3rd Sunday after Pentecost

The command to the apostles to be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts of the earth was not addressed exclusively to those to whom it was immediately spoken. They alone would not be the only ones who would carry such an enormous task to completion. Similarly he seems to be speaking to the apostles very personally when he says: "Behold I am with you even to the end of the world," yet who does not know that he made this promise to the universal church which will last from now even to the consummation of the world by successive births and deaths?

And he said to them: Go into the entire world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Therefore, when you preach that whoever does not believe will be condemned, since he certainly does not believe what he has not seen, should not they themselves first be reproved, because they did not believe those to whom the Lord appeared before they had seen the Lord? But when he said to them, Go into the entire world, preach the Gospel to every creature, surely the holy Gospel was not meant to be preached to senseless things or brute animals, so that it would be said to the disciples, Preach to every creature? But under the name of every creature, every nation of the Gentiles can be designated. It had been previously said: Do not go into the way of the Gentiles; but now it is said, Preach to every creature, so that the preaching of the apostles, first repelled by Judea, would then assist us, since Judea had proudly repelled it to its own damnation. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. Perhaps each one says to himself: I have already believed, I will be saved. He says the truth if he holds faith by works. For true faith is that which does not contradict in behavior what it says in words. From this comes what Paul says about certain false believers: They confess to know God, but in works they deny him (Titus 1). Here John says: He who says he knows God and does not keep his commandments is a liar (1 John 2). But when it is said, He who does not believe will be condemned, what do we say about infants who cannot yet believe because of their age? For with regard to adults, there is no question. Therefore, in the Church, infants believe through others on behalf of the Savior, just as they have derived the sins from others, which are remitted to them in baptism.

I have some definite views about the de-Christianizing of the church. I believe that there are many accommodating preachers, and too many practitioners in the church who are not believers. Jesus Christ did not say, "Go into all the world and tell the world that it is quite right." The Gospel is something completely different. In fact, it is directly opposed to the world.

My brothers, was the holy Gospel to be preached to insensible things or to brute animals, that it is said to the disciples concerning it: "Preach to every creature"? But by the name of every creature, man is signified. For there are stones, but they neither live nor feel. There are plants and trees; they live indeed, but they do not feel. They live, I say, not through a soul, but through their verdure, because Paul also says: "Foolish one, what you sow is not brought to life unless it first dies." Therefore that lives which dies, so that it may be brought to life. Stones therefore exist, but they do not live. Trees exist and live, but they do not feel. Brute animals exist, live, and feel, but they do not discern. Angels exist, live, feel, and discern. But man has something of every creature. For he has existence in common with stones, life with trees, sensation with animals, understanding with angels. If therefore man has something in common with every creature, in a certain sense every creature is man. Therefore the Gospel is preached to every creature when it is preached to man alone, because he is taught for whose sake all things were created on earth, and from whom all things are not alien through a certain likeness.

By the name of every creature, every nation of the Gentiles can also be designated. For before it had been said: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles." But now it is said, "Preach to every creature," so that the preaching of the apostles, first rejected by Judea, might then become a help to us, when that proud people had rejected it as a testimony to their own condemnation.

But when Truth sends the disciples to preach, what else does He do in the world but scatter grains of seed? And He sends a few grains in the sowing, so that He may receive the fruits of many harvests from our faith. For so great a harvest of the faithful would never have arisen in the whole world, if those chosen grains of preachers had not come from the Lord's hand upon the rational earth.

(ubi sup.) After rebuking the hardness of their hearts, let us hear the words of advice which He speaks. For it goes on: Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. Every man must be understood by every creature; for man partakes something of every creature; he has existence as have stones, life as trees, feeling as animals, understanding as have Angels. For the Gospel is preached to every creature, because he is taught by it, for whose sake all are created, whom all things are in some way like, and from whom therefore they are not alien. By the name of every creature also every nation of the Gentiles may be meant. For it had been said before, Go not into the way of the Gentiles. (Matt. 10:5) But now it is said, Preach the Gospel to every creature, so that the preaching of the Apostles which was thrust aside by Judæa, might be an assistance to us, since Judæa had haughtily rejected it, thus witnessing to her own damnation.

For from Jerusalem there went out into the world, men, twelve in number, and these illiterate, of no ability in speaking: but by the power of God they proclaimed to every race of men that they were sent by Christ to teach to all the word of God.

He willed that the apostles as spiritual progenitors of the new humanity would be sent by his Son into the entire world, so that all human sufferers might come to the knowledge of their creator. Insofar as any choose to follow him, they have One whom they now address in their prayers as Father, instead of God. His providence has run and at present runs its course not only among individuals but also through whole cities and states, whose overthrow he predicted by the words of the prophets. His providence indeed runs its course through the whole cosmos itself.

Then in this same way the apostles went out to found churches in every city possible. It is from these apostolic churches that all the subsequent churches, one after the other, derived the rule of faith and the seeds of doctrine. Even to today they continue to derive from the apostles that which is necessary in order that they be churches. Indeed, it is for this reason only that they are able to deem themselves as apostolic, as being the offspring of apostolic churches. As in science, every genus reverts to its original for its classification, so with the apostolic church. However many or great these churches may be, they comprise but one primitive church, founded by the apostles, from which they all spring. In this way all are primitive. All are apostolic. They all are one, by means of their unbroken unity, peaceful communion, title of descent, and bond of hospitality. These are privileges that no other rule directs than the one tradition of the same mystery.

Again, in the Pslams, David says: "Bring to God, ye countries of the nations"-undoubtedly because "unto every land" the preaching of the apostles had to "go out" -"bring to God fame and honour; bring to God the sacrifices of His name: take up victims and enter into His courts.

Note the Lord's commandment: "preach to every creature." He did not say: preach only to the obedient, but to every creature, whether they will listen or not.

Or else; to every creature, that is, whether believing or unbelieving.

Nay, he that, out of contempt, will not be baptized, shall be condemned as an unbeliever, and shall be reproached as ungrateful and foolish. For the Lord says: "Except a man be baptized of water and of the Spirit, he shall by no means enter into the kingdom of heaven." And again: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." But he that says, When I am dying I will be baptized, lest I should sin and defile my baptism, is ignorant of God, and forgetful of his own nature. For "do not thou delay to turn unto the Lord, for thou knowest not what the next day will bring forth."

The ecumenically received faith is taught in the creed and committed to memory in a form of the utmost possible brevity, so as to frame an expression in few words of that which was intended to be explained at large afterwards to persons in a state of formation and advancement in knowledge of God.

We know that the dead who die in the Lord are blessed, and they have no concern with what they would have done if they had lived a longer time. We know that those who believe in the Lord from their own heart do this of their own will and free choice. We who now believe act rightly when we pray to God for those who refuse to believe, and pray that they themselves may in time freely will to believe.

(ubi sup.) What shall we say here about infants, who by reason of their age cannot yet believe; for as to older persons there is no question. In the Church then of our Saviour children believe by others, as also they drew from others the sins which are remitted to them in baptism. It goes on: And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents.

"He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be condemned." Perhaps each one may say within himself: "I have already believed; I shall be saved." He speaks truly, if he holds faith by works. For true faith is that which does not contradict in conduct what it says in words. Hence it is that Paul says of certain false believers: "They profess to know God, but they deny Him by their deeds." Hence John says: "He who says he knows God and does not keep His commandments is a liar."

Since this is so, we ought to recognize the truth of our faith in the consideration of our life. For then we are truly faithful, if we fulfill in works what we promise in words. On the day of baptism indeed, we promised to renounce all the works of the ancient enemy and all his pomps. Therefore let each of you bring back the eyes of his mind to consideration of himself; and if he keeps after baptism what he pledged before baptism, let him rejoice, now certain that he is faithful.

But behold, if he has by no means kept what he promised, if he has slipped into practicing wicked works, into desiring the pomps of the world; let us see if he now knows how to lament that he has erred. For before the merciful Judge, not even he will be held a deceiver who returns to the truth, even after he has lied, because almighty God, when He willingly receives our repentance, Himself hides by His own judgment that in which we have erred.

(ubi sup.) But perhaps some one may say in himself, I have already believed, I shall be saved. He says what is true, if he keeps his faith by works; for that is a true faith, which does not contradict by its deeds what it says in words. There follows: But he that believeth not shall be damned.

"Whoever believes," and this alone is not enough, but also "is baptized," for whoever has believed but has not been baptized and still remains a catechumen, that one is not yet saved.

It goes on: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. For it is not enough to believe, for he who believeth and is not baptized, but is a catechumen, has not yet attained to perfect salvation.

See, God sent apostles, and sent prophets and teachers, gave the gift of healings, which as we have found are given by the Holy Spirit, and God gave many kinds of tongues. But yet all are not apostles, all are not prophets, all are not teachers. Not all, says he, have the gift of healings, nor do all, says he, speak with tongues. For the whole range of divine gifts cannot exist in each particular individual. Each, according to his capacity, receives that which he either desires or deserves.

As the Father gives the gift of healings, so too does the Son give; as the Father gives the gift of tongues, so too has the Son also granted it.

With good reason did he say to all of us together, when we became fully aware of those gifts that were given from him by the Spirit: "And these signs will accompany those who believe; in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." These gifts were first bestowed on us the apostles when we were about to preach the gospel to every creature. Later they of necessity were afforded to others who had by the apostles come to believe. These gifts were not given for the advantage of those who perform them, but for the conviction of the unbelievers, that those whom the word did not persuade, the power of signs might put to shame.

And these signs will follow those who believe: In my name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover. Should it be said that because we do not perform these signs we do not believe at all? But these were necessary at the beginning of the Church. For as faith was to grow, it had to be nurtured by miracles. For when we plant young trees, we water them until they seem to have taken root in the ground. But if they have once fixed their roots, the watering will cease. Hence it is that Paul says: Tongues are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers (1 Cor. XIV). Do we not have of these signs and virtues what we should more subtly consider? The holy Church indeed daily spiritually performs what it did physically through the apostles. For when its priests lay hands on believers through the grace of exorcism, and deny the evil spirit dwelling in their minds, what else do they do but cast out demons? And faithful ones who have already renounced the secular words of the old life, but sound out the holy mysteries, and narrate, as far as they can, the praises and power of their Creator, what else do they do but speak in new tongues? When they remove malice from others' hearts by their good exhortations, they take up serpents. And when they hear pestilent suggestions but are not led into evil action, indeed it is deadly what they drink, but it will not harm them. Whenever they see their neighbors weakened in good work and run to help them with all their strength, and strengthen their life by the example of their actions, who waver in their own deeds, what else do they do but lay hands on the sick, that they may recover? These miracles are indeed all the greater as they are more spiritual. They are all the greater as by these not bodies, but souls are raised.

Vincentius of Thibaris said: We know that heretics are worse than Gentiles. If, therefore, being converted, they should wish to come to the Lord, we have assuredly the rule of truth which the Lord by His divine precept commanded to His apostles, saying, "Go ye, lay on hands in my name, expel demons." And in another place: "Go ye and teach the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Therefore first of all by imposition of hands in exorcism, secondly by the regeneration of baptism, they may then come to the promise of Christ. Otherwise I think it ought not to be done.

This same Macarius once went down from Scetis to a place named Terenuthis, and he climbed into an old pagan burial place to sleep. He put one of the bodies under his head as a pillow. The demons hated him when they saw his assurance and tried to frighten him by calling out, 'Lady, come with us to bathe.' Another demon answered from underneath Macarius, as though he were the dead woman, 'I have a pilgrim on top of me, and can't move.' Macarius was not frightened, but confidently thumped the body, saying, 'Get up and go if you can.' When the demons heard it, they cried out and said, 'You have defeated us,' and they fled in confusion.

What then, my brethren, because you do not these signs, do you not believe? But these things were necessary in the beginning of the Church. For that faith might grow, it needed to be nourished by miracles, because we also, when we plant shrubs, pour water on them only until we see that they have taken root in the ground; and once they have fixed their roots, we cease watering. Hence it is that Paul says: Tongues are for a sign, not to believers, but to unbelievers. ... For by those outward signs, life cannot be obtained by those who work them. For those bodily miracles sometimes show holiness, but do not make it; but these spiritual ones, which are wrought in the mind, do not show but make the virtue of life.

We have concerning these signs and powers things that we ought yet more carefully to consider. For holy Church daily does spiritually what then she did corporally through the apostles. For when her priests lay hands upon believers through the grace of exorcism, and forbid evil spirits to dwell in their minds, what else do they do but cast out devils? And believers who now abandon the worldly words of their former life, and utter forth holy mysteries, and declare the praises and power of their Creator as much as they are able, what else do they do but speak with new tongues? They who by their good exhortations take away malice from the hearts of others, take up serpents. And when they hear pestilent persuasions, yet are not drawn thereby to evil works, they drink indeed what is deadly, but it shall not hurt them. They who, as often as they see their neighbors grow weak in good works, run to help them with all their strength, and by the example of their own deeds strengthen the lives of those who waver in their own actions; what else do they do but lay hands on the sick that they may recover? Which miracles are so much the greater as they are spiritual; so much the greater as by them not bodies but souls are raised to life. These signs therefore, dearest brethren, you can do by God's help if you will.

And these signs shall follow them that believe. In my name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents; and if they shall drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

What then, my brethren, because you do not these signs, do you not believe? But these things were necessary in the beginning of the Church. For that faith might grow, it needed to be nourished by miracles, because we also, when we plant shrubs, pour water on them only until we see that they have taken root in the ground; and once they have fixed their roots, we cease watering. Hence it is that Paul says: Tongues are for a sign, not to believers, but to unbelievers.

We have concerning these signs and powers things that we ought yet more carefully to consider. For holy Church daily does spiritually what then she did corporally through the apostles. For when her priests lay hands upon believers through the grace of exorcism, and forbid evil spirits to dwell in their minds, what else do they do but cast out devils? And believers who now abandon the worldly words of their former life, and utter forth holy mysteries, and declare the praises and power of their Creator as much as they are able, what else do they do but speak with new tongues?

(ubi sup.) Are we then without faith because we cannot do these signs? Nay, but these things were necessary in the beginning of the Church, for the faith of believers was to be nourished by miracles, that it might increase. Thus we also, when we plant groves, pour water upon them, until we see that they have grown strong in the earth; but when once they have firmly fixed their roots, we leave off irrigating them. These signs and miracles have other things which we ought to consider more minutely. For Holy Church does every day in spirit what then the Apostles did in body; for when her Priests by the grace of exorcism lay their hands on believers, and forbid the evil spirits to dwell in their minds, what do they, but cast out devils? And the faithful who have left earthly words, and whose tongues sound forth the Holy Mysteries, speak a new language; they who by their good warnings take away evil from the hearts of others, take up serpents; and when they are hearing words of pestilent persuasion, without being at all drawn aside to evil doing, they drink a deadly thing, but it will never hurt them; whenever they see their neighbours growing weak in good works, and by their good example strengthen their life, they lay their hands on the sick, that they may recover. And all these miracles are greater in proportion as they are spiritual, and by them souls and not bodies are raised.

But the Lord, having suffered, and bestowing the knowledge of the Father, conferred on us salvation. For the Lord, through means of suffering, "ascending into the lofty place, led captivity captive, gave gifts to men," and conferred on those that believe in Him the power "to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and on all the power of the enemy," that is, of the leader of apostasy. Our Lord also by His passion destroyed death, and dispersed error, and put an end to corruption, and destroyed ignorance, while He manifested life and revealed truth, and bestowed the gift of incorruption.

Believers, he says, will be accompanied by signs — the casting out of demons, speaking in new tongues.

For what else are hearing, reading and copiously depositing things in the memory, than several stages of drinking in thoughts? The Lord, however, foretold concerning his faithful followers, that even "if they should drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them." And thus it happens that they who read with judgment, and bestow their approval on whatever is commendable according to the rule of faith, and disapprove of things which ought to be repudiated, even if they commit to their memory heretical statements which are declared to be worthy of disapproval, they receive no harm from the poisonous and depraved nature of these sentences.

That this gift [spiritual healing] was promised to the Church is certain from Scripture. Whether any instance of it is a real instance, or change, or even (as might happen in this wicked world) fraud, is a question only to be decided by the evidence in that particular case. And unless one is a doctor one is not likely to be able to judge the evidence. Very often, I expect, one is not called upon to do so. Anything like a sudden furore about it in one district, especially if accompanied by a public campaign on modern commercial lines, would be to me suspect: but even then I might be wrong. On the whole, my attitude would be that any claim may be true, and that it is not my duty to decide whether it is.

There is, in fact, a fatal tendency in all human activities for the means to encroach upon the very ends which they were intended to serve. Thus money comes to hinder the exchange of commodities, and rules of art to hamper genius, and examinations to prevent young men from becoming learned. It does not, unfortunately, always follow that the encroaching means can be dispensed with. I think it probable that the collectivism of our life is necessary and will increase; and I think that our only safeguard against its deathly properties is in a Christian life; for we were promised that we could handle serpents and drink deadly things and yet live.

They who by their good exhortations take away malice from the hearts of others, take up serpents. And when they hear pestilent persuasions, yet are not drawn thereby to evil works, they drink indeed what is deadly, but it shall not hurt them. They who, as often as they see their neighbors grow weak in good works, run to help them with all their strength, and by the example of their own deeds strengthen the lives of those who waver in their own actions; what else do they do but lay hands on the sick that they may recover?

