birds of the air and lilies of the field, He so feed and clothe us, as He doth the birds
THE WORKS OF ST. AUGUSTIN.
God careth not for the needs of His servants; when His most wise Providence reacheth unto these in creating and governing those. For it must not be deemed that it is not He that feeds and clothes them also which work with their hands. But lest they turn aside the Christian service of warfare unto their purpose of getting these things, the Lord in this premonisheth His servants that in this ministry which is due to His Sacrament, we should take thought, not for these, but for His kingdom and righteousness: and all these things shall be added unto us, whether working by our hands, or whether by infirmity of body hindered from working, or whether bound by such occupation of our very warbe evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness;'' that is, such will be thy deeds as shall be thine intention for which thou doest them. For indeed that He might come to this, He had before given precept concerning alms, saying, '' Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where rust and moth doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where thy treasure shall be, there will thy heart be also.*" Thereupon He subjoined, '' The light of thy body is thine eye:'' that they, to wit, which do-alms, do them not with that intention that they should either wish to please men, or seek to have repayment on earth of the alms they do. Whence the Apostle, giving charge to Timothy for warning of rich men, '** Let them,'' says he ''readily give, communicate, treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on the true life.''* Since then the Lord hath to the future life directed the eye of them which do alms, and to an heavenly reward, in order that the deeds themselves may be full of light when the eye shall be simple, (for of that last retribution is meant that which He says in another place, ** He that receiveth you receiveth Me, and he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, his reward shall not be lost," 3) lest haply after he had reproved the eye* of them which bestow things needful upon the indigent both prophets and just men and disciples of the Lord, the eye of the persons to whom these things were done should become depraved, so that for the sake of receiving these things they should wish to serve Christ as His soldiers: ** No man," saith He, "'can serve two masters." Andalittle after: '"Ye cannot," saith He, ''serve God and mammon.''5 And _ straightwavy He _ hath added, '' Therefore I say unto you, be not solicitous for your life what ye shall eat, nor for the body what ye shall put on.''
fare that we are able todo nothing else. For neither does it follow that because the Lord hath said, ** Call upon Me in the day of tribulation and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me,' °® therefore the Apostle ought not to have fled, and to be let down by the wall in a basket that he might escape the hands of a pursuer,? but should rather have waited to be taken, that, like the three children from the midst of the fires, the Lord might deliver him. Or for this reason ought not the Lord either to have said this, '' If they shall persecute you in one city, flee ye to another," * namely, because He hath said,
"Tf ye shall ask of the Father any thing in My name, He will give it you." As then whoever to Christ's disciples when fleeing from persecution should cast up this sort of question, why they did not rather stand, and by calling upon God obtain through His marvellous works in such wise deliverance, as Daniel from the lions, as Peter from his chains, they would answer that they ought not to tempt God, but He would then and then only do the like for them, if it should please Him, when they had nothing that they could do; but when He put flight in their power, although they were thereby delivered, yet were they not delivered but by Him: so likewise to servants of God having time and strength after the example and precept of the Apostle to get their living by their own hands, if any from the Gospel shall raise a question concerning the birds of the air, which sow not nor reap nor gather into stores, and concerning lilies of the field that they toil not neither do they spin; they will easily answer, ''If we also, by reason of any either infirmity or occupation cannot work, He will so feed and clothe us, as He doth the birds and the lilies, which do no work of this kind:
35. And that which follows concerning birds of the air and lilies of the field, He saith to this end, that no man may think that
> e t Matt. vi. 19-22. 21 Tim. vi. 18, 19. 4 Correptooculo, 3 Matt. x. 40-42. 5 Matt, vi. 24, 25, 34.
OuPsaitr. 7 Acts ix. 25; 2 Cor. xi. 33. 8 Matt. x. 23. i 9 John xvi. 23.