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Demonstration
VI.—Of
Monks.
1. Expedient is the word that I speak and worthy of acceptance:—Let us now awake from our
sleep,825
and lift up both our hearts and hands to God towards heaven; lest suddenly the Lord of
the house come, that when He comes He may find us in
watchfulness.826
Let us
observe the appointed time of the glorious bridegroom,827
that we may enter with Him into His bride-chamber. Let us prepare oil for our lamps that we may go
forth to meet Him with joy. Let us make ready provision for our
abiding-place, for the way that is narrow and strait. And let us
put away and cast from us all uncleanness, and put on wedding
garments. Let us trade with the silver that we have
received,828
that we may be called diligent servants. Let us be constant in prayer, that we
may pass by the place where fear dwells. Let us cleanse our heart
from iniquity, that we may see the Lofty One in His honour. Let
us be merciful, as it is written, that God may have mercy upon
us.829
Let there be peace amongst us,
that we may be called the brethren of Christ. Let us hunger for
righteousness, that we may be satisfied830
from the table of His Kingdom. Let us be the salt of truth, that
we may not become food for the serpent. Let us purge our seed
from thorns, that we may produce fruit a hundred-fold. Let us
found our building on the rock,831
that it may not be shaken by the winds and waves. Let us be vessels unto
honour832
that we may be required by the Lord for His use. Let us sell all our possessions, and buy for ourselves
the pearl,833
that we may be rich. Let us lay up our treasures in heaven,834
that when we come we may open them and have pleasure in them. Let us visit our Lord in the persons of
the sick,835
that He may invite us to stand at His right hand. Let us hate ourselves and
love Christ, as He loved us and gave Himself up for our sakes.836
Let us honour the spirit of
Christ, that we may receive grace from Him. Let us be strangers
to the world,837
even as Christ was not of it. Let us be humble and mild, that we may inherit the
land of life. Let us be unflagging in His service, that He may
cause us to serve in the abode of the saints. Let us pray His
prayer in purity, that it may have access to the Lord of
Majesty. Let us be partakers in His suffering, that so we may also rise up in His
resurrection.838
Let us
bear His sign upon our bodies, that we may be delivered from the wrath
to come. For fearful is the day in which He will come, and who is
able to endure it?839
Furious
and hot is His wrath, and it will destroy all the wicked. Let us
set upon our head the helmet of redemption,840
that we may not be wounded and die in the battle. Let us gird our
loins with truth, that we may not be found impotent in the
contest. Let us arise and awaken Christ, that He may still the
stormy blasts from us. Let us take as a shield against the Evil
One, the preparation of the Gospel of our Redeemer. Let us
receive power from our Lord to tread upon snakes and
scorpions.841
Let us lay
aside from us wrath, with all fury and malice. Let no reviling
proceed out of our mouth, with which we pray unto God. Let us not
be cursers, that we may be delivered from the curse of the law.
Let us be diligent workers, that we may obtain our reward with those of
old. Let us take up the burden of the day, that we may seek a
more abundant reward. Let us not be idle workers, for lo! our
Lord has hired us for His vineyard.842
Let
us be planted as vines in the midst of His vineyard, for it is the true
vineyard. Let us be fruitful vines, that we may not be uprooted
out of His vineyard. Let us be a sweet odour, that our fragrance
may breathe forth to all around. Let us be poor in the world, and
let us enrich many by the doctrine of our Lord. Let us not call
anyone our father in the earth,843
that we may be the children of the Father which is in heaven. Though we have
nothing, yet we possess all things.844
Though no man know us, yet they that have knowledge of us are
many. Let us rejoice in our hope at every time,845
that He Who is our hope and our Redeemer may rejoice in us. Let us judge ourselves righteously and condemn
ourselves, that we may not hang down our faces before the judges who
shall sit upon thrones and judge the tribes.846
Let us take to ourselves, as
armour for the contest,847
the preparation of the Gospel. Let us knock at the door of heaven,848
that it may be opened before us, and we may enter in through it.
Let us diligently ask for mercy, that we may receive whatsoever is necessary for us. Let us seek His Kingdom
and His righteousness,849
that we may receive increase in the land. Let us think upon the things which
are above,850
on the heavenly things, and meditate on them, where Christ has been lifted up and
exalted. But let us forsake the world which is not ours, that we
may arrive at the place to which we have been invited. Let us
raise up our eyes on high, that we may see the splendour which shall be
revealed. Let us lift up our wings as eagles, that we may see the
body there where it is. Let us prepare as offerings for the King
desirable fruits, fasting and prayer. Let us guard His pledge in
purity, that He may trust us over all His treasury. For whosoever
deals falsely with His pledge, they suffer him not to enter into the
treasure-house. Let us be careful of the body of Christ, that our
bodies may rise at the sound of the trumpet. Let us hearken to
the voice of the bridegroom, that we may go in with Him into the
bride-chamber. Let us prepare the marriage-gift for His bridal
day, and let us go forth to meet Him with joy. Let us put on holy
raiment, that we may recline in the chief place of the elect.
