Fifty Spiritual Homilies 1 part 5/19

Someone comes in to bend the knee, and his heart is filled with the divine working, and the soul rejoices with the Lord as a bride with the bridegroom, according to the word of Isaiah the prophet, who says:

As a bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall the Lord rejoice over you.

And it happens that this one, occupied all day long, in one hour gives himself to prayer, and the inner man is snatched away into prayer, into the boundless depth of that age, in much sweetness, so that the whole mind is amazed, being aloft and caught up there, so that at that time forgetfulness comes upon the thoughts of the earthly disposition, because the thoughts are filled and taken captive into the divine and heavenly things, into boundless and incomprehensible matters, into certain wonders impossible to be uttered by a human mouth, so that at that hour he prays and says, 'Would that the soul departed together with the prayer!'

being together with the man as one essence, yet in manifold ways, as it wills, dispensing to the man for his profit.

At one time the fire blazes up and kindles more, at another it is as if softer and gentler.

And the light itself at certain times kindles and shines more, but at another it withdraws and grows dim.

And this lamp, always burning and shining, when it is made more radiant, blazes up in the inebriation of the love of God;

but again, by dispensation, it gives way, though the light, while present, is dimmer.

Moreover, to some the sign of the cross has appeared through light and has been fastened upon the inner man.

At another time again, in prayer the man came to be as in ecstasy and found himself standing at the altar in a church, and three loaves were brought to such a one as though leavened with oil, and as much as he ate, that the more increased and grew.

At another time again, as it were a luminous garment, such as is not on earth in this age, nor possible to be made by human hands (for in the way that the Lord, having gone up into the mountain with John and Peter, changed His garments and made them flash like lightning), such was that garment, and the man clothed in it was astonished and marveled.

And at another time the light itself, shining in the heart, opened the more inward and deeper and hidden light, so that the whole man, swallowed up into that sweetness and contemplation, no longer had possession of himself, but was as a fool and a barbarian to this world by reason of the surpassing love and sweetness, by reason of the hidden mysteries, so that the man at that time, being set free, attained to the perfect measures and was pure and free from sin.

But after these things grace withdrew, and the veil of the opposing power came;

and it appears somehow partially, and he stood at one degree lower than perfection.

So that, as it were, one must pass through twelve degrees and attain to perfection.

At one time someone attained to grasp that measure and entered into perfection; again grace gives way and he descends by one degree and stands at the eleventh.

But one rich in grace stands always, night and day, at the perfect measures, being free and pure, ever captive and aloft.

And now, the one to whom those wonders were shown and of which the man received the experience—if it were with him always, he could not undertake the dispensation of the word or bear the burden, nor could he endure to hear or to take thought for anything whatever concerning himself or concerning the morrow, but only to sit in one corner, aloft and inebriated.

So that the perfect measure was not given, that he might be able to give attention to the care of the brethren and to the ministry of the word; nevertheless the middle wall of partition has been broken down and death has been overcome.

But the matters are thus.

As it were a kind of murky power lies upon and lightly overshadows like a thick mist, although the lamp is always burning and shining—as it were a veil lies upon that light;

whence such a one confesses that he is not perfect, nor wholly free from sin;

so as to say that the middle wall of partition has been broken down and shattered, and yet again in some respect the whole has not been broken down, nor always.

For there is a time when it blazes up more and comforts and gives rest;

there is a time when it withdraws and grows dim, as grace itself dispenses for the man's profit.

But who is the one who has come into the perfect measure at times, and has tasted and has experience of that age? For up to now I have seen no perfect or free Christian.

But even if one finds rest in grace and enters into mysteries and revelations and into much sweetness of grace, nevertheless sin is still present within.

But they, on account of the surpassing grace and the light in them, think themselves to be free and perfect, being deceived through inexperience, since they have the working of grace.

Since I too, partially, at certain times, have entered into that measure and know, having learned by experience, how a man is not perfect.

Question: Tell us, in what measures of grace are you? Answer: After the sign of the cross, grace now works in this way: it brings peace to all the members and to the heart, so that from great joy the soul appears like an innocent child, and a person no longer condemns Greek or Jew or sinner or worldly man.

