Counsel that Gives Pause

Somewhere 50,000 feet up, between Dallas and Atlanta, I happened upon this sentence from St Maximos the Confessor. I found it to be most humbling, calling to mind the many times I've not followed the saint's counsel--especially when reading blogs.

The words are from the last sentence in St Maximos' introduction to The Four Hundred Texts [Sentences] on Love. This particular translation is from the latest translation of the Philokalia.

If a man reads this or any other work not to gain spiritual benefit but to track down matter with which to abuse the author, so that in his conceit he can show himself to be the more learned, nothing profitable will ever be revealed to him in anything.