Sententiae

The Sentences of Evagrius the Monk. (From the Codex of Regulars, Lucas Holstenius, vol. VI.) I. To Those Who Live in Coenobia and Xenodochia, the Brothers. Heirs of God, hear the words of God; co-heirs of Christ, receive the utterances of Christ, that you may give them to the hearts of your sons; and teach them the words of the wise. A good father instructs his sons; a wicked father, however, will destroy them. Faith is the beginning of charity; the end of love, however, is the knowledge of God. The fear of the Lord will guard the soul; good continence, however, strengthens it. The endurance of a man generates hope; good hope, however, will glorify him. He who subjects his flesh to servitude will be impassible; he who nourishes it, however, will grieve over it. The spirit of fornication is in the bodies of the intemperate; the spirit of chastity, however, is in the souls of the abstinent. Withdrawal with charity purifies the heart; separation with hatred, however, disturbs it. A thousandth man in a community is better than one alone with hatred in hiding places and caves. He who binds the memory of malice in his soul is like one who hides fire in straw. Do not give many foods to your body, and you will not see evil phantasms in your dreams; for just as water extinguishes a flame, so hunger extinguishes shameful phantasms. An irascible man will be terrified; a meek man, however, will be intrepid. A strong wind drives away clouds; the memory of malice, however, drives sense away from knowledge.

He who prays for his enemies is unmindful of malice; he who spares his tongue will not sadden his neighbor. If your brother provokes you, bring him into your house, and do not be reluctant to go in to him yourself; but eat your bread with him: for by doing this, you will rescue your soul, and there will be no stumbling block for you at the time of prayer. Just as charity rejoices in poverty, so hatred delights in riches. The rich man will not possess knowledge, and a camel will not enter through the eye of a needle: but none of these things is impossible with the Lord. He who loves money will not see knowledge; and he who amasses it will be darkened. The Lord will dwell in the tents of the humble; but in the houses of the proud, curses will multiply. He dishonors God who transgresses His law; he who keeps it glorifies his Maker. If you emulate Christ, you will become blessed; but by His death your soul will die, and you will not contract malice from your flesh: but your progress will be like the rising of a star; and your resurrection will shine like the sun. Woe to the wicked man on the day of death, and the unjust man will perish in evil times. For just as the crow has flown from its nest, so the unclean soul from its body. Angels will lead away the souls of the just; demons will receive the souls of the wicked. Wherever malice has entered, there also is ignorance; but the hearts of the just will be filled with knowledge. The merciless monk will be destitute; but he who nourishes the poor will inherit treasures.

Poverty with knowledge is better than wealth with ignorance. The ornament of the head is a crown; the ornament of the heart, however, is the knowledge of God. Possess knowledge, and not silver; and wisdom above many riches. The just will inherit the Lord; the saints, moreover, will be nourished by him. He who takes pity on the poor drives out anger; and he who feeds them will be filled with good things. In a gentle heart wisdom reposes; but the seat of impassibility is a soul that works well. The makers of evils will receive an evil reward; but to the makers of good things a good reward will be given. He who sets a snare is caught in it; and he who hides it will perish from it. A gentle secular is better than a furious and wrathful monk. Wrath destroys knowledge; but the long-suffering man gathers it. Just as the south wind is violent on the sea, so is fury in the heart of a man. He who prays frequently will escape temptations; but the heart of the negligent one will be disturbed by thoughts. Let not wine delight you, and let not flesh entice you. Do not nourish the flesh of your body, and base thoughts will fail you. Do not say: "Today is a feast day, let us drink wine"; nor "Tomorrow is Pentecost, and I will eat meat": because there is no festivity among monks on earth for filling their belly. The Pasch of Christ is a passing over from malice; his Pentecost, however, is the resurrection of the soul. The Lord's Pentecost is the awakening of charity; but he who hates his brother falls into a great ruin.

The feast of God is the forgetting of evils: but one who retains malice is seized by grief. The feast of God is true knowledge: but one who attends to false knowledge will die shamefully. Better is fasting with a pure heart than feasting in the uncleanness of the soul. He who casts out evil thoughts from his heart is like one who dashes little children against a rock. A sleepy monk falls into evils: but one who watches will fly like a sparrow. Do not give yourself over in vigils to useless tales, and do not cast aside spiritual discourses: for the Lord looks into your heart, and does not set you free from every evil. Much sleep thickens the heart: but good vigils sharpen the mind. Much sleep brings on temptations; but one who watches escapes them. As fire melts wax, so good vigils melt evil thoughts. Better is a sleeping man than a monk who is awake in vain words. The sleep of angels gladdens the heart; but the sleep of demons troubles it. Penitence and humility have raised up the soul: but almsgiving and gentleness have strengthened it. Always remember your father, and do not forget the eternal judgment, and there will be no delight in your soul. If the spirit of acedia rises up over you, do not leave your house, and do not turn aside in a time of sadness: for just as one polishes silver, so your heart will become bright if you persevere. The spirit of weariness drives away tears: but the spirit of sadness afflicts prayer.

