37

2.39 (39) He who has come to know the weakness of human nature, this one 14__232 has received experience of the divine power, and such a one, having achieved some things through it and hastening to achieve others, never despises any man. For he knows that just as He helped him and freed him from many and grievous passions, so is He able to help all when He wishes, and especially those who struggle for His sake; even if by certain judgments He does not deliver everyone from the passions all at once, but at the proper times, as a good and man-loving physician, He heals each one of those who are striving.

2.40 (40) When the passions are inactive, pride occurs, either because their causes are cut off or because the demons deceitfully withdraw.

2.41 (41) Almost every sin comes about through pleasure, and its removal through hardship and grief, either voluntary or involuntary, through repentance or an afflictive dispensation brought on by providence. For if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged; but when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined, so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

2.42 (42) When an unexpected temptation comes to you, do not blame the one through whom it comes, but seek the "why," and you will find correction; since whether through that one or through another, you had in any case to drink the wormwood of God's judgments.

2.43 (43) Insofar as you are ill-disposed, do not refuse to suffer hardship, so that, having been humbled through it, you may vomit out your pride.

2.44 (44) Some temptations bring pleasures to men; others, griefs; others, bodily 14__234 pains. For according to the cause of the passions lying in the soul, the physician of souls also applies the remedy through His judgments.

2.45 (45) The afflictions of temptations are brought upon some for the cancellation of sins already committed, on others for [the cancellation of] those now being committed, on others for the prevention of those about to be committed; apart from those which happen for the sake of testing, as in the case of Job.

2.46 (46) The prudent man, considering the healing power of the divine judgments, thankfully bears the misfortunes that befall him through them, reckoning no other cause for them than his own sins. But the foolish man, ignorant of God's most wise providence, sinning and being disciplined, considers either God or men to be the cause of his own evils.

2.47 (47) There are some things that halt the passions from their movement and do not allow them to advance to increase, and there are others that diminish them and lead them to reduction. For example, fasting and labor and vigil do not allow desire to increase; but withdrawal, contemplation, prayer, and love for God diminish it and lead it to disappearance. And it is likewise with anger. For example, long-suffering and forbearance of wrongs and meekness halt it and do not allow it to increase; but love and almsgiving and kindness and love for mankind lead it to reduction.

2.48 (48) He whose mind is constantly toward God, his desire also has grown exceedingly into divine love, and his anger has been wholly transformed into divine charity. For by prolonged participation in the divine illumination 14__236, having become entirely light-like and having drawn his passionate part to himself, he has turned it, as has been said, into an ineffable divine love and an unceasing charity, having transferred it wholly from earthly things to the divine.

2.49 (49) The one who is not envious nor angry nor bears a grudge against the one who has grieved him does not necessarily already have love for him. For he is able, while not yet loving, not to return evil for evil because of the commandment, but not necessarily that also a good thing

37

2.39 (λθ') Ὁ ἐγνωκὼς τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τὴν ἀσθένειαν, οὗτος 14__232 εἴληφε πεῖραν τῆς θείας δυνάμεως καὶ ὁ τοιοῦτος δι᾽ αὐτῆς τὰ μὲν κατορθώσας, τὰ δὲ σπεύδων κατορθῶσαι, οὐκ ἐξουθενεῖ ποτε οὐδένα ἀνθρώπων. Οἶδε γὰρ ὅτι ὥσπερ αὐτῷ ἐβοήθησε καὶ πολλῶν παθῶν καὶ χαλεπῶν ἡλευθέρωσεν, οὕτω δυνατός ἐστι καὶ πᾶσι βοηθῆσαι ὅτε θέλει καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς δι᾽ αὐτὸν ἀγωνιζομένοις· εἰ καὶ κρίμασί τισιν ὑφ᾽ ἓν ἅπαντας τῶν παθῶν οὐκ ἀπαλλάττει, ἀλλ᾽ ἰδίοις καιροῖς, ὡς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φιλάνθρωπος ἰατρός, ἕκαστον τῶν σπευδόντων ἰᾶται.

2.40 (μ') Ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν παθῶν ἀνενεργησίᾳ ἡ ὑπερηφανία ἐπισυμβαίνει, ἢ τῶν αἰτιῶν ἀποκοπτομένων ἢ τῶν δαιμόνων δολουργῶς ὑποχωρούντων.

2.41 (μα') Πᾶσα σχεδὸν ἁμαρτία διὰ ἡδονὴν γίνεται καὶ ἡ ταύτης ἀναίρεσις διὰ κακοπαθείας καὶ λύπης ἢ ἑκουσίου ἢ ἀκουσίου, διὰ μετανοίας ἢ οἰκονομικῆς ἐπιφορᾶς διὰ τῆς προνοίας ἐπαγομένης. Εἰ γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκρίνομεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐκρινόμεθα· κρινόμενοι δὲ ὑπὸ Κυρίου παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μὴ σὺν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν.

