Then said Jesus: ‘Penitence is a reversing of the evil life; for every sense must be turned round to the contrary of that which it wrought while sinning. For instead of delight must be put mourning; for laughter, activity; for lust, chastity; let story-telling be turned into prayer and avarice into almsgiving.’
Then answered he who writeth: ‘But if they be asked, how we ought to mourn, how we ought to weep, how we ought to fast, how we ought to show activity, how we ought to remain chaste, how we ought to make prayer and do alms: what answer shall they give? And how shall they do penance aright if they know not how to repent?’
Jesus answered: ‘Well hast thou asked, O Barnabas, and I wish to answer all fully if it be pleasing to God. So today I will speak to thee of penitence generally, and that which I say to one I say unto all.
‘Know then that penitence more than anything must be done for pure love of God; otherwise it will be vain to repent. For I will speak unto you by a similitude.
‘Every building, if its foundation be removed, falleth into ruin: is this true?’
‘It is true,’ answered the disciples.
Then said Jesus: ‘The foundation of our salvation is God, without whom salvation is not. When man hath sinned, he hath lost the foundation of his salvation; so it is necessary to begin from the foundation.
‘Tell me, if your slaves had offended you, and ye knew that they did not grieve at having offended you, but grieved at having lost their reward, would ye forgive them? Certainly not. Even so I tell you that God will do to those who repent for having lost paradise. Satan, the enemy of all good, hath great remorse for having lost paradise and gained hell. But yet will he never find mercy, and know ye why? Because he hath no love of God; nay he hateth his Creator.
‘Verily I say unto you, that every animal after its own nature, if it lose that which it desireth, mourneth for the lost good. Accordingly, the sinner who will be truly penitent must have great desire to punish in himself that which he hath wrought in opposition to his Creator; in such wise that when he prayeth he dare not to crave of God paradise, or that he free him from hell, but in confusion of mind, prostate before God, he saith in his prayer: “Behold the guilty one, O Lord, who hath offended thee without any cause at the very time when he ought to have been serving thee. Wherefore here he seeketh that what he hath done may be punished by thy hand, and not by the hand of Satan, thine enemy; in order that the ungodly may not rejoice over thy creatures. Chastise, punish as it pleaseth thee, O Lord, for thou wilt never give me so much torment as this wicked one deserveth.”
‘Whereupon the sinner, holding to this manner [of penitence], will find the more mercy with God in proportion as he craveth justice.’
‘Assuredly, an abominable sacrilege is laughter of the sinner; insomuch that this world is rightly called by our father David a vale of tears.’
‘There was a king who adopted as son one of his slaves, whom he made lord of all that he possessed. Now it chanced that by the deceit of a wicked man the wretched one fell under the displeasure of the king, so that he suffered great miseries, not only in his substance, but in being despised, and being deprived of all that he won each day by working. Think ye that such a man would laugh for any time?’
‘No, assuredly,’ answered the disciples, for if the king should have known it he would have caused him to be slain, seeing him laugh at the king’s displeasure. But it is probable that he would weep day and night.’
Then Jesus wept saying: ‘Woe to the world, for it is sure of eternal torment. Oh wretched mankind, for that God hath chosen thee as a son, granting thee paradise, whereupon thou, O wretched one, by the operation of Satan didst fall under the displeasure of God, and wast cast out of paradise and condemned to the unclean world, where thou receivest all things with toil, and every good work is taken from thee by continual sinning. And the world simply laugheth, and, what is worse, he that is the greatest sinner laugheth more than the rest. It will be, therefore, as ye have said: that God will give the sentence of eternal death upon the sinner who laugheth at his sins and weepeth not therefor.
‘The weeping of the sinner ought to be as that of a father who weepeth over his son nigh to death. Oh madness of man, that weepest over the body from which the soul is departed, and weepest not over the soul from which, through sin, is departed the mercy of God!
‘Tell me, if the mariner, when his ship hath been wrecked by a storm, could by weeping recover all that he had lost, what would he do? It is certain that he would weep bitterly. But I say unto you verily, that in every thing wherein a man weepeth he sinneth, save only when he weepeth for his sin. For every misery that cometh to man cometh to him from God for his salvation, so that he ought to rejoice thereat. But sin cometh from the devil for the damnation of man, and at that man is not sad. Assuredly here ye can perceive that man seeketh loss and not profit.’
