Mercy And Judgment

Ἀγαπᾷ ἐλεημοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν ὁ Κύριος· τοῦ ἐλέους Κυρίου πλήρης ἡ γῆ. Εἰ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ὑπῆρχεν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσις, ἀποτόμως ἡμῖν κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν ἡμῶν ἀποδιδόντος πρὸς ἂ ἐποιήσαμεν, ποία ἦν ἐλπίς; τίς ἂν ἐσώθη τῶν πάντῶν; Νῦν δὲ Ἀγαπᾷ ἐλεημοσνύν καὶ κρίσιν. Οἰονεὶ πάρεδρον ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ποιησάμενος, καὶ προβληθεῖσαν τῷ βασιλκῷ τῆς κρίσεως θρόνῳ, οὕτω παράγει εἰς κρίσιν ἔκαστον. Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃς, Κύριε, Κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Οὔτε ἡ ἐλεημοσύνη ἄκριτος, οὔτε ἡ κρίσις ἀνελεήμων. Πρὸ τῆς κρίσεως οὖν ἀγαπᾷ ἐλεημοσύνην, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἔρχεται ἐπὶ τὴν κρίσιν. Ταῦτα δὲ ἀλλήλοις συνέζευκται, ὁ ἔλεος μετὰ τῆς κρίσεως· ἵνα μήτε ὁ ἔλεος μόνος χαυνότητα ἐμποιήσῃ, μήτε μόνη ἡ κρίσις ἀπογνωσιν ἐνεργάσηται. Βούλεται σε ἐλεῆσαι, καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ οἰκτιρμῶν μεταδοῦναι ὁ κριτής· ἀλλ' ἐὰν εὕρῃ σε μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ταπεινὸν, συντετριμμένον, πολλὰ μετακλαύσαντα ἐπὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς ἔργοῖς, τὰ γενόμενα κρυφῆ ἀνεπαισχύντως δημοσιεύσαντα, δεηθέντα ἀδελφῶν συγκαμεῖν σοι πρὸς τὴν ἴασιν, ὅλως ἐλεεινόν σε γενόμενον ἐὰν ἴδῃ, ἄφθονόν σοι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐλεημοσύνην ἐπιχορηγεῖ· ἐὰν δὲ καρδίαν ἀμετανόητον, φρόνημα ὑπερήφανον, ἀπιστίαν τοῦ αἰῶνος τοῦ μέλλοντος, ἀφοβίαν τῆς κρίσεως, τότε ἀγαπᾷ ἐπὶ σοὶ τὴν κρίσιν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Εἰς Τον ΛΒ' Ψαλμον  Source: Migne PG 29 329d-331b

'The Lord loves mercy and judgement, the earth is full of the Lord's mercy.' 1 If the judgement of God were measured by Himself and He strictly repaid us for what we had merited for what we had done, what hope would we have? Who of all us would be saved? But now: 'The Lord loves mercy and judgement.' For it is if mercy has been set beside the throne of royal judgement, that it introduce each one into judgement. 'If you observed iniquity Lord, O Lord, who would sustain it?' 2  There is neither mercy without judgement, nor judgement without mercy. Before judgement, therefore, He loves mercy, and after mercy comes judgement. And these are joined to one another, mercy with judgement, lest mercy alone make softness, or judgement alone drive to desperation. The judge wishes to be merciful to you, and to make you a participant in His own mercy, for if after sin you find yourself humble, contrite, deploring every depraved work, bringing to light those things which secretly shame, beseeching your brothers that they they aid you in a cure, seeing this He will be completely merciful to you, and give to you an abundance of mercy. However if you have an impenitent heart, a proud mind, a soul unbelieving in the future age, with no fear of judgement, then against you He will prefer judgement. Saint Basil of Caesarea, Homilies on the Psalms, from Psalm 32 1 Ps 32.5 2 Ps 129.3