The Scriptures teach us not to be wasteful but liberal. There are two kinds of free giving, one arising from liberality, the other from wasteful extravagance. It is a mark of liberality to receive the stranger, to clothe the naked, to redeem the captives, to help the needy. It is wasteful to spend money on expensive banquets and much wine. Therefore one reads, Wine is wasteful, drunkenness is abusive.^[1] It is wasteful to spend one’s own wealth merely for the sake of gaining the favor of the people. This they do who spend their inheritance on the games of the circus, or on theatrical pieces and gladiatorial shows, or even a combat of wild beasts, just to surpass the fame of their forefathers for these things. All this that they do is only foolish, for it is not right to be extravagant in spending money even on good works.

Let no one think that he is to be paid more deference because he is rich. In the church a person is rich if he is rich in faith, for the faithful person has a whole world of riches. Is it strange that the faithful person owns the world, since he owns Christ’s inheritance, which is more priceless than the world? You were redeemed with the precious blood,^[1] surely was said to all, not only to the rich.

He who laughs at the poor irritates his creator. Why? Because God is the creator of the poor. Who is so cruel, who is so inhuman, that when he should be moved to compassion he laughs instead? Certainly this too will have to be punished. That person will perish because he sins against the high and wise providence of God.

Instead of the joy that people experience from the possession of a single field or house those who have been adopted as children of God^[1] will enjoy a delight in riches a hundred times greater and possess as their own all things which belong to the eternal Father, and assert in heart and soul like the true Son: All things that the Father has are mine.^[2] If no longer occupied by criminal anxiety in distractions and cares, but free from care and glad at heart they go everywhere as to their own, they will hear daily the announcement made by the apostle: For all things are yours, whether the world or things present or things to come;^[3] and by Solomon: The faithful has a world of riches.

The crown of old men is their children’s children and the glory of children is their father, it is said. Our glory is the Father of all, and the crown of the whole church is Christ.

The indolent mind for the most part lapses by degrees into downfall. We neglect to guard against idle words, and so we go on to hurtful ones. At first it pleases us to talk of other the affairs of others; afterwards the tongue gnaws with detraction at the lives of those of whom we talk. Then at last we break out into open slanders. Thus are sown pricking thorns, quarrels arise, the torches of enmities are kindled and peace of heart is extinguished. Therefore, it is well said by Solomon, The beginning of strife is like letting out water. For to let out water is to let loose the tongue to a flurry of speech.

God is called father and God’s love to humankind mother, which was the cause of the divine incarnation and his suffering for our sake. Although God is our Father, he does not rejoice in an adopted son who is uneducated in divine wisdom and knowledge and who is committed to wickedness and evil. But a reasonable son gladdens his mother, that is, God’s love toward humankind. It is she who presents us to God the Father as undernourished children, longing for solid spiritual food. That is done in order that his son, Jesus Christ, who became like our brother,^[1] could make us full citizens [of his kingdom] both in word and in deed. Also, our mother is the church who was betrothed to God the Father through the Holy Spirit. Eternally, she begets sons and daughters for him. And those who learned divine wisdom and knowledge gladden both God our Father and his church, our mother. But she grieves and laments over those uninstructed who do not want to repent and be saved but prefer to persevere in wickedness.

He asks of wisdom who seeks to know what is the will of God. And he will show himself prudent who is sparing of his words on that which he has come to learn. If one inquires about wisdom, desiring to learn something about wisdom, while another asks nothing of wisdom, as not only wishing to learn nothing about wisdom himself but even keeping back his neighbors from so doing, the former certainly is deemed to be more prudent than the latter.

Let your words be measured and counted by yourself, knowing that you shall render an ac-count to God of what comes out of your mouth, including a pleasantry or even a word that does not edify. . . . And do not become a stranger to such promises. Whatever you think and whatever you love, establish it firmly in the Lord. And keep in mind your departure from the body to go to God who will reward each one according to his works.^[1]

As in a house, when the door is shut, it is not known what members there are hidden within, so, generally speaking, if a fool holds his peace, it is hidden whether he is wise or foolish. This is only so, however, if no other works come to light that may speak the mind even of one who is silent. For this reason, the holy man, seeing that his friends were anxious to appear what they were not, charged them to hold their peace, so they might not appear what they were. And so it is said by Solomon, Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise.

Understanding is required to discern the distinctions and the drift of questions; and it is a main part of knowledge to understand how ignorant you are. Hence it is said that if a fool asks questions, it will be accounted wisdom,^[1] because, although one who asks questions is ignorant of the answer to the question raised, yet as he wisely asks and learns what he does not know, this very.