N. B. The Church has not had worse enemies, than such as have been raised to estates out of her patrimony. This should open the eyes of those who make no other use of Church livings than to provide portions, raise estates and families, enrich relations, &c.: from which practices the good Lord keep me!
The goods of this world, much more the goods of the Church, are mere depositums, put into the hands of men for the common good—of the Church and mankind. Dr. More's Div. Dial.
Col. iii. 2. "Set your affections on things above." It is more to our advantage to have the prayers of a poor good man, than the smiles of the greatest man on earth.…
Mark x. 21. "Sell what thou hast and give to the poor; and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross and follow Me." My God! we think we love Thee above all things, when, without being sensible of it, we love a thousand things better; but as we hope for heaven, we must sacrifice even what we love most.…
Matt. XXV. 40. "Inasmuch (as often) as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me." As often! Who then would miss any occasion?—The least! who then would despise any object?—To Me! so that in serving the poor, we serve Jesus Christ. O comfortable declaration! … The last refuge of a sinner is Alms. It is an act of turning our Master's goods innocently to our own advantage, and making to ourselves friends of His; heaven being the patrimony and inheritance of the poor; and by our alms we engage them to solicit the mercy of God for us. This is the only way to sanctify riches, which are almost always either the fruit or the seed of unrighteousness and injustice. And indeed we are more obliged to the poor, than they to us. Earthly riches are almost always abused, without an extraordinary grace.
Luke xviii. 12. "I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." Be very careful not to be puffed up with the thoughts of your alms. "I give tithes of all that I possess," was the effect of a pride more prejudicial than the sins of a publican. It is a stratagem of the devil to set before us a sight of our own good works, and to deprive us of that humility which alone can render us acceptable to God.