Whosoever puts not on wedding raiment,851
they cast him out into outer darkness. Whosoever excuses himself
from the wedding shall not taste the feast.852
Whosoever loves fields and
merchandise, shall be shut out of the city of Saints. Whosoever
does not bear fruit in the vineyard, shall be uprooted and cast out to
torment. Whosoever has received money from his Lord, let him return it to its Giver with its increase.853
Whosoever desires to become a
merchant, let, him buy for himself the field and the treasure that is
in it.854
Whosoever receives the good seed,
let him purge his land from thorns.855
Whosoever desires to be a fisherman, let him cast forth his net at
every time. Whosoever is training for the conflict, let him keep
himself from the world. Whosoever wishes to gain the crown, let
him run as a winner in the race. Whosoever wishes to go down into
the course to contend, let him learn to (contend) against his
adversary. Whosoever wishes to go down to the battle, let him
take unto him armour wherewith to fight, and let him purify himself at
every time. Whosoever adopts the likeness of angels, let him be a
stranger to men. Whosoever takes upon him the yoke of the saints,
let him remove from him getting and spending. Whosoever desires
to gain himself, let him remove from him the gain of the world.
Whosoever loves the abode that is in heaven, let him not toil at the
building of clay that will fall. Whosoever is expectant of being
caught up in the clouds, let him not make for himself adorned
chariots. Whosoever is expectant of the marriage-feast of the
Bridegroom, let him not love the feast of this present time.
Whosoever wishes to have pleasure in the banquet reserved there, let
him remove drunkenness from himself. Whosoever prepares himself
for the supper, let him not excuse himself,856
nor be a merchant. Whosoever he be on whom the good seed falls,
let him not allow the Evil One to sow tares in him. Whosoever has
begun to build a tower, let him count up all the cost thereof.857
Whosoever builds ought to finish,
that he be not a laughing-stock to them that pass by the way.
Whosoever sets his building on the rock, let him make its foundations
deep, that it may not be cast down by the billows. Whosoever
wishes to fly from the darkness, let him walk while he has
light.858
Whosoever fears to fly in
winter,859
let him prepare himself from the summer-time. Whosoever looks forward to enter into rest,860
let him make ready his provision for the Sabbath. Whosoever begs forgiveness of his Lord, let him also
forgive his debtor.861
Whosoever
does not demand back a hundred dinars, his Lord forgives him ten
thousand talents. Whosoever casts down his Lord’s money on
the banker’s table,862
will not be called an unprofitable servant. Whosoever loves humility, shall
be heir in the land of life. Whosoever wishes to make peace,
shall be one of the sons of God.863
Whosoever knows the will of his Lord, let him do that will, that he may
not be beaten much.864
Whosoever
cleanses his heart from deceits, His eyes shall behold the King in
his beauty.865
Whosoever
receives the Spirit of Christ, let him adorn his inner man.
Whosoever is called the temple of God,866
let him purify his body from all uncleanness. Whosoever grieves
the Spirit of Christ,867
shall not raise up his head from griefs. Whosoever receives the body of Christ,
let him keep his body from all uncleanness. Whosoever casts off
the old man,868
let him not turn back to his former works. Whosoever puts on the new
man, let him keep himself from all filthiness. Whosoever has
put on armour from the water (of baptism), let him not put off his
armour that he may not be condemned. Whosoever takes up the
shield869
against the Evil One, let him keep himself from the darts which he hurls at him. Whosoever shall
draw back, his Lord has no pleasure in him.870
Whosoever thinks upon the Law of
his Lord, shall not be troubled with the thoughts of this world.
Whosoever meditates on the Law of his Lord, is like a tree planted by
the waters.871
Whosoever
again has trust in his Lord, is like a tree that is set out by the
river. Whosoever puts his trust in man shall receive the curses of Jeremiah.872
Whosoever
is invited to the Bridegroom, let him prepare himself. Whosoever
has lighted his lamp, let him not suffer it to go out. Whosoever
is expectant of the marriage-cry, let him take oil in his
vessel.873
Whosoever is keeper of the door,
let him be on the watch for his Master. Whosoever loves
virginity, let him become like Elijah. Whosoever takes up the
yoke of the Saints, let him sit and be silent. Whosoever loves
peace, let him look for his Master as the hope of life.
2. For, my beloved, our adversary is
skilful. He that contends against us is crafty. Against the
brave and the renowned does he prepare himself, that they may be
weakened. For the feeble are his own, nor does he fight with the
captivity that are made captive to him. He that has wings flees
from him and the darts that he hurls at him do not reach him.
They that are spiritual see him when he assails, and his panoply has no
power upon their bodies. All the children of light are without
fear of him, because the darkness flies from before the light.
The children of the Good fear not the Evil, for He hath given him to be
trampled by their feet. When he makes himself like darkness unto
them, they become light. And when he creeps upon them like a
serpent, they become salt, whereof he cannot eat. If he makes
himself like the asp unto them, then they become like babes. If
he comes in upon them in the lust of food, they, like our Redeemer,
conquer him by fasting. And if he wishes to contend with them by
the lust of the eyes, they lift up their eyes to the height of
heaven. If he wishes by enticements to overcome them, they do not
afford him a hearing. If he wishes openly to strive with them,
lo! they are clothed in panoply and stand up against him. If he
wishes to come in against them by sleep, they are wakeful and vigilant
and sing psalms and pray. If he allures them by possessions, they
give them to the poor. If he comes in as sweetness against them,
they taste it not, knowing that he is bitter. If he inflames them
with the desire of Eve, they dwell alone, and not with the daughters of
Eve.
