eating, and when they have risen, the dream is vain. And in the way that he who is thirsty dreams as though he were drinking, and when he has risen he is still thirsty, and his soul has hoped in vain, so shall be the wealth of all the nations.” A Jerem. XII, 1, 2.— “Righteous art thou, O Lord, that I may plead with thee; yet let me speak judgments unto thee. Why is it that the way of the wicked prospers? All they that deal very treacherously have prospered. Thou hast planted them, and they have taken root; they have brought forth children, and have made fruit. Thou art near to their mouth, and far from their reins.” Eccli. IX, 16.— “Envy not the glory of sinners.” Sap. XI, 5.— “By those things in which their enemies were punished, they, while they abounded, were gladdened.” B Rom. IX, 10-21.— “And Rebecca having conception by one, even by our father Isaac, for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, it was said unto her, That the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written: Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses: I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor?” Rom. XI, 33.— “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” S. Basilii.— “Although the reasons for those things which are administered by God may escape us, yet in every way that which is administered by the wise One, and by Him by whom we are loved in return, ought to be received with an equal mind, even if it be otherwise burdensome.” Ejusd. in init. Prov.— “The justice which is brought upon us from heaven by the righteous Judge, since it has the power of correcting and rebuking, because of the height of those decrees which are hidden within it, can with great difficulty be perceived by human wit. For this, unless I am mistaken, is what he says: Thy justice as the mountains of God (Psal. XXXV, 7). C S. Greg. Naz.— “We are endowed with no skill whereby we may test the hidden judgments of God. Some, indeed, of the friends of God enjoy prosperity, while others, in no way worse than these, meet with adversity in their course. Who knows the reasons for these things, except Thou, O Word and Reason?” Ejusd. De am. paup.— “Who knows if he be punished on account of vice, while the other, again, is raised up as good and worthy of praise; and not, on the contrary, that he is exalted on account of wickedness, and the other is put to the test on account of virtue;
A but rather that one is raised higher so that he may fall more grievously, being permitted first to give vent to his own wickedness as if it were some disease, in order that he may be punished more justly; while the other is pressed by difficulties beyond the expectation of men, so that, having been tested like gold in a furnace, he may refine away whatever small amount of wickedness he may have possessed.
A cycle, brothers, belongs to human affairs, and God instructs us through opposites. Just as He has established all things wisely and bound them together, so does He wisely conduct all things, governing them by His inscrutable and unsearchable judgments. One must be persuaded of this alone: that all things are ordained for our benefit by God, but to seek the manner B of it no longer, nor to be distressed or despondent because we are ignorant of it. For it is neither possible to know these things, nor is it beneficial—the former because we are mortal, the latter because we would quickly be carried away into arrogance.
Some say: Why do the just suffer from weakness and poverty, while the unjust are strong and wealthy? Why is this, that the former might be crowned, and the latter punished forever?
You have asked why God has determined that this man, who is good, should be despondent and afflicted, and that another, who is very wicked, should be cheerful and wealthy; and why one succeeds in all things C and another fails in all; why this one is healthy whereas that one is ailing, and another man of good character is crushed by a demon, while the wicked man lives? Do not be over-curious about things beyond you; know only that all these things come to pass by the will and decree of the Most High. Do not, however, seek the exact reason. Paul, that great man, declared the judgments of God to be unsearchable. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to trace the footsteps of the Lord and His counsels. For His judgments are a great abyss, as the Prophet says.
