ess
and riches of divine grace; by the kingdom of God established in his
soul; by prayer, by which all things are in his power; by his universal
benevolence and beneficence to others, procuring to every one all
spiritual advantages as far as lies in him; by the comfort which he
finds in death which is terrible {256} to kings, but by which he is
translated to an immortal crown, &c. This book is much esteemed by
Montfaucon and the devout Blosius.

St. Chrysostom, in his treatise on Virginity, t. 1, p. 268, says this
virtue is a privilege peculiar to the true church, not to be found, at
least pure, among heretics: he proves against the Manichees, that
marriage is good: yet says that virginity as far excels it as angels
men, but that all its excellency is derived from the consecration of a
soul to God, and her attention to please him, without which this state
avails nothing.

After he was ordained deacon at Antioch, he composed his book To a Young
Widow, (t. 1, p. 337,) a lady who had lost her husband Tarasius,
candidate for the prefectship of the city. He draws motives to comfort
her from the spiritual advantages of holy widowhood, and the happiness
to which her husband was called. His second book To the Widow, (t. 1, p.
349,) is a dissuasive from second marriages, when they are contracted
upon worldly motives.

His six incomparable books on the Priesthood, he composed to excuse
himself to his friend Basil, who complained that he had been betrayed by
him into the episcopal charge; for Chrysostom persuaded him they had
time yet to conceal themselves; yet secretly absconded himself and left
the other to be chosen. Basil, when he met him afterwards, was not able
to speak for some time but by a flood of tears; and at length broke
through them only to give vent to his grief in bitter complaints against
the treachery of his friend. This work is wrote in a dialogue between
the two friends. St. Chrysostom, in the first book, alleges (t. 1, p.
362) that he could not deprive the church of a pastor so well qualified
to serve it as Basil was; nor undertake himself a charge for which he
had not the essential talents, and in which he should involve others and
himself in ruin. In the second book he justifies his own action in not
hindering the promotion of his friend to the episcopacy, by observing
that to undertake the charge of souls is the greatest proof we can give
of our love for Christ, which He declared by putting the question