3. For it was through Eve that he came in upon Adam,874
and Adam was enticed because of his inexperience. And again he came in against
Joseph through his master’s wife,875
but Joseph was acquainted with his craftiness and would not afford him
a hearing. Through a woman he fought with Samson,876
until he took away his Nazariteship. Reuben was the first-born of all his brethren, and
through his father’s wife,877
(the adversary) cast a blemish upon him. Aaron was the great
high-priest of the house of Israel, and through Miriam878
his sister he envied Moses.
Moses was sent to deliver the people from Egypt, and took with him the
woman who advised him to shameful acts,879
and the Lord met with Moses, and desired to slay him, till he sent back
his wife to Midian. David was victorious in all his battles, yet
through means of a daughter of Eve880
there was found a blemish in him. Amnon was beautiful and fair in
countenance, yet (the adversary) took him captive by desire for his
sister,881
and Absalom slew him on account of the humbling of Tamar. Solomon was greater than all the kings of the
earth, yet in the days of his old age his wives led his heart
astray.882
Through Jezebel, daughter of
Ethbaal, the wickedness of Ahab was increased,883
and he became altogether a heathen. Furthermore, the adversary tempted Job through his
children and his possessions,884
and when he could not prevail over him, he went and brought against him his armour,
and he came, bringing with him a daughter of Eve, who had caused Adam
to sink, and through her mouth he said to Job, her righteous
husband:—Curse God.885
But
Job rejected her counsel. King Asa also conquered the Accursed-of-life, when he wished to come in against him, through his mother.886
For Asa knew his craftiness and
removed his mother from her high estate, and cut in pieces her idol and
cast it down. John was greater than all the prophets, yet Herod
slew him because of the dancing of a daughter of Eve.887
Haman was wealthy and third in
honour from the King, yet his wife counselled him to destroy the
Jews.888
Zimri was head of the tribe of
Simeon, yet Cozbi, daughter of the chiefs of Midian, overthrew him, and
because of one woman twenty-four thousand of Israel fell in one
day.889
4. Therefore, my brethren, if any man who is a monk or a saint, who loves the solitary life, yet desires that a
woman, bound by monastic vow like himself, should dwell with him, it
would be better for him in that case to take (to wife) a woman openly
and not be made wanton by lust. So also again the woman, if she
be not separated from the solitary, it is better for her to marry
openly. Woman then ought to dwell with woman, and man to dwell
with man. And also whatever man desires to continue in holiness,
let not his spouse dwell with him, lest he turn back to his former
condition, and so be esteemed an adulterer. Therefore this
counsel is becoming and right and good, that I give to myself and you,
my beloved solitaries, who do not take wives, and to the virgins who do
not marry, and to those who have loved holiness. It is just and
right and becoming, that even if a man should be distressed, he should
continue alone. And thus it becomes him to dwell, as it is
written in the Prophet Jeremiah:—Blessed is the man who shall
take up Thy yoke in his youth, and sit alone and be silent, because he
has taken upon him Thy yoke.890
For
thus, my beloved, it becomes him who takes up the yoke of Christ, to
preserve his yoke in purity.
5. For thus it is written, my beloved, concerning Moses, that from the time the Holy One was revealed to him,
he also loved holiness. And from the time he was sanctified, his
wife ministered not to him. But it is thus
written:—Joshua, the son of Nun, was the minister of Moses
from his childhood.891
And of
Joshua again it is thus written concerning him, that he used not to
depart from the tabernacle.892
And the
temporal tabernacle was not ministered to by a woman, because the Law
did not allow women to enter the temporal tabernacle, but even when
they came to pray, they used to pray at the door of the temporal
tabernacle, and then turn back. Moreover, he commanded the
Priests, that at the time of their ministry they should continue in
holiness, and should not know their wives. And also concerning
Elijah it is thus written, that at one time he dwelt in Mount Carmel,
and at another he dwelt at the brook Cherith, and was ministered to by
his disciple; and because his heart was in heaven, the bird of heaven
used to bring sustenance to him; and because he took upon him the
likeness of the angels of heaven, those very angels brought him bread
and water when he was fleeing from before Jezebel.893
And because he set all his
thought in heaven, he was caught up in the chariot of fire to
heaven,894
and there his dwelling-place was established for ever. Elisha also walked in the footsteps of his
Master. He used to dwell in the upper chamber of the Shunamite,
and was ministered to by his disciple. For thus the Shunamite
said;—He is a holy Prophet of God and passes by us
continually, for thus it becomes his holiness that we should make for
him an upper chamber and do for him the service that is (necessary) in
it.895
Now what was the service necessary
in the upper chamber of Elisha? Clearly the bed and table and
stool and lamp-stand only. But what shall we say of John?
He also used to dwell amongst men, and preserved his virginity
honourably, and received the Spirit of God.
