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36. Of all things done by us, God seeks the purpose: whether we do it for His sake, or for another reason.

37. When you hear the Scripture saying: "For you will render to each one according to his works"; it is not those things done contrary to the right purpose, even if they seem to be good, that God rewards; but clearly those done according to the right one. For the judgment of God looks not upon the things that are done, but upon the purpose of the things being done.

38. The demon of pride has a twofold wickedness: for either it persuades the monk to ascribe his achievements to himself, and not to God, the giver of good things and helper toward accomplishment; or, if he is not persuaded by this, it suggests that he despise the more imperfect of the brethren. But the one thus possessed is unaware (997) that it persuades him to deny the help of God. For if he despises them as being unable to achieve, he clearly presents himself as having achieved by his own power. Which is impossible, since the Lord said: "Without me you can do nothing." Since our weakness, when moved toward good things, is unable to bring them to completion without the Giver of good things.

39. He who has known the weakness of human nature, this one has received experience of 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 it helped him and freed him from many and difficult passions, so it is able to help all whenever it wishes; and especially those who struggle for His sake; even if by certain judgments, it does not deliver all from their passions at once; but in its own time, as a good and man-loving physician, it heals each of those who hasten.

40. Upon the inactivity of the passions, pride occurs, either from the causes being hidden, or from the demons deceitfully [edot. craftily] withdrawing.

41. Nearly every sin occurs for the sake of pleasure; and its removal, through hardship and sorrow, either voluntary or involuntary, through repentance, or a providential affliction [edit. visitation] brought on by providence. "For if we would judge ourselves," he says, "we would not be judged." "But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord (1000), that we may not be condemned with the world."

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

43. Inasmuch as you are ill-disposed, do not refuse to suffer hardship, so that through it, being humbled, you may vomit out your pride.

44. Some temptations bring pleasures to men; others, sorrows; and others, bodily pains. For according to the underlying cause of the passions in the soul, the Physician of souls also applies the remedy through His judgments.

45. The visitations of temptations are brought upon some for the cancellation of sins already committed; upon others, for those now being committed; and upon others, for the prevention of those about to be committed. Apart from those that happen for the sake of testing, as in the case of Job.

46. The prudent man, considering the healing of the divine judgments, gratefully bears the misfortunes that befall him through them, considering no one the cause of them, except his own sins. But the foolish man, being ignorant of God's most wise providence, while sinning and being chastened, considers either God or men the causes of his troubles.

47. There are some things that halt the passions from their movement, and do not allow them to advance to increase; and there are other things that diminish them, and lead to reduction. For example, fasting and labor and vigil do not allow desire to increase; but withdrawal and contemplation and prayer, and love for God, diminish it and lead it to disappearance. And in the case of

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λστ΄. Πάντων τῶν πραττομένων ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν τόν σκοπόν ζητεῖ ὁ Θεός· εἴτε δι᾿ αὐτόν πράττομεν, εἴτε δι᾿ ἄλλην αἰτίαν.

λζ΄. Ὅταν ἀκούσῃς τῆς Γραφῆς λεγούσης· Ὅτι σύ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατά τά ἔργα αὐτοῦ· οὐ παρά τόν ὀρθόν σκοπόν πραττόμενα, εἰ καί δοκεῖ καλά εἶναι, ὁ Θεός ἀποδίδωσιν· ἀλλά τά κατά τόν ὀρθόν δηλονότι. Οὐ γάρ εἰς τά γινόμενα, ἀλλ᾿ εἰς τόν σκοπόν τῶν γινομένων, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσις ἐφορᾷ.

λη΄. Ὁ τῆς ὑπερηφανίας δαίμων, διπλῆν ἔχει τήν πονηρίαν· ἤ γάρ ἑαυτῷ ἀναπείθει τόν μοναχόν ἐπιγράφειν τά κατορθώματα, καί οὐχί τῷ Θεῷ, τῷ καί χορηγῷ τῶν καλῶν, καί βοηθῷ πρός κατόρθωσιν· ἤ τούτῳ μή πειθόμενον, τούς ἔτι ἀτελεστέρους τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑποβάλλει ἐξουθενεῖν. Ἀγνοεῖ δέ καί οὕτως ὁ ἐνεργούμενος, (997) ὅτι τήν τοῦ Θεοῦ βοήθειαν ἀναπείθει αὐτόν ἀπαρνεῖσθαι. Εἰ γάρ ἐκείνους ὡς μή δυνηθέντας κατορθῶσαι ἐξουθενεῖ, ἑαυτόν δηλονότι ὡς ἐξ ἰδίας δυνάμεως κατορθώσαντα εἰσάγει. Ὅπερ ἐστί ἀμήχανον, τοῦ Κυρίου εἰπόντος· Χωρίς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθαι ποιεῖν οὐδέν. Ἐπειδή ἡ ἡμετέρα ἀσθένεια κινουμένη ἐπί τά καλά, ἄνευ τοῦ τοῦ χορηγοῦ τῶν καλῶν εἰς τέλος ἄγειν οὐ δύναται.

