The Enarrations, or Expositions, on the Psalms

^10. But what shall they then say that shall laugh? “And over him they shall laugh; and shall say, Behold a man that has not set God for his helper”. See ye the body earthly! “As much as you shall have, so great shall you be,” is a proverb of covetous men, of grasping men, of men oppressing the innocent, of men seizing upon other men's goods, of men denying things entrusted to their care. Of what sort is this proverb? “As much as you shall have, so great shall you be;” that is, as much as you shall have had of money, as much as you shall have gotten, by so much the more mighty shall you be. “Behold a man that has not set God for his helper, but has trusted in the multitude of his riches.” Let not a poor man, one perchance that is evil, say, I am not of this body. For he has heard the Prophet saying, “He has trusted in the multitude of his riches:” immediately if he is poor, he heeds his rags, he has observed near him perchance a rich man among the people of God more richly apparelled, and he says in his heart, Of this man he speaks; does he speak of me? Do not thence except yourself, do not separate yourself, unless you shall have seen and feared, in order that you may hereafter laugh. For what does it profit you, if you dost want means, and you burn with cupidity? When our Lord Jesus Christ to that rich man that was grieved, and that was departing from Him, had said, “Go, sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven, and come follow Me:” and great hopelessness for rich men foretold, so that He said, more easily could a camel pass through the eye of a needle, than a rich man enter into the kingdom of Heaven, were not immediately the disciples grieved, saying with themselves, “Who shall be able to be saved?” Therefore when they were saying, “Who shall be able to be saved?” did they think of the few rich men, did there escape them so great a multitude of poor men? Could they not say to themselves, If it is hard, aye an impossible thing, that rich men should enter into the kingdom of heaven, as it is impossible that a camel should enter through the eye of a needle, let all poor men enter into the kingdom of heaven, be the rich alone shut out? For how few are the rich men? But of poor men are thousands innumerable. For not the coats are we to look upon in the kingdom of heaven; but for every one's garment shall be reckoned the effulgence of righteousness: there shall be therefore poor men equal to Angels of God, clothed with the stoles of immortality, they shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father: what reason is there for us about a few rich men to be concerned, or distressed? This thought not the Apostles; but when the Lord had spoken this, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven:” they saying to themselves, “Who shall be able to be saved,” meant what? Not means, but desires; for they saw even poor men themselves, even if not having money, yet to have covetousness. And that you may know, that not money in a rich man, but covetousness is condemned, attend to what I say; Thou observest that rich man standing near you, and perchance in him is money, and is not covetousness; in you is not money, and is covetousness. A poor man full of sores, full of woe, licked by dogs, having no help, having no morsel, not having perchance a mere garment, was borne by the Angels unto Abraham's bosom. Ho! Being a poor man, are you glad now; for are even sores by you to be desired? Is not your patrimony soundness? There is not in this Lazarus the merit of poverty, but that of godliness. For you see who was borne up, you see not whither he was borne up. Who was borne up by Angels? A poor man, full of woe, full of sores. Whither was he borne up? Unto Abraham's bosom. Read the Scriptures, and you shall find Abraham to have been a rich man. In order that you may know, that not riches are blamed; Abraham had much gold, silver, cattle, household, was a rich man, and unto his bosom Lazarus, a poor man, was borne up. Unto bosom of rich man, poor man: are not rather both unto God rich men, both in cupidity poor men?...