p. 115 | Our Own Faults by St Chrysostom

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 9, 1862

Our Own Faults.

By St Chrysostom

Let us not be overcurious about the failures of others, but take account of our own; let us bear in mind the excellences of other men, while we reckon up our own faults, for then shall we be well pleasing to God. For he who looks at the faults of others, and at his own excellences, is injured in two ways: by the latter he is carried up to arrogance, through the former he falls into listlessness. For when he perceives that such a one has sinned, very easily he will sin himself; when he perceives he has in aught excelled, very easily he becomes arrogant. He who consigns to oblivion his own excellences, and looks at his failings only, while he is a curious engineer of the excellences, not the sins of others, is profitable in many ways. And how? I will tell you. When he sees that such a one hath done excellently, he is raised to emulate the same; when he sees that he himself hath sinned, he is rendered humble and modest. If we act thus, if we thus regulate ourselves, we shall be able to obtain the good things which we are promised through the loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ.—St Chrysostom.