lice; muft defend herfelf from the evil defigns of her neighbours; muft fuffer perpetually the injuriTous treatment of the farmers of the revenues, and bethe infolence and barbarity they exercife in levying

"When a father leaves children behind him, if it "be a daughter, I am fenfible the care of her mult "be very heavy upon the widow her mother; how"ever, this care is fupportable, fince it is not attend❝ed either with fear or expence. But if it be a fon, "the educating of him will be much more difficult; "this fills her with perpetual apprehenfions, not to « mention how expenfive it is to get him well edu"cated. However, thefe feveral evils could never ❝ prevail upon me to marry. I have continued fixed "and immoveable, amidst these ftorms and tempefts; " and trusting above all in the grace of God, I deter"mined to fuffer all thofe troubles which are infepa❝rable from widowhood.

"But my only confolation in these afflictions was to behold you perpetually, and to contemplate in your face, the living, the faithful image of my deceased husband: a confolation which I received in your in"fancy, and when you was yet incapable of speaking, at which feafon parents find the greateft pleafure in "their children.

"I have not given you reason to fay, that I indeed "fupported my prefent condition with courage, but

that I leffened your father's poffeffions, to extricate "myself from those difficulties; a misfortune that "often befalls minors. For I have preferved for you "all he left you, though I did not fpare any expence ❝for your education; this I paid myself out of the "portion given me by my father. I don't fay this, my "fon, by way of reproaching you with the obligati

ons you owe me. The only favour I ask in return, is, that you would not reduce me to widowhood a "fecond time. Don't open a wound that was begin"ning to heal; at leaft ftay till I am dead, and ❝ perhaps

66

cc perhaps I may be fo very foon. Those who are "young may hope to grow old; but at my age I am

to expect nothing but death. After you have buried "me in the fame grave with your father, and joined my bones to his afhes, then undertake fuch long "journies, and fail on whatever fea you please, for no one will hinder you: but fo long as the breath is in my body, bear with my presence, and don't be "tired of living with me. Don't draw down upon "yourself the wrath of heaven, as you will do, fhould "you fo fenfibly afflict a mother, who deferves the " beft from you. Should I offer to engage you in "worldly concerns, and you to undertake the management of my affairs which are your own; I then ແ will allow you to have no regard or confideration for "the laws of nature; the pains I have taken in bringing you up; the refpect which is due to a mother, or any fuch motive; but fhun me as the enemy of your repofe, and as one who is laying fnares to ruin СС you, But in cafe I do all that lies in my power, to make your life eafy and happy, let this confideration "at leaft prevail upon you, if all others fhould fail. "How many friends foever you may have, none of "them will allow you to live with fo much liberty as "I do; and indeed, no one fo paffionately wishes your "advancement and felicity."

e

St. Chryfoftom was unable to refift these tender expreffions, and though his friend Bafilius continued his folicitations, he could not be prevailed upon to leave a mother fo very indulgent, and fo highly worthy of his love.

Do we meet with any thing among heathen authors more beautiful, more lively, more tender or more eloquent, than the difcourfe before us, but of that fimple and natural eloquence which infinitely excells the moft fhining ftrokes of elaborate art? Is there one farfetched thought in it, or any uncommon or affected turn Is not the whole dictated by nature itself ? But the circumftance I admire the moft in it, is, the inexpreffible refervedness of a deeply afflicted

mother,

mother, who though exceffively afflicted, does not however vent one paffionate expreffion, or complain of him who was the cause of her violent uneafiness, I mean Bafilius. But undoubtedly his virtue checked her refentments on this occafion, or her fear that such words would exafperate her fon, whom the defired to work upon by foft and gentle methods.

ONITORING: INGIS 0 15650

PART the SECOND.

The Learning requifite in a Chriftian Orator.

WE

HAT I have hitherto delivered, relates only to the ftile and method proper for the Chriftian orator, and which St. Auftin calls eloquenter dicere. It remains for me to treat that which forms the knowledge indifpenfably neceffary to a preacher, which the abovementioned Saint calls, fapienter dicere.

