An Exhortation to Humility

Τίς σε οὐ γράψεται ἀτοπίας, ὅτι καὶ πλοῦτον περιφρονήσας, καὶ γὲνος, καὶ τὴν σκιώδη ταύτην τιμὴν, καὶ πολλοϊς ὁδὸς γενόμενος ταπεινώσεως, νῦν ἑάλως ὑπέροπτος, τοῦ θείου ὥσπερ ἐπιλαθόμενος νόμου, τοῦ ταπεινοῦσθαι κελεύοντος τὸν ὑψοῦσθαι βουλόμενον; Εἰ τοίνυν μὴ ἅπας ὑποβρύχτος τοῖς τῆς ἀλζονείας κύμασι γέγονας, νῆψον πρὸς τὴν ὑποσχεσιν. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτό σε λέληθεν, ὅτι μετριότης ταῖς ἀρεταῖς συναύξουσα, Θεοῦ μιμητὰς τούς οὕτω βιοῦντας ἐργάζεται· ὑψηλοφροσύνη δὲ, οὐ μόνον τὰ παρόντα οἴδε καθελεϊν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν οὐρανῶν καθαιρεῖ τὸν ὑψαύχενα, ὅπερ ὁ Ἐωσφόρος πρωῒ ἀνατέλλων ὑπέμεινεν.  Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΙΕ', Πετρῳ

Does someone write absurdly about you, who should have contempt for wealth and lineage and ephemeral honours and should be to many as one on the way of humility, that you are now disdainful of such things, as one forgetful of the law of God, and as one wishing to exalt himself over those on the way of humility? 1 If, then, you do not wish to be drowned in the waves of arrogance, be watchful of the promise. For you may not forget this, that modesty grows with the virtues, and it makes men live as imitators of God, but arrogance not only overthrows present things, but even from heaven cast one from great height, as happened to Lucifer, who in the morning rose. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 15, To Peter 1 cf Lk 14.11