e moral instructions are so noble and
beautiful, that no other genius but that of a Chrysostom could have
formed them. The style indeed, in many parts of the comments, is not
regular or correct; which might be owing to some indisposition, or to an
extraordinary hurry of troublesome affairs, to a confusion of mind, and
to alarms, the city being then in imminent danger by the revolt and
blockade of Gainas, and in daily fears of being plundered by that
barbarian. In the first homily our saint speaks against those who
deferred to receive baptism, for fear of forfeiting the grace by
relapsing into sin: which delay he shows to imply a wilful and obstinate
contempt of God and his grace, with the guilt of a base and inexcusable
sloth, like one who should desire to enrol himself in the army when the
war was over, yet expect a share in the triumph; or a wrestler who
should enter the lists when the games are closed. He adds, that in
sickness, under alarms and pains, it is scarce to be hoped that a person
will be able to dispose himself for so great a sacrament. Prudent men
make their wills while in health, imagining that at best they will
retain their senses but by halves at the approaches of death; and can we
think dying men capable of duly making so solemn an engagement with God?
He assures his flock that he is notable to express the consternation,
grief, and agony, with which he is seized whenever he hears of any one
being dead without baptism or penance, (p. 13.) In Hom. 3, p. 30, he
exaggerates the grievousness of sin in a priest, and has these
remarkable words, "I do not believe that many priests are saved; but
that far the greater number are lost: for this dignity requires a great
soul and much courage." In Hom. 7, he draws a most amiable and beautiful
portraiture of the charity which reigned in the primitive church, when
all with joy cast away their money; setting no value but on the
inestimably greater treasures which they possessed in God; when all
lived without envy, jealousy, pride, contempt of any one, and without
any cunning or ill-will; and when the cold words mine and thine were
banished from among them, pp. 58,59. A passage often quoted by those who
write on the small number of the elect occurs Hom. 24, p. 198, "How
many," says he, "do you think there are in this city {268} who will be
saved? What I am going to say is frightful indeed; yet I will speak it.
Out of so many thousands not one hundred belongs to the numb