barlaam and ioasaph-第14节

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；　who　for　our　sins　shed　his　precious　blood。　　In　many　places　of　Scripture　we　are　taught　the　power　of　repentance；　and　especially　by　the　precepts　and　parables　of　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ。　　For　it　saith；　‘From　that　time　began　Jesus　to　preach　and　to　say；　〃Repent　ye；　for　the　kingdom　of　heaven　is　at　hand。〃'　Moreover　he　setteth　before　us；　in　a　parable；　a　certain　son　that　had　received　his　father's　substance；　and　taken　his　journey　into　a　far　country；　and　there　spent　all　in　riotous　living。　　Then；　when　there　arose　a　famine　in　that　land；　he　went　and　joined　himself　to　one　of　the　citizens　of　that　land　of　iniquity；　who　sent　him　into　his　fields　to　feed　swine；　　thus　doth　he　designate　the　most　coarse　and　loathsome　sin。　　When；　after　much　labour；　he　had　come　to　the　utmost　misery；　and　might　not　even　fill　his　belly　with　the　husks　that　the　swine　did　eat；　at　last　he　came　to　perceive　his　shameful　plight；　and；　bemoaning　himself；　said；　‘How　many　hired　servants　of　my　father's　have　bread　enough　and　to　spare；　and　I　perish　with　hunger！　　I　will　arise　and　go　to　my　father；　and　will　say　unto　him；　〃Father；　I　have　sinned　against　heaven　and　before　thee；　and　am　no　more　worthy　to　be　called　thy　son：　make　me　as　one　of　thy　hired　servants。〃'　　And　he　arose；　and　came　to　his　father。　But；　when　he　was　yet　a　great　way　off；　his　father　saw　him；　and　had　compassion；　and　ran；　and　embraced　him；　and　kissed　him　tenderly；　and；　restoring　him　to　his　former　rank；　made　a　feast　of　joyaunce　because　his　son　was　found　again；　and　killed　the　fatted　calf。　　Lo；　this　parable；　that　Jesus　spake　to　us；　concerneth　such　as　turn　again　from　sin；　and　fall　at　his　feet　in　repentance。　　Again；　he　representeth　a　certain　good　shepherd　that　had　an　hundred　sheep；　and；　when　one　was　lost；　left　the　ninety　and　nine；　and　went　forth　to　seek　that　which　was　gone　astray；　until　he　found　it：　and　he　laid　it　on　his　shoulders；　and　folded　it　with　those　that　had　not　gone　astray；　and　called　together　his　friends　and　neighbours　to　a　banquet；　because　that　it　was　found。　　‘Likewise；'　saith　the　Saviour；　‘joy　shall　be　in　heaven　over　one　sinner　that　repenteth；　more　than　over　ninety　and　nine　just　persons　which　need　no　repentance。'

〃And；　in　sooth；　even　the　chief　of　the　disciples；　Peter；　the　Rock　of　the　Faith；　in　the　very　season　of　the　Saviour's　Passion；　failing　for　a　little　while　in　his　stewardship；　that　he　might　understand　the　worthlessness　and　misery　of　human　frailty；　fell　under　the　guilt　of　denial。　　Then　he　straightway　remembered　the　Lord's　words；　and　went　out　and　wept　bitterly；　and　with　those　hot　tears　made　good　his　defeat；　and　transferred　the　victory　to　his　own　side。　　Like　a　skilful　man　of　war；　though　fallen；　he　was　not　undone；　nor　did　he　despair；　but；　springing　to　his　feet；　he　brought　up；　as　a　reserve；　bitter　tears　from　the　agony　of　his　soul；　and　straightway；　when　the　enemy　saw　that　sight；　like　a　man　whose　eyes　are　scorched　with　a　fierce　flame；　he　leaped　off　and　fled　afar；　howling　horribly。　　So　the　chief　became　chief　again；　as　he　had　before　been　chosen　teacher　of　the　whole　world；　being　now　become　its　pattern　of　penitence。　　And　after　his　holy　resurrection　Christ　made　good　this　three…fold　denial　with　the　three…fold　question；　‘Peter；　lovest　thou　me？'；　the　Apostle　answering；　‘Yea；　Lord；　thou　knowest　that　I　love　thee。'

