Exhortation to Endurance or To the Newly Baptized (Fragment 44)

Practice stillness in your words, practice stillness in your deeds, likewise in your tongue and in your gait; avoid headlong vehemence. For in this way the mind will remain steadfast, and not, having become turbulent from vehemence, be weak and short in understanding and see darkness. Nor will it be overcome by gluttony, nor will it be overcome by seething anger, nor will it be overcome by the other passions, lying ready as an easy prey for them. For the mind must rule over the passions, seated on a tranquil throne, looking up to God. Be not full of quick temper in your angers, nor sluggish in your words, nor filled with hesitation in your gait, so that a good rhythm may adorn your stillness and your bearing may appear both divine and holy. And guard also against the signs of pride: a neck held high, a head raised up, and a delicate, lofty step.

Let your words be gentle toward those you meet, and your greetings sweet. Show modesty toward women, and let your gaze be turned to the ground. Speak everything with due consideration, and give to your voice what is useful, measuring your utterance by the need of your hearers, so that it may be audible, neither escaping the hearing of those present by being too faint, nor exceeding it by too loud a shout. Take care that you never say anything that you have not first considered and thought over; and do not hastily and in the midst of another’s words interject your own. For you must listen and converse in turn, dividing speech and silence by time. Learn gladly, and teach without envy; never hide wisdom from others out of envy, nor shrink from learning out of shame. Yield to elders as to fathers; honor the servants of God; be a leader in wisdom and virtue. Do not be contentious with friends, nor a mocker or jester at their expense. Strongly reject falsehood, deceit, and insolence. With good words, bear even the arrogant and insolent man, as a gentle and magnanimous man.

Let all your deeds and words be directed toward God, and refer all that is yours to Christ. Turn your soul frequently toward God, and fix your mind upon the power of Christ as if in a harbor, reposing in the divine light of the Savior from every speech and action. And by day, often share your own judgment with men, but with God as much as possible both by night and by day. Let not long sleep overpower your prayers and hymns to God, for long sleep is akin to death. Always make yourself a partaker of Christ, who shines forth the divine radiance from heaven. Let Christ be your continual and unceasing joy.

Do not relax the tension of your soul in feasting and the relaxation of drinking, but consider sufficient for the body what is necessary. And do not hasten to food before the time for dinner has come; let bread be your dinner, and let herbs of the earth and the fruits of trees be added. Go to your food with steadiness, and do not display a ravenous gluttony; be neither a flesh-eater nor a wine-lover, unless some illness leads to this as a remedy. Instead of the pleasures in these things, choose the joys in divine words and hymns, which are supplied to you by the wisdom given from God, and let a heavenly concern always lead you upward to heaven.

And release your many anxieties concerning the body, having taken confidence in hopes toward God, that he will provide you with sufficient necessities, food for life, covering for the body, and protection against winter’s cold. For indeed all the earth and everything that grows from it belongs to your king; and as if they were his own limbs, he exceedingly tends to the bodies of his servants, just as to his own temples and shrines. Therefore, do not fear even excessive diseases nor the onset of old age expected in time; for disease too will cease when we perform his commandments with wholehearted purpose.

Knowing this, fortify your soul strongly against diseases, and take courage like a champion athlete in the stadium, enduring hardships with unwavering strength. Do not oppress your soul excessively with grief, whether a pressing illness weighs it down or some other difficulty befalls, but nobly resist the pains with your mind, offering thanks to God even in the midst of trying circumstances, since he thinks more wisely than humans and what is neither possible nor easy for humans to discover. Have compassion on those who are afflicted, and ask for God’s help on behalf of people; for he will grant the favor to his friend who asks, and he will provide aid to the afflicted, wishing to make his power known to people, so that, coming to recognition, they may ascend to God and enjoy eternal blessedness, when the Son of God arrives to restore good things to his own. Practice tranquility in words, tranquility in deeds, likewise in speech and in gait; avoid rash vehemence; for thus the mind will remain steadfast, and, not becoming agitated by vehemence, it will not be weak and limited in understanding, nor see dimly; nor will it be conquered by gluttony, nor by seething anger, nor by the other passions, lying ready as easy prey for them. For the mind must rule over the passions, seated on a tranquil throne, looking up toward God.

Be not full of quick temper concerning anger, nor sluggish, nor sluggish in speech, nor filled with hesitation in your gait, so that a good rhythm may adorn your tranquility and your bearing may appear divine and sacred. Guard also against the symbols of pride: a haughty posture, a raised head, and a delicate, lofty step. Let your words be gentle to those you meet, and your greetings sweet; show modesty toward women, and let your gaze be turned to the ground. Speak everything with circumspection, and give to your voice what is useful, measuring your utterance according to the need of your hearers, until it is both audible and neither escapes the hearing of those present through softness nor exceeds it with excessive shouting. Guard that you never say anything you have not previously considered and thought over; nor hastily and in the midst of another’s words interject your own. For you must listen and converse in turn, dividing speech and silence by time. Learn gladly, and teach ungrudgingly, never hiding wisdom from others out of envy, nor refraining from learning out of shame. Yield to elders as to fathers; honor the servants of God; take the lead in wisdom and virtue. Be not contentious with friends, nor a mocker or jester toward them; and strongly reject falsehood, deceit, and insolence.

Bear with good words also the arrogant and the insolent, being a gentle and magnanimous man. Let all your works and words be set toward God, and refer all your own things to Christ, and frequently turn your soul toward God, and fix your mind upon the power of Christ, as if resting in some harbor in the divine light of the Savior, away from all speech and action. And by day, often share your thought with men, but with God as much as possible both by night and by day; for let not long sleep overpower your prayers and hymns to God; for long sleep is comparable to death. Always make yourself a partaker of Christ, who shines forth the divine radiance from heaven; for let Christ be your continual and unceasing joy. Do not relax the tension of your soul in feasting and the relaxation of drinking, but consider what is necessary for the body sufficient. And do not hasten to food before the time for dinner arrives; let bread be your dinner, and let herbs of the earth and the fruits of trees be added; and approach your food with steadiness, not displaying a ravenous gluttony; and be neither a flesh-eater nor a wine-lover, unless some illness leads you to this for a cure. But instead of the pleasures in these things, choose the joys in divine words and hymns, which are supplied to you by the wisdom from God, and let a heavenly concern always lead you upward to heaven.

Release the many cares concerning the body, having taken confidence in hopes toward God, that He will provide you with the necessities, sufficient sustenance for life, covering for the body, and protection against winter's cold. For all the earth and everything that grows from it belongs to your King; and as if they were his own limbs, he exceedingly tends to the bodies of his servants, just as his own temples and shrines. Therefore, fear neither excessive diseases nor the onset of old age expected in time; for disease will also cease when we perform his commandments with wholehearted intention. Knowing these things, even in the face of diseases, fortify your soul strongly; take courage, like a champion in the stadium who endures labors with unshaken strength. Do not oppress your soul excessively with grief, whether a pressing disease weighs it down or some other distressing event befalls you, but nobly resist the labors with your mind, offering thanks to God even in the midst of painful circumstances, since He thinks more wisely than humans and what is neither possible nor easy for humans to discover. Have pity on those who are afflicted, and ask for help from God on behalf of people; for He will grant the favor to His friend who asks, and He will provide assistance to the afflicted, wishing to make His power known to people, so that, coming to recognition, they may ascend to God and enjoy eternal blessedness, when the Son of God arrives, restoring good things to His own.