Two kinds of destruction and the path of integrity

For after the washing of hands, there comes also the seeing of wonders and the hearing of the voice of praise. For virtue must not stand only up to practice, but also up to contemplation and praise, up to the knowing of that very good thing, the truth, and to narrating all your wonders. The hearing of the voice of praise happens toward the narrating of all the wonders of God. He does not have in his own word any other narration or that concerning the wonders of God.

Thus, the one saying these things is a priest, not one who priesthoods by succession according to the daily shifts of the law, but just as Samuel was always in the house. And each of the saints is able to say, 'I also am with you always.' And here it is said, 'My eyes are toward the Lord always' (Ps 84:10). He who has his eyes toward God always encircles the altar of God, remaining with Him always, always performing the sacred rites.

Lord, I have loved the beauty of your house and the place of the tabernacle of your glory (Ps 26:8). What is the difference between a tabernacle and a house? It has often been said that the tabernacle signifies progress; for it is a house of travelers, a portable house. But the house is established in one place. It signifies perfection. 'And the place of the tabernacle of your glory I have loved,' when it was progressing. The glory of the tabernacle, that is, of progress, becomes virtue both in the practical and in the contemplative. Magnificent is this one who is able to say, 'All that we were useful to do, we have done.' This one is magnificent. Primarily, the fitting is well when it becomes virtue and godliness. He is beautiful who, through chastity, achieves 'how to please the Lord.' He who is 'holy in body and spirit' (1 Cor 6:19) has beauty. Therefore, I loved the beauty of your house, the perfection.

Do not destroy my soul with the ungodly, nor my life with men of blood (Ps 142:10). He does not say, 'Being righteous, do not condemn me with the ungodly, do not draw me toward them.' Rather, you do not join with me with the ungodly if you prevent me from entering into ungodliness. I am prevented from entering into ungodliness if there remain to me achievements of what I have confessed, if I remain walking in innocence, if hoping in you so as not to grow weak. I am perfect. And being perfect, I do not perish with the ungodly. No one is excellent with the wicked...

It is said. The type of destruction is twofold: do not punish me with the ungodly, and do not number me among those punished because of ungodliness. And second: guard me in piety, in pleasing with 'your truth'; for 'ungodliness does not save' those who are by it. Not saving him, it destroys him.

And 'with men of blood my life' (Ps 51:14). Let me not have such a life as those murderous men have. By an analogy: those who are arrogant, being great men, yet stumbling the little ones in the church, are 'men of blood'. Do not let such things happen to me so that I have life with them. 'This life and the length of days is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul' (Deut 6:5). He having this life does not have life with men of blood; he is dead toward the men of blood, but dead because he does not have the life which they have.

Of whom lawlessness is in their hands. Still in their own practices they have lawlessness. They do not possess it, but they have it. And their right hand was filled with gifts. It is possible also to slander judges as bribe-takers. And even those who do not judge, many times we bribe when we show partiality to someone. And if he acquires pleasant things for himself, he bribes; he receives gifts from himself.

But I, in my innocence, went my way. No one of those bribing and having the right hand filled with gifts, no one of the lawless and men of blood, went in innocence. Such was Elymas the sorcerer, ungodly and walking in lawlessness and having the right hand full of gifts; for it seemed to be excellent at deceiving, and it is said concerning him: 'O full of all deceit and all trickery, son of the devil' (Acts 13:10). But he, being full of all trickery, is not able to say: 'In my innocence I went my way'.

Deliver me, O God, and have mercy on me (Ps 51:1). He who walks in iniquities, existing in the iniquities previously mentioned, says 'deliver me'. Even if I am in the most distant iniquities, and with your cooperation all the things of virtue are lifted up for me, yet you have still touched me, the 'body of humiliation', yet 'in the place of my affliction' I am; therefore 'deliver me'. For my foot has stood in uprightness. The same thing as standing in uprightness is the foot of the inner man and that in the rock according to what was said: 'You stood upon a rock' (Matt 7:24).