Teaching and the Heart

Ἡ δὲ Βουλὴ τοῦ Κυρίου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα μένει· λογισμοὶ τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν.  Οὐκ ὀρᾷς τὰ τῶν ἐθνων δόγματα, τὴν ματαίαν ταύτην φιλοσοφίαν, ὅπως λεπτοὶ καὶ περιττοὶ περὶ τὰς εὐρήσεις τῶν δογμάτων εἰσὶν ἔν τε λογικοῖς θεωρήμασι καὶ ἠθικαῖς διατάξεσι, καὶ φυσιολογίαις τισὶ καὶ δόγμασιν ἄλλοις τοῖς ἐποπτικοὶς λεγομένοις; Πῶς διεσκέδασται πάντα, καὶ ἠχρείωται, μόνη δὲ ἐμπολιτεύεται νῦν τῷ κόσμῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου; Πολλαὶ γὰρ αἱ Βουλαὶ ἐν καρδία ἀνθρώπων· ἀλλ’ ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐκράτησε. Καὶ ἀναγκαῖόν γε, εἰ μέλλοι μόνιμος καὶ ἑδραια ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βουλὴ ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐναπομένειν, προδιασεδασθῆναι πρότερον ἐν ἡμιν τοὺς ἀνθρωπίνους λογισμούς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ γράφειν μέλλων ἐν κηρῷ, προκαταλεαίνων πρότερον, οὕτως ἐπιβαλλει τοὺς τύπους οὔς  ἐὰν θέλῃ· οὕτω καὶ καρδίαν χρη τὴν μέλλουσαν τρανῶς ὑποδέχεσθαι τὰ θεῖα λόγια, καθαρὰν ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων λογισμῶν ἀποδειχθῆναι. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΛΒ’

'The counsel of the Lord remains in eternity; the thoughts of His heart are from generation to generation.' Do you not see the teachings of the pagans, that vain philosophy, how light and paltry are the insights of their doctrines in their logical theories and ethical arrangements, and their physics and the other teachings which they disclose to initiates in their mysteries? Do you not see how they have all been brushed aside, revealed as rubbish, when the sole truth of the Gospel is brought forth? Many counsels there are in the heart of man but the counsel of the Lord prevails. And it is necessary so that the counsel of the Lord remains stable and firm in our soul that human thoughts are first got rid of. For just as wax which is to be written on is first wiped clean so that letters may be impressed, if the writer so wishes, so the heart must be cleared to receive the Divine words, pure from all contrary thoughts. Saint Basil of Caeserea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 32