John Cassian

In his own words on Lamentations

• Lamentations 2:18

  Not every kind of shedding of tears is produced by one feeling or one virtue. For in one way does that weeping originate that is caused by the pricks of our sins striking our heart, of which we read, "I have labored in my groaning, every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears." And again, "Let tears run down like a torrent day and night; give yourself no rest, and do not let the apple of your eye cease." In another, that which arises from the contemplation of eternal good things and the desire of that future glory, owing to which even richer well-springs of tears burst forth from uncontrollable delights and boundless exultation, while our soul is thirsty for the mighty living God, saying, "When shall I come and appear before the presence of God? My tears have been my meat day and night," declaring with daily crying and lamentation, "Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged," and, "Too long has my soul been a sojourner."In another way do the tears flow forth, which without any conscience of deadly sin yet still proceed from the fear of hell and the recollection of that terrible judgment, with the terror of which the prophet was smitten and prayed to God, saying, "Enter not into judgment with your servant, for in your sight shall no one living be justified." There is too another kind of tears, which are caused not by knowledge of one's self but by the hardness and sins of others; whereby Samuel is described as having wept for Saul. Both the Lord in the Gospel and Jeremiah in former days wept for the city of Jerusalem, the latter thus saying, "O, that my head were water and my eyes a fountain of tears! And I will weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people." Or also such as were those tears of which we hear in Psalm 101: "For I have eaten ashes for my bread and mingled my cup with weeping." And these were certainly not caused by the same feeling as those that arise in Psalm 6 from the person of the penitent but were due to the anxieties of this life and its distresses and losses, by which the righteous who are living in this world are oppressed. And this is clearly shown not only by the words of the psalm itself but also by its title, which runs as follows in the character of that poor person of whom it is said in the Gospel that "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." "A prayer of the poor when he was in distress and poured forth his prayer to God."

  CONFERENCE 1:9.29

• Lamentations 2:18

  From these tears those are vastly different that are squeezed out from dry eyes while the heart is hard, and although we cannot believe that these are altogether fruitless (for the attempt to shed them is made with a good intention, especially by those who have not yet been able to attain to perfect knowledge or to be thoroughly cleansed from the stains of past or present sins), yet certainly the flow of tears ought not to be thus forced out by those who have already advanced to the love of virtue, nor should the weeping of the outward person be with great labor attempted, as even if it is produced it will never attain the rich copiousness of spontaneous tears. For it will rather cast down the soul of the suppliant by his endeavors, and humiliate him, and plunge him in human affairs and draw him away from the celestial heights, wherein the awed mind of one who prays should be steadfastly fixed, and will force it to relax its hold on its prayers and grow sick from barren and forced tears.

  CONFERENCE 1:9.30