barlaam and ioasaph-第54章

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Thus　questioned　Barlaam；　and　Ioasaph　answered；　telling　him　piece　by　piece　all　that　had　befallen　him　since　he　went　away；　and　in　how　many　ways　the　Lord　had　prospered　him；　until　they　were　come　together　again。

The　old　man　listened　with　pleasure　and　amazement；　and　with　hot　tears　said；　〃Glory　to　thee；　our　God；　that　ever　standest　by　and　succourest　them　that　love　thee！　　Glory　to　thee；　O　Christ；　King　of　all　and　God　all…good；　that　it　was　thy　pleasure　that　the　seed；　which　I　sowed　in　the　heart　of　Ioasaph；　thy　servant；　should　thus　bring　forth　fruit　an　hundredfold　worthy　of　the　husbandman　and　Master　of　our　souls！　　Glory　to　thee；　good　Paraclete；　the　all…holy　Spirit；　because　thou　didst　vouchsafe　unto　this　man　to　partake　of　that　grace　which　thou　gavest　thine　holy　Apostles；　and　by　his　hand　hast　delivered　multitudes　of　people　from　superstitious　error；　and　enlightened　them　with　the　true　knowledge　of　God！〃

Thus　was　God　blessed　by　both；　and　thus　were　they　conversing　and　rejoicing　in　the　grace　of　God　until　evenfall。　　Then　stood　they　up　for　to　pray　and　to　perform　the　sacred　services。　　Then　also　remembered　they　that　it　was　meal…time；　and　Barlaam　spread　his　lavish　table；　laden　with　spiritual　dainties；　but　with　little　to　attract　the　palate　of　sense。　　These　were　uncooked　worts；　and　a　few　dates；　planted　and　tended　by　Barlaam's　own　hands；　such　as　are　found　in　the　same　desert；　and　wild　herbs。　　So　they　gave　thanks　and　partook　of　the　victuals　set　before　them；　and　drank　water　from　the　neighbour　springing　well；　and　again　gave　thanks　to　God；　who　openeth　his　hand　and　filleth　all　things　living。　　Then　they　arose　again；　and；　when　they　had　ended　their　Night　Hours；　after　prayer；　they　joined　in　spiritual　converse　again；　discoursing　wholesome　words；　and　full　of　heavenly　wisdom；　all　the　night　long　until　day…　break　bade　them　once　more　remember　the　hour　of　prayer。

So　Ioasaph　abode　with　Barlaam　for　some　many　years；　pursuing　this　marvellous　and　more　than　human　life；　dwelling　with　him　as　with　a　father　and　tutor；　in　all　obedience　and　lowliness；　exercising　himself　in　every　kind　of　virtue；　and　learning　well　from　practice　how　to　wrestle　with　the　invisible　spirits　of　evil。　　From　that　time　forward　he　mortified　all　his　sinful　passions；　and　made　the　will　of　the　flesh　as　subject　to　the　spirit　as　slave　is　to　his　master。　　He　was　altogether　forgetful　of　comforts　or　repose；　and　tyrannized　over　sleep　as　over　a　wicked　servant。　　And；　in　brief；　such　was　his　practice　of　the　religious　life；　that　Barlaam；　who　had　spent　many　years　therein；　marvelled　at　him；　and　failed　to　equal　the　earnestness　of　his　life。　　For　he　took　only　so　much　of　that　coarse　and　cheerless　food　as　would　keep　him　alive；　else　had　he　died　afore　his　time；　and　forfeited　the　reward　of　his　well…　doing。　　He　subdued　himself　to　watchings；　as　though　he　were　without　flesh　and　body。　　In　prayer　and　mental　exercise　his　work　was　unceasing；　and　all　the　time　of　his　life　was　spent　in　spiritual　and　heavenly　contemplation；　so　that　not　an　hour；　nor　even　a　single　moment　was　wasted；　from　the　day　that　he　came　to　dwell　in　the　desert。　　For　this　is　the　end　of　monastic　life；　never　to　be　found　idle　in　spiritual　employment：　and　well　herein　did　this　noble　and　active　runner　of　the　heavenly　race　order　his　way。　And　he　kept　his　ardour　unquenched　from　beginning　to　end；　ever　ascending　in　his　heart；　and　going　from　strength　to　strength；　and　continually　adding　desire　to　desire；　and　zeal　to　zeal；　until　he　arrived　at　the　bliss　that　he　had　hoped　and　longed　for。


