saw we Thee?”2822 What doth this mean? The debtor presses to pay,2823 and the creditors
make excuses. But the trusty debtor will not let them suffer loss thereby. “Do ye hesitate to
receive? I have received, and are ye ignorant of it?” and He makes answer how He has re-
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ceived; “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these of Mine, ye have done it
unto Me.” “I received it not by Myself; but by Mine. What was given to them came to Me;
be secure, ye have not lost it. Ye looked to those who were little able to pay on earth; ye have
One who is well able to pay in heaven. I,” He saith, “have received, I will repay.”
5. And what have I received, and what do I repay? “‘I was an hungred,’ He saith, ‘and
ye gave Me meat;’ and the rest. I received earth, I will give heaven; I received temporal things,
I will restore eternal; I received bread, I will give life.” Yea, we may even say thus, “I have
received bread, I will give Bread; I have received drink, I will give Drink; I have received
houseroom, I will give a House; I was visited in sickness, I will give Health; I was visited in
prison, I will give Liberty. The bread which ye gave to My poor is consumed; the Bread
which I will give both recruiteth2824 the failing and doth not fail.” May He then give us
Bread, He who is the living Bread which came down from heaven. When He shall give Bread,
He will give Himself. For what didst thou intend when thou didst lend on usury? To give
money, and to receive money; but to give a smaller sum, and to receive a larger. “I,” saith
God, “will give thee an exchange for the better for all that thou hast given Me. For if thou
wert to give a pound of silver, and to receive a pound of gold, with how great joy wouldest
thou be possessed? Examine and question avarice. “I have given a pound of silver, I receive
a pound of gold!” What proportion is there between silver and gold! Much more then, what
proportion is there between earth and heaven! And thy silver and gold thou wert to leave
here below; whereas thou wilt not abide thyself for ever here. “And I will give thee something
else, and I will give thee something more, and I will give thee something better; I will give
thee even that which will last for ever.” So then, Brethren, be our avarice restrained, that
another, which is holy, may be enkindled. Evil altogether is her counsel, who hinders you
from doing good. Ye are willing to serve an evil mistress, not owning a Good Lord. And
sometimes two mistresses occupy the heart, and tear the slave asunder who deserves to be
in slavery to such a double yoke.
6. Yes, sometimes two opposing mistresses have possession of a man, avarice and lux-
uriousness. Avarice says, “Keep;” luxuriousness, says, “Spend.” Under two mistresses bidding
and exacting diverse things what canst thou do? They have both their mode of address. And
when thou dost begin to be unwilling to obey them, and to take a step towards thy liberty;
because they have no power to command, they use caresses. And their caresses are more to
2822 Matt. xxv. 34, etc.
2823 Convenit.
2824 Et reficit et non deficit.
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On the words of the Gospel, Matt. xix. 21,’Go, sell that thou hast, and…