Desiring riches, you will be greatly anxious, and embracing them, you will weep most bitterly. Let the scorpion not linger in your bosom; so too let no evil thought linger in your heart. Do not spare to kill the offspring of serpents, and you will not give birth to their thoughts. For just as fire tests gold and silver, so temptation tests the heart of a monk. Remove pride from yourself, and put away vainglory and boasting far from you. For he who is deprived of sought-after glory will be saddened; but he who has attained it will become proud. Do not give pride to your heart, and do not say in the sight of the Lord, "I am powerful," lest the Lord abandon your soul and evil demons humble it. For then enemies will disturb you from the air, and terrible nights will receive you. Knowledge guards the conversation of a monk; but he who departs from it falls among thieves. A river flows from a spiritual rock; the soul that acts well drinks from it. A pure soul is a vessel of election; but an impure one will be filled with bitterness. Without milk an infant is not nourished; and without dispassion the heart is not exalted. Dispassion precedes charity; love precedes knowledge. Wisdom will be added to knowledge; prudence generates dispassion. The fear of the Lord generates wisdom; the faith of Christ bestows the fear of the Lord. A glowing arrow inflames the soul; but the man who works good extinguishes it. Knowledge shuns clamor and blasphemy; wisdom flees deceitful words.

Honey is sweet, and the comb is sweet; but the knowledge of God is sweeter than both. Listen, monk, to the words of your father, and do not make his teachings of no effect. When he sends you, obey him, and as far as the mind is concerned, act in concert with him; for in this way you will escape evil thoughts, and malignant demons will not prevail against you. If he entrusts money to you, do not squander it; and if you have earned anything extra, do not keep it back for yourself. A bad steward will afflict the souls of the brethren; and one mindful of malice will not have mercy on them. He who wastes the property of the monastery defrauds God; and he who neglects it will not go unpunished. An unjust steward distributes badly; a just one, however, will distribute as is fitting. He who speaks ill of his brother will be destroyed; but one who is negligent of the needy will not see the light. A secular man serving a brother in infirmity is better than an anchorite who does not have mercy on his neighbor. A foolish monk neglects the tools of his craft; a wise one, however, will take care of them. Do not say, "I stay today, and I will leave tomorrow," because you have not thought wisely about this very thing. A wandering monk will meditate on false words; but he will make a fool of his own father. He who adorns his garments and fills his belly feeds foul thoughts, and he will have no place in the assembly of the saints. If you enter a village, do not approach women; and do not linger to converse with them; for just as if one swallows a hook, so will your soul be drawn away.

A long-suffering monk will rejoice in impassibility; but one who provokes his brothers will be hateful. A gentle monk the Lord loves; a turbulent one He repels from Himself. A lazy monk will murmur; and a sleepy one will feign a headache. If your brother has been saddened, console him; and if he grieves, grieve with him: for by doing this you will gladden his heart, and you will heap up a great treasure for yourself in the heavens. A monk who pretends to keep the words of his father will curse his father’s dog, and will disparage the life of his sons; but the Lord will annul him. He who seeks an occasion will separate himself from his brothers; but he will accuse his own father. Do not lend your ear to words that are against your father, and do not stir up the soul of one who dishonors him; lest the Lord grow angry at your works, and erase your name from the book of the living. He who obeys the father of the monastery loves himself; but he who contradicts him will fall into evils. Blessed is the monk who keeps the Lord’s precepts; and holy is he who preserves the words of his fathers. A lazy monk will suffer many losses; but if he persists in audacity, he will even come to lose his habit. He who guards his tongue directs his ways; and he who keeps his heart will be filled with knowledge. A double-tongued monk disturbs his brothers; a faithful one acts quietly. He who trusts in his own continence will fall; but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Do not give yourself over to fullness of belly, and do not be filled with nocturnal sleep: for in this way you will become pure, and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you. The indignation of a man who sings psalms will subside; and he who is long-suffering will be fearless. From gentleness knowledge is generated; from ferocity, however, ignorance. Just as water gives increase to a planting, so the humbling of wrath exalts the heart. He who seeks out feasts, his light will be extinguished; his soul, moreover, will see darkness. Weigh your bread on a scale, and drink your water by measure: and the spirit of fornication will flee from you. Give wine to the old, and offer food to the sick, because they have worn out the flesh of their youth. Do not trip up your brother, and do not rejoice at his fall: for the Lord knows your heart, and will deliver you on the day of death. A prudent monk will be impassible; an imprudent one, however, will drain evils. The Lord will blind a wicked eye; a simple one, however, He will snatch from darkness. As the morning star in the sky, as the palm tree in paradise, so in a gentle soul is pure understanding. A wise man will scrutinize the words of God; a foolish one, however, will mock them. He who hates knowledge of God and rejects contemplation is like one who pierces his own heart with a lance. Better is knowledge of the Trinity than knowledge of incorporeal beings, and contemplation of it is better than the reasons of all ages. The gray hair of the old is gentleness; their life, moreover, is true knowledge.

