psephrem.asceticon.01 Chapter 1

THE ASKETIKON OF APA EPHRAIM. BLESS US! AMEN.

Suffering compelleth me to speak, and unworthiness for undertaking the task urgeth me to hold my peace.

Again the grief which is in my heart tortureth me to make me speak, and my sins lay on me the charge to keep silence.

Now therefore, since I am fast held by both (desires), it is better to make myself to speak than to make myself to keep silence.

I will speak so that I may obtain respite from the pain which is in my heart ; my soul causeth me tribulation, and my eyes shed tears.

O who is there that will pour water into my head, and a fountain of tears into mine eyes, so a that I may weep by day and by night for the wound which is ^^ in my soul, and which is caused by the fact that the word of instruction hath ceased to prevail in our time, and that inasmuch as we are in a state of ignorance our sins have multiplied?

For pride permitteth us not to know the things which are upon us, so that we may cease to commit sin.

The teaching and the words of wisdom of our fathers send forth light, even as doth the light-giver of the heavens, because their lives and conversation were filled with every kind of excellence,

and this notwithstanding the fact that there were among them thorns and tares (I mean the Greeks and the heretics who lived in their times),

and they were glorious, even like unto precious stones of great price.

And again, because of their words of truth and their (noble) lives and conversation, their enemies, and those who hated them, were jealous of them.

For who in contemplating their humility would not have pity upon them?

Or who in contemplating them in their meekness and humility, and in their tranquillity would not be puzzled thereat?

Or who in contemplating their detestation of riches doth not hate the world ?

What plunderer, or what arrogant man is there, who, in contemplating the holiness of their lives, will not betake himself to what is excellent?

Or what whoremonger is there, or what impure man, who, when he seeth them standing in prayer,

will not become good and pure? What man of wrath is there, or what timid man, who, when he meeteth them, will not transfer (to himself) straightway their humility?

They contended mightily in this world, and they (now) rejoice and are glad in the everlasting east,

and God acquireth glory through them, and very many men are edified by them.

And our teaching (or, direction) hath ceased to proceed on the paths which are straight and easy, and it walketh on the ways which cause affliction and pain.

For no man at this time abandoneth his possessions for the sake of God,

and no man arrangeth his life here for the sake of that which is for ever. There is no meek man now, neither is there any man who is humble.

There is no man now who can bear to suffer ignominy and contempt.

Neither is there any man who can endure being treated with derision.

For we have all become men without any (right) feeling in us.

We have all become men of wrath. We have become lazy and slothful. We have become envious.

We have all of us become proud and arrogant.

We all seek after fine and gorgeous apparel. We are boasters. We are lovers of vain glory. We are lovers of comfort.

For he who cometh among the brethren, instead of letting them teach him, 'wisheth to give instruction to the others,

and wisheth to impart knowledge before he hath acquired properly that knowledge for himself.

He wisheth to expound the law before he hath learned the law thoroughly.

He wisheth to pose as a philosopher before he hath learned the letters.

He wisheth to make them submit to him before he hath learned to rule himself.

He wisheth to give orders (to others) before he hath learned to command himself.

He who hath attained to the full height of his stature g-iveth [his] orders with authority,

but he who is still a child giveth vague orders and contradicteth himself.

If a wealthy man cometh in among the brethren he demandeth to be treated with great honour,

and if a poor man cometh in among the brethren he looketh for a life of ease, the which he hath never known.

If he hath been a workman in the world he will minister to his body most carefully and diligently so that it may become refined ; and he will make his hands to become soft.

O my beloved brethren, who will not weep when he seeth that our instruction doth not increase?

Those who have subdued the world continue to think of the things which belong to the world.

And those who desire them most of all are those who say, ' We have subdued (our desires) for the things of earth,'

and those who make most use of the things of the earth are they who say, ' We are spiritually-minded.'

They think upon the things of the flesh in the thoughts of (their) hearts. O brethren, do ye not know the matter whereto we are invited ?

O brethren, do ye not know the honour whereto we have come ?

We are invited to abstinence, and yet we seek after delicate foods.

We have come in naked, and we devote our care to rich and dainty apparel.

We have come in to suffer with our Lord, and we seek after a life easy in every respect.

