God is a fire that warms and kindles the heart and inward parts. Hence, if we feel in our hearts the cold which comes from the devil—for the devil is cold—let us call on the Lord. He will come to warm our hearts with perfect love, not only for Him but also for our neighbor, and the cold of him who hates the good will flee before the heat of His countenance.
A sign of spiritual life is the immersion of a person within himself and the hidden workings within his heart.
¶80. [Abba Poemen] also said, 'Do not give your heart to that which does not satisfy your heart.'
¶10. Abba Pambo said, 'If you have a heart, you can be saved.'
When the Spirit of God descends upon a man and overshadows him with the fullness of His outpouring, then his soul overflows with a joy not to be described, for the Holy Spirit turns to joy whatever He touches. The Kingdom of Heaven is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (cf. Romans 14:17). Acquire inward peace, and thousands around you will find their salvation.
The heart itself is but a small vessel, yet dragons are there, and there are also lions; there are poisonous beasts and all the treasures of evil. But there too is God, the angels, the life and the kingdom, the light and the apostles, the heavenly cities and the treasuries of grace - all things are there. Homily 43.7
Do not confuse man - this image of God - with the evil which is in him, because evil is only his accidental misfortune, a sickness, a devil's dream; but man's essence - the image of God - is always there.
You are a world within a world: look within yourself, and see there the whole creation. Do not look at exterior things, but turn all your attention to that which lies within. Gather together your whole mind within the intellectual treasure-house of your soul, and make ready for the Lord a shrine free from images.
It is not necessary to roam heaven and earth after God or to send our mind to seek Him in different places. Purify your soul, O son of man, remove from yourself the thought of memories outside of nature; hang the veil of chastity and humility before your impulses. By means of these you will be able to find Him who is within you.
Enter eagerly into the treasure house that lies within you, and so you will see the treasure-house of heaven: for the two are the same, there is but one entry to them both. The ladder that leads to the Kingdom is hidden within you, and is found in your own soul. Dive into yourself, and in your soul you will discover the rungs by which to ascend.