Which miracles are so much the greater as they are spiritual; so much the greater as by them not bodies but souls are raised to life. These signs therefore, dearest brethren, you can do by God's help if you will. For by those outward signs, life cannot be obtained by those who work them. For those bodily miracles sometimes show holiness, but do not make it; but these spiritual ones, which are wrought in the mind, do not show but make the virtue of life. The evil can have those, but only the good can enjoy these.

Whence the Truth says of certain ones: Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, and in your name cast out devils, and in your name done many mighty works? And then I will confess to them: I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of iniquity. Do not therefore, dearest brethren, love signs which may be had in common with the reprobate; but love these miracles of charity and piety which we have spoken of, which are so much the safer as they are hidden, and for which the recompense with the Lord is so much the greater as the glory among men is less.

We have faith for a defence, if we are not smitten with distrust itself also, in immediately making the sign and adjuring, and besmearing the heel with the beast.

The taking up of serpents, that is, the destruction of serpents, both sensible and intelligible, as it is said in another place: "I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions," evidently, intelligible ones (Luke 10:19). However, the expression "they will take up serpents" can also be understood literally, since, for example, Paul took a serpent in his hand without any harm to himself (Acts 28:5). "And if they drink anything deadly, it will not harm them." This happened many times, as we find in the narratives. For many, drinking poison, were preserved unharmed by the power of the sign of the cross.

That is, they shall scatter before them serpents, whether intellectual or sensible, as it is said, Ye shall tread upon serpents and scorpions, which is understood spiritually. But it may also mean sensible serpents, as when Paul received no hurt from the viper. There follows: And if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. (Luke 10:19) We read of many such cases in history, for many persons have drank poison unhurt, by guarding themselves with the sign of Christ. It goes on: They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recorer.

We know that all our works are pure and pleasing in the sight of God if they are performed with a single heart. This means that they are performed out of charity and with an intention that is fixed on heaven. For "love is the fulfillment of the law." Therefore in this passage we ought to understand the eye as the intention with which we perform all our actions. If this intention is pure and upright and directing its gaze where it ought to be directed, then unfailingly all our works are good works, because they are performed in accordance with that intention. And by the expression "whole body," Christ designated all those works that he reproves and that he commands us to put to death. For the apostle also designates certain works as our "members." "Therefore," Paul writes, "mortify your members which are on earth: fornication, uncleanness, covetousness," and all other such things.

(ubi sup.) Otherwise; by the eye here we may understand our purpose; if that be pure and right, all our works which we work according thereto are good. These He here calls the body, as the Apostle speaks of certain works as members; Mortify your members, fornication and uncleanness. (Col. 3:5.) We should look then, not to what a person does, but with what mind he does it. For this is the light within us, because by this we see that we do with good intention what we do. For all which doth make manifest is light. (Eph. 5:13.) But the deeds themselves, which go forth to men's society, have a result to us uncertain, and therefore He calls them darkness; as when I give money to one in need, I know not what he will do with it. If then the purport of your heart, which you can know, is defiled with the lust of temporal things, much more is the act itself, of which the issue is uncertain, defiled. For even though one should reap good of what you do with a purport not good; it will be imputed to you as you did it, not as it resulted to him. If however our works are done with a single purport, that is with the aim of charity, then are they pure and pleasing in God's sight.

(cont. Mendac. 7.) But acts which are known to be in themselves sins, are not to be done as with a good purpose; but such works only as are either good or bad, according as the motives from which they are done are either good or bad, and are not in themselves sins; as to give food to the poor is good if it be done from merciful motives, but evil if it be done from ostentation. But such works as are in themselves sins, who will say that they are to be done with good motives, or that they are not sins? Who would say, Let us rob the rich, that we may have to give to the poor?

The single eye is the love unfeigned; for when the body is enlightened by it, it sets forth through the medium of the outer members only things which are perfectly correspondent with the inner thoughts. But the evil eye is the pretended love, which is also called hypocrisy, by which the whole body of the man is made darkness. We have to consider that deeds meet only for darkness may be within the man, while through the outer members he may produce words that seem to be of the light: for there are those who are in reality wolves, though they may be covered with sheep's clothing. Such are they who wash only the outside of the cup and platter, and do not understand that, unless the inside of these things is cleansed, the outside itself cannot be made pure. Wherefore, in manifest confutation of such persons, the Saviour says: If the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! That is to say, if the love which seems to you to be light is really a work meet for darkness, by reason of some hypocrisy concealed in you, what must be your patent transgressions!

(Mor. xxviii. 11.) Otherwise; if the light that is in thee, that is, if what we have begun to do well, we overcloud with evil purpose, when we do things which we know to be in themselves evil, how great is the darkness!

Otherwise; from the office of the light of the eye, He calls it the light of the heart; which if it continue single and brilliant, will confer on the body the brightness of the eternal light, and pour again into the corrupted flesh the splendor of its origin, that is, in the resurrection. But if it be obscured by sin, and evil in will, the bodily nature will yet abide subject to all the evils of the understanding.

(Verse 22, 23.) If your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Those with failing eyesight often see many lights: a sound and pure eye perceives only one light. This can be transferred to the realm of perception. For just as the whole body is in darkness if the eye is not sound, so the soul, if it has lost its primary light, will abide in darkness in all its senses. If therefore the light which is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! If the sense which is light is obscured by the fault of the soul, do you think in what darkness it will be enveloped!

This is an illustration drawn from the senses. As the whole body is in darkness, where the eye is not single, so if the soul has lost her original brightness, every sense, or that whole part of the soul to which sensation belongs, will abide in darkness. Wherefore He says, If then the light which is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! that is, if the senses which are the soul's light be darkened by vice, in how great darkness do you suppose the darkness itself will be wrapped?

Those who have thick eye-sight see the lights multiplied; but the single and clear eye sees them single and clear.

What He saith is like this: Bury not gold in the earth, nor do any other such thing, for thou dost but gather it for the moth, and the rust, and the thieves. And even if thou shouldest entirely escape these evils, yet the enslaving of thine heart, the nailing it to all that is below, thou wilt not escape: "For wheresoever thy treasure may be, there is thine heart also." As then, laying up stores in heaven, thou wilt reap not this fruit only, the attainment of the rewards for these things, but from this world thou already receivest thy recompence, in getting into harbor there, in setting thine affections on the things that are there, and caring for what is there (for where thou hast laid up thy treasures, it is most clear thou transferrest thy mind also); so if thou do this upon earth, thou wilt experience the contrary.

But if the saying be obscure to thee, hear what comes next in order. "The light of the body is the eye; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. But if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness!" He leads His discourse to the things which are more within the reach of our senses. I mean, forasmuch as He had spoken of the mind as enslaved and brought into captivity, and there were not many who could easily discern this, He transfers the lesson to things outward, and lying before men's eyes, that by these the others also might reach their understanding. Thus, "If thou knowest not," saith He, "what a thing it is to be injured in mind, learn it from the things of the body; for just what the eye is to the body, the same is the mind to the soul." As therefore thou wouldest not choose to wear gold, and to be clad in silken garments, thine eyes withal being put out, but accountest their sound health more desirable than all such superfluity (for, shouldest thou lose this health or waste it, all thy life besides will do thee no good): for just as when the eyes are blinded, most of the energy of the other members is gone, their light being quenched; so also when the mind is depraved, thy life will be filled with countless evils: as therefore in the body this is our aim, namely, to keep the eye sound, so also the mind in the soul. But if we mutilate this, which ought to give light to the rest, by what means are we to see clearly any more? For as he that destroys the fountain, dries up also the river, so he who hath quenched the understanding hath confounded all his doings in this life. Wherefore He saith, "If the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness?"

For when the pilot is drowned, and the candle is put out, and the general is taken prisoner; what sort of hope will there be, after that, for those that are under command?

Thus then, omitting now to speak of the plots to which wealth gives occasion, the strifes, the suits (these indeed He had signified above, when He said, "The adversary shall deliver thee to the judge, and the judge to the officer"); and setting down what is more grievous than all these, as sure to occur, He so withdraws us from the wicked desire. For to inhabit the prison is not nearly so grievous, as for the mind to be enslaved by this disease; and the former is not sure to happen, but the other is connected as an immediate consequent with the desire of riches. And this is why He puts it after the first, as being a more grievous thing, and sure to happen.

For God, He saith, gave us understanding, that we might chase away all ignorance, and have the right judgment of things, and that using this as a kind of weapon and light against all that is grievous or hurtful, we might remain in safety. But we betray the gift for the sake of things superfluous and useless.

For what is the use of soldiers arrayed in gold, when the general is dragged along a captive? what the profit of a ship beautifully equipped, when the pilot is sunk beneath the waves? what the advantage of a well-proportioned body, when the sight of the eyes is stricken out? As therefore, should any one cast into sickness the physician (who should be in good health, that he may end our diseases), and then bid him lie on a silver couch, and in a chamber of gold, this will nothing avail the sick persons; even so, if thou corrupt the mind (which hath power to put down our passions), although thou set it by a treasure, so far from doing it any good, thou hast inflicted the very greatest loss, and hast harmed thy whole soul.

And as they that are in darkness see nothing distinct, but if they look at a rope, they suppose it to be a serpent, if at mountains and ravines, they are dead with fear; so these also: what is not alarming to them that have sight, that they regard with suspicion. Thus among other things they tremble at poverty: or rather not at poverty only, but even at any trifling loss. Yea, and if they should lose some little matter, those who are in want of necessary food do not so grieve and bewail themselves as they. At least many of the rich have come even to the halter, not enduring such ill fortune: and to be insulted also, and to be despitefully used, seems to them so intolerable, that even because of this again many have actually torn themselves from this present life. For to everything wealth had made them soft, except to the waiting on it.

Thus, when it commands them to do service unto itself, they venture on murders, and stripes, and revilings, and all shame. A thing which comes of the utmost wretchedness; to be of all men most effeminate, where one ought to practise self-command, but where more caution was required, in these cases again to become more shameless and obstinate. Since in fact the same kind of thing befalls them, as one would have to endure who had spent all his goods on unfit objects. For such an one, when the time of necessary expenditure comes on, having nothing to supply it, suffers incurable evils, forasmuch as all that he had hath been ill spent beforehand.

And as they that are on the stage, skilled in those wicked arts, do in them go through many things strange and dangerous, but in other necessary and useful things none so ridiculous as they; even so is it with these men likewise. For so such as walk upon a stretched rope, making a display of so much courage, should some great emergency demand daring or courage, they are not able, neither do they endure even to think of such a thing. Just so they likewise that are rich, daring all for money, for self-restraint's sake endure not to submit to anything, be it small or great. And as the former practise both a hazardous and fruitless business; even so do these undergo many dangers and downfalls, but arrive at no profitable end. Yea, they undergo a twofold darkness, both having their eyes put out by the perversion of their mind, and being by the deceitfulness of their cares involved in a great mist. Wherefore neither can they easily so much as see through it. For he that is in darkness, is freed from the darkness by the mere appearance of the sun; but he that hath his eyes mutilated not even when the sun shines; which is the very case of these men: not even now that the Sun of Righteousness hath shone out, and is admonishing, do they hear, their wealth having closed their eyes. And so they have a twofold darkness to undergo, part from themselves, part from disregard to their teacher.

Let us then give heed unto Him exactly, that though late we may at length recover our sight. And how may one recover sight? If thou learn how thou wast blinded. How then wast thou blinded? By thy wicked desire. For the love of money, like an evil humor which hath collected upon a clear eyeball, hath caused the cloud to become thick.

Otherwise; He now teaches the benefit of almsgiving. He who places his treasure on earth has nothing to look for in Heaven; for why should he look up to Heaven where he has nothing laid up for himself? Thus he doubly sins; first, because he gathers together things evil; secondly, because he has his heart in earth; and so on the contrary he does right in a twofold manner who lays up his treasure in Heaven.

It seems that He is not here speaking of the bodily eye, or of the outward body that is seen, or He would have said, If thine eye be sound, or weak; but He says, single, and, evil. But if one have a benign yet diseased eye, is his body therefore in light? Or if an evil yet a sound, is his body therefore in darkness?

(ap. Gloss. ord.) Otherwise; faith is likened to a light, because by it the goings of the inner man, that is, action, are lightened, that he should not stumble according to that, Thy word is a light to my feet. (Ps. 119:105.) If that then be pure and single, the whole body is light; but if defiled, the whole body will be dark. Yet otherwise; by the light may be understood the ruler of the Church, who may be well called the eye, as he it is that ought to see that wholesome things be provided for the people under him, which are understood by the body. If then the ruler of the Church err, how much more will the people subject to him err?

"The eye is the lamp of the body: if therefore thine eye be sound, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness." This means, if you fill your mind with worries over money, you have extinguished the lamp and darkened your soul. For just as the eye that is "sound" or "healthy" brings light to the body, and the eye that is "evil" or "diseased" brings darkness, so also does the state of the mind affect the soul. If the mind is blinded by these worries, it is cast into darkness; then the soul becomes dark, and how much more so the body as well?

And because this harm, namely, the distraction of the heart, few consider, therefore the Lord shows how great this danger is by a certain example. Hence The light of thy body is thy eye; through sensible things he instructs about intelligible things. And this can be read in two ways. First, so that the Lord proposes a likeness from the corporeal eye and afterward adapts the likeness to spiritual things, at the words If then the light that is in thee; and this exposition is plain. And regarding this he does three things: first, he demonstrates the function of the eye; secondly, the advantage of a good eye; thirdly, the harm of a bad eye. He says, therefore: The light of thy body is thy eye, the corporeal eye, which directs like a lamp. If thy eye be single, i.e., strong for seeing, according to Jerome — otherwise it could not be understood of the corporeal eye. Hence "single" means strong for seeing. For when a man has a weak eye, one thing appears as two. Hence if the eye can fix on one thing because of its strength, thy whole body shall be lightsome; for through the light of the eye, light is received to direct all the members in their acts. But if thy eye be evil, i.e., disturbed, namely, bleary, then also thy body, i.e., all the members, will act as though in darkness.

It is not, therefore, what one does, but the intent with which he does it, that is to be considered. For this is the light in us, because it is a thing manifest to ourselves that we do with a good intent what we are doing; for everything which is made manifest is light. For the deeds themselves which go forth from us to human society, have an uncertain issue; and therefore He has called them darkness. For I do not know, when I present money to a poor man who asks it, either what he is to do with it, or what he is to suffer from it; and it may happen that he does some evil with it, or suffers some evil on account of it, a thing I did not wish to happen when I gave it to him, nor would I have given it with such an intention. If, therefore, I did it with a good intention,— a thing which was known to me when I was doing it, and is therefore called light—my deed also is lighted up, whatever issue it shall have; but that issue, inasmuch as it is uncertain and unknown, is called darkness. But if I have done it with a bad intent, the light itself even is darkness. For it is spoken of as light, because every one knows with what intent he acts, even when he acts with a bad intent; but the light itself is darkness, because the aim is not directed singly to things above, but is turned downwards to things beneath, and makes, as it were, a shadow by means of a double heart. If, therefore, the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness! i.e., if the very intent of the heart with which you do what you are doing (which is known to you) is polluted by the hunger after earthly and temporal things, and blinded, how much more is the deed itself, whose issue is uncertain, polluted and full of darkness! Because, although what you do with an intent which is neither upright nor pure, may turn out for some one's good, it is the way in which you have done it, not how it has turned out for him, that is reckoned to you.

If ever a man on this earth lived to embody the tremendous text, "But if the \ light in your body be darkness, how great is the darkness," it was certainly he. \ Great men like Ariosto, Rabelais, and Shakspere fall in foul places, flounder in \ violent but venial sin, sprawl for pages, exposing their gigantic weakness, are \ dirty, are indefensible; and then they struggle up again and can still speak with \ a convincing kindness and an unbroken honour of the best things in the world: \ Rabelais, of the instruction of ardent and austere youth; Ariosto, of holy \ chivalry; Shakspere, of the splendid stillness of mercy. But in Zola even the \ ideals are undesirable; Zola's mercy is colder than justice—nay, Zola's mercy \ is more bitter in the mouth than injustice. When Zola shows us an ideal training \ he does not take us, like Rabelais, into the happy fields of humanist learning. \ He takes us into the schools of inhumanist learning, where there are neither \ books nor flowers, nor wine nor wisdom, but only deformities in glass bottles, \ and where the rule is taught from the exceptions. Zola's truth answers the exact \ description of the skeleton in the cupboard; that is, it is something of which a \ domestic custom forbids the discovery, but which is quite dead, even when it is \ discovered. Macaulay said that the Puritans hated bear-baiting, not because it \ gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spectators. Of such \ substance also was this Puritan who had lost his God. A Puritan of this type is \ worse than the Puritan who hates pleasure because there is evil in it. This man \ actually hates evil because there is pleasure in it. Zola was worse than a \ pornographer, he was a pessimist. He did worse than encourage sin: he encouraged \ discouragement. He made lust loathsome because to him lust meant life.

Consequently, he adapts: If then the light that is in thee be darkness, namely, the light of reason, the darkness itself how great shall it be! Of this light, the Psalm says: "The light of your countenance is signed upon us" (Ps 4:6). He means to say, therefore, that if the heart, which is the eye of the soul, is darkened by applying itself to earthly things, the other eyes, which by their nature are darkness because they can only know corporeal things, will be the greatest darkness. Hence if reason, which has power over spiritual things, is directed to earthly things, then all the senses will be directed to earthly things; and this is if then the light, etc. Or, in another way: the Lord wishes here to speak of the spiritual eye, and if then the light, etc., is brought in to prove the preceding by an argument from the lesser. He says, therefore, the light of thy body is thy eye. Here "eye" can be expounded in four ways: of reason, as has been said, and this according to Chrysostom and Hilary. For just as by a lamp men are illuminated for seeing, so by reason for acting: "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord" (Pr 20:27). If thy eye be single, i.e., if your reason is wholly directed toward one thing, namely, toward God, thy whole body, etc.; and if evil, i.e., applied to earthly things, thy whole body, etc. And this can be understood in two ways. It will be lightsome or darksome as to present works: lightsome if all exterior members work for the sake of God — and this happens when reason is directed toward God, because then the members are kept pure from sin, since sin proceeds only from the consent of the mind; but darksome if reason has been occupied with earthly things, because then the members will be occupied with works of darkness: "Let us cast off the works of darkness" (Rom 13:12).

