On Admonition and Repentance

This teaching is not forced on anyone; the word of life is a matter of free will. Whoever is willing to hear the teaching, let him clear the field of his will, so that the good seed does not fall among the thorns of empty questionings. If you want to heed the word of life, cut yourself off from evil things. Hearing the word does no good to the man who is busy with sins. If you want to be good, do not love loose habits. First of all trust in God, and then listen to his law. You cannot hear his words while you do not know yourself. And if you keep his judgments while your understanding stands aloof from him, who will give you your reward? Who will keep your recompense for you? You were baptized in his name; confess his name! In the Persons and in the naming, Father and Son and Holy Spirit, three names and Persons, these three will be a wall for you against divisions and quarrels. Do not doubt the truth, or you will perish through the truth. You were baptized from the water; you have put on Christ in his naming. The Lord’s seat is upon your person, and his stamp is on your forehead. See that you do not become another’s, for you have no other Lord. One is he who formed us in his mercy; one is he who redeemed us on his cross. He it is who guides our life; he it is who has power over our weakness; he it is who brings about our resurrection. He rewards us according to our works. Blessed is the one who confesses him, and hears and keeps his commandments! You, O man, are a son of God, who is high over all. See that you do not provoke by your works the Father, who is good and gracious. [a]

If you are angry with your neighbor, you are angry with God; and if you carry anger in your heart, you are raising your insolence against your Lord. If you rebuke out of envy, all your reproof is wicked. But if love lives in you, you have no enemy on earth. If you are a true son of peace, you will stir up anger in no one. If you are just and upright, you will do no wrong to your fellow man. And if you love to be angry, be angry with the wicked, and it will suit you. If you are looking for a war to fight, look: Satan is your adversary. If you want to revile someone, turn your curses on the demons. If you were to insult the king’s image, you would pay the penalty for murder; and if you revile a man, you revile the image of God. Honor your neighbor, and you have honored God. But if you would dishonor him, attack your neighbor in anger! [b] This is the first commandment: You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and your soul, and with your strength, as far as you are able. The sign that you love God is this, that you love your fellow man; and if you hate your fellow man, your hatred is directed at God. For it is blasphemy to pray before God while you are angry. For your own heart also convicts you that you multiply words in vain, and your conscience judges rightly that you gain nothing by your prayers. Christ, as he hung high on the tree, interceded for his murderers; and you, dust, a son of clay, are filled with rage whenever rage pleases. You keep up your anger against your brother, and do you still dare to pray? Even the one who stands beside you, though he has no share in your sins, is reached by the taint of wickedness, and his petition is not heard. Give up rage, and then pray. Unless you mean to give further provocation, hold back your anger, and so make your plea. And if the other is not to meet you in fury, banish rage from that body, because it is held fast by its desires. [c]

You have a spiritual nature; the soul is the image of the Creator. Honor the image of God by living in agreement with everyone. Remember death, and do not be angry, so that your peace is not something forced on you. As long as your life remains to you, cleanse your soul of anger; for if anger goes down to Sheol with you, your road will run straight to Gehenna. Do not keep anger in your heart; do not hold fury in your soul. You have no power over your soul except to do what is good. You were bought with the blood of God; you were redeemed by the suffering of Christ. For your sake he suffered death, so that you might die to your sins. His face endured spitting, so that you would not shrink from scorn. He drank vinegar and gall, so that you might be kept apart from anger. He took lashes on his body, so that you would not fear suffering. If you are truly his servant, fear your holy Lord; if you are his true disciple, walk in your Master’s footsteps. Put up with scorn from your brother, so that you may be the companion of Christ. Do not show anger toward anyone, so that you are not cut off from your Redeemer. [e]