λθ΄. Ὁ ἐγνωκώς τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως τήν ἀσθένειαν, οὗτος εἴληφε πεῖραν τῆς θείας δυνάμεως· καί ὁ τοιοῦτος δι᾿ αὐτῆς τά μέν κατορθώσας· τά δέ σπεύδων κατορθῶσαι, οὐκ ἐξουθενεῖ ποτε οὐδένα ἀνθρώπων. Οἶδε γάρ, ὅτι ὥσπερ αὐτῷ ἐβοήθησε, καί πολλῶν παθῶν καί χαλεπῶν ἠλευθέρωσεν, οὕτω δυνατός ἐστι καί πᾶσι βοηθῆσαι ὅτε θέλει· καί μάλιστα τοῖς δι᾿ αὐτόν ἀγωνιζομένοις· εἰ καί κρίμασίν τισιν, ὑφ᾿ ἕν πάντας τῶν παθῶν οὐκ ἀπαλλάττει· ἀλλ᾿ ἰδίοις καιροῖς, ὡς ἀγαθός καί φιλάνθρωπος ἰατρός, ἕκαστον τῶν σπευδόντων ἰᾶται.

μ΄. Ἐπί τῇ τῶν παθῶν ἀνενεργησίᾳ, ἡ ὑπερηφανία ἐπισυμβαίνει, ἤ τῶν αἰτιῶν ἀποκρυπτομένων, ἤ τῶν δαιμόνων δολερῶς [edot. δολουργῶς] ὑποχωρούντων.

μα΄. Πᾶσα σχεδόν ἁμαρτία, διά ἡδονήν γίνεται· καί ἡ ταύτης ἀναίρεσις, διά κακοπαθείας καί λύπης, ἤ ἑκουσίου ἤ ἀκουσίου, διά μετανοίας, ἤ οἰκονομικῆς ἐπιφορᾶς [edit. περιφορ. ] διά τῆς προνοίας ἐπαγομένης· Εἰ γάρ ἑαυτούς ἐκρίνομεν, φησίν, οὐκ ἄν ἐκρινόμεθα· κρινόμενοι δέ, ὑπό Κυρίου (1000) παιδευόμεθα, ἵνα μή σύν τῷ κόσμῳ κατακριθῶμεν.

μβ΄. Ὅταν σοι ἔλθῃ ἐξ ἀπροσδοκήτου πειρασμός, μή τόν δι᾿ οὗ αἰτιῶ· ἀλλά τό διά τί ζήτει, καί εὑρίσκεις διόρθωσιν. Ἐπεί, εἴτε δι᾿ ἐκείνου, εἴτε δι᾿ ἄλλου, πιεῖν εἶχες τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ κριμάτων τό ἀψίνθιον.

μγ΄. Ὅσον εἶ κακότροπος, τό κακοπαθεῖν μή ἀπαναίνου, ἵνα δι᾿ αὐτῆς ταπεινωθείς, τήν ὑπερηφανίαν ἐμέσῃ.

μδ΄. Οἱ μέν τῶν πειρασμῶν, ἡδονάς· οἱ δέ, λύπας· οἱ δέ, ὀδύνας σωματικάς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσάγουσι. Κατά γάρ τήν ἐγκειμένην τῇ ψυχῇ αἰτίαν τῶν παθῶν, καί τό φάρμακον ὁ ἰατρός τῶν ψυχῶν διά τῶν αὐτοῦ κριμάτων ἐπιτίθησιν.

με΄. Αἱ ἐπιφοραί τῶν πειρασμῶν, τοῖς μέν πρός ἤδη γεγονότων ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναίρεσιν· τοῖς δέ, πρός νῦν ἐνεργουμένων· ἄλλοις, πρός μελλόντων ἐνεργεῖσθαι ἀνακοπήν, ἐπάγονται. ∆ίχα τῶν πρός δοκιμήν ἐπισυμβαινόντων, ὡς ἐπί τοῦ Ἰώβ.

μστ΄. Ὁ μέν ἐχέφρων, τῶν θείων κριμάτων τήν ἰατρείαν ἀναλογιζόμενος, εὐχαρίστως φέρει τάς διά τούτων ἐπισυμβαινούσας αὐτῷ συμφορᾶς· μηδένα τούτων αἴτιον, ἤ τάς ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίας λογιζόμενος. Ὁ δέ ἄφρων, τήν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγνοῶν σοφωτάτην πρόνοιαν, ἁμαρτάνων καί παιδευόμενος, ἤ τόν Θεόν, ἤ τούς ἀνθρώπους τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κακῶν αἰτίους λογίζεται.

μζ΄. Εἰσί τινα ἱστῶντα τά πάθη τῆς κινήσεως, καί μή ἐῶντα προβῆναι εἰς αὔξησιν· καί εἰσίν ἕτερα ἐλαττοῦντα, καί εἰς μείωσιν ἄγοντα. Οἷον, νηστεία καί κόπος καί ἀγρυπνία, οὐκ ἐῶσιν αὔξειν τήν ἐπιθυμίαν· ἀναχώρησις δέ καί θεωρία καί προσευχή, καί ἔρως εἰς Θεόν, ἐλαττοῦσιν αὐτήν, καί εἰς ἀφανισμόν ἄγουσι. Καί ἐπί