Or, in another way, according to Hilary: if the eye, i.e., if reason is simply directed toward God, thy whole body shall be lightsome, because from the brightness of the soul, brightness overflows to the body. Thus it is said: "The righteous will shine" (Mt 13:43). But if evil, etc. In another way, according to Augustine, by the eye is understood the intention. For just as a man first looks at the distance to his destination, then proceeds, so in acting, he first determines the end, and from the end the intention proceeds to acting; therefore the eye directs: "Her lamp does not go out at night" (Pr 31:18). Hence if the intention is pure, the work or the whole body of works proceeding from that intention will be pure — and this should be understood of things that are good in themselves, because as it is said in Romans: "Their condemnation is just" who said "Let us do evil" (Rom 3:8). But if the intention is perverted, the whole operation is rendered dark. Nor should it seem strange that works are signified by the body, because as it says in Colossians (3:5): "Put to death your members."

Thirdly, Chromatius says: the eye of the soul is faith, which directs every work: "Your word is a lamp to my feet" (Ps 119:105); it is "single" when it does not waver; but it "works through love" (Gal 5:6). But if faith is corrupted, the whole body, i.e., the work, is dark: "Whatever is not of faith is sin" (Rom 14:23). Or, in another way: the eye is the prelate, who is the eye of those he oversees, as in Kings: "The men said" etc., "Do not extinguish the lamp of Israel" (2 Sam 21:17); "According to the judge of the people" (Sir 10:2).

As to what he says, If then the light, according to the first exposition, he draws a syllogism from the preceding; but according to these expositions, he proves the preceding, as if to say: You say, "if your eye," etc.; proof: If then the light, about which less provision is made, the darkness itself, etc. If the light of reason is darkness, the work too; and as to this, the exposition does not change. But applied to the others, it is thus, because as Augustine says, anyone can know from his intention what he is like, but what effects his work has he cannot know. Hence the lamp is the intention, but the work is the darkness: "Everything that is manifest is light" (Eph 5:13), but the work is not manifest. Or, in another way, according to Augustine: there are two kinds of works, of light and of darkness. The works of light are works of justice. If, therefore, a work of justice in you is dark, i.e., done with an evil intention, the darkness itself, i.e., evil actions, how great shall it be! Or, in another way: if faith is bad, all other things that are directed by faith will also be bad; and similarly, if a prelate is bad, much more so his subjects.

"He will be devoted to one and disregard the other." He does not say that one will hate the other, for scarcely anyone's conscience could hate God. But one disregards God—that is to say, one does not fear God but presumes on his goodness. From this negligent and tormented confidence, the Holy Spirit recalls us when he says through the prophet: "Son, do not add sin to sin; and do not say, 'The mercy of God is great.' " Note when Paul says, "Do you not know that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?" For whose mercy can be accounted as great as the mercy of him who forgives all, if they convert to him? He makes the wild olive a partaker of the fatness of the original olive tree. At the same time, whose severity can be accounted as great as the severity of him who has not spared the natural branches but has broken them off because of unbelief? Therefore, whoever wishes to love God and to beware of offending him, let such a one cleanse the upright intention of his heart from all duplicity. In this way, he will "think of the Lord in goodness and seek him in simplicity of heart."

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 14.) Whoso serves mammon, (that is, riches,) verily serves him, who, being for desert of his perversity set over these things of earth, is called by the Lord, The prince of this world. Or otherwise; who the two masters are He shows when He says, Ye cannot serve God and mammon, that is to say, God and the Devil. Either then man will hate the one, and love the other, namely God; or, he will endure the one and despise the other. For he who is mammon's servant endures a hard master; for ensnared by his own lust he has been made subject to the Devil, and loves him not. As one whose passions have connected him with another man's handmaid, suffers a hard slavery, yet loves not him whose handmaid he loves. But He said, will despise, and not will hate, the other, for none can with a right conscience hate God. But he despises, that is, fears Him not, as being certain of His goodness.

The religion which has declined was not Christianity. It was a vague theism with a strong and virile ethical code, which, far from standing over against the "world," was absorbed into the whole fabric of English institutions and sentiment and therefore demanded churchgoing as (at best) a part of loyalty and good manners as (at worst) a proof of respectability... I am not clear that [its decline] makes conversions to Christianity rarer or more difficult: rather the reverse. It makes the choice more unescapable. When the Round Table is broken every man must follow either Galahad or Mordred: middle things are gone.

A man, said Jesus, who tries to serve two masters, will "hate" the one and "love" the other. It is not, surely, mere feelings of aversion and liking that are here in question. He will adhere to, consent to, work for, the one and not for the other.

And though ye allow that the universe was created in six days, yet ye find no mention of the making of a third heaven, and far less of the eight or nine which ye venture to affirm. How great is your knowledge! how great your wisdom! how great your intelligence! how great your inconsistency! No man can serve two masters, as has well been said by the Lord, but if one will serve God, let him serve him, or if Mammon, then Mammon. And again he says, through Paul: Ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of devils. And again: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with lawlessness, and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

In such strange utterances we see quite clearly what is really at the bottom of all these articles and books. It is not mere business; it is not even mere cynicism. It is mysticism; the horrible mysticism of money. The writer of that passage did not really have the remotest notion of how Vanderbilt made his money, or of how anybody else is to make his. He does, indeed, conclude his remarks by advocating some scheme; but it has nothing in the world to do with Vanderbilt. He merely wished to prostrate himself before the mystery of a millionaire. For when we really worship anything, we love not only its clearness but its obscurity. We exult in its very invisibility. Thus, for instance, when a man is in love with a woman he takes special pleasure in the fact that a woman is unreasonable. Thus, again, the very pious poet, celebrating his Creator, takes pleasure in saying that God moves in a mysterious way. Now, the writer of the paragraph which I have quoted does not seem to have had anything to do with a god, and I should not think (judging by his extreme unpracticality) that he had ever been really in love with a woman. But the thing he does worship—Vanderbilt—he treats in exactly this mystical manner. He really revels in the fact his deity Vanderbilt is keeping a secret from him. And it fills his soul with a sort of transport of cunning, an ecstasy of priestcraft, that he should pretend to be telling to the multitude that terrible secret which he does not know.

The journalists who write about Mr. Pierpont Morgan do not say that he is as beautiful as Apollo; I wish they did. What they do is to take the rich man's superficial life and manner, clothes, hobbies, love of cats, dislike of doctors, or what not; and then with the assistance of this realism make the man out to be a prophet and a saviour of his kind, whereas he is merely a private and stupid man who happens to like cats or to dislike doctors.

You may suppose me, for the sake of argument, sitting at lunch in one of those quick-lunch restaurants in the City where men take their food so fast that it has none of the quality of food, and take their half-hour's vacation so fast that it has none of the qualities of leisure; to hurry through one's leisure is the most unbusiness-like of actions. They all wore tall shiny hats as if they could not lose an instant even to hang them on a peg, and they all had one eye a little off, hypnotised by the huge eye of the clock. In short, they were the slaves of the modern bondage, you could hear their fetters clanking. Each was, in fact, bound by a chain; the heaviest chain ever tied to a man—it is called a watch-chain.

The Sentimentalist, roughly speaking, is the man who wants to eat his cake and have it. He has no sense of honour about ideas; he will not see that one must pay for an idea as for anything else. He will not see that any worthy idea, like any honest woman, can only be won on its own terms, and with its logical chain of loyalty. One idea attracts him; another idea really inspires him; a third idea flatters him; a fourth idea pays him. He will have them all at once in one wild intellectual harem, no matter how much they quarrel and contradict each other. The Sentimentalist is a philosophic profligate, who tries to capture every mental beauty without reference to its rival beauties; who will not even be off with the old love before he is on with the new. Thus if a man were to say, "I love this woman, but I may some day find my affinity in some other woman," he would be a Sentimentalist. He would be saying, "I will eat my wedding-cake and keep it." Or if a man should say, "I am a Republican, believing in the equality of citizens; but when the Government has given me my peerage I can do infinite good as a kind landlord and a wise legislator"; then that man would be a Sentimentalist. He would be trying to keep at the same time the classic austerity of equality and also the vulgar excitement of an aristocrat. Or if a man should say, "I am in favour of religious equality; but I must preserve the Protestant Succession," he would be a Sentimentalist of a grosser and more improbable kind.

This is the essence of the Sentimentalist: that he seeks to enjoy every idea without its sequence, and every pleasure without its consequence.

(non occ.) Otherwise; it had been declared above, that good things become evil, when done with a worldly purpose. It might therefore have been said by some one, I will do good works from worldly and heavenly motives at once. Against this the Lord says, No man can serve two masters.

(non occ.) Or; He seems to allude to two different kinds of servants; one kind who serve freely for love, another who serve servilely from fear. If then one serve two masters of contrary character from love, it must be that he hate the one; if from fear, while he trembles before the one, he must despise the other. But as the world or God predominate in a man's heart, he must be drawn contrary ways; for God draws him who serves Him to things above; the earth draws to things beneath; therefore He concludes, Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

(ord.) By mammon is meant the Devil, who is the lord of money, not that he can bestow them unless where God wills, but because by means of them he deceives men.

(Verse 24) You cannot serve God and wealth. Wealth is called mammon in the Syriac language. You cannot serve God and wealth. Let the greedy person hear this, let the person who is thought to be unable to serve both wealth and Christ hear this. And yet it did not say, the one who has wealth, but the one who serves wealth. For the servant of wealth guards the riches, like a servant; but the one who has shaken off the yoke of servitude distributes them, like a master.

Mammon—riches are so termed in Syriac. Let the covetous man who is called by the Christian name, hear this, that he cannot serve both Christ and riches. Yet He said not, he who has riches, but, he who is the servant of riches. For he who is the slave of money, guards his money as a slave; but he who has thrown off the yoke of his slavery, dispenses them as a master.

Seest thou how by degrees He withdraws us from the things that now are, and at greater length introduces what He hath to say, touching voluntary poverty, and casts down the dominion of covetousness?

For He was not contented with His former sayings, many and great as they were, but He adds others also, more and more alarming.

For what can be more alarming than what He now saith, if indeed we are for our riches to fall from the service of Christ? or what more to be desired, if indeed, by despising wealth, we shall have our affection towards Him and our charity perfect? For what I am continually repeating, the same do I now say likewise, namely, that by both kinds He presses the hearer to obey His sayings; both by the profitable, and by the hurtful; much like an excellent physician, pointing out both the disease which is the consequence of neglect, and the good health which results from obedience.

See, for instance, what kind of gain He signifies this to be, and how He establishes the advantage of it by their deliverance from the contrary things. Thus, "wealth," saith He, "hurts you not in this only, that it arms robbers against you, nor in that it darkens your mind in the most intense degree, but also in that it casts you out of God's service, making you captive of lifeless riches, and in both ways doing you harm, on the one hand, by causing you to be slaves of what you ought to command; on the other, by casting you out of God's service, whom, above all things, it is indispensable for you to serve." For just as in the other place, He signified the mischief to be twofold, in both laying up here, "where moth corrupteth," and in not laying up there, where the watch kept is impregnable; so in this place, too, He shows the loss to be twofold, in that it both draws off from God, and makes us subject to mammon.

But He sets it not down directly, rather He establishes it first upon general considerations, saying thus; "No man can serve two masters:" meaning here two that are enjoining opposite things; since, unless this were the case, they would not even be two. For so, "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul," and yet were they divided into many bodies; their unanimity however made the many one.

Then, as adding to the force of it, He saith, "so far from serving, he will even hate and abhor:" "For either he will hate the one," saith He, "and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other." And it seems indeed as if the same thing were said twice over; He did not however choose this form without purpose, but in order to show that the change for the better is easy. I mean, lest thou shouldest say, "I am once for all made a slave; I am brought under the tyranny of wealth," He signifies that it is possible to transfer one's self, and that as from the first to the second, so also from the second one may pass over to the first.

Having thus, you see, spoken generally, that He might persuade the hearer to be an uncorrupt judge of His words, and to sentence according to the very nature of the things; when he hath made sure of his assent, then, and not till then, He discovers Himself. Thus He presently adds, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Let us shudder to think what we have brought Christ to say; with the name of God, to put that of gold. But if this be shocking, its taking place in our deeds, our preferring the tyranny of gold to the fear of God, is much more shocking.

"What then? Was not this possible among the ancients?" By no means. "How then," saith one, "did Abraham, how did Job obtain a good report?" Tell me not of them that are rich, but of them that serve riches. Since Job also was rich, but he served not mammon, but possessed it and ruled over it, and was a master, not a slave. Therefore he so possessed all those things, as if he had been the steward of another man's goods; not only not extorting from others, but even giving up his own to them that were in need. And what is more, when he had them they were no joy to him: so he also declared, saying, "If I did so much as rejoice when my wealth waxed great:" wherefore neither did he grieve when it was gone. But they that are rich are not now such as he was, but are rather in a worse condition than any slave, paying as it were tribute to some grievous tyrant. Because their mind is as a kind of citadel occupied by the love of money, which from thence daily sends out unto them its commands full of all iniquity, and there is none to disobey. Be not therefore thus over subtle. Nay, for God hath once for all declared and pronounced it a thing impossible for the one service and the other to agree. Say not thou, then, "it is possible." Why, when the one master is commanding thee to spoil by violence, the other to strip thyself of thy possessions; the one to be chaste, the other to commit fornication; the one to be drunken and luxurious, the other to keep the belly in subjection; the one again to despise the things that are, the other to be rivetted to the present; the one to admire marbles, and walls, and roofs, the other to contemn these, but to honor self-restraint: how is it possible that these should agree?

Now He calls mammon here "a master," not because of its own nature, but on account of the wretchedness of them that bow themselves beneath it. So also He calls "the belly a god," not from the dignity of such a mistress, but from the wretchedness of them that are enslaved: it being a thing worse than any punishment, and enough, before the punishment, in the way of vengeance on him who is involved in it. For what condemned criminals can be so wretched, as they who having God for their Lord, do from that mild rule desert to this grievous tyranny, and this when their act brings after it so much harm even here? For indeed their loss is unspeakable by so doing: there are suits, and molestations, and strifes, and toils, and a blinding of the soul; and what is more grievous than all, one falls away from the highest blessings; for such a blessing it is to be God's servant.

These things any one may see happening now also, even many in the tombs possessed of evil spirits, whom nothing restrains from their madness; not iron, nor chain, nor multitude of men, nor advice, nor admonition, nor terror, nor threat, nor any other such thing.

For so when any man is dissolute, eager after all embraces, he differs not at all from the demoniac, but goes about naked like him, clad indeed in garments, but deprived of the true covering, and stripped of his proper glory; cutting himself not with stones, but with sins more hurtful than many stones. Who then shall be able to bind such a one? Who, to stay his unseemliness and frenzy, his way of never coming to himself, but forever haunting the tombs? For such are the resorts of the harlots, full of much evil savor, of much rottenness.

And what of the covetous man? Is he not like this? For who will be able ever to bind him? Are there not fears and daily threats, and admonitions, and counsels? Nay, all these bonds he bursts asunder; and if any one come to set him free, he adjures him that he may not be freed, accounting it the greatest torture not to be in torture: than which what can be more wretched? For as to that evil spirit, even though he despised men, yet he yielded to the command of Christ, and quickly sprang out of the man's body; but this man yields not even to His commandment. See at least how he daily hears Him saying, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," and threatening hell, and the incurable torments, and obeys not: not that He is stronger than Christ, but because against our will Christ corrects us not. Therefore such men live as in desert places, though they be in the midst of cities. For who, that hath reason, would choose to be with such men? I for my part would sooner consent to dwell with ten thousand demoniacs, than with one diseased in this way.