〃So　from　all　these　and　many　other　examples　beyond　count　we　learn　the　virtue　of　tears　and　repentance。　　Only　the　manner　thereof　must　be　noted　it　must　arise　from　a　heart　that　abominateth　sin　and　weepeth；　as　saith　the　prophet　David；　‘I　am　weary　of　my　groaning：　every　night　will　I　wash　my　bed　and　water　my　couch　with　my　tears。'　Again　the　cleansing　of　sins　will　be　wrought　by　the　blood　of　Christ；　in　the　greatness　of　his　compassion　and　the　multitude　of　the　mercies　of　that　God　who　saith；　‘Though　your　sins　be　as　scarlet；　I　will　make　them　white　as　snow；'　and　so　forth。

〃Thus　therefore　it　is；　and　thus　we　believe。　　But　after　receiving　the　knowledge　of　the　truth　and　winning　regeneration　and　adoption　as　sons；　and　tasting　of　the　divine　mysteries；　we　must　strive　hard　to　keep　our　feet　lest　we　fall。　　For　to　fall　becometh　not　the　athlete；　since　many　have　fallen　and　been　unable　to　rise。　　Some；　opening　a　door　to　sinful　lusts；　and　clinging　obstinately　to　them；　have　no　more　had　strength　to　hasten　back　to　repentance；　and　others；　being　untimely　snatched　by　death；　and　having　not　made　speed　enough　to　wash　them　from　the　pollution　of　their　sin；　have　been　damned。　　And　for　this　cause　it　is　parlous　to　fall　into　any　kind　of　sinful　affection　whatsoever。　　But　if　any　man　fall；　he　must　at　once　leap　up；　and　stand　again　to　fight　the　good　fight：　and；　as　often　as　there　cometh　a　fall；　so　often　must　there　at　once　ensue　this　rising　and　standing；　unto　the　end。　　For；　‘Turn　ye　unto　me；　and　I　will　turn　unto　you；'　saith　the　Lord　God。〃


XII。

To　this　said　Ioasaph；　〃But　how；　after　baptism；　shall　a　man　keep　himself　clear　from　all　sin？　　For　even　if　there　be；　as　thou　sayest；　repentance　for　them　that　stumble；　yet　it　is　attended　with　toil　and　trouble；　with　weeping　and　mourning；　things　which；　methinks；　are　not　easy　for　the　many　to　accomplish。　　But　I　desired　rather　to　find　a　way　to　keep　strictly　the　commandments　of　God；　and　not　swerve　from　them；　and；　after　his　pardoning　of　my　past　misdeeds；　never　again　to　provoke　that　most　sweet　God　and　Master。〃

Barlaam　answered；　〃Well　said；　my　lord　and　king。　　That　also　is　my　desire；　but　it　is　hard；　nay　quite　impossible；　for　a　man　living　with　fire　not　to　be　blackened　with　smoke：　for　it　is　an　uphill　task；　and　one　not　easy　of　accomplishment；　for　a　man　that　is　tied　to　the　matters　of　this　life　and　busied　with　its　cares　and　troubles；　and　liveth　in　riches　and　luxury；　to　walk　unswervingly　in　the　way　of　the　commandments　of　the　Lord；　and　to　preserve　his　life　pure　of　these　evils。　　　‘For；'　saith　the　Lord；　‘no　man　can　serve　two　masters；　for　either　he　will　hate　the　one　and　love　the　other；　or　else　he　will　hold　to　the　one　and　despise　the　other。　　Ye　cannot　serve　God　and　Mammon。'　　So　also　writeth　the　beloved　Evangelist　and　Divine　in　his　Epistle；　thus　saying；　‘Love　not　the　world；　neither　the　things　that　are　in　the　world。　　If　any　man　love　the　world；　the　love　of　the　Father　is　not　in　him。　　For　all　that　is　in　the　world；　the　lust　of　the　flesh；　and　the　lust　of　the　eyes；　and　the　pride　of　life；　is　not　of　the　Father；　but　is　of　the　world。　And　the　world　passeth　away；　and　the　lust　thereof；　but　he　that　doeth　the　will　of　God　abideth　for　ever。'