Rather, the inward man beholds all people with a pure eye, and the person rejoices over the whole world and wishes to revere and love all—Greeks and Jews alike.

At another hour he has such confidence toward the Son of God, as a king's son toward his father; doors are opened to him and he enters within into many mansions, and the more he enters, the more are opened to him—so to speak, from a hundred mansions into another hundred mansions. He grows rich, and the richer he becomes, the more new and wondrous things are shown him; and to him as a son and heir are entrusted things that cannot be uttered by human nature, nor articulated by mouth and tongue.

The spiritual working of God's grace, when it comes to be in the soul, accomplishes its work with much long-suffering and wisdom and the mystical economy of the mind, and with much patience over times and seasons, while the person strives.

And then the work of grace is shown to be perfected in him, when his free will has been proven, after many trials, to be well-pleasing to the Spirit, having displayed its testing and endurance through the course of time.

Let us set forth this sequence from the God-inspired Scriptures, by means of the types that have been made manifest.

What I mean is something like this—as in the case of Joseph.

In how many seasons and times was God's determined purpose concerning him fulfilled, and the visions accomplished! And in how many prior toils and afflictions and distresses was he tested, yet he endured all things nobly, and in everything was found a proven and faithful servant to God.

Then he became ruler of Egypt and nourished his kindred; and the prophecy of the visions was fulfilled, and the purpose of God, which had received its prediction long beforehand, came to pass through time and much dispensation.

God anointed him as king through Samuel the prophet;

and when he had been anointed, then he fled, being pursued by Saul to be put to death.

And where, then, was God's anointing, and where the promise, as regards speed? For after being anointed, he was then grievously afflicted, driven into the wilderness and lacking even bread, and taking refuge among the nations because of Saul's plotting against him.

He whom God had anointed as king was beset with such afflictions; then, after being tested over time, and afflicted and tempted, and having shown long-suffering, once he had fully believed God and assured himself that what God had done concerning him through the prophet's anointing, and what God had spoken would come to pass regarding him, must without doubt come to pass.

God, foreknowing and predestining this man as leader and redeemer of the people, caused him to become the son of Pharaoh's daughter; and he was raised in royal wealth and glory and luxury, instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And when he had grown to manhood and become great, he renounced all those things, choosing rather the ill-treatment and reproaches of Christ, according to the apostolic word, than to have the passing enjoyment of sin—

he who had been brought up in royal enjoyment and luxury.

And thus, having afterward been found proven and faithful to God through his great long-suffering—as one who had endured many trials—he became redeemer and leader and king of Israel, and was called by God a god to Pharaoh;

for through him God scourged Egypt and displayed great wonders against Pharaoh, and finally drowned the Egyptians in the sea.

Behold, after how many years was God's purpose and design made manifest, and after how many trials and afflictions was it accomplished!

Likewise also in the case of Abraham:

how many years before did God promise to grant him a son, and yet he did not give it at once, but in the meantime how many years of trials and temptations came upon him!

But he, long-sufferingly enduring all that befell him and assuring himself by faith that the One who had promised, being incapable of lying, would fulfill His word—being thus found faithful, he obtained the promise.

In like manner Noah also, having been commanded by God in his five-hundredth year to build the ark—God having declared that He would bring a flood upon the inhabited world, and bringing it in his six-hundredth year—was long-suffering for a hundred years, in no way doubting whether God does what He has said or does not, but having once been fully assured by faith that whatever God spoke must without doubt come to pass.

And thus, being found proven in his free choice through faith and patience and much long-suffering, he alone with his household was saved, having kept the commandment purely.

We have brought forth these occasions from the Scriptures to demonstrate that the working of God's grace, which comes to be in a person, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which a faithful soul is counted worthy to receive, comes about through much striving and much patience and long-suffering and temptations and trials, the free will being tested through all afflictions.

And when the soul grieves the Spirit in nothing, but becomes harmonious with grace through all the commandments, then it is counted worthy to attain freedom from the passions, and receives the fullness of the adoption of the Spirit, and of the wisdom spoken in mystery, and of the spiritual riches, and of the understanding that is not of this world—of which the true Christians become partakers.

