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17. He who is pregnant with the fear of death will loathe all food and drink and adornment of clothes, and will not eat bread with pleasure, nor drink water; but he will provide only what is needful to the body, only as much as is sufficient for living, he will deny every will of his own and will become a servant to all in discernment of the things commanded.

18. He who has given himself as a servant to his fathers according to God on account of the fear of punishment, would not choose what is commanded that lightens the pain of his heart, nor what loosens the bond of fear, nor will he obey those who in a friendly or flattering or commanding way lead him to such things, but rather he will prefer the things that increase it and will desire the things that tighten the bond and will love the things that strengthen the executioner and in these he will abide, as not expecting at all to ever receive freedom from them. (426) For the hope of release makes the pain lighter, which is unprofitable for one who repents fervently.

19. For everyone beginning to live according to God, the fear of punishment is beneficial and the pain that is born from it. But he who imagines to make a beginning without such pain and bond and executioner, has not only laid the foundation of his actions on sand, but also thinks to build a house in the air without foundations, which is entirely impossible. For this pain soon gives birth to all joy and this bond will break the bonds of all sins and passions and this executioner brings not death but eternal life.

20. Whoever does not wish to leap away and flee the pain born from the fear of eternal punishment, but with purpose of heart follows it and tightens its bonds more upon himself, will journey proportionally faster and will present him before the face of the King of kings. And when this has happened, as soon as he sees His glory somewhat dimly, immediately the bonds will be loosed, and the executioner, fear, will flee far from him and the pain in his heart will be turned into joy and will become a spring gushing forth perceptibly with tears like a river unceasingly, but intelligibly with calm, meekness and ineffable sweetness, and furthermore courage and the ability to run freely and without hindrance to every obedience of the commandments of God; which is impossible for the beginners, but characteristic of those who have advanced to the middle stage, and for the perfected this spring becomes light, as the heart is suddenly altered and transformed.

21. He who has within him the light of the all-holy Spirit, not bearing to see it, falls face down on the ground, cries (427) and shouts in astonishment and great fear as having seen and experienced something beyond nature, beyond reason, beyond thought; and becomes like a man whose entrails have been set on fire from somewhere, being burned by which and unable to bear the conflagration of the flame, he is as one out of his mind; and being completely unable to be himself, but being drenched unceasingly by tears and being cooled by them, he ignites the fire of longing more intensely. Thence he pours forth tears more abundantly and being washed by their outpouring he shines more brightly; but when he has been completely set on fire so as to become light, then is fulfilled that which says: “God united with gods and being known,” and perhaps as much as He was already united to those joined to Him and was revealed to those who knew Him.

22. Inasmuch as God wishes to be known by us, to that extent is He also revealed; and inasmuch as He is revealed, He is seen and known by the worthy. But it is not possible for anyone to experience or see such a thing, unless one is first united to the all-holy Spirit, having acquired a humble, pure, simple and contrite heart from toils and sweats.

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ιζ'. Πᾶσαν βρῶσιν καί πόσιν καί καλλωπισμόν ἐνδυμάτων ὁ τόν φόβον ἐγκυμονῶν τοῦ θανάτου βδελύξεται καί ἐνηδόνως οὐ φάγεται ἄρτον, οὐ πίεται ὕδωρ˙ παρέξει δέ μόνην τήν χρείαν τῷ σώματι, ὅσον μόνον αὔταρκες πρός τό ζῆν, πᾶν θέλημα ἑαυτοῦ ἀπαρνήσεται καί δοῦλον πάντων ἐν διακρίσει τῶν ἐπιταττομένων γενήσεται.

ιη'. Ὁ δοῦλον ἑαυτόν δούς τοῖς κατά Θεόν πατράσιν αὐτοῦ διά τόν φόβον τῆς κολάσεως, οὐ τά κουφίζοντα τόν τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ πόνον ἐπιτασσόμενος ἕλοιτο, οὐ τά λύοντα τόν τοῦ φόβου δεσμόν, οὐδέ τοῖς ἐπί τά τοιαῦτα φιλικῶς ἤ κολακευτικῶς ἤ προστακτικῶς ἐνάγουσιν ὑπακούσεται, ἀλλά μᾶλλον τά αὐξάνοντα αὐτόν προτιμήσει καί τά τόν δεσμόν ἐπισφίγγοντα θελήσει καί τά τόν δήμιον ἐνισχύοντα ἀγαπήσει καί ἐν τούτοις ἐμμενεῖ, ὡς μή προσδοκῶν ὅλως ἐλευθερίαν λήψεσθαί ποτε ἐξ αὐτῶν. (426) Ἡ γάρ ἐλπίς τῆς ἀπαλλαγῆς κουφότερον τόν πόνον ἐργάζεται, ὅπερ ἐστίν ἀλυσιτελές τῷ μετανοοῦντι θερμῶς.