Whosoever hath riches must perforce meditate thereupon, and whosoever meditateth upon riches cannot meditate upon God, and if on an occasion the remembrance of God rise up in him, it is not lasting; for it is not possible that he should remember God when he is meditating upon his possessions, or if he imagine that he doth remember Him, the remembrance is borrowed and is not true, for it is not possible that these two remembrances should dwell together at one time in the soul, and if they dwell therein one of them must necessarily be borrowed, and the other be true. And if a man think truly that he meditateth upon God while he hath in his mind the anxious care of riches, he doeth it not with all the might of his soul, which it is seemly to us to give wholly to God; for we are obliged to serve God not with one of our members, and the world with another, and to meditate upon Him at one time, and upon mammon at another, but it is right that we should give all our might to the service of the commandments, and that always the seasons may be helpful to us to remember Him, that we may become temples to Him alone, having poured out from us every meditation of the mind which is outside Him. And that man is not able to serve God worthily while he is in the world, and while he is a possessor of riches, and the owner of wealth, the word of our Redeemer Himself testifieth, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon"; and forthwith the hearer thought that henceforth the door of righteousness was shut in the face of all the children of men, for they cannot be wholly free from the care of riches, and according to the decision of the word of Christ, whosoever careth for it cannot care for God. And it is necessary for us to understand the word as it was spoken, for according to the rule of those who are perfect, the man who careth for riches cannot care for God; but a man, being a possessor of wealth, is able to be justified by that other measure of righteousness which is worked in the world, if it be that he is not a servant who worshippeth his riches, but a master of the things which he possesseth. Some men are slaves of their possessions, and some are masters of their wealth, and one man is worshipped by his possessions, and another man worshippeth them. Now the word of our Lord was spoken concerning the man who is a slave of his possessions, and who is not able to be a servant of God; "For ye cannot serve two masters." Thou seest that He shewed two masters in His discourse, and that in explaining who these were, He said, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Behold then, whosoever hath made mammon his master cannot serve God, but he serveth that master whom he hath chosen of his own freewill, his service being especially dear unto him, and his dominion over him being beloved by him, because he hath become subject unto him of his own freewill. For the children of men are wont to love exceedingly that which they have chosen of their own freewill, and they love it much more than Him Who perforce and naturally is Master over them. And behold, if there were a few men who have pleased, or who please God, it is because they were and are masters of their wealth, and they sent it forth to do everything like a slave and subject, sometimes to feed the hungry, sometimes to clothe the naked, sometimes to redeem the captive, sometimes to pay vows and offerings unto God, and sometimes to free those who were in the bondage of debts; and wheresoever the will desired to rule over it, there it sent it like a servant, even as did Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and Job, and Joseph, and David, and Hezekiah. And of these men some were rich, and some were princes, and some were kings, and collectively they all were owners of great possessions and wealth; but they were masters of their riches, and their riches were not masters of them, their riches worked for them in all the good things which they wished to do, and they did not serve them in all the wickedness which mammon demanded.

Now there are distinctions between the commandments, and it must be understood to whom each was spoken. For this commandment, "Ye cannot serve two masters----God and mammon," must, according to the meaning of the passage, have been spoken to those who wished to be righteous while they were still in the world, and He advised and admonished them that because they had ceased from the path of perfection they should not become wholly and entirely servants of mammon, and forsake the dominion of God which was naturally set over their lives.

So therefore the words, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," are a command to those who have possessions, for because the Teacher saw that they could not rise up to the grade of perfection, He brought Himself down in His speech to their level, and He ordained for them a law which was suitable to the position in which they stood, and said, "Since it is impossible for thee to be destitute, thou shalt not become a slave to thy wealth, and serve it like one subject thereto, but thou shalt be unto it a master in the ministration of all good things. For when it is thy master, whithersoever it wisheth it sendeth thee, at one time to plunder, at another to thieve, and at another to bear false witness, at another to oppress and to despoil, at another to swear false oaths, and sometimes it sendeth thee even to commit murder, and also to the participation with devils, and it omitteth no one of these wicked things which it will command thee to do so long as it is thy lord, and thou art its servant. And as, if thou be its master, it sendeth thee to do all good things, so also if it be thy master it sendeth thee to do all wickedness." For it is the law that a master should give the command, and that the servant should be commanded, and so long as a man is the master he giveth the command, and so long as he is a servant he is commanded. And Jesus the Teacher did not lay a heavy command upon those who had possessions when He commanded them to be masters of their riches, but only that which they themselves should have desired, and because they did not know how to obtain it, He taught them in this manner. Now to those who desired to become masters of riches, and who had obtained them and they had turned and become their master, Jesus taught the knowledge of that thing which they desired; these then, Jesus commanded to be masters of their riches, and not to be servants thereof, while those who were perfect He commanded to be not even masters, and He counselled them not to humble themselves to be masters of dumb possessions.

One man Jesus commanded, saying, "Be not a servant of riches," and to another He ordained the law, "Be not even a master of wealth"; to one He said, "It is a disgrace to thy freedom that thou shouldst be subject unto gold," and to the other He said, "It is a contemptible thing for thy mastership to rule over natural things, for thou art humbled to the possessions which are the shells of natural things." For to him who had forsaken mastership over everything, and had been caught fast by the desire of little wealth, He said, "Possess, only when thou hast become possessor of thy possession, let it not happen that thy possession possess thee"; but the other whom He saw had been exalted from being a servant to wealth, He raised up to a higher grade than this, and said, "Be not a master unto it." For as it is a disgrace to him that wisheth to be master of his possessions to become a servant thereto, even so is it a disgrace also to him that hath been freed from the bondage of wealth, that there should be found with him the mastership of wealth.

The poor man possesseth the things of poverty, and the rich man the great and glorious things of wealth; now therefore since those which have possessions are poor, they possess poverty, which is riches and temporal possessions, but the destitute are rich, and it would be a disgrace to that excellent name if it became the possessor of the things of poverty, gold, and silver, and raiment, and if it exchanged the riches of eternity for the poverty of time, and heavenly possessions for human mammon. And that thou mightest not serve mammon our Lord said unto him that loved mammon, "Be thou its master, and let it be to thee a slave." It appeareth therefore that Jesus gave this commandment to those who were rich, but to all the others who wished to walk in the lofty path of perfection He said, "Possess not gold, nor silver, nor money in your wallets, nor two coats, nor shoes, nor staff, for the labourer is worthy of his food."

Take heed that thy discipleship be not unto thee for trafficking and for buying and selling, and do not place upon thyself the noble garb of discipleship, neither for vainglory, nor for the pleasures which pass away. Thou shalt not sell spiritual for carnal things, and thou shalt not exchange heavenly things for the corruptible treasures which are laid up on earth; to Him only to Whom thou wast promised by thy covenant be thou a disciple. For God taught thee of old, and He removed from before thy sight this deceitful expectation, saying, "A servant cannot serve two masters," and again by another testimony He warned thee if thou couldst not become a perfect disciple to remain in the life of the world, and it is better for thee, lest when thou hast begun to build, thou art not able to finish, and thou becomest a mockery unto every man.

Our Redeemer said in His Gospel, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," and if in our subjection unto one lord—that is to say, unto mammon only—we are not able to serve also God therewith, how, when the masters who have brought us into subjection are many, and each one of them leadeth us forcibly after his own will, can we serve God, Who will not accept from man the service of any other thing together with His own service? What then? And if each one of all these sins, which collectively are contrary to the righteousness of God, is a drawback to its fellow in the service of Him, how can the service of them collectively avoid being a hindrance to the keeping of the commandments of God? For they are different from one another in their actions, and the Will of God is contrary unto them all, and especially unto this lust of greediness, through which all other lusts are brought in and enter in.

For if we are not able to serve at one time both God and mammon, according to the word of Christ, it is evident that we cannot serve both the belly and God, for it also was called "god" after the manner of mammon, and as Jesus called mammon "master," even so also did His Apostle call the belly god in the words, "Whose god is their belly, and whose glory their shame." And the word of God mocketh those who lay fast hold upon their art, who have hired themselves unto Christ for their belly's sake and not because of love for Him, even as there are also today many who are clothed with the precious garb of discipleship, and who feign to be teachers and good servants of God, not for love's sake, nor through discretion and fear, but only that they may minister unto their belly, which they have made a god unto themselves, and unto which they minister.

The Lord had said above, that he that has a spiritual mind is able to keep his body free from sin; and that he who has not, is not able. Of this He here gives the reason, saying, No man can serve two masters.

(ap. Gloss. ord.) Otherwise; faith is likened to a light, because by it the goings of the inner man, that is, action, are lightened, that he should not stumble according to that, Thy word is a light to my feet. (Ps. 119:105.) If that then be pure and single, the whole body is light; but if defiled, the whole body will be dark. Yet otherwise; by the light may be understood the ruler of the Church, who may be well called the eye, as he it is that ought to see that wholesome things be provided for the people under him, which are understood by the body. If then the ruler of the Church err, how much more will the people subject to him err?

"But I was under contract." "None can serve two lords." If you wish to be the Lord's disciple, it is necessary you "take your cross, and follow the Lord: " your cross; that is, your own straits and tortures, or your body only, which is after the manner of a cross.

How many other undoubted proofs we have had in the case of persons who, by keeping company with the devil in the shows, have fallen from the Lord! For no one can serve two masters. What fellowship has light with darkness, life with death?

So you see idolatry is not without its gain, selling, as it does, Christ for pieces of gold, as Judas did for pieces of silver. Will it be "Ye cannot serve God and mammon" to devote your energies to mammon, and to depart from God? Will it be "Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things which are God's," not only not to render the human being to God, but even to take the denarius from Caesar? Is the laurel of the triumph made of leaves, or of corpses? Is it adorned with ribbons, or with tombs? Is it bedewed with ointments, or with the tears of wives and mothers? It may be of some Christians too; for Christ is also among the barbarians.

"Amongst other things," says she, "there has been shown to me a soul in bodily shape, and a spirit has been in the habit of appearing to me; not, however, a void and empty illusion, but such as would offer itself to be even grasped by the hand, soft and transparent and of an etherial colour, and in form resembling that of a human being in every respect.

For who would doubt that faith undergoes a daily process of obliteration by unbelieving intercourse? "Evil confabulations corrupt good morals; " how much more fellowship of life, and indivisible intimacy! Any and every believing woman must of necessity obey God. And how can she serve two lords -the Lord, and her husband-a Gentile to boot? For in obeying a Gentile she will carry out Gentile practices,-personal attractiveness, dressing of the head, worldly elegancies, baser blandishments, the very secrets even of matrimony tainted: not, as among the saints, where the duties of the sex are discharged with honour (shown) to the very necessity (which makes them incumbent), with modesty and temperance, as beneath the eyes of God.

"No man can serve two lords." What He means is this: no man can serve two lords who command things that are opposed to each other. Such lords are God and mammon. We make the devil our lord when we make the belly our god. But by nature and in truth God is the Lord, and mammon is unrighteousness. "For either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." Do you see that it is not possible for a rich man and unrighteous man to serve God? His love of money drives him away from God.

No man can serve two masters. Above, the Lord set forth one lesson, that we should not accumulate treasures on earth because the heart is distracted by this; now he sets forth another, namely, that it makes one alienated from God, and this is No man can serve two masters. Or it can be continued in another way: Above he warned that we should not accumulate treasures on earth but in heaven; but someone could say: I wish to accumulate both in heaven and on earth. And therefore the Lord here shows this to be impossible, saying No man can. But the first is better and is Chrysostom's. This text can be read in two ways: first, so that No man can is understood as a conclusion or inference, and then the Lord, according to the exposition of Chrysostom and Jerome, proceeds from common opinions to demonstrate his point. In another way, it can be understood as the Lord first proposing what he intends and then proceeding; and this according to Augustine. Let us pursue both. According to the first exposition, therefore, he does two things: first, he sets forth the common opinion and custom of men; secondly, he assigns the reason, at the words For either he will. He says, therefore, No man can. The reason for this appears if we understand what a servant properly is and what a master. For the character of a servant consists in this, that he belongs to another, namely, to the master. Hence his end is his master. But it is impossible for one to be carried toward two things as toward ultimate ends. If, therefore, to be a servant is to order one's acts toward the master as toward an ultimate end, it is impossible to serve two masters: "The bed is too narrow" (Is 28:20). Yet a servant could have two masters, of whom one is under the other, just as one end is under another; or according to the Gloss: "No man can serve two masters" who are contrary, because if they agree, they are one.

He assigns the reason: For either he will hate the one. And it should be known that dominion is twofold. For some rule in such a way that they are loved by their subjects, and this is royal dominion; some rule in such a way that they are feared, and this is that of tyrants. If, therefore, a servant serves a master with love, he must needs hate the contrary one; but if a servant serves with fear, then he must sustain, i.e., endure, the other; and this is either he will hate the one, etc. About this dominion that is to be endured rather than loved: "When the wicked shall seize power, the people will groan" (Pr 29:2), i.e., "he will sustain" by enduring. "No man, therefore, can serve two masters"; but God and the devil are contrary because they incline to contrary things; therefore you cannot serve God and mammon. Mammon, i.e., riches, in the Persian language, according to Jerome.

Yet it should be known that it is one thing to abound in riches and another to serve them. For some abound and yet order them to good, and these do not serve riches; some have them and yet reap no fruit from them, neither bodily nor spiritual, and these serve them because they afflict themselves to accumulate riches: "There is also another evil" (Eccl 6:1). For in whatever thing a man establishes his ultimate end, that thing is his god: "Whose god is their belly" (Phil 3:19). Or by "mammon" is understood the devil, who presides over riches — not that he can give them, but because he uses them for deceiving. For a particular spirit presides over individual vices. Hence the spirit of avarice is said to entice men to sin through avarice. This is one exposition of No man can, namely, that it be read inferentially and generally. Augustine, however, understands it spiritually, namely, of God and the devil, who are contraries: "What agreement has Christ with Belial?" (2 Cor 6:15), and that you cannot be partakers of both: "How long do you halt between two sides?" (1 Kgs 18:21). Either he will hate the one, i.e., the devil, and love the other, i.e., God.

And note that he did not say the reverse, but said or he will sustain the one, because every creature naturally turns to loving God. But the devil, because he has a depraved nature, is immediately an object of horror, since no one loves evil; and therefore he said or he will sustain the one, because the devil is endured as an oppressive tyrant, just as someone would endure the master of a maidservant to whom he is joined — not because he loves the master but because of the maidservant. So the covetous man endures the devil because of covetousness, which is the maidservant of the devil. Hence when anyone wishes to enjoy any sin, in order to enjoy it he suffers the servitude of the devil; and this is or he will sustain the one. And insofar as he endures, he departs from the commandments of God, and in departing he despises; and this is and despise the other. But an objection is raised here from what is said, that God is not hated, because the Psalm says: "The pride of those who hate you" (Ps 74:23); therefore someone does hate God. Because of this authority, Augustine in his book of Retractations retracts what he had previously said, that God is not hated. But both are true: for if one considers what God is, namely, goodness itself, he cannot be hated, because good is always loved in itself; but he can be hated as to the effect that is contrary to one's will. Thus it is clear that one cannot serve two masters: "Woe to the sinner who walks the earth by two ways" (Sir 2:12).

Lest perchance, although it is not now superfluities that are sought after, the heart should be made double by reason of necessaries themselves, and the aim should be wrenched aside to seek after those things of our own, when we are doing something as it were from compassion; i.e. so that when we wish to appear to be consulting for some one's good, we are in that matter looking after our own profit rather than his advantage: and we do not seem to ourselves to be sinning for this reason, that it is not superfluities, but necessaries, which we wish to obtain. But the Lord admonishes us that we should remember that God, when He made and compounded us of body and soul, gave us much more than food and clothing, through care for which He would not have us make our hearts double. Is not, says He, the soul more than the meat? So that you are to understand that He who gave the soul will much more easily give meat. And the body than the raiment, i.e. is more than raiment: so that similarly you are to understand, that He who gave the body will much more easily give raiment.

And in this passage the question is wont to be raised, whether the food spoken of has reference to the soul, since the soul is incorporeal, and the food in question is corporeal food. But let us admit that the soul in this passage stands for the present life, whose support is that corporeal nourishment. In accordance with this signification we have also that statement: He that loves his soul shall lose it. And here, unless we understand the expression of this present life, which we ought to lose for the kingdom of God, as it is clear the martyrs were able to do, this precept will be in contradiction to that sentence where it is said: What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 14.) Whoso serves mammon, (that is, riches,) verily serves him, who, being for desert of his perversity set over these things of earth, is called by the Lord, The prince of this world. Or otherwise; who the two masters are He shows when He says, Ye cannot serve God and mammon, that is to say, God and the Devil. Either then man will hate the one, and love the other, namely God; or, he will endure the one and despise the other. For he who is mammon's servant endures a hard master; for ensnared by his own lust he has been made subject to the Devil, and loves him not. As one whose passions have connected him with another man's handmaid, suffers a hard slavery, yet loves not him whose handmaid he loves. But He said, will despise, and not will hate, the other, for none can with a right conscience hate God. But he despises, that is, fears Him not, as being certain of His goodness.

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 15.) The Lord had taught above, that whoso desires to love God, and to take heed not to offend, should not think that he can serve two masters; lest though perhaps he may not look for superfluities, yet his heart may become double for the sake of very necessaries, and his thoughts bent to obtain them. Therefore I say unto you, Be not ye careful for your life what ye shall eat, or for your body what ye shall put on.

(ubi sup.) Or we may understand the soul in this place to be put for the animal life.

(De Hæres. 57.) There are certain heretics called Euchitæc, who hold that a monk may not do any work even for his support; who embrace this profession that they may be freed from necessity of daily labour.