Therefore such persons differ in everything from all those who have the spirit of the world—the prudent, the intelligent, the wise.

For such a one discerns all people, according to what is written; he knows each person—whence he speaks, where he stands, and in what measures he is.

But him no person who has the spirit of the world is able to know or discern—except only the one who has the like heavenly Spirit of the Godhead knows the one like himself, as the apostle says:

"comparing spiritual things with spiritual."

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God;

but the spiritual man discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no one."

Such a one regards all the glorious things of the world—wealth and luxury and every enjoyment, and knowledge itself, and all the things of this age—as abominable and hateful,

in comparison with the heavenly good things of love;

from which love nothing—neither things heavenly nor earthly nor under the earth—will be able to separate them, as the apostle Paul testified: "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" and what follows.

But it is not possible for anyone to find the possession of his own soul and of the heavenly love of the Spirit, unless, estranging himself from all the things of this age, he gives himself over to the seeking of the love of Christ, and his mind becomes free of all material cares and earthly distractions—so that he may be able to occupy himself wholly with the one aim, directing these things through all the commandments; that the whole care and seeking and concern and occupation of the soul may be about the searching out of the intelligent substance, how it must be adorned with the commandments of the virtues and with the heavenly adornment of the Spirit, and with fellowship in the purity and sanctification of Christ; so that a person, having renounced all things and cut off from himself all the impediments of matter and earth, and having become free of fleshly love or attachment to parents or kinsfolk, may not allow his mind to be occupied or distracted with anything else—neither with rule nor glory nor honors nor fleshly friendships of the world, nor with any other earthly concerns;

but that the mind may wholly and entirely take up its care and travail about the seeking of the intelligent substance of the soul, and may wholly and entirely persevere in the expectation and awaiting of the Spirit's visitation, as the Lord says:

"In your patience you shall possess your souls," and again:

"Seek the kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you."

And may it come to pass that one who strives in this way, and always attends to himself—whether in prayer or in obedience or in any work whatever done according to God—may be enabled to escape the darkness of the evil powers.

For the mind, not becoming separated from its own searching and from seeking after the Lord, is able to gain possession of its own soul, which is in the perdition of the passions, by always violently and zealously taking itself captive to the Lord and cleaving to Him alone, as it is said:

"taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ"—so that, through such striving and longing and seeking, the mind may be counted worthy to become one spirit with the Lord, the gift and grace of Christ having found rest in the vessel of the soul, when the soul has prepared itself beforehand for every good work and does not insult the Spirit of the Lord by its own wills and by the wanderings of this age, or by glories or rulings or self-opinions or fleshly pleasures and the associations and fellowships of evil men.

For it is a beloved thing if the soul, having wholly and entirely dedicated itself to the Lord and cleaving to Him alone, and abiding unforgetfully in His commandments, and having worthily honored the Spirit of Christ that has visited and overshadowed it, be counted worthy to become with Him one spirit and one blending, as the apostle says:

"He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit."

But if anyone gives himself over to cares or glory or rule, or busies himself with the honors of men and seeks after these things, and the soul becomes mingled and confused in earthly reasonings, or is bound and held fast by anything of this age—and if such a soul then longs to pass through, to escape and slip out of the darkness of the passions in which it is held by the evil powers—it cannot, because of its loving and doing the will of the darkness and its not perfectly hating the practices of evil.

Let us therefore prepare ourselves with all our purpose and all our will to journey toward the Lord and to become followers of Christ, to accomplish His wills and to remember all His commandments so as to do them; and, having wholly separated ourselves from the love of the world, let us suspend our souls upon Him alone, and keep in mind the occupation and care and seeking of Him alone.

Let us be occupied; let not the mind be separated from the love and seeking and longing toward the Lord—so that, striving with such a mind and journeying the way of righteousness with an upright disposition, and always attending to ourselves, we may attain the promise of His Spirit and be redeemed by grace from the perdition of the darkness of the passions by which the soul is energized, that we may become worthy of the eternal kingdom and be counted worthy to enjoy Christ together throughout all the ages, glorifying Father and Son and Holy Spirit unto the ages.