You are a man, the dust of the earth, clay, kin to the clod; you are a son of the race of beasts. If you do not know your honor, set your soul apart from the animals by deeds and not by words. If you love ridicule, you are altogether like Satan; and if you mock your fellow man, you are the mouth of the devil. If you delight in giving people hurtful names for their defects and flaws, Satan is not in creation; it is you who have seized his place by force. Get far away from this, O man, for it does nothing but harm. If you want to live well, do not sit with the scoffer, or you will become a partner in his sin and in his punishment. Hate mockery, which is altogether the cause of weeping, and mirth, which is the cause of cleansing. And if you happen to hear someone mocking when you do not want to, sign yourself with the cross of light, and hurry away from there like an antelope. Where Satan lodges, Christ will in no way dwell. The man who mocks his neighbor is a roomy house for Satan; the heart of the mocker is a palace of the Enemy. Satan has no wish to add any other evil to it; mockery is enough for him to take the place of everything else. The sinner cannot fill either his belly or his purse with that sin of his. The wretch is robbed by his own laughter, and he neither knows it nor notices it. For his wound there is no cure; for his sickness there is no healing; his pain admits no remedy, and his sore will bear no medicine. I do not care to put out my tongue against such a man to reprove him: his own shame is enough for him, and his own boldness is sufficient for him. Blessed is the one who has not heard him, and blessed is the one who has not known him. Far be it from you, O Church, that he should enter you, that evil yeast of Satan! [f]

Narrow is the way of life, and broad is the way of torment. Prayer is able to bring a man to the house of the kingdom. This is the perfect work: prayer that is pure of wickedness. The righteousness of man counts for nothing. The work of men, what is it? His labor is all emptiness. It is from you, O Lord, from your grace, that we become good in our nature. Righteousness is from you, so that from mere men we may become righteous. Mercy and favor are from you, so that from the dust we may become your image. Give strength to our will, so that we are not sunk in sin! Pour remembrance into our heart, so that every hour we may know your honor! Plant truth in our minds, so that we do not perish among doubts! Fill our understanding with your law, so that it does not wander among empty thoughts! Order the movements of our limbs, so that they bring no harm on us! Draw near to God, so that Satan may flee from you. Cast passions out of your heart, and you have put the enemy to flight. Hate sins and wickedness, and Satan will flee at once. Whatever sins you serve, you are worshiping hidden idols. Whatever wrongdoing you love, you are serving demons in your soul. Whenever you quarrel with your brother, Satan stays at peace. Whenever you envy your fellow man, you give rest to demons. Whenever you tell the shortcomings of others who are not there, your tongue has made a harp for the devil’s music. Whenever there is hatred in your soul, the Deceiver enjoys great peace. Whenever you love incantations, your labor belongs altogether to the left hand. If you love indecent talk, you are preparing a feast for demons. For this is the worship of idols: carrying out the desires of the flesh. [g]

If you give a gift in pride, it is not of God. If you are puffed up because of your knowledge, you have denied the grace of God. If you are poor and proud, your end is in your torment. If you are haughty and needy, your need is leading to your destruction. If you are sick and cry out, your trouble is full of harm. If you are in need of food and yet your mind longs for riches, your distress is with the poor, but your torment is with the rich. If you look with unchaste eyes and desire your neighbor’s wife, your portion will be with the adulterers, and your hell with the sexually immoral. Let your own fountain be for yourself, and drink water from your own well. Let your fountains be for you alone, and let no one else drink with you. Require purity of your own body as you require it of your wife. You would not have her, the wife of your youth, commit lewdness with another man; so do not commit lewdness yourself with another woman, the wife of a different husband. Let defiling her be hateful in your eyes; keep well away from it. Chastity suits the wife; purity is like her adornment. Law becomes the husband; justice is the crown on his head. Do not desire your neighbor’s bed, or someone else will desire yours. Keep purity in your marriage, so that your marriage may be holy. The man who corrupts his neighbor’s wife is reproached by his own conscience. Whoever has taken part in sexual immorality is afraid, and out of terror he deceives. The man whose way of life is not pure loves darkness more than light. The one who commits adultery in secret lives in dread every hour. The adulterer is also a thief, who breaks into houses in the dark. The very place where he does the evil and wickedness reproaches him. He goes into the bedroom and sins; in the dark he does what he wants. The time will come when it will be uncovered, when his secret deeds will be brought into the open. With what eyes do you look toward God in prayer? What hands do you raise when you ask for pardon? Be ashamed and dismayed at yourself, for you have no understanding. If you are ashamed and dismayed when your neighbor sees you, how much more should you be ashamed before God, who sees everything? You are like the sow, your companion, which wallows all over in the mire. Even by seeing you may sin, if your mind is not watchful; and by hearing you may do wrong, if you do not guard your hearing. The heart of the sexually immoral man grows wanton through talk that is full of uncleanness. Sight and hearing awaken the passion hidden in the mind. [i]