Said Bartholomew: ‘Lord, what shall he do who cannot weep for that his heart is a stranger to weeping?’ Jesus answered: ‘Not all those who shed tears weep, O Bartholomew. As God liveth, there are found men from whose eyes no tear hath ever fallen, and they have wept more than a thousand of those who shed tears. The weeping of a sinner is a consumption of earthly affection by vehemence of sorrow. Insomuch that just as the sunshine preserveth from putrefaction what is placed uppermost, even so this consumption preserveth the soul from sin. If God should grant tears to the true penitent as many as the sea hath waters he would desire far more and so this desire consumeth that little drop that he fain would shed, as a blazing furnace consumeth a drop of water. But they who readily burst into weeping are like the horse that goeth the faster the more lightly he is laden.’
‘Verily there are men who have both the inward affection and the outward tears. But he who is thus, will be a Jeremiah. In weeping, God measureth more the sorrow than the tears.’
Then said John: ‘O master, how doth man lose in weeping over things other than sin?’
Jesus answered: ‘If Herod should give thee a mantle to keep for him, and afterwards should take it away from thee, wouldest thou have reason to weep?’
‘No,’ said John. Then said Jesus: ‘Now hath man less reason to weep when he loseth aught, or hath not that which he would; for all cometh from the hand of God. Accordingly, shall not God have power to dispose at his pleasure of his own things, O foolish man? For thou hast of thine own, sin alone; and for that oughest thou to weep, and not for aught else.’
Said Matthew: ‘O master, thou hast confessed before all Judaea that God hath no similitude like man, and now thou hast said that man receiveth from the hand of God; accordingly, since God hath hands he hath a similitude with man.’
Jesus answered: ‘Thou art in error, O Matthew, and many have so erred, not knowing the sense of the words. For man ought to consider not the outward [form] of the words, but the sense; seeing that human speech is as it were an interpreter between us and God. Now know ye not, that when God willed to speak to our fathers on mount Sinai, our fathers cried out: “Speak thou to us, O Moses, and let not God speak to us, lest we die?” And what said God by Isaiah the prophet, but that, so far as the heaven is distant from the earth, even so are the ways of God distant from the ways of men, and the thoughts of God from the thoughts of men?
‘God is so immeasurable that I tremble to describe him. But it is necessary that I make unto you a proposition. I tell you, then, that the heavens are nine and that they are distant from one another even as the first heaven is distant from the earth, which is distant from the earth five hundred years’ journey. Wherefore the earth is distant from the highest heaven four thousand and five hundred years’ journey. I tell you, accordingly, that [the earth] is in proportion to the first heaven as the point of a needle, and the first heaven in like manner is in proportion to the second as a point, and similarly all the heavens are inferior each one to the next. But all the size of the earth with that of all the heavens is in proportion to paradise as a point, nay, as a grain of sand. Is this greatness immeasurable?’
The disciples answered: ‘Yea, surely.’
Then said Jesus: ‘As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, the universe before God is small as a grain of sand, and God is as many times greater [than it] as it would take grains of sand to fill all the heavens and paradise, and more. Now consider ye if God hath any proportion with man, who is a little piece of clay that standeth upon the earth. Beware, then, that ye take the sense and not the bare words, if ye wish to have eternal life.’
The disciples answered: ‘God alone can know himself, and truly it is as said Isaiah the prophet: “He is hidden from human senses.”’
Jesus answered: ‘So is it true; wherefore, when we are in paradise we shall know God, as here one knoweth the sea from a drop of salt water.
‘Returning to my discourse, I tell you that for sin alone one ought to weep, because by sinning man forsaketh his Creator. But how shall he weep who attendeth at revellings and feasts? He will weep even as ice will give fire! Ye needs must turn revellings into fasts if ye will have lordship over your senses, because even so hath our God lordship.’
Said Thaddaeus: ‘So then, God hath sense over which to have lordship.’
Jesus answered: ‘Go ye back to saying, “God hath this,” “God is such”? Tell me, hath man sense?’
‘Yes,’ answered the disciples.
Said Jesus: ‘Can a man be found who hath life in him, yet in him sense worketh not?’
‘No,’ said the disciples.
‘Ye deceive yourselves,’ said Jesus. ‘for he that is blind, deaf, dumb, and mutilated—where is his sense? And when a man is in a swoon?’
Then were the disciples perplexed; when Jesus said: ‘Three things there are that make up man: that is, the soul and the sense and the flesh, each one of itself separate. Our God created the soul and the body as ye have heard, but ye have not yet heard how he created the sense. Therefore to-morrow, if God please. I will tell you all.’
And having said this Jesus gave thanks to God, and prayed for the salvation of our people, every one of us saying:‘Amen.’