The truth-loving and God-loving souls, longing in much hope and faith to put on Christ perfectly, do not so much need reminding from others, nor do they endure being diminished even a little in their heavenly longing and their love-ardor toward the Lord; but, wholly and entirely nailed to the cross of Christ, they perceive in themselves day by day a sense of spiritual progress toward the spiritual Bridegroom.

Wounded with the heavenly longing and hungering after the righteousness of the virtues, they have the radiance of the Spirit in great and insatiable desire.

And even if, through their faith, they are counted worthy to receive knowledge of divine mysteries, or to become partakers of the gladness of heavenly grace, they are not confident in themselves, supposing themselves to be something; but the more they are counted worthy of spiritual gifts, so much the more, being insatiable, do they laboriously seek after the heavenly longing.

And the more they receive in themselves a sense of spiritual progress, so much the more do they hunger and thirst for the partaking and increase of grace; and the more they are spiritually rich, so much the more are they as poor in their own estimation, being insatiable in spiritual longing toward the heavenly Bridegroom, as the Scripture says:

"They that eat me shall still hunger, and they that drink me shall still thirst."

Such souls, having love toward the Lord fervently and insatiably, are worthy of eternal life;

therefore they are counted worthy of the redemption from the passions, and they perfectly receive the radiance and participation of the Holy Spirit—of that ineffable and mystical fellowship in the fullness of grace.

But as many souls as are unmanly and slack, not seeking from here on—while they are still in the flesh—the sanctification of the heart, not in part but perfectly, to receive it through patience and long-suffering and to have fellowship with the Comforter Spirit in perfection with all perception and full assurance; and not awaiting to be redeemed from the passions of evil through the Spirit; or again, having been counted worthy of divine grace, give themselves over—being stolen away by evil—to a certain carelessness and ease, supposing that, because they have received the grace of the Spirit and have the consolation of grace in rest and longing and spiritual sweetness, this is enough;

and being confident in this, they are lifted up and grow careless, not being broken in heart nor humbled in mind, neither being in the perfect measure of dispassion, nor having awaited to be perfectly filled with grace in all diligence and faith; but they were content, and rested upon, and remained in the little consolation of grace, having advanced rather toward exaltation than toward humility—

such souls are, at some time or other, stripped even of the very gift of which they had been counted worthy, because of their negligent contempt and the vain conceit of their self-opinion.

For a soul that truly loves God and loves Christ, though it perform ten thousand righteous deeds, regards itself as having done nothing, because of its insatiable longing toward the Lord;

it is disposed to labor over the virtues;

and even if it be counted worthy to attain to various gifts of the Spirit, or even revelations and heavenly mysteries, it considers that it has as yet gained nothing in itself, because of the immeasurable and insatiable love toward the Lord.

But every day, hungering and thirsting through faith and love, in perseverance of prayer, it is insatiable toward the mysteries of grace and toward every state of virtue, being wounded with the heavenly love-ardor of the Spirit, and always stirring up in itself, through grace, a fervent longing toward the heavenly Bridegroom, desiring to be counted perfectly worthy of the mystical and ineffable fellowship with Him in the sanctification of the Spirit; unveiled in the face of the soul and gazing upon the heavenly Bridegroom face to face in spiritual and unutterable light, being blended with Him in all full assurance, conformed to His death in much desire, ever awaiting death for Christ's sake, and believing in full assurance that it will receive from the Spirit perfect redemption from sin and from the darkness of the passions—so that, having been cleansed by the Spirit and sanctified in soul and body, it may be counted worthy to become a pure vessel for the reception of the heavenly ointment and a dwelling for the true King, Christ.

And then it is established as worthy of the heavenly life, having become from now on a pure dwelling-place of the Holy Spirit.

But for a soul to come into these measures is neither all at once nor untested; rather, through many toils and struggles and times and diligence, with testing and various temptations, it receives spiritual increase and progress, up to the perfect measure of dispassion—so that, enduring readily and nobly every temptation brought on by evil, it may then be counted worthy of the great honors and spiritual gifts and heavenly riches, and thus become heir of the heavenly kingdom in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and might unto the ages.