We have come to be in subjection, and we all refuse to submit.

We are all of us deaf when we are invited to meekness, and humility, and prudence.

And we all act savagely towards each other.

We cry out, but we do not understand the things which we are crying out.

We listen, but the words do not enter into the ears of our heart.

If a man cometh upon a dead man on the roadside his face changeth its colour, and his heart palpitateth.

Let us see and let us hear the words of the apostles who died and of the prophets who were stoned and instead of weeping and sighing- let us laugh and make merry,

and let us have no feeling of sorrow at all in the matter.

We hear every day concerning the Word of God, that they persecuted Him,

and treated Him with contempt, and scourged Him, and hung Him upon a Cross, and crucified Him, and wounded Him, and put Him to death, and that He died for our sins.

And notwithstanding these things we are in no wise afraid ; on the contrary, our hearts go astray

and we remain in a state of carelessness, and we laugh at our anxieties.

(And yet) the sun could not endure the contempt shewn to its Lord, for it was filled with grief, and withdrew its light, and there was darkness,

but we ourselves do not wish to turn our hearts from the darkness to the light.

The veil of His temple had committed no sin whatsoever, and yet it was rent down the middle thereof,

but we ourselves do not wish to move our hearts, nor to weep for our sins.

If the earth were to quake beneath us times without number, and tremble before the face of the Lord, still we should never be afraid, and we should continue to remain disobedient to the Lord.

Similarly, if the earth were to open and to swallow up cities, and to bury them entirely because of the wrath of God, we should not be afraid.

Similarly, if the sun were to hide itself times without number, and were to become dark at midday, and the darkness were to envelop us at noontide, still we should not be afraid, and our hearts would never feel troubled concerning it. And we should not be disturbed at the wars which break out with the Persians, and with the other barbarians,

wherein they slay men, and invade their territories, and lay waste the earth,

and pour out blood in very large quantities. If we saw them [doing this] we should not be afraid, and flee to the feet of God with tears and repentance, and because of these things we should not turn aside from our evil ways.

O brethren, let us repent, lest the wrath of God fall upon ns.

O brethren, let us cast ourselves down on the ground, and let us weep, so that we may do away the wrath of God, and that He may forgive us, for we have provoked Him to wrath.

O brethren, let us humble our souls with fasting and with sorrow, and with vigils by night, and let us walk in the truth, that He may shew compassion upon us, and may fill the earth with joy.

Let us mourn, so that the Holy Spirit may comfort us and may make us lift ourselves up in gladness.

Let us cast away from us our evil habits.

Let us array ourselves in the virtues of goodness, especially we who have been made to be worthy of the conversation (or, citizenship) of the angels.

Let us lay down for ourselves the measure and canon of goodness.

Let us emulate the life of our fathers, and first of all let us continue in patient endurance.

Let us not work hard to-day so that we may relax our efforts to-morrow.

Let us not walk to-day wishing for a covering for the top of the foot, lest we come to-morrow to ask for a beautiful sandal to cover the sole thereof.

Let us not put on our bodies to-day a shoulder-covering or a piece of sacking, or to-morrow we shall certainly ask for a fine shirt made of soft and dainty stuff.

Walk not to-day with excessive prudence, or tomorrow thou wilt certainly walk to destruction.

Walk not to-day blindly obedient, or to-morrow thou wilt certainly be disobedient, and thou wilt be troubled with obstinacy or contradictoriness.

Walk not to-day humbly and in lowlymindedness, or to-morrow thou wilt walk conceitedly and arrogantly.

Be not to-day in a state of weeping and mourning for thy sins, or to-morrow thou wilt certainly be over-confident, and thou wilt walk with over-boldness, and with the laughter which ariseth from folly.

Do not sleep on the ground to-day, and tomorrow sleep in some bed which is high above the ground.

I adjure you, O my brethren, to do none of these things, but make moderation your guide, and set a fixed measure to your patient endurance and to your perseverance, in order that ye may be able to fulfil your lives in the manner which is pleasing unto God,

And then each one of you shall be of use to his neighbour in every way, and ye shall be able to mortify your bodies by your asceticism, and to help your fathers and your brethren according to God.

