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of genuflection and the time of standing, so that you do not have your conscience as a reproof against you, saying: "You still had the strength to stand and sing hymns and confess to God." In addition to these, let there also be prayers for you, and these appointed for morning and evening, having confession to God. And having completed the prayer, read a little again, then take up your handiwork, and stay awake until the first watch of the night, that is, until the third hour. Then, having risen and recited the Amomos, lie down on your mat, having sealed your whole body, and having taken some sleep until midnight, you will do in sequence what was outlined for you above.

But indeed, reveal the thoughts of your heart to your spiritual father every hour, if possible; but if not, at least do not let the evening pass, beloved, but also after matins, examining yourself, (339) reveal all things that happen to you. And have unhesitating faith in him, even if the whole world reviles and slanders him, even if you yourself see him with your own eyes committing fornication, do not be scandalized, nor diminish your faith in him, obeying the one who said: "Judge not, and you shall not be judged."

And as you do so each day and struggle in this way, God will not delay in visiting you from on high, but will send you help from his holy dwelling place, and the grace of his All-Holy Spirit will overshadow you. And progressing little by little in your work, you will increase in spiritual stature and will grow into a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, being enlightened and enlightening with the light of knowledge, like the sun, all who approach you and meet you, and glorifying God both in life and word, who gave you the gift of his Holy and life-giving Spirit, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Discourse 27. (340)

Concerning not being neglectful of the working of God's commandments, nor despising a single one of them, but struggling to keep them all together, so that we may not be shut out of the bridal chamber as despisers. And

concerning enduring temptations bravely. Brothers and fathers, do you not hear the Lord and his apostles

crying out: "If anyone," it says, "keeps the whole law, but stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all," and again: "He who strives is temperate in all things"? And to make what he says clearer, he adds, saying: "For by whatever a man is overcome, by this he is also enslaved." Therefore, brothers, he who is enslaved to one, even a chance passion, is also dominated by it and cannot obey the Lord's commandments; for how can he, being ruled by another master? And why do we not perceive for ourselves the true power of the dominical and apostolic sayings, considering it well from what we see?

(341) For we see that those sailing on the sea are not said to be saved if they sail so many stadia and then, having come somewhere near the harbor, fall into danger, but those who have reached the harbor and been given back to the dry land; so also those walking on a road and hastening to reach a certain city, not if they cross this river and pass over that mountain and, having passed by those robbers, escape, but after these things, encountering some other murderer or wild beast, are destroyed by it, or even having fallen into some pit, are drowned, to be saved and

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τῆς γονυκλισίας καί τόν χρόνον τῆς στάσεως, ἵνα μή τήν συνείδησιν ἕξῃς εἰς ἔλεγχόν σου λέγουσαν· "Ἔτι ἦν σοι δύναμις τοῦ στῆναι καί ὑμνῆσαι καί Θεῷ ἐξομολογήσασθαι". Πρός τούτοις ἔστωσάν σοι καί εὐχαί καί αὗται τεταγμέναι πρωΐας καί ἑσπέρας, ἐξομολόγησιν ἔχουσαι πρός Θεόν. Καί τήν εὐχήν συντελέσας ἀνάγνωθι πάλιν μικρόν, εἶτα ἐπιλαβοῦ καί τοῦ ἐργοχείρου σου, καί ἕως πρώτης φυλακῆς, ἤγουν ἕως τρίτης ὥρας διανυκτέρευσον τῆς νυκτός. Εἶθ᾿ οὕτως ἀναστάς καί ποιήσας τόν ἄμωμον, ἀνακλίθητι σφραγισάμενος ὅλον σου τό σῶμα ἐπί τό ψιάθιον, μεταλαβών δέ ὕπνου μέχρι τοῦ μεσονυκτίου καθεξῆς ποιήσεις, ὡς ὑπετυπώθη σοι ἄνωθεν.

Ἀλλά γάρ καί τούς λογισμούς τῆς καρδίας σου τῷ πνευματικῷ σου πατρί καθ᾿ ὥραν, εἰ δυνατόν, ἐξαγόρευε· εἰ δέ μή, τέως ἑσπέραν μή παρέλθῃς, ἀγαπητέ, ἀλλά καί μετά τόν ὄρθρον τά συμβαίνοντά σοι πάντα, (339) σεαυτόν ἀνακρίνων, ἐξαγόρευε. Καί πίστιν ἀδίδακτον ἔχε πρός αὐτόν, κἄν ὁ κόσμος ἅπας αὐτόν λοιδορῇ καί διασύρῃ, κἄν αὐτός σύ τοῦτον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου θεάσῃ πορνεύοντα, μή σκανδαλισθῇς, μηδέ τήν πίστιν σου ἐλαττώσῃς τήν πρός αὐτόν, πειθαρχῶν τῷ εἰπόντι· "Μή κρίνετε καί οὐ μή κριθῆτε".

