Sermon Ix Of The Risk Of Many Evils From Much Bandying Of Words
SERMON IX
OF THE RISK OF MANY EVILS FROM MUCH BANDYING OF WORDS
DO not multiply to speak lofty things boasting. Beloved brethren, hold this verse firmly in your mind, and beware of speaking of sublime matters; lest the devil tempt you to vainglory: and you lose your time given you for devotion and compunction. It would be more expedient for many that they thought of the pains of Hell and the fire of Purgatory: rather than of the breadth of the world and the height of Heaven. For to think and speak of the awful judgement to come and of the punishments of the reprobate: often strikes fear, which is very profitable for the lukewarm and dissolute. But to speak of the empyreal heaven and of the nine choirs of angels, does not profit young and unmortified monks: who are easily uplifted, when they read or hear any subtle matters: it were better they were silent of these things, and examined and mourned their own shortcomings.
Brethren, then you do truly wisely if you know your own vices: and bitterly repent of all the evils which you have done. Alas, how much good you lose every hour idling and talking: which you might gain by toiling, keeping silence and praying. Purpose strongly therefore to amend and make fervent progress: and persevere with constancy in the Order. Lift up your eyes very often with humble prayer to the Lord in Heaven, groaning: and praying for your sins in the secret of your heart. Such God loves: who often lift up their hearts to heavenly things and pray. He freely forgives your past faults if you crave pardon: and seek and keep His grace. Never foolishly think great and high things of yourselves: lest you fall before you know it.
When, therefore, you think or say or do anything good: you must not attribute this to yourselves even in the least; but immediately strive to return it all, with giving of thanks, wholly to God: from Whom comes all the good that you recognize in yourselves, and see in others. All things are the gifts of God, which beautify the body and soul: for God has given being, life, feeling, action, discernment and understanding. It is a great blindness of heart, not to consider the divine gifts: and how much we are obliged to thank the Creator. So great are the blessings of God that they cannot be numbered: or sufficiently unfolded. Grievously, therefore, they sin and displease God by ingratitude: who, entangled in vanities, do not render to God devout thanks for His favours. Whence the apostle Paul saith: “Give thanks always for all things: in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And David singing on the Psaltery and harp: after many favours bestowed, rendering thanks to God, says: “Unto Thee, O my helper, will I sing; for Thou art God my defence: my God, my mercy.” And the same Lord speaks by Isaias the prophet, saying: “I will not give My glory to another.” What then shall we say to this, who do little or no good: and nevertheless desire to glory and to be praised? A base thing utterly: to wish to be esteemed for virtues which we do not possess. Let us abandon this vanity: let us follow the holy apostles and prophets, who were truly saints: and nevertheless attributed nothing of their holiness to themselves but all to God.
When, therefore, we seek the honour and glory of God, and render thanks to Him simply and wholly for all good things bestowed upon us; then we rise above with the angels in Heaven: who at the birth of Christ sang glory to God in the highest. But when we seek empty glory without of any good, or take pleasure in ourselves within, and weigh our good more than we should; then we are not truthful, nor humble in the truth, but proud and foolish: despised of God, reprobate of the angels, and strangers to all the saints. Whence from the vice of elation we fall beneath ourselves, and by degrees approach Hell; because we are likened to the demons and the damned, who do not love or praise God: nor are able to gaze upon the glory of God. And because they do not pay the honour due to God nor freely humble themselves with the saints; but perversely and proudly resist their Creator: by a just judgement of God they carry the torment of hell everywhere with them, and wither away in their malice. They are burnt by the flames, and not cleansed: they are most cruelly tortured, and never amend. From the moment they sought glory in themselves, they lost Heaven: and fell from the eternal glory of God into everlasting shame. Thus, alas, poor wretches, proud men glorying in themselves and despising others, shall speedily perish, before they are aware: who presuming of themselves say or think: “Our mighty hand: and not the Lord, hath done all these things.” Be therefore, brethren, humble of heart, chaste, kind, modest, compassionate: prudent in word, diligent in toil: fervent in prayer, patient in tribulation: obedient without delay, simple without questioning: retiring without pretence, silent without suspicion: submissive without complaint.
When also God of His great loving-kindness inspires or reveals anything good to one in prayer or study: let him not at once extol himself for this, nor prefer himself to others, or deem himself more holy; but he must think and believe that God hath done this to him not on account of his own virtues and labours, nor on account of his merits and ingenious toil: but because of His immense goodness, whereby He sends down rain upon the good and the bad, pouring forth His mercy upon every creature. For thus he speaks by the prophet Ezechiel to the Jews taking pride in the good things vouchsafed them: “It is not for your sakes but for My own sake that I have done this, House of Israel: be it known to you.” Let no man then abuse the divine goodness and mercy upon him by attributing anything to himself through pride: for fear that he incur at once the displeasure of God because of his thanklessness: and hear against himself the harsh sentence of the judge fearfully thundering: “Take away the pound from him, that is, the grace of devotion of which he is unworthy because of vainglory: and give to him that hath ten pounds, on account of his humility and thankfulness.” For he is meet to receive greater gifts; who studies ever to return thanks to God for the lesser: and confesses himself unworthy of all. The most loving Lord often gives His consolation not only for the sake of one man or two comforting one another; but also for the sake of the edification of others, and the instruction of many to the love and praise of so pious, sweet and generous a Master in His gifts: Who is so good and beneficent in bestowing His grace upon the humble, the mild and the compunct of heart. But He soon withdraws His sweetness from the elated and thankless: from idle talkers, from the curious, from the deceitful and murmurers. For the heart must be free of vices, if the sweetness of the Holy Spirit is to enter: which is more precious than all earthly riches. And he shall be enriched with eternal good things in Heaven: who spurns to take pleasure in the praises of men. Seek, therefore, rather to be comforted in devout prayers and tears: than in deep questions and long discourses. Study in the book of the conscience: flee the shadow of vainglory: store up oil in your vessels with the wise virgins: hide the treasure of your heart in the valley of humility. For if you seek the summit of true honour: you will hasten to that heavenly fatherland with your whole desire. To the happy gaining of which: may Jesus Christ lead us all. Amen.