Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

For I was a hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee a hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.1

LIX. HONEST LABOR IS HONORABLE.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. 2

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings.3

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds:

For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation?

The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered.

The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field.

In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good.5

(1) Matt. 25: 31-46. (2) Gen. 3: 19. (3) Prov. 22: 29. (4) Prov. 27: 23-26. (5) Eccl. 11: 6.

And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.1

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks. 2

So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.3

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.*

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."

Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the
Lord."

LX. SLOTHFULNESS.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man."

The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing."

The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets."

Their strength is to sit still. 10

(1) Ezek. 1: 12. (2) Prov. 30: 25, 26. (3) Neh. 4: 6. (5) Eccl. 9:10. (6) Rom. 12: 11. (7) Prov. 6: 6-10. (8) Prov. 22: 13. (10) Isa. 30: 7.

(4) Prov. 10: 4. Prov. 20:4. (9)

I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction.

Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.1

LXI. HOW TO GIVE.

Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.

Give a portion to seven, and also to eight; for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth.2

Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth :

That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him.*

(1) Prov. 24. 30-34. (2) Eccl. 11: 1, 2. (3) Matt. 6:1-4, 19-21. (4) I. Cor. 16: 2.

For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.1

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."

There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."

LXII. GIVING TO THE LORD.

The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.4

Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine."

The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts.

Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

The Two Mites.

And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

(2) II. Cor. 9: 6, 7.

(1) II. Cor. 8: 12. (3) Prov. 11: 24, 25. (4) Isa. 32: 8. (5) Prov. 3: 9, 10. (6) Hag. 2: 8. (7) Mal. 3: 10.

And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:

For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.1

The Alabaster Box.

Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on his head, as he sat at meat.

But when his disciples saw it, they had indignation, saying, To what purpose is this waste?

For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor.

When Jesus understood it, he said unto them, Why trouble ye the woman? for she hath wrought a good work upon me.

For ye have the poor always with you; but me ye have not always.

For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial.

Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her."

LXIII. GIVING TO THE POOR.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.

The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness.

(1) Mark 12: 41-44. (2) Mat. 26: 6-13. (3) Ps. 41: 1-3.