When he had finished the prayer of dawn, Jesus sat down under a palm tree, and thither his disciples drew nigh to him. Then said Jesus: As God liveth, in whose presence standeth my soul, many are deceived concerning our life. For so closely are the soul and the sense joined together, that the more part of men affirm the soul and the sense to be one and the same thing, dividing it by operation and not by essence, calling it the sensitive, vegetative, and intellectual soul. But verily I say to you, the soul is one, which thinketh and liveth. O foolish one, where will they find the intellectual soul without life? Assuredly, never. But life without senses will readily be found, as is seen in the unconscious when the sense leaveth him.
Thaddaeus answered: ‘O master, when the sense leaveth the life, a man hath not life.’
Jesus answered: ‘This is not true, because man is deprived of life when the soul departeth; because the soul returneth not any more to the body, save by miracle. But sense departeth by reason of fear that it receiveth, or by reason of great sorrow that the soul hath. For the sense hath God created for pleasure, and by that alone it liveth, even as the body liveth by food and the soul liveth by knowledge and love. This sense is now rebellious against the soul, through indignation that it hath at being deprived of the pleasure of paradise through sin. Wherefore there is the greatest need to nourish it with spiritual pleasure for him who willeth not that it should live of carnal pleasure. Understand ye? Verily I say unto you, that God having created it condemned it to hell and to intolerable snow and ice; because it said that it was God; but when he deprived it of nourishment, taking away its food from it, it confessed that it was a slave of God and the work of his hands. And now tell me, how doth sense work in the ungodly? Assuredly, it is as God in them: seeing that they follow sense, forsaking reason and the law of God. Whereupon they become abominable, and work not any good.’
‘And so the first thing that followeth sorrow for sin is fasting. For he that seeth that a certain food maketh him sick, for that he feareth death, after sorrowing that he hath eaten it, forsaketh it, so as not to make himself sick. So ought the sinner to do. Perceiving that pleasure hath made him to sin against God his creator by following sense in these good things of the world, let him sorrow at having done so, because it depriveth him of God, his life, and giveth him the eternal death of hell. But because man while living hath need to take these good things of the world, fasting is needful here. So let him proceed to mortify sense and to know God for his lord. And when he seeth the sense abhor fastings, let him put before it the condition of hell, where no pleasure at all but infinite sorrow is received; let him put before it the delights of paradise, that are so great that a grain of one of the delights of paradise is greater than all those of the world. For so will it easily be quieted; for that it is better to be content with little in order to receive much, than to be unbridled in little and be deprived of all and abide in torment.
‘Ye ought to remember the rich feaster in order to fast well. For he, wishing here on earth to fare deliciously every day, was deprived eternally of a single drop of water: while Lazarus, being content with crumbs here on earth, shall live eternally in full abundance of the delights of paradise.
‘But let the penitent be cautious; for that Satan seeketh to annul every good work, and more in the penitent than in others, for that the penitent hath rebelled against him, and from being his faithful slave hath turned into a rebellious foe. Whereupon Satan will seek to cause that he shall not fast in any wise, under pretext of sickness, and when this shall not avail he will invite him to an extreme fast, in order that he may fall sick and afterwards live deliciously. And if he succeed not in this, he will seek to make him set his fast simply upon bodily food, in order that he may be like unto himself, who never eateth but always sinneth.
‘As God liveth, it is abominable to deprive the body of food and fill the soul with pride, despising them that fast not, and holding oneself better than they. Tell me, will the sick man boast of the diet that is imposed on him by the physician, and call them mad who are not put on diet? Assuredly not. But he will sorrow for the sickness by reason of which he needs must be put upon diet. Even so I say unto you, that the penitent ought not to boast in his fast, and despise them that fast not; but he ought to sorrow for the sin by reason whereof he fasteth. Nor should the penitent that fasteth procure delicate food, but he should content himself with coarse food. Now will a man give delicate food to the dog that biteth and to the horse that kicketh? No, surely, but rather the contrary. And let this suffice you concerning fasting.
‘Hearken, then to what I shall say to you concerning watching. For just as there are two kinds of sleeping, viz. that of the body and that of the soul, even so must ye be careful in watching that while the body watcheth the soul sleep not. For this would be a most grievous error. Tell me, in parable: there is a man who whilst walking striketh himself against a rock, and in order to avoid striking it the more with his foot, he striketh with his head—what is the state of such a man?’
‘Miserable,’ answered the disciples, ‘for such a man is frenzied.’
