Tears Must Not Be Forced

Very different from these are the tears squeezed out of dry eyes while the heart is hard. We cannot believe they are altogether fruitless, for the attempt to shed them is made with a good intention, especially by those who have not yet been able to reach perfect knowledge or to be thoroughly cleansed from the stains of past or present sins. Still, those who have already advanced to the love of virtue certainly ought not to force out a flow of tears in this way, nor should they labor hard to bring about the weeping of the outward man. Even if it is produced, it will never reach the rich abundance of tears that come of themselves. Instead, the effort will cast down the soul of the one who prays and bring him low. It will sink him in human concerns and draw him away from the heavenly heights, where the awed mind of one who prays ought to be steadily fixed. And it will force the mind to loosen its hold on its prayers and grow sick from barren, forced tears.