longing for a knowledge of the Divine Word, he suffereth us not to need the aid of another; but he straightways himself enlighteneth our understandings; sheddeth his brightness largely around us; and, agreeably to his well-schemed wisdom, putteth in our souls the whole doctrine of truth. As those who are seated beside a fountain, delight in the breezes wafted thence, and, if the sultry sun oppress them, avert the heat by constantly bathing their faces in its waters, or if they be parched by thirst, easily remedy the evil, since the spring giveth them. the ready means; in like manner can they, who sit beside the spring of Holy Writ, if persecuted by the flames of some unhallowed desire, easily extinguish them by refreshing their souls with its waters; or if raging anger bubble as a caldron of boiling water within their breasts, they instantly quell the storin of passion by a few drops taken from this living source. The reading of the Sacred Scriptures snatcheth the soul from out of all these evil thoughts, as it were from the midst of the fire. Wherefore that great prophet, David, knowing the good which cometh of reading the Scriptures, likeneth the man, who hath a constant intercourse with them, unto an evergreen tree, which groweth beside a stream, saying: 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the ways of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate both day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters.' And as such a tree, being constantly watered, is defended against all changes of weather; feareth neither the burning ray of the sun, nor shunneth the parching blast; for having absorbed a sufficient moisture within itself, it straightways wardeth off the excessive heat, which falleth upon it from without: in like manner will the soul, dwelling beside the stream of Sacred Writ, constantly drinking its waters, and imbibing the dew of the Holy Spirit, be unsubdued by any change of fortune; and though disease, though insult, though calumnies, though reviling, though scorn, though every mockery, though all the evils of the world, assailed such a soul, it will easily endure the fiery ordeal of calamity, through the abundant consolation afforded in the Scriptures. Not the greatness of earthly glory, not the height of power, not the presence of friends, nor any human means can afford consolation to the afflicted, like that of reading the Holy Scriptures. For all those things are transitory and perishable, therefore is their consolation transitory. But the reading of the Holy Scriptures is communion with God. And if God himself give comfort to the faint hearted, should aught on earth have power to trouble them? Let us, then, heed the reading of the Holy Scriptures, not only during these two hours, but constantly; for the mere listening here will not be sufficient to secure the salvation of our souls. Let each man, when he returneth home, take the Bible in his hand, and if he desire to derive a full and enduring advantage from the Holy Scripture, let him ponder therein upon the things spoken in the church. For the tree, which groweth beside the stream, mingleth not with its waters for two or three hours only, but during the whole day and the whole night. Therefore is the plant rich in leaves; therefore is it laden with fruit, although no man water it; because, standing upon the bank of the river, it draweth up moisture through its roots, and through them imparteth strength to the whole stem. Thus he, who continually readeth the Bible, although no man be near to expound it, receiveth thereby into his soul abundant nourishment from that sacred fountain. Await no other teacher. Thou hast the word of God, and none can be to thee so good an instructor. Man often concealeth things through vain glory and envy. Hear, I beseech you, all ye, who live for this world, and procure Bibles, as medicine for your souls. Purchase at least the New Testament, the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Apostolical Epistles; and let them be your constant guide. If grief come upon thee, look therein, as in a repository of medicines; thence take consolation in all misfortunes; in the hour of death, or under the loss of friends or rather, look not therein, but carry about with thee its contents in thy heart. An ignorance of the Scriptures is the cause of all evils. Not to know the Scriptures is to go to war without arms. PREACHING. [St. Chrysostom strongly censured those, who came to the church to hear his eloquent discourses, and hurried away before the commencement of the service.] Often in that sacred hour,* have I looked around for this vast multitude, which is now assembled here, and listening with such great atten *The celebration of the Eucharistic Sacrifice. tion, but found them not; and deeply did I lament, that ye so earnestly and eagerly listened to your fellow-servant, who now addresseth you, thronging each other and remaining to the last, but, when Christ was about to appear in his Holy Supper, that the church should be deserted. Your hurrying away the moment my discourse is ended, is a proof that none of the words addressed to you have been received and treasured up in your hearts; or, fixed in your souls, they would surely have detained you, and led you to receive the Holiest of Mysteries with increased veneration. But now, when the preacher hath ceased, ye depart without benefit, as if ye had listened to a player upon the harp. And what is the cold excuse of the many? We can pray, say they, at home; but we cannot there receive instruction and hear the sermon. Ye err;-ye can truly pray at home, but not as ye can pray in the church, where so great a number of the fathers are met together, and where so many voices unite to raise a prayer to God. Ye find here what ye cannot find at home-the harmony of souls, the accord of voices, the bond of love, the prayers of the priests; for therefore do the priests preside, that the feeble prayers of the multitude, borne aloft by their more powerful petitions, may reach together unto heaven. And what advantageth the sermon, if it be not joined with prayer? First, prayer; then, the word.] Hom. III. on the Incompreh. [St. Chrysostom employed various methods to attract the attention of his hearers to the truths he preached, to render them intelligible, and to press them strongly upon their hearts. Sometimes he sought to stimulate their minds to spiritual exertion by raising difficulties, which he did not immediately solve, but the removal of which he trusted that his hearers would accomplish by reflecting upon the tenor of his discourse. He illustrated this mode of instruction by a beautiful simile. "Wherefore," said he, "have I raised difficulties, and not at the same time given you a solution of them? Because I would not always have you receive food, which hath been chewed beforehand, but wish you sometimes to seek the solution yourselves. In like manner the doves nourish their young, as long as they remain in the nest, with their own beaks; but as soon as the mother bird beholdeth their wings set, and can lead them forth from the nest, she no longer feedeth them, but beareth the grain in her beak, and showeth it unto them. And when the young birds approach, in expectation of receiving the food, the mother letteth it fall upon the ground, and telleth them to gather it themselves." He sought to vary his discourses ―at one time rousing the mental energies of his hearers by profound discussions upon doctrine; at another time rendering his instruction more acceptable by a delivery allied to the tone of ordinary conversation. He says: "The mind of the hearers should not be always kept on the stretch, for it easily snappeth asunder; neither should it be always slackened, for then, again, it becometh slothful. Wherefore it is needful to vary the forms of instruction—at one time using a more familiar, at another time a more energetic, strain of discourse." He likewise considered himself bound to take into consideration the different degrees of ability and education among his audience. "I know," said he, "that many disapprove of my slowness of speech, but I heed not their censure. My only aim is your |