The heavenly fire of the Godhead, which Christians receive within themselves in the heart now in this age—this same fire, which now ministers within their heart, when the body is dissolved, becomes external, and again joins together the members and brings about the resurrection of the dissolved members.

For just as the fire in Jerusalem that ministered at the altar was, at the time of the captivity, hidden in a pit, and that same fire, when peace came and the captives returned, was as it were renewed and ministered as usual—so also now the body that lies near, which after dissolution becomes mire, the heavenly fire works upon, and renews and raises up the corrupted bodies.

For the fire that now dwells inwardly in the heart then becomes external and brings about the resurrection of the bodies.

For indeed, in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, the fire in the furnace was not divine, but was a created thing;

but the three children, because of their righteousness, while being in the visible fire, had in their hearts the divine and heavenly fire, ministering within their thoughts and working in them;

and that very fire appeared external to them;

for it stood in their midst and restrained the visible fire from burning and harming the righteous in any way.

Likewise also in the case of Israel: since their mind and reasoning had it in their intent to depart from the living God and to turn to idolatry, Aaron was compelled to tell them to bring the golden vessels and ornaments.

Then the gold and the vessels which they cast into the fire became an idol, and the fire, as it were, imitated their free choice.

And this is a marvelous thing:

the fire likewise wrought the cast-in vessels into an idol, and thereupon, in the visible realm, they committed idolatry.

As, then, the three children, reckoning righteousness, received in themselves the fire of God and worshiped the Lord in truth—so also now the faithful souls receive that divine and heavenly fire in this age in secret, and that same fire forms a heavenly image upon their humanity.

As, then, the fire formed the golden vessels and they became an idol, so also the Lord, who imitates the free choices of the faithful and good souls, forms according to their will a new image in the soul; and at the resurrection He appears external to them and glorifies their bodies within and without.

But just as their bodies are for the present, in this time, corrupted and dead and dissolved, so also are the thoughts of some, corrupted by Satan and dead from the life, and buried in mire and earth;

as, then, the Israelites cast the golden vessels into the fire and it became an idol, so now a person has handed over his pure and good thoughts to evil, and they have been buried in the mire of sin and have become an idol.

And how is one to find them out and discern them and cast them out of his own fire? Here the soul has need of a divine lamp—the Holy Spirit, which sets in order the darkened house; of the bright Sun of righteousness, which shines and rises in the heart;

it has need of a weapon that conquers the war.

For there too, the widow who had lost the drachma first lit the lamp, then put the house in order; and so, when the house had been ordered and the lamp lit, the drachma was found buried in the dung and in the filth and in the earth.

And now the soul cannot of itself find out its own reasonings and separate them; but when the divine lamp is lit, it shines into the darkened house, and then it beholds its thoughts, how they are buried in the filth and mire of sin.

The sun rises, and then the soul beholds its own perdition and begins to call back the thoughts that are mingled in the dung and filth.

For the soul lost its image when it transgressed the commandment.

As if there were a king who had possessions and servants under him ministering to him, and it befell that this man was taken by his enemies and led captive;

this man being taken and led captive, his servants and attendants must of necessity follow after him—so also Adam was created pure by God for His service, and these created things were given for his service;

for he was appointed lord and king of all created things.

But from the time when the evil word came to him and conversed with him, he first received it through the outward hearing; then it passed through his heart and laid hold of his whole substance; and so, thereupon, he being taken captive, the creation that ministered and served him was taken captive along with him.

For through him death reigned over every soul and effaced every image of Adam from his disobedience, so that people were turned aside and came to the worship of demons.

For behold, the fruits of the earth, well created by God, are offered to the demons—bread and wine and oil; and they place animals upon their altars; and not only so, but they even sacrificed their sons and daughters to the demons.

Now therefore the One who formed the body and the soul Himself comes and dissolves the whole conduct of the evil one and his works that are accomplished in the thoughts, and renews and forms the heavenly image, and makes the soul new—that Adam may again become king over death and lord of the creatures.

Now Moses of the law was called the savior of Israel;

for he brought them out of Egypt.

So also now the true Redeemer, Christ, passes into the hidden parts of the soul and brings it out of the dark Egypt and from the most heavy yoke and from the bitter bondage.