Saint Basil the Great
1. Man ought to have remained in that divine glory which was granted him by God, and to have kept that true height, when he was strengthened by divine power and divine wisdom. But he changed his desire to seek divine glory and began to seek what he could never attain. Therefore he lost also what he had. And now the cure of his sickness is only a virtuous life and humility. Man must seek not vain glory but divine glory, that he may correct his error, be healed and return to his first estate.
The devil, who cast man down to vain glory, does not even now cease to tempt him. He uses every means for this. He sets before him all manner of objects of luxury, that he may turn every effort of man to the gaining of them. What is worth nothing for glory is great for a fall; and the gathering of riches is the work of covetousness. It blinds a man, exalts him ill, makes him fat — not from health but from softness of flesh. Such a body is fat with a thousand diseases, and their souls are full of pride.
There are people who are puffed up not only with riches, not only with the means to set a splendid table, with the beauty of their clothing and the like, but also with the honour rendered them by others. If they become rulers of the people or receive some other office, they swell and oppress their subjects, as though they were above human nature, as though they dwelt above the clouds. And upon those very people from whom they received honour they rage; those by whom they were magnified they dishonour, and they do a deed full of folly.
The glory of such men is feebler than a dream; vainer than a night-phantom is the splendour that clothes them, for it is made in the twinkling of an eye and in the twinkling of an eye it vanishes.
Sometimes a man is puffed up by bodily strength, by youth, which may be corrupted by illnesses and rot away with the malice of the times. They do not know that “all flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth away” (Isa. 40:6–7). In vain did they take pride in their strength — the senseless Philistine named Goliath, the fighter against God (1 Kings 17:4), the haughty Adonijah (3 Kings 1:5), and Absalom, who boasted of his beautiful hair (2 Kings 14:26).
2. Among men philosophy is held to be a great thing, but its height is vain, untrue and nothing, if it is composed by man and is not joined to divine wisdom.
The wisdom of this world the devil possesses better than anyone. And he used every means and by his evil wisdom deceived man; yet this turned out to his own hurt, for from God he fell away utterly and was condemned to eternal death, while man he could not tear away from the Creator. In the snare which he set for the Lord he was himself caught; he who thought to harm the Saviour by the crucifixion was himself harmed; and by that death with which he wished to slay the Son of God, he himself died.
And if the prince of this world, the first, the great and invisible teacher of vain wisdom, fell by his own wisdom and became like the last of fools, will his disciples not be in a worse case, who think themselves wise yet become like the foolish?..
If a man will consider, he will understand that human wisdom is vain and low.
3. The man of understanding never boasts of wisdom or of any other good. What then is truly worthy of praise, and by what deed is a man magnified? “Let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth the Lord” (Jer. 9:24); in this is a man's height, in this his glory and strength, that he should know true glory and ask of the Lord it alone, for, as the apostle says: “He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31)... No one ought to take pride in knowing the truth; rather let him understand that only by faith in Christ shall he be justified before the Lord.
Here, in this life upon the earth, there remains in thee, O man, no cause for pride. In this alone canst thou boast, that thou hast hope in God; put thyself to death for all things earthly, that thou mayest be saved in the life to come, which takes its beginning here upon the earth. The grace given by God alone will truly save us; it reveals to us by the Holy Spirit His own wisdom, it strengthens us in our struggle, and it likewise delivers us from temptations.
4. Why dost thou exalt thyself in what the Lord has granted thee? Couldest thou have made it thyself? Why dost thou not thank Him? Didst thou have it of thine own?
It was not thou who knewest God by thy righteousness, but God Who knew thee by His goodness. It was not thou who foundest Christ by thy virtues, but Christ Who found thee by His coming into the world. Because honour was rendered thee, dost thou therefore magnify thyself? Dost thou make the mercy shown thee a cause of pride? Hast thou then known thyself?
