are fornication, uncleanness, immodesty, luxury, idolatry, witchcrafts, enmities, contentions, emulations, wraths, quarrels, dissensions, sects, envies, murders, drunkenness, and such like; of the which I foretell you, that they who do such things, shall not obtain the kingdom of GOD." (Gal. v. 19.) Neither that joy which longs after virtue, and which is the peculiar property of the saints, seeing that the great mirth and lusts of the sinner cannot be reckoned joy. And the fruits by which we shall know that the tree is good, are thus enumerated by the same apostles: "But the fruit of the spirit is, charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, longanimity, mildness, faith, modesty, continency, chastity." To know this, is to know what is properly called joy; for evil men cannot rightly be said to possess joy—but rather the mirth of animal enjoyment; they know nothing of that good will which is properly fixed, which the bad cannot have; and which acts according to the precept," All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them." (St. Matthew vii. 12.) So that by the very property of the word, joy is a term only applicable to the good as also the prophet saith, "there is no joy to the wicked,

saith the Lord."

In most excellent order, we are told first to clear our own eye, and then what we must avoid; for though one's eye may be clear, and his life show that his heart is single and sincere, yet he cannot look into the heart of another. Whatsoever appears not in words or deeds, is made manifest in the day of temptation, and temptation is two-fold, either in the hope of obtaining some temporal gain, or in the fear of losing one. Above all, you must beware lest while you go after wisdom, which can be found in Christ alone," in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge," (Col. ii. 3)—lest in the very name of Christ, you be deceived by heretics, or by those that know him ill, or by the "lovers of this world." Wherefore he admonishes us, saying, "Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven." Let us not think that we have fruit, because we say, Lord, Lord! and on that account, suppose that our tree is good; but this is the fruit which we must produce, namely, to do the will of our Father who is in Heaven, an example of which He himself hath vouchsafed to give us. "No man speaking by the spirit of GOD," saith the apostle, "can say anathema to JESUS; and no man can say, the Lord Jesus, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. xii. 3.) Our Lord says, "Not all that say unto me, Lord, Lord! shall enter into the

Kingdom of Heaven," as if he had said, not those who neither wish for nor understand what they say, but rather those who express their will and intention by the sound of their voice, in whom there is joy in the Holy Ghost (Gal. v. 21), and "who rejoice not in iniquity." (1 Cor. xiii. 6.) Not that any one could rejoice in iniquity-seeing that such is rather an elation of the mind by gestures, than that true joy which the good alone possess. Though men may seem to say, Lord, Lord! yet if it be not said with the will and understanding, but only with the lips, then of such our Lord speaketh,-" Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord! shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he that doth the will of my Father who is in Heaven, he shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven:" for they alone truly and properly address him, who with all their will and mind, turn not away from the full meaning of the word, but call upon their Lord according to the signification which the apostle gives it, when he says, "No man can say the Lord JESUS, but by the Holy Ghost." (1 Cor. xii. 3.)

HOMILY OF ST. GREGORY (OR ONE ATTRIBUTED TO HIM), ON THE GOSPEL FOR THE EIGHTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

GOSPEL-St. Luke xvi. 1-9.-" At that time, Jesus spake to his disciples this parable: There was a certain rich man, who had a steward, and the same was accused to him that he had wasted his goods; and he called him, and said to him-How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship, for now thou canst be steward no longer. And the steward said within himself, what shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship? to dig I am not able, to beg I am ashamed. I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship they may receive me into their houses, Therefore, calling together every one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first: 'How much dost thou owe my lord? but he said a hundred barrels of oil. And he said to him, take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and write fifty. Then he said to another: And how much dost thou owe? Who said, a hundred quarters of wheat. He said to him, take thy bill and write down eighty. And the lord commended the unjust steward, for as much as he had done wisely for the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light. And I say to you, make unto you friends of the mammon of iniquity, that when you shall fail, they may receive you into everlasting dwellings."

Who is this rich man but CHRIST?-rich in heaven, rich on earth, rich everywhere. He is a rich man, full of grace and truth (St. John i. 14).. "And of his fulness we all have received. (Ibid. 16.) A rich man, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Rich in all, and to all that call upon him. Now the steward is a Christian,' who in baptism has received the stewardship of himself and his neighbour, for every Christian liveth not for his own sake only, but for that of his neighbour: and not only must he give an account of his own soul, but also of his with whom he spends his life; exercising himself both with body and mind to assist his neighbour, by precept and example; not seeking his own, but what is his brother's; this is the noble care and holy stewardship of Christians. Hence is CHRIST'S judgment tremendous, and the exaction that shall be hereafter required most terrible.

"And the same was accused that he had wasted his goods." Daily we are accused before God, for our angels in heaven always see the face of our Father who is in heaven," (St. Matt. xviii. 10), and relate to him our works. What then shall we do? Where shall we hide? Those who accuse us see into our inward hearts. They accuse us, who every hour look upon us and God: they see all of us and GOD, and tell all that they see unto God. There is no veil, no darkness, to prevent their seeing all; for the divine light with which they are illuminated penetrateth all. "Darkness is not dark to them, and night is light to them as the day." (Psal. cxxxviii. 12.)