Hear what the Lord spake, saying, ' According to what ye wish that men should do unto you, even so do ye yourselves do.'

O my beloved one, do thou persevere in thy good work, and thou shalt be strong therein, and shalt not remove thyself from it.

For our fathers made perfect their perfectness, and they persevered in one rule, and the work which they began they completed in patient endurance.

There were some who passed forty or fifty years without changing the manner of their good life of continence.

They ceased to make changes in what they ate and drank, they kept a firm hold on their tongue, they slept upon the ground, they walked in humility, and gentleness, and faith, and love, and singleness of heart.

They loved their neighbours, which is the bond of spiritual perfection.

After all these things there remained to them nothing more upon the earth, and they withdrew from the qe care (or, anxiety) of this life,

and they devoted themselves most strenuously to prayer, and to vigils by night, with tears and groanings.

Their bodies became unto them at need things of the greatest utility. They trampled upon pride,

they suppressed wrath, gold and silver became strange things unto them, and through their sufferings and their tribulations they became purified from every evil thing.

Therefore God took up His abode in them, and He received glory from them, and every one who became acquainted with them, and those who heard concerning them, were wont to praise them and to ascribe glory to God.

Let us then emulate them, and let us forsake every evil thing (and) those things which God hateth, so that when we have made ourselves pure God may dwell in us, and deliver us from the Evil One.

Consider now the following matter carefully.

If a man were to thrust thee into the mud, and wished to leave thee in the mire, wouldst thou not cling to him?

If now, thou who art a worm, art not able to endure this (mire), how is it possible for God, Who is spotless, and without blemish, and holy, to dwell within thee when thou art immersed in the mire of filth and corruption?

Let us then purify ourselves, O my beloved, so that God may take up His abode in us, and let us make ourselves to be like unto Him.

Disgrace not His Holy Name, which hath been proclaimed over us, for we are called 'Christians' after the Name of Christ.

Let us walk in truth, for those who love the Christ (among us) in them shall the Holy Spirit dwell.

And in the place wherein the Christ dwelleth there is freedom.

Let us be sober, for we know that He hath invited us to His wedding feast.

Let us love Him as He hath loved us. Let us strive in everything so that we may be worthy of His bridal chamber.

Let us not be careless about our apparel and allow it to become soiled, lest they bind us in fetters and cast us forth from the wedding chamber, and pass judgement upon us for two offences, namely, though we have come forth from the world, we still meditate on the things of the world,

and though we flee from the things which appertain to the flesh, we yet seek after bodily ease and comfort.

Do not these things, O my beloved, but remember that the day of the Lord cometh like a thief

Let us be afraid lest that day come upon us suddenly (or, unexpectedly), and we are found to be naked, and in a pd. miserable state.

For it shall come suddenly, and we shall not know how to repent ; and it shall be even as he saith, ' In the days of Noah they were eating, and drinking, and marrying wives, and living together, and they knew nothing until the flood came and destroyed them all.'

Let us then have fear within ourselves, O my beloved, and let us be prepared, lest it (i. e. the day of the Lord) come upon us, and we be unprepared, and there shall be no help for us.

The day is drawing- nig-h, and the thing-s which are written shall be fulfilled, and they shall come to an end, and then there shall be nothing left except the works of Antichrist.

For needs must that his wickedness be completed, when the Roman Empire shall have come to an end.

Already, already, He Who shall come is coming, and He shall not tarry.

Let no man who wisheth to reign with the King-, the Christ, shew himself careless in respect of Him, for the time draweth nigh, according to that which is written in the Apocalypse.

Therefore let him that wisheth to escape the fire of Gehenna and the worm which sleepeth not struggle strenuously

let him have fear in his heart, and let him keep vigil.

Let him that wisheth to be consoled (in the next world) sorrow in this

let him that wisheth for an exalted state in the kingdom which is in the heavens humble himself now, in this world.

Let him that wisheth to rejoice with the angels weep now, in this world.

Be sober, let your lamps burn brightly, put oil in your flasks.

Let your apparel be splendid.

Watch.

Sleep not at the wrongtime (or, even for a moment).

Enter into the chamber of the Bridegroom, which is full of joy and gladness for ever.