If someone, having set out, wishes to cross a river, and sees it roaring and flowing with fearful speed, and though no one else attempts to cross it, he nevertheless D goes in with a rash purpose in order to show himself as noble and strong, and dies in the river, his soul is judged along with the rash; because, seeing his own death, he disobeyed the Scripture, which says, "Do not strive against the current of a river" (Eccli. iv. 32). But if he sees the river flowing peacefully, not threatening death with roars but calm and easy, with many crossing it, and he enters to cross it, and through the permission of God Satan stirs up a wave, or he slips his foot and falls into the water and dies, his death shall be reckoned as a martyrdom. Furthermore, the hour of his
A death was present with him, but not in such a way that he should die in this manner. For the devil, seeing the hour of death, forestalls it and prepares the fall, so that the death may be ascribed to a snare. The same must also be said of those who are killed by wild beasts. For if someone leaves of his own accord to slaughter a beast, in order to show off his own strength, and the beast rises up and he is killed by it, his soul shall be reckoned among the imprudent and the rash. But if a beast should suddenly rush forth and tear a man to pieces, such a person has died a martyr's death; and this holds true whether one dies in the sea or on land.
TITLE II. — On detraction; and that detraction is a false speech uttered against someone.
Num. xii, 1 seqq. — "And Mary and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had taken; for he had taken an Ethiopian woman. And they said: Hath the Lord spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it... And the Lord said to them: Hear my words: If there be among you a prophet of the Lord, I will appear to him in a vision, or I will speak to him in a dream. But it is not so with my servant Moses, who is most faithful in all my house: for I speak to him mouth to mouth, and plainly, and not by riddles and figures, and he seeth the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak evil of my servant Moses? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them... and behold, Mary appeared white as snow with a leprosy."
Psal. xxx, 18. — "Let deceitful lips be made dumb," etc.
Psal. xlix, 20. — "Sitting against thy brother," etc.
Psal. lxxvii, 19. — "They spoke ill of God, and they said," etc.
Psal. c, 5. — "Him who privily slandered his neighbour," etc.
Psal. c, 7. — "He that speaketh iniquitous things shall not prosper in my sight," etc.
Prov. xx, 13. — "Love not detraction, lest thou be cut off," etc.
Sap. i, 11. — "Keep yourselves therefore from murmuring, which profiteth nothing, and refrain your tongue from detraction: for an obscure speech shall not go into vain."
Jac. iv, 11-12. — "Detract not one another, my brethren. He that detracteth his brother, or he that judgeth his brother, detracteth the law, and judgeth the law. But if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge, that is able to destroy and to save."
Prov. xxx, 17. — "The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it."
S. Basil. — Detraction is to babble something against an absent brother with the intent of slandering him, even if that which is said is otherwise true.
S. Chrysost. — If anyone pursues you with curses, if indeed he speaks the truth, see that you correct yourself; but if they are false, D turn them to laughter. If indeed you are conscious to yourself of the things said, be sober; but if you are not conscious of them, despise them.
[S. Chrysostom] — It is then that we ought to despise those who backbite us, when we ourselves provide no handles for them. Or rather, not even then, but [we should wait] until we are able to stop their mouths. For when the whole [matter] originates from us, all the fire turns upon our own head. — Not only they who backbite others, but also those who rashly provide causes for backbiting, are liable to the punishment established for slander. B
[Didymus] — He who wishes to punish another with some evil, first punishes himself in the same way.
[The Elder] — It is better to drink wine and eat meat than to devour the flesh of brethren through backbiting.
TITLE III. — On time; and that time must be redeemed, and everything must be said and done in its own time.
[Eccl. III, 1-8] — «To everything there is a time under heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die. A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal. A time to destroy, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh. A time to seek, and a time to lose. A time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew. A time to speak, and a time to keep silence. A time to love, and a time to hate. A time of war, and a time of peace.» C
[Osee X, 13] — «Why have you kept silence regarding impiety, and have reaped the injustices thereof?»
[Isa. L, 4] — «The Lord gives me a learned tongue, that I may know when I ought to speak a word.»
[Eccli. IV, 23] — «Observe the time, and flee from evil.» — [Eccli. VII, 5] — «Do not display your doctrine out of season.» — [28] — «Do not withhold a word in the time of salvation.»
[Eccli. XXIX, 7] — «A wise man will be silent until the time. A proverb will be rejected from the mouth of a fool: for he does not speak it in its own time.»