(De Op. Monach. 1) For they say the Apostle did not speak of personal labour, such as that of husbandmen or craftsmen, when he said, Who will not work, neither let him eat. (et seq. 2 Thess. 3:10.) For he could not be so contrary to the Gospel where it is said, Therefore I say unto you, Be not careful. Therefore in that saying of the Apostle we are to understand spiritual works, of which it is elsewhere said, I have planted, Apollos watereth. (1 Cor. 3:6.) And thus they think themselves obedient to the Apostolic precept, interpreting the Gospel to speak of not taking care for the needs of the body, and the Apostle to speak of spiritual labour and food. First let us prove that the Apostle meant that the servants of God should labour with the body. He had said, Ye yourselves know how ye ought to imitate us in that we were not troublesome among you, nor did we eat any man's bread for nought; but travailing in labour and weariness day and night, that we might not be burdensome to any of you. Not that we have not power, but that we might offer ourselves as a pattern to you which ye should imitate. For when we were among you, this we taught among you, that if a man would not work, neither should he eat. What shall we say to this, since he taught by his example what he delivered in precept, in that he himself wrought with his own hands. This is proved from the Acts, where it is said, that he abode with Aquila and his wife Priscilla, labouring with them, for they were tent-makers. (Acts 18:3.) And yet to the Apostle, as a preacher of the Gospel, a soldier of Christ, a planter of the vineyard, a shepherd of his flock, the Lord had appointed that he should live of the Gospel, but he refused that payment which was justly his due, that he might present himself an example to those who exacted what was not due to them. Let those hear this who have not that power which he had; namely, of eating bread for nought, and only labouring with spiritual labour. If indeed they be Evangelists, if ministers of the Altar, if dispensers of the Sacraments, they have this power. Or if they had had in this world possessions, whereby they might without labour have supported themselves, and had on their turning to God distributed this to the needy, then were their infirmity to be believed and to be borne with. And it would not import whatever place it was in which he made the distribution, seeing there is but one commonwealth of all Christians. But they who enter the profession of God's service from the country life, from the workman's craft, or the common labour, if they work not, are not to be excused. For it is by no means fitting that in that life in which senators become labourers, there should labouring men become idle; or that where lords of farms come having given up their luxuries, there should rustic slaves come to find luxury. But when the Lord says, Be not ye careful, He does not mean that they should not procure such things as they have need of, wherever they may honestly, but that they should not look to these things, and should not for their sake do what they are commanded to do in preaching the Gospel; for this intention He had a little before called the eye.

Likewise, Jerome, on that passage of Matthew six: Is not the soul more than food? "Let no one doubt the promises of the Truth; let man be what he ought to be, and soon all things shall be added to him, for whose sake all things were made." Therefore he who relinquishes all things for the sake of Christ, trusting in the promise of Christ, acts according to perfect faith in Him; but he does this most perfectly who reserves absolutely nothing for himself, neither in common nor in particular: therefore etc.

When once a god is admitted, even a false god, the Cosmos begins to know its place: which is the second place. When once it is the real God the Cosmos falls down before Him, offering flowers in spring as flames in winter. "My love is like a red, red rose" does not mean that the poet is praising roses under the allegory of a young lady. "My love is an arbutus" does not mean that the author was a botanist so pleased with a particular arbutus tree that he said he loved it. "Who art the moon and regent of my sky" does not mean that Juliet invented Romeo to account for the roundness of the moon. "Christ is the Sun of Easter" does not mean that the worshipper is praising the sun under the emblem of Christ. Goddess or god can clothe themselves with the spring or summer; but the body is more than raiment. Religion takes almost disdainfully the dress of Nature; and indeed Christianity has done as well with the snows of Christmas as with the snow-drops of spring. And when I look across the sun-struck fields, I know in my inmost bones that my joy is not solely in the spring, for spring alone, being always returning, would be always sad. There is somebody or something walking there, to be crowned with flowers: and my pleasure is in some promise yet possible and in the resurrection of the dead.

(interlin.) That is, Be not withdrawn by temporal cares from things eternal.

Otherwise; Because the thoughts of the unbelievers were ill-employed respecting care of things future, cavilling concerning what is to be the appearance of our bodies in the resurrection, what the food in the eternal life, therefore He continues, Is not the life more than food? He will not endure that our hope should hang in care for the meat and drink and clothing that is to be in the resurrection, lest there should be affront given to Him who has given us the more precious things, in our being anxious that He should also give us the lesser.

(Verse 25.) Therefore I say to you: Do not be anxious about your souls, what you will eat, nor about your bodies, what you will wear. In some manuscripts it is added: nor what you will drink. Therefore, we are completely freed from the care of what nature gives to all, and is common to animals and humans. But it is commanded to us not to be anxious about what we will eat: because in the sweat of our face we prepare bread for ourselves. Labor must be exercised, worry must be removed. What is said here: Do not be anxious about what you will eat, or about what you will wear (Gen. III), let us take it as referring to physical food and clothing. However, we should always be concerned about spiritual food and clothing.

Some MSS. add here, nor what ye shall drinkb. That which belongs naturally to all animals alike, to brutes and beasts of burden as well as to man, from all thought of this we are not freed. But we are bid not to be anxious what we should eat, for in the sweat of our face we earn our bread; the toil is to be undergone, the anxiety put away. This Be not careful, is to be taken of bodily food and clothing; for the food and clothing of the spirit it becomes us to be always careful.

The command is therefore, not to be anxious what we shall eat. For it is also commanded, that in the sweat of our face we must eat bread. Toil therefore is enjoined, carking forbidden,

He who has given the greater, will He not also give the less?

Having now, as you see, in all ways taught the advantage of contemning riches, as well for the very preservation of the riches, as for the pleasure of the soul, and for acquiring self-command, and for the securing of godliness; He proceeds to establish the practicability of this command. For this especially pertains to the best legislation, not only to enjoin what is expedient, but also to make it possible. Therefore He also goes on to say, "Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat."

That is, lest they should say, "What then? if we cast all away, how shall we be able to live?" At this objection, in what follows, He makes a stand, very seasonably. For as surely as if at the beginning He had said, "Take no thought," the word would have seemed burdensome; so surely, now that He hath shown the mischief arising out of covetousness, His admonition coming after is made easy to receive. Wherefore neither did He now simply say, "Take no thought," but He added the reason, and so enjoined this. After having said, "Ye cannot serve God and mammon," He added, "therefore I say unto you, take no thought." "Therefore;" for what? Because of the unspeakable loss. For the hurt you receive is not in riches only, rather the wound is in the most vital parts, and in that which is the overthrow of your salvation; casting you as it does out from God, who made you, and careth for you, and loveth you.

"Therefore I say unto you, take no thought." Thus, after He hath shown the hurt to be unspeakable, then and not before He makes the commandment stricter; in that He not only bids us cast away what we have, but forbids to take thought even for our necessary food, saying, "Take no thought for your soul, what ye shall eat." Not because the soul needs food, for it is incorporeal; but He spake according to the common custom. For though it needs not food, yet can it not endure to remain in the body, except that be fed. And in saying this, He puts it not simply so, but here also He brings up arguments, some from those things which we have already, and some from other examples.

From what we have already, thus saying: "Is not the soul more than meat, and the body more than the raiment?" He therefore that hath given the greater, how shall He not give the less? He that hath fashioned the flesh that is fed, how shall He not bestow the food? Wherefore neither did He simply say, "Take no thought what ye shall eat," or "wherewithal ye shall be clothed;" but, "for the body," and, "for the soul:" forasmuch as from them He was to make His demonstrations, carrying on His discourse in the way of comparison. Now the soul He hath given once for all, and it abides such as it is; but the body increases every day.

Bread may not be gained by carefulness of spirit, but by toil of body; and to them that will labour it abounds, God bestowing it as a reward of their industry; and is lacking to the idle, God withdrawing it as punishment of their sloth. The Lord also confirms our hope, and descending first from the greater to the less, says, Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

For had He not willed that that which was should be preserved, He had not created it; but what He so created that it should be preserved by food, it is necessary that He give it food, as long as He would have it to be preserved.

"I shall have no food." But "think not," says He, "about food; " and as an example of clothing we have the lilies.

We who carry about our very soul, our very body, exposed in this world to injury from all, and exhibit patience under that injury; shall we be hurt at the loss of less important things? Far from a servant of Christ be such a defilement as that the patience which has been prepared for greater temptations should forsake him in frivolous ones.

For in him matter is abundant: whence he presumes that even the soul is material; and therefore much more (than other men) he has not the Spirit from God, being no longer even a Psychic, because even his psychic element is not derived from God's afflatus! What if a man allege "indigence," so as to profess that his flesh is openly prostituted, and given in marriage for the sake of maintenance; forgetting that there is to be no careful thought about food and clothing? He has God (to look to), the Foster-father even of ravens, the Rearer even of flowers.

"For this reason I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on." "For this reason" - for what reason? Because concern over money drives a man away from God. The soul does not eat, for it is bodiless, but Jesus said this according to the common use of the word. For it is obvious that the soul does not consent to remain in a body if the flesh is not fed. Jesus does not forbid us to work, but rather He forbids us to give ourselves over entirely to our cares and to neglect God. Hence we must work for our livelihood while not neglecting the soul. "Is not life more than food, and the body more than raiment?" This means, will not He Who gave what is greater, life itself, and fashioned the body, will He not also give food and clothing?

Therefore I say to you. After the Lord had shown that we should not set our end in superfluous earthly treasures, he wishes also to show the same regarding the acquisition of necessities; and this is Therefore I say to you. And regarding this he does two things: first, he forbids solicitude about necessities with respect to the present; secondly, with respect to the future, at the words Be not therefore solicitous for to morrow. Regarding the first, he does two things: first, he proposes what he intends; secondly, he proves the proposition, at the words Is not the life more. He says, therefore, Therefore I say to you — as if to say: because you cannot serve God and mammon, therefore no one should serve riches, so that you may serve God.

Nor for your life. But it seems that the soul does not need food. But it must be said that although it does not need food of itself, yet it needs it insofar as it is joined to the body, because otherwise it could not be there. Or "life" is taken here as bodily life: "He who loves his life" (Jn 12:25).

Nor for your body. Note that from this statement heresies took their origin. For according to Augustine, there were some who said that it was not lawful for a contemplative man to work, and against these Augustine wrote the book On the Work of Monks. But how what the Lord says should be understood, we must investigate from the saints. For it is said: "He who does not wish to work, let him not eat" (2 Thess 3:10), and this is understood of manual labor, as is clear from what precedes it. Hence even by way of example, the Apostle himself worked with his hands.

But are all bound to this? If all, it is either a precept or a counsel. If a precept, no one should omit it; if a counsel: to whom was this counsel given? It is clear that it was given to those people, because at that time there were no religious. But no one is bound to a counsel except by vow; therefore all could desist. It must be said that this is a precept and all are bound to it, because it is given to all. For the Apostle speaks to the whole Church. But something is commanded in two ways: in itself and on account of something else. For example: if you have taken up the cross to go overseas, it is commanded that you go, and this is commanded in itself; but that you seek a ship is commanded not for itself but on account of something else, because whoever is bound to some end is also bound to all the things that are for that end. But everyone is bound to the preservation of his life by the law of nature, and therefore they are bound to all other things by which life is preserved. If, therefore, someone has the means to live, he is not bound to labor with his hands; and therefore the Apostle does not say "with hands," but "he who does not wish to work," etc. — as if to say: you are bound to labor in the same way as you are bound to eat. But who is bound to labor with his hands — let this be set aside for the present. As for what he says, be not solicitous, it should be known that solicitude pertains to providence; but not every providence is solicitude. Rather, "solicitude" properly denotes providence with zeal, which is a vehement application of the mind. Hence here solicitude implies a vehement application of the mind. In this vehement application, sin can occur in four ways. First, when it is directed toward temporal things as toward an ultimate end; and according to this, it is reproved: "Anxious expectation will lead to destruction" (Pr 11:7). Secondly, when one excessively attends to acquiring temporal things; and so it is taken: "But to the sinner God gave gathering" etc. and afterward: "This also is vanity and empty solicitude" (Eccl 2:26). Thirdly, when the mind too much occupies itself with the thought of temporal things. Hence Jerome: "Solicitude is to be avoided, but labor is to be practiced"; and so it is taken: "He who is joined to a wife is solicitous" (1 Cor 7:33), because the heart is distracted to various things. Fourthly, when solicitude is accompanied by a certain fear and despair. For it seems to some that they can never acquire enough that could suffice for them. And all these things are forbidden here, as is clear from what follows. And in this last way it is taken: "Be not solicitous" about finding the donkeys (1 Sam 9:20), i.e., do not despair of finding them.

Is not the life more than the meat. Above, the Lord taught that we should not be solicitous about necessities; here he presents the reason for this admonition and sets forth three reasons. The first is taken from the greater; the second, from the lesser; the third, from the opposite. The second at the words Behold the birds; the third at the words Be not solicitous therefore. The first is this: he who gave the greater will give the lesser. But the Lord gave the soul and the body; therefore he will give food. And this is Is not the life — i.e., life — more than the meat; for we do not live in order to eat, but the reverse. For food is ordered to life, and therefore life is simply better, as the end is better than the things that are for the end; and similarly, clothing exists for the body and not the reverse. That God gave the soul and the body is found when first "God formed" the matter for the body and breathed in matter for the soul. But he who gave will preserve by giving what is necessary: "God created things that they might be" (Wis 1:14). Hilary expounds this differently: because solicitude implies a certain doubt, the Lord wishes to remove doubt about the future resurrection of the soul. Be not solicitous, i.e., do not wish to disbelieve in the resurrection, because he who will reform the body in the resurrection will preserve it without clothing and food. But this is not the literal meaning.

i.e. you are of more value. For surely a rational being such as man has a higher rank in the nature of things than irrational ones, such as birds. Which of you, by taking thought, can add one cubit unto his stature? And why do you take thought for raiment? That is to say, the providence of Him by whose power and sovereignty it has come about that your body was brought up to its present stature, can also clothe you; but that it is not by your care that it has come about that your body should arrive at this stature, may be understood from this circumstance, that if you should take thought, and should wish to add one cubit to this stature, you cannot. Leave, therefore, the care of protecting the body to Him by whose care you see it has come about that you have a body of such a stature.

These examples are not to be analyzed like allegories. We must not inquire about the allegorical significance of the birds of the air or the lilies of the field. These examples are proposed so that more important things may be suggested from things of less importance.

(De Op. Monach. 23.) Some argue that they ought not to labour, because the fowls of the air neither sow nor reap. Why then do they not attend to that which follows, neither gather into barns? Why do they seek to have their hands idle, and their storehouses full? Why indeed do they grind corn, and dress it? For this do not the birds. Or even if they find men whom they can persuade to supply them day by day with victuals ready prepared, at least they draw water from the spring, and set on table for themselves, which the birds do not. But if neither are they driven to fill themselves vessels with water, then have they gone one new step of righteousness beyond those who were at that time at Jerusalem, (vid. Acts 11:29.) who of corn sent to them of free gift, made, or caused to be made, loaves, which the birds do not. But not to lay up any thing for the morrow cannot be observed by those, who for many days together withdrawn from the sight of men, and suffering none to approach to them, shut themselves up, to live in much fervency of prayer. What? will you say that the more holy men become, the more unlike the birds of the air in this respect they become? What He says respecting the birds of the air, He says to this end, that none of His servants should think that God has no thought of their wants, when they see Him so provide even for these inferior creatures. Neither is it not God that feeds those that earn their bread by their own labour; neither because God hath said, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, (Ps. 50:15.) ought the Apostle therefore not to have fled, but to have remained still to have been seized, that God might save him as He did the Three Children out of the midst of the fire. Should any object in this sort to the saints in their flight from persecution, they would answer that they ought not to tempt God, and that God, if He pleased, would so do to deliver them as He had done Daniel from the lions, Peter from prison, then when they could no longer help themselves; but that in having made flight possible to them, should they be saved by flight, it was by God that they were saved. In like manner, such of God's servants as have strength to earn their food by the labour of their hands, would easily answer any who should object to them this out of the Gospel concerning the birds of the air, that they neither sow nor reap; and would say, If we by sickness or any other hindrance are not able to work, He will feed us as He feeds the birds, that work not. But when we can work, we ought not to tempt God, seeing that even this our ability is His gift; and that we live here we live of His goodness that has made us able to live; He feeds us by whom the birds of the air are fed; as He says, Your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much greater value?

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 15.) Ye are of more value, because a rational animal, such as man is, is higher in the scale of nature than an irrational, such as are the birds of the air.

(De Civ. Dei, xi. 16.) Indeed a higher price is often given for a horse than a slave, for a jewel than for a waiting maid, but this not from reasonable valuation, but from the need of the person requiring, or rather from his pleasure desiring it.

Likewise, Augustine, treating that passage of Matthew six: Behold the birds of the air: "The saints are rightly compared to birds, because they seek heaven, and because they are already so removed from the world that they no longer do anything on earth, no longer labor, but already dwell in heaven through contemplation alone." If therefore this life is the highest, then to have spurned all things and to place the whole hope of one's life in God belongs to perfect virtue.

Augustine says in his Treatise on Almsgiving: "Elijah in the wilderness is fed by the ministry of ravens, and to Daniel, shut up in the den at the king's command as prey for the lions, a meal is divinely brought; and do you fear that sustenance will be lacking to one who labors and merits favor with the Lord? When He Himself in the Gospel, for the reproach of those whose mind is doubtful and faith small, solemnly declares and says: Behold the birds of the heavens, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? God feeds the birds, and daily sustenance is provided to the birds, and to those which have no sense of any divine thing, neither food nor drink is lacking; and do you think that something will be wanting to a Christian, to a servant of God, to one devoted to good works, to one dear to his Lord? Or do you think that he who feeds Christ will not himself be fed by Christ? Or will earthly things be lacking to those to whom heavenly and divine things are granted? Whence comes this unbelieving thought? Whence this impious and sacrilegious reflection? What does a faithless heart do in the house of God? Why is one who does not believe in Christ at all called and named a Christian? The name of Pharisee better suits you. For when He was discoursing in the Gospel about almsgiving, and was faithfully and salutarily admonishing us that by provident action we should make for ourselves friends from earthly gains, who would afterward receive us into eternal tabernacles, the Scripture adds after this, saying: The Pharisees, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided Him. Such as we now see certain men in the Church to be, whose closed ears and blinded hearts admit no light from spiritual and salutary admonitions. Concerning whom we ought not marvel that they despise the servants in such matters, when we see that the Lord Himself was despised by such men."

(non occ.) He teaches us not only by the instance of the birds, but adds a further proof, that to our being and life our own care is not enough, but Divine Providence therein works; saying, Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit to his stature?

