Seeking the Crown

Ἐπειδὴ ποθεινῶς τὰς σεπτὰς ἀναγινώσκεις Γραφὰς, οἶσθά που τὴν προστάτοουσαν καὶ διακελευομένην τοῖς πᾶσιν νομοθεσίαν, δεῖν στεφάνην κατασκευάζειν ἐπὶ τοῦ δώματος τῆς νοητῆς οἰκίας, δηλαδὴ τοῦ κατὰ Θεὸν πολιτεύματος. Χρὴ γὰρ μὴ μόνον ἐνάρξασθαι τῆς ἀρετῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ κορωνίδα καὶ τέλος ἐπιτιθέναι, ἵνα  μὴ καταγνωσθῶμεν, ὥσπερ ὁ ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις τὸν πύργον ἀτελῆ καταλείψας. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ Ξ' , Μελετιῳ Καγκελλαριῳ

Since you desire the august knowledge of the Scriptures, learn that the commanding precept which exhorts everyone is that a crown is prepared for them in the house of intellectual dwelling, clearly according to God established. For it is necessary not only to work virtue but even to have it as a crown and end, lest we be condemned, as in the Gospel happened with the one who left the tower unfinished. 1 Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 60, To Meletios 1 Lk 14.30