Heart and Mouth

Τὸ στόμα μου λαλήσει σοφίν, καὶ ἡ μελέτη τῆς καρδίας μου σύνεσιν.  Ἐπειδὴ, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, Καρδίᾳ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δε ὁμολογεῖτα εἰς σωτηρίαν, καὶ ἡ ἀμφοτέρων ἐν τούτοις ἐνέργεια ὑποβάλλει τὴν τελειότητα· διὰ τοῦτο ἀμφότερα ὁ λόγος ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ συνείληφε, τήν τε τοῦ στόματος ἐνέργειαν, καὶ τὴν τῆς καρδίας μελέτην. Ἐάν τε γὰρ μὴ ᾗ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ προαποκείμενον, πῶς προενέγκῃ τὸν θησαυρὸν διὰ τοῦ στόματος ὁ μὴ κεκτημένος ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ; ἐάν τε ἔχων τὰ τῆς καρδίας ἀγαθὰ μὴ δημοσιεύῃ τῷ λόγῳ, λεχθήσεται αὐτῷ· Σοφία κεκρυμμένη, καὶ θησαυρὸς ἀφανὴς, τίς ὠφελεια ἐν ἀμφοτέροις; Διόπερ εἰς μὲν τῶν ἑτέρων ὠφέλιμον τὸ στόμα μου λαλείτω σοφίαν, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἡμέτεραν αὐτῶν προκοπὴν ἡ καρδία μελετάτω σύνεσιν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον ΜΗ' Ψαλμον

'My mouth shall speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart prudence.' 1  Because according to the Apostle, 'With the heart believing unto righteousness, the mouth makes confession unto salvation.' 2 and in both of these acts is established perfection, because speech is fashioned at the same time by both, with the action of the mouth and the meditation of the heart. For if something good is not dwelling in the heart, how shall treasure be brought forth by the mouth when it does not hold it in a hidden place?  And if someone has good things in his heart and does not reveal them in speech, he is admonished: 'Wisdom hidden and treasure unseen, what use in either?' 3 Thus to the benefit of others may my mouth speak wisdom, that the meditation of the heart may profit. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 48 1 Ps 48. 4 2 Rom 10.10 3 Sirach 20.32