Appendix to Augustine's Sermones: Sermones supposititii, Sermones 298-317

I gave? Why do you alone eat what I created for both? Do you, as it were, ascribe this to your own labour, or think it to be yours? I take away My help: keep your labour; I take away My mercy, and then your misery will appear.

3. The foresight of the avaricious is empty. The divine [foresight] fails no one. What we have is not ours. To these things what will you say, wretch? You are wretched, you who do not see the wretched man; you alone make use of beasts, cattle, animals, birds, serpents. Food is common; and do you deny a living to a man? But, I suppose, you do not give for this reason, lest by giving you come to an end, lest by paying out you run short. You who consider these things, do you not consider the end of your life? Even if money does not come to an end, yet life comes to an end: and when you do not expect it, [one] comes for you. So that rich man did not consider, who was tormented in his abundance and complained as if of want. What shall I do, he says, how shall I have where I may gather my fruits? And he heard the voice of the Lord saying, Fool, this night your soul will be taken from you; the things you have prepared, whose will they be? (Luke 12:17, 20). O the vanity of this rich man! He does not know whether he will live, and he thinks about his fruits; about to die in the night, he plans to build. See, you too have heard, Christian, what you should fear. Do mercy. Why do you hesitate? He Who appointed you His dispenser does not desert you. For His is the voice in the Gospel rebuking the unbelieving and saying, Consider the birds of the sky, for they neither sow nor reap, they who have no storehouses; and your heavenly Father feeds them (Matt. 6:26). If you say that whatever you have is yours, then, if you can, station watchmen in your house against thieves, dig pits, hide your riches, make yourself purses and chests where you may store them away; against the will of God hold, have, live, if you can. Therefore, brothers, let us do mercy, let us feed the hungry, let us clothe the naked, and let us receive strangers with hospitality. Therefore, doing good, let us not grow faint, and in due time we shall reap eternal life for ages of ages. Amen.

Sermon CCCXI. On Almsgiving.

1. He who has procured piety through alms will incur no ruin at the judgement. Happy is the worker who cultivates alms, in that from his granary he has purchased heaven, and by giving bread to the hungry has smothered the fire of his offences: to him the prophet offers such testimony, and he has the Holy Spirit as advocate in his case. Such a worker lives happy and dies at last secure, he with whom an immortal patrimony walks. The granary in which he has made the Lord his debtor: while he feeds another, by giving he himself receives. With a little bread he has purchased heavenly life, making himself an heir. On the day of judgement he who has procured piety through alms will be able to incur no ruin. To him the prophet offers such testimony: Save him and give him life, Lord (Ps. 40:3). O the twofold kindness of the prophet! He likewise saves him, and commends him that he may be saved, because he too has saved; that he may be given life, because he too gave life on earth to one who asked. Blessed is this man, while he thus runs all the way to heaven. But lest at any time the benefit of life should lapse in him, let him hasten to the great reward, let him leave behind in the world also the testimony in which [the prophet] says, Blessed is he who understands concerning the needy and the poor; on the evil day the Lord will deliver him (ibid. 2). And again Isaiah says, and thus testifies: Loose, he says, every knot of injustice. Loose the strangleholds of oppressive dealings, release the crushed into rest, and scatter every unjust reckoning. Break your bread for the hungry, and bring the needy without shelter into your house. If you see the naked, clothe him; and do not despise the household of your seed. Then your early light will break forth, and your garments will quickly spring up, and there will go before you righteousness,

and the brightness of God will surround you. Then you will cry out, and the Lord will hear you; while you are still speaking, He will say, Behold, I am here (Isa. 58:6–9).

