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being lifted up among you again to be ensnared, and to fall a fall, so much more grievous than the former, inasmuch as for the former there was an easy hope of recovery, being pardoned on account of weakness; but for the latter, there is either no hope, or it will be difficult, being hated on account of arrogance, and for those making something else more opportune than the opportune. And again, we are not alone, because we have the holy angels as helpers in good things; rather, God Himself, revealing Himself to us through the works of righteousness, and building us into a holy temple for Himself, and free from all passion.

79. The definition of virtue is the union of human weakness, through full knowledge, with the divine power. He therefore who confines himself to the weakness of nature has not come to the definition of virtue; and for this reason he sins, (1296) not yet having received the power that strengthens the weak. But he who audaciously puts forward his own weakness as strength against the divine power has transgressed the definition of virtue; and for this reason, sinning, he does not recognize it, as the subsequent transgression occurs within himself; for he considers the sin to be a virtue. More pardonable, then, is he who confines himself to his natural weakness, suffering the fall from virtue more out of indolence; than he who puts forward his own weakness as strength for the performance of his duties against the divine power, bringing about the fall from virtue more out of audacity.

80. Since it is said, "The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its working," I know this to work in two ways: in one way, when he who prays makes this offering of prayer to God along with the works according to the commandment, so that the prayer does not lie idle and unsubstantial, falling forth merely in a bare word and empty sound of the tongue's voice, but active and living, being animated by the works of the commandments. For the substance of prayer and supplication is manifestly the fulfillment of the commandments through virtues, by which the righteous man has a prayer that is powerful and able to do all things, being made effective by the commandments. In another way, when he who is in need of the prayer of the righteous man performs the works of prayer, both correcting his former life and making the prayer of the righteous man powerful, being strengthened by his own good conduct.

81. There is no benefit from the prayer of the righteous man for the one who needs it, if he delights in sins more than in virtues. For even the great Samuel once mourned for Saul when he sinned; but he was not able to propitiate God, not having as a helper in his mourning the fitting correction of the sinner. Therefore, ceasing His servant from his fruitless mourning, God says to him, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?"

82. And again Jeremiah, the most compassionate, praying for the people of the Jews, who were maddened by the error of demons, (1297) is not heard, not having for the power of his prayer the conversion of the godless Jews from their error. Wherefore, turning him away from praying in vain, God says, "And you, do not pray for this people, and do not ask that they be pitied, and do not pray, and do not approach me further about them, for I will not listen."

83. It is indeed a matter of great folly, not to say madness, for one who by disposition delights in destructive things to seek salvation through the prayer of the righteous; and to ask forgiveness for those things in which he boasts, being stained by intention in his action, whereas the one who needs this prayer ought not to let the prayer of the righteous become idle and motionless, if he truly detests evil things; but to make it active and powerful, winged by his own virtues, and reaching Him who is able to give forgiveness for sins committed.

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ὑμῶν ἐπαρθέντες πάλιν περιπαρῆναι, καί πεσεῖν πτῶσιν, τοσοῦτον τῆς προτέρας χαλεπωτέραν, ὅσον τῆς μέν ἦν ἐπανόδου ἐλπίς εὐχερής, συγγνωσθεῖσι διά τήν ἀσθένειαν· τῇ δέ, ἤ οὐκ ἔστιν, ἤ δυσχερής ἔσται μισηθεῖσι διά τήν ὑπερηφανίαν, καί τοῦ δεξιοῦ ποιουμένοις ἕτερόν τι δεξιώτερον. Οὐ μόνοι δέ πάλιν, ὅτι τούς ἁγίους ἀγγέλους ἔχομεν τῶν καλῶν συλλήπτορας· μᾶλλον δέ τόν Θεόν αὐτόν, ἡμῖν ἑαυτόν ἐμφανίζοντα διά τῶν ἔργων τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καί ἡμᾶς ἑαυτῷ ναόν ἅγιον οἰκοδομοῦντα, καί παντός πάθους ἐλεύθερον.

οθ΄. Ἀρετῆς ὅρος ἐστίν, ἡ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀσθενείας κατ᾿ ἐπίγνωσιν πρός τήν θείαν δύναμιν ἕνωσις. Ὁ τοίνυν ἑαυτόν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ περιγράφων τῆς φύσεως, πρός τόν ὅρον οὐκ ἦλθε τῆς ἀρετῆς· καί διά τοῦτο πλημμελεῖ, (1296) μήπω λαβών τήν τό ἀσθενές ἐνισχύουσαν δύναμιν. Ὁ δέ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως τήν οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν, ὡς ἰσχύν αὐθαδῶς ἀντιπροβαλόμενος, τόν ὅρον παρῆλθε τῆς ἀρετῆς· καί διά τοῦτο πλημμελῶν, ὡς τοῦ κατόπιν ὑπερφεροῦς παρ᾿ ἑαυτῷ γινομένου, οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκει· ἀρετήν γάρ εἶναι νομίζει τό πλημμέλημα. Συγγνωστός οὖν μᾶλλον ὁ τῇ κατά φύσιν ἀσθενείᾳ ἑαυτόν περιγράψας, παθών μᾶλλον ἐκ ῥᾳθυμίας τήν ἔκπτωσιν τῆς ἀρετῆς· ἤ ὁ τήν οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν ὡς ἰσχύν πρός τήν τῶν καθηκόντων ποίησιν ἀντιπροβαλόμενος τῆς θείας δυνάμεως, δράσας μᾶλλον ἐξ αὐθαδείας τῆς ἀρετῆς τήν ἔκπτωσιν.

