He who lives contrary to nature does not keep the commandments of God. A All wisdom is to fear the Lord; but all instruction that does not teach the law of the Lord is foolishness and lack of understanding. Faith and baptism will not deliver from the eternal fire without works of justice. For if you are of the same order and rank as Christ, keep His commandments; and if you believe in things to come, strive for the eternal glory, and fear the flaming sword; but if you do not rightly keep the precepts of God, do not call yourself a believer. Every creature obeys the precept of God; man alone does not obey Him, for whose sake all things were made. We shall provide nothing to God if we keep ourselves chaste, but we shall procure for ourselves life and the ineffable enjoyment of eternal goods. B Do not say: "I cannot keep the divine commandment, either because of my father, or because of my mother, or because of my wife, or because of my children, or because of anyone else"; for they will not deliver you from the impending wrath and the worm that never dies. And let everyone who opposes you in the attainment of God and of virtues be execrable and hateful to you; with such a person, it is not even good to eat.
OF THE SAME HOLY FATHER OURS, NILUS Sentences drawing man away from corruptible things, and uniting him to incorruptible ones.
1. C The way to virtue is good and short: the flight from the world. 2. He who desires incorruptible things should count corruptible ones as nothing. 3. If you truly desire life, always await human death. 4. Hate the present life, for you see its wheel being turned in disorder. 5. Do not desire good things whose use passes away and whose possession perishes. 6. Laugh at those who fare well, and sympathize with those who fare poorly; for the latter brings a reward, while the former promotes wisdom.
SENTENTIÆ
7. Exercise patience, such as we have known the martyrs to have practiced, since the testimony of conscience is required of us as well. A
8. Prefer the soul above all things, and the course of virtue is completed without weariness; for all things are corruptible, but the soul is immortal; it is fitting, therefore, to value that which is devoid of death more than corruptible things.
9. Prepare yourself for things that cause grief, and you shall gain the more.
10. Do not seek from God things that are pleasant, but only those that are useful; for if you ask for the former, He does not give them, and if you should receive them, they perish.
11. Do not complain of poverty, for it makes the athlete undistracted by the law.
12. Do not rejoice in wealth, for the anxieties concerning it, for the most part, separate a person from God against his own volition. B
13. The end is near; let the slothful one prepare himself for the scourges.
14. The harvest is not far off; let us therefore rid the field of our soul of thorns.
15. Nothing escapes God, so that we hasten in vain to hide when we sin.
16. Before men, feel shame before the angels; for many are present with us, and [they keep one] from every shameful action.
17. Be anxious for the yoke of the Judge, and whatever is counterfeit in you from the trial of worldly life, let it be cast out. C
18. Consider leisure and ease to be a loss, and hasten to do something of those things which we are about to be called to account for.
19. Always consider the uncertainty of life, and nothing of those things that are in it will be able to distract you.
20. Do not let the bright things of the earth delight you, for they are temporary; for they are hooks, enticing the soul like a fish and ensnaring it.
21. Abstain from temptations, and show yourself ready for fortitude.
22. Never look down upon a weeping pauper, lest the tears of your own prayer be despised.
23. Philosophy is a possession excellent for men, and being for men alone, it desires to be with the possessor alone. D
24. Virtue is the tunic of God; weave this, and you will become the vestiarian of Him who clothes the universe.
25. Whatever is on earth is stolen; work for those in heaven, for these do not enter the fingers of those who plunder.
26. One must renounce luxury, for it draws one into actions from which, after sobriety, groans arise.
27. It is better to abhor flesh-loving thoughts, for they corrupt the body and pollute the soul.
28. Not even the goods of the earth without
labors, so why turn we away from heavenly things on account of labor? A
29. Do you wish to work virtue without labor? Consider that labor is temporary, and the reward is eternal.
30. Let those who have melted away toward base pleasures calculate the brevity of their enjoyment and the length of their punishment.
31. How filthy, bestial, and foolish this life is; deservedly, both the soul and the rational mind, and those who have suffered loss by their own hand, ought to lament.