Then said Jesus: ‘Well have ye answered, for verily I say to you that he who watcheth with the body and sleepeth with the soul is frenzied. As the spiritual infirmity is more grievous than the corporeal, even so is it more difficult to cure. Wherefore, shall such a wretched one boast of not sleeping with the body, which is the foot of the life, while he perceiveth not his misery that he sleepeth with the soul, which is the head of the life? The sleep of the soul is forgetfulness of God and of his fearful judgement. The soul, then, that watcheth is that which in everything and in every place perceiveth God, and in everything and through everything and above everything giveth thanks to his majesty, knowing that always at every moment it receiveth grace and mercy from God. Wherefore in fear of his majesty there always resoundeth in its ear that angelic utterance—“Creatures, come to judgement, for your Creator willeth to judge you.” For it abideth habitually ever in the service of God. Tell me, whether do ye desire the more: to see by the light of a star or by the light of the sun?’
Andrew answered: ‘By the light of the sun; for by the light of the star we cannot see the neighboring mountains, and by the light of the sun we see the tiniest grain of sand. Wherefore we walk with fear by the light of the star, but by the light of the sun we go securely.’
Jesus answered: ‘Even so I tell you that ye ought to watch with the soul by the sun of justice [which is] our God, and not to boast yourselves of the watchings of the body. It is most true, therefore, that bodily sleep is to be avoided as much as is possible, but [to avoid it] altogether is impossible, the sense and the flesh being weighed down with food and the mind with business. Wherefore let him that will sleep little avoid too much business and much food.
‘As God liveth, in whose presence standeth my soul, it is lawful to sleep somewhat every night, but it is never lawful to forget God and his fearful judgement: and the sleep of the soul is such oblivion.’
Then answered he who writeth: ‘O master, how can we always have God in memory? Assuredly, it seemeth to us impossible.’
Said Jesus, with a sigh: ‘This is the greatest misery that man can suffer, O Barnabas. For man cannot here upon earth have God his creator always in memory; saving them that are holy, for they always have God in memory, because they have in them the light of the grace of God, so that they cannot forget God. But tell me, have ye seen them that work quarried stones, how by their constant practice they have so learned to strike that they speak with others and all the time are striking the iron tool that worketh the stone without looking at the iron, and yet they do not strike their hands? Now do ye likewise. Desire to be holy if ye wish to overcome entirely this misery of forgetfulness. Sure it is that water cleaveth the hardest rocks with a single drop striking there for a long period.
‘Do ye know why ye have not overcome this misery? Because ye have not perceived that it is sin. I tell you then that it is an error, when a prince giveth thee a present, O man, that thou shouldst shut thine eyes and turn thy back upon him. Even so do they err who forget God, for at all times man receiveth from God gifts and mercy.
‘Now tell me, doth our God at all times grant you [his] bounty? Yea, assuredly; for unceasingly he ministereth to you the breath whereby ye live. Verily, verily, I say unto you, every time that your body receiveth breath your heart ought to say: “God be thanked!”’
Then said John: ‘It is most true what thou sayest, O master; teach us therefore the way to attain to this blessed condition.’
Jesus answered: ‘Verily I say to you, one cannot attain to such condition by human powers, but rather by the mercy of God our Lord. It is true indeed that man ought to desire the good in order that God may give it him. Tell me, when ye are at table do ye take those meats which ye would not so much as look at? No, assuredly. Even so I say unto you that ye shall not receive that which ye will not desire. God is able, if ye desire holiness, to make you holy in less time than the twinkling of an eye, but in order that man may be sensible of the gift and the giver our God willeth that we should wait and ask.
‘Have ye seen them that practise shooting at a mark? Assuredly they shoot many times in vain. Howbeit, they never wish to shoot in vain, but are always in hope to hit the mark. Now do ye this, ye who ever desire to have our God in remembrance, and when ye forget, mourn; for God shall give you grace to attain to all that I have said.
‘Fasting and spiritual watching are so united one with the other that, if one break the watch, straightway the fast is broken. For in sinning a man breaketh the fast of the soul, and forgetteth God. So is it that watching and fasting as regardeth the soul are always necessary for us and for all men. For to none is it lawful to sin. But the fasting of the body and its watchings, believe me, they are not possible at all times, nor for all persons. For there are sick and aged folk, women with child, men that are put upon diet, children, and others that are of weak complexion. For indeed every one, even as he clotheth himself according to his proper measure, so should choose this [manner of] fasting. For just as the garments of a child are not suitable for a man of thirty years, even so the watchings and fastings of one are not suitable for another.’
‘But beware that Satan will use all his strength [to bring it to pass] that ye [shall] watch during the night, and afterward be sleeping when by commandment of God ye ought to be praying and listening to the word of God.
‘Tell me, would it please you if a friend of yours should eat the meat and give you the bones?’
