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On Works and Alms

Cyprian of Carthage

Section 17

About this work

Author: Cyprian of Carthage

17. Thus that widow in the third book of Kings, when

‹ Section 16 Section 18 ›

in

the

drought

and

famine

,

having

consumed

everything

,

she

had

made

of

the

little

meal

and

oil

which

was

left

,

a

cake

upon

the

ashes

,

and

,

having

used

this

,

was

about

to

die

with

her

children

,

Elias

came

and

asked

that

something

should

first

be

given

him

to

eat

,

and

then

of

what

remained

that

she

and

her

children

should

eat

.

Nor

did

she

hesitate

to

obey

;

nor

did

the

mother

prefer

her

children

to

Elias

in

her

hunger

and

poverty

.

Yea

,

there

is

done

in

God’s

sight

a

thing

that

pleases

God

:

promptly

and

liberally

is

presented

what

is

asked

for

.

Neither

is

it

a

portion

out

of

abundance

,

but

the

whole

out

of

a

little

,

that

is

given

,

and

another

is

fed

before

her

hungry

children

;

nor

in

penury

and

want

is

food

thought

of

before

mercy

;

so

that

while

in

a

saving

work

the

life

according

to

the

flesh

is

contemned

,

the

soul

according

to

the

spirit

is

preserved

.

Therefore

Elias

,

being

the

type

of

Christ

,

and

showing

that

according

to

His

mercy

He

returns

to

each

their

reward

,

answered

and

said

:

“

Thus

saith

the

Lord

,

The

vessel

of

meal

shall

not

fail

,

and

the

cruse

of

oil

shall

not

be

diminished

,

until

the

day

that

the

Lord

giveth

rain

upon

the

earth

.

”

According

to

her

faith

in

the

divine

promise

,

those

things

which

she

gave

were

multiplied

and

heaped

up

to

the

widow

;

and

her

righteous

works

and

deserts

of

mercy

taking

augmentations

and

increase

,

the

vessels

of

meal

and

oil

were

filled

.

Nor

did

the

mother

take

away

from

her

children

what

she

gave

to

Elias

,

but

rather

she

conferred

upon

her

children

what

she

did

kindly

and

piously

.

And

she

did

not

as

yet

know

Christ

;

she

had

not

yet

heard

His

precepts

;

she

did

not

,

as

redeemed

by

His

cross

and

passion

,

repay

meat

and

drink

for

His

blood

.

So

that

from

this

it

may

appear

how

much

he

sins

in

the

Church

,

who

,

preferring

himself

and

his

children

to

Christ

,

preserves

his

wealth

,

and

does

not

share

an

abundant

estate

with

the

poverty

of

the

needy

.

Notes

51
1 Kings xvii. 14.
52
[See p. 479, supra, note 7. [Prov. xi. 24.]