September 14

But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret Himself shall reward thee openly.—MATT. vi, 3, 4.

In alms, regard thy means and others' merit; Think heaven a better bargain than to give Only thy single market-money for it. Join hands with God to make a man to live; Give to all something: to a good poor man: Till thou change names, and be where he began.

Man is God's image; but a poor man is Christ's stamp to boot: both images regard. God reckons for him, counts the favor His. Write, So much given to God: thou shalt be heard. Let thine alms go before, and keep heaven's gate Open for thee; or both may come too late.

GEORGE HERBERT.

Give, looking for nothing again; that is, without consideration of future advantages: give to children, to old men, to the unthankful, and the dying, and to those you shall never see again; for else your alms or courtesy is not charity, but traffic and merchandise; and be sure that you omit not to relieve the needs of your enemy and the injurious; for so, possibly, you may win him to yourself; but do you intend the winning him to God.

JEREMY TAYLOR.

Let us proportion our alms to our ability, lest we provoke God to proportion His blessings to our alms.

WILLIAM BEVERIDGE.

If thou stand guilty of oppression, or wrongfully possess of another's right, see thou make restitution before thou givest an alms: if otherwise, what art thou but a thief, and makest God thy receiver?

FRANCIS QUARLES.