Peter answered: ‘No, master, for such an one ought not to be called friend, but a mocker.’
Jesus answered with a sigh: ‘Thou hast well said the truth, O Peter, for verily every one that watcheth with the body more than is necessary, sleeping, or having his head weighed down with slumber when he should be praying or listening to the words of God, such a wretch mocketh God his creator, and so is guilty of such a sin. Moreover, he is a robber, seeing that he stealeth the time that he ought to give to God, and spendeth it then, and as much as, pleaseth him.
‘In a vessel of the best wine a man gave his enemies to drink so long as the wine was at its best, but when the wine came down to the dregs he gave to his lord to drink. What, think ye, will the master do to his servant when he shall know all, and the servant be before him? Assuredly, he will beat him and slay him in righteous indignation according to the laws of the world. And now what shall God do to the man that spendeth the best of his time in business, and the worst in prayer and study of the law? Woe to the wicked, because with this and with greater sin is its heart weighed down! Accordingly, when I said unto you that laughter should be turned into weeping, feasts into fasting, and sleep into watching, I compassed in three words all that ye have heard—that here on earth one ought always to weep, and that weeping should be from the heart, because God our creator is offended; that ye ought to fast in order to have lordship over the sense, and to watch in order not to sin; and that bodily weeping and bodily fasting and watching should be taken according to the constitution of each one.’
Having said this, Jesus said: ‘Ye needs must seek of the fruits of the field the wherewithal to sustain our life, for it is now eight days that we have eaten no bread. Wherefore I will pray to our God, and will await you with Barnabas.’
So all the disciples and apostles departed by fours and by sixes and went their way according to the word of Jesus. There remained with Jesus he who writeth; whereupon Jesus, weeping, said: ‘O Barnabas, it is necessary that I should reveal to thee great secrets, which, after that I shall be departed from the world, thou shalt reveal to it.’
Then answered he that writeth, weeping, and said: ‘Suffer me to weep, O master, and other men also, for that we are sinners. And thou, that art an holy one and prophet of God, it is not fitting for thee to weep so much.’
Jesus answered: ‘Believe me, Barnabas, that I cannot weep as much as I ought. For if men had not called me God, I should have seen God here as he will be seen in paradise, and should have been safe not to fear the day of judgement. But God knoweth that I am innocent, because never have I harboured thought to be held more than a poor slave. Nay, I tell thee that if I had not been called God I should have been carried into paradise when I shall depart from the world, whereas now I shall not go thither until the judgement. Now thou seest if I have cause to weep. Know, O Barnabas, that for this I must have great persecution, and shall be sold by one of my disciples for thirty pieces of money. Whereupon I am sure that he who shall sell me shall be slain in my name, for that God shall take me up from the earth, and shall change the appearance of the traitor so that every one shall believe him to be me; nevertheless, when he dieth an evil death, I shall abide in that dishonor for a long time in the world. But when Mohammed shall come, the sacred messenger of God, that infamy shall be taken away. And this shall God do because I have confessed the truth of the Messiah; who shall give me this reward, that I shall be known to be alive and to be a stranger to that death of infamy.’
Then answered he that writeth: ‘O master, tell me who is that wretch, for I fain would choke him to death.’
‘Hold thy peace,’ answered Jesus, ‘for so God willeth, and he cannot do otherwise; but see thou that when my mother is afflicted at such an event thou tell her the truth, in order that she may be comforted.’
Then answered he who writeth: ‘All this will I do, O master, if God please.’
When the disciples were come they brought pine-cones, and by the will of God they found a good quantity of dates. So after the midday prayer they ate with Jesus. Whereupon the apostles and disciples, seeing him that writeth of sad countenance, feared that Jesus needs must quickly depart from the world. Whereupon Jesus consoled them, saying: ‘Fear not, for my hour is not yet come that I should depart from you. I shall abide with you still for a little while. Therefore must I teach you now, in order that ye may go, as I have said, through all Israel to preach penitence; in order that God may have mercy upon the sin of Israel. Let every one therefore beware of sloth, and much more he that doeth penance; because every tree that beareth not good fruit shall be cut down and cast in the fire.
‘There was a citizen who had a vineyard, and in the midst thereof had a garden, which had a fine fig-tree; whereon for three years when the owner came he found no fruit, and seeing every other tree bare fruit there he said to his vinedresser: “Cut down this bad tree, for it cumbereth the ground.”
‘The vinedresser answered: “Not so, my Lord, for it is a beautiful tree.”
