might receive some share in the benefit of his holy instructions, John, the learned and virtuous abbot of Raithu, a monastery situate towards the Red-Sea, intreated him, by that obedience he had ever practised even with regard to his inferiors, that he would draw up the most necessary rules by which fervent souls might arrive at Christian perfection. The saint answered him, that nothing but extreme humility could have moved him to write to so miserable a sinner, destitute of every sort of virtue; but that he received his commands with respect, though far above his strength, never considering his own insufficiency. Wherefore, apprehensive of falling into death by disobedience, he took up his pen in haste, with great eagerness mixed with fear, and set himself to draw some imperfect outlines as an unskilful painter, leaving them to receive from him, as a great master, the finishing strokes. This produced the excellent work which he called Climax, or the lad. der of religious perfection. This book being written in sentences almost in the manner of aphorisms, abounds more in sense than words. A certain majestic simplicity, an inexpressible unction and spirit of humility, joined with conciseness and perspicuity, very much enhance the value of this performance: but its chief merit consists in the sublime sentiments, and perfect description of all Christian virtues, which it contains. The author confirms his precepts by several edifying examples, as of obedience and penance. (5) In describing a monastery of 330 monks, which he had visited near Alexandria in Egypt, he mentions one of the principal citizens of that city, named Isidore, who, petitioning to be admitted into the house, said to the abbot: "As iron is in the hands of the smith, so am I in hands." The abbot ordered him to remain withyour out the gate, and to prostrate himself at the feet of every one that passed by, begging their prayers for his soul struck with a leprosy. Thus he passed seven years in profound humility and patience. He told St John, that during the first year he always considered himself (4) Gr. 4. & 5.

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as a slave condemned for his sins, and sustained violent conflicts. The second year he passed in tranquillity and confidence ; and the third with relish and pleasure in his humiliations. So great was his virtue, that the abbot determined to present him to the bishop, in order to be promoted to the priesthood; but the humility of the holy penitent prevented the execution of that design; for having begged at least a respite, he died within ten days. St. John could not help admiring the cook of this numerous community, who seemed always recollected, and generally bathed in tears amidst his continual occupation, and asked him by what means he nourished so perfect a spirit of compunction, in the midst of such a dissipating laborious employment. He said, that, serving the monks, he represented to himself that he was serving not men, but God in his servants; and that the fire, he always had before his eyes, reminded him of that fire which will burn souls for all eternity. The moving description which our author gives of the monastery of penitents called the Prison, above a mile from the former, hath been already abridged in our language. John the Sabaite told our saint, as of a third person, that seeing himself respected in his mo nastery, he considered that this was not the way to satisfy for his sins. Wherefore, with the leave of his abbot, he repaired to a severe monastery in Pontus. and after three years saw in a dream a schedule of his debts, to the amount in appearance of 100 pounds of gold, of which only ten were cancelled. He therefore repeated often to himself: "Poor Antiochus, thou hast still a great debt to satisfy." After passing other thirteen years in contempt, and the most fervent practices of penance, he deserved to see in a vision his whole debt blotted out. Another monk, in a grievous fit of illness, fell into a trance, in which he lay as if he had been dead for the space of an hour: but recovering, he shut himself up in his cell, and lived a recluse twelve years, almost continually weeping, in the perpetual meditation of death. When he was near death, his brethren could only extort from him these words of edification: "He who hath death always before his VOL. III.

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eyes, will never sin." John, abbot of Raithu, explained this book of our saint by judicious comments, which are also extant. We have likewise a letter of St John Climacus to the same person, concerning the duties of a pastor, in which he exhorts him, in correcting others, to temper severity with mildness, and encourages him zealously to fulfil the obligations of his charge; for nothing is greater or more acceptable to God, than to offer him the sacrifice of rational souls sanctified by penance and charity.

