Ephraim the Sirin, one of the great teachers of the church of the 4th century, a Christian theologian and poet, was born in the city of Nizibia. As a young man he retired to the surrounding mountains and became a hermit. After the capture of Nisibia by the Persians in 363, the monk left the places of his hermitage and settled in a monastery near the city of Edessa, where he remained until his death (c. 373-379). The Monk Ephraim the Syrian combined with ascetic labors an incessant study of the word of God, drawing from it tenderness and wisdom for his soul. The works of the outstanding thinker of the early Christian era, presented in this book, undoubtedly remain relevant today for healing the soul of modern man.