‘“Hold they peace,” said the owner, “for I care not for useless beauties. Thou shouldest know that the palm and the balsam are nobler than the fig. But I had planted in the courtyard of my house a plant of palm and one of balsam, which I had surrounded with costly walls, but when these bare no fruit, but leaves which heaped themselves up and putrefied the ground in front of the house, I caused them both to be removed. And how shall I pardon a fig-tree far from the house, which cumbreth my garden and my vineyard where every other tree beareth fruit? Assuredly I will not suffer it any longer.”
‘Then said the vinedresser: “Lord, the soil is too rich. Wait, therefore, one year more, for I will prune the fig-plant’s branches, and take away from it the richness of the soil, putting in poor soil with stones, and so shall it bear fruit.”
‘The owner answered: “Now go and do so; for I will wait, and the fig-plant shall bear fruit.” Understand ye this parable?’
The disciples answered: ‘No, Lord; therefore explain it to us.’
Jesus answered: ‘Verily I say unto you, the owner is God, and the vinedresser is his law. God, then, had in paradise the palm and the balsam; for Satan is the palm and the first man the balsam. Them did he cast out because they bare not fruit of good works, but uttered ungodly words that were the condemnation of many angels and many men. Now that God hath man in the world, in the midst of his creatures that serve God, all of them, according to his precept; and man, I say, bearing no fruit, God would cut him down and commit him to hell, seeing he pardoned not the angel and the first man, punishing the angel eternally, and the man for a time. Whereupon the law of God saith that man hath too much good in this life, and so it is necessary that he should suffer tribulation and be deprived of earthly goods, in order that he may do good works. Therefore our God waiteth for man to be penitent. Verily I say unto you, that our God hath condemned man to work so that, as said Job, the friend and prophet of God: “As the bird is born to fly and the fish to swim, even so is man born to work.”
‘So also David our father, a prophet of God, saith: “Eating the labours of our hands we shall be blessed, and it shall be well with us.”
‘Wherefore let every one work, according to his quality. Now tell me, if David our father and Solomon his son worked with their hands, what ought the sinner to do?’
Said John: ‘Master, to work is a fitting thing, but this ought the poor to do.’
Jesus answered: ‘Yea, for they cannot do otherwise. But knowest thou not that good, to be good, must be free from necessity? Thus the sun and the other planets are strengthened by the precepts of God so that they cannot do otherwise, wherefore they shall have no merit. Tell me, when God gave the precept to work, he said not: “A poor man shall live of the sweat of his face”? And Job did not say that: “As a bird is born to fly, so a poor man is born to work”? But God said to man: “In the sweat of thy countenance shalt thou eat bread,” and Job that “Man is born to work.” Therefore [only] he who is not man is free from this precept. Assuredly for no other reason are all things costly, but that there are a great multitude of idle folk: if these were to labour, some attending the ground and some at fishing the water, there would be the greatest plenty in the world. And of the lack thereof it will be necessary to render an account in the dreadful day of judgement.
‘Let man say somewhat to me. What hath he brought into the world, by reason of which he would live in idleness? Certain it is that he was born naked, and incapable of anything. Hence, of all that he has found, he is not the owner, but the dispenser. And he will have to render an account thereof in that dreadful day. The abominable lust, that maketh man like the brute beasts, ought greatly to be feared; for the enemy is of one’s own household, so that it is not possible to go into any place whither thine enemy may not come. Ah, how many have perished through lust! Through lust came the deluge, insomuch that the world perished before the mercy of God and so that there were saved only Noah and eighty-three human persons.
‘For lust God overwhelmed three wicked cities whence escaped only Lot and his two children.
‘For lust the tribe of Benjamin was all but extinguished. And I tell you verily that if I should narrate to you how many have perished through lust, the space of five days would not suffice.’
James answered: ‘O Master, what signifieth lust?’
Jesus answered: ‘Lust is an unbridled desire of love, which, not being directed by reason, bursts the bounds of man’s intellect and affections; so that the man, not knowing himself, loveth that which he ought to hate. Believe me, when a man loveth a thing, not because God hath given him such thing, but as its owner, he is a fornicator; for that the soul, which ought to abide in union with God its creator, he hath united with the creature. And so God lamenteth by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “Thou hast committed fornication with many lovers; nevertheless, return unto me and I will receive thee.”
‘As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, if there were not internal lust within the heart of man, he would not fall into the external; for if the root be removed the tree dieth speedily.
‘Let a man content himself therefore with the wife whom his creator hath given him, and let him forget every other woman.’
Andrew answered: ‘How shall a man forget the women if he live in the city where there are so many of them?’
Jesus replied: ‘O Andrew, certain it is he who liveth in the city, it will do him harm; seeing that the city is a sponge that draweth in every iniquity.
