Page:Reflections upon ancient and modern learning (IA b3032449x).pdf/370

 St. Chrysostom's Homilies. Whereas by the former Method, strictly followed, very many of our English Sermons, especially those of the Great Men of our own Church, since the Restauration, are Solutions of the most difficult Questions in Divinity, and just Discourses upon the several Duties of the Christian Life; and this with so much Smoothness, so great Beauty of Language, and such a just Application of the greatest Ornaments of True and Masculine Eloquence, to Things at first View very often the most opposite, that the Hearer takes a Pleasure to think, that then he is most instructed, when he is best pleased. The Want of this Method in the Ancient Homilists, is the great Reason why they are so little read. It is not because they are hard to be understood; for an indifferent Skill in Greek and Latin is sufficient to go through with the greatest part of them: But Want of Method, great Multiplicity of Words, and frequent Repetitions, tire out most Readers: They know not how far they are got, but by the Number of the Leaves; and so having no Rest for their Minds to lean upon, when once they begin to be weary, they are