The Courageous Soul and Divine Discipline

The nourishment of this thing exists not without toil and tribulation. Similar to this is the saying: 'through many tribulations it is necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of the heavens' (Acts 14:22), so that the bread might signify benefit, and the salt the toil, without which it is impossible for virtue to be perfected. From the same reasoning is also: 'and if there is indeed tasting in empty words?'. Every word lacking practical action is vain and empty.

A demonstration of this is: 'for the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power' (Luke 17:21). It exists not in empty promises, but in the word, the things of salvation are active. Therefore, do not think that I carry forward empty words, nor you, O friends, strive for that. For because of this, since I have done nothing empty and vain to myself, 'my soul cannot cease' from the toil against the adversary; for my aim is not empty, but having the hope of salvation.

For if my grains are filled because of the difficult eating of the wound, my soul will not cease. For nothing 'will separate us from the love of Christ: tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine' (Romans 8:35) and the following. Let all things shine in Paul. And if he wishes to signify that the standing up of the devil against him impedes his virtue, it is customary for his grains to exist through the wound, consider this.

'For if he might grant, and my request might come, and the Lord might grant my hope, let the Lord begin to wound me, but let him not lift me up to the end' (Job 6:3, 7:17-18). He who asks to be wounded by himself, not returning his request to come, but aiming to be fully satisfied in his own right, prays; and this was the end of the perfection: to lift up or even to appear to friends, for their benefit, the cause of the toils, that they were struck for the sake of the struggle.

For in this way they would not only not sin against the just, but also receive divine zeal, hastening to imitate the patience and courage being perfected in the holy one, through which also he was saying: 'if he might grant'—instead of: 'would that the Lord might grant'—'and my request might come, and the Lord might grant my hope'. For he prays for both, so that he himself might receive the crown of the contest and those who follow might not think their patience to be in vain. And it is possible to see and to marvel at him, even in the most extreme toils.

He is manly, because first he does not lack the initial response to a friend, treating the troubles as a leisure; and again, just as a brave athlete says, he stands militantly against the one set against him, knowing that his being brought low has happened not without the cooperation of God, saying: 'Let the Lord begin to wound me, but let him not raise me to the end,' instead of saying: 'May he grant the escape from tribulations.' Similar to this is: 'And let us not be brought into temptation' (Matt 6:13), which is often interpreted instead of: 'May it happen that one does not fall to the deceivers.'

See also the divine assurance: that the thing hoped for in prayer comes, not to everyone knowing if they pray profitably, or only to the saints. Living according to the will of God, they receive 'the assurance of hope' (Heb 11:1). And that he is not speaking concerning the life here, in saying: 'but let him not raise me to the end,' it is clear from his having said: 'Death to a man is rest.'

Being a perceiver, therefore, the saint accepts the wound from God, receiving Him as the best teacher, not as a tormentor, but as one seeking a testing, just as the Psalmist says: 'Test me, O Lord, and try me' (Ps 26:2), and the proverbial saying: 'He disciplines every son whom he receives.' This happens so that he may not become a tormentor by not being sympathetic to the discipline. For the saint, having surrendered himself entirely to God, does not waive reproof, 'knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience, testing, and testing, hope; and hope does not disappoint' (Rom 5:3-5).

'Let my city be a tomb, upon which I was leaping atop the walls, I will not show mercy upon it.' He who has despised all human glories and polities and the like, considers all things 'refuse' because of the saving hope, 'reckoning' political glories as a 'tomb' when dying, like Paul who says: 'It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me' (Gal 2:20). For those who boast greatly upon these human glories, like those leaping upon walls, the weary ones spring upon them, even if not the saint. For it is evident that he has said these things addressing the human person. For it is moderate-minded, even if someone else were the blessed one, to be testified to be 'blameless' and 'righteous.' And even saying these things: that even as a well-fortified city...