{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-3733","native_reference":{"book_number":340,"chapter_from":4,"chapter_to":4,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":26,"verse_to":26},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: It is written, as I reminded you a short while ago, \"O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you.\" … And there are many other teachings in the divine writings that show how much almsgiving and deeds of charity avail for extinguishing and wiping out sins. Accordingly, to those whom he is going to condemn—no, first, on the contrary to those whom he is going to reward with crowns, he is going to impute nothing but their acts of charity, as though to say, \"It would be difficult, if I examined you closely, and weighed you in the balance and thoroughly scrutinized your deeds, for me not to find reasons to condemn you; but, 'Go into the kingdom; for I was hungry and you gave me to eat.' So you are not going into the kingdom because you never sinned, but because you redeemed your sins with alms deeds.\"<br/><i>— SERMON 389:5</i></p><p><b>Cyprian</b>: The remedies for propitiating God have been given in the words of God; divine instructions have taught that God is satisfied by just works, that sins are cleansed by the merits of mercy.… The Holy Spirit declares in the Psalms, saying, \"Blessed is the one who thinks of the needy and the poor; the Lord will save him in the evil day.\" Mindful of these teachings, Daniel, when king Nebuchadnezzar, being frightened by an unfavorable dream, was worried, gave a remedy for averting evils by obtaining divine help.… When the king did not obey him, he suffered the misfortunes and trouble that he had seen, which he might have escaped and avoided, if he had redeemed his sins by almsgiving. The angel Raphael also testifies likewise and urges that almsgiving be practiced freely and generously, saying, \"Prayer is good with fasting and alms, for alms delivers from death, and it purges away sin.\" He shows that our prayers and fasting are of less avail, unless they are aided by almsgiving. The angel reveals and manifests and certifies that our petitions become effective by almsgiving, that life is redeemed from dangers by almsgiving, that souls are delivered from death by almsgiving.<br/><i>— Treatise VIII. On Works and Alms 5</i></p><p><b>Hippolytus of Rome</b>: For when it says to him, \"Leave the stump of the roots of the tree in the earth,\" [Daniel 4:26] it is clear that he is again according to the purpose of God about to be reestablished over his own office. For this occurred as an education for the king, so that he would not be high-minded and in the future he would be able to say, \"And all who walk in arrogance are able to be humbled.\" [Daniel 4:37]<br/><i>— Commentary on Daniel 3.10.3-4</i></p><p><b>Hippolytus of Rome</b>: When he put away the same great arrogance which he acquired, and when he was suffering in the mountains, he confessed to God, recognizing the heavenly authority and he was restored again to the office of his kingdom, after both the magistrates and princes and all of those who were under him sought him, they also bestowed extravagant honor and glory upon him, so that what was spoken in the vision was fulfilled, \"Except leave the stump of the roots of the tree in the earth, until you know that the Most High reigns over the kingdom of men and he shall give it to whom he esteems.\" [Daniel 4:25]<br/><i>— Commentary on Daniel 3.11.5</i></p><p><b>Jerome</b>: Verse 26. \"'Thy kingdom shall remain unto thee, after thou shalt have acknowledged that power belongs to Heaven.'\" Those who contest the historicity of this incident and would have it that the devil's original position of honor will be restored to him, make capital of this passage, on the ground that after Nebuchadnezzar has during the seven-year cycle endured torments and bestialization, feeding upon grass and hay, he makes a confession of the Lord and becomes the person he was before. But they are bound to answer the question how it can be consistent for the angels who have never fallen to have someone rule over them once more who has only through repentance been restored to favor.<br/><i>— St. Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, CHAPTER FOUR</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Do you wish that I shall speak of the ways of repentance? They are many, and various, and different, and all lead to heaven.… And if thou wouldest learn a fourth way, I will say almsgiving. For this has a great power and unspeakable. For Daniel saith to Nebuchadnezzar when he had come to all kinds of evil, and had entered upon all impiety, \"O King let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, redeem thy sins by almsgiving and thine iniquities by compassion on the poor.\" What could be compared with this lovingkindness? After countless sins, after so many transgressions, he is promised that he will be reconciled with him he has come into conflict with if he will show kindness to his own fellow-servants.… See we have shewn five ways of repentance: first the condemnation of sins, next the forgiveness of our neighbours' sins, thirdly that which comes of prayer, fourth that which comes of almsgiving, fifth that which comes of humility. Do not thou then be lazy; but walk in all these day by day.<br/><i>— CONCERNING THE POWER OF DEMONS, HOMILY 2:6</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Dost thou see, that when the prophet gave that excellent counsel to Nebuchadnezzar, he did not merely consider the poor. For he does not content himself with saying, Give to the poor; but what? \"Break off thy sins by almsdeeds, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor.\" Part with thy wealth, not that others may be fed, but that thou mayest escape punishment. And Christ again says, \"Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor ...and come and follow Me.\" Dost thou see that the commandment was given that he might be induced to follow Him? For as riches are an impediment, therefore he commands them to be given to the poor, instructing the soul to be pitiful and merciful, to despise wealth, and to flee from covetousness. For he who has learnt to give to him that needs, will in time learn not to receive from those who have to give. This makes men like God. Yet virginity, and fasting, and lying on the ground, are more difficult than this, but nothing is so strong and powerful to extinguish the fire of our sins as almsgiving. It is greater than all other virtues. It places the lovers of it by the side of the King Himself, and justly. For the effect of virginity, of fasting, of lying on the ground, is confined to those who practice them, and no other is saved thereby. But almsgiving extends to all, and embraces the members of Christ, and actions that extend their effects to many are far greater than those which are confined to one. For almsgiving is the mother of love, of that love, which is the characteristic of Christianity, which is greater than all miracles, by which the disciples of Christ are manifested. It is the medicine of our sins, the cleansing of the filth of our souls, the ladder fixed to heaven; it binds together the body of Christ.<br/><i>— HOMILIES ON Titus 6</i></p><p><b>Theodoret of Cyrus</b>: Having foretold the future in this way, [Daniel] offers exhortation and excellent advice and applies a remedy suited to the wound … \"compassion for the poor.\" In this he implies the insatiable cruelty with which [Nebuchadnezzar] treated his subjects. Do you wish, he asks, to receive lovingkindness? Give evidence of it to those who share the same nature as you; this is the way you will persuade the judge to cancel his threat and leave it unfulfilled.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON Daniel 4:26, 27</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"cf09e2f7a7fbc4a03e83caccb344c1917205dface20ab2c4571ebecb36f22755","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":3733,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"40bcb2d89295f7c56cf361b74e53a6e226d46b72a9eb1a89554705fc8e286e3c","translator":null,"work":null}