2. Mercy is perfect when it does not wait for one who asks. Thus God acts towards us. Thus Christ also acted. Mercy, then, is perfect, dearest brethren, when the hungry are met beforehand, before the beggar ever asks. For that piety is not perfect which is extorted by entreaties. But if the beggar keeps silent, the pallor in his face speaks: almost weary, exhausted and crushed, nowhere regarded. Hasten to help with piety, lest you hear him asking, lest you claim for yourself what is owed to the Lord. Imitate your God, Who makes His sun rise upon the good and the bad, and rains upon the just and the unjust (Matt. 5:45): and behold, the rain will come to you before you ask, abundance will come down by night while you snore; while you are still in bed, at His command the day keeps watch, the elements stand guard, fruits are poured forth without your knowing. The sky scatters, and the earth brings forth: so many storehouses of harvests we thus receive without our knowing, and we eat such great riches before we ask. And to you, man, is bread itself a small thing; and do you sell it for entreaties? The four thousand did not ask Jesus in the desert for seven loaves and a few fishes, so that countless multitudes might dine, a meal by which the measure would at least have surpassed usury. And when these were being distributed, Gather up, He said, the fragments, lest anything perish (John 6:12): because the whole that He Himself had made had been holy. Seven baskets of morsels are filled, so many thousands were satisfied; and nothing was diminished, and the food grew for them while the provision was being spent: so also is almsgiving, if it is distributed to the needy.

3. Almsgiving does what God does. It is a second baptism. It sets free from Gehenna. It is to be given here and now. Almsgiving is a great work, dearest brethren, so that man may do what God did: for He left these few hungry on earth, He Who feeds the round of heaven from one small vessel, through Whom it is granted to us also to give. But if He had been abundant everywhere, mercy would have perished: God has given us a second baptism. For who is without sin? For as water extinguishes fire, so also almsgiving extinguishes sin (Ecclus. 3:33). In our granaries we have an abundance which may extinguish our flames by the offering of a single loaf: and before the gates of Gehenna stands mercy, and permits no one to be sent into the prison. And whoever has shown mercy, mercy will be shown to him: and if anyone has not shown mercy, mercy will not be shown to him. Give bread while you can: for no one whom you could feed will hunger in hell. Nor will you have corn after death, nor will you ever find a beggar there; for there will be no time for showing mercy. For the separation of the good and the bad will abide according to their deeds, Christ our Lord Himself, as King and Judge, separating the lambs from the kids, and setting them apart to the right and to the left: He Who says that He hungered and thirsted, and declares that He suffered the rest in His least ones. Give, then, to all, most beloved brethren; give especially to those of the household of faith. Give to all, lest the one to whom you did not give be Christ Himself; or the one to whom you did give be Christ Himself.

Sermon 312. On Almsgiving.

1. Almsgiving is urged in view of the divine judgement. From its very reward. That riches have been assigned to the poor. If a man knows his ancient origin, or understands the dignity heaped upon him, or weighs with anxious fear the judgement appointed, he will find what the first-formed man lost at first, what the mercy of Christ conferred afterwards, what He has appointed for the future judgement: so that, treating these things first with anxious care, he may review the beginnings, hold fast to the present, and dread the future with anxious fear. Shut up, says Wisdom, alms in the bosom of the poor.

and it will itself pray for you (Sir. 29:15). For he is easily cured of the wounds of sins who has cared for the need of the poor; and he will receive mercy who does not deny to his neighbour the offices of kindness. Further, let him who is commanded to give rejoice that he was not born to such a lot as to be in need. It suffices for the glory of the giver that, through another's misery in the poor man, he shows himself rich by giving; that by mercy he lends at interest to God; that in the poor man he feeds Christ; that through another's want he receives pardon of sins. It is the voice of the Lord rebuking: If you have not been faithful in another's mammon, who will give you what is your own? (Luke 16:12). For a man ought to show himself to the poor man such as he would wish another to show himself to him, if he himself had been poor. Moreover, it is a great loss if you are unwilling to win God's favour by God's gift, or if, when the Lord has given to you for this very purpose, that you should dispense it, you do not keep what He has entrusted. For the Lord has always committed His own things to you, to be dispensed in the meantime; He has commanded you to give to the poor from what is His. Why do you despise the orders of the Giver? Why do you break the agreement? Why do you not listen to the Lord commanding you to give? For he can easily lose the money he has received who has been unwilling to lay out for gain what he received.