〃These　things　were　well　understood　by　our　holy　and　inspired　fathers；　and　mindful　of　the　Apostle's　word　that　we　must　through　much　tribulation　enter　into　the　Kingdom　of　Heaven；　they　strove；　after　holy　baptism；　to　keep　their　garment　of　immortality　spotless　and　undefiled。　　Whence　some　of　them　also　thought　fit　to　receive　yet　another　baptism；　I　mean　that　which　is　by　blood　and　martyrdom。　For　this　too　is　called　baptism；　the　most　honourable；　and　reverend　of　all；　inasmuch　as　its　waters　are　not　polluted　by　fresh　sin；　which　also　our　Lord　underwent　for　our　sakes；　and　rightly　called　it　baptism。　　So　as　imitators　and　followers　of　him；　first　his　eyewitness；　disciples；　and　Apostles；　and　then　the　whole　band　of　holy　martyrs　yielded　themselves；　for　the　name　of　Christ；　to　kings　and　tyrants　that　worshipped　idols；　and　endured　every　form　of　torment；　being　exposed　to　wild　beasts；　fire　and　sword；　confessing　the　good　confession；　running　the　course　and　keeping　the　faith。　Thus　they　gained　the　prizes　of　righteousness；　and　became　the　companions　of　Angels；　and　fellow…heirs　with　Christ。　　Their　virtue　shone　so　bright　that　their　sound　went　out　into　all　lands；　and　the　splendour　of　their　good　deeds　flashed　like　lightning　into　the　ends　of　the　earth。　　Of　these　men；　not　only　the　words　and　works；　but　even　the　very　blood　and　bones　are　full　of　all　sanctity；　mightily　casting　out　devils；　and　giving　to　such　as　touch　them　in　faith　the　healing　of　incurable　diseases：　yea；　and　even　their　garments；　and　anything　else　that　hath　been　brought　near　their　honoured　bodies；　are　always　worthy　of　the　reverence　of　all　creation。　　And　it　were　a　long　tale　to　tell　one　by　one　their　deeds　of　prowess。

〃But　when　those　cruel　and　brutal　tyrants　brought　their　miserable　lives　to　a　miserable　end；　and　persecution　ceased；　and　Christian　kings　ruled　throughout　the　world；　then　others　too　in　succession　emulated　the　Martyrs'　zeal　and　divine　desire；　and；　wounded　at　heart　with　the　same　love；　considered　well　how　they　might　present　soul　and　body　without　blemish　unto　God；　by　cutting　off　all　the　workings　of　sinful　lusts　and　purifying　themselves　of　every　defilement　of　flesh　and　spirit。　　But；　as　they　perceived　that　this　could　only　be　accomplished　by　the　keeping　of　the　commandments　of　Christ；　and　that　the　keeping　of　his　commandments　and　the　practice　of　the　virtues　was　difficult　to　attain　in　the　midst　of　the　turmoils　of　the　world；　they　adopted　for　themselves　a　strange　and　changed　manner　of　life；　and；　obedient　to　the　voice　divine；　forsook　all；　parents；　children；　friends；　kinsfolk；　riches　and　luxury；　and；　hating　everything　in　the　world；　withdrew；　as　exiles；　into　the　deserts；　being　destitute；　afflicted；　evil　entreated；　wandering　in　wildernesses　and　mountains；　and　in　dens　and　caves　of　the　earth；　self…banished　from　all　the　pleasures　and　delights　upon　earth；　and　standing　in　sore　need　even　of　bread　and　shelter。　　This　they　did　for　two