9. If you dread and fear, lest, if you begin to act thus abundantly, your patrimony being exhausted with your liberal dealing, you may perchance be reduced to poverty; be of good courage in this respect, be free from care: that cannot be exhausted whence the service of Christ is supplied, whence the heavenly work is celebrated. Neither do I vouch for this on my own authority; but I promise it on the faith of the Holy Scriptures, and on the authority of the divine promise. The Holy Spirit speaks by Solomon, and says, “He that giveth unto the poor shall never lack, but he that turneth away his eye shall be in great poverty;”28    Prov. xxviii. 27. showing that the merciful and those who do good works cannot want, but rather that the sparing and barren hereafter come to want. Moreover, the blessed Apostle Paul, full of the grace of the Lord’s inspiration, says: “He that ministereth seed to the sower, shall both minister bread for your food, and shall multiply your seed sown, and shall increase the growth of the fruits of your righteousness, that in all things ye may be enriched.”29    2 Cor. ix. 10. And again: “The administration of this service shall not only supply the wants of the saints, but shall be abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;”30    2 Cor. ix. 12. because, while thanks are directed to God for our almsgivings and labours, by the prayer of the poor, the wealth of the doer is increased by the retribution of God. And the Lord in the Gospel, already considering the hearts of men of this kind, and with prescient voice denouncing faithless and unbelieving men, bears witness, and says: “Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For these things the Gentiles seek. And your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. Seek first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”31    Matt. vi. 31–33. He says that all these things shall be added and given to them who seek the kingdom and righteousness of God. For the Lord says, that when the day of judgment shall come, those who have laboured in His Church are admitted to receive the kingdom.

IX. Si vereris et metuis ne, si operari plurimum coeperis, patrimonio tuo larga operatione finito ad penuriam forte redigaris, esto in hac parte intrepidus, 0608C esto securus; finiri non potest unde in usus Christi impenditur, unde opus coeleste celebratur. Nec hoc tibi de meo spondeo, sed de sanctarum Scripturarum fide et divinae pollicitationis auctoritate promitto. Loquitur per Salomonem Spiritus sanctus et dicit: Qui dat pauperibus, numquam egebit; qui autem avertit oculum suum, in magna penuria erit (Prov. XXVIII, 27); ostendens misericordes atque operantes egere non posse, magis parcos et steriles ad inopiam postmodum devenire. Item beatus apostolus Paulus, Dominicae inspirationis gratia plenus: Qui administrat, inquit, semen seminanti, et panem ad edendum praestabit, et multiplicabit seminationem vestram, et augebit incrementa frugum justitiae vestrae, ut in omnibus locupletemini. Et iterum: Administratio 0608D hujus officii non tantum supplebit ea quae sanctis desunt, 0609A sed et abundabit per multam gratiarum actionem in Deum (II Cor. IX, 10-12); quoniam, dum gratiarum actio ad Deum pro eleemosynis atque operationibus nostris pauperum oratione dirigitur, census operantis Dei retributione cumulatur. Et Dominus in Evangelio, jam tunc ejusmodi hominum corda considerans, et perfidis atque incredulis praescia voce denuntians, contestatur et dicit: Nolite cogitare dicentes: Quid edemus, aut quid bibemus, aut quid vestiemur? haec enim nationes quaerunt. Scit autem Pater vester quia omnium horum indigetis. Quaerite primum regnum Dei et justitiam ejus , et omnia ista apponentur vobis (Matth. VI, 31-33). Eis omnia apponi dicit et tradi qui regnum et justitiam Dei quaerunt. Eos enim Dominus, cum judicii dies venerit, 0609B ad percipiendum regnum dicit admitti qui fuerint in Ecclesia ejus operati.