The Rider and the Horses of the Soul

His dwelling-place. For he says, 'Sing to the Lord who dwells in Zion.' And since these things are established not by our power but by the grace of God, the word attributes to Him the cause of peace, saying: 'There He crushed the powers of bows, the shield and the sword and war' (Ps 75:5-7). For peace prevails in the place of God once the rulers of bows are crushed, from whom the evil one, sending his flaming arrows, was making afflictions and disordered movements, of which he was the cause. Along with the aforementioned bows, the related shield and sword are also crushed, and along with them, those called war are crushed; for the Lord is the one crushing wars (Ps 75:5-7).

And the holy men, looking ahead eternally, namely the unseen and eternal things, from which God illuminates differently the light of the knowledge of Christ—first before the manifestation through prophets and Moses, and after this through apostles and evangelists, so that those being illuminated become light, as Paul says: 'The God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God' (2 Cor 4:6). And He marvelously added to the illuminating, that which He promises as knowledge to others, and by this God illuminates more paradoxically into knowledge and wisdom for the holy ones through both revelations and visions, seeing marvelously from the things mentioned. And even if it is not in Judea, as the Scripture says, these high contemplations and the doctrines of godliness are seen, and from these God marvelously illuminates those coming into the knowledge of truth. Often in the Scripture, intelligible things and angels are seen, from which God again illuminates, sending them into service for those about to inherit salvation. And to each of the editions it will be fitting to say: 'Draw near to the eternal things, protected by God for those who desire godliness, benefiting the prudent through the virtue of the present.' For understanding is a good thing for all who practice it. The senseless are troubled by both afflictions and wickedness; they are also troubled by both sensible and invisible deceivers, according to the scripture: 'Their senseless heart was darkened.' For to be darkened and to be troubled are the same; for each denotes ignorance, with the mind being darkened in both cases. And God is called the Jacob of the ascetic and man...

A good and righteous state is maintained against the reproach of one falling from these through personal laziness, being established by reproof. For some say that bodies are like vehicles and horses of the souls. In these horses, those riding themingly desire the beginning of sleep, being drawn into a false breath of those who inhale the body and enslave it with skill, those sitting upon the horses.

Indeed, one sees in the Scripture the rider as being mostly falsely named, as also in Zechariah the prophet there is a threat of God: 'And I will strike every horse in ecstasy and the rider in thoughtlessness' (Zechariah 11:7); and according to Moses, a horse and a rider was thrown into the sea—and riders being praised. For instance, toward Elijah, Father Elisha, the army of Israel and his rider; and toward the Savior it is announced: 'Ride upon your horses, and your riding is salvation' (Psalm 75:8).

No one among the wretched is able to stand against God when He is angry, creating fear for those being judged, so that they might not overlook the One who knows the heart (Psalm 75:7). For those having the word toward Him as toward a judge say: 'Lord, Lord, if He observes iniquity, who will stand?' Moreover, even if no one will be able to stand against His wrath, being terrible, yet He Himself, through the coming goodness with mercy, judges. For mercy and judgment are yours, Lord.

Judgment listens from heaven, making everything happen according to the word of providence for the benefit of each. This agrees with what is in the prophecy of Amos: 'The Lord doing judgment, He has set high judgment and righteousness in the earth' (Amos 5:24). For as it is in heaven, He does all judgment in the high place; and as He listens from heaven, sending judgment from it to those on earth, He has set righteousness in the earth as the end of judgments (Psalm 75:11).

The hidden thing of man is in the mind. He who cleanses this will confess to God with gladness. Then he will celebrate in doing what is profitable, and he will be able to think the truths. If, however, 'He will confess' denotes the disclosure of sins, the understanding of the matter will be this: since the one desiring to be perfectly holy must not cleanse himself in solitary acts and words alone, he must confess while rebuking himself regarding a very brief thought. This...