For the city of the King, the true Bridegroom, which is full of every kind of good thing, is the Jerusalem of heaven

it is full of light, there is no darkness therein, and therein is the fountain which is filled with the water of life.

Whosoever wisheth to dwell therein with the King, the Christ, let him make haste to prepare himself.

For the time is becoming less, the day is declining, and there is nothing whereby he can know what shall happen unto him.

Let us not sleep, lest He shut the door in our faces, and say, ' I know you not,'

and there come upon us a black cloud, and earthquake, and thunders, and thunderbolts (?), and lightnings, and tribulations on every side of us, and we shall have no place whither to make our escape.

O my brethren, let us repent, and let us not be judged [in] the Judgement of God.

Hearken unto the Collector of Proverbs who spake, saying, 'When j tribulation cometh Fol. 52 a upon you, and would return, it shall happen that ye shall call upon me,

but I will not hearken unto you. For I called unto you, and ye would not hearken unto me,

and I sent abroad my words, but ye paid no attention to them.'

Let us then hearken unto the Lord.

Let us recognize that we are sojourners.'

Let us use our earnest endeavours to enter into our own city.

And, O brethren, we are spiritual merchants. Let us acquire for ourselves the precious Stone, the Pearl, the Christ Jesus.

Woe be unto the man who shall not acquire it for himself, for such a man, in my opinion, handeth himself over to destruction.

O brethren, is it possible that ye do not know that we are branches of the True Vine, the Christ, and that the Father of the Christ is the Husbandman?

Take heed then, O brethren, lest any one of you remain without fruit.

But know ye that it is the Father Who cultivateth the vine, and those branches which yield fruit He doth cleanse, so that the vine may bring forth still more fruit.

Those branches which yield not fruit He striketh off from the vine, so that He may burn them in the fire.

Let us then look to ourselves, O brethren, lest we become careless, and we produce no fruit, and we become cut off from P*^ the vine, and we become strangers to the Christ, and are cast into Gehenna wherein is the fire which is unquenchable.

And, O my brethren, we arc the good seed which the Lord of the earth, the Christ, east into His field.

Let us know then, and let ns understand, that the harvest is drawing nigh, and that the reapers are ready for the harvest for which they wait by the command of God.

Let us look to it then that we do not allow tares to fall among us, for [if we do] they will tie us in bundles for the fire.

Is it possible that ye do not know, O brethren, that we are bound to sail over the sea which is full of terror ?

Therefore I am afraid lest a gale of wind spring up suddenly, and we be seized thereby, and buffeted thereby, and we be irresistibly driven onwards on its wings and borne to the Valley of Judg-ement, when we shall be unable to find an apology. And whilst we are weeping there over our careless indifference we shall see others who are glad, and who are exulting and rejoicing.

As for us they will drag us away down to Amente, and to tribulations, and sufferings, and sorrow of heart, and bitter Fol. 53 a sighings, ( because of our careless indifference and our supinep€ ness, inasmuch as we had not prepared ourselves before these troubles overtook us.

Let us then be not careless, O brethren, for the Judgement of God is an awful thing.

Let us not permit the passion of the flesh to make us strang-ers to the city of the Christ, and to cast us away from the chamber of the Bridegroom, lest we fall down into the place of weeping and the gnashing- of teeth.

On the contrary, let us be sober,, O brethren, and let us know that we have taken upon ourselves the garb of monkhood.

Let us not permit ourselves to fall under the passions of the flesb, and allow them to have dominion over us.

The amusements of dissipation, and idle pleasures, and effeminate games and pastimes are manifest among us because we are destitute of the glory of God.

Similarly, mad lusts and desires for the vain and foolish things of this life are manifest among us because we seek after the things which are polluted.

The love of money and pride are manifest among us because we do not love God.

Envy and jealousy indicate that the love of God is not in us.

The flesh, which, is tender and delicate by reason of frequent bathings and anointings^ appeareth in us because we love passions, and because we are the slaves of polluted things.

Our mouth is open, and we are never silent, and [we utter] what words we please; whether they are g-ood or bad we pour them out without sparing.

We never pay attention to what is written, 'In the multiplicity of words thou canst not escape from sin.'