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| Of the benefit of good works and mercy.
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Testimonies.
1. Of the benefit of good works and mercy.
In Isaiah: “Cry aloud,” saith He,
“and spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet; tell my people
their sins, and the house of Jacob their wickednesses. They seek
me from day to day, and desire to know my ways, as a people which did
righteousness, and did not forsake the judgment of God. They ask
of me now a righteous judgment, and desire to approach to God, saying,
What! because we have fasted, and Thou hast not seen: we have
humiliated our souls, and Thou hast not known. For in the days of
fasting are found your own wills; for either ye torment those who are
subjected to you, or ye fast for strifes and judgments, or ye strike
your neighbours with fists. For what do you fast unto me, that
to-day your voice should be heard in clamour? This fast I have
not chosen, save that a man should humble his soul. And if thou
shalt bend thy neck like a ring, and spread under thee sackcloth and
ashes, neither thus shall it be called an acceptable fast. Not
such a fast have I chosen, saith the Lord; but loose every knot of
unrighteousness, let go the chokings of impotent
engagements.4145
| 4145
“Impotentium commerciorum.” | Send
away the harassed into rest, and scatter every unrighteous
contract. Break thy bread to the hungry, and bring the houseless
poor into thy dwelling. If thou seest the naked, clothe him; and
despise not them of thy own seed in thy house. Then shall thy
seasonable light break forth, and thy garments shall quickly arise; and
righteousness shall go before thee: and the glory of God shall
surround thee. Then thou shalt cry out, and God shall hear thee;
while thou art yet speaking, He shall say, Here I am.”4146
Concerning this same thing in Job: “I have preserved the
needy from the hand of the mighty; and I have helped the orphan, to
whom there was no helper. The mouth of the widow blessed me,
since I was the eye of the blind; I was also the foot of the lame, and
the father of the weak.”4147
| 4147
Job xxix. 12, 13, 15,
16. | Of this same matter in
Tobit: “And I said to Tobias, My son, go and bring whatever
poor man thou shalt find out of our brethren, who still has God in mind
with his whole heart. Bring him hither, and he shall eat my
dinner together with me. Behold, I attend thee, my son, until
thou come.”4148
Also
in the same place: “All the days of thy life, my son, keep
God in mind, and transgress not His precepts. Do justice all the
days of thy life, and do not walk in the way of unrighteousness;
because if thou act truly, there will be respect of thy works.
Give alms of thy substance, and turn not thy face from any poor
man. So shall it come to pass that the face of God shall not be
turned away from thee. Even as thou hast, my son, so do: if
thou hast abundant substance, give the more alms therefrom; if thou
hast little, communicate even of that little. And do not fear
when thou givest alms: thou layest up for thyself a good reward
against the day of need; because alms delivereth from death, and does
not suffer to go into darkness. Alms is a good office for all who
do it in the sight of the most high God.”4149
On this same subject in Solomon
in Proverbs: “He that hath pity on the poor lendeth unto
the Lord.”4150
Also
in the same place: “He that giveth to the poor shall never
want; but he who turns away his eye shall be in much
penury.”4151
Also in
the same place: “Sins are purged away by alms-giving and
faith.”4152
Again, in
the same place: “If thine enemy hunger, feed him; and if he
thirst, give him to drink: for by doing this thou shalt scatter
live coals upon his head.”4153
Again, in the same place:
“As water extinguishes fire, so alms-giving extinguishes
sin.”4154
In the
same in Proverbs: “Say not, Go away, and return, to-morrow
I will give; when you can do good immediately. For thou knowest
not what may happen on the coming day.”4155
Also in the same place:
“He who stoppeth his ears that he may not hear the weak, shall
himself call upon God, and there shall be none to hear
him.”4156
Also in
the same place: “He who has his conversation without
reproach in righteousness, leaves blessed children.”4157
In the
same in Ecclesiasticus: “My son, if thou hast, do good by
thyself, and present worthy offerings to God; remember that death
delayeth not.”4158
Also in the same place:
“Shut up alms in the heart of the poor, and this will entreat for
thee from all evil.”4159
Concerning this thing in the
thirty-sixth Psalm, that mercy is beneficial also to one’s
posterity: “I have been young, and I have also grown old;
and I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their
bread. The whole day he is merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is
in blessing.”4160
Of this same thing in the fortieth
Psalm: “Blessed is he who considereth over the poor and
needy: in the evil day God will deliver him.”4161
Also in
the cxith Psalm: “He hath distributed, he hath given to the
poor; his righteousness shall remain from generation to
generation.”4162
Of this same thing in Hosea:
“I desire mercy rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God
more than whole burnt-offerings.”4163
Of this same thing also in the
Gospel according to Matthew: “Blessed are they who hunger
and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
satisfied.”4164
Also
in the same place: “Blessed are the merciful: for
they shall obtain mercy.”4165
Also in the same place:
