and honor. Now the Law did not promise an abundance of carnal
pleasures; on the contrary, it forbade them. But it did promise
exalted honors and abundant riches; for it is written in reference to
the former (Deut. 28:1): "If thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy
God . . . He will make thee higher than all the nations"; and in
reference to the latter, we read a little further on (Deut. 28:11):
"He will make thee abound with all goods." But the Jews so distorted
the true meaning of these promises, as to think that we ought to
serve God, with these things as the end in view. Wherefore Our Lord
set this aside by teaching, first of all, that works of virtue should
not be done for human glory. And He mentions three works, to which
all others may be reduced: since whatever a man does in order to curb
his desires, comes under the head of fasting; and whatever a man does
for the love of his neighbor, comes under the head of alms-deeds; and
whatever a man does for the worship of God, comes under the head of
prayer. And He mentions these three specifically, as they hold the
principal place, and are most often used by men in order to gain
glory. In the second place He taught us that we must not place our
end in riches, when He said: "Lay not up to yourselves treasures on
earth" (Matt. 6:19).

Reply Obj. 5: Our Lord forbade, not necessary, but inordinate
solicitude. Now there is a fourfold solicitude to be avoided in
temporal matters. First, we must not place our end in them, nor serve
God for the sake of the necessities of food and raiment. Wherefore He
says: "Lay not up for yourselves," etc. Secondly, we must not be so
anxious about temporal things, as to despair of God's help: wherefore
Our Lord says (Matt. 6:32): "Your Father knoweth that you have need
of all these things." Thirdly, we must not add presumption to our
solicitude; in other words, we must not be confident of getting the
necessaries of life by our own efforts without God's help: such
solicitude Our Lord sets aside by saying that a man cannot add
anything to his stature (Matt. 6:27). We must not anticipate the time
for anxiety; namely, by being solicitous now, for the needs, not of
the present, but of a future time: wherefore He says (Matt. 6:34):
"Be not . . . solicitous for tomorrow."

Reply Obj. 6: Our Lord did not forbid the judgment of justice,
without which holy things could not be withdrawn from the unworthy.
But he forbade inordinate judgment, as stated