Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/282



276 THE STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE.

!^ ^^^i^'^and its fruits. In innumerable passages of their writings V^ we find them applying to it such phrases as an inexhaust-

\ ible treasury of heavenly doctrine,^ or an overflowing foun-

tain of salvation,^ or putting it before us as fertile pas- tures and beautiful gardens in which the flock of the Lord is marvellously refreshed and delighted.' Let us listen to the words of St. Jerome, in his Epistle to Nepo- tian: "Often read the divine Scriptures; yea, let holy reading be always in thy hand; study that which thou thyself must preach. . . . Let the speech of the priest be ever seasoned with Scriptural reading."^ St. Gregory the Great, than whom no one has more admirably described the pastoral office, writes in the same sense. "Those," he says, "who are zealous in the work of preaching must never cease the study of the written Word of God." ^ St. Augustine, however, warns us that " vainly does the preacher utter the Word of God exteriorly unless he listens to it interiorly";Â® and St. Gregory instructs sacred orators " first to find in Holy Scripture the knowl- edge of themselves, and then carry it to others, lest in re- proving others they forget themselves." ' Admonitions such as these had, indeed, been uttered long before by the apostolic voice which had learned its lesson from Christ Himself, who " began to do and teach." It was not to Timothy alone, but to the whole order of the clergy, that the command was addressed: Take heed to thyself and to doctrine; he earnest in them. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee.^ For the saving and for the perfection of ourselves and of others

Christ, ii.
 * S. Chrys. in Gen. Horn. xxi. 2; Horn. Ix. 3; S. Aug. de Disc.

^ S. Athan. ep. fest. xxxix.

^ S. Aug. serm. xxvi. 24; S. Ambr. in Ps. cxviii, serm. xix. 2.


 * S. Hier. de vita cleric, ad Nepot.

Â» S. Greg. M. Regul. past. ii. 11 (al. 22); Moral, xvii. 26 (aL 14).

' S. Aug. serm. clxxix. 1.

' S. Greg. M. Regul. past. iii. 24 (aL 14).

H Tim. iv. 16.