Otherwise; Because the thoughts of the unbelievers were ill-employed respecting care of things future, cavilling concerning what is to be the appearance of our bodies in the resurrection, what the food in the eternal life, therefore He continues, Is not the life more than food? He will not endure that our hope should hang in care for the meat and drink and clothing that is to be in the resurrection, lest there should be affront given to Him who has given us the more precious things, in our being anxious that He should also give us the lesser.

It may be said, that under the name of birds, He exhorts us by the example of the unclean spirits, to whom, without any trouble of their own in seeking and collecting it, provision of life is given by the power of the Eternal Wisdom. And to lead us to refer this to the unclean spirits, He suitably adds, Are not ye of much more value than they? Thus showing the great interval between piety and wickedness.

Otherwise; As by the example of the spirits He had fixed our faith in the supply of food for our lives, so now by a decision of common understanding He cuts off all anxiety about supply of clothing. Seeing that He it is who shall raise in one perfect man every various kind of body that ever drew breath, and is alone able to add one or two or three cubits to each man's stature; surely in being anxious concerning clothing, that is, concerning the appearance of our bodies, we offer affront to Him who will add so much to each man's stature as shall bring all to an equality.

(Verse 26) Is not the soul more than food, and the body more than clothing? He says this in such a way: He who has provided greater things, surely will provide lesser things.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? The Apostle instructs (Rom. XI), not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think. This testimony should be kept in mind in the present chapter. For there are some who, while they want to exceed the boundaries of the fathers and fly high, are immersed in the depths: saying that the birds of the air are angels and other strengths in the ministry of God, which are nourished by the providence of God without worry for themselves. If this is how it is, as they want it to be understood, how does the statement follow for human beings: Are you not worth more to them? It must be taken simply: if the birds, without care and toil, are nourished by God's providence, which exist today and will not exist tomorrow: how much more are human beings, to whom eternity is promised, ruled by God's will!

There be some who, seeking to go beyond the limits of their fathers, and to soar into the air, sink into the deep and are drowned. These will have the birds of the air to mean the Angels, and the other powers in the ministry of God, who without any care of their own are fed by God's providence. But if this be indeed as they would have it, how follows it, said to men, Are not ye of more worth than they? It must be taken then in the plain sense; If birds that to-day are, and to-morrow are not, be nourished by God's providence, without thought or toil of their own, how much more men to whom eternity is promised!

From what we have already, then, He urges us in this way: and from examples of other things, by saying, "Behold the fowls of the air." Thus, lest any should say, "we do good by taking thought," He dissuades them both by that which is greater, and by that which is less; by the greater, i.e. the soul and the body; by the less, i.e. the birds. For if of the things that are very inferior He hath so much regard, how shall He not give unto you? saith He. And to them on this wise, for as yet it was an ordinary multitude: but to the devil not thus; but how? "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." But here He makes mention of the birds, and this in a way greatly to abash them; which sort of thing is of very great value for the purpose of admonition.

However, some of the ungodly have come to so great a pitch of madness, as even to attack His illustration. Because, say they, it was not meet for one strengthening moral principle, to use natural advantages as incitements to that end. For to those animals, they add, this belongs by nature. What then shall we say to this? That even though it is theirs by nature, yet possibly we too may attain it by choice. For neither did He say, "behold how the birds fly," which were a thing impossible to man; but that they are fed without taking thought, a kind of thing easy to be achieved by us also, if we will. And this they have proved, who have accomplished it in their actions.

Wherefore it were meet exceedingly to admire the consideration of our Lawgiver, in that, when He might bring forward His illustration from among men, and when He might have spoken of Moses and Elias and John, and others like them, who took no thought; that He might touch them more to the quick, He made mention of the irrational beings. For had He spoken of those righteous men, these would have been able to say, "We are not yet become like them." But now by passing them over in silence, and bringing forward the fowls of the air, He hath cut off from them every excuse, imitating in this place also the old law. Yea, for the old covenant likewise sends to the bee, and to the ant, and to the turtle, and to the swallow. And neither is this a small sign of honor, when the same sort of things, which those animals possess by nature, those we are able to accomplish by an act of our choice. If then He take so great care of them which exist for our sakes, much more of us; if of the servants, much more of the master. Therefore He said, "Behold the fowls," and He said not, "for they do not traffic, nor make merchandise," for these were among the things that were earnestly forbidden. But what? "they sow not, neither do they reap." "What then?" saith one, "must we not sow?" He said not, "we must not sow," but "we must not take thought;" neither that one ought not to work, but not to be low-minded, nor to rack one's self with cares. Since He bade us also be nourished, but not in "taking thought."

Of this lesson David also lays the foundation from old time, saying enigmatically on this wise, "Thou openest Thine hand, and fillest every living thing with bounty;" and again, "To Him that giveth to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that call upon Him."

"Who then," it may be said, "have not taken thought?" Didst thou not hear how many of the righteous I adduced? Seest thou not with them Jacob, departing from his father's house destitute of all things? Dost thou not hear him praying and saying, "If the Lord give me bread to eat and raiment to put on?" which was not the part of one taking thought, but of one seeking all of God. This the apostles also attained, who cast away all, and took no thought: also, the "five thousand," and the "three thousand."

Having confirmed our hope by this arguing from the greater to the less, He next confirms it by an argument from less to greater, Behold the fowls of the air, they sow not, neither do they reap.

For God created all animals for man, but man for himself; therefore by how much the more precious is the creation of man, so much the greater is God's care for him. If then the birds without toiling find food, shall man not find, to whom God has given both knowledge of labour and hope of fruitfulness?

For it is God who day by day works the growth of your body, yourself not feeling it. If then the Providence of God works thus daily in your very body, how shall that same Providence withhold from working in necessaries of life? And if by taking thought you cannot add the smallest part to your body, how shall you by taking thought be altogether saved?

On the other hand, this worldly concupiscence (to which I referred) has, as its causes, glory, cupidity, ambition, want of sufficiency; through which causes it trumps up the "necessity" for marrying,-promising itself, forsooth, heavenly things in return-to lord it, (namely,) in another's family; to roost on another's wealth; to extort splendour from another's store to lavish expenditure which you do not feel! Far be all this from believers, who have no care about maintenance, unless it be that we distrust the promises of God, and (His) care and providence, who clothes with such grace the lilies of the field; who, without any labour on their part, feeds the fowls of the heaven; who prohibits care to be taken about to-morrow's food and clothing, promising that He knows what is needful for each of His servants-not indeed ponderous necklaces, not burdensome garments, not Gallic mules nor German bearers, which all add lustre to the glory of nuptials; but "sufficiency," which is suitable to moderation and modesty, Presume, I pray you, that you have need of nothing if you "attend upon the Lord; " nay, that you have all things, if you have the Lord, whose are all things.

"Behold the birds of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much more than they?" Although He could have given the example of Elijah and John the Baptist, instead He mentions the birds in order to shame us, for we are even more witless than these creatures. God feeds them by having given them the instinctive knowledge for finding food.

Consequently, the second reason from the lesser is set forth, which is this: he who has provided for lesser things, about which there seems to be less concern, will also provide for greater things. But God provides for plants and birds, etc. And regarding this he does two things. First, he develops the argument as to food; secondly, as to clothing, at the words And for raiment. Regarding the first, he does two things: first, he teaches us to cast off solicitude by the example of animals; secondly, because of its inefficacy, at the words And which of you. Regarding the first, he does four things: first, he leads us to consider brute animals; secondly, he sets forth the deficiency that follows upon them; thirdly, divine providence; fourthly, from this he argues. Therefore, Behold, i.e., consider: "Ask the beasts" (Job 12:7). For from the consideration of these, man sometimes learns: "Go to the ant" (Pr 6:6).

For they neither sow. Daily food is bread. Its acquisition requires a threefold work: sowing, reaping, and storing. Hence he excludes these three from the birds: They neither sow, etc.

Consequently, the help of divine providence is set forth: and your heavenly Father feedeth them. He says your, not theirs, because properly God is the father of rational creatures made in his image (Gen 1). He also says heavenly, because we have something pertaining to heaven, namely, the soul, which pertains to the likeness of spiritual substances. Hence our Father feeds those of whom he is only God; much more us, of whom he is Father: "He gives to beasts their food" (Ps 147:9). Consequently, he argues: Are not you of much more value than they? — i.e., of greater value by ordination, namely according to Genesis (1:26): "That he may rule over the fish." For sometimes a horse is sold for more than a man, because there is a twofold estimation of things: according to the order of nature, and thus man is better than all things; or according to estimation or pleasure, and thus sometimes an animal is sold for more.

Regarding this text, it should be considered that some — and I believe it was Origen — expound it differently and say that by "birds" are understood the holy angels, who do not perform bodily labors and yet God feeds them with spiritual food, of which the Psalm says: "The bread of angels." But as Jerome says, this cannot stand, because God adds Are not you of much more value. Hilary, however, understands by "birds" demons, as "birds of the air," who are fed insofar as they are preserved in the being of their nature; and men are of more worth than they, because the Lord argues that if those who are predestined to death are sustained by God, much more so are we. But according to Augustine, what the Lord says should not be taken allegorically, because the Lord wishes to draw an argument from these sensible things to demonstrate his point.

But it should be known that here was the error of some who said that it was not lawful for spiritual men to labor bodily, because of the likeness with the birds. Against these, Augustine in his book On the Work of Monks says that it is impossible for men to imitate the life of birds in all things. Hence some perfect men who went into the desert and rarely went to the city had to gather many provisions. But the apostles, according to Augustine, worked with their hands; hence not to labor does not pertain to perfection. And Augustine gives an example: God delivers those who hope in him from tribulation, as is clear from Daniel and the youths in the furnace. Should, therefore, one placed in tribulations do nothing toward being delivered? Indeed, the Lord said: "If they persecute you in one city, flee to another" (Mt 10:23). And therefore it must be said that the Lord wishes that in all things man should do what is in his power, hoping in God. God will give him what he sees is expedient; but whoever would act otherwise would be a tempter and a fool. God, therefore, has providence over the affairs of men, yet in such a way that he provides for each according to his own mode — differently for men and birds. For to birds he did not give reason by which to procure necessities, but all was placed in them by nature. To man, however, he gave reason by which to procure necessities for himself. Hence he gave all things to man by giving him reason; and therefore if we do what is in us, he too will do what is in him.

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 15.) Or it may be connected with what follows it; as though He should say, It was not by our care that our body was brought to its present stature; so that we may know that if we desired to add one cubit to it, we should not be able. Leave then the care of clothing that body to Him who made it to grow to its present stature.

(De Civ. Dei, xxii. 15.) But if Christ rose again with the same stature with which He died, it is impious to say that when the time of the resurrection of all shall come, there shall be added to His body a bigness that it had not at His own resurrection, (for He appeared to His disciples with that body in which He had been known among them,) such that He shall be equalled to the tallest among men. If again we say that all men's bodies, whether tall or short, shall be alike brought to the size and stature of the Lord's body, then much will perish from many bodies, though He has declared that not a hair shall fall. It remains therefore that each be raised in his own stature—that stature which he had in youth, if he died in old age; if in childhood that stature to which he would have attained had he lived. For the Apostle says not, 'To the measure of the stature,' but, To the measure of the full age of Christ. (Eph. 4:13.) For the bodies of the dead shall rise in youth and maturity to which we know that Christ attainedd.

(Verse 27.) But which of you by thinking is able to add one cubit to his stature? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore neither did He simply say, "Take no thought what ye shall eat," or "wherewithal ye shall be clothed;" but, "for the body," and, "for the soul:" forasmuch as from them He was to make His demonstrations, carrying on His discourse in the way of comparison. Now the soul He hath given once for all, and it abides such as it is; but the body increases every day. Therefore pointing out both these things, the immortality of the one, and the frailty of the other, He subjoins and says,

"Which of you can add one cubit unto his stature?" Thus, saying no more of the soul, since it receives not increase, He discoursed of the body only; hereby making manifest this point also, that not the food increases it, but the providence of God. Which Paul showing also in other ways, said, "So then, neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase."

But if thou canst not bear, upon hearing so high words, to release thyself from these grievous bonds, consider the unprofitableness of the thing, and so put an end to thy care. For "Which of you by taking thought" (saith He) "can add one cubit unto his stature."

Seest thou how by that which is evident, He hath manifested that also which is obscure? Thus, "As unto thy body," saith He, "thou wilt not by taking thought be able to add, though it be ever so little; so neither to gather food; think as thou mayest otherwise." Hence it is clear that not our diligence, but the providence of God, even where we seem to be active, effects all. So that, were He to forsake us, no care, nor anxiety, nor toil, nor any other such thing, will ever appear to come to anything, but all will utterly pass away.

Let us not therefore suppose His injunctions are impossible: for there are many who duly perform them, even as it is. And if thou knowest not of them, it is nothing marvellous, since Elias too supposed he was alone, but was told, "I have left unto myself seven thousand men." Whence it is manifest that even now there are many who show forth the apostolical life; like as the "three thousand" then, and the "five thousand." And if we believe not, it is not because there are none who do well, but because we are far from so doing. So that just as the drunkard would not easily believe, that there exists any man who doth not taste even water (and yet this hath been achieved by many solitaries in our time); nor he who connects himself with numberless women, that it is easy to live in virginity; nor he that extorts other men's goods, that one shall readily give up even his own: so neither will those, who daily melt themselves down with innumerable anxieties, easily receive this thing.

Now as to the fact, that there are many who have attained unto this, we might show it even from those, who have practised this self-denial even in our generation.

In the same way, with their high shoes, he has made the tragic actors taller, because "none can add a cubit to his stature." His desire is to make Christ a liar.

The wonder is, that there is no (open) contending against the Lord's prescripts! It has been pronounced that no one can add to his own stature. You, however, do add to your weight some kind of rolls, or shield-bosses, to be piled upon your necks! If you feel no shame at the enormity, feel some at the pollution; for fear you may be fitting on a holy and Christian head the slough of some one else's head, unclean perchance, guilty perchance and destined to hell.

"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?" This means, even if you take the utmost care, you can do nothing if God does not will it. Why then do you drive yourself to exhaustion with futile worries?

And which of you by taking thought, can add to his stature one cubit? He draws an argument from experience. For it is manifest that just as God provides for animals in the works of nature, so also for men. For in man there is a certain part that is subject to reason, such as the motive and appetitive parts, and a certain part that is not, such as the nutritive and augmentative. But man differs from brute animals in those things that are subject to reason, and therefore he is provided for differently — for himself through reason, for others through nature. But as to those things in which he shares with brutes, all are provided for equally. For all things grow through the work of nature; and because the growth of the body is from divine providence, we should not, on account of the slightest solicitude about temporal things, abandon spiritual works: "He made the small and the great" (Wis 6:7); and this is which of you. Hilary expounds this of the state of the future resurrection and says that in the resurrection all will be equal in size, and therefore something will be added to some in size; and this is which of you. But Augustine disproves this in his book The City of God, and I believe he speaks better. For it is said in Philippians (3:21) that Christ "will reform the body of our lowliness, made like to the body of his glory." Therefore what appeared and was manifested to the disciples in Christ rising should be hoped for in us. But Christ rose in the same size as he had before; therefore nothing was added to him, nor is anything taken from anyone, because the Lord says that "not a hair of your head shall perish" (Lk 21:18). Hence it must be said that in the resurrection all will be conformed to Christ as to age, and each will rise in the size he would have had at that age. But what is due to a defect of nature, as in dwarfs, will be removed. Hence they will rise in such a size as they would have attained if nature had not failed up to that age, namely, Christ's.

But these examples are not to be treated as allegories, so that we should inquire what the fowls of heaven or the lilies of the field mean: for they stand here, in order that from smaller matters we may be persuaded respecting greater ones; just as is the case in regard to the judge who neither feared God nor regarded man, and yet yielded to the widow who often importuned him to consider her case, not from piety or humanity, but that he might be saved annoyance. For that unjust judge does not in any way allegorically represent the person of God; but yet as to how far God, who is good and just, cares for those who supplicate Him, our Lord wished the inference to be drawn from this circumstance, that not even an unjust man can despise those who assail him with unceasing petitions, even were his motive merely to avoid annoyance.

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 15.) The things instanced are not to be allegorized so that we enquire what is denoted by the birds of the air, or the lilies of the field; they are only examples to prove God's care for the greater from His care for the less.

Sometimes, Lord, one is tempted to say that if you wanted us to behave like the lilies of the field you might have given us an organization more like theirs. But that, I suppose, is just your grand experiment. Or no; not an experiment, for you have no need to find things out. Rather your grand enterprise. To make an organism which is also a spirit; to make that terrible oxymoron, a "spiritual animal". To take a poor primate, a beast with nerve-endings all over it, a creature with a stomach that wants to be filled, a breeding animal that wants its mate, and say, "Now get on with it. Become a god."

There is perhaps nothing so perfect in all language or literature as the use of these three degrees in the parable of the lilies of the field; in which he seems first to take one small flower in his hand and note its simplicity and even its impotence; then suddenly expands it in flamboyant colours into all the palaces and pavilions full of a great name in national legend and national glory; and then, by yet a third overturn, shrivels it to nothing once more with a gesture as if flinging it away '... and if God so clothes the grass that to-day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven--how much more....' It is like the building of a good Babel tower by white magic in a moment and in the movement of a hand; a tower heaved suddenly up to heaven on the top of which can be seen afar off, higher than we had fancied possible, the figure of man; lifted by three infinities above all other things, on a starry ladder of light logic and swift imagination. Merely in a literary sense it would be more of a masterpiece than most of the masterpieces in the libraries; yet it seems to have been uttered almost at random while a man might pull a flower.

