71.  With these thoughts I am occupied night and day:  they waste my marrow, and feed upon my flesh, and will not allow me to be confident or to look up.  They depress my soul, and abase my mind, and fetter my tongue, and make me consider, not the position of a prelate, or the guidance and direction of others, which is far beyond my powers; but how I myself am to escape the wrath to come, and to scrape off from myself somewhat of the rust of vice.  A man must himself be cleansed, before cleansing others:  himself become wise, that he may make others wise; become light, and then give light:  draw near to God, and so bring others near; be hallowed, then hallow them; be possessed of hands to lead others by the hand, of wisdom to give advice.

ΟΑʹ. Τούτοις ἐγὼ σύνειμι καὶ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν τοῖς λογισμοῖς: ταῦτά μοι τὸν μυελὸν ἐκτήκει, καὶ δαπανᾷ τὰς σάρκας, καὶ οὐκ ἐᾷ θρασὺν εἶναι καὶ ἄνω βλέποντα: ταῦτά μοι ταπεινοῖ τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸν νοῦν συστέλλει, καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ δεσμὸν ἐπιτίθησι, καὶ οὐ περὶ προστασίας εἶναι ποιεῖ τὸν λόγον, οὐδὲ τοῦ κατορθοῦν ἄλλους καὶ διευθύνειν, ὃ πολλῆς ἐστι τῆς περιουσίας: ἀλλ' ὅπως ἂν αὐτὸς τὴν ἐρχομένην ὀργὴν διαφύγοιμι, καὶ μικρόν τι τοῦ ἰοῦ τῆς κακίας ἐμαυτὸν ἀποξέσαιμι. Καθαρθῆναι δεῖ πρῶτον, εἶτα καθᾶραι: σοφισθῆναι, καὶ οὕτω σοφίσαι: γενέσθαι φῶς, καὶ φωτίσαι: ἐγγίσαι Θεῷ, καὶ προσαγαγεῖν ἄλλους: ἁγιασθῆναι, καὶ ἁγιάσαι: χειραγωγῆσαι μετὰ χειρῶν, συμβουλεῦσαι μετὰ συνέσεως.