32. Consider all things corruptible, but virtue incorruptible.
33. Neglect other things, as many as make a man brutish; but perform those things that can show you have a heavenly origin.
34. Have care for virtue; for it, through wisdom, exhibits God B to Adam.
35. Do you restrain your belly? Restrain also your tongue, so that you do not become a slave in the one, while in the other you turn out a useless free man.
36. Love God, but concerning things above Him, do not become attached to your own family, lest you be found unworthy according to His voice, as you do not wish to be.
37. Endure tribulations; for in them the crown is woven for those who contend.
38. It is a blessed thing to suffer evil, but a thrice-wretched thing to do evil; for he who suffers becomes C an heir of Christ, but he who does evil becomes a co-heir of the devil.
39. Good is the bread of fasting, since it is free from the leaven of pleasures.
40. Holy is the altar of prayer, for it draws the Holy One of the saints toward us.
41. Do not think justice is an accessory to virtue; for without it, every action is impure.
42. If you sow among the poor, sow your own; for things belonging to others are more bitter than tares.
43. A blind man is merciful, if he happens to be righteous, D cultivating a field which he cannot reap.
44. Always expect death, but do not fear it; for both are a true mark of philosophy.
45. Assume the form of virtue, not in order to deceive, but in order to benefit those who see you.
46. One ought to speak what is good even if one does not act well, so that one may begin to act, feeling ashamed of one's own words.
47. If you desire heaven, let nothing of the earth be yours; for the earth does not allow itself to fly up toward heaven.
48. Do not wish to be rich for the sake of giving alms to the poor; for God legislates that the righteous man should show mercy from his own possessions.
49. If a cup of cold water justifies the merciful man, what reward awaits him who scatters everything among the poor?
50. The fathers of the virtues are purity and compassion.
Therefore, it is permitted to no one under Christ to campaign without either this or that A passion; thus, without this or that, it is not permitted to campaign under Christ.
51. Do not neglect compassion, for the instrument that proceeds from it presented to men Him who took on flesh for our sake.
52. Do not say: "I shall take vengeance on my enemy," for we possess a just judge in heaven.
53. Do not wish to be rich, do not wish for glory; for these are the corruption of life, but we are not as those who are corrupted.
54. Do not mourn over the dead, for the path is common, and blessed is he who arrives first.
55. Weep for the one who sins, but not for the one who is poor, for the latter is crowned, while the former is punished.
56. Laugh at the wheel of life rolling in disorder, but beware of that wheel into which those who slumber in it are rolled. B
57. Speak much to God, and very little to men; by meditation on the Law you will succeed in both.
58. The tear of prayer is a good basin for the soul, but after the prayer remember for whose sake you wept.
59. Do not call the powerful of this life blessed, for the powerful shall be powerfully examined; hence they will have a more severe judge.
60. Adam must toil; but we, toiling in the law, earn the reward.
61. It is a necessity for the heirs of Eve to suffer afflictions, but when we endure these afflictions with thanksgiving, the curse is transformed for us into a blessing. C
62. Use your conscience as a lamp for your actions; for this reveals to you what kind of things in life are good.
63. Let us judge ourselves, and the Judge is appeased; for He rejoices as a good God, seeing the sinner dispersing his burden.
64. If anything impure has been done, let us wash it away with repentance, for we intend to construct the image pure.
65. Before we are stripped bare, let us heal the wounds of the soul, in order that we may gain by such remedies the lashes.
66. Just as those in bonds walk with difficulty, so those entangled in worldly life do not complete the pure course of virtue. D
67. One must hate sin; for thus one will escape from the same snare more quickly, and even if one should slip into it, one will emerge.
68. He who does not hate sin, even if he does not commit the sin, is judged among sinners.
A 69. Groan for your neighbor when he sins, so that you may also groan for yourself, for we are all liable to sins.
70. Remind your fallen friend of the Judge, and you will dress your own wound, for the remedy of counsel is common.
71. When you are about to say or do something, think of the subsequent defense, and being corrected by fear, you will be temperate.