2. That hereby we may show ourselves sons of God. Let money be stored up safely. Which would perhaps be kept for an ungrateful man.—Be merciful, as your heavenly Father also has had mercy on you (Matt. 18:33). Let the acts of the offspring show the likeness of the father. Let likeness of work show likeness of kind. Let action confirm the name, so that the name may show the kind. What the father has bestowed, let the son keep, so that the father may also pay out to the son the promised rewards. The patrimony which you have, if you work with it, is yours; if you are idle, it is another's. Money which is kept serves the chances of fortune; money which is laid up in mercy acquires a future reward. Why do you fear to entrust to Christ what you will scarcely be able to keep from robbers? He who gives, it says, to the poor man will not be in want (Prov. 28:27). You divide your patrimony for your heir; and is Christ unworthy to take something of yours with you, to carry some things with you into the ages to come? Why do you save for an heir, when you do not know whether he will use it? Why do you heap up substance which perhaps you will leave to an ungrateful man? Perhaps you will be doing him a service with whatever you take from his portion for the sake of mercy. Therefore first do what is commanded, so that you may be able to receive what is promised. He cannot receive interest who has been unwilling to lend to the Lord. He who gives, it says, to the poor lends to God (Prov. 19:17). For he cannot obtain the divine promises who has been unwilling to observe the heavenly precepts.

Sermon 313. An admonition by which we are taught that we ought to flee shameful thoughts, and to hold continually in the heart those which are holy.

1. A holy thought guards, an unholy one destroys. When thought about food and clothing is holy. How one may be weaned from the habit of evil thoughts. In the holy Scriptures, dearest brethren, we read that a holy thought guards those who are anxious about the salvation of their soul: for thus says the divine word, A holy thought will guard you (Prov. 2:11). If a holy thought guards, that which is not holy not only does not guard but even destroys. But perhaps someone says: And who is there who can always think about God and eternal blessedness, when it is necessary for all men to take care about food and clothing and the ordering of their household? Nor does God command this, that there should be no care about the present life, since He enjoins through His Apostle, Let him who does not work not eat (2 Thess. 3:10): and that which the same apostle said of himself, Working night and day, so as not to burden any of you

(ibid., 8). For with that thinking by which one thinks reasonably about food and clothing, since God specially commanded this, if avarice and cupidity, which are accustomed to serve luxury, have not been joined to it, whatever is done, whatever is thought, is most justly believed to be holy. Only let these occupations themselves not be so excessive that they do not allow us to be free for God; because of that which is written, The hindrances of the world have made them wretched. And since the need of the body is satisfied with small things, and cupidity is never satisfied with any, even if it should acquire the whole world, let us spit out the impious thoughts which spring from the poisonous root of cupidity; and let us love only those by which one attains to the eternal reward: so that there may be fulfilled in us that which was said earlier, A holy thought will guard you. And since two kinds of thoughts, good and evil, constantly strive to insert themselves into our hearts, let us with God's help hasten with our whole heart and our whole soul to receive those which are holy, so that we may be able to shut out the lustful and wicked ones. But perhaps someone says: Evil habits and shameful thoughts are so fixed in my heart that I can by no means drive them away from me. For it is known to all that love is conquered by love. Let us therefore begin to love good thoughts, and at once God will deign to free us from those which are evil. The place in the heart which lustful and sordid thought held, let chastity occupy; that which avarice laid waste, let mercy repair; that which pride was destroying, let humility rebuild; that which malice or envy had struck as with a viper's venom, let the sweetness of charity or kindness set in order.

2. Thoughts of lust are no more to be admitted than spittle on a garment: dogs, pigs or dung in temples; a harlot's kiss in public. Now that we ought not to receive lustful thoughts into the heart we can prove by clear examples. Consider, I beg you, how, if someone throws phlegm or spittle on our garments, these cause us such horror that we are unwilling either to look at them with our eyes or to touch them even with our fingertips. And if spittle, which is thrown without sin, causes us horror on our clothes, what horror do you think lustful thoughts, which the devil thrusts in, cause God in our souls? And if we so shudder at spittle or phlegm, which we receive certainly against our will, how much more is it needful that with God's help we should more swiftly spit out sordid thoughts, which with our own will we allow to linger in our heart? And consider this, that if in a temple of God made of wood and stones anyone should bring in pigs or dogs, or throw in mud, or scatter dung, our mind is so offended that we would wish the one through whom this very negligence was committed to be scourged. And since these things are so, what do we think of ourselves if in our souls, where are the living temples of God, by receiving things far worse than dung, that is, lustful or malicious thoughts, we inflict injuries on God, Who deigns to dwell in us? And therefore, although much more was fitting, let us at least strive to guard our souls from the uncleanness of sins in the way that we do not wish either the temple of God or our garments to be defiled with any filth. And tell me this, I ask: if in a gathering of the people some notorious harlot should try to embrace or kiss you with outstretched hands, would you accept this patiently or gladly; and would you not rather both push her away with your hands and spit in her face, fearing lest perhaps whoever saw it should judge that she had done this from habit? For it is certain that not only those who are honourable or chaste do not allow this to be done to them; but even those who in secret serve lust shudder at the embrace of harlots in a gathering of men, fearing the reproaches of men in public more than the presence of God in secret. If therefore, on account of the judgement of men, there is no one who would wish to be kissed by harlots in public, why in the secret place of our conscience do we allow the most unclean harlots, that is, lustful and impious thoughts, not only frequently to be received, but even to linger no short while?

