there. And we see when any thing is to be bought or sold, that the church appears more convenient than the market; and if any wish to repeat or listen to any scandal, they find it to be had here more than in the forum itself. And if you wish to hear any thing of political matters, or of the camp, go not to the judgment hall, nor the barber's shop; for here are those who repeat these things more minutely. Can it be that I have touched you to the quick? I should suppose not. For while ye continue in the same practices, how am I to know that you are touched by what is said? I am, therefore, compelled to return to this subject again and again.

READING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

Were a man to frequent the church diligently, and to listen attentively therein, although he read not the Bible at home, one year would be sufficient to procure him an intimate knowledge of it. For know ye not that the mouth through which God speaketh is the mouth of God; hence the mouth of the prophets is the mouth of God. Hear ye, and tremble! The deacon standeth here, and crieth aloud, in the name of all: Let us attend.' He frequently repeateth it; for his is the common voice of the Church, and yet no one attendeth. The reader then commenceth the prophecy of Isaiah, still no one attendeth; notwithstanding, prophecy is not of man. Then he crieth aloud, so that all can hear: Thus saith the Lord,' and still no one attendeth. [In another discourse, in which he reproaches his hearers with a deficiency of scriptural knowledge, he says:] Nevertheless the Scriptures

are read to you two or three times every week. The reader ascendeth, and first saith, by which prophet, apostle, or evangelist, the portion of Scrip ture, which he is about to read, was written; and he then giveth you the heads of it, that not only the contents, but also the occasion of the writing and the author may be known to you. [And in another sermon he says:] When the reader hath risen and said: Thus saith the Lord,' the deacon, stepping forward, commandeth every one to be silent; but he doth not this to honour the reader; but to honour Him who speaketh through the reader to all. We are servants, my beloved; we speak not our own words, but the words of God. The epistles, which are daily read, come from heaven. Tell me, I pray you, were now, while we are all here assembled, a man with a golden girdle to enter, proudly advancing and calling upon every one to give way before him; and were he to declare, that he was sent by an earthly king, and that he brought a letter, addressed to our whole city upon urgent matters,— would ye not all crowd together? Would ye not

without the summons of the deacon maintain the greatest silence? Methinks you would; for I have heard letters of the emperor read aloud here.

"Let us not pass over superficially the words of the Holy Scripture; but closely examine each word, and endeavour to comprehend its purport, and above all, let us not imagine that ignorance and simplicity suffice for our justification, for the Lord commanded us not only to be simple, but also to be wise. Let us, therefore, both in doctrine and in works, combine wisdom with simplicity. Again: Hear ye not the words of the apostle? Be ready always to give an answer to every man, that asketh you, a reason of the hope, which is in you.' And Paul

likewise maketh the same exhortation, saying, 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.'"'*

[A common excuse, upon which the laity were wont to elude the duty of reading the Scriptures, was, that this duty belonged only to the monks and clergy. St. Chrysostom combats the idea.]

Let no one speak to me these cold and reprehensive words: 'I am detained in the court of justice; I have to manage the affairs of the city; I have to follow my trade; I have a wife and children to support; I must overlook my household; I am a man of the world it is not my office to read the Holy Scriptures; but it is that of those who have renounced the world, who have taken possession of the tops of the mountains, and devoted themselves to a holy life.' What say ye? Not your business to attend to the Scriptures, because you are torn by a thousand cares? Why, on that very account it is a duty more needful for you than for them. For they do not need so much the aid of the Scriptures, as those who are tossed about in the midst of worldly affairs; for the monks, who have fixed their cells in the wilderness, far from the forum and its tumultuous strife; who hold no converse with men, but

* St. Jerome has a striking passage upon the same subject: "I do not censure a Christian, because he is unskilled in rhetoric; but, would to heaven that we possessed the wisdom of Socrates contained in those words of his, All that I know is, that I know nothing;' and that we profited by the counsel of another sage, [Pythagoras,] who enjoined his hearers to know themselves,' It is not rustic verbosity that I prize, but holy simplicity. Let him who pretends to imitate the apostles in their speech, first imitate the virtues of their lives. holy life excuseth simplicity of speech, and one raised from the dead refuteth the syllogisms of Aristotle and the subtleties of Chrysippus."

A

fearlessly worship God in the calm of a lonely life, enjoy a security as great as if they reposed within a haven. But we, who are driven up and down, as it were, in the midst of the ocean, and are urged to the commission of a thousand sins, have need of the constant and unceasing consolations of the Scriptures. They dwell far from the conflict, therefore they receive not many wounds; but ye'ever stand in the ranks, and receive constantly new wounds. Wherefore ye are in greater need of healing remedies. A wife offendeth you; a son grieveth you; a servant enrageth you; an enemy plotteth against you; a friend envieth you; a neighbour persecuteth you; a comrade supplanteth you: the judge threateneth you; poverty humbleth you; the loss of kindred worketh in you grief; success puffeth you up; misery bringeth you low. Manifold are the occasions and needs of wrath, of care, of despair, and grief; of vain glory and pride; which on all sides encompass us; and innumerable are the darts which assail us from every quarter,-wherefore, we continually need to put on the whole panoply of the Scriptures.

Let us not hoard up gold; but let us treasure up for ourselves spiritual books. The very aspect of the sacred volume maketh us more loth to sin, and if to this be added diligent reading, the soul, led, as it were, into the inmost sanctuary, will become cleansed and amended,-God himself holding converse with it through the Scriptures.

Ye say that the things concerning the signs and the miracles, and the story are not clear and manifest to every one. This is a mere excuse and cloak for sloth. How should ye ever be able to understand the things contained in the Scriptures, when

ye will not so much as slightly look at them.Take the Bible in your hands, read the whole story, and, bearing in mind the things which are clear, peruse again and again those which are dark and difficult; and if, after frequent reading, ye find not the sense of a passage, go to a brother more learned than yourselves; seek the teacher, and talk of it with him; show an earnest desire for knowledge, and if God perceive in you such great zeal, he will not slight your watchfulness and care; and should no man open to you that which ye seek, God himself will surely reveal it to you. Remember the treasurer of the queen of the Ethiopians, who, being a barbarian, busied in a thousand cares, and on all sides beset by manifold affairs, sat reading in his chariot, although he understood not the things he read. Think how zealous he must have been at home, when even upon a journey he showed such great zeal. Because he thus read, although he had no guide, soon a guide was given unto him. God, well pleased, beheld his zeal, and delayed not to send him a teacher. There is indeed no Philip now; but the Spirit is there which moved Philip. Let us not then, my beloved, neglect our salvation. All these things were written for us, for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.' A strong defence against sin is the reading of the Scriptures,-an awful headlong steep, a deep abyss, is an ignorance of them,-a great betrayal of salvation is the knowing nought of the sacred laws. It is this which hath given birth to heresy it is this which hath corrupted our lives; it is this which hath turned things upside down." We find also elsewhere the following: "We have a merciful Lord. If he behold us troubled, and greatly