451 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XII. whereinman succoursman, as when the physicianheals, Greg. and thewiseman givescounsel.GREG.NAz. Now I fearlest Orat.14.yOu shouldthinkdeedsofmercy to be not necessarytoyou, butvoluntary.I alsothoughtso,but was alarmedat the goatsplacedon thelefthand,notbecausetheyrobbed,butdid Chrve. notministeruntoChristamong thepoor. CHRYS. For with-u 1sup' outalmsitisimpossibletoseethekingdom. For asa foun tainifitkeepsitswaterswithinitselfgrows foul,so also richmen when theyretaineverythingintheirpossession. Basil.rcg. BASIL.But some one willask,upon what grounds oughtimv92 we tose^ thatwhich we have? Is itthatthesethingsare by naturehurtful,orbecauseofthetemptationtoour souls? To thiswe must answer,first,that everything existing in the worldifitwere in itselfevil,would be no creation 1Tim. of God, foreverycreationofCfodisgood. And next,that ' ' our Lord'scommand teachesus not to castaway as evil what we possess,buttodistribute,saying,and givealms. CYRIL.Now perhapsthiscommand isirksometotherich, yettothosewho areofa sound mind,itisnot unprofitable, fortheirtreasureisthekingdom ofheaven. Hence itfollows, Provideforyourselvesbagswhich wax not old,fyc. BEDE. That is,by doingalms,therewardofwhichabidethforever; which must not be taken asa command thatno money be kept by the saintseitherfortheirown, or the use of the Matt.4, poor,sincewe read that our Lord Himself,to whom the John126 nngellsministered,had a bag inwhichHe kepttheofferingsof thefaithful; but thatGod shouldnotbe obeyedforthesake ofsuchthings,and righteousnessbe notforsakenfrom fearof poverty.GREG. NYSS. But He bidsus lay up our visible and earthlytreasureswherethepowerofcorruptiondoesnot reach,and hence He adds,a treasurethatfailet.hnot,fyc.- THEOPHYL. As ifHe said," Here the moth corrupts,but thereisno corruptionin heaven." Then becausethereare some thingswhichthemoth doesnotcorrupt,He goeson to speakofthethief.For goldthemoth corruptsnot,but the thieftakesaway. BEDE. Whether thenshoulditbe simplyunderstood,that money kept faileth,but givenaway to our neighbourbears everlastingfruitin heaven; or,that the treasureof good works,ifitbe storedup forthesakeofearthlyadvantage,is