72. Fear the punishment of sin, and shun the shame, for the hardship of both is immense.
73. The good things to come, and [their] beauty, and multitude are infinite; these, however, are shadow, and smoke, and bubbles.
74. Do not sow evil, for the harvest is near, and the fire awaits the farmer of the thorns B.
75. Hypocrites, or pretenders, the greedy, those given to pleasures, are the roses of the world; but wait a little, and you will see the grass trodden underfoot.
76. Every evil action arms the devil, and once armed, he treats those who armed him cruelly.
77. Do you want the enemy to be weakened? Cut off sin, and having been stripped of his wings, like a sparrow, he is mocked.
78. Woe to the ungodly, because when everyone is illuminated, then he is darkened.
79. Woe to the blasphemer, for his tongue is bound, and he cannot defend himself before the Judge. C
80. Woe to the unjust, for he goes to a Judge who is both stern and a just lawgiver.
81. Woe to the greedy for others' goods, wealth flees from him, and the fire receives him.
82. Woe to the lazy, he will seek the time which he spent badly.
83. Woe to the proud man, when he enters the grave, he is taught who he is.
84. Woe to the lecher, who defiles the nuptial garment, and is cast out of the royal wedding with disgrace.
85. Woe to the reviler, and together with him the drunkard, because they are ranked with murderers and punished with adulterers. D
86. Woe to him who lives in luxury for a short time; like a calf destined for slaughter, he is fattened.
87. Woe to the hypocrite, the shepherd denies him, and the Judge declares him a wolf.
88. Blessed is he who walks the narrow way, for wearing a crown he enters heaven.
89. Blessed is he who tramples upon pleasures, for the demons tremble before him.
90. Blessed is he who is pure and without hypocrisy in his soul, because he is about to judge the world, and not be judged by the world.
91. Blessed is he who has a high life, [but a] humble...
mind; for he imitates Christ, and sits with Him. A
92. Blessed is he whose tongue the law does not forsake, for from his tabernacle God is not separated.
93. Blessed is he who does good to many, for he will find many advocates when he is judged.
94. Blessed is he who does not adulterate virtue; for the winnowing-fan of the Judge is not mocked.
95. Blessed is he who adorns his own actions, before the fire appears by which all things are tested.
96. Blessed is he who hastens toward the life to come; for present things reek of corruption and are drawn toward death. B
97. Blessed is he who scatters the evil things he has gathered, and who stands, pure, before the pure Judge.
98. The sum of the matter is this: O soul, do not be negligent; for in a little while you shall go under the scales of the fearful judgment of Christ our God.
99. For just as the merciful, etc.
*The sequence up to number 121 is transcribed word for word from Nilus’s opusculum On Voluntary Poverty, above page 233; the rest, numbers 122–135, are also read verbatim in his book On the Excellence of Monks, above, p. 377. We omit this double inclusion. Editor.*
OF NILUS, BISHOP AND MARTYR, HEADS OR EXHORTATIONS.
PARANETIC CHAPTERS OF ST. NILUS THE MONK.
(Ex Frontonis Ducæi Auctario Bibl. vet. Patr., tom. II, p. 1168.)1. The beginning of salvation is self-reproach. C