A gentle youth endures much; but who will endure an old man who is faint-hearted? I have seen an angry old man, puffed up beyond his time; yet he had no more hope than a younger man. Whoever scandalizes the seculars will not go unpunished; and whoever provokes them will dishonor his own name. Fire will destroy the one who disturbs the Lord’s Church; the earth will swallow the one who resists the priest. He who loves peace will eat his honeycomb; and he who gathers it will be filled with honey. Honor the Lord, and you will know incorporeal things; and serve him, and he will show you the reasons of the ages. Without knowledge the heart will not be exalted, and a tree will not bloom without moisture. The flesh of Christ is the virtues of deeds; and whoever eats it becomes impassible. The blood of Christ is the contemplation of deeds; and whoever drinks it will be enlightened by it. The breast of the Lord is the knowledge of God; and whoever reclines upon it will be a preacher of divine things. The one full of knowledge and the doer of good met each other; but the Lord stood between them. He who has acquired love has acquired a treasure; and he has received great grace from the Lord. Wisdom knows the counsels of demons; but prudence has investigated their cunning. Do not despise the holy decrees which your fathers have set down; do not abandon the faith of your baptism, and do not reject the spiritual seal: so that the Lord may be present to your soul and protect you on the evil day. The words of heretics are messengers of death; and whoever receives them will lose his soul.

Now therefore, my son, hear me, and do not approach the doors of wicked men, nor walk upon their snares, lest you be caught. Separate your soul from false knowledge: for I have often spoken with them; I have investigated their dark discourses, and I have found the venom of asps in them. There is no prudence, and there is no wisdom in their ways. All who receive them will perish, and those who love them will be filled with evils. I myself have seen the fathers of those doctrines, and in the deserts I have contended with them. For enemies of the Lord met me, and demons in words fought against me, and I saw no true light in their speeches. A lying man will fall away from God; but one who deceives his neighbor will fall into evils. Better is the paradise of God than a garden of vegetables, and the river of the Lord than a great river darkening the land. More faithful is celestial water than the water of the wise Egyptians, drawing from the earth. For just as those who ascend wheels descend downwards, so those who exalt their words are humbled. The wisdom of the Lord exalts the heart; but his understanding purifies it. The reasons of providence are obscure; and the considerations of judgment are scarcely intelligible; but a man who acts well knows them. He who purifies himself will see intelligible natures: and a gentle monk will know the reasons of incorporeal things. He who calls the creature the Trinity blasphemes God: and he who scorns his Christ does not know him.

Considerations of creatures enlarge the heart; but words of prudence and judgment exalt it. Knowledge of incorporeal things elevates the mind, and will apply it to the holy Trinity. Remember him who gave you lucid proverbs in the Lord, and do not forget his humble soul in time of prayer. II. TO VIRGINS. Love the Lord and he will love you; and serve him and he will illuminate your heart. Honor your mother as the mother of Christ; and do not vex her gray hair who bore you. Love your sisters as daughters of your mother, and do not abandon the path of peace. Let the rising sun see a codex in your hands; and after the second hour, your work. Pray without ceasing; and remember Christ who begot you. Shun gatherings of men; lest an idol be made in your soul, and it will be a stumbling block for you in time of prayer. You have Christ as beloved: cast away from yourself all men, and you will not live a reproachful life. Drive far from yourself animosity and anger; and let the memory of malice not linger with you. Do not say: Today I eat, and tomorrow I will not eat: for you do not do this in wisdom. For there will be harm to your body, and pain to your stomach. To eat meat is not good, and to drink wine is not best: but you ought to offer these to the infirm. A turbulent virgin will not be saved; and she who lives in delights will not see her spouse. Do not say, the maidservant has saddened me, I will repay her; because there is no servitude among the daughters of God.

