604 GOSPEL ACCORDING TO CHAP. XVIII.
sinned,yetfarlessifhe had sparedthePublican,butnow in
one word he bothassailstheabsent,and inflictsa wound on
Hom.3. him who was present.To givethanksisnot to heap re-ln att proacheson others.When thou returnestthanksto God,
letHim be allin allto thee. Turn not thy thoughtsto
Basil. men, nor condemn thy neighbour.BASIL.The differenceubisup. betweenthe proud man and the scornerisin the outward
.form alone. The one is engaged in revilingothers,the
otherinpresumptuouslyextollinghimself.CHRYS. He who
railsatothersdoesmuch harm bothto himselfand others.
First,thosewho hearhim arerenderedworse,forifsinners
theyaremade gladinfindingone asguiltyasthemselves;if
righteous,theyareexalted,beingledby thesinsofothersto
thinkmore highlyofthemselves.Secondly,thebodyofthe
Church suffers; forthosewho hearhim arenotallcontent
toblamethe guiltyonly,but to fastenthereproachalsoon
the Christianreligion.Thirdly,the gloryof God isevil
spokenof;forasourwell-doingmakes the name of God to
be glorified,sooursinscauseittobe blasphemed.Fourthly,
theobjectofreproachisconfounded[andbecomesmore reck
lessand immoveable.Fifthly,therulerishimselfmade liable
topunishmentforutteringthingswhicharenotseemly.
THEOPHYL. It becomesus not onlyto shun evil,butalso
todo good; and soafterhavingsaid,/ am notas othermen
are,extortioners,unjust,adulterers,he adds somethingby
Sabbatho.way of contrast,I fasttwicein a week. They calledthe
week theSabbath,fromthelastday of rest.The Pharisees
fastedupon thesecondand fifthday. He thereforesetfast
ingagainstthepassionofadultery,forlustisbornofluxury;
buttotheextortionersand usuristshe opposedthepayment
oftithes; asitfollows,I givetithesofallI possess; asifhe
says,So faram I from indulgingin extortionor injuring,
Greg.19.thatI evengiveup what ismy own. GREG. So itwas pride
Mor.c.21.tnatlai,l^re to niswyy.enemiesthe citadelof hisheart,
which prayerand fastinghad in vainkept closed.Of no
use are allthe otherfortifications,as long as thereisone
placewhichtheenemy hasleftdefenceless.
AUG. Ifyou lookintohiswords,you willfindthatheasked
nothingofGod. He goesup indeedtopray,butinsteadof
askingGod,praiseshimself,and eveninsultshim thatasked.