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Without this learning, a preacher, how eloquent foever he might appear, would be but a mere declaimer; and fo much the more dangerous to his hearers, as the more agreeable to them, and as by dazzling them with this falfe fplendor, he might accuftom them to mistake an empty found of words for truth, which is the only folid food of the mind. It is well known, fays St. Austin, how greatly the heathens themselves, who were not enlightned by Divine Wisdom, but guided only by reafon and good fenfe, defpifed this falle fpecies of eloquence; what are we therefore to think of it, we who are the children, and the minifters of this very wisdom?

It is but too ufual with many who prepare for preaching, to be more ftudious about embellishing their dif

Qui affluit infipienti eloquentia, tanto magis cavendus eft, quanto magis ab eo in iis quæ audire intile eft, delectatur auditor, &

eum, quoniam difertè dicere audit, etiam verè dicere exiftimat. S. Aug. lib, iv, de doct. christ, c.5.

courses,

courfes, than of filling them with folid truths. Nevertheless it is a maxim in rhetoric, established by all who have written on that art, that the only way to fpeak well, is to think well or juftly; and to be able to do the latter, a perfon must be well inftructed, be a mafter of his fubject; and his mind must be adorned with a variety of knowledge.

m

Scribendi rectè, fapere eft & principium & fons,

It was from philofophy, and especially in that of Plato, the ancients imagined that fund of knowledge might be imbibed, which only can form the good

orator.

Rem tibi Socratica poterunt oftendere charte.

This made Cicero fo carefully enjoin this study " and he confeffes, as was obferved elsewhere, that if he has made any advances in eloquence, he owes it more to philofophy than to rhetoric.

But Chriftian orators have infinitely more pure and more abundant fources, whence they ought to draw this fund of knowledge. Thefe fprings are the fcripture and the fathers. What riches do they contain ? And how culpable would that perfon be, who fhould neglect fo precious a treasure? That man who is much converfant in them, will eafily be mafter of elocution. The juft thoughts and great truths with which his mind will be stored, will naturally fuggeft proper expreffions; and fuch an orator can never want words: Verbaque provifam rem non invita fequentur.

Of the study of the Scriptures.

A preacher ought to make the facred Writings his chief study and St. Austin lays it down as an inconteftable principle, that the Chriftian orator will be more or less able to deliver himself with juftness and

m Horat. de art. poet. Fateor me oratorem, fi modò fim, aut etiam quicumque fim,

non ex rhetorum officinis, fed ex Academiæ fpatiis extitiffe. Orat. n. 12.

folidity,

4

folidity, in proportion to his knowledge of the scriptures: Sapienter dicit homo tanto magis vel minus, quanto in fcripturis fanctis magis minufve profecit.

All the religion, and all the knowledge of man for this life and for that which is to come, confifts in knowing the only true God and Chrift whom he has fent: PHæc eft vita æterna, ut cognofcant te folum Deum verum,& quem mififti Jefum Chriftum. What can be wanting in that man who poffeffes this double knowledge? And where can it be taken but from the facred writings? Who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counfellor? the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God? Who can boaft, that he has all the riches of the full affurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Chrift? Thofe only,

t

to whom God will make known what is the riches of the glory of this double mystery; that is the evangelifts and apoftles, who can fay, We have received... the fpirit of God; we know the mind of Chrift. It is known that this gift was indulged to St. Paul in an eminent degree, who declared, "I determined not to know any thing among you, fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified; all other things, he counted but loffes, in comparifón of the excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Fefus. He declares in more places than one, that his vocation is, to preach among the Gentiles the unfearchable riches of Chrift; and to make all men fee, what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world, bath been hid in God, who created all things by Jefus Christ.

*

What is a preacher of the Gofpel properly, but an Embaffador fent by the Creator to men, to declare his defigns to them; to lay before them the conditions of the covenant he will make with them; and of the