Moreover, the blessed Apostle said concerning himself and concerning Barnabas:—Had
we then not power to eat and to drink and to lead about wives with
us? But it was not becoming or right.896
6. Therefore, brethren, because we know and have seen that from the beginning it was through woman that the
adversary had access unto men, and to the end he will accomplish it by
her—for she is the weapon of Satan, and through her he fights
against the champions. Through her he makes music at every time,
for she became as a harp for him from the first day. For because
of her the curse of the Law was established, and because of her the
promise unto death was made. For with pangs she bears children
and delivers them to death. Because of her the earth was cursed,
that it should bring forth thorns and tares. Accordingly, by the
coming of the offspring of the Blessed Mary the thorns are uprooted,
the sweat wiped away, the fig-tree cursed,897
the dust made salt,898
the curse nailed to the cross,899
the edge of the sword removed from before the tree of life and it given as food to the
faithful, and Paradise promised to the blessed and to virgins and to
the saints. So the fruit of the tree of life is given as food to
the faithful and to virgins, and to those that do the will of God has
the door been opened and the way made plain. And the fountain
flows and gives drink to the thirsty. The table is laid and the
supper prepared. The fatted ox is slain and the cup of redemption
mixed. The feast is prepared and the Bridegroom at hand, soon to
take his place. The apostles have given the invitation and the
called are very many. O ye chosen, prepare yourselves. The
light has shone forth both bright and fair, and garments not made with
hands are prepared. The marriage cry is at hand. The tombs
will be opened and the treasures laid bare. The dead shall rise
and the living shall fly to meet the King. The banquet is laid,
and the cornet shall encourage and the trumpets shall hasten
(them). The Watchers of heaven shall speed, and the throne shall
be set for the Judge. He that laboured shall rejoice, and he that
was unprofitable shall fear. He that did evil shall not draw nigh
unto the Judge. Those on the right hand shall exult, and those on
the left shall weep and wail. Those that are in the light shall
be glorified, and those that are in the darkness shall groan that they
may moisten their tongue. Grace has gone by, and justice
reigns. There is no repentance in that place. Winter is at
hand; the summer has passed away. The Sabbath of rest has come;
toil has ceased. Night has passed away; the light reigns.
As to death, its sting is broken and it is swallowed up in
life.900
Those that return to Sheol shall weep
and gnash their teeth, and those that go to the Kingdom shall rejoice
and exult and dance and sing praises. For those that take not
wives shall be ministered to by the Watchers of heaven. Those
that preserve chastity shall rest in the sanctuary of the Most
High. The Only Begotten Who is from the bosom of His Father shall
cause all the solitaries to rejoice. There is there neither male
nor female, neither bond nor free,901
but they all are the children of the Most High. And all the pure virgins who are
betrothed to Christ shall light their lamps902
and with the Bridegroom shall they go into the marriage chamber. All
those that are betrothed to Christ are far removed from the curse of
the Law, and are redeemed from the condemnation of the daughters of
Eve; for they are not wedded to men so as to receive the curses and
come into the pains. They take no thought of death, because they
do not deliver children to him. And in place of a mortal husband,
they are betrothed to Christ. And because they do not bear
children, there is Given to them the name that is better than sons and
daughters.903
And instead
of the groans of the daughters of Eve, they utter the songs of the
Bridegroom. The wedding-feast of the daughters of Eve continues
for but seven days; but for these (virgins) is the Bridegroom who
departs not for ever. The adornment of the daughters of Eve is
wool that wears out and perishes, but the garments of these wear not
out. Old age withers the beauty of the daughters of Eve, but the
beauty of these shall be renewed in the time of the Resurrection.
7. O ye virgins who have betrothed yourselves to Christ, when one of the monks shall say to one of you,
“I will live with thee and minister thou to me,” thus shalt
thou say unto him:—“To a royal husband am I betrothed, and
Him do I serve; and if I leave His service and serve thee, my betrothed
will be wroth with me, and will write me a letter of divorce, and will
send me away from His house; and while thou seekest to be honoured by
me, and I to be honoured by thee, take heed lest hurt come upon me and
thee. Take not fire into thy bosom,904
lest it burn thy garments; but be thou in honour alone, and I also alone
will abide in my honour. And as concerning these things which the
Bridegroom has prepared for the eternity of his marriage feast, do thou
make thee a wedding-gift and prepare thyself to meet Him. And as
for me, I will make me ready oil, that I may enter in with the wise
virgins and may not be kept outside the door with the foolish
virgins.”
8. Hearken then, my beloved, unto that which I
write unto thee, namely, whatsoever things become solitaries, monks,
virgins, saints. Before all things it beseems the man on whom the
yoke is laid, that his faith should be firm; as I wrote to thee in the
first epistle; that he should be zealous in fasting and prayer; that he
should be fervent in the love of Christ; and should be humble and mild
and wise. And let his speech be peaceful and pleasant, and his
thought be sincere with all. Let him speak his words duly
weighing them, and set a barrier to his mouth from harmful words, and
let him put far from him hasty laughter. Let him not love the
adornment of garments, nor again does it become him to let his hair
grow long and adorn it, or to anoint it with sweet-scented
unguents. Let him not recline at feastings, nor does it become
him to wear gorgeous apparel. Let him not dare to exceed at
wine. Let him put far from him proud thoughts. It does not
become him to look upon gorgeous apparel, or to wear fine
raiment. Let him put away from him a crafty tongue; let him drive
from him envy and wrath, and cast away from him crafty lips. The
words that are spoken about a man, when he about whom they are spoken
is not near, let him not hear nor receive, that he sin not, until he
search them out. Mockery is a hateful fault, and to bring it up
upon the heart is not right. Let him not lend and take interest,
and let him not love avarice. Let him suffer wrong and not do
wrong. Furthermore, let him put away from him turmoil, and words
of jesting let him not utter. Let him not scorn any man who is
repenting of his sins, and let him not mock his brother who is fasting,
and him that cannot fast let him not put to shame. Where he is
received, let him reprove, and where they receive him not, let him
understand his own honour. In an acceptable time let him speak
his word; otherwise, let him be silent. Let him not for his
belly’s sake make himself despised by his begging, and to such an
one as fears God let him reveal his secret; but let him keep himself
from the evil (man). Let him not speak in complaisance with a
wicked man, nor with his enemy. And so let him contend as to have
no enemy at all. When men envy him in that which is good, let him
add to his goodness, and let him not be harmed because of envy.
