὴν ψυχὴν προεκδώσωμεν. Ὥσπερ ἡ τῶν ἀστέρων χορεία δᾳδουχοῦσα φαιδρύνει τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὕτως ἡ τῶν ῥημάτων ἀλήθεια λαμπαδουχοῦσα φαιδρύνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ἕνα οὖν τῆς ἀληθείας τρόπον ἐπὶ γλώττης βαστάζωμεν, ὅτι Κύριος κατοικίζει μονοτρόπους ἐν οἴκῳ. Ὥσπερ ἀστραπαὶ σφοδραὶ προσπηδῶσαι, προμηνύουσι βροντὴν, οὕτω καὶ ῥήσεις ἀκριβεῖς προσιοῦσαι, προσημαίνουσι πίστιν. Πιστοὶ οὖν εἶναι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σπουδάσωμεν, ἵνα καὶ εἰς τὴν μητρόπολιν τῶν ἀρετῶν τὴν ἀγάπην προκόψωμεν. Ὡς ἥλιος ταῖς χρυσαυγέσιν ἀκτίσιν ἁπάσῃ προσμειδιᾷ τῇ γῇ, οὕτως ἀγάπη ταῖς φωταυγέσι πράξεσιν ἁπάσῃ προσχαίρει ψυχῇ· ἥνπερ ἐὰν κατάσχωμεν, τὰ πάθη ἐσβέσαμεν, καὶ εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἐλάμψαμεν. Ἅπαντα πόνον ποιήσεις ἕως τῆς ὁσίας ἀγάπης ἐπιτεύξῃ, ὅτι, ταύτης ἀπούσης, ὅφελος τῶν παρόντων οὐδέν. Καὶ γὰρ ὀργὴ ἀγριαίνεται, καὶ ἤθη χαλεπαίνεται, πόνοι ἀπονοούμενοι τῇ δόξῃ συμμίγνυνται. ∆ιὰ ψυχῆς ταπείνωσιν ∆αβὶδ μετὰ πένθους 79.1137 ἐνήστευσε, καὶ ἡμεῖς διὰ νηστείας τὴν ψυχὴν ταπεινώσωμεν.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΛΓʹ. Ὁ τοῖς σωματικοῖς πόνοις τραχυτέρως ἀσκούμενος, μηδὲ ἐπαίνῳ

ἐργαζέσθω, μήτε δόξῃ ἐπαιρέσθω· εἰ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις οἱ δαίμονες ὀφρυώσουσι τὴν ψυχήν· καὶ τὴν τραχύτητα, καὶ τὴν ἄσκησιν τοῦ σώματος ἐνισχύσουσι τῇ δόξῃ, καὶ μειζόνων ἐφάπτεσθαι πόνων ἐφελκύσουσιν, ὡς ἵνα καὶ μειζόνως ἐπαίρηται· συλλαλοῦσι γὰρ ἔσωθεν διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν εἰσβάλλοντες ταῦτα, ὅτι Καθὼς ὁ δεῖνα ἀποσκλήρως ἀσκήσας, καὶ ὁ δεῖνα μεγάλως ὠνομάσθη, καὶ θανὼν ἔτι λαλεῖται, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς εἰς ἀκρότατον ἐπασκήσεως ἀνάβηθι ὕψος, ἵνα δόξαν σαυτῷ περιποιήσῃ, καὶ μέγα σου τὸ ὄνομα ἐξέλθῃ, ἐπὶ τῷ καὶ μετὰ θάνατον ὑπερβαλλόντως λαλεῖσθαι. ∆ιὰ δὴ τῶν οὕτως ἀπατηθέντων, οὐ μόνον τοῖς σωματικοῖς σου πολεμοῦσι πόνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον εἰς συμμαχίαν καλοῦσιν, ὅτι δι' αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς χαλεπωτέροις ψαύουσι τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ γὰρ ἐνθρονίζουσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ εἰς τὸν διδασκαλικὸν ἐξυψοῦσι λόγον, ἵνα ὡς ἐκ τούτου τὰ πρῶτα τῶν μεγαλοπόνων τε καὶ γνωστικῶν ἔχειν εὐφημισθῇ. Ζηλοῦν δὲ καὶ φθονεῖν εἰσβάλλουσι τοῖς ἐπὶ κατορθώμασιν εὐφημουμένοις, καὶ ὧν θαυμαστὴ μᾶλλον ἡ πρᾶξις, καὶ γνῶσις γειτνιᾷ. Ἔσθ' ὅτε δὲ καὶ τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ τὴν πύρωσιν ἀποκοιμίζουσι δολερῶς τοὺς ἀκαθάρτους λογισμοὺς ἐκ τῶν ἐντὸς ἐκτοπίζοντες, ὡς ἵνα νομισθῇ τὸ πνεῦμα τῆς πορνείας τῇ κληρουχίᾳ νενικηκέναι, καὶ κατὰ τὴν λαμπρότητα τῶν ἁγίων τὴν καρδίαν ἡγνικέναι, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῆς ἀγιωσύνης ἁψῖδα ἀναβεβηκέναι. Περὶ δὲ ὧν τε, καὶ ὧν ἀπέσχετο βρωμάτων, καὶ συναπτῶν ἀσιτιῶν ἐπιψηφίζουσιν αὐτῷ τοὺς χρόνους ἐν οἷς ὀφείλει ὡς ἀριστεὺς ἐγκαυχᾶσθαι, καὶ τῆς ἀδελφότητος ὡς εὐτελοῦς κατεπαίρεσθαι· οὕτω δὲ ἐκδιηγεῖσθαι ποιοῦσιν αὐτὸν τοὺς ἀγῶνας ὡς ἐκ μόνης τῆς αὐτοῦ ἰσχύος κατορθωθέντας, ὅτι Ἐποίησα τάδε, καὶ ἤσκησα τοιῶσδε, καὶ