[Ephes. V, 15, 16] — «Rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep. See therefore how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise; redeeming the time, for the days are evil. Therefore do not become unwise, but understand what the will of God is.» D
[Coloss. IV, 5, 6] — «In wisdom walk towards them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always in grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man.»
[S. Greg. Naz.] — As long as the desire is vehement, seize what you desire. While the iron is hot, let it be strengthened by cold water: lest something come between and break the desire.
[S. Chrysost.] — Merely to speak freely, and of any person...
A is common; but to seize the business at the proper time and season, and to act with the fitting measure and discretion, this requires a very great and admirable soul.
Evagrius. — It is better to cast a stone in vain than a word.
Philo. — Speak what is necessary, and when it is necessary; and what is not necessary, you shall not hear. — The same. It is noble to spare time.
TITLE IV. — Concerning flatterers, parasites, and buffoons; and that one must avoid them.
Ps. LI, 6. — "God has scattered the bones of those who please men."
Prov. x, 23. — "As if in jest, the fool works evil."
Prov. xxvi, 22. — "The words of the crafty are soft: but they strike into the inmost parts of the belly."
Prov. xv, 15. — "The wise and prudent call those bad: but those who are sweet in speech shall be heard more."
Prov. xix, 6. — "Many pay court to faces of kings."
Eccl. vii, 4. — "Better is anger than laughter; for in B the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better." — 7. "As the sound of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of fools."
Isa. iii, 12. — "Those who call you blessed, they deceive you, and they disturb the path of your feet."
Isa. ix, 16, 14. — "And there shall be those who call this people blessed, leading them astray and being led astray, so that they may swallow them up. God will remove from Jerusalem head and tail, great and small, in one day, and those who admire faces."
Ezech. xiii, 18. — "Woe to those who stitch cushions under every elbow of the hand, and make veils under every head of age, that they may pervert souls; while they speak to a people hearing vain words."
Jerem. xlvi, 22. — "They have seduced thee, and thy men of peace have prevailed C against thee; they have gained strength against thee in the slipping of thy feet."
Eccli. xxxvii, 23. — "He who speaks sophistically is hateful: he is in need of everything. For grace has not been given to him from the Lord."
Galat. i, 10. — "If I were still pleasing men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Luc. vi, 25. — "Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall weep."
Jude 16. — "These are murmurers, complaining, walking after their own desires; and their mouth speaks proud things; and they admire faces for the sake of advantage."
S. Basil. Ad adolesc. — Let us flee from flatteries and blandishments, and the D gain-seeking and wily nature of Archivocus' fox. For nothing is more grievous to those who think rightly than to live for glory and applause, and to look to things that are pleasing to the vulgar, and not to make right reason the guide of life.
A To be held by unbridled and irrepressible laughter is a sign of intemperance. For while it is not unseemly to reveal the expansion of a soul through a cheerful smile—only as far as to show what is written: *A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance* (Eccli. XIII, 31)—to burst into a guffaw with the voice and to convulse the body is not the mark of one who has a composed soul, nor of a man of integrity, nor of one who has self-control. For the most wise Solomon confirms the statement, that *the fool raises his voice in laughter, but a wise man will smile quietly* (Eccli. XXI, 23). A "people-pleaser" is one who does something according to the will or pleasure of some person, even if the action itself is worthy of disgrace.
B Let us not be delighted by the words of witty and mocking men, for that is what most tends to dissolve the tension of the soul. It is somehow in the nature of great powers that these servile flatteries tend to grow alongside them. Those who, because they lack an inherent good by which they might be known, establish themselves by means of the faults of others; and almost just as rust is the decay of grain, occurring within the grain itself, so too does flattery, by worming its way into friendship, become the ruin of friendship.
Laughter is worthy of those who think well, Every kind, though especially the lewd kind. Unruly laughter gathers even tears. It is better to have a grave character than one that is dissipated.
The one who pleases men might deservedly have the praises he gets from them as the power of his reward. But he shall receive absolutely nothing from God.
