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DIRECTIONS RESPECTING ALMS-DEEDS
THERE are some duties so plain and obvious, that it is scarcely necessary to insist upon men’s obligation to perform them. Amongst these is the duty of relieving our fellow-creatures in distress, and making our abundance instrumental to the supply of their necessities. Our blessed Lord takes it for granted that all his disciples will be found observant of the duty itself; and therefore does not stop to inculcate the necessity of it; but merely gives directions respecting it, that it may be performed most beneficially to themselves, and most honourably to God. Instead of the word, which in the first verse is translated “alms,” there is, in the margin of our Bibles, the word “righteousness;” which, on the whole, is the preferable reading; as it avoids the tautology which there manifestly is in the passage as it now stands. The passage according to this reading requires, first, that our righteousness in general should be devoid of ostentation; and, next, that we should guard against ostentation, more especially in those several duties, which, as Christians, we are bound to perform. We are called to serve God with our souls, our bodies, and estates; and we must do the first by prayer, the second by fasting, and the third by alms.
Whichever reading we adopt, our subject will be the same: we shall be led to consider the directions which our Lord gives us in reference to alms. He tells us,
I. What we are to avoid—
A very principal feature in the character of the Pharisees was, ostentation: “they did all their works in order to be seen of men.” Against this in particular our Lord cautions us—
1. It is an evil to which we are prone—
[Whilst tlie caution itself implies this, (“Take heed,”) the experience of every individual attests it. Who does not feel a desire after the applause of man? Who does not consult in too great a degree the opinion of those around him? The more decent amongst the unconverted seem to be actuated by no other motive: whilst even the godly themselves are by no means exempt from its influence. It is not, however, without much self-knowledge and self-examination that we can discern the workings of this principle within us. We give ourselves credit for better motives and better principles, at the time that impartial observers mark distinctly the obliquity of our dispositions and conduct.]
2. It is an evil most carefully to be avoided—
[The bestowing of alms, like every thing else, must be judged of by the motive from which it springs: when done in order to acquire a character for benevolence and liberality, it is pride; when with a view to the obtaining of influence, it is ambition. It is then only to be deemed piety and charity, when it is produced by a concern for God’s honour, and from real love to our fellow-creatures. Precisely in proportion as any sinister motive actuates us, the action, how good soever it may be in other respects, is debased. It is not only stripped of all the good which it might otherwise have, but has in it a positive infusion of evil. Our blessed Lord called those “hypocrites,” who in distributing their alms, sought to draw the attention and admiration of the public: and such are all who tread in their steps. If our actions proceed from principles different from those which are pretended and avowed, we may palliate them as we please; but God will affix to them no other name than that of vile hypocrisy. It is scarcely needful, methinks, to say, that such a disposition must be put away with abhorrence.
But there is yet a farther reason for guarding against this evil; namely, that actions proceeding from such a principle can never be accepted of God. They may, and probably will, procure us the reward we seek after: they may render us popular, gain us applause, increase our influence, and bring us into high repute for liberality and goodness: but they will never receive any reward from God: they are not done for him; and therefore he will not accept them: they have no real piety in them; and therefore he will not reward them. We can easily see, that, if a person should spend ever so large a sum in feeding those by whose suffrages he is to be raised to eminence and distinction, he would not for a moment imagine that he laid God under any kind of obligation, or was entitled to expect any remuneration from him: the sums he lavished were the price of his worldly honours. Thus, as far as pride, or ostentation, or vanity, or worldly interest, excite us to liberality, we renounce all claim upon God. He has said indeed, that “what we give to the poor, we lend to him; and that he will repay it [Note: Pro_19:17.];” but he will never acknowledge as a loan to him, what was given by us to purchase the applause of man. Supposing it was pure gold in the first instance, we turn it all to dross the very moment we begin to pride ourselves in it.
In both these views then the caution deserves our deepest attention, and ought to be followed with the greatest care.]
Having told us what to avoid, our Lord proceeds to inform us,
II. What we should observe and do—
We should, to the utmost of our power, affect secresy—
[Doubtless there are occasions whereon we are called to dispense charity in a more public manner, and when the concealment of our name would have an injurious effect. On such occasions we do right to “let our light shine before men.” But, in all such instances, we should have the testimony of our own consciences, that it is the honour of God, and not our own honour that we seek. Where no such necessity is imposed upon us, we should “not let our left hand know what our right hand doeth:” we should hide our good deeds from others; we should hide them also from ourselves. Where we have not made an open parade of our charities, but have conformed to this precept as it respects others, we yet are too apt to contemplate our own actions with a very undue measure of self-complacency. Though we have not studied to make them public, we are delighted to find that they are known; and are pleased with the thought that we stand high in the estimation of others. The oblique hints which are suggested to us respecting the extent of our benevolence, and the greatness of the benefits we have conferred, are very gratifying to our proud hearts; and the accidental discovery of our goodness is relished by us, as a rich equivalent for the self-denial we exercised in concealing it. Alas! what deceitful hearts we have! At the very time that we profess to avoid the notice of others, we are “sacrificing to our own net, and burning incense to our own drag!” If we view our actions aright, they will furnish us rather with grounds of humiliation and gratitude. For, how small are our utmost exertions, in comparison with the greatness of our obligations, or the extent of our duty! What reason have we also to be ashamed of the mixture of principle, which has often operated to the production of them! And more particularly, what reason have we to adore and magnify our God, who has deigned to make use of such unworthy instruments for the good of his people and the glory of his name! This is the light in which our benevolence should be viewed; this is the spirit in which it should be exercised.]
What we do secretly for God shall be openly rewarded by him—
[He notices with approbation the hidden purposes of our heart: and every man who seeks only the praise of God shall assuredly obtain it: God will look not at the sums we give, but at the motive and principle from which we give it: and even “a cup of cold water given with a single eye to his glory, shall in no wise lose its reward.” Even a desire which we were not able to carry into effect shall be accepted of him, just as David’s was, who desired to build a house for the Lord: “Thou didst well, in that it was in thine heart.” How far God will recompense our liberality with present comforts, we cannot absolutely determine; but he will surely “recompense it at the resurrection of the just; and he would account himself unrighteous, if he were to forget to do so [Note: Heb_6:10.]. This, however, we must ever bear in mind, that our actions are always exalted in God’s estimation in proportion as they are lowered in our own: and that the persons whom he represents as honoured and rewarded by him, are those who were altogether unconscious of their own excellencies, and were surprised to hear of services noticed by their Judge, which were overlooked and forgotten by themselves [Note: Mat_25:44.].]
From this subject we may learn,
1. How impossible it is for any man to be justified by the works of the law—
[We inquire not now into any kind of gross sin: we will suppose that all of us are free from any imputation of that kind; and that our lives have been altogether spent in doing good: yet who amongst us would present his alms-deeds before the heart-searching God, and defy him to find a flaw in them? — — — If we cannot do that, we must renounce all confidence in the flesh, and rely only on the meritorious sacrifice of the Lord Jesus — — —]
2. How thankful we should be that a Saviour is provided for us—
[The Lord Jesus Christ is come into the world to seek and save us. He is that Great High Priest who “bears the iniquity of our holy things,” and will clothe us with the unspotted robe of his righteousness, provided we are willing to put off “the filthy rags of our own.” Let us look then to him, whose works alone were perfect. Let us remember, that “though we know nothing by ourselves, yet are we not hereby justified:” God may have seen much obliquity in us, where we ourselves may have been perfectly unconscious of it: but if, on the whole, our “eye has been single,” our imperfections shall be pardoned, and our services be recompensed with “an eternal great reward.”]