“Be not highminded, for thou standest by faith, but fear” (Rom. 11:20). How thou hast used what the Lord gave — this the Judge will search out. If thou dost not understand that what thou hast, thou hast from God, and dost declare as thine own what was given by Him, if thou countest it gained by thine own strength, in exceeding ignorance, then I know not what more to say to thee...
Dost thou not know that thou art not more honourable than the blessed apostle Peter? Dost thou not know that thou hast not so much love for God as he had? For he so loved his Saviour that he longed to die for Him. And it was he who spoke these words: “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Matt. 26:33); and because all this was said in self-confidence, human fear seized him, and thrice he denied the Lord. This trial befell him that he might learn never to rely upon himself alone, and at the same time might help the weak, since in himself he had known human weakness.
Pride destroyed the Pharisee, for he magnified himself before the Lord and at the same time reviled the publican. But the publican was justified, for he glorified the holy and good Lord, did not count himself worthy so much as to lift up his eyes, confessed his own sins, smote upon his breast and asked nothing of the Lord save that his sins might be forgiven.
Therefore beware of the evil of pride; guard against what befell the Pharisee. By pride he lost grace; by magnifying himself he was brought lower than the sinful publican. So exalt not thyself above another, though he be more sinful than any sinner; justify not thyself by thine own judgement, for at the judgement of God thou shalt be condemned.
5. If thou doest a good deed, thank God and set not thyself above thy neighbour. For it was not thy neighbour whom thou profitedst when thou didst confess the faith, or when thou didst suffer persecution for the Lord's name, or when thou didst keep a fast; another will not receive the profit of it, but thou.
Fear to fall as the devil fell, who exalted himself above man, and then himself fell by man and, being trampled, was given over to be trampled. Such also was the fall of Israel, which exalted itself above the heathen as above the unclean; but the righteousness of Israel became “as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6), while all defilement and uncleanness was blotted out by the faith of the heathen.
Remember the word of Solomon: “The Lord resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6); and hold always in your heart the words of the Lord: “Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted” (Luke 14:11).
6. Let us be like the Lord Who came down from heaven, Who came in humility, that we too might be exalted by humility. Every work of the Lord shows forth humility: He, as an infant, was born in a cave, He had not even a bed, and therefore they “laid” Him in the manger of the cattle. Then He was brought up in the house of His poor Mother and of Joseph the carpenter, and was baptised. Never did He show forth His unutterable authority, nor rise up against the mighty of this world. Before the high priests He stood as a criminal, from the judges He received a sentence, and slander He bore in silence. Spat upon was the face of Him before Whom the cherubim tremble. Then He was given over to death, and to such a death as among men was held the most dreadful.
With such humility He walked the road from His Nativity to His end...
And this teaching was given us that we might imitate the Lord, that there might shine forth in us perfect humility and the true glory of Christ.
7. If thou ask how to obtain humility and how to drive away the evil sickness of pride, hear. The way that leads to humility is that we should always seek it and do the deeds that lead to it...
Remember: let thy face and thy clothing, thy food, thy bed, thy house, every thing in thy house be simple; let thy word, thy singing, thy being with thy neighbour be adorned with humility. Be not a lover of glory, philosophise not, be not sweet of speech beyond measure; be kind to thy neighbour, good to those under thee, comfort the afflicted, visit the sick, dishonour no one, be meek, ready of hand, beloved by all... Praise not thyself, neither love the praise of others; love not unseemly words, hide thy virtues, be not wroth with another, reprove not to his harm and before the time (for this too is pride), be not wroth with thy neighbour over a small fault, as though thou wert a great lover of righteousness... Strive not to put thyself forward: God sees everything. Therefore I say to thee: if thou art a lover of glory, love the glory that is from God, for He gives to everyone a shining reward...
...As one in love, so follow after humility. Love it, that it may magnify thee. By this way thou wilt truly come into glory from God. Be like, even a little, to the humility of Him Who said: “I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matt. 11:29), “for His is the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages, amen.”
