The Nature of Sorrow and Endurance

In peace, then, as being united by the commandment of the Divine Trinity, you hear: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God' (Matt 5:9). For if you bring the flesh, which is contrary to the desire of the spirit, into peace through labors, you shall gain glory among the beatitudes beyond this age, having conquered the war in your body that fights against the law of your mind and captures you by the law of sin in your members.

Great is the bond of peace, in which also the joy that enlightens the eye of the intellect for the contemplation of the higher powers is united; if, therefore, we might acquire the peaceful joy in the midst of labors, we would thankfully repel the difficult things that come upon us through it, and we would not admit the demon of sorrow who, especially by mutilating in tribulations, falls upon the soul, and prepares a space of acedia so that they may darken the soul and at the same time stir up pains. Let the joy of peace, therefore, be a written law of our heart, drowning sorrow, driving out hatred, destroying anger, dissolving acedia, and compensating for grief. For it is a sea of virtues, nestling in peaceful patience, in thanksgiving, and in endurance, drowning the opposition of the devil by the cross.

But consider for me the opposing joy standing near in turmoil, lest, shadowed, you be deceived into grasping one kind instead of another. For the demons also fashion themselves after the spiritual gifts, so that, having led the mind astray by the overshadowing, they may remove it from its wits; for a spiritual joy stands near the heart when nothing is present, because it finds the ruler hanging aloft, away from godly sorrow, but later it delivers the soul to the Spirit of sorrow, because it made it captive of spiritual joy.

CHAPTER 7. I say this too, as the experience of those seeking has suggested to one of the brothers, that instead of rejoicing in the Lord (Phil 4:4), the avenger brings in a domestic joy against it. And instead of godly sorrow, he treacherously brings the opposite upon the mind, so that the soul may be darkened by anxieties over the shifting changes of the ray of the superior ones. Sorrows are twofold, being yoked to every work of evil, and...

One sorrow stands by the heart from an unseen cause, while another is born, driven by different causes; the sorrow according to God calls the soul back through tears, not accepting either opposing joy or sorrow, and being anxious about the approaching death and judgment; and this has gaped, awaiting little by little.

Failed desires plant sorrows; but prayers and thanksgivings wither these; between angry persons a middle sorrow trembles. Therefore, the first one, having sobered up, if he rises from the passion and gives his hand to the other, by apology drives away the bitter sorrow. Sorrow is a disease of soul and flesh; it lifts up the captive woman and withers the one upon the spot. From opposites sorrow is born, and from sorrow wrath, and from these is born phrenitis — reviling. If you wish to trample together sorrow and wrath, embrace the long-suffering of love and clothe yourself in the joy of harmlessness; let your joy not be sorrow to another; he who rejoices in injustice will mourn in prosperity, and he who endures, suffering unjustly, will shine with exultation; for the things to come are contrary to the things present.

Chapter 8. In tribulations be most thankful, because through them you will more clearly perceive the grace of assistance. For thus, thankfully shaking off the coming tribulations, you will not dim the most brilliant beauty of patience, even if a demon lashes you according to the flesh — he will be found a procurer of the greatest reward for you, if you receive the wound on the subject of thanksgiving. For thus you will put even him to flight from you. And so that your reward may rain down more through endurance, let your endurance act as general through the pursuit of courageous labors; for through every evil, acedia also counter-attacks you, and spying upon all your labors, it tempts; whomever it does not find nailed by endurance, him it weighs down under itself and bends low; but if the demon of acedia grows weak against the endurance of labors, the beast again bites the achievement of despair; if then with understanding you drive this away, you will also drive the vainglorious spirit in him at the time of gathering. When the spirit of acedia falls upon you, it votes psalmody as burdensome to the soul, it sets sloth as an opponent to zeal, so that, having touched with speed, it may make the flesh recline by...