2. It is better to cast a stone at random than a word.
3. Be to all men as you would have all men be to you.
4. Practice justice more by work than by word.
5. A pious man is not he who shows mercy to many, but he who does injustice to no one.
6. It is better to live on a pallet and be of good cheer, than to have a golden bed and be troubled.
7. That friend is sweet who nourishes the soul.
8. Praise God with words, but honor Him with works and with your inward thoughts.
9. Wisdom, life, and nobility make the priest.
10. It is a very base thing to be a slave to all shameful passions. D
11. Teach virtue by word, but proclaim it by work.
12. Do not think that possessing virtue is a good thing, but rather using it as is fitting.
13. Honoring the Law, you shall live according to the Law. A 14. He is a stranger to whom the things of the world are strange. 15. The envious man harms himself; for he who speaks against others suffers harm from himself without knowing it. 16. Neither flatter the rich man, nor provoke him. 17. Wine strengthens the body, but the word of God strengthens the soul. 18. Use foods, not those that are sweet, but those that are beneficial. 19. If you try to please the crowds, be like the crowds. 20. But above all, mortify your body. 21. He is hardworking who has no time to spare. 22. Do not accept the outward appearance of a Christian man, but rather the disposition of his soul. 23. To blame what is blameless before God is a sin. B 24. There is great danger for the ears and the tongue. 25. Have fear of God, and love, and use a pure witness of conscience toward all. 26. Believe that God is standing right there in whatever you do at any moment. 27. Flee from praises, and be ashamed of reproaches. 28. Rejoice when you practice virtue, but do not be puffed up, lest you suffer shipwreck while in the harbor. 29. Know that as much as you progress in the Law, you are still lacking in perfection. 30. Examine the end of every action before its beginning. 31. By night and by day look toward the final day. C 32. Do not associate with one whom you see being reproached by good men. 33. Strive that no harm comes to anyone in what you do, or say, or think. 34. Do not rejoice in the flowery things of this life; for the grassy flower, as you touch it, withers away. 35. Give thanks in sorrowful situations, and the yoke of sins will be lightened. 36. Be secure in temptations; for they have tested many, and even greater ones. 37. Do not complain about the patience of God; for it is a common remedy. 38. Hate the instability of life, but do not blame God for it. D 39. Let us pay attention to ourselves, and we shall not mock others. 40. For there are many things in us for which we mock others. 41. Let a Psalm of prayer be in your mouth; for God, when named, puts the demons to flight. 42. Let prayer be made with soberness, so that we do not ask God for things that are not pleasing to Him. 43. Always remember God, and let your mind become a heaven. 44. Rein in your eye; for you know not how it may wander.
45. Spare your tongue; for it often brings forth what it would have been better to conceal. A
46. Let your mind be cultivated by the study of the Law; for it roots out evil thoughts if it is practiced continuously.
47. Conceal your virtues; but strive to acquire many witnesses for your life.
48. Hate the pleasures of the flesh; for they make the soul dirty together with the body.
49. Give the flesh only what it needs to receive, not what it desires.
50. Do not love luxury; for it breeds friendship with this life, but enmity toward God is born from both.
51. Flee from the joy of this life; for it is slippery and it trips up those who are running. B
52. If you have wealth, distribute it; if you do not have it, do not gather it.
53. Consider fasting to be a weapon, and prayer a wall, and tears a bath.
54. Remember all your sins with groaning; for from this there arises continuous compunction for the soul.
55. Provide for the poor; for they reconcile the Judge for us.
56. Share in the needs of the saints; for through them you gain communion with God.
57. Tread in the church as if in heaven; and do not say or think anything earthly within it. C
58. Deem self-sufficiency necessary, but yield to God the concern for it.
59. Subject the flesh to good labors, but take care that it does not fall away entirely.
60. Drink wine that is very slight; for as much as it is diminished, so much does it benefit those who drink it.
61. Chasten your anger; for it is the father of madness when it goes beyond its measure.
62. In sicknesses, use prayer before doctors and medicines.
63. Honor all the priests, but consort with the good ones.
64. Love the houses of God, and prepare yourself to be a house of God.
65. Frequent the church; for it delivers us from the noise and agitation of external things. D
66. Whatever is on earth is transitory; so let not that which is taken away from you now grieve you.
67. When a thought of pleasure arises in you, set against it the shame before men and the offense against God.
68. Secure your hearing and your eyes; for through them all the weapons of wickedness enter.
69. When you pray, lead your mind up to God, and if it wanders and comes down, lead it up again.
70. The human mind never ceases to generate thoughts: do you, however, expel the evil ones, and cultivate the good ones by cherishing them. A
71. Rejoice in humility; for the height that comes from it is great, and it cannot fall.
72. Exercise the body only so much as to loosen the movements of the flesh; and if you are ill, care for the body for the sake of health, not to indulge it in luxury.
73. Drive away evil thoughts with other, better thoughts.
74. Ponder the comeliness of the heavenly goods; and no passion of the earth, or of the pleasures that come from it, will enter into you.
