A The ornament of the head is a crown; the ornament of the heart is the knowledge of God. Possess knowledge, not silver; and wisdom above great riches. The just shall inherit the Lord, but the saints shall be nourished by Him. He who pities the poor destroys anger; and he who nourishes them shall be filled with good things. Wisdom rests in a meek heart; but the seat of dispassion is a soul that acts well. The makers of evil shall receive an evil reward; but to the makers of good, a good reward shall be given. He who sets a snare is caught in it; and he who hides it shall perish from it. A meek man of the world is better than a furious and wrathful monk. Wrath destroys knowledge; but the long-suffering man gathers it. As a violent south wind is on the sea, so is fury in the heart of a man. He who prays frequently shall escape temptations; but the heart of the negligent shall be troubled by thoughts. Let not wine delight you, nor let the flesh entice you. Do not nourish the flesh of your body, and shameful thoughts will depart from you. Do not say: "Today is a feast day, and let us drink wine; and tomorrow is Pentecost, and I will eat meat," for there is no such festival among monks on earth to fill their belly. The Pascha of Christ is a passing from malice; but His Pentecost is the resurrection of the soul. The Pentecost of the Lord is the arousal of love; but he who hates his brother falls into a great ruin. The feast of God is the forgetting of evils; but grief seizes him who retains malice. The feast of God is true knowledge; but he who tends toward false knowledge shall die shamefully. Fasting with a pure heart is better than feasting in the impurity of the soul. He who scatters evil thoughts from his heart is like one who dashes his children against the rock.
B The sleepy monk falls into evils; but he who is vigilant shall fly like a sparrow. Do not give yourself in your vigils to superfluous stories, and do not cast away spiritual words, since the Lord looks upon your heart and does not hold you innocent of every evil. Much sleep makes the heart heavy; but good vigils sharpen the mind. Much sleep brings on temptations; but he who is vigilant escapes them. As fire melts wax, so do good vigils [melt] evil thoughts. Better is a sleeping man than a monk who is vigilant in vain words. The dream of angels gladdens the heart; but the dream of demons troubles it. Repentance and humility have raised up the soul; but almsgiving and meekness have confirmed it. Remember your father always, and do not forget the eternal judgment, and there shall be no sin in your soul. If the spirit of acedia rises up over you, do not leave your house, and do not turn away in the time of sadness: for just as one rubs silver, so your heart will become brilliant if you persevere. The spirit of weariness drives away tears; but the spirit of sadness crushes prayer. By desiring riches you will be greatly anxious; and by embracing them you will mourn most bitterly. Do not let a scorpion linger in your bosom; likewise, do not let an evil thought [linger] in your heart. Do not spare to kill the offspring of serpents, and you will not have to endure their thoughts. For just as fire tests gold and silver, so temptation tests the heart of a monk. Take away from yourself pride and vainglory, and hold boasting far from you. For he who is deprived of the glory he sought 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 malignant demons humble it. For then enemies will trouble you from the air, and terrible nights will take hold of you.