XXXIX。

Thus　did　Barlaam　and　Ioasaph　dwell　together；　rivals　in　the　good　rivalry；　apart　from　all　anxious　care　and　all　the　turmoils　of　life；　possessing　their　minds　undisturbed　and　clear　of　all　confusion。　　After　their　many　labours　after　godliness；　one　day　Barlaam　called　to　him　his　spiritual　son；　whom　he　had　begotten　through　the　Gospel；　and　opened　his　mouth　to　discourse　of　spiritual　things；　saying；　〃Long　ago；　dearly　beloved　Ioasaph；　was　it　destined　that　thou　shouldest　dwell　in　this　wilderness；　and；　in　answer　to　my　prayer　for　thee；　Christ　promised　me　that　I　should　see　it　before　the　ending　of　my　life。　　I　have　seen　my　desire：　I　have　seen　thee　severed　from　the　world　and　the　concerns　of　the　world；　united　to　Christ；　thy　mind　never　wavering；　and　come　to　the　measure　of　the　perfection　of　his　fulness。　　Now　therefore　as　the　time　of　my　departure　is　at　the　door；　and　seeing　that　my　desire；　that　hath　grown　with　my　growth　and　aged　with　my　years；　to　be　for　ever　with　Christ；　is　even　now　being　fulfilled；　thou　must　bury　my　body　in　the　earth　and　restore　dust　to　dust；　but　thyself　abide　for　the　time　to　come　in　this　place；　holding　fast　to　thy　spiritual　life；　and　making　remembrance　of　me；　poor　as　I　am。　　For　I　fear　lest　perchance　the　darksome　army　of　fiends　may　stand　in　the　way　of　my　soul；　by　reason　of　the　multitude　of　mine　ignorances。

〃So　do　thou；　my　son；　think　no　scorn　of　the　laboriousness　of　thy　religious　life；　neither　dread　the　length　of　the　time；　nor　the　tricks　of　devils。　　But；　strong　in　the　grace　of　Christ；　confidently　laugh　at　the　weakness　of　these　thy　foes；　and；　as　for　the　hardness　of　thy　toils；　and　the　long　duration　of　the　time；　be　as　one　that　daily　expecteth　his　departure　hence；　and　as　if　the　same　day　were　the　beginning　and　the　end　of　thy　religious　life。　Thus；　always　forgetting　the　things　which　are　behind；　and　reaching　forth　unto　those　things　which　are　before；　press　toward　the　mark　for　the　prize　of　the　high　calling　of　God　in　Christ　Jesus；　according　to　the　exhortation　of　the　holy　Apostle；　who　saith；　‘Let　us　not　faint；　but　though　our　outward　man　perish；　yet　the　inward　man　is　renewed　day　by　day。　　For　our　light　affliction；　which　is　but　for　a　moment；　worketh　for　us　a　far　more　exceeding　eternal　weight　of　glory；　while　we　look　not　at　the　things　which　are　seen；　but　at　the　things　which　are　not　seen：　for　the　things　which　are　seen　are　temporal；　but　the　things　which　are　not　seen　are　eternal。〃

〃Ponder　thou　over　these　things；　beloved：　quit　thee　like　a　man；　yea；　be　strong；　and；　as　a　good　soldier；　do　thy　diligence　to　please　him　who　hath　called　thee　to　be　a　soldier。　　And；　even　if　the　evil　one　stir　in　thee　thoughts　of　neglecting　duty；　and　thou　art　minded　to　slacken　the　string　of　thy　purpose；　fear　not　his　devices；　but　remember　the　Lord's　command；　which　saith；　‘In　the　world　ye　shall　have　tribulation；　but　be　of　good　cheer；　I　have　overcome　the　world。'　　Wherefore；　rejoice　in　the　Lord　alway；　for　he　hath　chosen　and　separated　thee　out　of　the　world；　and　set　thee；　as　it　were　before　his　countenance。　　The　Master；　who　hath　called　thee　with　a　holy　calling；　is　alway　near。　　Be　careful　for　nothing；　but　in　everything；　by　prayer　and　supplication　with　thanksgiving　let　thy　requests　be　made　known　unto　God。　　For　he　himself　hath　said；　〃I　will　never　leave　thee；　nor　forsake　thee。〃　　So；　by　the　hardness　of　thy　life；　and　by　scorn　of　its　rigours；　win　such　thoughts　as　these；　and　rejoice；　remembering　our　Lord　God；　for　he　saith；　‘I　remembered　God　and　was　glad。'

〃But　when　the　adversary；　seeking　another　fashion　of　war；　proposeth　high　and　arrogant　thoughts；　and　suggesteth　the　glory　of　the　kingdom　of　this　world；　which　thou　hast　forsaken；　and　all　its　lures；　hold　out；　as　a　shield　before　thee；　the　saving　word　that　saith；　‘When　ye　shall　have　done　all　those　things　which　are　commanded　you；　say；　〃We　are　unprofitable　servants；　for　we　have　done　that　which　was　our　duty　to　do。〃'　　And；　indeed；　which　of　us　is　able　to　repay　the　debt　that　we　owe　our　Master；　for　that　he；　though　he　was　rich；　yet　for　our　sakes　became　poor；　that　we　through　his　poverty　might　become　rich；　and；　being　without　suffering；　yet　suffered；　that　we　might　be　delivered　from　suffering？　　What　thanks　hath　the　servant　if　he　suffer　like　as　his　Master？　　But　we　fall　far　short　of　his　sufferings。　　Meditate　upon　these　things；　casting　down　imaginations；　and　every　high　thing　that　exalteth　itself　against　the　knowledge　of　God；　and　bringing　into　captivity　every　thought　to　the　obedience　of　Christ。　　And　the　peace　of　God　which　passeth　all　understanding　shall　keep　thy　heart　and　thoughts　in　Christ　Jesus。〃

When　blessed　Barlaam　had　so　said；　Ioasaph's　tears　knew　no　measure；　but；　like　water　from　the　brimming　fountain；　bedewed　him　and　the　ground　whereon　he　sat。　　He　mourned　over　the　parting；　and　earnestly　implored　that　he　might　be　his　comp