75. When any thought about God comes to you, do not reflect upon God, but upon yourself; for nothing is safe that goes beyond the measure which we are capable of holding. B
76. Believe that evil imaginings are a seed of the devil; for in this way they cease, and the sower is put to shame.
77. Avoid excessive laughter; for it makes the soul slack. And a soul that has become slack easily casts off the bridle of the Law.
78. One must divide the soul between work and prayer; for in this way the devil does not find many entrances into us.
79. Consider the reading of the Law to be a labor, when the mind, wishing to harvest something with the tongue, works among the books. C
80. If you move your hands to work, let your tongue chant and your mind pray; for God requires that we be mindful of him always.
81. Seal every action with prayer; this is especially necessary for that action regarding which you see your mind wavering.
82. If you wish the labor of your hands to be divine and not earthly, make what you produce from them common to those in need.
83. Rejoice in the company of the holy; for through them God is manifested to you.
84. Distinguish the truly holy by their works. For every tree is known by its fruit. D
85. Always strive to gain something from the contemplation of the holy; but observe their gaze and their bearing: for both are very useful.
86. Practice purity in heart and chastity in body; for both of these together make you a temple of God.
87. Thus, therefore, guard the temple as one who is to be judged by the Creator, and as one methodically preparing his own image (which is God's image) to be pure according to the rule.
88. Conversations about worldly affairs separate the mind from God; therefore do not even speak with such people, and avoid those who do.
A 89. When you are insulted, consider whether anything has been done by you worthy of the insult. If, however, nothing has been committed by you, consider the insult to be smoke that vanishes. 90. In all things wherein you suffer injury, take refuge in patience, and the harm will recoil upon those who inflict it. 91. When you see riches, or glory, or worldly power, consider their perishability, and you will escape the bait. 92. Endure tribulations: for in them virtues grow and germinate, just as roses do among thorns. 93. Do not think that anything is equal to virtue in dignity. For it is the image of God; and therefore, as He Himself is, it is immutable. B 94. Weep for the prosperous sinner: for the sword of justice hangs over him. 95. Consider sloth the mother of evils. For it steals the good things you already possess, and does not allow you to acquire those you do not yet have. 96. When one who does evil is not ashamed of it, the wound is aggravated, and the fall leads to despair. 97. As often as you are dejected, consider how many good things are prepared for the faithful, and the fruit of the Spirit will easily come to you. 98. It is fitting for the faithful to be humble before all: for to be humble only before some denotes a certain feigned humility. C 99. Prefer nothing to the love of your neighbor, except for those things by which love for God is neglected. 100. Do not attach yourself to anything contrary to the law of God, nor be overly fond of it; for he who prefers anything to Him makes God seem unworthy. 101. Do not advocate for the wicked; for you incite them to evil, and you yourself are defiled by the communion of the act. 102. Admonish the one who sins, but do not accuse the one who errs: for the latter is the work of a slanderer, but the former is that of one who corrects. 103. Strive always to hear and to speak those things which are holy; for they stimulate the soul to a good zeal.
Amen. For if a soldier cannot win favor from his leader unless he has first proven himself to him in much exercise, and many labors, and wars, showing his experience clearly, and bringing back trophies against the enemy; how much more in the case of the heavenly and true King, no one will be worthy to receive the heavenly gifts of the Holy Spirit, unless he has first exercised himself in the meditation of the holy commandments, and having taken up the heavenly armor, namely grace itself, has fought against the wicked spirits; for the more one progresses in the spiritual struggle, the greater increase he receives of the spiritual mysteries and of the treasures of wisdom; and the more grace is increased, the more he also advances in knowing the thoughts of wickedness, with the Lord Christ bringing him aid and helping him, to whom be glory and dominion unto the ages. Amen.
104. Since we have our own mind as the Church at home, we ought to perform the sacrifices of the Church within it as well. A
105. If a congregation is being held in the Church, attend; but if it is not being held, go away, singing an apostolic Gospel for yourself.