Conversation is guarded by knowledge; but he who departs from it falls among thieves. A river flows from the spiritual rock; but the soul that acts well drinks from it. A pure soul is a vessel of election; but an unclean one will be filled with bitterness. An infant will not be nourished without milk; and the heart will not be exalted without dispassion. Dispassion precedes love; but love precedes knowledge. Wisdom shall be added to knowledge; but prudence generates dispassion. The fear of the Lord generates wisdom; but the faith of Christ bestows the fear of God. A burning arrow inflames the soul; but a man who is a doer of good extinguishes it. Knowledge turns away from shouting and blasphemy, but wisdom flees from deceitful words. Honey is sweet, and the honeycomb is pleasant; but the knowledge of God is sweeter than both. Listen, monk, to the words of your father, and do not make his instructions void. When he sends you, obey him, and as much as possible, keep your mind with him: for in this way you will escape evil thoughts, and malignant demons will not prevail against you. If he trusts money to you, do not scatter it; and if you have over-labored, do not withhold it for yourself. A bad steward will crush the souls of his brothers; and mindful of malice, he will not pity them. He who wastes the substance of the monastery defrauds God; and he who neglects it will not go unpunished. An unjust steward distributes badly; but the just man will distribute as is proper. He who speaks evil of his brother will be utterly destroyed; but he who neglects the needy will not see the light. A man of the world serving his brother in infirmity is better than an anchorite who does not pity his neighbor. A foolish monk neglects the instruments of his craft; but the wise man will take care of them. Do not say: "I stay today, and I will go out tomorrow," because you did not think about this matter with wisdom. A wandering monk will meditate on false words; but he will mock his own father. He who adorns his clothes and fills his belly feeds shameful thoughts, and he will have no company with the saints. If you enter the village, do not approach women, and do not linger to converse with them: for just as if someone swallows a hook, so your soul will be dragged away. A long-suffering monk will rejoice in dispassion; but he who exacerbates his brothers will be hateful. The Lord loves the meek monk; but He repels the turbulent one from Himself. A lazy monk will murmur; and the sleepy one feigns a headache. If your brother is saddened,
console him; and if he is in pain, sympathize with him: for by doing so you will gladden his heart, and you will heap up for yourself a great treasure in heaven. A monk who neglects to keep the words of his father will curse the dog of his father, and will disparage the life of his sons; but the Lord will bring him to nought. Whoever seeks an opportunity separates himself from the brethren; and he will accuse his own father. Do not give your ear to conversations that are against your father, and do not stir up the soul of one who dishonors him, so that the Lord may not be enraged at your deeds and blot out your name from the book of the living. A
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 commandments of the Lord; and holy is he who observes the words of his fathers. A lazy monk will suffer many losses; but if he persists in boldness, he will wind up losing even his habit. Whoever guards his tongue directs his ways; and whoever guards his heart will be filled with knowledge. A double-tongued monk disturbs the brethren; but a faithful one acts quietly. Whoever trusts in his own self-restraint will fall; but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Do not give yourself over to the gluttony of the 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 singing man will grow still; and he who is long-suffering will be unafraid. From meekness is generated knowledge; but from ferocity comes ignorance. Just as water gives growth to a plant, so the humbling of anger exalts the heart. Whoever investigates banquets, his light will be extinguished; and his soul 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 elders, and offer food to the sick, because they have worn out the flesh of their youth. Do not supplant your brother, and do not rejoice in his ruin; for the Lord knows your heart and will deliver you on the day of death. A prudent monk will be impassible; but an imprudent one will exhaust himself with evils. The Lord will blind an evil eye; but he will snatch the simple one from darkness. Just as the morning star in heaven, and as a palm tree in paradise; so is a pure understanding in a meek soul. A wise man will search out the words of God; but a foolish one will mock them. Whoever hates the knowledge of God and rejects reflection is like one who stabs his own heart with a spear. Better is the knowledge of the Trinity than the knowledge of incorporeal beings, and reflection upon It than the reasons of all the ages. The gray hair of the elders is meekness; but their life is true knowledge. A meek young man suffers much; but who will endure an impatient old man? I saw an angry old man lifted up beyond his time; yet the junior had more hope than he. Whoever causes scandal to the seculars will not go unpunished; and whoever provokes them will dishonor his own name. Fire will exterminate him who disturbs the Church of the Lord; but it will swallow up him who resists the priest. B
Earth. Whoever loves peace will eat its honeycomb; and whoever gathers it will be filled with honey.
Honor the Lord, and you will know the incorporeal, 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 blossom without moisture. The flesh of Christ is the virtues of action; but whoever eats them becomes impassible. The blood of Christ is the consideration of deeds; and whoever drinks it will be illuminated by it. The breast of the Lord is the knowledge of God; and whoever has reclined upon it will be a preacher of divine things. A man who is full of knowledge and a doer of good things met each other; but the Lord stood in the middle between them both. Whoever 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 craftiness. Do not despise the holy decrees which your fathers have established; and do not forsake 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; but whoever receives them will lose his soul. Now therefore, my son, listen to me, and do not approach the doors of wicked men, nor walk upon their snares, so that you may not be caught. Separate your soul from false knowledge: for I have often spoken to them; but I have investigated their dark words, and I found the venom of asps in them. There is no prudence and no wisdom in their ways. All who receive them will perish, and those who love them will be filled with evils. I have seen the fathers of their dogmas, and in the deserts I have mingled with them. For the enemies of the Lord have met me, and demons have contended against me in words, and I did not see the true light in their speech. A lying man will fall away from God; but he who seduces his neighbor will fall into evils. The paradise of God is better than a garden of potherbs, and the river of the Lord is better than a great river that darkens the land. Celestial water is more faithful than the water of the wise Egyptians, who draw from the earth. For just as those who climb wheels descend downwards; so those who exalt their own 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 perceive the intelligible natures; but the meek monk will know the reasons of incorporeal beings. Whoever calls a creature the Trinity blasphemes God; and whoever despises His Christ does not know Him. The consideration of created things enlarges the heart; but the words of prudence and judgment exalt it. The knowledge of the incorporeal lifts up the mind and will apply it to the holy Trinity. Remember him who gave you clear proverbs in the Lord, and do not forget his humble soul in the time of prayer.
