Letter 900

To Modestus. Whenever, having come to a consciousness of the blameworthy things you have done, you send up a groan from the depths, then know that you have met with divine visitation and aid. But since you say that you fear and tremble before the Judge who comes from on high, I say to you that you must not despair, O most excellent one; rather you must persevere in unremitting worship, and in wakefulness, and in firm hope, and you must hope to be saved. You must not despair, therefore, as has been said, especially since the dread old wrestler [the devil] greatly delights and rejoices and tramples all the more upon the souls that incline toward despair.

Ὅταν ποτὲ ἐν συναισθήσει γενόμενος τῶν ψεκτῶν πεπραγμένων σοι βύθιον στεναγμὸν ἀναπέμψης, τότε γνῶθι τετυχηκέναι θείας ἐπισκέψεως τε καὶ ἀρωγῆς. Ἐπεὶ δὲ φοβεῖσθαι λέγεις, καὶ τρέμειν τὸν ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενον δικαστήν, ἐγὼ σοὶ λέγω, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπογνωστέον, ὦ βέλτιστε, προσκαρτερητέον δὲ μᾶλλον τῇ ἐνεκτικῇ λατρείᾳ, καὶ ἀγρυπνίᾳ, καὶ στερεωμένῳ ἐλπίδι, καὶ ἐλπιστέον σωθῆναι. Οὐκ ἀπογνωστέον τοίνυν, ὡς εἴρηται, μάλιστα τοῦ δεινοῦ παλαιναίου λίαν γανυμένου, καὶ γεγηθότος, καὶ πλέον ἐπεμβαίνοντος ταῖς νευούσαις εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν ψυχαῖς.