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not dig through and
steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be
also.”4166
Also in
the same place: “The kingdom of heaven is like unto a
merchantman seeking goodly pearls: and when he hath found a
precious pearl, he went away and sold all that he had, and bought
it.”4167
That
even a small work is of advantage, also in the same place:
“And whoever shall give to drink to one of the least of these a
cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, His
reward shall not perish.”4168
That alms are to be denied to
none, also in the same place: “Give to every one that
asketh thee; and from him who would wish to borrow, be not turned
away.”4169
Also
in the same place: “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the
commandments. He saith, Which? Jesus saith unto him, Thou
shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not bear
false witness, Honour thy father and mother: and, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself. The young man saith unto Him, All these
things have I observed: what lack I yet? Jesus saith unto
him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all that thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow
me.”4170
Also in
the same place: “When the Son of man shall come in His
majesty, and all the angels with Him, then He shall sit on the throne
of His glory: and all nations shall be gathered together before
Him; and He shall separate them one from another, even as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats: and He shall place the sheep
on the right hand, but the goats on the left hand. Then shall the
King say unto them that are on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my
Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the
world. For I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me to drink: I was a stranger, and ye took
me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited
me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the
righteous answer Him, and say, Lord, when saw we Thee4171
| 4171 The
Oxford edition inserts here, “an hungered, and fed Thee:
thirsty, and gave Thee drink? when saw we Thee—” | a stranger, and took Thee in:
naked, and clothed Thee? And when saw we Thee sick, and in
prison, and came to Thee? And the King, answering, shall say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least
of these my brethren, ye did it unto me. Then shall He say unto
them who are on His left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, which my Father hath prepared for the devil and his
angels: for I was hungry, and ye gave me not to eat: I was
thirsty, and ye gave me not to drink: I was a stranger, and ye
took me not in: I was naked, and ye clothed me not: sick,
and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also
answer, and say, Lord, when saw we Thee hungry, or thirsty, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto
Thee? And He shall answer them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch
as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not unto
me. And these shall go away into everlasting burning: but
the righteous into life eternal.”4172
Concerning this same matter in
the Gospel according to Luke: “Sell your possessions, and
give alms.”4173
Also
in the same place: “He who made that which is within, made
that which is without also. But give alms, and, behold, all
things are pure unto you.”4174
Also in the same place:
“Behold, the half of my substance I give to the poor; and if I
have defrauded any one of anything, I restore him fourfold. And
Jesus said unto him, that salvation has this day been wrought for this
house, since he also is a son of Abraham.”4175
Of this same thing also in the
second Epistle to the Corinthians: “Let your abundance
supply their want, that their abundance also may be the supplement of
your want, that there may be equality: as it is written, He who
had much had not excess; and he who had little had no
lack.”4176
Also in
the same place: “He who soweth sparingly shall reap also
sparingly; and he who soweth in blessing shall reap also of
blessing. But let every one do as he has proposed in his
heart: not as if sorrowfully, or of necessity: for God
loveth a cheerful giver.”4177
Also in the same place:
“As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the
poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.”4178
Likewise in the same place: “Now he who ministereth seed to
the sower, shall both supply bread to be eaten, and shall multiply your
seed, and shall increase the growth of the fruits of your
righteousness: that in all things ye may be made
rich.”4179
Also
in the same place: “The administration of this service has
not only supplied that which is lacking to the saints, but has abounded
by much giving of thanks unto God.”4180
Of this same matter in the
Epistle of John: “Whoso hath this world’s substance,
and seeth his brother desiring, and shutteth up his bowels from him,
how dwelleth the love of God in him?”4181
Of this same thing in the Gospel
according to Luke: “When thou makest a dinner or a supper,
call not thy friends, nor brethren, nor neighbours, nor the rich; lest
haply they also invite thee again, and a recompense be made thee.
But when thou makest a banquet, call the poor, the weak, the blind, and
lame: and thou shalt be blessed; because they have not the means
of rewarding thee: but thou shalt be recompensed in the
resurrection of the just.”4182
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