2.42 (μβ') Ὅταν σοι ἔλθῃ ἐξ ἀπροσδοκήτου πειρασμός, μὴ τὸν δι᾽ οὗ αἰτιῶ, ἀλλὰ τὸ διὰ τί ζήτει καὶ εὑρίσκεις διόρθωσιν· ἐπεὶ εἴτε δι᾽ ἐκείνου εἴτε δι᾽ ἄλλου πιεῖν εἶχες πάντως τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κριμάτων τὸ ἀψίνθιον.

2.43 (μγ') Ὅσον εἶ κακότροπος, τὸ κακοπαθεῖν μὴ ἀπαναίνου, ἵνα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ταπεινωθεὶς τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν ἐμέσῃς.

2.44 (μδ') Οἱ μὲν τῶν πειρασμῶν, ἡδονάς· οἱ δέ, λύπας· οἱ δέ, ὀδύνας 14__234 σωματικὰς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσάγουσι. Κατὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐγκειμένην ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ τῶν παθῶν αἰτίαν καὶ τὸ φάρμακον ὁ ἰατρὸς τῶν ψυχῶν διὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ κριμάτων ἐπιτίθησιν.

2.45 (με') Αἱ ἐπιφοραὶ τῶν πειρασμῶν τοῖς μὲν πρὸς ἤδη γεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναίρεσιν, τοῖς δὲ πρὸς νῦν ἐνεργουμένων, ἄλλοις πρὸς μελλόντων ἐνεργεῖσθαι ἀνακοπὴν ἐπάγονται· δίχα τῶν πρὸς δοκιμὴν ἐπισυμβαινόντων, ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰώβ.

2.46 (μστ') Ὁ μὲν ἐχέφρων τῶν θείων κριμάτων τὴν ἰατρείαν ἀναλογιζόμενος εὐχαρίστως φέρει τὰς διὰ τούτων ἐπισυμβαινούσας αὐτῷ συμφοράς, μηδένα ἄλλον τούτων αἴτιον ἢ τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας λογιζόμενος. Ὁ δὲ ἄφρων, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγνοῶν σοφωτάτην πρόνοιαν, ἁμαρτάνων καὶ παιδευόμενος ἢ τὸν Θεὸν ἢ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κακῶν αἰτίους λογίζεται.

2.47 (μζ') Εἰσί τινα ἱστῶντα τὰ πάθη τῆς κινήσεως καὶ μὴ ἐῶντα προβῆναι εἰς αὔξησιν, καί εἰσιν ἕτερα ἐλαττοῦντα καὶ εἰς μείωσιν ἄγοντα· οἷον νηστεία καὶ κόπος καὶ ἀγρυπνία οὐκ ἐῶσιν αὔξειν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν· ἀναχώρησις δὲ καὶ θεωρία καὶ προσευχὴ καὶ ἔρως εἰς Θεὸν ἐλαττοῦσιν αὐτὴν καὶ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν ἄγουσι. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ δὲ ὁμοίως· οἷον μακροθυμία καὶ ἀμνησικακία καὶ πραότης ἱστῶσιν αὐτὸν καὶ οὐκ ἐῶσιν αὔξειν· ἀγάπη δὲ καὶ ἐλεημοσύνη καὶ χρηστότης καὶ φιλανθρωπία εἰς μείωσιν ἄγουσιν.

2.48 (μη') Οὗτινος ὁ νοῦς διαπαντός ἐστι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν, τούτου καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία εἰς τὸν θεῖον ὑπερηύξησεν ἔρωτα καὶ ὁ θυμὸς ὁλοστὸς εἰς τὴν θείαν μετετράπη ἀγάπην. Τῇ γὰρ χρονίᾳ τῆς θείας ἐλλάμψεως 14__236 μετουσίᾳ ὅλος φωτοειδὴς γεγονὼς καὶ τὸ παθητικὸν αὐτοῦ μέρος πρὸς ἑαυτὸν συσφίγξας, εἰς ἔρωτα θεῖον, ὡς εἴρηται, ἀκατάλεκτον καὶ ἀγάπην ἀκατάπαυστον ἔστρεψεν, ὅλως ἐκ τῶν ἐπιγείων ἐπὶ τὸ θεῖον μεταγαγών.

2.49 (μθ') Οὐ πάντως ὁ μὴ φθονῶν μηδὲ ὀργιζόμενος μηδὲ μνησικακῶν τῷ λυπήσαντι ἤδη καὶ ἀγάπην ἔχει πρὸς αὐτόν. ∆ύναται γὰρ καὶ μήπω ἀγαπῶν κακὸν ἀντὶ κακοῦ μὴ ἀποδοῦναι διὰ τὴν ἐντολήν, οὐ πάντως δὲ ὅτι καὶ καλὸν