CHRYSOSTOM.

BORN 347-DIED 407.

1. The Book of the Evangelists is the history of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. The book of the Acts is the record of what has been said and done by the Holy Spirit.

2. Thus men, when a son is to shew himself at his coming to the estate and dignity, clothe even the servants with a new and bright garment, to glorify the heir, so will God also clothe the creature with incorruption for the glorious liberty of the children.

3. Prayer is a haven to the shipwrecked man, an anchor to them that are sinking in the waves, a staff to the limbs that totter, a mine of jewels to the poor, a healer of diseases, and a guardian of health. Prayer at once secures the continuance of our blessings, and dissipates the cloud of our calamities. O blessed prayer! thou art the unwearied conqueror of human woes, the firm foundation of human happiness, the source of ever-enduring joy, the mother of philosophy. The man who can pray truly, though languishing in extremest indigence, is richer than all beside; whilst the wretch who never bowed the knee, though proudly seated as monarch of all nations, is of all men the most destitute.

4. There are charitable Christians, who are so drily,— barren fig-trees, with leaves only. There are also some

whose souls are narrow, who are charitable by fits, who will give once or twice and no more. Let us resemble the olive, let us bring forth abundant fruits, the fruits of peace and mercy.

5. We are ready to reckon up our trials, but are we equally so to keep account of the sins which draw them down upon us?

6. You will perhaps be amazed when I tell you that it is not so necessary to watch against great crimes as against faults which may appear to us small and indifferent.

7. There is not anything in the Scriptures which can be considered unimportant; there is not a single sentence of which does not deserve to be meditated on; for it is not the word of man, but of the Holy Spirit, and the least syllable of it contains a hidden treasure.

8. A boat overladen sinks, so much wealth drowns men in perdition.

9. A rock, though beaten on by winds and waves, is immoveable; so faith, grounded on the rock Christ, holds out in all temptations.

10. The devil's first assault is violent; resist that, and his second will be weaker; that being resisted, he proves a coward.

11. Intemperance is a hydra with a hundred heads. She never stalks abroad unaccompanied with impurity, anger, and the most infamous profligacies.

12. The venial faults, of which you take no account, become the root of the greatest crimes.

AUGUSTINE.

BORN 354-DIED 430.

I. No one can be robbed of his delights whose joy is Christ. Eternal is his gladness who rejoices in an eternal good.

2. Be not alarmed, O Christian, because the things. believed are deferred; although the promise has not come to light, let prayer persevere in hope. Press on in works, increase in holiness; so shall the stedfastness of thy faith be proved, and the glory of the recompence be increased.

3. God is said to remember when He does a thing, to forget when He does it not. For in God there can be no forgetfulness, seeing he changes not; neither can there be remembrance, because he forgets nothing.

4. When thou doest good, do it cheerfully; for whatever good thou doest sadly, it may be said to be done by thee, but thou doest it not.

5. Faith opens a way for the understanding, unbelief

closes it.

6. God counts that free service, which not necessity but love dictates.

7. Night does not extinguish the stars, so this world's iniquity does not obscure the minds of believers clinging to the firmament of holy Scripture.

8. The anger of God is no furious agitation, but the judgment, which awards punishment to the sin.

9. Let not man complain when suffering adversity; for by the bitterness of the lower he is taught the love of the higher. Let not the traveller going to his native land prefer the stable to his home.

10. When shall I see that city whose streets are paved with pure gold, in which shall be sung the song of gladness, and through all the streets of which the hallelujah shall be uttered by all. O holy city! O beautiful city! from afar I salute thee, I cry for thee, I entreat for thee, I long to see thee, and to rest in thee; but kept still in the flesh, I am not permitted. O city to be longed for! thy walls one gem, thy keeper God himself, thy citizens always rejoicing, for they exult in the vision of God. In thee there is no corruptibility, nor defect, nor old age, nor anger, but perennial peace and festal glory; joy everlasting, festival unbroken. In thee there is no yesterday nor tomorrow, but an unchanging to-day. To-morrow is as yesterday, and the long ago is eternally the same. thee belong salvation, life, and endless peace. To thee God is all. In thee there is no fear, no sadness; each desire passes at once into joy; all that is wished for is at hand, and all that is longed for abounds.

To

II. Sigh for the eternal Jerusalem! whither your hope. has gone before, let your life follow. There we shall be with Christ.

12. If you would be armed against temptation in the world, let the longing for the eternal Jerusalem grow and be strengthened in your hearts. Our captivity shall pass away, our felicity shall come, the last enemy shall be destroyed, and beyond death we shall triumph with our King.

2

FULGENTIUS.

BORN 468-DIED 533.

1. There our love will not be less than our praise, nor our praise inferior to our love; for our praise will be full, because there will be in us the perfect love of God and of our neighbour. Then we shall praise and possess; we shall possess and love; then we shall be satisfied with delight, and delight with satiety.

2. Then there will be in us true, perfect, lofty humility; since in the flesh and mind there shall remain no corrupt desire; the spirit shall not be exhausted with cares, nor the body wasted with labour. There shall be no more any anxiety about the conflict, but the perfect security of peace. 3. This grace which God freely gives to the vessels of mercy, begins with illuminating the heart. It does not find man's will good, but makes it so. It chooses first, in order that it may be chosen; nor is it received unless it first work in the heart of man. Therefore, both the reception of grace and the desire for it are the work of grace itself.

4. That men may become sons of God, they must receive the Son of God by faith; and this power of believing they receive from the Lord.

5. Grace first chooses in order that it may be chosen. No man can desire or ask for, nay, not even so much as know it, unless it has first laid hold of him.