A Way of Correction

Πᾶσα κεφαλὴ εἰς πόνον, φησὶν ὁ Ἡσαὶς, καὶ πᾶσα καρδία εἰς λύπην ἀπὸ ποδῶν ἕως κεφαλῆς. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Ἡ γῆ καὶ ὑμῶν ἕρημος, τὴν χώραν ὑμῶν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ἀλλότριοι κατεσθίουσιν.'  Δὶα μὲν τῶν ποδῶν τοὺς ὑποτεταγμένους, διὰ δὲ τῆς καφαλῆς τοὺς καθηγουμένους αἰνιττόμενος, πονηρίας ἀπάσης ἐμπεπλησμένους· πᾶσα γὰρ κεγαλὴ εἰς πόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πόδες αὐτῶν εἰς πονηρίαν τρέχουσιν, ὠς ἐν ἑτέρῳ τόπῳ εἴρηκεν ὁ Προφήτης. Πόνον τοιγάρτοι τὴν πονηρείαν νόει, καθὼς λέγει ὁ Δαυῒδ περὶ ψυχῆς βεβήλου, ὅτι Συνέλαβες πόνον, καὶ ἕτεκες ἀνομίαν. Ἡ γὰρ πονηρεία τὴν ἀνομίαν πέφυκεν ἀποτίκτειν. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἐν τῷ καταφρονεῖν, καὶ ἀγαπᾷν τὰ φαῦλα, πολλάκις κρίσει Θεοῦ τὸ σκυθρωπα καὶ λυπηρὰ ἔπεται, πρὸς διόρθωσιν ἐκκαλούμενα τοὺς ἐξαμαρτάνοντας, διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηκε· Καὶ πᾶσα καρδία εἰς λύπην. Λυποῦνται γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ, δι' ἀνθρωπίνης χειρὸς τιμωρούμενοι καὶ καταθλιβόμενοι.  Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΝΕ' Ζωσαριῳ Τριβουνῳ

'Every head in grief,' says Isaiah 'and every heart mournful from the foot to the head.' 1 And a little after, 'Your land a  waste and foreigners devouring your county before your eyes.' 2 And by feet they are subdued, and with nodding heads led away, with wickedness spread everywhere; for every head is in grief because their feet bore them rapidly on a course of wickedness, as the Prophet says also in another place. 3 So the grief of wickedness is to be understood, which David speaks of concerning the profane soul, 'You conceived grief and you birthed iniquity.'  4 Wickedness by its own nature births iniquity. And then when a man has become contemptuous and a lover of evils, there often follows the troublesome and tearful judgement of God for the cause of the correction of sinners, since it is said 'And every heart in sorrow.' For by God the Hebrews are joined to grief, while the human hand castigates and oppresses. Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 55 to Zosarius the Tribune 1 Isa 1.5  2 Isa 1.7  3 Is 59.7  4 Ps 7.15