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88. Just as the mind, long ago separated from its own dwelling-place, forgot its splendor; so must it again, having become forgetful of things here, ascend to that splendor through prayer.

89. Like an infant at the cold breasts of its mother, so will the mind be found toward a prayer that cannot comfort it; but toward one that is otherwise, it is like a child falling asleep with pleasure in her arms.

Four anon. 0. (1421) There, it says, that is, on the sorrowful couch of the virtuous life, as the bride in the Song of Songs might say, so prayer also to its own lover, I will give you my breasts, if you are wholly disposed toward me.

Four anon. 1. He cannot acquire friendship with prayer, who has not renounced all material things, except for food and shelter. Be outside all other things in prayer, you who wish to be with the mind alone.

Four anon. 2. A testimony of one who loves God is single-thoughted prayer; a timely word, of a sound thought; and a simple taste, of free perception. In these three, then, the things of the soul are said to be strong.

Four anon. 3. The nature of one who prays must be well smoothed and softened, like that of children, so that, like theirs, it may pliantly receive the development ordained by prayer. Therefore, do not be negligent, you who love to be joined to it.

Four anon. 4. Not all possess the same goal in prayer; one has one, and another has another. For one prays, if it is possible, that his heart be always with prayer, and to ascend above it; another, that he not be cut off by thoughts in it. But all pray, either to be preserved in good things, or not to be carried away by evil things.

Four anon. 5. If it is from prayer, no one is unhumbled; for he who prays in humility is contrite; therefore, he who is insolent outwardly does not pray in humility.

Four anon. 6. Looking to the widow, who pleads her case before the unjust judge, you who pray, do not lose heart because of the delay of the good things of prayer.

Four anon. 7. Prayer will not remain with you, who lingers on things reasoned within and spoken without; but it will be seen returning to him who for its sake cuts off most things.

Four anon. 8. If the words of prayer do not penetrate into the loins of the soul, tears will not be permitted to flood the cheeks of the face.

Four anon. 9. For the farmer, tears arise when the seeds are not seen to be cast upon the earth; but for the monk, tears gush forth when he utters the words of prayer not without labor.

100. Prayer is the key to the kingdom of heaven. He who holds it as he ought, (1424) sees the good things laid up for its friends. But he who has no confidence in it looks only upon present things.

101. The mind cannot in time of prayer say with confidence to God: You have broken my bonds, to you I will offer a sacrifice of praise, unless cowardice and sloth, excessive sleep and gluttony, from which comes stumbling, are broken off by the desire for better things.

102. He who wanders in prayer stands outside the first veil; he who accomplishes it with a single thought comes within. But he alone has peered into the Holy of Holies, who with the peace of natural thoughts contemplates also the things concerning the [essence] which surpasses all understanding, and is deemed worthy of some manifestation of light from there.

103. Whenever the soul is at leisure from external things, then a kind of flame encircles it, making it entirely white-hot like iron once in the fire

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πη΄. Ὥσπερ τοῦ ἰδίου οἰκητηρίου πάλαι διαιρεθείς ὁ νοῦς, τῆς ἐκείνου λαμπρότητος ἐπελάθετο· οὕτω δεῖ τοῦτον αὖθις ἐν λήθῃ τῶν ὦδε γενόμενον, πρός ἐκείνην ἀναδραμεῖν δι᾿ εὐχῆς.

