a shudder. It is not only that he exaggerated so grossly the excellence of one virtue, or of the shadow of a virtue, and thus deluded the rich with the vain hope of blotting out their sins, of making God their debtor, and of winning or rather purchasing an abundant entrance into his heavenly kingdom, by their alms; but that he thus induced them to maintain the poor, (whether pious or not,) in sordid idleness, and demoralising habits of impudent mendicancy, on their indiscriminate but casual bounty.* He says, moreover, that his favourite doctrine, on which he was never weary of expatiating, was that which they constantly heard. He could not even see that the judgment, which separates the goats from the sheep, does not turn upon the simple performance of a work of righteousness, but upon the test of faith and love to Christ, which, under certain circumstances, such a work afforded! It *See T. i. p. 684, (you clothe Christ, when you clothe the beggar) 687, &c. His reference to Matt. xxv. are too numerous to be subjoined. It is his constant theme, "The virgins perished because they had no oil, or neglected the poor! These sell the required oil!" But Chrysostom mentions what he calls a great and wonderful instance of love, the subject of frequent conversation: a man gave his garment to a beggar, and then borrowed another for himself. (T. v. p. 732.) This is certainly more pleasing than the trite story of poor Sulpicius, relative to that strange fanatic, and gross impostor, Martin of Tours, who when a soldier and catechumen (according to his own story) cut his into two parts, and gave one to the beggar at the gate of Amiens, and then either dreamt that Christ appeared to him in half a coat, and eulogised his admirable servant to attendant angels, or at least published such a vainglorious dream to the world! is true, that protests are occasionally heard against all that is done from a vainglorious desire of applause, which is denounced as the snare of the devil, and as a moth fretting a garment, or as a sweeping tempest; but if only this was excluded, the servile notion of thus meriting salvation was incessantly maintained.* Those, who blindly listened to such teaching, might succeed at no very considerable cost to themselves in lulling their own consciences asleep, and in attaining to a false peace; but what blessing could they enjoy, where the saving name of Jesus Christ was neither loved nor known, and their souls continued altogether unenlightened and unrenewed? The point, however, on which the Lord here dwells, is the absolute necessity of singleness of heart in all our religious duties. It is not that we are to act literally in secret, but that we are not to act for the mere sake of being seen by our fellows, and of obtaining their praise. For, although, we ought to "let our light shine before men," and "not bury it under a bushel," we must never forget, that the object of this light bearing is not our own glory, or ostentatious self display, but the setting forth of the truth and glory * Chrysost. T. ii. p. 48; 446; 610; T. iii. p. 567; T. iv. p. 187, &c. Fasting alone could not ascend to heaven without almsgiving, its sister, or its chariot, or the wings of prayer: T. vi. p. 636. "I love it vehemently, and grieve to see it neglected." T. vii. p. 622. He recommends testamentary bequests to the poor. T. vi. p. 890. Chrysostom and Augustine both call attention to this point. of the Lord. The contrast, therefore, here lies between those who "sound a trumpet in the synagogues and in the streets," and those "whose left hand knows not what their right hand doeth." Both phrases are evidently figurative and hyperbolical;* as we have no reason to believe that a trumpet was ever literally blown, when men distributed their alms, to announce their intention; and it is impossible for anything done by one hand to be concealed from the other. Mr. Jowett observes that the usual mode, in which consent is expressed in the East, on the conclusion of a bargain, and on every kind of friendly agreement or good understanding, is by putting the fore-finger of the right hand parallel to that of the left, and then rapidly rubbing them together, saying, "right, right," or "together, together." Thus the language of our Lord would signify, "do not proclaim thy deeds to the world," neither "let thy heart consent to its own good thoughts with a sinful self applause;" and this is evidently his meaning. The ostentatious Pharisee had his reward, worthless as it was, in his own self complacency, and in the applause of the multitude, and (perhaps) in the influence which he thus acquired over the recipients of his bounty; but his real character will be manifested in the last day to his everlasting shame and confusion. On the other hand, the unostentatious, hearty service of a loving * Chrysost. T. vii. p. 193, 194. † Christian Researches in Syria, &c. p. 283. In the Nicene age, the poor were encouraged to throng the Christian will be accepted by his God; so that "his light shall rise in obscurity, and his darkness will be as the noon day; for the Lord will guide him continually, and satisfy his soul in drought, and make fat his bones; and he shall be like a watered garden; and like a spring of water whose waters fail not;"* and when Emmanuel sits on His throne of glory, He will openly proclaim and recompense every act of love performed in His Name. For "he that has pity upon the poor," or relieves the needy, and considers the afflicted, in faith and love, really "lends unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again."‡ § 8. "And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the entrance of the church to receive the alms of those that entered it; in the idea that as defiled hands are cleansed by the material element of water, the hearts of the faithful might be also purified by the act of benevolence, and thus become capable of more devout and acceptable worship! It is scarcely possible to conceive a custom more at variance with the spirit of the Christian rule, or more calculated to delude and to ensnare vainglorious professors. 66 λnoon properly signifies "pity" or mercy," and is thought to be the root of the German almosen, and thence of our word "alms."”' We are too familiar with the ordinary degradation of the word charity or love. * Isaiah lviii. 10, 11. See Heb. vi. 10; 2 Cor. ix. 9, &c.; Gal. vi. 7-10. synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him." (v. 5-8.) Maximus of Tyre describes Socrates as spending his time in the midst of prayer; and this really should be descriptive of the Christian. Prayer, indeed, was the delight and constant resource of the Psalmist,* nor could the most imminent danger deter Daniel from strict adherence to his regular devotions three times a day, in the midst of the important secular business, which pressed upon his attention, as the confidential minister of Darius.† The vision of Jacob, when he wrestled with the angel and prevailed, intimates the importunity of his weeping supplication, in a time of deep anxiety and distress, in the gloomy solitude of that trying night, apart from his family and servants, under a terrible apprehension of the vengeance of Esau, and also strikingly exhibits the rich blessing, which such prayer never fails to draw down upon the children of men. "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it," *Psalm lv. 17. † Daniel vi. Gen. xxxii.; Hosea xii. 4. S |