Or; By the lilies are to be understood the eminences of the heavenly Angels, to whom a surpassing radiance of whiteness is communicated by God. They toil not, neither do they spin, because the angelic powers received in the very first allotment of their existence such a nature, that as they were made so they should ever continue to be; and when in the resurrection men shall be like unto Angels, He would have them look for a covering of angelic glory by this example of angelic excellence.

(Vers. 28-29.) Consider how the lilies of the field grow: they do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. How beautifully does the lily shine? But the viola, with its purple color, surpasses any dye, it is a judgement of the eyes more than of speech.

For, in sooth, what regal purple, what silk, what web of divers colours from the loom, may vie with flowers? What work of man has the red blush of the rose? the pure white of the lily? How the Tyrian dye yields to the violet, sight alone and not words can express.

Having spoken of our necessary food, and having signified that not even for this should we take thought, He passes on in what follows to that which is more easy. For raiment is not so necessary as food.

Why then did He not make use here also of the same example, that of the birds, neither mention to us the peacock, and the swan, and the sheep? for surely there were many such examples to take from thence. Because He would point out how very far the argument may be carried both ways: both from the vileness of the things that partake of such elegance, and from the munificence vouchsafed to the lilies, in respect of their adorning.

And see how from the beginning He signifies the injunction to be easy; by the contraries again, and by the things of which they were afraid, leading them away from these cares. Thus, when He had said, "Consider the lilies of the field," He added, "they toil not:" so that in desire to set us free from toils, did He give these commands. In fact, the labor lies, not in taking no thought, but in taking thought for these things. And as in saying, "they sow not," it was not the sowing that He did away with, but the anxious thought; so in saying, "they toil not, neither do they spin," He put an end not to the work, but to the care.

For lilies within a fixed time are formed into branches, clothed in whiteness, and endowed with sweet odour, God conveying by an unseen operation, what the earth had not given to the root. But in all the same perfectness is observed, that they may not be thought to have been formed by chance, but may be known to be ordered by God's providence. When He says, They toil not, He speaks for the comfort of men; Neither do they spin, for the women.

Spiritually, by the birds of the air are meant the Saints who are born again in the water of holy Baptisme; and by devotion raise themselves above the earth and seek the skies. The Apostles are said to be of more value than these, because they are the heads of the Saints. By the lilies also may be understood the Saints, who without the toil of legal ceremonies pleased God by faith alone; of whom it is said, My Beloved, who feedeth among the lilies. (Cant. 2:16.) Holy Church also is understood by the lilies, because of the whiteness of its faith, and the odour of its good conversation, of which it is said in the same place, As the lily among the thorns. By the grass are denoted the unbelievers, of whom it is said, The grass hath dried up, and the flowers thereof faded. (Is. 40:7.) By the oven eternal damnation; so that the sense be, If God bestows temporal goods on the unbelievers, how much more shall He bestow on you eternal goods!

But "think not," says He, "about food; " and as an example of clothing we have the lilies. "My work was my subsistence.

On the other hand, this worldly concupiscence (to which I referred) has, as its causes, glory, cupidity, ambition, want of sufficiency; through which causes it trumps up the "necessity" for marrying,-promising itself, forsooth, heavenly things in return-to lord it, (namely,) in another's family; to roost on another's wealth; to extort splendour from another's store to lavish expenditure which you do not feel! Far be all this from believers, who have no care about maintenance, unless it be that we distrust the promises of God, and (His) care and providence, who clothes with such grace the lilies of the field; who, without any labour on their part, feeds the fowls of the heaven; who prohibits care to be taken about to-morrow's food and clothing, promising that He knows what is needful for each of His servants-not indeed ponderous necklaces, not burdensome garments, not Gallic mules nor German bearers, which all add lustre to the glory of nuptials; but "sufficiency," which is suitable to moderation and modesty, Presume, I pray you, that you have need of nothing if you "attend upon the Lord; " nay, that you have all things, if you have the Lord, whose are all things.

"And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." He shames us not only by the birds, which lack reason, but also by the lilies, that wither. For if God adorned the lilies in such a manner, without any necessity to do so, how much more will He fulfill our own need for clothing? He shows that though you go to great lengths, you are not able to be adorned as beautifully as the lilies. Even Solomon the most wise and splendid, with all his kingdom at his disposal, could not array himself in such a manner.

And for raiment why are you solicitous? Here he develops the argument as to clothing, and first he sets forth what he intends; secondly, he brings in a likeness; thirdly, from these he argues. The second at the words Consider; the third at the words And if the grass. It is fitting that after the solicitude about food and drink, the solicitude about clothing is treated, because just as food and drink pertain to the necessity of life, so also does clothing: "Having food and clothing" (1 Tim 6:8). And Jacob said: "If God will be with me" (Gen 28:20).

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. He brings in an example and proposes two things: a comparison and the help of divine providence, at the words But I say to you. He says consider. For the consideration of divine works is valuable for the mind to burst forth in praise of the Creator: "I will meditate on all your works." How they grow: "God gives the increase" (1 Cor 3:7).

They labour not, neither do they spin. For clothing, the work of both man and woman is necessary; and this is they labour not, neither do they spin. Or, they labour not at dyeing, neither do they spin at preparing; hence neither for the color nor for the substance of clothing do they labor.

(non occ.) And for the greater exaltation of God's providence in those things that are beyond human industry, He adds, I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

But if Solomon was surpassed by their beauty, and that not once nor twice, but throughout all his reign;-for neither can one say, that at one time He was clothed with such apparel, but after that He was so no more; rather not so much as on one day did He array Himself so beautifully: for this Christ declared by saying, "in all his reign:" and if it was not that He was surpassed by this flower, but vied with that, but He gave place to all alike (wherefore He also said, "as one of these:" for such as between the truth and the counterfeit, so great is the interval between those robes and these flowers):-if then he acknowledged his inferiority, who was more glorious than all kings that ever were: when wilt thou be able to surpass, or rather to approach even faintly to such perfection of form?

After this He instructs us, not to aim at all at such ornament. See at least the end thereof; after its triumph "it is cast into the oven:" and if of things mean, and worthless, and of no great use, God hath displayed so great care, how shall He give up thee, of all living creatures the most important?

Hereby He teaches us not only to take no thought, but not even to be dazzled at the costliness of men's apparel. Why, such comeliness is of grass, such beauty of the green herb: or rather, the grass is even more precious than such apparelling. Why then pride thyself on things, whereof the prize rests with the mere plant, with a great balance in its favor?

Or the meaning may be, that Solomon though he toiled not for his own raiment, yet he gave command for the making of it. But where command is, there is often found both offence of them that minister, and wrath of him that commands. When then any are without these things, then they are arrayed as are the lilies.

But I say to you, that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. Here the benefit of divine providence is set forth. For God so provides that the whole effort of man could not equal it, because things made by art cannot equal those made by nature. And this is that not even Solomon, who was the most glorious of all kings known to the Jews, and he says in all his glory, because not even for one day could he have clothing like the flowers. And this is the exposition of Chrysostom, and it is the literal one. In another way, not even Solomon, etc., because these corporeal things have clothing without solicitude, which Solomon did not. Hilary: Anagogically, by "lily" are understood the holy angels: "My beloved is mine and I am his" (S of S 2:16); and the Lord wishes to remove solicitude about the resurrection, about clothing in the resurrection. For just as the angels are clothed in brightness, so also will our bodies be clothed.

Some copies have into the fire, or, into an heap, which has the appearance of an oven.

He says, of little faith, for that faith is little which is not sure of even the least things.

Or, under the signification of grass the Gentiles are pointed to. If then an eternal existence is only therefore granted to the Gentiles, that they may soon be handed over to the judgment fires; how impious it is that the saints should doubt of attaining to eternal glory, when the wicked have eternity bestowed on them for their punishment.

To-morrow in Scripture is put for time future in general. Jacob says, So shall my righteousness answer for me to-morrow. (Gen. 30:33.) And in the phantasm of Samuel, the Pythoness says to Saul, To-morrow shalt thou be with me. 1 Sam. 28:19.)

For this cause, when He hath decked them out, He doth not so much as call them lilies any more, but "grass of the field." And He is not satisfied even with this name, but again adds another circumstance of vileness, saying, "which to-day is." And He said not, "and to-morrow is not," but what is much baser yet, "is cast into the oven." And He said not, "clothe," but "so clothe."

Seest thou everywhere how He abounds in amplifications and intensities? And this He doth, that He may touch them home: and therefore He hath also added, "shall He not much more clothe you?" For this too hath much emphasis: the force of the word, "you," being no other than to indicate covertly the great value set upon our race, and the concern shown for it; as though He had said, "you, to whom He gave a soul, for whom He fashioned a body, for whose sake He made all the things that are seen, for whose sake He sent prophets, and gave the law, and wrought those innumerable good works; for whose sake He gave up His only begotten Son."

And not till He hath made His proof clear, doth He proceed also to rebuke them, saying, "O ye of little faith." For this is the quality of an adviser: He doth not admonish only, but reproves also, that He may awaken men the more to the persuasive power of His words.

Now when, as you see, He had demonstrated the greatness of God's providential care, and they were in what follows to be rebuked also, even in this He was sparing, laying to their charge not want, but poverty, of faith. Thus, "if God," saith He, "so clothe the grass of the field, much more you, O ye of little faith."

Wherefore then did He make them so beautiful? That He might display His own wisdom and the excellency of His power; that from everything we might learn His glory. For not "the Heavens only declare the glory of God," but the earth too; and this David declared when he said, "Praise the Lord, ye fruitful trees, and all cedars." For some by their fruits, some by their greatness, some by their beauty, send up praise to Him who made them: this too being a sign of great excellency of wisdom, when even upon things that are very vile (and what can be viler than that which to-day is, and to-morrow is not?) He pours out such great beauty. If then to the grass He hath given that which it needs not (for what doth the beauty thereof help to the feeding of the fire?) how shall He not give unto thee that which thou needest? If that which is the vilest of all things, He hath lavishly adorned, and that as doing it not for need, but for munificence, how much more will He honor thee, the most honorable of all things, in matters which are of necessity.

If God then thus provides for the flowers of the earth which only spring up, that they may be seen and die, shall He overlook men whom He has created not to be seen for a time, but that they should be for ever?

"Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" We learn from this that we ought not to be concerned with beautifying ourselves, for our adornments wither like the fading flowers. Therefore one who beautifies himself is like grass. But you, He says, are creatures endowed with reason, whom God fashioned with both soul and body. Those "of little faith" are all those who concern themselves with such thoughts. For if they had perfect faith in God, they would not give such anxious thoughts to these things.

And if the grass of the field. Here he argues from the example. Above the Lord had made mention of lilies; here he changes to grass, because he intends to argue from the lesser. Hence he sets forth deficiency on one hand to show pre-eminence on the other: he shows pre-eminence as to the dignity of substance, because we are men.

"The grass has withered" (Is 40:7). Duration, because we are perpetual as to the soul, whereas the flower is practically momentary, because which is to day, etc. And he puts an indeterminate future for a determinate one, as in Genesis (30:33): "It will answer for me tomorrow." "Let them be as grass upon the housetops" (Ps 129:6). End, because man was made for beatitude, but these things exist to come into man's use: "He brings forth grass on the mountains" (Ps 147:8). Or he said "lilies" above and then "grass" because flowers are to herbs as clothing is to men. For the use of clothing is to protect and to adorn; and if God provides for lesser things for adornment, much more for greater things for necessity; and this is And if the grass, etc.

O ye of little faith, who do not hope for even lesser things from God: "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?" (Mt 14:31). Hilary, however, does not connect this with the preceding; rather, just as by "lilies" the holy angels are understood, so by "grass" the unfaithful: "Truly the people is grass" (Is 40:7); because if God provides for the unfaithful who are foreknown for punishment, how much more for us who are foreknown for eternal life.

(non occ.) Having thus expressly cut off all anxiety concerning food and raiment, by an argument drawn from observation of the inferior creation, He follows it up by a further prohibition; Be not ye therefore careful, saying, What shall we eat, what shall we drink, or wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(Verse 31 and following) Do not be anxious, saying: What shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or with what shall we be clothed? For all these things the Gentiles seek. For your Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Therefore, it has granted that those who forbid thinking about the future should be anxious about the present. And so the Apostle says: 'Working night and day with our hands, so as not to burden any of you' (1 Thess. 2:9). Tomorrow is understood as a future time in the Scriptures, as Jacob says: 'And my righteousness shall answer for me tomorrow' (Gen. 30:33). And in Samuel's vision, the witch speaks to Saul: 'Tomorrow you will be with me' (1 Sam. 28:19).

"Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the nations of the world seek."

Seest thou how again He hath both shamed them the more, and hath also shown by the way, that He had commanded nothing grievous nor burdensome? As therefore when He said, "If ye love them which love you," it is nothing great which ye practise, for the very Gentiles do the same; by the mention of the Gentiles He was stirring them up to something greater: so now also He brings them forward to reprove us, and to signify that it is a necessary debt which He is requiring of us. For if we must show forth something more than the Scribes or Pharisees, what can we deserve, who so far from going beyond these, do even abide in the mean estate of the Gentiles, and emulate their littleness of soul?

(De Nat. Hom. 42.) That there is a Providence, is shown by such signs as the following; The continuance of all things, of those things especially which are in a state of decay and reproduction, and the place and order of all things that exist is ever preserved in one and the same state; and how could this be done unless by some presiding power? But some affirm that God does indeed care for the general continuance of all things in the universe, and provides for this, but that all particular events depend on contingency. Now there are but three reasons that can be alleged for God exercising no providence of particular events; either God is ignorant that it is good to have knowledge of particular things; or He is unwilling; or He is unable. But ignorance is altogether alien from blessed substance; for how shall God not know what every wise man knows, that if particulars were destroyed, the whole would be destroyed? But nothing prevents all individuals from perishing; when no power watches over them. If, again, He be unwilling, this must be from one of two reasons; inactivity, or the meanness of the occupation. But inactivity is produced by two things; either we are drawn aside by some pleasure, or hindered by some fear, neither of which can be piously supposed of God. If they affirm that it would be unbecoming, for that it is beneath such blessedness to stoop to things so trifling, how is it not inconsistent that a workman overseeing the whole of any machine, leaves no part however insignificant without attention, knowing the whole is but made up of the parts, and thus pronounce God the Creator of all things to be less wise than craftsmen? But if it be that He is unable, then is He unable to bestow benefits on us. But if we are unable to comprehend the manner of special Providence, we have not therefore any right to deny its operation; we might as well say that, because we did not know the number of mankind, therefore there were no men.

Since their belief is that it is Fortune and not Providence that has place in human affairs, and think not that their lives are directed by God's counsel, but follow the uncertain chance, they accordingly fear and despair, as having none to guide them. But he who believes that he is guided by God's counsel, entrusts his provision of food to God's hand; as it follows, for your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

It should be observed that He does not say, Do not ye seek, or be thoughful for, food, drink, and raiment, but what ye shall eat, what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. Wherein they seem to me to be convicted, who, using themselves the usual food and clothing, require of those with whom they live either greater sumptuousness, or greater austerity in both.

The Lord repeated this, that He might show how highly necessary this precept is, and that He might inculcate it more strongly on our hearts.

On the other hand, this worldly concupiscence (to which I referred) has, as its causes, glory, cupidity, ambition, want of sufficiency; through which causes it trumps up the "necessity" for marrying,-promising itself, forsooth, heavenly things in return-to lord it, (namely,) in another's family; to roost on another's wealth; to extort splendour from another's store to lavish expenditure which you do not feel! Far be all this from believers, who have no care about maintenance, unless it be that we distrust the promises of God, and (His) care and providence, who clothes with such grace the lilies of the field; who, without any labour on their part, feeds the fowls of the heaven; who prohibits care to be taken about to-morrow's food and clothing, promising that He knows what is needful for each of His servants-not indeed ponderous necklaces, not burdensome garments, not Gallic mules nor German bearers, which all add lustre to the glory of nuptials; but "sufficiency," which is suitable to moderation and modesty, Presume, I pray you, that you have need of nothing if you "attend upon the Lord; " nay, that you have all things, if you have the Lord, whose are all things.

"Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the Gentiles seek." He does not forbid us to eat, but to say, "What shall we eat?" The rich say in the evening, "What shall we eat tomorrow?" See that it is luxury and excess that He forbids.

Be not solicitous therefore. Here he argues, and regarding this he does two things: first, he draws one conclusion; secondly, he introduces another argument for the same conclusion, at the words For after all these things. Separately he had treated of the solicitude about food and drink and about clothing; here he concludes about both. Hence Be not solicitous. And what was said above should be recalled: that solicitude about temporal things is forbidden in four respects — namely, that we not set our end in them, that we not seek them excessively, that we not too much occupy our mind with them, and that we not despair of God's providence. Here certain other things are set forth, and he adds one other meaning. Hence he says Be not solicitous therefore, etc., i.e., when you live in some community, do not be solicitous to have something special in food, drink, and clothing: "Be among them as one of them" (Sir 32:1).

(De Trin. xv. 13.) God did not gain this knowledge at any certain time, but before all time, without beginning of knowledge, foreknew that the things of the world would be, and among others, both what and when we should ask of Him.

(De Civ. Dei, xii. 18.) As to what some say that these things are so many that they cannot be compassed by the knowledge of God; they ought with like reason to maintain further that God cannot know all numbers which are certainly infinite. But infinity of number is not beyond the compass of His understanding, who is Himself infinite. Therefore if whatever is compassed by knowledge, is bounded by the compass of him that has the knowledge, then is all infinity in a certain unspeakable way bounded by God, because it is not incomprehensible by His knowledge.

