290 Sermon X. [LX. Ben.] On the words of the Gospel, Matt. vi. 19, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,” etc. An exhortation to alms-deeds. 1. Every man who is in any trouble, and his own resources fail him, looks out for some prudent person from whom he may take counsel, and so know what to do. Let us suppose then the whole world to be as it were one single man. He seeks to escape evil, yet is slow in doing good; and as in this way tribulations thicken, and his own resources fail, whom can he find more prudent to receive counsel from than Christ? By all means, at least, let him find a better, and do what he will. But if he cannot find a better, let him come to Him whom he may find everywhere: let him consult, and take advice from Him, keep the good com- mandment, escape the great evil. For present temporal ills of which men are so sore afraid, under which they murmur exceedingly, and by their murmuring offend Him who is correct- ing them, so that they find not His saving Help;2096 present ills I say without a doubt are but passing; either they pass through us, or we pass through them; either they pass away whilst we live, or they are left behind us when we die. Now that is not in the matter of tribulation great, which in duration is short. Whosoever thou art that art thinking of to- morrow, thou dost not recall the remembrance of yesterday. When the day after to-morrow comes, this to-morrow also will be yesterday. But now if men are so disquieted with anxiety to escape temporal tribulations which pass, or rather fly over, what thought ought they to take that they may escape those which abide and endure without end? 2. A hard condition is the life of man. What else is it to be born, but to enter on a life of toil? Of our toil that is to be, the infant’s very cry is witness. From this cup2097 of sorrow no one may be excused. The cup that Adam hath pledged, must be drunk. We were made, it is true, by the hands of Truth, but because of sin we were cast forth upon days of vanity. “We were made after the image of God,”2098 but we2099 disfigured it by sinful transgression. Therefore does the Psalm remind us how we were made, and to what a state we have come. For it says, “Though a man walk in the image2100 of God.” See, what he was made. Whither hath he come? Hearken to what follows, “Yet will he be disquieted in vain.”2101 He walks 2096 Salvatorem. 2097 Convivio. 2098 Gen. i. 27. 2099 Detrivimus. 2100 St. Ambrose, ad loc., observes that Dei is not in the Greek but explains “in imagine” in the same sense, as does St. Augustin, ad loc., where he had not “Dei.” It seems a sort of gloss. It occurs in Cassiod. Anon. de Trin. ap. St. Ambrose. 2101 Ps. xxxviii. 7, Sept. (xxxix. 6, English version). On the words of the Gospel, Matt. vi. 19, ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,’ etc. An exhortation to alms-deeds. 615 On the words of the Gospel, Matt. vi. 19, ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures…