Preserving Oneself

Μεγαλόφρων ἐν ὕβρει θρασυκάρδιος λαμπτὴρ δὲ ἀσεβῶν ἁμαρτία  Εἰ ἁγνὰ καὶ ὀρθὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, ἔν δὲ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἐστι καὶ ὁ νοῦς, ὀρθὸς ἄρα ἐκτίσθη καὶ ἀγνὸς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ νοῦς, καὶ ὀρθὸν ὀφείλομεν διαφυλάττειν αὐτὸν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν ἐπερχομένων ἡμῖν παρὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ κακῶν. Ὠριγένης, Ἐκλογαὶ Εἰς Παροιμίας Source: Migne PG 17.213c-d

Lofty thoughts are from the pride of a puffed up heart; the lamp of the impious is at fault. 1 If holy and right are the works of the Lord, and one of His works is the mind; then the mind is rightly created and made holy by the Lord, and right it is that we should guard it against the evils of the wicked one. Origen, On Proverbs, Fragment 1 Prov 21.4