The Seat Of Pestilence

Πλαιωεθὲν γὰρ πάθος ψυχῆς, καὶ κακοῦ μελέτη χρόνῳ βεβαιωθεῖσα δυσίατός ἐστιν, ἤ καὶ ἀνίατος παντελῶς, εἰς φύσιν, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ, τοῦ ἔθους μεθισταμένου. Εὐχῆς μὲν οὔν ἄξἰον μὴ προσάψασθαι τοῦ κακοῦ. Δεύτερος δὲ πλοῦς, εὐθὺς μετὰ τὴν πεῖραν ὥσπερ ιοβόλου πληψὴν ἀποφεύγειν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον παρὰ τοῦ Σολομῶντος περὶ τῆς γυναικὸς τῆς φαύλης, ὅτι Μὴ ἐπιστήσῃς σὸν ὅμμα πρὸς αὐτὴν, ἀλλ' ἀποπήδησον· μὴ ἐγχρονίσῃς. Νῦν δὲ οἴδά τινας ἐν νεότητι πρὸς τὰ τῆς σαρκὸς πάθη κατολισθήσαντας, καὶ μεχρι πολιᾶς αὐτῆς διὰ συνήθειαν τοῦ κακοῦ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις παραμένοντας. Ὡς γὰρ οἱ ἐν βορβόρῳ καλινδούμενοι χοῖροι ἀεὶ προσπλάττουσιν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν πηλόν· οὕτως οὖτοι τὸ ἐκ τῆς ἡδονῆς αἶσχος καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν προσαναμάσσονται. Μακάριον μὲν οὖν τὸ μὴ διανοηθῆναι τὸ πνηρόν· εἰ δὲ κατὰ συναρπαγὴν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ ἐδέξω τῇ ψυχῇ βουλεύματα ἀσεβείας, μὴ στῇς ἐπὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο πέπονθας, μὴ ἐνιδρυνθῇς τῷ κακῷ. Μὴ τοίνυν καθεσθῇς ἐπὶ καθέδρας τῆς τῶν λοιμῶν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός Ἀ Source: Migne PG 29.224c-225a

An old disease of the soul, an established practice of evil through time, is difficult to heal, and indeed utterly incurable if it passes into one's customary nature and comes to fullness. Pray, then, that you are not touched by evil. And then if it does happen, that you might instantly flee after it has struck you, like one hit by an arrow, about which Solomon writes concerning a disreputable woman: 'Do not let your eye linger on her, but turn away lest you tarry.' 1 And indeed we know that if someone falls into the passions of the flesh in his youth, it shall persist even to white hairs if he perseveres in sin, and just as one who rolls around in the mud covers himself in ever more filth, so day after day a man will become bound to shameful pleasures. Blessed, therefore, is he who has not thought on evil. If, however, your soul has suffered an attack of the enemy counseling an impiety, do not stand in sin. And if you do it, do not remain in the evil. Thus you will not sit in the seat of pestilence. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 1 1. Prov 9.18