When he has, and gives to the poor, let him rejoice; and when he has
not, let it not grieve him. With a wicked man let him have no
converse and with a contemptuous man let him not speak, lest he give
himself to contempt. With a blasphemer let him not dispute, lest
his Lord be blasphemed on his
account. Let him depart from a slanderer, and let no man please
another man with speciousness of words. These things beseem
solitaries who take up the heavenly yoke, and become disciples of
Christ. For thus it befits the disciples of Christ to be like
unto Christ their Master.
9. Let us take pattern, my beloved, from our Saviour, Who though He was rich, made Himself poor;905
and though He was lofty, humbled His Majesty; and though His dwelling
place was in heaven, He had no place to lay His head;906
and though He is to come upon the clouds,907
yet rode on a colt and so entered Jerusalem;908
and though He is God and Son of God, He took upon Him the likeness of a
servant;909
and though He was (for others) rest from all weariness, yet was Himself tired with the
weariness of the journey; though He was the fountain that quenches
thirst, yet Himself thirsted and asked for water;910
though He was abundance and satisfied our hunger, yet He Himself
hungered when He went forth to the wilderness to be tempted;911
though He was a Watcher that slumbers not, He yet slumbered and slept in the ship in the midst of the
sea;912
and though He was ministered to in the Tabernacle of His Father, yet let Himself be served by the hands of
men; though He was the healer of all sick men, yet nails were fastened
into His hands; though His mouth brought forth things that were good,
yet they gave Him gall to eat;913
though He injured no man and harmed none, yet He was beaten with stripes and endured
shame; and though he was Saviour of all mortals, He delivered Himself
to the death of the cross.
10. All this humility did our Saviour show us in Himself. Let us then also humble ourselves, my
beloved. When our Lord went outside of His nature,914
| 914 I.e. when He
took a nature which was not originally His. | He walked in our nature. Let us abide
in our nature, that in the day of judgment He may cause us to partake
of His nature. Our Lord took from us a pledge when He went, and
He left us a pledge of His own when he ascended. He that was
without need, because of our need devised this expedient. What
was ours was His even from the beginning, but that which was His, who
would have given us? But true is that which our Lord promised
us:—Where I am there ye also shall be.915
For whatsoever He took of ours, is in
honour with Him, and (as) a diadem is bound upon His Head. So
also that, which of His we have received, we ought to honour.
That which is ours is held in honour with Him who was not in our
nature: let us honour that which is His in His own nature.
If we honour Him, we shall go to Him, Who took upon Him of our nature
and so ascended. But if we despise Him, He will take away from us
that which He has given us. If we deal fraudulently with His
pledge, He will there take away that which is His, and will deprive us
of all that He has promised us. Let us magnify gloriously the
King’s Son Who is with us, because a hostage for Him has been
taken from us. Whoso holds the King’s Son in honour, shall
obtain many gifts from the King. That of ours, that is with Him,
has sat down in honour and a diadem is bound upon His head, and He has
sat down with the King. And we who are poor, what shall we do to
the King’s Son Who is with us? He needs nothing from us,
but that we should adorn our temples for Him; that when the time is
accomplished and He goes to His Father, He may give thanks to Him
because of us, because we have honoured Him. When He came to us,
He had nothing of ours, and also we had nothing of His, though the two
natures were His and His Father’s. For when Gabriel made
announcement to the Blessed Mary who bore Him, the word from on high
set out and came, and the word became flesh and dwelt in
us.916
And when He returned to Him that sent Him, He took away, when He went, that which He had not brought, as the Apostle
said:—He has taken us up and seated us with Himself in the
heavens.917
And when He
went to His Father, He sent to us His Spirit and said to us I am
with you till the world shall end. For Christ sitteth at
the right hand of His Father, and Christ dwelleth among
men.918
He is
sufficient above and beneath, by the wisdom of His Father. And He
dwells in many, though He is one, and all the faithful each by each He
overshadows from Himself, and fails not, as it is written:—I
will divide Him among many.919
And though He
is divided among many, yet He sits at the right hand of His
Father. And He is in us and we are in Him, as He
said:—Ye are in Me and I am in you.920
And in another place He
said:—I and Father are one.921
11. And if anyone, whose conscience lacks
knowledge, should dispute about this and say:—“Since Christ
is one and His Father is one, how does Christ dwell, and His Father
dwell, in faithful men? And how do righteous men become temples
for God that He should dwell in them? If then it is thus, that to
each several faithful man there comes a several Christ, and God Who is
in Christ,—if it is so, there are for them Gods many and Christs
without number.” But hear, my beloved, the defence that is
suited to this argument. From that which is visible let him that
has thus said receive instruction. For every man knows that the
sun is fixed in the heavens, yet its rays are spread out in the earth,
and (light) from it enters by many doors and windows of houses; and
wherever the sunshine falls, though it be but as (the measure of) the
palm of the hand, it is called the sun. And though it fall in
many places, it is thus called, but the real sun itself is in
heaven. Therefore, if it is so, have they many suns?
