ON WORKS AND ALMS. 3 without some wound of conscience,heal our wounds by the spiritualremediesfor the cleansingand purging of our sins. Nor letany one so flatterhimselfwith the notionof a pure and immaculate heart,as,in dependence on his own inno cence,to think thatthe medicineneeds not to be appliedto hiswounds ; sinceit is written," Who shallboast that he hath a clean heart,or who shallboastthat he is pure from sins? " 1 And again,in hisepistle,J ohn lays it down, and says," If we say thatwe have no sin,we deceiveourselves, and the truthisnot in us."1 But ifno one can be without sin,and whoever shouldsay that he iswithoutfaultiseither proud or foolish,how needful,how kind isthe divinemercy, which, knowing that there are stillfound some wounds in those that have been healed,even aftertheirhealing,has given wholesome remediesforthe curingand healingof their wounds anew ! 4. Finally,beloved brethren, the divine admonition in the Scriptures,as well old as new, has never failed,has never been silentin urging God's peoplealways and every where to works of mercy ; and in the strainand exhorta tionof the Holy Spirit,every one who isinstructedintothe hope of the heavenlykingdom is commanded to give alms. God commands and prescribesto Isaiah: " Cry," says He, " with strength,and spare not. Lift up thy voice as a trumpet, and declareto my people theirtransgressions,and to the house of Jacob theirsins."8 And when He had com manded theirsinsto be charged upon them, and with the full force of His indignationhad setforth theiriniquities, and had said,that not even though they shoidd use suppli cations,and prayers,and fastings,should they be able to make atonement for theirsins; nor,if they were clothedin sackclothand ashes,be ableto softenGod's anger,yet in the last part showing that God can be appeased by almsgiving alone, he added, saying," Break thy bread to the hungry, 1 Prov.xx.9. * 1 Johni.8,9. Oxfordeditorsadd: "If we confessoursins,the Lord isfaithfuland justtoforgiveusoursins." 3 Isa.lviii.1.