John Chrysostom, On "I saw the Lord"

in horse races, running past every part of the stadium, do they eagerly strive to wreck the chariots of their opponents there, where they see the king sitting, and do they consider one eye more trustworthy than so many pairs of eyes? But you, seeing the very King of angels presiding over your races, do you leave Him and flee to the eyes of your fellow servants? For this very reason, after countless struggles, you withdraw uncrowned; after much sweat, you go away to the judge of the contest without prizes. But Uzziah was not such a one, but he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. How then, living with such precision, was he tripped up and fell? For I too wonder at this and am perplexed, or rather, this would not be a thing worthy of perplexity; for he was a man, a thing prone to slip into sin and quick to rush into evil. And not only is this the difficulty, but also that we were commanded to travel a narrow and afflicted way, enclosed on either side by cliffs. When, therefore, both the ease of choice and the difficulty of the road come together to the same point, do not wonder then about transgressions. For just as in the theaters those who practice ascending and descending the rope stretched from below to above, if they glance aside for a moment, will be overturned, fall into the orchestra, and perish; so also those traveling this road, if they become the least bit slothful, are thrown down the precipice. For this road is both narrower than that rope, and more upright, and steeper, and much higher; for it ends up at heaven itself, and our steps will be more perilous then, when we are on high and at the very summit; for to those standing on a height, the trembling is great and only one safety remains: not to stoop down, nor to look to the earth. For from there the dizziness becomes severe. For this very reason the prophet continually cries out to us, saying, "Destroy not until the end," restraining our slothful soul, and holding up and sustaining it when it is about to fall. For in the beginning we do not need much exhortation. Why is that? Because every man, even if he be the most sluggish of all, when he is about to undertake a matter, displays much zeal in the preliminaries, and with his enthusiasm flourishing and his strength still fresh [he easily embarks on what lies before him]; but when we have advanced the greater part of the way, and our enthusiasm has withered, and our strength has failed, and we are about to fall, then the prophet opportunely stands by us, holding out this saying like a staff and speaking: "Destroy not until the end." For the devil also blows more fiercely then. And just as pirates who sail the sea do not attack when they see ships leaving the harbor—for what profit is it to them to sink an empty vessel?—but when it is returning with a full cargo, then they set every device in motion, so also that evil demon, when he sees that we have gathered many things—fasting, prayers, almsgiving, self-control, all other virtue—when he sees our ship laden with the precious stones of piety, then he attacks, digging through the treasure from all sides, so as to sink the vessel at the very mouth of the harbor and to send us naked to that harbor at last. For this reason the prophet commands all, saying, "Destroy not until the end." For after such a fall, the recovery is again difficult. "For he who has come into the depth of evils despises." And we all forgive those who fall at the beginning on account of their inexperience; but one would not easily deem worthy of forgiveness or defense the one who was tripped up after many laps; for then the fall seems to be from sloth. And this is not the only terrible thing, but also that many are scandalized by the falls of such a person, so that in this way too it is unforgivable

