Who endowed him^[1] with such patience? Who? Let the psalm tell us. There, after all, we can read, there we can sing, Shall my soul not be subject to God? For it is from him that my patience comes. Whoever imagines that Saint Vincent was capable of these things by his own powers is making a very big mistake. Those, you see, who are confident they are capable of this by their own powers may seem to overcome by patience but are in fact being overcome by pride.

BASIL THE GREAT: For he is my God and my savior; he is my protector, I shall be moved no more. The Son, who is from God, is our God. He is also Savior of the human race, who supports our weakness, who corrects the disturbance that springs up in our souls from temptations. I shall be moved no more. Humanly he confesses his disturbance. More. For it is impossible that there should not be some disturbance from temptations in the human soul. While we are committing small and few sins, we are in a way mildly disturbed, being tossed about like the leaves by a gentle breeze; but, when our vices are more and greater, in proportion to the increase of our sins the disturbance is apt to be intensified.

How long do you rush in upon a person? You all kill, as if you were tearing down a leaning wall and a tottering fence.^[1] Again the homily speaks out against the depraved ministers of the devil, charging them with a lack of moderation in the snares they lay. Certainly, people are weak animals; but you rush on, not content with the first attack, but you attack a second and a third time, until you subdue the soul that has fallen beside you to such an extent that it is very similar to a leaning wall and a tottering fence. Now, a wall, as long as it maintains an upright position, remains steadfast; but, when it leans, since it has been weakened, it is destined to fall. For if heavy bodies are joined together, they stand erect after leaning, but those which are composed of several parts no longer stand erect when pressure has been put on one part of them. The homily shows, therefore, that the nature of hu-mankind, which is composite, was not susceptible to plots for a second fall. You are God’s tillage, God’s building,^[2] it is said. The enemy has shattered this building; the Craftsman has repaired the rents made in it. Thus the fall was necessary because of sin, but the resurrection was great because it brings immortality.

But they have thought to cast away my price; they ran in thirst: they blessed with their mouth but cursed with their heart.^[1] The price of [humanity’s redemption] is the blood of Christ: You have been bought, it is said, with a price; do not become the slaves of people. The soldiers of Satan planned, therefore, to make this price useless to us, leading again into slavery those who had once been freed. They ran in thirst. He is speaking of the eager plots of the demons, because they run against us, thirsting for our destruction. They blessed with their mouth but cursed with their heart. There are many who approve evil deeds and say that the witty person is charming; the foulmouthed, statesmanlike; the bitter and irascible they name as one not to be despised; the miserly and selfish they praise as thrifty; the spendthrift, as bountiful; the fornicator and lewd, as one devoted to enjoyment and ease; and, in general, they gloss over every evil with the name of the proximate virtue. Such people bless with their mouth but curse with their heart. For by the auspiciousness of the words, they bring every curse on their life, making themselves liable to condemnation on the day of judgment because of those things that they approved.

Let us by all means admire the courage of the holy martyrs in their sufferings; but in such a way that we proclaim the grace of God. They themselves, after all, certainly did not wish to be praised in themselves but in the one to whom it is said, In the Lord shall my soul be praised.^[1] Those who understand this are not proud; they ask shyly, they receive joyfully; they persevere, they do not lose any more what they have received. Because they are not proud, they are gentle; and that is why, after saying In the Lord shall my soul be praised, he added, Let the gentle hear and be glad.^[2] Where would feeble flesh be, where would maggots and rottenness be, unless what we have been singing were true: My soul will submit itself to God, since it is from him that my patience comes? Now the virtue the martyrs had, in order to endure all the ills inflicted on them, is called patience.