Also the water of the sea is vast, and when thou takest one cup from
it, that is called water. And though thou shouldest divide it
into a thousand vessels, yet it is called water by its name. Also
when thou kindlest fire from fire in many places, the place from whence
thou takest it, when thou kindlest it, lacks not, and the fire is
called by one name. And because thou dividest it into many
places, it does not on that account become possessed of many
names. And when thou takest dust from the earth, and castest it
into many places, it is not a whit diminished, and also thou canst not
call it by many names. Thus also God and His Christ, though they
are One, yet dwell in men who are many. And they are in heaven in
person, and are diminished in nothing when they dwell in many; as the
sun is not a whit diminished in heaven, when its power is poured out in
the earth. How much greater then is the power of God, since by
the power of God the very sun itself subsists.
12. Again I will remind thee, my beloved, also of that which is written. For thus it is written, that when
it was a grievous burden to Moses to lead the camp alone, the Lord said
to him:—Lo! will take away of the Spirit that is upon thee,
and will put it upon seventy men, elders of Israel.922
But when He took away some of the
Spirit of Moses, and the seventy men were filled with it, Moses nothing
lacked, nor could it be known that anything was taken away from his
Spirit. Moreover the blessed apostle also said:—God
divided of the Spirit of Christ and sent it into the
Prophets.923
| 923 Cf. 1 Cor. xii. 11, 28, and Rom. xii. 36. | And Christ
was in nothing injured, for it was not by measure that His Father
gave unto Him the Spirit.924
By this
reflection thou canst comprehend that Christ dwells in faithful men;
yet Christ suffers no loss though He is divided among many. For
the Prophets received of the Spirit of Christ, each one of them as he
was able to bear. And of the Spirit of Christ again there is
poured forth to-day upon all flesh,925
and the sons and the daughters prophesy, the old men and the youths, the men-servants and the
hand-maids. Something of Christ is in us, yet Christ is in heaven
at the right hand of His Father. And Christ received the Spirit
not by measure, but His Father loved Him and delivered all into His
hands, and gave Him authority over all His treasure. For John
said:—Not by measure did the Father give the Spirit to His
Son, but loved Him and gave all into His hands.926
And also our Lord said:—All
things have been delivered unto Me by My Father.927
Again he said:—The Father
will not judge any man, but all judgment will He give unto His
Son.928
Again also
the Apostle said:—Everything shall be made subject unto Christ
except His Father Who hath subjected all unto Him. And when
everything is made subject unto Him by the Father, then He also shall
be made subject to God His Father Who subjected all to Him, and God
shall be all in all, and in every man.929
13. Our Lord testifies concerning John, that he is
the greatest of the Prophets. Yet he received the Spirit by
limit, because in that measure in which Elijah received the Spirit, (in
the same) John obtained it. And as Elijah used to dwell in the
wilderness, so also the Spirit of God led John into the wilderness, and
he used to dwell in the mountains and caves. The birds sustained
Elijah, and John used to eat locusts that fly. Elijah had his
loins girded with a girdle of leather; so John had his loins girded
with a cincture of leather. Jezebel persecuted Elijah, and
Herodias persecuted John. Elijah reproved Ahab, and John reproved
Herod. Elijah divided the Jordan, and John opened up
baptism. The spirit of Elijah rested twofold upon Elisha, so John
laid his hand on our Redeemer, and He received the Spirit not by
measure. Elijah opened the heavens and ascended; and John saw the
heavens opened, and the Spirit of God which descended and rested upon
our Redeemer. Elisha received twofold the Spirit of Elijah; and
our Redeemer received that of John and that of heaven. Elisha
took the mantle of Elijah, and our Redeemer the imposition of the hand
of the priests. Elisha made oil from water, and our Redeemer made
wine from water. Elisha satisfied with a little bread a hundred
men only; and our Redeemer satisfied with a little bread five thousand
men besides children and women. Elisha cleansed Naaman the leper,
and our Redeemer cleansed the ten (lepers). Elisha cursed the
children and they were devoured by bears, but our Redeemer blessed the
children. The children reviled Elisha, but the children glorified
our Redeemer with Hosannas. Elisha cursed Gehazi his servant, and
our Redeemer cursed Judas His disciple and blessed all His (other)
disciples. Elisha raised to life one dead man only, but our
Redeemer raised up three to life. On the bones of Elisha one dead
man revived, but when our Saviour descended to the abode of the dead,
He quickened many and raised them up. And many are the signs that
the Spirit of Christ wrought, which the Prophets received from Him.
14. Therefore, my beloved, we also have received of the Spirit of Christ, and Christ dwelleth in us, as
it is written that the Spirit said this through the mouth of the
Prophet:—I will dwell in them and will walk in
them.930
Therefore let
us prepare our temples for the Spirit of Christ, and let us not grieve
it that it may not depart from us. Remember the warning that the
Apostle gives us:—Grieve not the Holy Spirit whereby ye have
been sealed unto the day of redemption. For from baptism do
we receive the Spirit of Christ. For in that hour in which the
priests invoke the Spirit, the heavens open and it descends and
moves upon the waters.931
And those
that are baptized are clothed in it; for the Spirit stays aloof from
all that are born of the flesh, until they come to the new birth by
water, and then they receive the Holy Spirit. For in the first
birth they are born with an animal souls which is created within man and is not thereafter subject to death, as he said:—Adam became a
living soul.932
But in the
second birth, that through baptism, they received the Holy Spirit from
a particle of the Godhead, and it is not again subject to death.