(non occ.) There is also a further needless solicitude wherein men sin, when they lay by of produce or money more than necessity requires, and leaving spiritual things, are intent on these things, as though despairing of the goodness of God; this is what is forbidden; for after all these things do the Gentiles seek.

He doth not however stop at the rebuke, but having by this reproved and roused them, and shamed them with all strength of expression, by another argument He also comforts them, saying, "For your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things." He said not, "God knoweth," but, "your Father knoweth;" to lead them to a greater hope. For if He be a Father, and such a Father, He will not surely be able to overlook His children in extremity of evils; seeing that not even men, being fathers, bear to do so.

And He adds along with this yet another argument. Of what kind then is it? That "ye have need" of them. What He saith is like this. What! are these things superfluous, that He should disregard them? Yet not even in superfluities did He show Himself wanting in regard, in the instance of the grass: but now are these things even necessary. So that what thou considerest a cause for thy being anxious, this I say is sufficient to draw thee from such anxiety. I mean, if thou sayest, "Therefore I must needs take thought, because they are necessary;" on the contrary, I say, "Nay, for this self-same reason take no thought, because they are necessary." Since were they superfluities, not even then ought we to despair, but to feel confident about the supply of them; but now that they are necessary, we must no longer be in doubt. For what kind of father is he, who can endure to fail in supplying to his children even necessaries? So that for this cause again God will most surely bestow them.

For indeed He is the artificer of our nature, and He knows perfectly the wants thereof. So that neither canst thou say, "He is indeed our Father, and the things we seek are necessary, but He knows not that we stand in need of them." For He that knows our nature itself, and was the framer of it, and formed it such as it is; evidently He knows its need also better than thou, who art placed in want of them: it having been by His decree, that our nature is in such need. He will not therefore oppose Himself to what He hath willed, first subjecting it of necessity to so great want, and on the other hand again depriving it of what it wants, and of absolute necessaries.

Let us not therefore be anxious, for we shall gain nothing by it, but tormenting ourselves. For whereas He gives both when we take thought, and when we do not, and more of the two, when we do not; what dost thou gain by thy anxiety, but to exact of thyself a superfluous penalty? Since one on the point of going to a plentiful feast, will not surely permit himself to take thought for food; nor is he that is walking to a fountain anxious about drink. Therefore seeing we have a supply more copious than either any fountain, or innumerable banquets made ready, the providence of God; let us not be beggars, nor little minded.

But, because that word is admissible in a carnal sense too, it cannot be so used without the religious remembrance withal of spiritual Discipline; for (the Lord) commands that bread be prayed for, which is the only food necessary for believers; for "all other things the nations seek after." The like lesson He both inculcates by examples, and repeatedly handles in parables, when He says, "Doth a father take away bread from his children, and hand it to dogs? " and again, "Doth a father give his son a stone when he asks for bread? " For He thus shows what it is that sons expect from their father.

"For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." The kingdom of God is the enjoyment of all that is good. This comes through righteousness. To him who seeks after spiritual things God in His generosity adds that which is needed for physical life.

For after all these things do the heathens seek — as though the faithful should not do what the unfaithful do; hence the unfaithful are blamed, but the gentiles are blamed for this; therefore, etc. And first he sets forth the error of the unfaithful; secondly, he disproves it; thirdly, he shows what the faithful should do. The second at the words For your Father knoweth; the third at the words Seek ye therefore. He says, therefore: I say that you should not be solicitous about this, because you should not "be conformed to this world" (Rom 12:2).

For after all these things do the heathens seek, and this for two reasons, according as "to seek" can be taken in two ways: for it can imply the character of an end, and thus the gentiles, who do not believe in eternal things, seek these temporal things as their end; or, if they do not seek them as their ultimate end, yet they seek with total solicitude because they do not believe in divine providence and consequently not in God: "Just as the gentiles who do not know God" (1 Thess 4:5).

Consequently, he asserts divine providence. And it should be known that providence presupposes two things: knowledge and will; and therefore he shows both. For providence is nothing other than the ordering of certain things toward an end, namely, having set the end, to choose the ways by which one may arrive at the end. Hence first it is necessary that he know and will the end; secondly, that he know the order and proportion of those things which are for the end, just as a builder knows the order of the stones to be placed in a house. Hence, for God to have providence over human affairs, it is required that he know and understand them, and that he will to direct them to their end; and therefore he says for your Father knoweth: "To the Lord our God" belong secret things (Sir 23:19); "All things are naked and open" (Heb 4:13). Your Father, therefore, wills to administer: "But you, Father, govern" (Wis 14:3). For he would not be a Father unless he were a provider: "If you, being evil" (Mt 7:11).

Here He shows most manifestly that these things are not to be sought as if they were our blessings in such sort, that on account of them we ought to do well in all our actings, but yet that they are necessary. For what the difference is between a blessing which is to be sought, and a necessary which is to be taken for use, He has made plain by this sentence, when He says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The kingdom and the righteousness of God therefore are our good; and this is to be sought, and there the end is to be set up, on account of which we are to do everything which we do. But because we serve as soldiers in this life, in order that we may be able to reach that kingdom, and because our life cannot be spent without these necessaries, "These things shall be added unto you," says He; "but seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." For in using that word "first," He has indicated that this is to be sought later, not in point of time, but in point of importance: the one as being our good, the other as being something necessary for us; but the necessary on account of that good.

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 16.) To wit, these temporal goods which are thus manifestly shown not to be such goods as those goods of ours for the sake of which we ought to do well; and yet they are necessary. The kingdom of God and His righteousness is our good which we ought to make our end. But since in order to attain this end we are militant in this life, which may not be lived without supply of these necessaries, He promises, These things shall be added unto you. That He says, First, implies that these are to be sought second not in time, but in value; the one is our good, the other necessary to us. For example, we ought not to preach that we may eat, for so we should hold the Gospel as of less value than our food; but we should therefore eat that we may preach the Gospel. But if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that is, set this before all other things, and seek other things for the sake of this, we ought not to be anxious lest we should lack necessaries; and therefore He says, All these things shall be added unto you; that is, of course, without being an hindrance to you: that you may not in seeking them be turned away from the other, and thus set two ends before you.

(Serm. in Mont. ii. 17.) But when we read that the Apostle suffered hunger and thirst, let us not think that God's promises failed him; for these things are rather aids. That Physician to whom we have entirely entrusted ourselves, knows when He will give and when He will withhold, as He judges most for our advantage. So that should these things ever be lacking to us, (as God to exercise us often permits,) it will not weaken our fixed purpose, but rather confirm it when wavering.

The longer I looked into it the more I came to suspect that I was perceiving a universal law... It may be stated as follows: every preference of a small good to a great, or a partial good to a total good, involves the loss of the small or partial good for which the sacrifice was made.

Apparently the world is made that way. If Esau really got the pottage in return for his birthright, then Esau was a lucky exception. You can't get second things by putting them first; you can get second things only by putting first things first. From which it would follow that the question, What things are first? is of concern not only to philosophers but to everyone... To be sure, if it were true that civilization will never be safe till it is put second, that immediately raises the question, second to what? What is the first thing? The only reply I can offer here is that if we do not know, then the first and only truly practical thing is to set about finding out.

Hope is one of the Theological virtues. This means that a continual looking forward to the eternal world is not (as some modern people think) a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do. It does not mean that we are to leave the present world as it is. If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were just those who thought most of the next. The Apostles themselves, who set on foot the conversion of the Roman Empire, the great men who built up the Middle Ages, the English Evangelicals who abolished the Slave Trade, all left their mark on Earth, precisely because their minds were occupied with Heaven. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this. Aim at Heaven and you will get earth "thrown in": aim at earth and you will get neither. It seems a strange rule, but something like it can be seen at work in other matters. Health is a great blessing, but the moment you make health one of your main, direct objects you start becoming a crank and imagining there is something wrong with you. You are only likely to get health provided you want other things more—food, games, work, fun, open air. In the same way, we shall never save civilisation as long as civilisation is our main object. We must learn to want something else even more.

Your real, new self (which is Christ's and also yours, and yours just because it is His) will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him... But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.

The thing to do is to get a man at first to value social justice as a thing which the Enemy demands, and then work him on to the stage at which he values Christianity because it may produce social justice. For the Enemy will not be used as a convenience. Men or nations who think they can revive the Faith in order to make a good society might just as well think they can use the stairs of Heaven as a short cut to the nearest chemist's shop. Fortunately it is quite easy to coax humans round this little corner. Only today I have found a passage in a Christian writer where he recommends his own version of Christianity on the ground that "only such a faith can outlast the death of old cultures and the birth of new civilisations". You see the little rift? "Believe this, not because it is true, but for some other reason." That's the game.

Hyperichius said, 'Let your mind be always on the kingdom of heaven, and you will soon inherit it.'

In short, instead of asking whether our modern arrangements, our streets, trades, bargains, laws, and concrete institutions are suited to the primal and permanent idea of a healthy human life, they never admit that healthy human life into the discussion at all, except suddenly and accidentally at odd moments; and then they only ask whether that healthy human life is suited to our streets and trades. ... A really human human being would always put the spiritual things first. A walking and speaking statue of God finds himself at one particular moment employed as a shop assistant. He has in himself a power of terrible love, a promise of paternity, a thirst for some loyalty that shall unify life, and in the ordinary course of things he asks himself, "How far do the existing conditions of those assisting in shops fit in with my evident and epic destiny in the matter of love and marriage?"

The messages are basically different. Christ said 'Seek first the kingdom, and all these things shall be added unto you.' Buddha said 'Seek first the kingdom, and then you will need none of these things.'

Desire and danger make every one simple. And to those who talk to us with interfering eloquence about Jaeger and the pores of the skin, and about Plasmon and the coats of the stomach, at them shall only be hurled the words that are hurled at fops and gluttons, "Take no thought what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. For after all these things do the Gentiles seek. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Those amazing words are not only extraordinarily good, practical politics; they are also superlatively good hygiene. The one supreme way of making all those processes go right, the processes of health, and strength, and grace, and beauty, the one and only way of making certain of their accuracy, is to think about something else. If a man is bent on climbing into the seventh heaven, he may be quite easy about the pores of his skin. If he harnesses his waggon to a star, the process will have a most satisfactory effect upon the coats of his stomach. For the thing called "taking thought," the thing for which the best modern word is "rationalizing," is in its nature, inapplicable to all plain and urgent things. Men take thought and ponder rationalistically, touching remote things—things that only theoretically matter, such as the transit of Venus. But only at their peril can men rationalize about so practical a matter as health.

(interlin.) Or, He says his righteousness, as though He were to say, 'Ye are made righteous through Him, and not through yourselves.'

Behold, we see, dearest brothers, how many of you have gathered for the feast of the martyr: you bend your knees, you beat your breasts, you utter words of prayer and confession, you wet your faces with tears. But consider, I ask, your petitions; see whether you are asking in the name of Jesus, that is, whether you are seeking the joys of eternal salvation. For in the house of Jesus you do not seek Jesus, if in the temple of eternity you pray inappropriately for temporal things. Behold, one person in prayer seeks a wife, another asks for an estate, another requests clothing, another begs that food be given to him. And indeed when these things are lacking, they should be sought from almighty God. But we ought to remember continually what we have received from the command of our same Redeemer: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." And so to ask these things from Jesus is not to err, provided they are not sought excessively.

For together with what hath been said, He puts also yet another reason for feeling confidence about such things, saying, "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you."

Thus when He had set the soul free from anxiety, then He made mention also of Heaven. For indeed He came to do away with the old things, and to call us to a greater country. Therefore He doeth all, to deliver us from things unnecessary, and from our affection for the earth. For this cause He mentioned the heathens also, saying that "the Gentiles seek after these things;" they whose whole labor is for the present life, who have no regard for the things to come, nor any thought of Heaven. But to you not these present are the chief things, but other than these. For we were not born for this end, that we should eat and drink and be clothed, but that we might please God, and attain unto the good things to come. Therefore as things here are secondary in our labor, so also in our prayers let them be secondary. Therefore He also said, "Seek ye the kingdom of Heaven, and all these things shall be added unto you."

And He said not, "shall be given," but "shall be added," that thou mightest learn, that the things present are no great part of His gifts, compared with the greatness of the things to come. Accordingly, He doth not bid us so much as ask for them, but while we ask for other things, to have confidence, as though these also were added to those. Seek then the things to come, and thou wilt receive the things present also; seek not the things that are seen, and thou shalt surely attain unto them. Yea, for it is unworthy of thee to approach thy Lord for such things. And thou, who oughtest to spend all thy zeal and thy care for those unspeakable blessings, dost greatly disgrace thyself by consuming it on the desire of transitory things.

"How then?" saith one, "did He not bid us ask for bread?" Nay, He added, "daily," and to this again, "this day," which same thing in fact He doth here also. For He said not, "Take no thought," but, "Take no thought for the morrow," at the same time both affording us liberty, and fastening our soul on those things that are more necessary to us.

For to this end also He bade us ask even those, not as though God needed reminding by us, but that we might learn that by His help we accomplish whatever we do accomplish, and that we might be made more His own by our continual prayer for these things.

Seest thou how by this again He would persuade them, that they shall surely receive the things present? For He that bestows the greater, much more will He give the less. "For not for this end," saith He, "did I tell you not to take thought nor to ask, that ye should suffer distress, and go about naked, but in order that ye might be in abundance of these things also:" and this, you see, was suited above all things to attract them to Him. So that like as in almsgiving, when deterring them from making a display to men, he won upon them chiefly by promising to furnish them with it more liberally;-"for thy Father," saith He, "who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly;" -even so here also, in drawing them off from seeking these things, this is His persuasive topic, that He promises to bestow it on them, not seeking it, in greater abundance. Thus, to this end, saith He, do I bid thee not seek, not that thou mayest not receive, but that thou mayest receive plentifully; that thou mayest receive in the fashion that becomes thee, with the profit which thou oughtest to have; that thou mayest not, by taking thought, and distracting thyself in anxiety about these, render thyself unworthy both of these, and of the things spiritual; that thou mayest not undergo unnecessary distress, and again fall away from that which is set before thee.

Thus then let him who believes himself to be under the rule of God's counsel, commit his provision into God's hand; but let him meditate of good and evil, which if he do not, he will neither shun the evil, nor lay hold of the good. Therefore it is added, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness. The kingdom of God is the reward of good works; His righteousness is the way of piety by which we go to that kingdom. If then you consider how great is the glory of the Saints, you will either through fear of punishment depart from evil, or through desire of glory hasten to good. And if you consider what is the righteousness of God, what He loves, and what He hates, the righteousness itself will show you His ways, as it attends on those that love it. And the account we shall have to render is not whether we have been poor or rich, but whether we have done well or ill, which is in our own power.

The earth for man's sin is accursed that it should not put forth fruit, according to that in Genesis, Cursed is the ground in thy works; but when we do well, then it is blessed. (Gen. 3:17.) Seek righteousness therefore, and thou shalt not lack food. Wherefore it follows, and all these things shall be added unto you.

But how gracefully has the Divine Wisdom arranged the order of the prayer; so that after things heavenly-that is, after the "Name" of God, the "Will" of God, and the "Kingdom" of God-it should give earthly necessities also room for a petition! For the Lord had withal issued His edict, "Seek ye first the kingdom, and then even these shall be added: " albeit we may rather understand, "Give us this day our daily bread," spiritually.

Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God. He sets forth three things here: the kingdom as the end, because by the kingdom of God is understood eternal beatitude. For then something is properly ruled when it is subject to the rule of the one governing. But in this life, things are not totally subject to God, because we are not without sins; and this will be in glory, where we will perfectly do the divine will: "Blessed is he who shall eat bread" (Lk 14:15). Secondly, the right way. For one goes to the kingdom through justice. Hence if you wish to go to the kingdom of God, you must keep the justice of the kingdom. And he says justice, not simply, but his, because there is a twofold justice: man's, by which he presumes by his own powers to be able to fulfill the commandments of God; and God's, by which through the help of grace man believes he can be saved: "Being ignorant of the justice of God" (Rom 10:3). The third thing he sets forth is and all these things shall be added unto you. A generous seller of property gives something and adds more. We have agreed with God "for a denarius a day" (Mt 20:2), "which is eternal life." Hence whatever he adds over and above is a kind of addition and not a reckoning; and this is and all these things shall be added unto you. He does not say "will be given": "The Lord will not afflict the just soul with famine" (Pr 10:3); "Give me only the necessities of life" (Pr 30:8).

And note that "to seek first" is understood in two ways: as the end or as the reward; and thus he says Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God and not temporal things. For we should not preach the gospel in order to eat, but the reverse. If you do not first seek the kingdom of God, you pervert the order.

And it should be known that the Lord teaches the same in his prayer, where seven petitions are set forth; for first we should seek the very good of God, namely, his glory. In the other petitions, first the kingdom of God; secondly, justice; thirdly, "Thy will be done"; fourthly, the things that are to be added: "Give us this day our daily bread," etc.

But against this — and all these things shall be added unto you — Augustine objects that the Apostle says "in hunger and thirst" (1 Cor 4:11; 2 Cor 11:27). And he answers that God, like a wise physician, knows what is expedient. Hence just as a physician sometimes withdraws food for the health of the body, so God withdraws temporal things for the health of the soul — because it is for our good, namely, so that past sins may be punished and we may guard against future ones; or for the good of others, so that by seeing our patience they may profit in goodness.