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10.
1
PUT all sadness far from thee; for it is the sister of doubting and of anger. How, sir, said I, is it the sister of these? for sadness, and anger, and doubting, seem to me to be very different from one another.
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10.
2
And he answered: [*222:1] Art thou without sense that thou dost not understand it? For sadness is the most mischievous of all spirits, and the worst to the servants of God: [*222:2] It destroys the spirits of all men, and torments the Holy Spirit; and again, it saves.
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10.
3
Sir, said I, I am very foolish, and understand not these [*222:3] things. I cannot apprehend how it can torment, and yet save. Hear, said he, and understand. They who never sought out the truth, nor inquired concerning the majesty of God, but only believed, are involved in the affairs of the heathen.
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10.
4
And there is another [*222:4] lying prophet that destroys the [*222:5] minds of the servants of God; that is of those that are doubtful, not of those that fully trust in the Lord. Now those doubtful persons come to him, as to a divine spirit, and inquire of him what shall befall them.
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10.
5
And this lying prophet having no power in him of the divine Spirit, answers them according to their demands, and fills their souls with promises according as they desire. Howbeit that prophet is vain, and answers vain things to those who are themselves vain.
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10.
6
And whatsoever is asked of him by vain men, he answers them vainly. Nevertheless he speaketh some things truly. For the devil fills him with his spirit, that he may overthrow some of the righteous.
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10.
7
Whosoever therefore are strong in the faith of the Lord, and have put on the truth: they are not joined to such spirits, but depart from them. But they that are doubtful, and often repenting like the heathens, consult them, and heap up to themselves great sin, serving idols.
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10.
8
As many therefore as are such, inquire of them upon every occasion; worship idols; and are foolish, and void of the truth.
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10.
9
For every spirit that is given from God needs not to be asked; but having the power of divinity speaks all things of itself; because he comes from above, from the power of God.
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10.
10
But he that being asked speaks according to men's desires, and concerning many other affairs of the present world, understands not the things which relate unto God. For these spirits are darkened through such affairs, and corrupted and broken.
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10.
11
As good vines if they are neglected, are oppressed with weeds and thorns, and at last killed by them; so are the men who believe such spirits.
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10.
12
They fall into many actions and businesses, and are void of sense, [*223:1] and when they think of things pertaining unto God, they understand nothing at all: but if at any time they chance to hear anything concerning the Lord, their [*223:2] thoughts are upon their business.
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10.
13
But they that have the fear of the Lord, and search out the truth concerning God, [*223:3] having all their thoughts towards the Lord; apprehend whatsoever is said to them, and forthwith understand it, because they have the fear of the Lord in them.
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10.
14
For where the spirit of the Lord dwells, there is also [*223:4] much understanding added. Wherefore join thyself to the Lord, [*223:5] and thou shalt understand all things.
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10.
15
Learn now, O unwise man! how sadness [*223:6] troubleth the Holy Spirit, and how it saves. When a man that is doubtful is engaged in any affair, and does not accomplish it by reason of his doubting, this sadness enters into him, and grieves the Holy Spirit, and makes him sad.
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10.
16
Again, anger when it overtakes any man for any business he is greatly moved; [*223:7] and then again sadness entereth into the heart of him, who was moved with anger, and he is troubled for what he hath done, and repenteth, because he hath done amiss.
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10.
17
This sadness therefore seemeth to bring salvation, because he repenteth of his evil deed. But both the other things, namely, doubting and sadness, such as before was mentioned, vex the spirit: doubting, because his work did not succeed: and sadness, because he angered the Holy Spirit.
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10.
18
[*223:8] Remove therefore sadness from thyself, [*223:9] and afflict not the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in thee, lest he [*223:10] entreat God, and depart from thee. For the spirit of the Lord [*223:11] which is given to dwell in the flesh, endureth no such sadness.
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10.
19
Wherefore clothe thyself with cheerfulness, which has always favour with the Lord, and thou shalt rejoice in it. For every cheerful man does well; and relishes those things that are good, and despises [*223:12] sadness.
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10.
20
But the sad man does always wickedly. [*223:13] First, he doth wickedly, because he grieveth the Holy Spirit, which is given to man, being of a cheerful nature. And again he does ill, because he prays with sadness unto the Lord, and maketh not a first thankful acknowledgment unto him of former mercies, and obtains not of God what he asks.
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10.
21
For the prayer of a sad man has not always efficacy to come up to the altar of God. And I said unto him, Sir, why has not the prayer of a sad man virtue to come up to the altar of God? because, said he, that sadness remaineth in his heart.
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10.
22
When therefore a man's prayer shall be accompanied with sadness, it will not suffer his requests to ascend pure to the altar of God. For as wine when it is mingled with vinegar, has not the sweetness it had before; so sadness being mixed with the Holy Spirit, suffers not a man's prayer to be the same as it would be otherwise.
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10.
23
Wherefore cleanse thyself from sadness, which is evil, and thou shalt live unto God. And all others shall live unto God, as many as shall lay aside and put on cheerfulness.
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10.
Footnotes ^222:1 Without sense thou dost not understand it.
^222:2 So the Lat. Vers. But the Gr. of Athanasius is better: And destroyeth more than any other spirit.
^222:3 Questions.
^222:4 Vid. Epit. Oxon. p. 70 b. Comp. 2 Cor. vii. 10.
^222:5 Lat. Sensus: from the Greek Noys.
^223:1 And understand nothing at all, thinking of riches. Lat.
^223:2 Senses.
^223:3 Gr. of Athanasius, Kardian exontes pros kyrion. So that the Latin should be Habentes, not Habent.
^223:4 Gr. synesis polle.
^223:5 Gr. panta noeseis. And so in the Lamb. MS. Omnia scies.
^223:6 Gr. ektribei. MS. Lamb. Contribulat.
^223:7 In the Greek of Athanasius, follows kai poiesei ti kakon, and he doth something which is ill. Which letter agrees with what follows, Because he hath done amiss. The text in this place being evidently corrupted, it has been endeavoured to restore the true sense of it from the Greek of Athanasius, which is as follows: palin e lype eisporeyetai eis ten kardian toy anthrupon toy oxyxolesantos, kai lypeitai epi tei praxei ayton ei epraxen kai metanoei oti poneron eirgasato. Ayte oyn e lype dokei suterian exein, oti to poneron praxas metenoesen. Amfoterai de tun praxeun lypoysi, &c.
^223:8 Antioch. Hom. xxv.
^223:9 Gr. Me thlibe, MS. Lamb. Noli nocere.
^223:10 Gr. Me enteyxetai tui theui, Comp. Rom. vii. 27.
^223:11 Gr. To dothen eis ten sarka, tayten lypen oyk ypoferei.
^223:12 Gr. lypes.
^223:13 So the Greek: o de lyperos aner pantote ponereyetai, pruton men ponereytai, &c.
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