ἵππων ἁμίλλαις, ἅπαν τοῦ σταδίου παρατρέχοντες τὸ μέρος, ἐκεῖ φιλονεικοῦσι τὰ τῶν ἀντιτέχνων ἅρματα καταστρέφειν, ἔνθα ἂν ἴδωσιν τὸν βασιλέα καθήμενον, καὶ τοσούτων ὄψεων ἕνα νομίζουσιν ἀξιοπιστότερον ὀφθαλμόν; Σὺ δὲ τὸν τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτὸν βασιλέα τοῖς σοῖς δρόμοις ἀγωνοθετοῦντα ὁρῶν, ἐκεῖνον ἀφεὶς ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν ὁμοδούλων καταφεύγεις ὄψεις; ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο μετὰ τὰς μυρίας πάλας ἀστεφάνωτος ἀναχωρεῖς, μετὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἱδρῶτας χωρὶς βραβείων ἀπέρχῃ πρὸς τὸν ἀγωνοθέτην. Ἀλλ' οὐκ Ὀζίας τοιοῦτος ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐνώπιον Κυρίου τὸ εὐθὲς ἐποίει. Πῶς οὖν οὕτω μετὰ ἀκριβείας πολιτευόμενος ὑπεσκελίσθη καὶ κατέπεσεν; Τοῦτο γὰρ κἀγὼ θαυμάζω καὶ διαπορῶ, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἂν εἴη τοῦτο διαπορήσεως ἄξιον· ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ἦν, πρᾶγμα πρὸς ἁμαρτίαν εὐόλισθον καὶ πρὸς κακίαν ὀξύρροπον. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ χαλεπόν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ ὁδὸν στενὴν καὶ τεθλιμμένην ἐπετάγημεν ὁδεύειν, ὑπὸ κρημνῶν ἑκατέρωθεν ἀπειλημμένην. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ προαιρέσεως εὐκολία καὶ ὁδοῦ δυσκολία συνέλθωσιν εἰς ταὐτόν, μὴ θαύμαζε λοιπὸν ὑπὲρ τῶν παραπτωμάτων; Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς θεάτροις οἱ τὴν σχοῖνον τὴν κάτωθεν ἄνω τεταμένην ἀναβαίνειν καὶ καταβαίνειν μελετῶντες, ἂν μικρὸν παραβλέψωσιν, περιτραπέντες κατενεχθήσονται εἰς τὴν ὀρχήστραν καὶ ἀπολοῦνται· οὕτω καὶ οἱ τὴν ὁδὸν ταύτην ὁδεύοντες, ἂν μικρὸν ῥᾳθυμήσωσιν, κατακρημνίζονται. Καὶ γὰρ κἀκείνης τῆς σχοίνου ἡ ὁδὸς αὕτη καὶ στενωτέρα καὶ ὄρθιος καὶ προσάντης μᾶλλόν ἐστι καὶ ὑψηλοτέρα πολλῷ· πρὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν ἄνω τελευτᾷ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τότε ἡμῖν σφαλερώτερα ἔσται τὰ διαβήματα, ὅταν ἄνω καὶ πρὸς αὐτῇ γενώμεθα τῇ κορυφῇ· τοῖς γὰρ ἐφ' ὕψους ἑστῶσι πολὺς ὁ τρόμος καὶ μία μόνον ἀσφάλεια λείπεται, τὸ μὴ κατακῦψαι κάτω, μηδὲ εἰς γῆν ἰδεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ χαλεπὸς ἐντεῦθεν ὁ σκοτόδινος γίνεται. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ὁ προφήτης ἐπιβοᾷ λέγων· "Εἰς τὸ τέλος μὴ διαφθείρῃς", ῥᾳθυμοῦσαν ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν ἀναστέλλων καὶ μέλλουσαν καταπίπτειν ἀνέχων καὶ διακρατῶν. Ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν γὰρ οὐ πολλῆς δεόμεθα τῆς παρακλήσεως. Τί δήποτε; Ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, κἂν ἁπάντων νωθέστατος ᾖ, μέλλων ἅπτεσθαι πράγματος, πολλὴν ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν σπουδὴν καὶ τῆς προθυμίας ἀκμαζούσης καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως νεαρᾶς οὔσης ἔτι [ῥᾳδίως πρὸς τὸ προκείμενον ἐπιβαίνει]· ὅταν δὲ τὸ πλέον τῆς ὁδοῦ προέλθωμεν καὶ μαρανθῇ τὰ τῆς προθυμίας ἡμῖν, τὰ δὲ τῆς δυνάμεως ἡμῶν λήξῃ, μέλλωμεν δὲ καταπίπτειν, τότε ἡμῖν ὁ προφήτης εὐκαίρως παρίσταται, καθάπερ βακτηρίαν τινὰ τὸ ἐπίφθεγμα τοῦτο ὀρέγων καὶ λέγων· "Εἰς τὸ τέλος μὴ διαφθείρῃς." Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ διάβολος τότε σφοδρότερον πνεῖ. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ τὴν θάλατταν πλέοντες πειραταί, οὐχ ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἐξιόντα τοῦ λιμένος τὰ πλοῖα, τότε ἐπιτίθενται τί γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὄφελος κενὸν καταδῦσαι τὸ σκάφος; ἀλλ' ὅταν ἐπανίῃ πλήρη τὸν φόρτον ἔχοντα, τότε πᾶσαν κινοῦσι μηχανήν, οὕτω καὶ ὁ πονηρὸς δαίμων ἐκεῖνος, ὅταν ἴδῃ πολλὰ συνειλεχότας, νηστείαν, εὐχὰς ἐλεημοσύνην, σωφροσύνην, τὴν ἄλλην ἅπασαν ἀρετήν, ὅταν ἴδῃ γέμον ἡμῶν τὸ πλοῖον τῶν πολυτελῶν τῆς εὐσεβείας λίθων, τότε προσβάλλει, πάντοθεν διορύττων τὸν θησαυρόν, ὥστε παρ' αὐτὰ τοῦ λιμένος τὰ στόματα καταδῦσαι τὸ σκάφος καὶ γυμνοὺς παραπέμψαι πρὸς ἐκεῖνον τὸν λιμένα λοιπόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὁ προφήτης προστάττει πᾶσι λέγων· "Εἰς τὸ τέλος μὴ διαφθείρῃς." Καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν τοιαύτην πτῶσιν δυσανάκλητος πάλιν ἡ ἀνάστασις. "Ὁ γὰρ ἐλθὼν εἰς βάθος κακῶν καταφρονεῖ." Καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἐν ἀρχῇ πεσοῦσι συγγινώσκομεν ἅπαντες διὰ τὴν ἀπειρίαν· τὸν δὲ μετὰ πολλοὺς τοὺς διαύλους ὑποσκελισθέντα οὐκ ἄν τις ῥᾳδίως ἀξιώσειε συγγνώμης ἢ ἀπολογίας· ῥᾳθυμίας γὰρ τότε τὸ πτῶμα εἶναι δοκεῖ. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ δεινόν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ πολλοὶ οἱ σκανδαλιζόμενοι τοῖς τοῦ τοιούτου πτώμασίν εἰσιν, ὥστε καὶ ταύτῃ πάλιν ἀσύγγνωστον