Let the martyr turn his back on the unbelieving and ungrateful flatterer; let him turn his face toward the most generous of bountiful givers and impute his very martyrdom to God, not treating it as something he has offered to God from what is his own. Let him say instead, In the Lord shall my soul be praised; let the gentle hear and be glad.^[1] And when you say to him, What do you mean, ‘In the Lord shall my soul be praised?’ So is it not being praised in yourself?—he responds with, Shall not my soul subject itself to God? For it is from him that my patience comes. So why is it^[2] mine? Because I opened my lap and was happy to receive it; it is from him, and it is mine. Both from him, and also mine; and because it is from him, it is mine all the more safely. It is mine, but it does not come to me from myself. In order really to possess my gift, I acknowledge God as the giver. Because if I do not acknowledge God as the giver, God takes away his good thing, and there only remains my bad thing, through my choice, through my free will.

So: Nobody is able to refrain from sexual intercourse, unless God grants it. You have a gift to protect you from such pleasures; since this was itself a matter of wisdom, to know whose gift this was; nobody is continent unless God grants it.^[1] You have a gift to help you endure pains; since it is from him, he says, my patience comes. So hope in him, every assembly of the people. Hope in him; do not trust in your own powers. Confess your bad things to him; hope for your good things from him. Without his help you will be nothing, however proud you may be. So in order that you may be enabled to be humble, pour out your hearts before him; and to avoid remaining wrongly stuck on yourselves, say what comes next: God is our helper.

In God is my salvation and my glory; he is the God of my help, and my hope is in God. Blessed is one who exults in none of the lofty things of life but regards God as his glory: who holds Christ as his boast; who is able to say, according to the apostle, But as for me, God forbid that I should glory except in the cross of Christ.^[1] Many are glorified in body, who devote their time to gymnastic contests, or, on the whole, who are vigorous in the flower of their age; and many, because of their valor in the wars, who consider the murdering of those of the same race bravery. In fact, rewards in wars and the trophies raised by a general and by cities, are according to the magnitude of the slaughter. Others are glorified because they put walls around cities; and others, because of the structures of the aquaducts and the buildings of the great gymnasia. That person who has spent his wealth in fighting wild beasts and who exults in vain words of the people is puffed up with the praises and thinks himself something great, having his glory in his shame.^[2] He even shows his sin inscribed on tablets in conspicuous places of the city. Another is extolled for his wealth; another, because he is a skillful and invincible orator, or he is acquainted with the wisdom of the world. It is proper to pity the glory of all these and to deem happy those who make God their glory. For if a certain one thinks he is something great because he is the servant of a king and is held in great honor by him, how much ought you to exalt yourself, because you are a servant of the great King and are called by him to the closest intimacy, having received the Spirit of the promise, so that, sealed with his approval, you are shown to be a child of God?

And now, my child, if you take God as your hope, he will be your help in the time of your anguish; for anyone who comes to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who search for him.^[1] These words were written for us, that we may believe in God and do battle, great and little, by fastings, prayers and other religious practices. God will not forget even the saliva that has dried in your mouth as a result of fasting. On the contrary, everything will be returned to you at the moment of your anguish. Only humble yourself in all things, hold back your word even if you understand the whole affair. Do not quietly acquire the habit of abusing; on the contrary, joyfully put up with every trial. For if you knew the honor that results from trials you would not pray to be delivered from them, because it is preferable for you to pray, to weep and to sigh until you are saved, rather than to relax and be led off a captive. O man, what are you doing in Babylon?^[2] You have grown old in an alien land^[3] because you did not submit to the test and because your relations with God are not proper. Therefore, brother, you must not relax.

Since the psalmist is conscious of the use of sincere hope in God, he invites the people to a zeal equal to his own, saying, Trust in him, all you people; pour out your hearts before him. It is impossible for us to become capable of divine grace unless we have driven out the evil passions that have preoccupied our souls. I know doctors who do not give the salutary medicines before they have drained out by means of an emetic the matter that was causing the sickness, which the intemperate had stored up in themselves through a bad diet. Perfume should not be poured into a vessel that had previously been filled with some foul-smelling liquid, unless it is washed out first. Therefore, it is necessary that its initial contents be poured out, in order that it may be able to contain that which is being brought in.