The man who wants to commit sexual immorality puts on shameful clothes, so that through the craving for clothing lewdness may come in and live in his heart. Do not make snares of your clothes for what is openly wanton. Do not speak a crafty word, and do not dig your neighbor’s well. Do not gaze after the prostitute; do not be snared by the beauty of her face. She is like a mad dog, and much bolder than one. Modesty is gone from her face; she does not know what shame is. Meet her with spitting; meet her with abuse; chase her away with a stick like a dog, for she is like one and is to be compared with such. Reject the sweetness of her words, or you will fall into her net. She empties purses and bags, and her takings are past counting. Run from her, for she is the daughter of vipers, or she will tear your whole body to pieces. [k] Do not slander anyone, or they will call you Satan. If you hate the name, do not go near the act; but if you love the act, do not be angry at the name. Count yourself rebuked first of all by the beasts and the birds, for every kind keeps close to its own kind; so keep in agreement with the one who is yoked with you. Do not rejoice when people are dishonored, or you will become a Satan yourself. If evil happens to someone who hates you, see that you do not rejoice, or you will sin. If your adversary falls, be in pain and mourning. Keep your heart with all diligence, so that it does not sin in secret; for thoughts and actions alike are to be laid bare. Keep your hands busy with work, and let your heart meditate in prayer. Do not love idle talk; for talk that profits both soul and body lightens the burden of your work. [l]

Does the poor man cry at your door? Get up and open to him gladly. Refresh him when he is worn out; encourage his heart, for it is sad. You know from experience the hardship of poverty: do not receive others into your house, and do not drive out the beggar. Have a law for your household too, a fitting law. Set up a wise order, so that the lowliest do not laugh at you. Be careful in everything you do, so that you are not a laughingstock for fools. Be upright and prudent, both simple and wise. Let your body be quiet and cheerful, your greeting fitting and simple, your conversation without fault, your speech brief and well seasoned, your words few and sound, full of flavor and understanding. Do not talk too much, not even with wise words; for anything there is too much of is tiresome, even if it is wise. Be like a father to those of your household. Among your brothers count yourself the least, lower than your fellows, and of little account with everyone. Keep a secret with your friend; be true to those who love you. See that there is no quarreling. Do not reveal the secrets of your friends, or everyone who hears you will hate you and count you a troublemaker. Do not quarrel with those who hate you, neither to their face nor even in your heart. You are to have no enemy but Satan himself. Give counsel to the wife you have married; pay attention to what she does. As the stronger, you are responsible to support her weakness, for womankind is weak and very quick to fall. Be like a hawk when you are stirred up, but when anger leaves you, be cheerful and steady as well, blending these different qualities. Keep silent among the aged; give due honor to the elders. Honor the priests diligently, as good stewards of the household. Give due honor to their rank, and do not pry into what they do. In his rank the priest is an angel, but in his doings he is a man. By mercy he is made a mediator between God and mankind. [m]

