Sermon Xviii Of The Spiritual Warfare Against Vices
SERMON XVIII
OF THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE AGAINST VICES
WHEN you shall hear of wars and seditions: be not terrified. Beloved brethren, in this life we are in the midst of enemies: and from all sides the war to be waged against vices presses on us. Daily we are tempted and attacked: now indeed softly, at another time bitterly, but always perilously and wickedly: the devil everywhere laying snares and harassing us. For no man living is wholly free from temptations and disturbances as long as the spirit bides in the body: but everyone is forced even against his will to bear the burden of the day and the heats. Let no one therefore grow slothful in idleness; let no one think of departing from the camp of God: let no one lay down his arms before the end of the war. Let the new soldier be girded with a new sword to combat in fervour of spirit against the wickedness of the devil; let him fight bravely with the two-edged sword: having together the fear and the love of God in his mind: seeking the retirement of prayer: shunning above all publicity and sloth. For no man shall be crowned in Heaven: unless he has lawfully striven against his passions and vices in this world. The new sword is the fresh fervour of holy devotion; which at the beginning of conversion is often given by a loving illumination of the Holy Ghost to new soldiers: to enable them to battle bravely against the temptations to come. Let the novice then take diligent heed that he lose not the grace of devotion by being infected with sloth; but at all times let him make himself ready for the spiritual combat: and often pray: that he may be one of the chosen servants of Abraham, who overcame his foes armed by faith and prayer. Let him often sharpen his sword renewing his first purpose which he undertook; now meditating on the Passion of the Lord: now on the combats and bloody wounds of the martyrs: now on the flames of the eternal fire, now on the great horror of the demons: now on the unbearable stench of the pitch and sulphur, now on the lamentable crying of the damned: now on the despair of all salvation. These things, if they come to the mind, shake off sloth: repress the concupiscence of the flesh; consume the rust of vices, reprove negligence: and mightily enkindle to spiritual progress, and the fervour of devotion. Let every lukewarm religious then fear exceedingly: let the wanderer and the dissipated restrain himself: lest he come to that place of torments, where there is no issue, nor room for mercy. But now in the time of grace, let him strive to amend his past negligences: let him cleanse the secret of his heart by humble confession and devout prayer: let him recollect himself by holy reading and frequent compunction of heart: let him curb lightness of words, by the keeping of silence; let him bring back the tranquillity of internal peace, by the forgetfulness of exterior affairs: let him drive out the inrushing filth of evil thoughts, by the pure meditation of heavenly things; and to appease the anger of God more speedily: let him hold to true humility. These things appertain to manly and warlike beginners; who because of the three battalions of the enemy are bidden to stand to arms: and strenuously combat all their life against the flesh, the world and the devil.
It behoves then to fight with the help of God by being instant in prayer: by refraining from delicacies, patiently bearing adversities, as did all the saints, and especially the martyrs of Christ: who striving most bravely overcame their foes by gently enduring: and after many insults and torments, guiltlessly dying. They heeded not friends and relatives according to the flesh: nor temporal riches and honours; but the meriting of eternal rewards, heavenly treasures, triumphal crowns: and unfading glory. For by transitory torments: they deserved to pass without delay to everlasting joys. Now their souls rejoice in Heaven: who followed Christ’s footsteps in reproaches and most grievous pains.
The holy confessors also strove, living soberly, justly and piously: often fasting, watching, praying, meditating, studying: groaning, weeping, supplicating for their own and others’ sins: bearing contumely, detractions, mockery, murmuring, threats, exactions, losses and wrongs: persevering in a right faith, firm hope and perfect charity even unto death.
The holy and grave doctors of holy Church strove also, disputing against heretics and divers errors, zealously preaching the word of God; writing, studying, dictating books: raising questions, solving doubts, throwing light on the obscure; rebuking vices, proposing a saving doctrine, urging men to the godly and profitable; warning the simple from curious, intricate and fruitless side-issues: arousing the slothful, reproving the hardened: consoling the sad, strengthening the weak: and daily showing others a good example of life: so that what they could not persuade by words: they affirmed by holy actions.
The holy hermits and monks, and the professed of divers Orders also strove, renouncing the world: spurning the vanities of the world and the delights of the flesh, treading under foot temporal glory and honour: fleeing the tumult of men, loving solitude: forsaking their own, taking up their cross: chastising their body by abstinence, curbing the tongue by silence: shunning wanderings and discourses, doing themselves violence day after day: freely submitting themselves to the yoke of holy obedience, strictly living in the cloister under the regular discipline: imitating the apostolic perfection and for Christ’s sake giving themselves to daily crucifixion: combatting with a perfect heart all inordinate affections and their own motions: keeping back nothing to themselves of all things dear, utensils, books or clothing. There is nothing in sooth more perfect, more wholesome, more profitable, more praiseworthy, more secure and more restful unto having a good conscience and peace of heart: than that the religious, devout to God and a professed monk, should every hour without contradiction, without delay, without dislike, readily and willingly obey his superior: bravely overcoming himself, humbly submitting, patiently bearing things burdensome and bitter. To keep this way of perfection is required a great struggle, against the inclination of sensuality, against the prudence of one’s own opinion, against one’s evil habit and the licence of the flesh, which will be subjected, ruled and restrained by others unwillingly: but seeks rather to wander, to enjoy and to amuse itself. For these things are very contrary to the law God and reason and the common peace of the brethren: and the good government of the cloister. Wherefore the simple obedient brother will be reckoned very praise-worthy and truly lovable: who with cheerful countenance and willing heart is ready to serve all after the example of Jesus Christ: keeping the law of life and discipline for the salvation of his soul in the Order of Regulars. Again very culpable and blameworthy is the cunning brother, abounding in his own sense; who does not humbly obey his superior: showing him reverence and submission. Wo to him who unwillingly or with feigned heart obeys: and murmurs from slight cause. This one Christ, obeying His Father, sternly rebukes, and often is wont severely to punish in the present life. For He says to the rulers of the church: “He that heareth you, heareth Me: and he that despiseth you, despiseth Me.” What therefore he said to the apostles, this He says likewise to their successors and to other prelates: this He addresses to superiors of monasteries also: bidding subjects obey them for God’s sake, for the sake of great merit, and good example: for He will give grace and glory to all who are obedient: but to the disobedient and perverse confusion and punishment everlasting.