‘It behoveth a man to live in the city, even as the soldier liveth when he hath enemies around the fortress, defending himself against every assault and always fearing treachery on the part of the citizens. Even so, I say, let him repell every outward enticement of sin, and fear the sense, because it hath a supreme desire for things impure. But how shall he defend himself if he bridle not the eye, which is the origin of every carnal sin? As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, he who hath not bodily eyes is secure not to receive punishment save only to the third degree, while he that hath eyes receiveth it to the seventh degree.
‘In the time of the prophet Elijah it came to pass that Elijah seeing a blind man weeping, a man of good life, asked him, saying: “Why weepest thou, O brother?” The blind man answered: “I weep because I cannot see Elijah the prophet, the holy one of God.”
‘Then Elijah rebuked him, saying: “Cease from weeping, O man, for in weeping thou sinnest.”
‘The blind man answered: “Now tell me, is it a sin to see a holy prophet of God, that raiseth the dead and maketh the fire to come down from heaven?”
‘Elijah answered: “Thou speakest not the truth, for Elijah is not able to do anything of all that thou sayest, because he is a man as thou art. For all the men in the world cannot make one fly to be born.”
‘Said the blind man: “Thou sayest this, O man, because Elijah must have rebuked thee for some sin of thine, wherefore thou hatest him.”
‘Elijah answered: “May it please God that thou be speaking the truth; because, O brother, if I should hate Elijah I should love God, and the more I should hate Elijah the more I should love God.”
‘Hereupon was the blind man greatly angered, and said: “As God liveth, thou art an impious fellow! Can God then be loved while one hateth the prophets of God? Begone forthwith, for I will not listen to thee any longer!”
‘Elijah answered: “Brother, now mayest thou see with thine intellect how evil is bodily seeing. For thou desirest sight to see Elijah, and hatest Elijah with thy soul.”
‘The blind man answered: “Now begone! For thou art the devil, that wouldst make me sin against the holy one of God.”
‘Then Elijah gave a sigh, and said with tears: “Thou hast spoken the truth, O brother, for my flesh, which thou desirest to see, separateth thee from God.”
‘Said the blind man: “I do not wish to see thee; nay, if I had my eyes, I would close them so as not to see thee?”
‘Then said Elijah: Know, brother, that I am Elijah!”
‘The blind man answered: “Thou speakest not the truth.”
‘Then said the disciples of Elijah: “Brother, he verily is the prophet of God, Elijah.”
‘“Let him tell me,” said the blind man, “if he be the prophet, of what seed I am, and how I became blind?”
‘Elijah answered: “Thou art of the tribe of Levi; and because thou, in entering the temple of God, lookedst lewdly upon a woman, thou being near the sanctuary, our God took away thy sight.”
‘Then the blind man weeping said: “Pardon me, O holy prophet of God, for I have sinned in speaking with thee; for if I had seen thee I should not have sinned.”
‘Elijah answered: “May our God pardon thee, O brother because as regardeth me I know that thou hast told me the truth, seeing that the more I hate myself the more I love God, and if thou sawest me thou wouldst still thy desire, which is not pleasing to God. For Elijah is not your creator, but God; whence, so far as concerneth thee, I am the devil,“ said Elijah weeping, ”because I turn thee aside from thy creator. Weep then, O brother, because thou hast not that light which would make thee see the true from the false, for if thou hadst had that thou wouldst not have despised my doctrine. Wherefore I say unto thee, that many desire to see me and come from far to see me, who despise my words. Wherefore it were better for them, for their salvation, that they had no eyes, seeing that every one that findeth pleasure in the creature, be he who he may, and seeketh not to find pleasure in God, hath made an idol in his heart, and forsaken God.”
Then said Jesus, sighing: ‘Have ye understood all that Elijah said?’
The disciples answered: ‘In sooth, we have understood, and we are beside ourselves at the knowledge that here on earth there are very few that are not idolaters.’
Then said Jesus: ‘Ye speak the truth, for now was Israel desirous to establish the idolatry that they have in their hearts, in holding me for God; many of whom have now despised my teaching, saying that I could make myself lord of all Judaea, if I confessed myself to be God, and that I am mad to wish to live in poverty among desert places, and not abide continually among princes in delicate living. Oh hapless man, that prizest the light that is common to flies and ants and despisest the light that is common only to angels and prophets and holy friends of God!