For when men die, the animal spirit is buried with the body, and sense
is taken away from it, but the heavenly spirit that they receive goes
according to its nature to Christ. And both these the Apostle has
made known, for he said:—The body is buried in animal wise,
and rises again in spiritual wise.933
The Spirit goes back again to
Christ according to its nature, for the Apostle said
again:—When we shall depart from the body we shall be with our
Lord.934
For the
Spirit of Christ, which the spiritual receive, goes to our Lord.
And the animal spirit is buried in its nature, and sense is taken away
from it. Whosoever guards the Spirit of Christ in purity, when it
returns to Christ it thus addresses him:—“The body into
which I went, and which put me on from the water of the baptism, has
kept me in holiness.” And the Holy Spirit will be earnest
with Christ for the resurrection of that body which kept Him with
purity, and the Spirit will request to be again conjoined to it that
that body may rise up in glory. And whatever man there is that
receives the Spirit from the water (of baptism) and grieves it, it
departs from him until he dies, and returns according to its nature to
Christ, and accuses that man of having grieved it. And when the
time of the final consummation shall have come, and the time of the
Resurrection shall have approached, the Holy Spirit, that was kept in
purity, receives great power from its nature and comes before Christ
and stands at the door of the tombs, where the men are buried that kept
it in purity, and awaits the (resurrection) shout. And when the
Watchers shall have opened the doors of heaven before the
King,935
then the cornet shall summon, and the trumpets shall sound, and the Spirit that waits for the (resurrection)
shout shall hear, and quickly shall open the tombs, and raise up the
bodies and whatsoever was buried in them, and shall put on the glory
that comes with it. And (the Spirit) shall be within for the
resurrection of the body, and the glory shall be without for the
adornment of the body. And the animal spirit shall be swallowed
up in the heavenly Spirit, and the whole man shall become spiritual,
since his body is possessed by it (the Spirit). And death shall
be swallowed up in life,936
and body shall be swallowed up in Spirit. And by the power of the Spirit, that man
shall fly up to meet the King and He shall receive him with joy, and
Christ shall give thanks for the body that has kept His Spirit in
purity.
15. This is the Spirit, my beloved, that the Prophets received, and thus also have we received. And it is not
at every time found with those that receive it, but sometimes it
returns to Him that sent it, and sometimes it goes to him that receives
it. Hearken to that which our Lord said:—Despise not one
of these little ones that believe on Me, for their angels in heaven do
always behold the face of My Father.937
This Spirit then goes frequently
and stands before God and beholds His face, and whosoever injures the
temple in which it dwells, it will accuse him before God.
16. I will instruct thee of that which is written, that the Spirit is not at every time found with those that
receive it. For thus it is written about Saul, that the Holy
Spirit, which he received when he was anointed, departed from
him,938
because he grieved it, and God sent to him instead of it a vexing spirit.
And whenever he was afflicted by the evil spirit, David used to play
upon the harp, and the Holy Spirit, which David received when he was
anointed, would come, and the evil spirit that was vexing Saul, would
flee from before it. So the Holy Spirit that David received was not found with him at every time. As long as he was playing the harp, then
it used to come. For had it been with him always, it would not
have allowed him to sin with the wife of Uriah. For when he was
praying about his sins, and was confessing his offences before God, he
said thus:—Take not Thy holy spirit from me.939
Also concerning Elisha it is thus
written, that, while he played upon his harp, then the spirit came
to him and he prophesied and said:—Thus saith the Lord, ye
shall not see wind nor rain, yet this valley shall be made many
pits.940
And also when
the Shunamite came to him because of her son that was dead, he said
thus to her:—The Lord hid it from me and did cause me not to
know it.941
Yet, when the
King of Israel sent against him to slay him, the Spirit informed him
before the messenger came upon him, and he said:—Lo! this son
of iniquity has sent to take away my head.942
And again he made known about the
abundance that came about in Samaria the day after. And again the
Spirit informed him when Gehazi stole the silver and concealed
it.
