the merciful Lord consoles: "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and comfort her: for she has drunk of the cup of the Lord’s fury, and has received from the Lord double for her sins." Therefore, if you are just, it is fitting for you to rejoice in adversity, so that you may become more approved. If you are a sinner, you should likewise rejoice because you are afflicted. For you are afflicted here so that you may wash yourself from the filth of your sins and find consolation in the world to come. Affliction of the heart is profitable to both; for "a sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit: a contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not despise." For when a sinner is chastised by the Lord, if he refuses to amend his former deeds and brings his life to despair—if he says, "Now there is no pardon for me, now the Lord has forgotten me, now my whole life is cast into destruction; I hope for no rest after death"—if my Maker had not regarded me, a man, He would not consume me with such punishments. Such a person makes himself the cause of his own death; he voluntarily kills himself with the sword of despair, and marks himself as belonging to the number of those whom the prophet denounces when he says: "You have struck them, and they have not grieved: you have whipped them, and they have refused to receive discipline." B But you, brother, shun such association by every means, I beg you, and accept the divine judgment gratefully and sweetly. Say also: "The judgments of the Lord are sweeter than honey and the honeycomb." For even if chastisement seems bitter for a time, it produces sweet fruits for the future. This chastisement recalls you from vices and urges you toward virtues. Through this chastisement, death is driven out and life is acquired. This chastisement is devoid of the sorrow of future punishment and will acquire eternal joy. This chastisement represses pride and generates the humility in which the Lord rests. Say also: "It is good for me that you have humbled me, that I may learn your justifications." For if you receive these things that I have said with a willing spirit, and remain in the praises of God and in thanksgiving, and bless God at every hour, you will feel yourself in spirit with the Lord. For he who is always mindful of God will always be with Him. He himself will also mitigate the pains of your body; He himself will strengthen your soul for endurance; and although you may seem to be filled with sores in your body, you will possess a mind within that is healthy and whole, with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns unto ages of ages. Amen.
OF THE SAME HOLY FATHER BASIL ON THE PRAISE OF THE SOLITARY LIFE.
It exists among the works of Saint Peter Damian, chapter 19 of the 11th booklet, which is inscribed: *Dominus vobiscum*. See Patrologia Latina, volume CXLV, col. 246 D.
SANCTI BASILII CÆSAREÆ CAPPADOCIÆ EPISCOPI
ADMONITION TO A SPIRITUAL SON.
See Patrologia Latina, volume CIII, col. 683.
NOTICE
Christianus Fridericus Matthæi published three homilies under Basil’s name in Greek from the Moscow codices in his *Glossaria Graeca minora* (Moscow 1774, in-4°). The first, which is inscribed *Περὶ τελειότητος βίου μοναχῶν*, "On the perfection of the monastic life," is nothing other than Basil’s canonical epistle 22, bearing the same title. This escaped the notice of preceding editors, who pronounced this homily entirely spurious. That the third falsely assumes the name of Basil, no one fails to see. The second, which is inscribed "On mercy and judgment," seems to be assignable to Basil, if one trusts the testimony of Symeon the Logothete, since he transcribed sections of it more than once in his Sermon 4. (Cf. pp. 490, 491 of the Garnier ed.) ED.OF OUR HOLY FATHER BASIL, ARCHBISHOP OF CAESAREA IN CAPPADOCIA, HOMILY ON THE PERFECTION OF THE MONASTIC LIFE.
OF THE SAME, HOMILY ON THE PERFECTION OF THE MONASTIC LIFE.
Since there are many things revealed through Holy Scripture, etc., as in epistle 22.
OF THE SAME, ON MERCY AND JUDGMENT.
Bless, Father.
The world that forgets God, brothers, is held fast by injustice toward one's neighbor and by inhumanity toward the powerless, just as the divine Apostle says, that "as they did not approve of having God in their knowledge, God delivered them into a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting,"