"And the same was accused unto him, that he had wasted his goods." Who is it that dispenseth well all the goods delivered to him at all times? Who doth not sometimes nod, 66 Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus." For "in many things we all offend," and "if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 John i. 8.)

66

And he called him, and said to him, how is it that I hear this of thee?" Daily our LORD calleth us; "Come, children, hearken to me" (Psal. xxxiii. 12). "Come to me all you that labour and are burdened" (St. Matth. xi. 28): and again, "O ye men, to you I call, and my voice is to the sons of men." (Prov. viii. 4.) Daily he speaketh to by the apostles, he

us, he speaketh by the prophets, he speaketh speaketh by himself, in the Gospel, he speaketh by the doctors, he speaketh in our own conscience. "How is it that I hear this of thee ?" He chideth our evil thoughts, he chideth our evil speech, our wicked actions, and our evil lives. "How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy stewardship."

VOL. VI.

"For I say unto you,

that every

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idle word that men shall speak they shall render an account for it in the day of judgment." (Matth. xii. 36.) "Give an account of thy stewardship." What are thy actions towards thyself, towards thy neighbour; what you think in your heart, what words you speak; what your ear taketh pleasure in hearing; and on what you fix your eyes. "Give an account of thy stewardship;" Do you waste my goods? Do you make an evil use of my goods? Do you give my goods unto strangers? I call, and you answer not; I stretch out my hand, and you regard it not. "Give an account of thy stewardship, for now thou canst be steward no longer." Thou hast come to the end, to the time of judgment and reckoning that must be given. "Now thou canst be steward no longer," for after this life there is no stewardry; here we pay service as stewards, there we shall receive our reward and rest; here we gather in, but there we come to possession; here is labour, there reward.

"And the steward said within himself, what shall I do, because my lord taketh away from me the stewardship?" Happy is he who thinketh on his last end; happy is he who daily taketh thought that he shall die, for "better is the end of speech than the beginning." (Eccl. vii. 9.) And the saints when they have made an end of this world, become eternal in the heavenly seat; to whom the end of life is the beginning of living. "What shall I do" that I may escape from the effects of my bad stewardship. "To dig I am not able." After the stewardship of this life has passed away, there remains no longer any working, by which we may merit eternal life. There I cannot dig; for there there are no poor to refresh, no sick to visit, nor can I watch in holy vigils and prayers; for what else is this digging, but by the exercise of holy actions to till the soil of the soul and body? We dig the ground, whence we root up our vices, and plant therein virtues, which cannot be done after this life; for then there is no season for penance, but of retribution for works, whether good or evil. To beg I am ashamed," lest it be said to me as it was said to the foolish virgins: "Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves." (St. Matth. xxv. 2.) There is a good begging, and an evil begging. Here is good begging; for this is a good begging when we beg wisdom and learning from the doctors, or when we put up our supplications to the saints, in litanies, that they may pray for us. In the life to come-mendicatio erubescenda, we shall be ashamed of begging, for whosoever shall not blush to say "Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out." (St. Matth. xxv. 8). Of such beggary I am ashamed. Truly that begging is shameless

where nothing is gained; and the everlasting want of all real good is its concomitant. For such I am ashamed to beg, for there the begging of another's good profiteth not; when personal good there is none. Nor can any one expect of another what he hath not himself deserved; "for if the just man can scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear ?" (1 Pet. iv. 18). In such fashion, I am ashamed to beg..

"I know what I will do, that when I shall be removed from the stewardship they may receive me into their houses." He contrives a salutary counsel at last, though he had but ill dispensed the office of the stewartry; namely, to give a little, that he might receive much; and might be received under their roof, who was to have none of his own. Therefore, calling together every one of his lord's debtors, he said to the first,-How much dost thou owe my lord? But he said a hundred barrels of oil." We have a common Lord, and one GOD, whom we worship; to whom we owe whatever good we possess. So as we are all stewards, by the law of the stewardship, a part of our lord's debts is set down against us; so that we are found not only debtors against GOD, but also against those that belong to us. For we are not only ordered to love GOD, but also our neighbour. We are then debtors to GOD, and debtors to our neighbour. We owe indeed all to GOD, even that which has reference to our neighbour. So that whatever we are debtors for, we owe all unto God. Moreover we have both spiritual and corporal goods; spiritual, such as faith, justice, charity, and the like, which we owe to God and our neighbour; and corporal, such as gold, silver, wheat, vineyards, and the like, with which we serve God, and help our neighbour. What better can we understand by oil than spiritual things; seeing it is more rarified and lighter than the solidity of the material substance, since it feedeth light, and the cultivation of virtues; enlighteneth the mind to perceive the truth, and excelleth all things that are liquid, as spiritual things do those that are corporal. And what shall we understand by wheat but corporeal things, seeing that by the species the individual class is discovered. Farther, the steward first speaks to him that owed the oil, as spiritual things are to be preferred before corporal; and he that owes a hundred barrels of oil is as he that oweth so many spiritual benefits to GOD; and as the barrels of oil are many, so also are the spiritual benefits many, and the vessel of oil being an hundred fold, denotes the species of spiritual benefits. Morever, an hundred-fold often denotes plenty, and what is finite is often put for what is infinite; therefore, he oweth a hundred barrels of