Lesson VI.

I HAVE fought, he saith, a good fight.

I ask, in Whose strength he fought

Ry. Surely established in their pre. eminence.

was his very own, or with that which was given him from above? Far be it that so great a teacher should not know

God's law, Who saith in Deuteronomy: Lest thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth; but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth. What profit is a good fight, except victory follow? and who gives the victory save He of Whom the Apostle himself saith: Thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ?

Ry. To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain: God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. . By Whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. God forbid. Glory. God forbid.

THIRD NOCTURN.

Ant. 1. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once I was stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck for the Name of Christ.

ỹ. A night and a day have I been in the deep.

Ant. 2. There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness; which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.

y. By the working of the Holy Ghost.

Ant. 3. Lest I should be exalted

through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me for this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, O Paul. y. For My strength is made perfect in weakness.

V. Exceedingly honoured are Thy friends, O Lord.

to S. Matthew. Lesson VII. Chap. x.

AT that time: Jesus said unto His disciples: Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.

And that which follows.

A Homily of S. John Chrysostom.

Homily 34 on S. Matthew.

He seems to speak in this wise: Be not troubled if, when I am sending you among wolves, I command you to be like sheep and doves. For although I am able to appoint quite differently, and not to allow you to suffer any grievous thing, nor to be subject like sheep to wolves, but to make you go forth more terrible than lions, nevertheless, it is expedient thus to be. This will make you more glorious, and will manifest My power. But thus He spake afterwards to Paul: My grace is sufficient for thee; for My strength is made perfect in weakness. I therefore Myself have caused you to be such as this.

Ry. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king was desirous to take me: * and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands in the Name of the Lord. V. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, knoweth that I lie not. And through.

Lesson VIII.

UT let us see what prudence it is He demands. Doubtless that of the serpent. For just as the serpent gives himself up entirely, and does not care the least if his body be cut in pieces, provided his head remain entire, so do you, in the same way, care not if you lose everything else beside your faith: whether it be needful to give up your wealth, or your body, or your life itself. For faith is the head and the root, and if you keep

this, even if you should lose all things, yet you will recover all again with greater glory. Therefore He did not command them to be merely simple or merely wise, but united both these together, that they might be changed into strength.

Ry. Thou art a chosen vessel, holy Apostle Paul, preacher of the truth throughout the world. By whom the Gentiles are come to the knowledge of God. y. Pleading for us to the Lord Who chose thee. By.

Lesson IX.

AND if you wish to see that it was so in actual fact, read the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. You will at once observe that often as the Jewish people rose against the Apostles and gnashed their teeth at them, they, by imitating the simplicity of the dove, and replying with judicious moderation, overcame their wrath, quelled their rage, and checked their attack. For when the Jews said, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this Name? although they might have wrought countless miracles, they neither said nor did anything harsh, but, replying with the utmost meekness, made answer, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. You have observed the simplicity of the dove: now behold the wisdom

preached of the serpent. We cannot but speak, say they, the things which we have seen and heard.

[Ry. Holy Paul the Apostle, preacher of the truth, and teacher of the Gentiles, *thou pleadest for us with God Who chose thee. . That we may be found worthy of the grace of God. Thou. Glory. Thou.]

Te Deum. p. 15.

JULY 1.

OCTAVE OF S. JOHN BAPTIST. All is said as on the festival, p. xxxi, except the Lessons of the 1st Nocturn,

which are read from the occurrent Scripture, and those of the 2nd and 3rd Nocturn, as below.

SECOND NOCTURN.

A Sermon of S. Maximus the Bishop.

Homily 3 on the Nativity of S. John Baptist.

Lesson IV.

THE natural birth of the venerable S. John Baptist, dear brethren, hath consecrated the festivity of this day. He was brought into this world by heavenly dispensation, not only that he himself might be exalted with the glory of a Prophet, but also that the declarations of all the Prophets might be confirmed by him. It is not unfit that we should venerate him with peculiar honour, who by some special grace was the last who prophesied concerning the Saviour of the world, in order that he might be the first who should shew Him openly. For he is the only one of the Prophets who was worthy to see Jesus Christ our Lord with his own eyes, and to announce Him present, Whose coming others had known as yet afar off.

