Sermon Xii Of The Wisdom Of Confessors And The Continence Of Religious
SERMON XII
OF THE WISDOM OF CONFESSORS AND THE CONTINENCE OF RELIGIOUS
THE mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom: and his tongue shall speak judgement. Beloved brethren, these words are wont to be chanted of Confessors and Doctors: whom we ought to honour with a special devotion, and earnestly implore their suffrages: that strenuously imitating their virtues, we may merit after the course of the present life is accomplished to attain their fellowship. Therefore if we cannot bear most grievous and varied kinds of tortures with the holy martrys; let us endeavour in the measure of our strength to live in holy religion, humbly, patiently, and continently with the Confessors and Hermits: as they also pleased God, macerating the flesh by many long watchings and fasts. For the prophet in the verse of the psalm quoted describes, what is the manner of life of the just man who is pleasing to God: and how happy is his end, who shall have remained steadfast in his holy purpose. For the life of the just man and the good religious is usually remarked, and especially praised for certain characteristics; to wit, that he have his mouth shut against evil, his tongue learned in good: his heart at rest from disturbance, devout in prayer, suspended in contemplation: that he do good work with a right intention towards God: and that he be without evil suspicion towards his neighbour. And who desires to have these things, let him set the law of God in his heart: let him often meditate, willingly hear and read the sacred words: but of worldly things be silent, only of those things that belong to the salvation of the soul take the fullest care: cast away anxieties that do not concern him, indulge no time in idleness; but either pray, or study, or toil: that thereby he may be able as a faithful servant daily to increase the talent of good work. Let him learn before he teaches; and choose rather to be silent than to speak: if he wishes to become wise. Let his words be few and profitable: let him utter each with modesty: let him shun appearing before the great: let him arrange all his actions and discourses with the fear of God: as to be judged by Him, if he offend in aught. It is safer therefore and better that a man hold his peace: who knows not how to speak duly. If any inexperienced desire to have divine wisdom, let him spurn the delights of the flesh, let him keep strict watch over his outward senses, lest he drink in the vanities of the world: let him turn himself to inner things, let him examine his shortcomings: let him search his conscience every day, lament his guilt, leave naught unpunished; sigh for the things of Heaven, fear the judgement to come: deem the present life a prison, feel it a penalty to be away from Christ; consider it a great sorrow not to be assisting in the choirs of the saints: covet to possess nothing in this world, that he may have a heart ever free: esteem all temporal joy mourning: and for the desire of eternity reckon all plenty of goods poverty. The dissipated and talkative man knows not these interior sentiments: and he who ambitions honours: shall never find true wisdom. Blessed therefore that religious in whose heart the law of God reposes: whose mouth meditates the wisdom of the saints, not the folly of the world: whose learned tongue treats right judgement in every case, lest it utter anything in vain as to the wind; whose good works ever aim at the good-pleasure of God: whose steps within and without are ever directed in accordance with the divine teaching. It belongs therefore to a wise and spiritual man to discern the true from the false: vice from virtue, the necessary from the superfluous, the honourable from the scandalous: the bright from the dark, the expedient from the unlawful, the private from the public: the twisted from the upright, the just from the perverse, and the simple from the cunning: the innocent from the feigned and deceitful. Whence the Lord by the prophet Jeremias says in praise of the just man: “If thou shalt separate the precious from the vile: thou shalt be as My mouth.” God is truthful and just, and He hath loved justice: His countenance hath beheld righteousness. And therefore He seeks and loves such: as walk before Him in truth. Their steps shall not be supplanted by the adversary the devil; nor by the flatteries of the world, nor by their own concupiscences: nor are they seduced by the praise or the blame of others. For the right hand of God guards under His wing them that walk in simplicity of heart: and all that they say and do shall profit them unto very great merit, and an everlasting reward. Which when they have happily attained: there will be naught for them to desire further. For blessed are all, who shall be worthy to be present in the kingdom of God and to feast and rejoice with Christ; for that they have loved Christ in their life: and have reckoned as base all earthly things.
Beloved brethren, imitate the humble life of Jesus Christ, as also did the holy Confessors: among whom were many noble and wealthy men, who long led a life truly godly and austere in abstinence from meats, in want of wheat, wine and oil and other pleasant foods: crucifying their weak flesh with its vices and concupiscences, not for the sake of the praise of men: but to satisfy unto God for their sins by fervent penance. These striving against the temptations of the devil and the honours of the world unto death: at length accomplished the course of their life in a happy end. Although therefore these did not endure in their body the sword of tyrants, or burning fire, or the tearing of beasts, or other dreadful torments: nevertheless they waged a most mighty warfare and a daily martyrdom in their spirit; embracing in preference to all the treasures of the world a life chaste, humble, lowly, interior, devout, kind, patient, sober, modest, poor and hidden: and therefore they worthily merited to have eternal crowns. If therefore you seek true wisdom, and desire to possess a peaceful life pleasing to God and agreeable to men, then give yourselves to true humility of heart, as it is written: “Where humility is: there is wisdom.” This wisdom the world hates, the devil attacks; the flesh abhors, the fool derides: the proud man spurns, the passionate persecutes. For a humble and chaste life is more pleasing to God: than deep knowledge: and a good and pure conscience is more to be desired: than subtle and wordy eloquence. Simple obedience also is much better: than a clever excuse of the mouth. The keeping of silence is more profitable: than extorted permission to speak. For God protects the simply obedient: and He often suffers the cunning to come to a foolish end. It is no small prudence, to give heed to oneself: and to humble oneself under every creature: for God humbled Himself for man even to the lowest degree of earth, that He might convert sinners: and draw the penitent by true humility to the heights of Heaven, and make them blessed for ever. Many learned philosophers and great in their own eyes, have neglected the path of saving prudence, or have not known it: and departing from the humility of Christ have wandered from the truth: and have hardly been able to attain contempt of the world. Many masters also drawing the science of God and the knowledge of the virtues from long study, preach excellently well of humility and chastity, of contempt of the world and holy religion and obedience; who nevertheless held back by the love of the world barely follow Christ from afar: and, as the saying goes, do not attempt to touch with a finger the burden which they praise. So noble a virtue is humility: that often the proud and worldlings praise it. And so laudable is the virtue of chastity; that even the incontinent grandly extol it: and to their own shame honour it with meet praise. And this certainly is from God: Who glorifies His most faithful lovers and chaste and humble servants in the present where they are strangers and pilgrims; whom in the dwelling of the blessedness to come, He intends to rejoice with a fuller glory for all the confusion which they have endured. Whoever then lives continently, and keeps his senses under the regular discipline within and without; he shall be justly called a Confessor of the Lord: because he was prudent and faithful over a few goods. For of the five talents delivered to him, that is, the five senses of his body, he was a good steward: living blamelessly, and showing others a good example. For these two things especially in religious and retired persons please God, and shine before men: a good life and holy doctrine. And such a servant after his labours have been accomplished shall enter gladly into the joy of his Lord: because he was found faithful in every work and good word: to the praise of God and the edification of the neighbour for ever and ever. Amen.