St John sighed continually under the weight of his dignity, during the four years that he governed the monks of Mount Sinai: and as he had taken upon him that burden with fear and reluctance, he with joy found means to resign the same a little before his death. Heavenly contemplation, and the continual exercise of divine love and praise, were his delight and comfort in his earthly pilgrimage and in this imitation of the functions of the blessed spirits in heaven, he placeth the essence of the monastic ssate. (6) In his excellent max. ims concerning the gift of holy tears, the fruit of charity, (7) we seem to behold a lively portraiture of his most pure soul. He died in his hermitage, on the 30th day of March, in 605, being fourscore years old. His spiritual son George, who had succeeded him in the abbacy, earnestly begged of God that he might not be separated from his dear master and guide; and followed him by a happy death within a few days. On several Greek commentaries on St John Climacus's ladder, see Montfaucon, Biblioth. Coisliana, p. 305, 306.

St John Climacus, speaking of the excellence and the effects of charity, does it with a feeling and energy worthy of such a subject. "A mother," says he, (8) "feels less pleasure, when she folds within her arms the dear infant whom she nourishes with her own milk, than the true child of charity does, when united, as he incessantly is, to his God, and folded as it were in the arms

(6) Gr. 1. (7) Gr. 7. 27. 30. (8) Grad. 30. n. 12.

of his heavenly father.... (9) Charity operates in some persons so as to carry them almost entirely out of themselves. It illuminates others, and fills them with such sentiments of joy, that they cannot help crying out: The Lord is my helper and my protector: in kim bath my heart confided, and I have been helped. And my flesh bath flourished again, and with my will I will give praise to him. (10) This joy, which they feel in their hearts, is reflected on their countenances; and when once God has united, or, as we may say, incorporated them with his charity, he displays in their exterior, as in the reflection of a mirror, the brightness and serenity of their souls even as Moses, being honoured with a sight of God, was encompassed round by his glory." St John Climacus composed the following prayer to obtain the gift of charity: "My God, I pretend to nothing upon this earth, except to be so firmly united to you by prayer, that to be separated from you may be impossible: let others desire riches and glory; for my part I desire but one thing, and that is, to be inseparably united to you, and to place in you alone all my hopes of happiness and repose.

ON THE SAME DAY.

St ZOZIMUS, Bishop of Syracuse, was successor to the holy bishop Peter; and faithfully discharged all the duties of a worthy pastor until his death, which happened in 660. His name is mentioned in the Roman and Sicilian martyrologies. See the Bollandists and Baillet.

St REGULUS, or RIEUL, who, having converted the country of Senlis to the faith, about the same time that St Dionysius preached in France, was made first bishop' of Senlis, and died in peace in the midst of his flock. See the Bollandists and Tillem. T. 4. p. 719.

MARCH XXXI.

ST BENJAMIN, DEACON, M.

From Theodoret, Hist. Eccles. 1. 5. c. 39. &c.

A. D. 424.

Abdas

ISDEGERDES, son of Sapor III. put a stop to the cruel persecutions against the Christians in Persia, which had been begun by Sapor II. and the church had enjoyed twelve years peace in that kingdom, when, in 420, it was disturbed by the indiscreet zeal of one Abdas, a Christian bishop, who burned down the Pyræum, or temple of fire, the great divinity of the Persians. King Isdegerdes threatened to demolish all the churches of the Christians, unless he would rebuild it. had done ill in destroying the temple, but did well in refusing to rebuild it; for nothing can make it lawful to contribute to any act of idolatry, or to the building a temple, as Theodoret observes. Isdegerdes therefore demolished all the Christian churches in Persia, put to death Abdas, and raised a general persecution against the church, which continued forty years with great fury. Isdegerdes died the year following, in 421. But his son and successor Varanes carried on the persecution with greater inhumanity. The very de scription which Theodoret, a cotemporay writer, and one that lived in the neighbourhood, gives of the cruelties he exercised on the Christians, strikes us with horror: some were flayed alive in different parts of the body, and suffered all kinds of torture that could be invented others, being stuck all over with sharp reeds, were hauled and rolled about in that condition; others were tormented divers other ways, such as nothing but the most hellish malice was capable of suggesting. Amongst these glorious champions of Christ was St. Benjamin, a deacon. The tyrant caused him to be beaten and imprisoned. He had lain a year in the dungeon, when an ambassador from the emperor ob