Ry. His name shall be. p. xxxiii.

Lesson v.

THIS is he whom the Prophet Isaiah, inspired by God, prophetically announces, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the How fitly, dear way of the Lord.

brethren, blessed John is announced as witness of the heavenly Word! This a voice, who was sent as a herald and is he whose birth and name and merit were foretold by the Angel Gabriel. This is he who by the celestial judgment is preferred before all mortals, the Lord saying: Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. How beautifully it is said, that there is

Of the Song of Songs.

Lesson I. Chap. ii.

IAM the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters. As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my Beloved among the sons. I sat down under His shadow with great delight, and His fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and His banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. His left hand is under my head, and His right hand doth embrace me. I charge you, O ye daughters of Jerusalem, by the roes, and by the hinds of the field, that ye stir not up nor awake my Love, till He please.

Rz. Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away, for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone: * the voice of the turtle is heard in Our land. . And Mary entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elisabeth. The.

Lesson II.

THE voice of my Beloved! behold He cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills.

FIRST NOCTurn.

Ant. 1. The Father hath put all things under the Son of this Mother: out of the mouth of very babes hath He perfected praise.

Ant. 2. The sun beams forth from his tabernacle: while the Bridegroom tarrieth in His chamber.

Ant. 3. The earth began to yield fruit unto the Lord: when the salutation of Mary had sounded.

y. Full of grace are thy lips. Ry. Because God hath blessed thee for ever.

hart: behold, He standeth behind our wall, He looketh forth at the windows, shewing Himself through the lattice. My Beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, My love, My fair one, and come away; for, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in Our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell.

Ry. Who is this, that cometh forth as the sun, comely as Jerusalem? * The daughters of Sion saw her and blessed her, yea, the queens praised

her. . And like a day in spring she was clustered about with flowers of roses, and lilies of the valley. The.

Lesson III.

ARISE, My love, My fair one, and

come away. O My dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely. Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines; for our vines have tender grapes. My Beloved is mine, and I am His: He feedeth among the lilies. Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, turn, my Beloved, and be Thou like a roe or a young hart upon the mountains of Bether.

*

Ry. The woman stricken in years called the door of hope blessed; whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? * For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. Y. Blessed art thou that believedst: that which thou hast heard shall be fulfilled in thee: and this is the sign thereof. For. Glory. The.

came first to His friend John, while he was yet in his mother's womb. Whom John miraculously perceiving, shaking the bounds of nature, crieth out: I behold the Lord, Who hath imposed bounds to nature, and I wait not the time

of birth: a period of nine months is not needful to me: in me is that which is eternal: I will issue from this dark

tabernacle, and preach succinctly_the knowledge of marvellous things. I am Christ. I am a trumpet. I will proa sign: I will signify the Advent of claim the dispensation of the Incarnate Son of God.

Ry. Behold, He cometh, leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. *My Beloved is like a roe or a young hart. y. He rejoiceth as a giant to run his course: He goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven. My Beloved.

Lesson V.

SEE, O beloved, how new and ad

mirable a mystery is this. Not yet is he born, and he speaketh by leaping: not yet appeareth he, and yet giveth notice: not yet may he cry out, and yet he is heard by acts: not yet leads he life, and yet preaches God: not yet sees light, yet points out the Sun: to forerun: before the Present God he not yet is born, and yet is eager cannot contain himself; he cannot abide the limits of nature, but struggles to come forth, and foreshew the approaching Saviour. He is here, saith he, Who looses bonds: and why should I sit bound? Cometh the Word by Whom all things are, and why should I be forced to tarry? I go, I forerun; and I preach to all: Behold the Lamb of God, Which taketh away the sins of the world.

Ry. Rejoice with me, all ye that love the Lord, for being little I pleased the Most Highest: * and I brought forth