πθ΄. Καθάπερ νήπιον πρός μαστούς ἐναποψυγέντας μητρός, οὕτως εὑρεθήσεται νοῦς πρός εὐχήν τήν μή δυναμένην παρακαλέσαι αὐτόν· πρός δέ τήν ἄλλως ἔχουσαν, ὡς παιδίον τό ὑφ᾿ ἡδονῆς ἐναφυπνοῦν ἐν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις αὐτῆς.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. ΄. (1421) Ἐκεῖ φησίν, ἐν τῇ πενθίμῳ δηλονότι εὐνῇ τῆς ἐναρέτου ζωῆς, κατά τήν ἐν τῷ Ἄσματι φήσειε νύμφην καί ἡ εὐχή πρός τόν ἑαυτῆς ἐραστήν, δώσω τούς μαστούς μου σοί, εἰ ὁλικῶς μοι διατεθῇς.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. α΄. Φιλίαν πρός τήν εὐχήν οὐ δύναται κτήσασθαι, ὁ μή πᾶσαν ὕλην ἀπαρνησάμενος, πλήν τροφῆς καί σκέπης. Ἔξω τῶν ἄλλων γενοῦ ἐν εὐχῇ, ὁ θέλων μετά μόνου γενέσθαι τοῦ νοῦ.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. β΄. Τοῦ θεοφιλοῦς μαρτύριον, εὐχή μονολόγιστος· λόγος δέ καίριος, ἔμφρονος λογισμοῦ· μονοειδής δέ γεῦσις, τῆς ἐλευθέρας εἴη αἰσθήσεως. Ἐν τούτοις οὖν τοῖς τρισίν, ἐῤῥῶσθαι τά τῆς ψυχῆς λέγεται.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ γ΄. Λειανθῆναι δεῖ καλῶς καί ἀπαλυνθῆναι, ὥσπερ τῶν παίδων, τήν φύσιν τοῦ εὐχομένου, ὡς ἄν κατά τήν ἐκείνων, εὐείκτως δέξηται τήν ἐκ τῆς εὐχῆς ἐνταττομένην ἀνάπτυξιν. ∆ιό μή ἀμέλει, ὁ συναφθῆναι ταύτῃ φιλῶν.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. δ΄. Οὐ πάντες τόν αὐτόν σκοπόν ἐν εὐχῇ κέκτηνται· ἄλλος μέν ἄλλον, καί ἄλλος δέ ἕτερον. Ὁ μέν γάρ εὔχεται, εἰ οἷόν τε, μετά τῆς εὐχῆς εἶναι τήν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ πάντοτε, καί πρός τό ὑπεραναβῆναι αὐτῆς· ὁ δέ ἵνα μή λογισμοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ περικόπτηται. Πάντες δέ εὔχονται, ἤ συντηρηθῆναι ἐν ἀγαθοῖς, ἤ μή συναπαχθῆναι κακοῖς.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. ε΄. Εἰ ἐξ εὐχῆς, οὐδείς ἀταπείνωτος· συντρίβεται γάρ ὁ ἐν ταπεινώσει εὐχόμενος· οὐκ ἄρα ἐν ταπεινώσει προσεύχεται, ὁ ἔξωθεν θρασυνόμενος.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. στ΄. Πρός τήν χήραν, τήν πρός τόν ὠμόν τήν δίκην κινοῦσαν κριτήν, ἀφορῶν ὁ εὐχόμενος, οὐκ ἐκκακίσῃς διά τήν βραδυτῆτα τῶν ἀγαθῶν τῆς εὐχῆς.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. ζ΄. Οὐ παραμείνῃ σοι εὐχή, τῷ πρός τά συλλογιζόμενα ἔσωθεν, καί ὁμιλούμενα ἔξωθεν ἐμβραδύνοντι· ἡ αὐτή δέ ὀφθήσεται ὑποστρέφουσα, τῷ δι᾿ αὐτήν ὑποτεμνομένῳ τά πλείονα.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. η΄. Εἰς λαγόνας ψυχῆς εἰ μή εἰσδύνουσι τά ῥήματα τῆς εὐχῆς, οὐκ ἄν εἰς τάς τοῦ προσώπου σιαγόνας τά δάκρυα περικλυσθῆναι συγχωρηθήσονται.

τέσσ. ἀνοικ. θ΄. Ἀνατέλλουσι γεωργῷ μέν τά δάκρυα, μή κατ᾿ ὄψιν τῶν σπερμάτων ῥιφθέντων τῆς γῆς· μοναχῷ δέ τά δάκρυα ἀναβλύζουσιν, οὐκ ἀπονητί μετερχομένῳ τά ῥήματα τῆς εὐχῆς.

ρ΄. Κλείς οὐρανῶν βασιλείας εὐχή. Ταύτην ὁ κατέχων ὡς δεῖ, (1424) ὁρᾷ τά ἀποκείμενα ἀγαθά τοῖς φίλοις αὐτῆς. Μόνα δέ τά παρόντα περισκοπεῖ, ὁ παῤῥησίαν ἐν ἐκείνῃ μή ἐσχηκώς.

ρα΄. Οὐ δύναται ὁ νοῦς ἐν καιρῷ τῆς εὐχῆς μετά παῤῥησίας λέγειν πρός τόν Θεόν· ∆ιέῤῥηξας τούς δεσμούς μου, σοί θύσω θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, εἰ μή δειλίας καί ῥαθυμίας, πολυυπνίας τε καί ἀδηφαγίας, ἐξ ὧν τό πταίειν, ἐπιθυμίᾳ τῶν κρειττόνων, ἀποῤῥαγῇ.

ρβ΄. Ἔξω τοῦ πρώτου καταπετάσματος ἵσταται, ὁ ἐν εὐχῇ ῥεμβόμενος· ἔνδοθεν γίνεται, ὁ μονολόγιστον ἐξανύων αὐτήν. Μόνος δέ εἰς τά Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων παρέκυψεν, ὁ μετά τῆς εἰρήνης τῶν φυσικῶν λογισμῶν καί τά περί τῆς πάντα νοῦν ὑπερεχούσης [οὐσίας] διασκεπτόμενος, καί τινος ἐκεῖθεν φωτοφανείας καταξιούμενος.

ργ΄. Ὁπόταν ἀπό τῶν ἔξωθεν σχολάσασα ᾗ ἡ ψυχή, τότε οἷά τις φλόξ περικυκλώσασα ταύτην, ὡς σίδηρον καθάπαξ τῷ πυρί πεπυρακτωμένην ὅλην