‘If, then, the eye shall not be guarded, O Andrew, I tell thee that it is impossible not to fall headlong into lust. Wherefore Jeremiah the prophet, weeping vehemently, said truly: “Mine eye is a thief that robbeth my soul.” For therefore did David our father pray with greatest longing to God our lord that he would turn away his eyes in order that he might not behold vanity. For truly everything which hath an end is vain. Tell me, then, if one had two pence to buy bread, would he spend it to buy smoke? Assuredly not, seeing that smoke doth hurt to the eyes and giveth no sustenance to the body. Even so then let man do, for with the outward sight of his eyes and the inward sight of his mind he should seek to know God his creator and the good-pleasure of his will, and should not make the creature his end, which causeth him to lose the creator.
‘For verily every time that a man beholdeth a thing and forgetteth God who hath made it for man, he hath sinned. For if a friend of thine should give thee somewhat to keep in memory of him, and thou shouldest sell it and forget thy friend, thou hast offended against thy friend. Even so doth man; for when he beholdeth the creature and hath not in memory the creator, who for love of man hath created it, he sinneth against God his creator by ingratitude.
‘He therefore who shall behold women and shall forget God who for the good of man created woman, he will love her and desire her. And to such degree will this lust of his break forth, that he will love everything like unto the thing loved: so that hence cometh that sin of which it is a shame to have memory. If, then, man shall put a bridle upon his eyes, he shall be lord of the sense, which cannot desire that which is not presented to it. For so shall the flesh be subject to the spirit. Because as the ship cannot move without wind, so the flesh without the sense cannot sin.
‘That thereafter it would be necessary for the penitent to turn story-telling into prayer, reason itself showeth, even if it were not also a precept of God. For in every idle word man sinneth, and our God blotteth out sin by reason of prayer. For that prayer is the advocate of the soul; prayer is the medicine of the soul; prayer is the defense of the heart; prayer is the weapon of faith, prayer is the bridle of sense; prayer is the salt of the flesh that suffereth it not to be corrupted by sin. I tell you that prayer is the hands of our life, whereby the man that prayeth shall defend himself in the day of judgement: for he shall keep his soul from sin here on earth, and shall preserve his heart that it be not touched by evil desires; offending Satan because he shall keep his sense within the law of God, and his flesh shall walk in righteousness, receiving from God all that he shall ask.
‘As God liveth in whose presence we are, a man without prayer can no more be a man of good works than a dumb man can plead his cause to a blind one; than fistula can be healed without unguent; a man defend himself without movement; or attack another without weapons, sail without rudder, or preserve dead flesh without salt. For verily he who hath no hand cannot receive. If man could change dung into gold and clay into sugar, what would he do?’
Then Jesus being silent, the disciples answered: ‘No one would exercise himself in any way other than in making gold and sugar.’ Then said Jesus: ‘Now why doth not man change foolish storytelling into prayer? Is time, perchance, given him by God that he may offend God? For what prince would give a city to his subject in order that the latter might make war upon him? As God liveth, if man knew after what manner the soul is transformed by vain talking he would sooner bite off his tongue with his teeth than talk. O wretched world! for to-day men do not assemble together for prayer, but in the porches of the temple and in the very temple itself Satan hath there the sacrifice of vain talk, and that which is worse—of things which I cannot talk of without shame.
‘The fruit of vain talking is this, that it weakeneth the intellect in such wise that it is not ready to receive the truth; even as a horse accustomed to carry but one ounce of cotton flock cannot carry an hundred pounds of stone.
‘But what is worse is the man who spendeth his time in jests. When he is fain to pray, Satan will put into his memory those same jests, insomuch that when he ought to weep over his sins to provoke God to mercy and to win forgiveness for his sins, by laughing he provoketh God to anger; who will chastise him, and cast him out.
‘Woe, therefore, to them that jest and talk vainly! But if our God hath in abomination them that jest and talk vainly, how evil he hold them that murmur and slander their neighbour, and in what plight will they be who deal with sinning as with a business supremely necessary? Oh impure world, I cannot conceive how grievously thou wilt be punished by God! He, then, who would do penance, he, I say, must give out his words at the price of gold.’
His disciples answered: ‘Now who will buy a man’s words at the price of gold? Assuredly no one. And how shall he do penance? It is certain that he will become covetous!’
Jesus answered: ‘Ye have your heart so heavy that I am not able to lift it up. Hence in every word it is necessary that I should tell you the meaning. But give thanks to God, who hath given you grace to know the mysteries of God. I do not say that the penitent should sell his talking, but I say that when he talketh he should think that he is casting forth gold. For indeed, so doing, even as gold is spent on necessary things, so he will talk only when it is necessary to talk. And just as no one spendeth gold on a thing which shall cause hurt to his body, so let him not talk of a thing that may cause hurt to his soul.