A glib mouth and a smooth manner of speaking provide amusement and praise for the sake of empty glory to wretched men who have a corrupted mind.
One must drive from our society those who mimic ridiculous men, or rather, ridiculous passions; the jesters must be cast out of our society. No one could have a flatterer as a friend. For flattery is a disease of friendship.
Most people are accustomed to cultivate the successes of rulers rather than the rulers themselves.
Do not accept those who entice and deceive you with praises. For the wise counsel that we should hate flatterers as those who cause great harm.
D *I saw the foolish, and I was consumed*, said the blessed David (Ps. CXVIII, 158). It was fitting, therefore, that you should rather be sorrowful and downcast at the thoughts of absurdity, which are the offspring of vipers of a neglected soul. And whereas you ought to dissolve your external eyes and your internal ones with tears, you now do the opposite, laughing, and convulsing, and, so to speak, at every hour rejoicing in the prancing of irrationality and ignorance; and confident, and trusting...
A in that name, you remain tranquil, because for a time you abstain from foods and are kept away from women. But this is not enough at all. For the demons are superior to you in this matter, in that they neither take any food at all, nor sleep. B
TIT. V. — On thieves.
Exod. xxii, 1. — « If anyone steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it, he shall restore five oxen for it. But if he is caught, he shall pay double. »
Deut. xxiv, 7. — « If a man is caught stealing a soul from among his brothers, that thief shall die. »
Exod. xxii, 2. — « If a thief is found in a breach, and being struck dies, it is not murder for him. »
Job xxx, 5, 6. — « Thieves have risen up against me, whose homes were in the holes of the rocks. »
Prov. xxix, 24. — « He who shares with a thief hates his own soul. »
Zachar. v, 5, 6. — « The Lord said to me: What do you see? And I said: I see a sickle twenty cubits in length and ten cubits in width. And he said to me: It will enter into the house of the thief, and it will settle in the midst of his house, and it will consume it. And every thief will be punished from thence unto death. »
Eccli. xxxvi, 28. — « Who will believe a nimble thief leaping from city to city? »
Ephes. iv, 28. — « Let the thief steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his own hands what is good, that he may have something to give to him who is in need. »
S. Basil. — Graves and bitter are the nights of those who spend them in crimes. For both the fear of being caught, and the heat of lust, drive every rest from them. C
TIT. VI. — On cattle and their care.
Levit. xvii, 11. — « The soul of all flesh is its blood. »
Prov. xii, 10. — « A righteous man has compassion for the souls of his beasts. »
Eccli. vii, 24. — « Do you have cattle? Attend to them; and if they are useful to you, let them remain with you. »
TIT. VII. — On boasting and haughtiness; and that one ought not to boast or be exalted in any matter of this life.
I Reg. ii, 3. — « Do not boast, and do not speak high things in pride; and let not grandiloquence go out from your mouth. » D
Jerem. ix, 23. — « Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom. »
Job xi, 4. — « Do not say, I am pure in my works, and blameless in his sight. »
Prov. iii, 5. — « Do not be exalted in wisdom. »
Prov. xxvii, 1. — « Do not boast of tomorrow; for you do not know what the coming day will bring forth. »
Eccli. xi, 4. — « In one’s clothing, do not ever boast, nor be exalted in the day of your honor. »
Eccli. vii, 11. — « Do not say: It is brought about by the multitude of my gifts,
and when I offer them to the most high God, I shall be accepted. » A
II Cor. x, 17. — « Let him who glories, glory in the Lord. For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends. »
Jac. i, 9. — « Let the humble brother glory in his exaltation; but the rich in his humiliation. »
I think much in God, but I measure myself, lest I perish in boasting. For when the enemy had once induced Adam, the forefather of our race, to imagine divine equality, he cast him out of paradise and thrust him down to the depths of hell.
TIT. VIII. — Concerning the beauty and elegance of the body.
