that for this we are soon to be put on our trial, that is, if we have used them badly? But seeing that they are not ours but our Master's, it were right to expend them upon our fellow-servants. It is worth considering that the omission of this was the charge brought against the rich man, and against those also who had not given food to the Lord.

Say not then, "I am but spending mine own, and of mine own I live delicately." It is not of thine own, but of other men's. Other men's, I say, because such is thine own choice; for God's Will is that these things should be thine, which have been intrusted unto thee on behalf of thy brethren. Now the things which are not thine own become thine, if thou spend them upon others but if thou spend on thyself unsparingly, thine own things become no longer thine. For since thou usest them cruelly, and sayest, "That my own things should be altogether spent on my own enjoyment, is fair;" therefore I call them not thine own. For they are common to thee and thy fellow-servants; just as the sun is common, the air, the earth, and all the rest. For as in the case of the body, each ministration belongs both to the whole body and to each several member; but when it is applied to one single member only, it destroys the proper function of that very member: so also it comes to pass in the case of wealth. And that what I say may be made plainer, the food of the body which is given in common to the members, should it pass into one member, even to that it turns out alien in the end. For when it cannot be di

gested, nor afford nourishment, even to that part I say, it becomes alien. But if it be made common, both that part and all the rest have it as their own.

So also in regard to wealth. If you enjoy it alone, you too have lost it; for you will not reap its reward. But if you possess it jointly with the rest, then will it be more your own, and then will you reap the benefit of it. Seest thou not that the hands minister, and the mouth softens, and the stomach receives? Doth the stomach say, Since I have received, I ought to keep it all? Then do not thou, I pray, in regard to riches, use this language; for it belongs to the receiver to impart. As then it is a vice in the stomach to retain the food and not to distribute it, (for it is injurious to the whole body,) so it is a vice in those that are rich to keep to themselves what they have. For this destroys both themselves and others. Again, the eye receives all the light; but it doth not itself alone retain it, but enlightens the entire body. For it is not its nature to keep it to itself, so long as it is an eye. Again the nostrils are sensible of perfume, but they do not keep it all to themselves, but transmit it to the brain, and affect the stomach with a sweet savour, and by these means refresh the entire man. The feet alone walk; but they move not away themselves only, but transfer also the whole body. In like manner do thou. Whatsoever thou hast been intrusted withal, keep it not to thyself alone, since thou art doing harm to the whole, and to thyself more than all.

And not in the case of the limbs only may one see

this occurring; for the smith also, if he chose to impart of his craft to no one, ruins both himself and all other crafts. Likewise the cordwainer, the husbandman, the baker, and every one of those who pursue any necessary calling; if he chose not to communicate to any one the results of his art, will ruin not the others only, but himself also with them.

And why do I say the rich? For the poor too, if they followed after the wickedness of you who are covetous and rich, would injure you very greatly, and soon make you poor; yea rather they would quite destroy you, were they in great want unwilling to impart of their own; the tiller of the ground (for instance) of the labour of his hands, the sailor of the gain from his voyages; the soldier of his distinction won in the wars.

Wherefore if nothing else can, let this at least put you to shame, and do you imitate their benevolence. Dost thou impart none of thy wealth unto any? Then shouldest thou not receive anything from another; in which case the world will be turned upside down. For in everything to give and receive is the principle of numerous blessings: in seeds, in scholars, in arts. For if any one desire to keep his art to himself, he subverts both himself and the whole course of things. And the husbandman, if he bury and keep the seeds in his house, will bring about a grievous famine. So also the rich man, if he act thus in regard of his wealth, will destroy himself before the poor, heaping up the fire of hell more grievous upon his own head.

Therefore as teachers, however many scholars

they have, impart some of their love unto each; so let thy possession be, many to whom thou hast done good. And let all say, 66 Such an one he freed from poverty, such an one from dangers. Such an one would have perished, had he not, next to the grace of God, enjoyed thy patronage. This man's disease thou didst cure, another thou didst rid of false accusation, another being a stranger ye took in, another being naked ye clothed." Wealth inexhaustible and many treasures are not so good as such sayings. They draw all men's gaze more powerfully than your golden vestments, and horses and slaves. For these make a man appear even odious, they cause him to be hated as a common foe; but the former proclaim him as a common father and benefactor. And what is greatest of all, favour from God waits on thee in every part of thy proceedings. What I mean is, let one man say, he helped to portion out my daughter; another, and he afforded my son the means of taking his station among men; another, he made my calamity to cease; another, he delivered me from dangers. Better than golden crowns are words such as these, that a man should have in his city innumerable persons to proclaim his beneficence. Voices such as these are pleasanter far and sweeter than the voices of the heralds marching before the archers; to be called saviour, benefactor, defender, (the very names of God,) and not covetous, proud, insatiate and mean. Let us not, I beseech you, let us not have a fancy for any of these latter titles, but the contrary. For if these spoken on earth, make one

so splendid and illustrious; when they are written in heaven, and God proclaims them on the day that shall come, think what renown, what splendour thou shalt enjoy! Which may it be the lot of us all to obtain, through the Grace and Loving-kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c.

In 1 Cor. Hom. x.

Second Tuesday in Lent.

ON EXAMPLE. S. CHRYSOSTOM.

LET this be our way of overpowering our adversaries, and of conducting our warfare against them: and let us before all words, astound them by our way of life. For this is the main battle, this is the unanswerable argument, the argument from actions. For though we give ten thousand precepts of philosophy in words, if we do not exhibit a life better than theirs, the gain is nothing. For it is not what is said that draws their attention, but their enquiry is, what we do; and they say, "Do thou first obey thine own words, and then admonish others. But if while thou sayest, 'Infinite are the blessings in the world to come,' thou seem thyself nailed down to this world, just as if none such existed, thy works to me are more credible than thy words. For when I see