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

To Chilo, his disciple.shall live. Where were all the labours of God’s servant Moses, when the gainsaying of onemoment shut him out from entering into the promised land? What became of the companionshipof Gehazi with Elissæus, when he brought leprosy on himself by his covetousness?What availed all Solomon’s vast wisdom, and his previous regard for God, when afterwardsfrom his mad love of women he fell into idolatry? Not even the blessed David was blameless,when his thoughts went astray and he sinned against the wife of Uriah. One example weresurely enough for keeping safe one who is living a godly life, the fall from the better to theworse of Judas, who, after being so long Christ’s disciple, for a mean gain sold his Masterand got a halter for himself. Learn then, brother, that it is not he who begins well who isperfect. It is he who ends well who is approved in God’s sight. Give then no sleep to youreyes or slumber to your eyelids 2064 that you may be delivered “as a roe from the net and abird from the snare.” 2065 For, behold, you are passing through the midst of snares; you aretreading on the top of a high wall whence a fall is perilous to the faller; wherefore do notstraightway attempt extreme discipline; above all things beware of confidence in yourself,lest you fall from a height of discipline through want of training. It is better to advance alittle at a time. Withdraw then by degrees from the pleasures of life, gradually destroyingall your wonted habits, lest you bring on yourself a crowd of temptations by irritating allyour passions at once. When you have mastered one passion, then begin to wage war againstanother, and in this manner you will in good time get the better of all. Indulgence, so faras the name goes, is one, but its practical workings are diverse. First then, brother, meetevery temptation with patient endurance. And by what various temptations the faithfulman is proved; by worldly loss, by accusations, by lies, by opposition, by calumny, by persecution!These and the like are the tests of the faithful. Further, be quiet, not rash in speech,not quarrelsome, not disputatious, not covetous of vain glory, not more anxious to get thanto give knowledge, 2066 not a man of many words, but always more ready to learn than toteach. Do not trouble yourself about worldly life; from it no good can come to you. It issaid, “That my mouth speak not the works of men.” 2067 The man who is fond of talkingabout sinners’ doings, soon rouses the desire for self indulgence; much better busy yourselfabout the lives of good men for so you will get some profit for yourself. Do not be anxiousto go travelling about 2068 from village to village and house to house; rather avoid them astraps for souls. If any one, for true pity’s sake, invite you with many pleas to enter his house,let him be told to follow the faith of the centurion, who, when Jesus was hastening to him2064 cf. Ps. cxxxii. 4.2065 Prov. vi. 5, LXX.2066 μὴ ἐξηγητικὸς ἀλλὰ φιλόπευστος, as suggested by Combefis for φιλόπιστος.2067 Ps. xvi. 4, LXX.2068 Another reading is (exhibiting yourself).439