I Reg. xvi, 12. — « David was ruddy, with beautiful eyes, and good to look upon by the Lord. » B
II Reg. xiv, 25. — « As Absalom, there was not a man in all Israel: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head, » etc.
Prov. xi, 22. — « As a gold ring in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman who is foolish. »
Eccli. xi, 2. — « Do not praise a man for his beauty. »
Eccli. xxvi, 22. — « A lamp shining upon the holy candlestick, a beautiful face upon a stable age. »
Eccli. xxxvi, 24. — « The beauty of a woman gladdens her husband’s face. »
S. Basil. — He who is today flourishing in body, and obese from luxury, possessing the elegance of color blooming from the peak of his youth, vigorous and firm, is the very same who will tomorrow be worthy of pity; for he is consumed by the length of time, or wasted away by disease. C
S. Greg. Naz. — If you are ugly in that which falls under the gaze, be beautiful in that which is removed from the sense of the eyes: not otherwise than a rose blooming within its bud.
TIT. IX. — Concerning those who boast and brag.
Prov. xii, 9. — « Better is a man who serves [others] in lowliness, than one who sets glory for himself and lacks bread. »
Prov. xiii, 7. — « There are those who boast of their riches, when they have nothing. »
Eccli. xviii, 33. — « Do not become a beggar by indulging in feasting on borrowed money, when you have nothing in your purse. For you will be an insidiator of your own life. » D
To boast of wealth or to be arrogant regarding one's birth, by which human honors are multiplied, all these things become a destruction of human life, and of honor, and of reproach.
S. Greg. Naz. — What beauty is this, if you have an ape in human form, foul and obscene, which wears its neck surrounded on all sides by golden chains? For this ornament has not changed the ridiculous and foolish figure. And what grace is there for an ass to carry heavy weights of gold? For the ass, however much it is laden with gold,
knows nothing but its braying. Nor does any grace or profit come from this, that someone should enclose leaden swords in silver scabbards, inasmuch as they bring no utility in battle. Such is the man when he is puffed up and glories in external things.
TIT. X. — Concerning superiors; and that one must by no means contend with superiors.
Job. — “An impious man is he who does not revere a person worthy of honor, nor knows how to render honor to such as these.” A
Eccli. viii, 1. — “Do not contend with a powerful man, lest you fall into his hands.”
Eccli. xiii, 3. — “Do not take up a weight above yourself, and do not associate with one stronger or richer than yourself. What will an earthenware pot communicate to a cauldron? For when they strike together, they will be broken.”
Eccli. vii, 7. — “Humble your head before a magnate.” — xxxii, 13. — “In the midst of magnates, do not exalt yourself.” — xxvii, 28. — “He who casts a stone on high, it shall fall upon his own head.”
Act. ix, 5. — “It is hard for you to kick against the goad.”
S. Basil. — Things are always well when the inferior are governed by the superior.
Philo. — It is most beneficial to be subject to the more excellent. — No one is so insane as, being a slave, to set himself against his master.
S. Greg. Naz. Orat. de bapt. — Do not judge the judges, you who have need of healing. For although one is higher or lower than another, all are nevertheless higher than you.
TIT. XI. — Concerning the judgment and justice of God: and that He distributes to each according to his desert, and does not accept the persons of men.
CDeut. x, 17. — “The Lord your God, He is the God of gods, and the Lord of lords; a great God, and mighty, and terrible, who does not regard persons, nor take gifts.”
Deut. xxxii, 43. — “God’s works are perfect, and all His ways are judgments. A faithful God, and there is no iniquity in Him. My hand will lay hold of judgment, and I will take vengeance, and I will render retribution to my enemies, and to those who hate me.”
1 Reg. ii, 10, sec. LXX. — “The Lord ascended into the heavens, and thundered. He judges the ends of the earth, for He is just.”
Job viii, 3. — “Will the Lord do injury when judging? Or will He who made all things pervert justice?” D
Job v, 13. — “He who captures the wise in their craftiness, and has made the counsel of the cunning of no effect.”
