The following is a short essay from a very old collection of essays by Abba Isaiah:
I do not want you to forget, brothers, that in the beginning, when Adam was created, God placed him in Paradise with healthy senses that were established according to nature. When Adam listened to the one who deceived him, all of his senses were twisted toward that which is contrary to nature, and it was then that he fell from his glory. Our Lord, however, on account of His great love, took compassion on the human race. The Word became flesh, that is to say completely human, and became in every way like us except without sin, in order that He might, through His holy body, transform that which is contrary to nature to the state that is according to nature. Having taken compassion on Adam, God returned him to Paradise, resurrecting those who followed his steps and the commandments which He gave us so that we might be able to conquer those who removed us from our glory, indicating to us holy worship and pure (spiritual) law, that we may stay in the natural state in which God created us.
The person, then, who wishes to attain this natural state removes all his carnal desires, in order that God may establish him in the state according to nature. Desire is the natural state of the intellect because without desire for God there is no love. This is why Daniel was called a man of desires, but the enemy twisted this into a shameful desire, a desire for every impurity.
Ambition, also, is the natural state of the intellect for without ambition there is no progress toward God, as it is written in the epistle, be ambitious for the higher gifts. However, our godly ambition has been turned into an ambition that is contrary to nature, so we are jealous, envious, and deceitful toward each other.
Anger, too, is the natural state of the intellect for without anger we cannot even attain purity unless we are angry toward all that which is sown in us by the enemy. Just as Finees, the son of Eleazar, became angry and slaughtered the man and woman (tropologically: evil anger and desire), and the Lord's temper against his people was shattered. Yet this anger within us was turned against our neighbor in regard to such senseless and useless matters.
Likewise, hatred is the natural state of the intellect. When Elijah discovered this, he killed the prophets of shame (shameful thoughts), and Samuel acted similarly against Agag (tropologically the Devil), the king of the Amalechites (demons), for without hatred against the enemy, no honor is bestowed on the soul. This hatred of ours has been twisted, however, into a state that is contrary to nature, so that we hate and loathe our neighbor, and this hatred chases away all the virtues.
Similarly, a sense of pride over the enemy (Devil) is the natural state of the intellect. When Job found this sense, he reproached his enemies, saying to them, 'Unworthy, mean, and good-for-nothing people, whom I would not consider as worthy as the dogs in my pastures'. Yet even this interior sense of pride over our enemies was twisted, and, instead, we were humiliated by them, taking pride against and goading each other, exalting ourselves as righteous over our neighbor. Consequently, on account of this pride, it is God who becomes our enemy.
Now these things are innate to humanity. But when Adam tasted disobedience, these were changed within him into shameful passions. Therefore, dear friends, let us endeavor and be careful to leave these things behind, achieving what our Lord Jesus Christ has shown us in His holy body; for He is holy and dwells among the holy. Let us, then, take care of ourselves, in order to please God by leading our life in the best way we can, and by taking control of all our members until they are established in the state that is according to nature, so that we may find mercy in the hour of temptation which will come over the whole universe. Let us pray, at all times, to His goodness that His help may be enjoined to our weakness and lowliness, in order to save us from our enemies, for His is the power and the help and the might to the ages of ages. Amen.
I do not want you to forget, brothers, that in the beginning, when Adam was created, God placed him in Paradise with healthy senses that were established according to nature. When Adam listened to the one who deceived him, all of his senses were twisted toward that which is contrary to nature, and it was then that he fell from his glory. Our Lord, however, on account of His great love, took compassion on the human race. The Word became flesh, that is to say completely human, and became in every way like us except without sin, in order that He might, through His holy body, transform that which is contrary to nature to the state that is according to nature. Having taken compassion on Adam, God returned him to Paradise, resurrecting those who followed his steps and the commandments which He gave us so that we might be able to conquer those who removed us from our glory, indicating to us holy worship and pure (spiritual) law, that we may stay in the natural state in which God created us.
The person, then, who wishes to attain this natural state removes all his carnal desires, in order that God may establish him in the state according to nature. Desire is the natural state of the intellect because without desire for God there is no love. This is why Daniel was called a man of desires, but the enemy twisted this into a shameful desire, a desire for every impurity.
Ambition, also, is the natural state of the intellect for without ambition there is no progress toward God, as it is written in the epistle, be ambitious for the higher gifts. However, our godly ambition has been turned into an ambition that is contrary to nature, so we are jealous, envious, and deceitful toward each other.
Anger, too, is the natural state of the intellect for without anger we cannot even attain purity unless we are angry toward all that which is sown in us by the enemy. Just as Finees, the son of Eleazar, became angry and slaughtered the man and woman (tropologically: evil anger and desire), and the Lord's temper against his people was shattered. Yet this anger within us was turned against our neighbor in regard to such senseless and useless matters.
Likewise, hatred is the natural state of the intellect. When Elijah discovered this, he killed the prophets of shame (shameful thoughts), and Samuel acted similarly against Agag (tropologically the Devil), the king of the Amalechites (demons), for without hatred against the enemy, no honor is bestowed on the soul. This hatred of ours has been twisted, however, into a state that is contrary to nature, so that we hate and loathe our neighbor, and this hatred chases away all the virtues.
Similarly, a sense of pride over the enemy (Devil) is the natural state of the intellect. When Job found this sense, he reproached his enemies, saying to them, 'Unworthy, mean, and good-for-nothing people, whom I would not consider as worthy as the dogs in my pastures'. Yet even this interior sense of pride over our enemies was twisted, and, instead, we were humiliated by them, taking pride against and goading each other, exalting ourselves as righteous over our neighbor. Consequently, on account of this pride, it is God who becomes our enemy.
Now these things are innate to humanity. But when Adam tasted disobedience, these were changed within him into shameful passions. Therefore, dear friends, let us endeavor and be careful to leave these things behind, achieving what our Lord Jesus Christ has shown us in His holy body; for He is holy and dwells among the holy. Let us, then, take care of ourselves, in order to please God by leading our life in the best way we can, and by taking control of all our members until they are established in the state that is according to nature, so that we may find mercy in the hour of temptation which will come over the whole universe. Let us pray, at all times, to His goodness that His help may be enjoined to our weakness and lowliness, in order to save us from our enemies, for His is the power and the help and the might to the ages of ages. Amen.