SENTENCES OF THE SAME EVAGRIUS THE MONK TO VIRGINS
Love the Lord, and He will love you; and serve Him, and He will enlighten your heart. Honor your mother as you honor Christ, and do not exasperate the gray hairs of her who bore you. Love your sisters as daughters of the Mother of Christ; and do not forsake the way of peace. When the sun rises, let the work be in your hands, and after the second hour be at your work. Pray without intermission, and remember him who gave you life, that you do not become a faithless person in your soul, and it will not be an obstacle in the time of prayer. You have Christ as your beloved, cast all men away from you, and do not live a life of reproach. Put anger and wrath far from you; and let the memory of malice not tarry with you. Do not say: I will eat today, and tomorrow I will not eat; for there is no wisdom in doing this. For there will be injury to your body, and pain to your stomach. B To offer meat is not good, and wine is not optimal; but it is fitting to offer these things to the infirm. A turbulent virgin will not be saved; and she who busies herself in delights will not see her bridegroom. Do not say: I have harassed the handmaid, I will repay her; because there is no slavery among the daughters of God. Do not listen to empty words, and flee from the storytelling of old women. Do not look upon the feasts of the drunkards, 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 curb your tongue from excessive talking. Humble yourself before God; and His right hand will exalt you. Do not turn away from the poor in the time of your tribulation, and the oil of your lamp will not fail. Do all things for the sake of the Lord, and do not seek glory from men, because the glory of man is as the flower of the grass, but the glory of the Lord remains forever. C The Lord loves the gentle virgin; but the irascible virgin is hateful. An obedient virgin will follow mercy; but the contentious one is very insidious. The Lord destroys the murmuring virgin; but He frees the grateful one from death. Base laughter is worthy of reproach; but every fool is entangled by such things. She who adorns her garments will lose even her modesty. Do not be familiar with worldly people, so that they may not turn away your heart, and make your just counsels void. Pray to the Lord in the night with tears, and no one will see you praying, and you will find grace. Lust for wandering, and the desire for foreign homes, will turn away the state of your soul, and corrupt your prompt will. The faithful virgin will not be afraid; but she who is unfaithful will flee even from her own shadow. Envy consumes the soul, and jealousy devours it. She who despises her infirm sister, and is far from Christ, let her say: Mine is mine, and yours is yours; but in Christ all things are common. Do not seek another life, and do not rejoice in the ruin of your sister. D Provide for the needy virgin; and do not puff yourself up with your nobility. Do not bring forth a word from your mouth in the Church of the Lord; and do not lift up your eyes, for the Lord knows your heart, and looks upon all your thoughts. Repel every evil desire from you; and your enemies will not trouble you. Sing with your heart, and do not move your tongue only. The foolish virgin will love silver; but the prudent one sets aside her bread. Just as the heat of fire is difficult to restrain; so the soul of a wounded virgin is scarcely curable.