But foolish are the sons of people. The psalmist knew that not all follow his instruction or permit themselves to hope in God, but that they have their hope in the follies of life. Therefore, he says, But vain are the sons of people, the sons of people are liars.^[1] Why vain? Because they are liars. Where, especially, is their deceit proved? In the balances used for defrauding, he says. In what sort of balances does he mean? All people do not weigh in the balance, do they? All people are not wool sellers or butchers, are they? Or do not handle gold or silver, or in general themselves deal with these materials that the merchants are accustomed to exchange by means of scales and weights, do they? But there is a large class of artisans, which does not need scales at all for its work; and there are many sailors and many who are always engaged about courts of justice and the duty of ruling, among whom there is deceit, but the deceit is not practiced through scales. What, then, does he mean? That there is a certain balance constructed in the interior of each of us by our Creator, on which it is possible to judge the nature of things. I have set before you life and death, good and evil,^[2] two natures contrary to each other; balance them against each other in your own tribunal; weigh accurately which is more profitable to you: to choose a temporary pleasure and through it to receive eternal death, or having chosen suffering in the practice of virtue, to use it to attain everlasting delights.

Thus, no one is able to see the perilous traps before he falls into them. In the same way, Satan, hostile to us from the beginning, sneaks into the shadows of worldly pleasures that grow thickly enough about the road of life to hide the brigand while he plots against us. There he lurks in secret and spreads his nets for our destruction. If, then, we would safely traverse the road of life lying before us, and offer to Christ our body and soul alike free from the shame of wounds and receive the crown for this victory, we must always and everywhere keep the eyes of our soul wide open, holding in suspicion everything that gives pleasure. We must unhesitatingly pass by such things, without allowing our thoughts to rest in them, even if we think that we see gold lying before us in heaps, ready to be picked up by any who so desire. If riches abound, says the Scripture, set not your heart on them. We must pay no heed, even if the earth buds forth every kind of delicacy and offers luxurious dwellings to our gaze, for our citizenship is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ.^[1] Nor should we take notice when dancing and merrymaking and reveling and banquets ringing with the sound of the flute are offered for our enjoyment, for the Scripture says, Vanity of vanities, and all is vanity.^[2]

So, with your indulgence, what I have to say to you is this: do not love the success of this world, and those of you who may have it, do not set your hopes on it. It is false, it is deceptive, it is not really to be had. Well, even if you do have it, do not love it, do not rely on it, and it will not be a pit. Command the rich of this world, says the apostle, command them to be rich [in good works].^[1] But the rich of this world are Christians, they are believers. Command them. To do what? Not to think highly of themselves or to have their hopes set on the uncertainty of riches. As the psalm also says, If riches pour down, as from a spring where you can draw as much as you want without effort and what you draw will immediately vanish—if they flow, do not set your heart on them, where it is flowing. If it is flowing, it is making a flood; you set your heart there, it carries it off.

So, then, that you may continue in prayers night and day, until that consolation comes to you, remember that you are desolate, however much you may abound in the good fortune of worldly wealth. The apostle did not attribute this gift^[1] to just any widow, but he says, She that is a widow indeed and desolate has trusted in the Lord and continues in prayers night and day.^[2] But, note carefully what follows: But she that lives in pleasures is dead while she is living,^[3] for one lives in the things that he loves, that he chiefly seeks after, by which he believes himself happy. Therefore, what the Scripture says about riches, If riches abound, do not set your heart on them, I say to you about pleasures: if pleasures abound, do not set your heart on them. Do not rely too strongly on the fact that they are not lacking to you, that they minister to your satisfaction abundantly, that they flow, so to speak, from a plentiful source of earthly happiness. All these things you must inwardly despise and reject; you must seek after no more of them than is needed to support your bodily health. Because of the necessary activities of this life, health is not to be despised until this mortal shall put on immortality,^[4] and that is the true and perfect and unending health that is not refreshed by corruptible pleasure when it fails through earthly weakness but is maintained by heavenly strength and made young by eternal incorruptibility. The apostle says, Do not make provision for the flesh in its desires,^[5] because our care of the flesh must be in view of the exigencies of salvation. For no one ever hated his own flesh,^[6] as he also says. This seems to be the reason why he rebukes Timothy for too great chastisement of the body and advises him to use a little wine for his stomach’s sake and his frequent infirmities.^[7]