For the man truly obedient and submissive to the higher powers ordained by God: is compared to a wise merchant; who in every place and money market thinks of increasing his gain, and guarding against losses: endeavours to buy of good value, and not to be ensnared with worthless articles. So also the religious bound by the chain of obedience ought to think and strive in every work and business committed to him; to act faithfully, overlooking naught that pleases God: and that the superior entrusts to him. For then especially he makes progress in good, and enlarges his merit: if spurning the visible things of the world, he aims at the heavenly: if he deems it gain to his soul beyond all wealth to be submissive to the beck of another. For the fruit of obedience is better: than the thought carefully worked out of one’s own prudence. And much more fruitful is the will forsaken for God’s sake: than long study and perfect psaltery. Blessed therefore the religious of whatsoever Order and state: who follows Christ now by the cross and violence to the flesh always ready to obey: because in the end at his death he shall receive with the holy confessors a special reward in Heaven: as Christ promises and says in these words: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things: enter into the joy of thy Lord.” Let not then a man base and ignorant, dust and ashes to be, disdain to subject himself and obey a man who gives wholesome advice; when an angel obeys an angel indicating anything to him by a mere sign, and holy Gabriel sent by God immediately comes to announce to Mary the incarnation of Christ. But this is more to be admired, and is set before us all as an example; that God obeyed man, served, and humbly bowed Himself to things lowly and base: that it might not be burdensome to anyone, however great, learned, or noble, to obey a greater, or even an equal or a lesser: since Christ did all this before him. For He obeyed Joseph and His Mother, leaving the Temple and the doctors, where He could have favour and honour: and He went down with His parents to Nazareth, and was subject to them: where He remained long unknown to many friends how great He was.
The holy virgins also and the continent widows bravely strove against their foes: who in the love of Jesus Christ overcame the vanities of the world and the pleasures of the flesh and the temptations of the devil in a tender age and weak sex: continuing in prayers, watchings and fasts, shunning worldly company and useless discourses, chastising their bodies, refraining from all superfluous adornment: desiring to please God alone with sincere mind and chaste body, daily preparing themselves by holy desires and interior sighs, for the heavenly nuptials; beautifying as with white flowers the bridal chamber of the heart by devout meditations, hymns, psalms, washing away the stains of the conscience with contrition and confession: and panting unceasingly with sighing and burning love for the presence of the heavenly and invisible Spouse. O sacred trophy of virgins; brave bands of maidens, widows and noble matrons: who for the sake of the love of the heavenly Spouse, and to preserve the beauty of angelic purity, despised earthly nuptials, the love of men, the patrimony of parents, the comfort of children, the banquets of acquaintance; the ornaments of dress, the splendour of gems, abundance of plate, gold rings, silver goblets, divers furniture, silk tapestry, painted chairs, the ministry of servants, the attendance of maids, the music of instruments; the sight of games, and all the pleasures of worldly joys: which this vain and frivolous world presents and flaunts before the eyes of the unwise. For these things have profited and do profit nothing to their lovers: who rejoice in perishable and foolish things, full of deceits and sorrows.
Happy therefore the band of holy virgins; who strove for eternal life to reject as dung all the joys of this world and bodily adornments: and desired rather to be made happy with the angels and archangels in heavenly glory. O truly happy assembly of maidens, who abided constant in their station: and even to the shedding of blood resisted vices and the laws of tyrants. Therefore most beautiful crowns in Heaven adorned with precious gems and jewels: have they merited to receive with glorious praise from Christ for the victory of their combat. For who can ever worthily and fully unfold, what distresses they often endured in their heart: what temptations in the flesh: what suggestions from the demons they felt in prayer: who urged them to the pleasures of the world away from the chastity of Christ. Alas, what counsels Satan devised by the persuasions of friends: by the flattery of matrons, by manifold mockery also and terrors: to seduce them and draw them with him through fleeting delights to infernal pains. But by the pity and help of Christ their Maker, the wiles of the devil prevailed naught against the maiden battalions; nor the clamour of wicked men, nor the blows of tyrants: nor the weapons threatening death. Because the love of Christ stronger than all armour, nobler than all honour, lovelier than all beauty, sweeter than all melody: so mightily burned in the virgin hearts and female hosts armed with the sign of the cross; that they feared to suffer neither flames nor blows, nor beasts, nor prisons, nor hunger, nor death: in order to preserve an unshaken faith and the gem of chastity in a pure heart and body to be crowned with perpetual honour in Heaven. These combats then of the blessed martys, and long and hard abstinence of the holy confessors, and especially the chastity, patience and perseverance of the sacred virgins you ought to place before you to be imitated: and to arm yourselves manfully to resist vices and passions. I exhort all in charity: that for a shield in the combat you neglect not the intercession of the saints; that you faint not in your temptations: by the gift of Our Lord Jesus Christ the Rewarder of all the good. Amen.