17. Therefore, my beloved, when the Holy Spirit departs from a man who has received it, until it returns and
comes to him, then Satan draws near unto that man, to cause him to sin,
and that the Holy Spirit may leave him altogether. For as long as
the Spirit is with a man, Satan fears to come near him. And
observe, my beloved, that our Lord also, Who was born from the Spirit,
was not tempted by Satan until in baptism He received the Spirit from
on high. And then the Spirit led him forth to be tempted by
Satan. This, then, is the way with man; that in the hour in which
he perceives in himself that he is not fervent in the Spirit, and that
his heart is inclining to the thought of this world, he may know that
the Spirit is not with him, and may arise and pray and keep vigil that
the Spirit of God may come to him, that he be not overcome by the
adversary. A thief does not dig into a house, until he sees that
its master is departing from it. Thus also Satan cannot draw near
to that house which is our body, until the Spirit of Christ departs
from it. And be sure, my beloved, that the thief does not
certainly know whether the master of the house is within or not, but
first he applies his ear, and looks. If he hears the voice
of the master of the house within it saying:—“I have a
journey to go,” and when he has searched out and seen that the
master of the house has set out to perform his business, then the thief
comes and digs into the house and steals. But if he hears the
voice of the master of the house admonishing and commanding his
household to watch and guard his house, and saying to them, “I
also am within the house,” then the thief will fear and flee,
that he may not be taken and captured. Thus also Satan, he has
not the knowledge beforehand to know or see when the Spirit will
depart, that so he may come to rob the man; but he too listens and
watches, and so assails. But if he hears a man in whom Christ
dwells speaking shameful words, or enraged, or quarrelling, or
contending, then Satan knows that Christ is not with him, and he comes
and accomplishes his will in him. For Christ dwells in the
peaceful and the meek, and lodges in those that fear His word, as He
says through the prophet:—On whom shall I look, and in whom
shall I dwell, but in the peaceful and the meek who fear My
word?943
And our
Lord said:—Whoever walks in My commandments and keeps My love,
We will come to him and make Our abode with him.944
But if he hears from a man that he
is on his guard and is praying and meditating in the Law of his Lord by
day and by night, then he turns back from him, for he knows that Christ
is with him. And if thou shouldest say, “How manifold is
Satan! for lo! he fights with many;” then hear and learn from
that which I proved to thee above concerning Christ, that no matter to what extent He is divided amongst many, yet He is not a whit
diminished. For, as the house, through the window of which a
little sunlight enters, is altogether illumined, so the man into whom a
little of Satan enters, is altogether darkened. Hear that which
the Apostle said:—If Satan is transfigured to an angel of
light, it is no wonder if his ministers also are transfigured to
ministers of righteousness.945
And again our
Lord said to His disciples:—Lo, I have given you authority to
tread upon the power of the adversary.946
And the Scriptures have made known
that he has power and also ministers. Moreover Job said
concerning him:—God made him to wage his war.947
These ministers then that he has,
he causes to run in the world, to wage war. But be sure that he
will not fight openly; because from the time of the coming of our
Saviour, (God) has given authority over him. But he will surely
plunder and steal.
18. But I will explain to thee, my beloved, concerning that word which the Apostle said, by which can be weighed
the doctrines that are instruments of the Evil One and doctrines of
deceit. For the Apostle said:—There is an animal body
and there is a spiritual body, seeing that it is thus
written:—The first Adam became a living soul and the
second Adam a quickening spirit.948
So
they949
say that there will be two Adams.
But he said:—As we have put on the image of that Adam who was
from the earth, so we shall put on the image of that Adam who is from
heaven.950
For Adam who
was from the earth was he that sinned, and the Adam who is from heaven
is our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. They then that receive the
Spirit of Christ, come into the likeness of the heavenly Adam, Who is
our Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ. For the animal shall be
swallowed up in the spiritual, as I wrote unto thee above. And
the man that grieves the spirit of Christ, will be animal in his
resurrection; because the heavenly spirit is not with him, that the
animal might be swallowed up in it. But when he shall arise he
shall continue in his natural state, naked of the Spirit. Because
he stripped off from him the Spirit of Christ, he shall be given over
to utter nakedness. And whosoever honours the Spirit, and it is
guarded in him in purity, in that day the Holy Spirit shall protect
him, and he shall become altogether spiritual, and shall not be found
naked; as the Apostle said:—And when we shall have clothed
ourselves, may we not be found naked.951
And again he said:—We shall
all sleep, but in the resurrection we shall not all be
changed.952
And again he
said:—This which dies shall put on that which dies not, and
this which is corruptible that which is incorruptible, and when this
which dies shall have put on that which dies not, and this corruptible
that which is incorruptible, then shall be accomplished that word which
is written that death is swallowed up by victory.953
Again he said:—Suddenly as
the twinkling of an eye, the dead shall rise incorruptible and we shall
be changed.954
And they who
shall be changed shall put on the form of that heavenly Adam and shall
become spiritual. And those who shall not be changed, shall
continue animal in the created nature of Adam, namely, of dust; and
shall continue in their nature in the earth below. And then the
heavenly shall be caught up to heaven and the Spirit that they have put
on shall cause them to fly, and they shall inherit the kingdom that was
prepared for them from the beginning. And they that are animal
shall remain on the earth by the weight of their bodies, and shall turn
back to Sheol, and there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
19. In writing this I have reminded myself, and
also thee, my beloved; therefore love virginity, the heavenly portion,
the fellowship of the Watchers of heaven. For there is nothing comparable with it. And in those that are thus, in them Christ dwells.
The time of summer is at hand, and the fig-tree has budded and its
leaves have come out955
—the signs that
our Redeemer gave have begun to be fulfilled. For he
said:—People shall rise against people and kingdom against
kingdom. And there shall be famines and pestilences and terrors
from heaven.956
And lo! all
these things are being accomplished in our days.
20. Therefore read in this whatever I have written unto thee, thou and the brethren, the monks that love
virginity. And be on thy guard against scorners. For
whosoever scorns and mocks his brother, the word that is written in the
Gospel fitly applies to him; namely, when our Lord wished to take
account with the avaricious and with the Pharisees. For it is
written:—Because they loved money, they mocked
Him.957
So also now
those that do not agree with these things mock in the same way.
Read then and learn. Be zealous for reading and for doing.
And let the Law of God be thy meditation at every time. And when
thou hast read this epistle, on thy life (I adjure thee), my beloved,
arise and pray, and remember my sinfulness in thy
prayer.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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