IX. That we must pray to be delivered out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay.
St. Anselm The Devotions of Saint Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury is by interpretation the house of obedience,104 He raised Lazarus from the dead, showing that all, who by the earnest endeavour of a good will die to the world, and rest in the bosom of obedience, shall be raised by Him to life eternal. When He delivered His body and blood to His disciples in the mystical supper He humbly washed their feet, teaching us that the sacred mysteries should be celebrated with deeds of purity and devout humbleness of mind. When He was to be glorified by the splendour of His holy resurrection, He endured the mocking of traitors, the cruelty of insults, the shame of the cross, the bitterness of gall, and at the last death itself, admonishing His servants thereby that they who desire after death to attain unto glory must bear the troubles and labours of this present life and the oppressions of the wicked, not only without murmuring, but with love and desire and cheerful welcome to all that is hard in this world for the sake of the eternal reward.
Upon these glorious and inestimable benefits, bestowed upon thee by thy Creator, if thou worthily meditate, if thou devoutly embrace them, if thou strive with fervent charity to imitate them, thou shalt not only recover the good things which thy first parents lost, but shalt obtain far greater things for ever through the unspeakable grace of thy Saviour. For God Himself through the mystery of the incarnation hath become thy brother; and what ineffable joy shall not this cause to thee, when thou shalt behold thy nature in Him so far exalted above all creation!
IX That we must pray to be delivered out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay.
WHAT then now remains but after the due consideration of all these matters to kindle in the mind the desire to inherit so great goods, and with continual supplications to implore Him who created thee to possess them to bring thee out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay,105 and make thee the possessor of blessedness so great? What is that horrible pit, but the abyss of worldly covetousness? what the mire and clay but the filthiness of carnal pleasure? For in the toils of these two, of covetousness and of pleasure, is it that the race of man is miserably entangled and hindered from attaining to the blessed freedom of heavenly contemplation. For in truth the horrible pit is worldly covetousness, which drags the mind that is subject unto its dominion by desires innumerable, as by chains, into the depth of sin, and suffereth it not ever to rest. For the mind of man, when oppressed by the yoke of covetousness, is distracted by the love of things visible and driven hither and hither by divers passions. It is wasted by toil in the getting of money, by carefulness in
St Jerome, Lib. de Hebr. Nom. (de Evang. Matt.).
Ps. xl. 2.
St. Anselm The Devotions of Saint Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury increasing, by joy in possessing it, by fear of losing it, by grief at the loss of it, and by none of these is suffered to see in how great danger it is. This is the horrible pit, which worldly covetousness ceases not to fill with all these great evils. Out of this pit did blessed David rejoice to be delivered, when he gave thanks and said: He brought me out of the horrible pit, out of the mire and clay.
What is the mire and clay? The enjoyment of unclean pleasure. Cry out boldly then with blessed
David, and say to thy Creator, Take me out of the mire, that I sink not.106 Cleanse thy heart from all the pollution of fleshly delight, shut out unclean thoughts from thy mind, if thou wilt escape the foulness of this mire. But when by repentance and confession, by weeping for thy sin and occupying thy heart with holy meditations, thou hast escaped thence, take heed that thou fall not into it again; but with all thy heart utter thy sighing before God, beseeching His mercy that He may set thy feet upon the rock,107 that is, that thy mind may establish itself upon the firm ground of righteousness by constantly cleaving unto Christ, of whom it is said that He is made unto us of God wisdom and righteousness and sanctification.108 Pray moreover that He may order thy goings109 that they turn not back unto wickedness, but may go on steadily in the heavenly way of His commandments, and so hasten without any turning aside to the blessed country of the Angels.
But when His direction shall have lifted thee up, be careful that thou be not slack in singing the praises of the Creator; rather do thou beseech Him of His mercy to put a new song in thy mouth,110 that with due devotion thou mayest sing a thanksgiving unto our God.111 It is meet that thou, my soul, when thou hast been brought into fellowship with God by newness of life112 shouldest break forth into a new song in His praise, despising things temporal, and longing only after things eternal; being obedient to the law of God not from fear of punishment but from love of righteousness. For this is to sing a new song to God, to mortify the desires of the old man, and to follow the way of the new man, which the Son of God hath shown to the world, from mere desire of the life everlasting.
Ps. lxix. 15.
Ps. xl. i.
1 Cor. i. 30.
Ps. xl. 2.
Ps. xl. 3.
Ibid.
Rom. vi. 4.