Thus to those who wish to have happiness in the goods of present things, the psalm says, How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words and seek after lies?^[1] And in another text, Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. The blessed James does not cease to reprove such people, saying, Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire. You have stored up treasure for the last days. Behold, the wages you withheld from the workers who harvested your fields are crying aloud, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on earth in luxury and pleasure; you have fattened your hearts for the day of slaughter.^[2] He commanded that the laughter and the joy of such people be turned to mourning and dejection, saying, Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.^[3]

Then he brings up a decision for all that was said, not now from his own words but one that he heard from God. God has spoken once, these two things have I heard,^[1] he says. And let it not disturb anyone that what was said is, as it were, incredible, namely, that God spoke once and the prophet heard two things. For it is possible for someone to speak once but for the things spoken on the one occasion to be many. In fact, when a certain person met someone once, he discussed many things. The one who heard his words is able to say, He talked with me once, but he spoke about many things. This is what was meant on the present occasion, the manifestation of God occurred to me once, but there are two matters about which he talked. He did not say, God spoke of one thing, but I heard these two. If he had, the statement would seem to have some discrepancy in it. What were the two things that he heard? That power belongs to God, and mercy to you, O Lord.^[2] God is powerful, he says, in judgment, and likewise merciful. Therefore do not trust in iniquity, and do not hand yourself over to riches. Do not choose vanity; do not carry around the corrupt lawcourt of your soul. Knowing that our Lord is mighty, fear his strength and do not despair of his kindness. Now, in order that we may not do wrong, fear is good; and in order that he who has once slipped into sin may not throw himself away through despair, the hope of mercy is good. For power belongs to God, and mercy is from him.

I am aware of that,^[1] and I am saddened by it. You are disturbed, and—as he who is infallible tells us—you are troubled in vain. Yes, you are storing up treasures. Even though we grant that you are successful in every transaction, even though we say nothing about your losses, even though we make no mention of the great risks and the deaths that accompany every profitable transaction (I do not mean corporeal deaths; I mean the deaths that are occasioned by evil designs—for veracity dies so that profits may increase), yet, you are being inwardly stripped bare so that you may be outwardly adorned. Yes, suppose that we ignore those facts and make no reference to certain other facts; suppose that we disregard your reverses and consider only your successes. In that case, you are storing up treasures, profits are pouring in from all sides, money is flowing into your coffers as if in a fountain, and whenever a need arises it is engulfed by abundance. Nevertheless, have you not heard: If riches abound, do not set your heart on them? Yes, you are growing rich; so you are not disturbed unprofitably. Nevertheless, you are disturbed in vain. But you ask me, Why am I disturbed in vain? See, I am filling my coffers, and my storehouses can hardly contain the treasures I am acquiring. How, then, am I disquieted in vain? Because you are storing up treasures, and you do not know for whom you are gathering them. Or, if you know it, I beseech you to tell me. I would hear you tell me that. So, if you are not disturbed in vain, tell me for whom you are gathering treasures. For myself, you reply. Do you dare to say that, although you must die? For my children, you reply. Do you dare to say that, since they, too, must die? It is a pious duty for a parent to store up treasures for his children! Rather, since a person must die, it is a great vanity for him to store up treasures for those who must die. If it is for yourself, why are you gathering treasures that you must leave behind when you die? This is also the case with regard to your children; they are to succeed you, but they are not to abide forever. I refrain from asking, For what kind of children? Perhaps debauchery may squander what avarice has amassed. By loose living, someone else squanders what you have amassed by your labors. But I leave this out of account. Perhaps your children will be upright, not dissolute. Perhaps they will preserve what you will have left and increase what you have saved, not dissipate what you have gathered. If your children do this, if in this regard they imitate you, their father, then they are just as vain as you are. What I was saying to you, I say to them. To your son I put this question: For whom are you gathering? To him also I say, You are storing up treasures, and you do not know for whom you are gathering them. For just as you do not know, so neither does he. Even if vanity has remained in him, has truth therefore lost its force for him?