meant.1388 And those who were pronounced accursed in the words, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire,” were not accused of any such crimes, but because they had not fed Christ. Moral. Seest thou that a failure in alms-giving is enough to cast a man into hell fire? For where will he avail who does not give alms? Dost thou fast every day? So also did those virgins, but it availed them nothing. Dost thou pray? What of that? prayer without alms-giving is unfruitful, without that all things are unclean and unprofitable. The better part of virtue is destroyed. “He that loveth not his brother,” it is said, “knoweth not God.” (1 John iv. 8.) And how dost thou love him, when thou dost not even impart to him of these poor worthless things? Tell me, therefore, dost thou observe chastity? On what account? From fear of punishment? By no means. It is of a natural endowment that thou observest it, since if thou wast chaste from fear of punishment, and didst violence to nature in submitting to so severe a rule, much more oughtest thou to do alms. For to govern the desire of wealth, and of bodily pleasures, is not the same thing. The latter is much more difficult to restrain. And wherefore? Because the pleasure is natural, and the desire of it is innate and of natural growth in the body. It is not so with riches. Herein we are able to resemble God, in showing mercy and pity. When therefore we have not this quality, we are devoid of all good. He has not said, “ye shall be like unto your Father, if ye fast,” nor “if ye be virgins,” nor “if ye pray,” hath He said, “ye shall be like unto your Father,” for none of these things can be applied to God, nor are they His acts. But what? “Be ye merciful, as your Father in Heaven is merciful.” (Luke vi. 36.) This is the work of God. If therefore thou hast not this, what hast thou? He says: “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.” (Hosea vi. 6.) God made Heaven, and earth, and sea. Great works these, and worthy of His wisdom! But by none of these has He so powerfully attracted human nature to Himself, as by mercy and the love of mankind. For that indeed is the work of power and wisdom and goodness. But it is far more so that He became a ser- vant. Do we not for this more especially admire Him? are we not for this still more amazed at Him? Nothing attracts God to us so much as mercy. And the prophets from beginning to end discourse upon this subject. But I speak not of mercy that is accompanied with cov- etousness. That is not mercy. For it is not the root of the thorn but of the olive that produces the oil1389; so it is not the root of covetousness, of iniquity, or of rapine, that produces mercy. Do not put a slander on almsgiving. Do not cause it to be evil spoken of by all. If thou committest robbery for this, that thou mayest give alms, nothing is more wicked than thy almsgiving. For when it is produced by rapine, it is not almsgiving, it is inhumanity, it is 1388 So he takes it on Matt. xxv. Hom. lxxviii. al. lxxix. See also on Philip. i. 30, Hom. iv. 15, and notes, and on Rom. xi. 6, and on Rom. xiv. 13. St. Jerome and St. Aug. take the oil more generally of good works, with allusion to Matt. v. 16. 1389 He plays, as elsewhere, on the words ἔλεον and ἔλαιον. 862 2 Timothy 2:20,21