ιθ'. Παντί τῷ κατά Θεόν βιοῦν ἀρχομένῳ ἐπωφελές ὁ τῆς κολάσεως φόβος καί ὁ πόνος ὁ τικτόμενος ἐξ αὐτοῦ. Ὀ δέ τοῦ τοιούτου πόνου καί δεσμοῦ καί δημίου χωρίς ἀρχήν βαλεῖν φανταζόμενος, οὐκ ἐπί ψάμμου μόνον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πράξεων τόν θεμέλιον κατεβάλετο, ἀλλά καί εἰς ἀέρα οἴεται δίχα θεμελιων συνιστάνειν οἰκίαν, ὅπερ πάντῃ ἀδύνατον. Ὁ γάρ πόνος οὗτος ὅσον οὔπω πᾶσαν χαράν ἀποτίκτει καί ὁ δεσμός οὗτος πάντων ἁμαρτημάτων καί παθῶν δεσμά διαρρήσει καί ὁ δήμιος οὖτος οὐχί θάνατον ἀλλά ζωήν αἰώνιον προξενεῖ.

κ'. Ὅς ἄν μή θελήσῃ ἀποσκιρτῆσαι καί δεικφυγεῖν τόν τικτόμενον πόνον ἀπό τοῦ φόβου τῆς αἰωνίου κολάσεως, ἀλλά προθέσει καρδίας ἀκολουθήσῃ αὐτῷ καί ἐπισφίγξῃ πλέον τά τούτου δεσμά ἑαυτῷ, ἀναλόγως συντομώτερον ὁδεύσει καί πρό προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν βασιλευόντων παραστήσει αὐτόν. Τούτου δέ γεγονότος, ἅμα τῷ θεάσασθαι αὐτόν ἀμυδρῶς πως τήν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, εὐθέως λυθήσονται μέν τά δεσμά, ὁ δέ δήμιος φόβος φεύξεται μακράν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καί ὁ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ πόνος τραπήσεται εἰς χαράν καί πηγή γενήσεται βρύουσα αἰσθητῶς μέν δάκρυα ποταμηδόν ἀενάως, νοητῶς δέ γαλήνην, πρᾳότητα καί ἄφραστον γλυκασμόν, ἔτι δέ ἀνδρείαν καί τό πρός πᾶσαν ὑπακοήν ἐλευθερίως καί ἀνεμποδίστως τρέχειν τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ˙ ὁ τέως τοῖς εἰσαγωγικοῖς ἀδύνατον, τῶν δέ πρός τό μέσον κατά προκοπήν ἀνελθόντων καί ἴδιον, τοῖς δέ γε τελειουμένοις φῶς ἡ πηγή αὕτη, τῆς καρδίας αἴφνης ἀλλοιουμένης καί μεταβαλλομένης, γίνεται.

κα'. Ὁ ἔνδον αὐτοῦ τό φῶς τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἔχων, μή φέρων τοῦτο ὁρᾶν, εἰς γῆν πρηνής πίπτει, κράζει τε (427) καί βοᾷ ἐν ἐκπλήξει καί φόβῳ πολλῷ ὡς ὑπέρ φύσιν, ὑπέρ λόγον, ὑπέρ ἔννοιαν πρᾶγμα ἰδών καί παθών˙καί γίνεται ὅμοιος ἀνθρώπῳ ποθέν ἀναφθέντι τά σπλάγχνα ὑπό πυρός, ὑφ᾿ οὗ φλεγόμενος καί τῆς φλογός τόν ἐμπρησμόν μή δυνάμενος φέρειν, ὑπάρχει ὥσπερ ἐξεστηκώς˙ καί μηδέ ἑαυτοῦ γενέσθαι ὅλως ἰσχύων, τοῖς δάκρυσι δέ καταντλούμενος ἀενάως καί ὑπό τούτων καταψυχόμενος, τό πῦρ ἐξάπτει τοῦ πόθου σφοδρότερον. Ἐντεῦθεν δέ ΄τα δάκρυα προχέι πλειόνως καί τῇ τούτων ἐκχύσει πλυνόμενος λαμπρότερον ἀπαστάπτει˙ ὅτε δέ ὅλως ἐκπυρωθείς ὡς φῶς γένηται, τότε πληροῦται τό φάσκον˙ «Θεός θεοῖς ἑνούμενός τε καί γνωριζόμενος», καί τοσοῦτον ἴσως ὅσον ἤδη τοῖς συναφθεῖσιν ἡνώθη καί τοῖς ἐγνωκόσιν ἀπεκαλύφθη.

κβ'. Καθόσον γνωσθῆναι βουληθῇ παρ᾿ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός, κατά τοσοῦτον καί ἀποκαλύπτεται˙ καθόσον δέ ἀποκαλυφθῇ, ὁρᾶται παρά τῶν ἀξίων καί γινώσκεται. Οὔκ ἔστι δέ τοιοῦτόν τι παθεῖν τινα ἤ ἰδεῖν, εἰ μή πρότερον τῷ παναγίῳ Πνεύματι ἑνωθῇ τις, ταπεινήν, καθαράν, ἁπλῆν καί συντετριμμένην καρδίαν ἐκ πόνων καί ἱδρώτων κτησάμενος.