vER.16 21. ST. LUKE. 443 perchancewhen they have come forththey should profitthe poor;likethe gluttonwho had ratherburstfrom eating,than giveany thing of what remains to the starving. GREG. O Greg. adversity,the childof plenty. For saying,What shallI do,"ig.15' he surelybetokens,that,oppressed by the successof his wishes,he laboursas itwere under a load of goods. BASIL. Basil. Itwas easy for him to say,I willopen my barn,I willcallu 18up' togetherthe needy, but he has no thought of want, only ofamassing; for it follows,And he said,This willI do,I willpulldown my barns. Thou doestwell,forthe storehouses ofiniquityare worthy of destruction.Pull down thy barns, fromwhich no one receivescomfort. -He adds,/ willbuild greater.But ifthou shaltcomplete these,wiltthou again destroythem ? What more foolishthan labouringon forever. Thy barns,ifthou wilt,are the home of the poor. But thou wiltsay, Whom do I wrong by keepingwhat is my own ? Foritfollowsalso,And therewillI bestowallmy fntitsand my goods. Tellme what isthine,from whence didstthou get itand bring it into life? As he who anticipatesthe public games,injuresthose who are coming by appropriatingto himselfwhat is appointed for the common use,so likewise therichwho regard as theirown the common thingswhich theyhave forestalled.For if every one receivingwhat is sufficientfor hisown necessitywould leavewhat remains to theneedy,therewould be no richor poor. CYRIL. Observe also in another respectthe follyof his words,when he says,/ willgather allmy fruits,as if he thoughtthat he had not obtainedthem from God, but that theywere the fruitsof hisown labours. BASIL. But ifthou Basil. confessestthatthose thingshave come to thee from God, isublsup' God then unjustin distributingto us unequally? Why dost thouabound while anotherbegs? unlessthatthou shouldest gainthe rewards of a good stewardship,and be honoured withthe meed of patience. Art not thou then a robber,for countingas thineown what thou hastreceivedto distribute? Itisthe bread of the famished which thou receivest,the garmentof the naked which thou hoardest in thy chest, theshoe of the barefootedwhich rotsin thy possession,the money ofthe pennylesswhich thou hast buried in the earth. Whereforethen dost thou injure so many to whom thou