Psal. ix, 4. — “You sat upon the throne, You who judge justice.”
Psal. x, 7. — “A just Lord, and He has loved justices; His countenance has beheld uprightness.”
Psal. xviii, 2. — “The judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.”
Psal. xxxii, 5. — “The Lord loves mercy and judgment.”
A “Righteousness is the fullness of Thy right hand.” (Ps. XLVII, 11) “Righteousness and judgment are the preparation of Thy throne.” (Ps. XCVI, 2) “Judgment and righteousness in Jacob Thou hast made.” (Ps. XCVII, 4) “The Lord is righteous; He has cut the necks of sinners.” (Ps. CXXVIII, 4) “All the works of the Lord are with righteousness. The movement of the balance is righteousness from the Lord, and His works are righteous weights.” (Prov. XVI, 11) “Many pay court to the persons of princes, but from the Lord comes what is just.” (Prov. XIX, 6) “He who fashioned every breath, He knows all things, and will render to each according to his works.” (Prov. XXIV, 12) “The Lord of all shall not shrink from any person, nor will He stand in awe of anyone’s greatness.” B (Sap. VI, 8) — “From the Lord all things are just.” “Be strengthened, fear not; behold, our God shall render judgment.” (Isa. XXXV, 4) “The Lord of Sabaoth shall be exalted in judgment, and the holy God shall be glorified in righteousness.” (Isa. V, 16) “I have put My Spirit upon Him; He shall bring forth judgment to the nations. He shall not cry out, nor lift up His voice, nor shall it be heard abroad. A bruised reed He shall not break, and smoking flax He shall not quench, but in truth shall He bring forth judgment. He shall shine forth and shall not be broken, until He set judgment on the earth, and in His name shall the nations hope.” (Isa. XLII, 1-4) “I will judge your judgment, and I will deliver your sons; and they who oppress you shall eat their own flesh, and shall drink their own blood as new wine.” (Isa. XLIX, 25) “I am the Lord who speaks righteousness and announces C truth.” (Isa. XLV, 19) “All Thy judgments are truth, and judgments of truth hast Thou made.” (Dan. III, 27) “But Thou, being the master of strength, in tenderness judgest, and with much forbearance governest us. Being righteous, Thou orderest all things justly.” (Sap. XII, 18) “Thy judgments, O Lord, are great and inenarrable.” (Sap. XVII, 1) “For them indeed, as a father admonishing, Thou didst exhort; but them, as a harsh king, Thou didst examine and condemn.” (Sap. XII, 11) D “The Lord is judge, and there is no glory of man with Him; He will not receive any person.” (Eccli. XXXV, 12) “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Hebr. X, 31) “God does not receive the person of men.” (Gal. II, 6) “There is no respect of persons with Him.” (Ephes. VI, 9) “It is God who justifies: who is he that condemns?” (Rom. VIII, 33-34) “Neither is the mercy of God without judgment, nor is the judgment without mercy; but He is both merciful, and in a manner befitting those who are worthy
He distributes mercy; and when He judges, having regard for our weakness, He imposes judgment. A
S. Greg. Nyss. — The just judgment of God is assimilated to our own dispositions, and such as are the things we manifest, such also are those repaid to us by Him. For it is absolutely necessary that a man reap what he has sown, and it cannot be otherwise (Gal. vi, 8). For the sowing is the human will; and the harvest is the requital in accordance with the will. B Just as for all bodies created by God it is inherent that they should have a shadow, so also for God, who is just, it is consistent to assign to each according to his merit, both to those who have set themselves to cultivate virtue and to those who have preferred to embrace vice.
S. Chrysost. lib. Ad Theod. laps. cap. 5. — No good deed at all, however small it may be, will be neglected by the Judge. For if sins are examined with such precision that we must pay penalties even for words and thoughts, how much more will right actions, whether they be great or small, be reckoned? — There is one Judge of the dead and the living, who weighs the justice of each.