SENTENCES TO THE BROTHERS
The slothful monk will suffer much loss, and if he is confident, he will also add to his appearance. He who guards his tongue will cut straight his ways, and he who keeps his heart will be filled with knowledge. A double-tongued monk stirs up brothers, but the faithful one brings peace. He who trusts in his own self-control will fall, but he who humbles himself will be exalted. Do not give yourself to the stuffing of your belly, and do not be filled with nightly sleep; for in this way you will become pure and the spirit of the Lord will come upon you. With the psalter, anger is calmed, and with patience, one will be fearless. From gentleness is born knowledge, and from audacity, ignorance. Just as water increases a plant, so the humbling of anger exalts the heart. For one tracking banquets, the lamp will be extinguished, and his soul will see darkness. Set your bread with 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 down the flesh of their youth. Do not trip up your brother, and do not rejoice in his fall; for the Lord knows your heart and will deliver you in the day of death. A prudent monk will be passionless, but the foolish one will draw out evils. The Lord blinds an evil eye, but He will rescue the simple one from darkness. Just as the morning star in heaven and as a palm tree in paradise, so is a pure mind in a gentle soul. A wise man will search out the words of God, but the unwise will laugh at them. He who hates the knowledge of God and thrusts away His contemplation is like one piercing his own heart with a spear. Greater is the knowledge of the Trinity than the knowledge of incorporeal beings, and the contemplation of It is above the words of all the ages. The gray hairs of the old are gentleness, and their life is the knowledge of truth. A gentle young man endures much, but who will endure an impatient old man? I saw a wrathful old man exalting himself on his throne, but the young man had more hope than he. He who scandalizes worldly people will not be unpunished, and he who provokes them dishonors his own name. Fire will consume him who disturbs the church of the Lord, and the earth will swallow him who opposes a priest. He who loves the bee will eat her honeycomb, and he who gathers her will be filled with spirit. Honor the Lord and you will know the words of incorporeal beings, and serve Him and He will show you the words of the ages. Without knowledge the heart will not be exalted, and a tree will not bloom without water.
shall inhabit darkness. The virgin’s eyes shall see God, and the virgin’s ears shall hear His words. The virgin’s mouth shall kiss her Spouse; and the fragrance of the virgin shall run in the odor of His ointments. The hands of the virgin shall handle the Lord; and the chastity of her flesh shall be acceptable to Him. The virgin soul shall be crowned, and shall live ever with her Spouse. A spiritual garment shall be given to her, and she shall be celebrated with the angels in the heavens. She shall kindle an inextinguishable lamp, and the oil shall not fail in her vessels. She shall receive eternal riches, and shall inherit the kingdom of God. My words, O daughter, let your heart keep; these sayings are addressed to you. Remember Christ who preserves you, and do not forget to worship the Trinity of one substance.
EVAGRIUS ON THE FOUR
See Patrologia Latina, vol. XXIII, Works of Jerome, vol. III, Appendix, col. 1271.
FRAGMENT FROM A LOST BOOK OF EVAGRIUS, TITLED GNOSTIC.
(Apud Socr. Hist. Eccles. lib IV, cap. 23, p. edit. Vales. 194.)
B We have learned from the righteous Gregory that there are four virtues and their contemplations: prudence, fortitude, temperance, and justice. And he used to say that it was the work of prudence to contemplate the intelligible and holy powers without any words; for he taught that these are signified by wisdom. Regarding fortitude, he taught that it is to abide in the truth, even though one is severely attacked, and never to turn aside to what is not. Regarding temperance, he answered that it means receiving the seeds from the first planter, and repelling the over-sower. Regarding justice, he said it is to render to each according to his worth: to proclaim some things darkly, to signify others by enigmas, and to reveal still others for the benefit of the simpler folk.
FRAGMENT FROM THE SAME LOST WORK
Cui titulus: Gnostica problemata 600. Exhibited in St. Maximus the Confessor’s scholia on Dionysius the Areopagite, *On the Celestial Hierarchy*, ch. 7, and *On Ecclesiastical Hierarchy*, ch. 6. (Works of Dionysius the Areopagite, Antwerp, 1634, vol. I, p. 94 and 396; see also Migne’s Patrologia, vol. III.)MACARIUS OF BOTH EGYPT AND ALEXANDRIA: EPISTLES, SERMONS, RULE, PRAYERS.
See Migne’s Patrologia, vol. XXXIV, from the edition of Joannes Henricus Floss, of Bonn.
Knowledge of incorporeal beings raises the mind and presents it to the Holy Trinity. Remember Him who has given you clear proverbs in the Lord, and do not forget my humble soul in the time of prayer.