106. Look upon the glory of the saints; for their glory is immortal, and it comes even after death.
107. You will hate wickedness then, when you consider that it is a sword of the demons flashing against us.
108. If you admonish one who has erred, mingle words of compassion; and the ears will be softened, but the heart will be illuminated.
109. When you speak among holy men, ask about the things of the Spirit; but when you are not speaking to such as these, do not speak of such things. B
110. Always hasten towards good deeds, lest, leaving them behind, you depart only half-finished.
111. Run so that you may lay hold, that is to say, ceaselessly. For it is necessary to run in virtue until we have finished the stadium of life.
112. Do not be slothful regarding the performance of the commandments: for to such people, the labor is useless, and it heaps labor upon labor.
113. Practice patience even before the need arises, so that you may find its armor ready even in time of necessity.
114. Resist wicked thoughts, and say to them whatever is written in the Law. C
115. With great diligence, remove the eye from this life; for a wicked smoke proceeds from it and renders the soul murky.
116. If you have been ensnared by some evil habit, cut it off little by little; and without much trouble you will uproot the thorn from your soul.
117. Love the God who is pure in a pure way; and consider everything else to be in second place compared to Him who is above all.
118. If you wish to be a temple of God, offer up to Him the unceasing sacrifice of prayer.
119. Do not take one who lives negligently as a counselor; for he who rejoices in evil things cannot love good things, nor can he give counsel therein. D
120. Abstain from all corruption, and partake of the mystical supper every day. For thus our body becomes the body of Christ.
121. In those things for which you are disciplined by God, do not murmur; for He disciplines as a father, and as a benefactor, He is worthy to be thanked.
122. When you are dishonored, rejoice; for if it is unjustly, the reward is great; but if justly, if you are sober-minded, you have been lightened of the whip.
123. Compare the sorrowful and the joyous things of life to a shadow and a wheel; for as the shadow does not remain, and as the wheel rolls along.
124. Strive always to progress in God. For he who small...
additions makes, gathers from a little, a wealth coveted by all.
125. If you wish to escape the distress of punishment, never revile anyone; for by this, the Divine is provoked.
126. If you wish to drive every scourge from your house, do not speak evil of a fellow man; for God, who created him, is justly provoked.
127. If you wish to be superior to every sin, do not investigate the deeds of others; for there are many in you, about which you have suspicions of another.
128. Flee arrogance, O man, even if you are rich, lest you have God arrayed against you.
129. Love humility, and though you be great, so that you may be exalted on the day of judgment. B
130. Do not mock a man, and you shall have no reproach in your whole life.
131. When you are in church, do not be distracted; for before a king, those who stand neither laugh nor are distracted.
132. Do not neglect your life, and act indifferently contrary to the law, lest by acting contrary to the law, you incur destruction.
133. With all assurance remember what has been said, that they may render you glorious in life.
134. Emulate a modest life, that you may have authority to rebuke those who sin.
135. Secure yourself against presumption; do not rebuke anyone, lest you be condemned as one inflated with arrogance. C
136. Do not laugh at the fall of another, lest you be laughed at by those you do not wish.
137. Observe these exhortations, that they may procure for you a crown of glory.
138. Be master of these commandments, that they may render you manifest to men and acceptable to God; for thus the Divine finds pleasure, and by such good works God is served.
139. Always strive to progress in good works; for flight from the world is a way to virtue. (As stated above, column 1259, up to number 98).
The following eight sentences were published by Suaresius in his *Dissertatio de operibus Nili*, p. 625.
Exhortatory Chapters
Blessed is he who has a lofty life, but a humble mind. For he imitates Christ, and shall sit with Him. D
Blessed is he whose tongue the law does not depart from; for God does not depart from the tabernacle of this man.
Blessed is he who does good to many; for he finds many advocates when he is judged.
Blessed is he who does not corrupt virtue; for the winnowing-fan of the Judge is not mocked.
Blessed is he who adorns his own actions; for a fire is about to be kindled, by which all things are tested.
Blessed is he who hastens toward the life to come; for present things reek of corruption and pull toward death.