S. Basil. hom. 1 de David. et Saul. — When God pronounces sentence, no excuse remains for those who contradict. For that judgment is upright and incorrupt; since God, in rendering judgments, is moved neither by favor nor by hatred, but judges only the virtue of the soul. C
S. Cyrilli. — To give equal things to unequals is the greatest injustice.
S. Nili. — It happens indeed very often that men, led by envy, disparage what is good; but the heavenly theater judges matters incorruptibly, and the truth of the things that are done holds the decision of judgment.
TIT. XII. — Concerning a pure heart and conscience.
Prov. iv, 23. — “With all diligence keep thy heart, for out of it proceed the issues of life.” — “A precious possession is a pure man.” — XI, 12. — “Good counsel shall guard thee, and a holy thought shall preserve thee, that it may deliver thee from an evil way, and from a man speaking nothing faithful.” — “Let the heart of a man consider what is just, that his steps may be directed by the Lord.” — “As silver and gold are tried in the furnace, so are chosen hearts with the Lord.” — “The ways of life are the thoughts of a prudent man.” — XIII, 14. — “A prudent man shall be satisfied from his own thoughts.” — XXII, 11. — “The Lord loveth holy hearts: and all who are blameless are acceptable to Him.” — XI, 9. — “Walk in the ways of thy heart, and know that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. And put away wrath from thy heart, and remove wickedness from thy flesh.” Eccli. xiv, 2. — “Blessed is he who his own soul hath not condemned.”
A “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matth. v, 8. — “For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world.” II Cor. i, 12. — “If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments.” I Joan. iii, 21.
First to be called blessed, is that which is pure in our understanding; since the counsel which is formed in the heart is the root of the actions which are performed through the body. S. Basil, in Psal. 1. — “The first thing to be judged blessed is the purity of our mind. For the counsel which is formed in the heart is the root of actions that are performed by the body.”
S. Greg. Naz. Tetrast. 7. B To God no gift is dearer than virtue. Though you offer all, you will offer nothing worthy. Offer that which the poor man too can give; The pure man abhors the hire of a harlot.
Those who are distinguished by a clear conscience are called sons of light and day. S. Greg. Nyss. — “Nothing is accustomed to bring us such pleasure as a mind well-conscious of itself, and good hope.”
S. Chrysost. — “An exulting conscience adorns the face itself, and waters the soul with strength and firmness. For not in vain has it been said by the wise man: A joyful heart makes a cheerful countenance.” (Eccli. xiii, 26).
S. Clement. — “Abstinence from evil deeds does not make him just who is instructed in the faith; but the purity and sincerity of thoughts. Salvation is for those souls which are free from perturbations and shine with purity.”
Didymus. — “A pure mind, and pure speech, and a life immune from the stain of sin, is a true throne and temple of God.”
Evagrius. — “A pure heart is a harbor of contemplation.”
Joseph. De imp. rat. — “Thought does not root out the motions of the soul, but rather opposes them.”
TIT. XIII. — Concerning an evil conscience. C “Thou hast set at naught all them that depart from thy judgments; for their reasoning is unjust.” Psal. cxviii, 118.
“A perverse heart deviseth evils.” Prov. vi, 14. — “He that is of a hard heart shall not find good.” — xxvii, 21. — “The heart of the wicked seeketh evil.” — xvii, 11. — “He that is of a hard heart shall fall into mischief.” — xxviii, 14.
“They have heated their hearts like an oven.” Osee vii, 6. — “I will meet them as a bear that is bereaved of her whelps, and will rend the caul of their heart.” — xiii, 8.
“How long shall thy thoughts lodge within thee?” Jerem. iv, 14.
“Your wickedness is upon you, and ye shall receive the sins of your thoughts.” Ezech. xxiii, 49.
“Froward thoughts separate from God.” Sap. i, 3. — “The ungodly shall be punished according to their own imaginations.” D — iii, 10.