π΄. Ἐπειδή εἴρηται· Πολύ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη, κατά δύο τρόπους οἶδα ταύτην ἐνεργουμένην· καθ᾿ ἕνα μέν, ὁπόταν μετά τῶν κατ᾿ ἐντολήν ἔργων, τῷ Θεῷ τήν ταύτης ποιῆται προσαγωγήν τῆς δεήσεως ὁ εὐχόμενος, ὡς μή μόνον ἐν ψιλῷ λόγῳ καί διακένῳ φωνῆς ἤχῳ τῆς γλώττης ἐκπίπτουσαν ἀργήν κεῖσθαι τήν δέησιν, καί ἀνυπόστατον, ἀλλ᾿ ἐνεργόν καί ζῶσαν, τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν ἐντολῶν ψυχουμένην. Εὐχῆς γάρ καί δεήσεως ὑπόστασις, ἡ διά τῶν ἀρετῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν ὑπάρχει προδήλως ἐκπλήρωσις, καθ᾿ ἥν ἰσχυράν καί πάντα δυναμένην ὁ δίκαιος ἔχει τήν δέησιν, ἐνεργουμένην ταῖς ἐντολαῖς. Καθ᾿ ἕτερον δέ τρόπον, ὁπόταν ὁ τῆς εὐχῆς τοῦ δικαίου δεόμενος, τά ἔργα τῆς εὐχῆς διαπράττηται, τόν τε πρότερον διορθούμενος βίον, καί τήν δέησιν ἰσχυράν τοῦ δικαίου ποιούμενος, διά τῆς οἰκείας καλῆς ἀναστροφῆς δυναμουμένην.

πα΄. Οὐδέν ὄφελος τῆς τοῦ δικαίου δεήσεως, τοῦ ταύτης χρῄζοντος, πλέον τῶν ἀρετῶν ἡδομένου τοῖς πλημμελήμασιν. Ἐπεί καί ὁ μέγας ποτέ Σαμουήλ ἐπένθει τόν Σαούλ πλημμελοῦντα· ἀλλ᾿ οὐκ ἴσχυσε τόν Θεόν ἱλεώσασθαι, μή λαβών συλλήπτορα τοῦ πένθους τήν καθήκουσαν τοῦ πλημμελοῦντος διόρθωσιν. ∆ιό τοῦ ἀνονήτου πένθους ὁ Θεός καταπαύων τόν ἑαυτοῦ θεράποντα, φησί πρός αὐτόν, Ἕως πότε σύ πενθεῖς ἐπί Σαούλ, καί ἐγώ ἐξουδένωκα αὐτόν, τοῦ βασιλεύει ἐπί τόν Ἰσραήλ;

πβ΄. Καί πάλιν Ἱερεμίας ὁ συμπαθέστατος, ὑπέρ τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων, περί τήν πλάνην μανέντος τῶν δαιμονίων, (1297) οὐκ εἰσακούεται προσευχόμενος, οὐκ ἔχων εἰς προσευχῆς δύναμιν, τήν ἀπό τῆς πλάνης τῶν ἀθέων Ἰουδαίων ἐπιστροφήν. Ὅθεν τοῦ διακενῆς προσεύχεσθαι καί τοῦτο ἀπάγων ὁ Θεός, φησί, Καί σύ μή προσεύχου περί τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καί μή ἀξίου τοῦς ἐλεηθῆναι αὐτούς, καί μή εὔχου, καί μή προσέλθῃς μοι περί αὐτῶν ἔτι, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι.

πγ΄. Πολλῆς ὄντως ἐστίν ἀβελτηρίας, ἵνα μή λέγω παραφροσύνης, δι᾿ εὐχῆς δικαίων ἐπιζητεῖν σωτηρίαν, τόν κατά διάθεσιν τοῖς ὀλεθρίοις ἡδόμενον· κἀκείνων αἰτεῖσθαι συγχώρησιν, οἷς ἐγκαυχᾶται κατ᾿ ἐνέργειαν προθέσει σπιλούμενος, δέον μή ἀργήν ἐᾶν γίνεσθαι καί ἀκίνητον τοῦ δικαίου τήν δέησιν, τόν ταύτης δεόμενον, εἴπερ ἀληθῶς τοῖς πονηροῖς ἀπεχθάνεται· ἀλλ᾿ ἐνεργόν ποιεῖν καί ἰσχυράν, ταῖς οἰκείαις ἀρεταῖς πτερουμένην, καί φθάνουσαν τόν συγχώρησιν διδόναι τῶν πλημμεληθέντων δυνάμενον.