3. They are also compared to a burning coal, and likewise to sewers. There is another comparison which we ought to consider prudently. And attend to this, brothers: if someone grasps a live coal, however large, in his hand and throws it away at once, he will suffer neither a burn nor pain; but if he holds it even for the space of a single hour, he will not be able to cast it away without a wound. What therefore we observe about live coals in the body, why do we not fear it about evil thoughts in the heart? There is also another thing by which we can prove what we have said. Tell me, I ask you, is there any man who would wish to stand over a privy or a sewer full of worms and stir up their rottenness? Compare now the stench of a sewer and the thoughts of lust, and see which side can give off the greater stench. If you judge well and justly, lustful thoughts give off an incomparably heavier stench than sewers: for those are the stenches of souls, these of bodies. And without doubt, by as much as the soul is better than the body, by so much do filthy thoughts give off a greater stench in the soul than privies or sewers in the flesh. As therefore we are unwilling for our bodies to stay long in a place full of stenches, so let us not allow lustful and filthy thoughts to linger even for a moment in our souls or in our senses.

4. Which thoughts most assail us. Sacred reading a remedy against them. Many love their clothes more than their soul. And since among the other thoughts it is above all anger, greed and lust that constantly try to creep into our hearts, if we wish to drive them back with Christ's help, let us be eager to occupy our minds with holy thoughts. For we have many things in the holy Scriptures through which our Lord both promises us the rewards of the saints and threatens the punishments of sinners, mercifully admonishing us, so that the just may persevere in good things and the wicked may be called back from evil things. But if we are willing more often either to read ourselves or gladly to listen to others reading, evil thoughts will never be able to steal in upon us. Since these things are so, dearest brothers, not without great shame both can we and ought we to reflect that, while we are unwilling for any spark of fire whatever to enter the chest where our garments are, yet through wicked thoughts we not only allow the flames of anger to enter within the chest of our conscience, but even with false suspicions we stir them up and kindle them into a greater blaze. And what excuse shall we be able to have before God, we who love our garment more than our soul? Neither heavy, nor hard, nor impossible is what is required of us, dearest brothers. For although we ought to guard our souls incomparably more than our clothes, yet he makes no small progress who guards his soul at least in such a way that it is not defiled by evil and shameful thoughts, just as he guards his garment, that it may not be spoiled by moths or by mice. I ask you, brothers, what great evil has our soul, made in the image of God, deserved from us, that we are unwilling to spend on it even as much care as we are seen to give in thought to our clothes? And since the eyes of men see our bodies, and the eyes of the Angels look upon our souls, with what conscience I do not know, we adorn and deck out with precious things our flesh, which after a few days or years is to be devoured by worms in the tomb, and we do not adorn with good works our soul, which is to be presented to God and the Angels in heaven.

5. Conclusion. And therefore, with the order changed for the better, let us provide for our bodies moderate and sufficient food and clothing, so that all the better things we can have we may store up for our soul in eternal blessedness through almsgiving to the poor; lest perhaps, if we think more about the flesh than about the soul, when we come to that wedding feast not adorned with good works but rather wrapped in the filthy rags of vices, it be said to us: Friend, how did you come in here not having a wedding garment? (Matt. 22:12). May