Οὕτω δέ ποιοῦντός σου καθ᾿ ἑκάστην καί οὕτως ἀγωνιζομένου σου, οὐ βραδύνει ὁ Θεός τοῦ ἐπισκέψασθαί σε ἄνωθεν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐξαποστελεῖ σοι βοήθειαν ἐξ ἁγίου αὐτοῦ κατοικητηρίου, καί ἡ χάρις τοῦ Παναγίου αὐτοῦ Πνεύματος ἐπισκιάσει σοι. Καί κατά βραχύ προκόπτων ἐπί τό ἔργον σου τήν πνευματικήν ἡλικίαν αὐξήσεις καί εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον ἀναδράμῃς, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, φωτιζόμενος καί φωτίζων φῶς γνώσεως, δίκην ἡλίου, πάντας τούς πλησιάζοντάς σοι καί ἐντυγχάνοντας, καί δοξάζων Θεόν καί βίῳ καί λόγῳ, τόν δόντα σοι τήν δωρεάν τοῦ Ἁγίου αὐτοῦ καί ζωοποιοῦ Πνεύματος, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα εἰς τούς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

Λόγος ΚΖ΄. (340)

Περί τοῦ μή ἀμελῶς ἔχειν περί τήν ἐργασίαν τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολῶν, μηδέ καταφρονεῖν μιᾶς καί μόνης αὐτῶν, ἀλλ᾿ ἀγωνίζεσθαι τηρεῖν ὁμοῦ πάσας, ἵνα μή ὡς καταφρονηταί ἔξω τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἀποκλεισθῶμεν. Καί

περί τοῦ ὑπομένειν γενναίως τούς πειρασμούς. Ἀδελφοί καί πατέρες, οὐκ ἀκούετε τοῦ Κυρίου καί τῶν ἀποστόλων αὐτοῦ

βοώντων· "Ἐάν τις, φησί, τόν νόμον ὅλον φυλάξῃ, πταίσῃ δέ ἐν ἑνί, γέγονε πάντων ἔνοχος", καί πάλιν· "Ὁ ἀγωνιζόμενος πάντα ἐγκρατεύεται"; Καί ἵνα σαφέστερον ὅ λέγει ποιήσῃ, ἐπάγει λέγων· "Ὧ γάρ τις ἥττηται, τούτῳ καί δεδούλωται". Ὥστε, ἀδελφοί, ὁ ἑνί καί τῷ τυχόντι πάθει δουλούμενος, ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καί δεσπόζεται καί ταῖς ἐντολαῖς τοῦ Κυρίου ὑπακούειν οὐ δύναται· πῶς γάρ, ὑπό ἀλλοτρίου δεσπότου κυριευόμενος; ∆ιά τί δέ καί ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτῶν οὐ συνορῶμεν ἡμεῖς τῶν δεσποτικῶν καί ἀποστολικῶν ῥημάτων τήν ἀληθῆ δύναμιν, ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων ταύτην καλῶς στοχαζόμενοι;

(341) Βλέπομεν γάρ ὅτι οἱ ἐν πελάγει πλέοντες οὐχί ἐάν τόσα ἤ τόσα στάδια πλεύσωσιν, εἶτα ἐγγύς που πρός τόν λιμένα γενόμενοι κινδύνῳ περιπέσωσι, ἀλλ᾿ οἱ τόν λιμένα φθάσαντες καί τῇ χέρσῳ ἀποδοθέντες σωθῆναι λέγονται· οὕτω καί οἱ ἐν ὁδῷ περιπατοῦντες καί πρός πόλιν τινά καταλαβεῖν σπεύδοντες, οὐχί ἐάν τόνδε τόν ποταμόν διαπεράσωσι καί τόδε τό ὄρος διέλθωσι κἀκείνους τούς ληστάς διαβάντες ἐκφύγωσι, μετά δέ ταῦτα ἑτέρῳ τινί ἀνδροφόνῳ ἤ θηρίῳ ἐντυχόντες παρ᾿ ἐκείνου ἀναλωθῶσιν ἤ καί βοθύνῳ τινί περιπεπτωκότες ἀποπνιγνῶσι, διασωθήσεσθαι καί