Do not give ear to vain words, and flee the tales of old women who go about. Do not look upon the revels of drunken women, and do not go to the weddings of others: for every virgin who does these things is unclean before the Lord. Open your mouth to the word of God; and restrain your tongue from much speaking. Humble yourself before God; and His right hand will exalt you. Do not turn away from the poor in time of tribulation; and the oil of your lamp will not fail. Do everything for the Lord; and do not seek glory from men: for the glory of man is like the flower of hay; but the glory of the Lord abides forever. The Lord loves a meek virgin; but an angry virgin is hateful. An obedient virgin will obtain mercy: but a contradicting one is very foolish. The Lord destroys a murmuring virgin; but He frees a gracious one from death. Laughter is base, and shamelessness is reproachful: but every foolish person will be entangled in such things. She who adorns her clothes will also fall from chastity. Do not linger with worldly people, lest they turn your heart and render your just resolves void. Beseech the Lord with tears in the night, and let no one perceive you praying, and you will find grace. The desire for walks and the longing for others' houses unsettles the state of the soul and corrupts its ready will. A faithful virgin will not be afraid; but she who is unfaithful flees even her own shadow. Envy consumes the soul, and spite devours it. She who scorns a weak sister will be far from Christ.

Do not say, "This is mine," and "That is yours": for in Christ Jesus all things are common. Do not inquire into the life of another, and do not rejoice at the ruin of your sister. But supply the needs of needy virgins; and do not be puffed up in your nobility. Do not utter a word from your mouth in the Lord's church; and do not lift up your eyes: for the Lord knows your heart and inspects all your thoughts. Repel all evil desire from yourself; and your enemies will not sadden you. Sing psalmody from your heart, and do not merely move your tongue. A foolish virgin will love silver; but a prudent one will add even her bread. As the force of fire is difficult to check, so the soul of a wounded virgin is scarcely curable. Do not give your soul to evil thoughts, lest they pollute your heart and drive pure prayer far from you. Heavy sadness and unbearable acedia; tears to the Lord are stronger than either. Hunger and thirst cause evil desires to wither; but good vigil purifies the mind. Love averts anger and animosity; but gifts confound the memory of malice. She who secretly slanders her sister will stand outside the bridal chamber of the bridegroom and will cry at his doors, and there will be no one to hear her. The lamp of a merciless virgin will be extinguished, and she will not see her bridegroom coming. Glass falling from a rock will be shattered; and a virgin joined to a man will not be innocent. A gentle woman is better than an angry and wrathful virgin.

She who is drawn to laughter at men's words is like one casting a noose around her own neck. As a pearl in a golden sling, so is virginity clothed in reverence. The songs of demons and pipes dissolve the soul and scatter its strength, which you must guard in all things, so that you may not become worthy of reproach. Do not take delight in laughter, and do not rejoice at those who revile, for the Lord will abandon them. You shall not reproach your sister while she eats, and in your own abstinence you shall not exalt yourself: for you do not know what the Lord has intended, or who will stand before him. She who looks with envious eyes and wastes away in her own flesh will not rejoice over the dispassion of the soul. Severe is abstinence, and chastity is with difficulty set straight: but nothing is sweeter than the heavenly bridegroom. The souls of virgins will be illumined; but the souls of the unclean will see darkness. I have seen men corrupting virgins with their teachings and making their virginity vain. But you, daughter, listen to the teachings of the Church of God, and let no stranger persuade you. God established heaven and earth, and provided for all, and rejoices in them; and there is no angel incapable of malice, and no demon evil by nature: for God made both of free will. Just as a man subsists of a corruptible body and a rational soul, so also our Lord was born without sin, ate as he ate, and was crucified as he was crucified: it was not a false vision in the eyes of men.

There will be a resurrection of the dead, and this world will pass away; and we shall receive spiritual bodies. The just will inherit the light; the impious, however, will dwell in darkness. "The virgin's eyes will see God. The virgin's ears, however, will hear His words. The virgin's mouth will kiss her spouse; the fragrance of virgins, moreover, will run in the scent of His ointments. The virgin's hands will touch the Lord; and chastity of the flesh will be acceptable to Him. The virgin's soul will be crowned, and she will live forever with her spouse. A spiritual garment will be given to her, and she will keep holiday with the angels in the heavens. She kindles an inextinguishable lamp, and the oil will not fail in her vessels. She will receive eternal riches, and will inherit the kingdom of God. My words, daughter, have been spoken to you; but let your heart keep these words. Remember Christ watching over you; and do not forget the adorable and consubstantial Trinity.