Do not search out people’s faults; do not reveal your fellow man’s sin; do not repeat with your mouth the shortcomings of your neighbors. You are not a judge in creation; you have no dominion over the earth. If you love righteousness, reprove your own soul and yourself. Be the judge of your own sins and the one who corrects your own wrongdoing. Do not make spiteful inquiries into other people’s misdeeds; for if you do this, you will not lack for injuries yourself. Do not trust what your ear hears, for there are many deceivers. Do not believe empty reports, for false rumors are not few. Pay no attention to spells and fortune-telling, for that is fellowship with Satan. Do not love idle chatter, not even on behalf of righteousness. Do not start talking about yourself, not even for a fitting reason. Run and hide from quarreling as you would from a violent robber. See that you do not stand guarantor for a loan, or you will sin. Help the man who is poorer than you, as far as you have the means. Do not mock the foolish man; pray that you do not become like him. Do not blame the one who sins, or you too will be put to shame. Be a helper and counselor to the one who repents of his sins, and encourage the one who is able to rise. Let him hold fast to hope in God, and his sin will be burned up like stubble. Visit the sick and do not grow weary of it, so that you may be loved by people. Be at home in the house of mourning, but a stranger to the house of feasting. Do not be forever drinking wine, or your shortcomings will multiply. Build a wall around your lips and set a guard over your mouth. Bear suffering with your neighbor, and share in his trouble too. A good friend is made known in trouble to the one who loves him. In love, follow the dead with sorrow and with offerings, and pray that he may have rest in the hidden place where he is going.

When you stand in prayer, cry out in your soul: “Have mercy on me, for I am a sinner and weak. Be gracious, O God, to my weakness, and give me strength to pray a prayer that will be pleasing to your will. Do not punish my enemies; do not take vengeance on those who hate me; but grant them in your grace that they may become doers of your will.” At the time of prayer and petition, keep on in thoughts like these. Bow your head before the Mighty One.

Do not resist evil, for whoever resists evil is evil, from the Evil One. Do not hold anything back from anyone, so that if he perishes you will not be blamed. Do not change the respect you show a person according to his goods and possessions. Treat all things as though they did not exist and God alone existed. If you ask something of your neighbor and he does not give it to you as you wished, see that you do not say a bitter word in anger. Do not set yourself against the fitting seasons, for changes are many. Put sorrow far from your flesh, and sadness from your thoughts, except that you should be constant in sadness for your sins. Do not stop working, not even if you are rich, for the lazy man piles up guilt of many kinds by his idleness. [o] Be a lover of poverty, and long for want. If you have both of them as your portion, you are an heir on high. Do not despise the voice of the poor man, and give him no cause to curse you; for if a man with a bitter mouth curses you, the Lord will hear his petition. If his clothes are filthy, wash them in water, which costs nothing. Has a poor man come into your house? God has come into your house; God is living in your home. The one you have refreshed in his troubles will deliver you from troubles. Have you washed the stranger’s feet? You have washed away the filth of your sins. Have you set a table before him? See: God is eating at it, and Christ is drinking at it too, and the Holy Spirit is resting on it. Is the poor man satisfied and refreshed at your table? You have satisfied Christ your Lord. He is ready to be your rewarder. In the presence of angels and men he will confess that you fed him when he was hungry; he will thank you for giving him drink and quenching his thirst. [p]

Oh, how gracious the Lord is! Oh, how measureless are his mercies! Happy is the race of mortals when God confesses it! Woe to the soul he denies! Fire is stored up for its punishment. Take heart in hope, my son: sow good seed and do not lose heart. The farmer sows in hope, and the merchant travels in hope; you too love the good seed, so in hope look for the reward. Do not do anything at all without first beginning with prayer. Seal everything you do with the sign of the living cross, my son. Do not go out of the door of your house until you have signed yourself with the cross. Whether you are eating or drinking, sleeping or waking, at home or on the road, or again in your hours of leisure, do not neglect this sign, for there is no guardian like it. It will be like a wall for you, in front of everything you do. And teach this to your children, so that they carefully conform to it. [q]

