ON WORKS AND ALMS. 19 he who does not thinkof hisfellow-servantin sufferingand in poverty,may yet thinkof his Lord, who abidethin that very man whom he isdespising. 24. And therefore,dearestbrethren,whose fearisinclined towardsGod, and who having alreadydespisedand trampled under foot the world,have liftedup your mind to things heavenlyand divine,letus with fullfaith,with devotedmind, with continuallabour,giveour obedience,to deservewell of the Lord. Let us give to Christearthlygarments,thatwe may receiveheavenlyraiment; letus give food and drink of thisworld,thatwe may come with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob to the heavenly banquet. That we may not reap little,letus sow abundantly. Let us,while there is time, take thoughtforour securityand eternalsalvation,according to the admonition of the ApostlePaul, who says: " There fore,whilewe have time,letus labourin what is good unto allmen, but especiallyto them that are of the household of faith. But letus not be weary in well-doing,for in its seasonwe shallreap."1 25. Let us consider,belovedbrethren,what the congrega tionof believersdid in the time of the apostles,when at the firstbeginnings the mind flourishedwith greatervirtues, when the faithof believersburned with a warmth of faith as yet new. Then they sold houses and farms,and gladly and liberallypresented to the apostlesthe proceeds to be dispensedto the poor ; sellingand alienatingtheirearthly estate,they transferredtheirlands thitherwhere they might receivethe fruitsof an eternalpossession,and thereprepared homes where they might begin an eternalhabitation.Such, then,was the abundance in labours,as was the agreement in love,as we read in the Acts of the Apostles: " And the mul titudeof them that believedactedwith one heart and one soul; neitherwas thereany distinctionamong them, nor did they esteem anything theirown of the goods which belonged to them, but they had allthings common." 1 This is truly to become sonsof God by spiritualbirth;thisistoimitateby the heavenly law the equityof God the Father. For what- 1 Gal.vi.10,9. 1 Actsiv.32.