NPNF2-08. Basil: Letters and Select Works - Holy Bible Institute

To Cæsarius, brother of Gregory.To Cæsarius, brother of Gregory. 1989Letter XXVI. 1988Thanks to God for shewing forth His wonderful power in your person, and for preservingyou to your country and to us your friends, from so terrible a death. It remains for us notto be ungrateful, nor unworthy of so great a kindness, but, to the best of our ability, to narratethe marvellous works of God, to celebrate by deed the kindness which we have experienced,and not return thanks by word only. We ought to become in very deed what I, groundingmy belief on the miracles wrought in you, am persuaded that you now are. We exhort youstill more to serve God, ever increasing your fear more and more, and advancing on toperfection, that we may be made wise stewards of our life, for which the goodness of Godhas reserved us. For if it is a command to all of us “to yield ourselves unto God as thosethat are alive from the dead,” 1990 how much more strongly is not this commanded themwho have been lifted up from the gates of death? And this, I believe, would be best effected,did we but desire ever to keep the same mind in which we were at the moment of our perils.For, I ween, the vanity of our life came before us, and we felt that all that belongs to man,exposed as it is to vicissitudes, has about it nothing sure, nothing firm. We felt, as was likely,repentance for the past; and we gave a promise for the future, if we were saved, to serve Godand give careful heed to ourselves. If the imminent peril of death gave me any cause forreflection, I think that you must have been moved by the same or nearly the same thoughts.We are therefore bound to pay a binding debt, at once joyous at God’s good gift to us, and,at the same time, anxious about the future. I have ventured to make these suggestions toyou. It is yours to receive what I say well and kindly, as you were wont to do when we talkedtogether face to face.1988 Placed in 368.1989 Cæsarius was the youngest brother of Gregory of Nazianzus. After a life of distinguished service underJulian, Valens, and Valentinian, he was led, shortly after the escape narrated in this letter, to retire from theworld. A work entitled Πύστεις, or Quæstiones (sive Dialogi) de Rebus Divinus, attributed to him, is of doubtfulgenuineness. Vide D.C.B. s.v. The earthquake, from the effects of which Cæsarius was preserved, took placeon the tenth of October, 368. cf. Greg. Naz, Orat. x.1990 Rom. vii. 13.411