word be spoken, it is surmised to have been spoken with an evil meaning. And as in fire: if there be but a small spark, though thousands of planks lie by, it doth not easily lay hold of them; but if the flame have waxed strong and high, it readily seizes not planks only, but stones, and all materials that fall in its way; and by what things it is usually quenched, by the same it is kindled the more; (for some say that at such a time not only wood and tow, and the other combustibles, but even water darted forth upon it doth but fan its power the more ;) whatever any one may say, becomes food in a moment for this evil conflagration. All which kind of evils Christ checking beforehand, had condemned. first him that is angry without a cause to the judgment, then him that saith Raca to the council. But as yet these are no great things, for the punishments are here. Therefore for him who calleth fool He hath added the fire of hell, now for the first time (in His sermon on the mount) mentioning the name of hell. For having before discoursed much of the Kingdom, not until then did He mention this: implying that the former cometh of His own Love and indulgence towards man, this latter of our negligence.

And see how He proceeds by little and little in His punishments, all but excusing Himself unto thee, and signifying that His desire indeed is to threaten nothing of the kind, but that we drag Him on to such denunciations. For observe; I bade thee," saith He, "not be angry for nought, because thou art in danger of the judgment. Thou hast despised

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the former commandment: see what anger hath produced; it hath led thee on straightway to insult, for thou hast called thy brother Raca. Again, I set another punishment, the council. If thou overlook even this, and proceed to that which is more grievous, I visit thee no longer with these finite punishments, but with the undying penalty of hell, lest after this thou shouldest break forth even to murder." For there is nothing, nothing in the world, more intolerable than insolence, it is what hath very great power to sting a man's soul. But when the word too which is spoken is in itself more wounding than the insolence, the blaze becomes twice as great. Think it not then a light thing to call another fool. For when of that which separates us from the brutes, and by which especially we are human beings, namely, the mind and the understanding, when of this thou hast robbed thy brother, thou hast deprived him of all his nobleness.

Let us not then regard the words merely, but realizing the things themselves, and his feeling, let us consider how great a wound is made by this word, and unto how much evil it proceeds. For this cause Paul likewise cast out of the kingdom not only the adulterous and effeminate, but the revilers also. (1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.) And with great reason, for the insolent man mars all the beauty of charity, and casts upon his neighbour unnumbered ills, and works everlasting enmities, and tears asunder the members of Christ, and is daily driving away that peace which God so desires: giving much vantage ground unto

the devil by his injurious ways, and making him the stronger. Therefore Christ Himself, cutting out the sinews of the devil's power, brought in this law.

For indeed He makes much account of love this being above all things the mother of every good, and the badge of His disciples, and the bond which holds together our whole condition. With reason therefore doth He remove with great earnestness the roots and the sources of that hatred which utterly spoils it.

Think not therefore that these sayings are in any wise hyperbolical, but consider the good done by them, and admire the mildness of these laws. For there is nothing for which God takes so much pains as this; that we should be united and knit together one with another. Therefore both in His Own Person, and by His disciples, as well those in the Old, as in the New Testament, He makes so much account of this commandment; and is a severe avenger and punisher of those who despise the duty. For in truth nothing so effectually gives entrance and root to all wickedness, as the taking away of love. Wherefore He also said, “When iniquity abounds, the love of many shall wax cold." Thus Cain became his brother's murderer; thus Esau; thus Joseph's brethren; thus our unnumbered crimes have come revelling in, this bond being dissevered. You see why He Himself also roots out whatever things injure this, on every side, with great exactness.

Homil. on S. Matt. xvi.

Second Friday in Lent.

PRAYER. S. AUGUSTINE.

Do ye think, brethren, that God doth not know what is needful for you? He knoweth and preventeth our desires, Who knoweth our want. And so when He taught His disciples to pray, and warned them not to use many words in prayer, He saith," Use not many words: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him." If our Father knoweth what things we have need of before we ask Him, why do we use even few words? What is the use of prayer at all, if our Father knoweth already "what things we have need of?" He saith to one, Do not make thy prayer to Me at great length: for I know what is needful for thee. Lord, why should I so much as pray at all? Thou wouldest not that I should use long prayers, yea rather, Thou dost even bid me to use near none at all. And then what meaneth that precept in another place? For He Who saith, "Use not many words in prayer," saith in another place, "Ask, and it shall be given you." And that thou mightest not think that this first precept to ask was cursorily given, He added, "" Seek, and ye shall find." And that thou mightest not think that this too was given cursorily, see what He added further, see with what He

If so,

finished: "Knock, and it shall be opened unto you;" see what He added! He would have thee ask that thou mayest receive, and seek that thou mayest find, and knock that thou mayest enter in. Seeing then that our Father knoweth already what is needful for us, how and why do we ask? why seek? why knock ? why weary ourselves in asking, and seeking, and knocking, to instruct Him Who knoweth already? And in another place the words of the Lord are, "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." If men "ought always to pray," how doth He say, "Use not many words?" How can I always pray, if I so quickly make an end? Here Thou biddest me finish quickly; there always to pray and not to faint; what doth this mean? Now that thou mayest understand this, "ask, seek, knock." For for this cause it is closed, not to shut thee out, but to exercise thee. Therefore, brethren, ought we to exhort to prayer both ourselves and you. For other hope have we none amid the manifold evils of this present world, than to knock in prayer, to believe and to maintain the belief firm in the heart, that thy Father only doth not give thee what He knoweth is not expedient for thee. For thou knowest what thou dost desire; He knoweth what is good for thee. Imagine thyself under a physician, and in weak health, as is the very truth; for all this life of ours is a weakness; and a long life is nothing else but a prolonged weakness. Imagine thyself to be sick under the physician's hand. Thou hast a desire to ask thy physician leave to drink a draught of fresh wine.