Put yourself under the yoke of the law, so that you may be truly free. Do not carry out the desire of your soul apart from the law of God. How many commandments must I write, how many laws must I engrave, when, if you want your freedom, you can learn them all from yourself? And if you love purity, you will teach it to others as well. Let nature be your book and all creation your tablets; learn the laws from them, and meditate on things unwritten. The sun in its course teaches you to rest from work. The night in its silence cries out to you that a limit is set to your labors. The earth and the fruit of the tree cry out that there is a season for everything. The seed you sow in winter you harvest in summer. In the same way, sow seeds of righteousness in this world, and gather them in at the resurrection. The bird in its daily gleaning reproves the greedy man and his greed, and rebukes the extortion that seizes what others have stored. Death, the limit of all things, is itself the reprover of all things. Take refuge in God, who does not pass away and does not change. Restrain laughter with suffering, and merriment with sorrow. Comfort suffering with hope, and sadness with expectation. Believe and trust, you who are wise, for it is God who guides you; and if his care does not leave you, there is nothing that can harm you. If one man can be saved by another, the lowly by the great, how much more will the refuge of God keep safe the man who believes? Do not be afraid of adversaries who come at you with violence. He will keep watch over your soul, and harmful things will become profitable. No one will lead you by force, except only where there is freedom. No one falls into a trial beyond the measure of his strength. There is no evil in being chastened, provided that freedom is willing. The doings of freedom are not perverse; it is its will that is perverted. [r]

To people who are just and upright, trials become helps. Job, a man of discernment, was victorious in his trials. Sickness came on him, and he did not complain; disease afflicted him, and he did not grumble; his body failed and his strength left him, but his will was not weakened. He proved perfect in everything through his sufferings, because trials did not crush him. Abraham was a stranger, away from his place, his people, and his kindred; but this did him no harm. No, he triumphed greatly. So too Joseph, out of the house of slavery, was made to rule as king of Egypt. Hananiah and his companions, with Daniel, delivered others from slavery. See then, you who are wise, the power that freedom has: nothing can injure it unless the will grows weak. Israel grew fat on rich living, and kicked, and forgot his covenant. He worshiped empty gods, and forgot the nature of his own making. In the ease of the desert he forgot the slavery he had known in Egypt. Whenever he was afflicted, he acknowledged the Lord alone; but when he was living at ease, he forgot God his Redeemer. Do not look for rest here, for this is a world of toil. And if you can discern wisely, do not trade one time for another: what lasts for what does not last, what never ends for what ends, truth for lies, the body for the shadow, waking for sleep, what is in season for what is out of season, the Time for the times. Gather your mind, and do not let it wander among all sorts of things that bring no profit. [s]

No one in creation is rich except the one who fears God; no one is truly poor except the one who lacks the truth. How needy, and how far from rich, is the man whose need testifies against him that he must take a gift even from outcasts and beggars! He is truly a slave, and his masters are many: he serves money, riches, and possessions. His lords have no mercy, for they give him no rest. Run away, and live in poverty; like a mother she pities the one she loves. Take refuge in want, who feeds her children on the finest things. Her yoke is light and pleasant, and the memory of her is sweet to the taste. Only the man whose conscience is sick shrinks from the drink of poverty; only the fainthearted dreads the honorable yoke of want. Who has granted you, son of man, to find rest in this world? Who has granted you, thing of dust, to be rich in the midst of poverty? Do not let your desires make you needy and always looking to others. Your daily bread, which comes from the sweat of your face, is enough for you. Let this be the measure of your need: what the day gives you. And if you come upon a feast, take from it what you need. Do not take in one day the provisions of many days, for the belly keeps no treasure. Praise and give thanks when you are satisfied, so that in this you do not provoke the Giver to anger. Strengthen yourself in purity, so that you may gain profit from it. In everything give thanks and praise to God as the Redeemer, so that he may grant you by his grace that we may hear and do his will.

You to whom I have given the counsel of life, do not be careless about it. I have written to you from the teaching of other men; see that you do not despise their words. And if I depart before you, remember me in your prayer. At every season pray and plead that our love may stay true. But as for us, for all these things let us offer praise and honor to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.